Int J Biol Sci 2012; 8(4):522-532. doi:10.7150/ijbs.4164 This issue Cite

Research Paper

TWIST Represses Estrogen Receptor-alpha Expression by Recruiting the NuRD Protein Complex in Breast Cancer Cells

Junjiang Fu1✉, Lianmei Zhang1, Tao He1, Xiuli Xiao1, Xiaoyan Liu1, Li Wang1, Luquan Yang1, Manman Yang1, Tiandan Zhang1, Rui Chen2, Jianming Xu1,3

1. The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou City, China 646000
2. Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
3. Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA

Citation:
Fu J, Zhang L, He T, Xiao X, Liu X, Wang L, Yang L, Yang M, Zhang T, Chen R, Xu J. TWIST Represses Estrogen Receptor-alpha Expression by Recruiting the NuRD Protein Complex in Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Biol Sci 2012; 8(4):522-532. doi:10.7150/ijbs.4164. https://www.ijbs.com/v08p0522.htm
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Abstract

Loss of estrogen receptor α (ERα) expression and gain of TWIST (TWIST1) expression in breast tumors correlate with increased disease recurrence and metastasis and poor disease-free survival. However, the molecular and functional regulatory relationship between TWIST and ERα are unclear. In this study, we found TWIST was associated with a chromatin region in intron 7 of the human ESR1 gene coding for ERα. This association of TWIST efficiently recruited the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) repressor complex to this region, which subsequently decreased histone H3K9 acetylation, increased histone H3K9 methylation and repressed ESR1 expression in breast cancer cells. In agreement with these molecular events, TWIST expression was inversely correlated with ERα expression in both breast cancer cell lines and human breast ductal carcinomas. Forced expression of TWIST in TWIST-negative and ERα-positive breast cancer cells such as T47D and MCF-7 cells reduced ERα expression, while knockdown of TWIST in TWIST-positive and ERα-negative breast cancer cells such as MDA-MB-435 and 4T1 cells increased ERα expression. Furthermore, inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity including the one in NuRD complex significantly increased ERα expression in MDA-MB-435 and 4T1 cells. HDAC inhibition together with TWIST knockdown did not further increase ERα expression in 4T1 and MDA-MB-435 cells. These results demonstrate that TWIST/NuRD represses ERα expression in breast cancer cells. Therefore, TWIST may serve as a potential molecular target for converting ERα-negative breast cancers to ERα-positive breast cancers, allowing these cancers to restore their sensitivity to endocrine therapy with selective ERα antagonists such as tamoxifen and raloxifene.

Keywords: TWIST, ERα, NuRD complex, gene repression, breast cancer


Citation styles

APA
Fu, J., Zhang, L., He, T., Xiao, X., Liu, X., Wang, L., Yang, L., Yang, M., Zhang, T., Chen, R., Xu, J. (2012). TWIST Represses Estrogen Receptor-alpha Expression by Recruiting the NuRD Protein Complex in Breast Cancer Cells. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 8(4), 522-532. https://doi.org/10.7150/ijbs.4164.

ACS
Fu, J.; Zhang, L.; He, T.; Xiao, X.; Liu, X.; Wang, L.; Yang, L.; Yang, M.; Zhang, T.; Chen, R.; Xu, J. TWIST Represses Estrogen Receptor-alpha Expression by Recruiting the NuRD Protein Complex in Breast Cancer Cells. Int. J. Biol. Sci. 2012, 8 (4), 522-532. DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.4164.

NLM
Fu J, Zhang L, He T, Xiao X, Liu X, Wang L, Yang L, Yang M, Zhang T, Chen R, Xu J. TWIST Represses Estrogen Receptor-alpha Expression by Recruiting the NuRD Protein Complex in Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Biol Sci 2012; 8(4):522-532. doi:10.7150/ijbs.4164. https://www.ijbs.com/v08p0522.htm

CSE
Fu J, Zhang L, He T, Xiao X, Liu X, Wang L, Yang L, Yang M, Zhang T, Chen R, Xu J. 2012. TWIST Represses Estrogen Receptor-alpha Expression by Recruiting the NuRD Protein Complex in Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Biol Sci. 8(4):522-532.

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