RBCK1 drives breast cancer cell proliferation by promoting transcription of estrogen receptor alpha and cyclin B1

Cancer Res. 2010 Feb 1;70(3):1265-74. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-2674. Epub 2010 Jan 26.

Abstract

Cell cycle regulatory pathways in breast cancer are incompletely described. Here, we report an important role in estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha)-positive breast cancer cells for the protein kinase C1 (PKC1)-interacting protein RBCK1 in supporting cell cycle progression by driving transcription of ERalpha and cyclin B1. RBCK1-depleted cells exhibited increased accumulation in G(2)-M phase of the cell cycle, decreased proliferation, and reduced mRNA levels for ERalpha and its target genes cyclin D1 and c-myc. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that ERalpha transcription is associated with RBCK1 recruitment to the ERalpha promoter, suggesting that transcriptional regulation is one mechanism by which RBCK1 affects ERalpha mRNA levels. G(2)-M phase arrest was mediated independently from reduced ERalpha levels, instead associated with transcriptional inhibition of the key G(2)-M regulator cyclin B1. In breast tumor samples, there was a positive correlation between levels of RBCK1, ERalpha, and cyclin B1 mRNA levels. Our findings suggest that RBCK1 regulates cell cycle progression and proliferation of ERalpha-positive breast cancer cells by supporting transcription of ERalpha and cyclin B1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blotting, Western
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Cycle
  • Cell Division
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Cyclin B1 / genetics*
  • Cyclin B1 / metabolism
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / genetics*
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / metabolism
  • Female
  • G1 Phase
  • G2 Phase
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA Interference
  • Resting Phase, Cell Cycle
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases

Substances

  • Cyclin B1
  • ESR1 protein, human
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha
  • Transcription Factors
  • RBCK1 protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases