Prolyl-4-hydroxylase PHD2- and hypoxia-inducible factor 2-dependent regulation of amphiregulin contributes to breast tumorigenesis

Oncogene. 2011 Feb 3;30(5):548-60. doi: 10.1038/onc.2010.433. Epub 2010 Sep 20.

Abstract

Hypoxia-elicited adaptations of tumor cells are essential for tumor growth and cancer progression. Although ample evidence exists for a positive correlation between hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and tumor formation, metastasis and bad prognosis, the function of the HIF-α protein stability regulating prolyl-4-hydroxylase domain enzyme PHD2 in carcinogenesis is less well understood. In this study, we demonstrate that downregulation of PHD2 leads to increased tumor growth in a hormone-dependent mammary carcinoma mouse model. Tissue microarray analysis of PHD2 protein expression in 281 clinical samples of human breast cancer showed significantly shorter survival times of patients with low-level PHD2 tumors over a period of 10 years. An angiogenesis-related antibody array identified, amongst others, amphiregulin to be increased in the absence of PHD2 and normalized after PHD2 reconstitution. Cultivation of endothelial cells in conditioned media derived from PHD2-downregulated cells resulted in enhanced tube formation that was blocked by the addition of neutralizing anti-amphiregulin antibodies. Functionally, amphiregulin was regulated on the transcriptional level specifically by HIF-2 but not HIF-1. Our data suggest that PHD2/HIF-2/amphiregulin signaling has a critical role in the regulation of breast tumor progression and propose PHD2 as a potential tumor suppressor in breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amphiregulin
  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Disease Progression
  • EGF Family of Proteins
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Proline Dioxygenases
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / genetics
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / metabolism
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred Strains
  • Mice, Nude
  • Middle Aged
  • Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase / genetics
  • Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transplantation, Heterologous

Substances

  • AREG protein, human
  • Amphiregulin
  • Areg protein, mouse
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • EGF Family of Proteins
  • Glycoproteins
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1
  • EGLN1 protein, human
  • Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Proline Dioxygenases