The tumour suppressor C/EBPδ inhibits FBXW7 expression and promotes mammary tumour metastasis

EMBO J. 2010 Dec 15;29(24):4106-17. doi: 10.1038/emboj.2010.280. Epub 2010 Nov 12.

Abstract

Inflammation and hypoxia are known to promote the metastatic progression of tumours. The CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-δ (C/EBPδ, CEBPD) is an inflammatory response gene and candidate tumour suppressor, but its physiological role in tumourigenesis in vivo is unknown. Here, we demonstrate a tumour suppressor function of C/EBPδ using transgenic mice overexpressing the Neu/Her2/ERBB2 proto-oncogene in the mammary gland. Unexpectedly, this study also revealed that C/EBPδ is necessary for efficient tumour metastasis. We show that C/EBPδ is induced by hypoxia in tumours in vivo and in breast tumour cells in vitro, and that C/EBPδ-deficient cells exhibit reduced glycolytic metabolism and cell viability under hypoxia. C/EBPδ supports CXCR4 expression. On the other hand, C/EBPδ directly inhibits expression of the tumour suppressor F-box and WD repeat-domain containing 7 gene (FBXW7, FBW7, AGO, Cdc4), encoding an F-box protein that promotes degradation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Consequently, C/EBPδ enhances mTOR/AKT/S6K1 signalling and augments translation and activity of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), which is necessary for hypoxia adaptation. This work provides new insight into the mechanisms by which metastasis-promoting signals are induced specifically under hypoxia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta / metabolism*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Survival
  • Cells, Cultured
  • F-Box Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Glycolysis
  • Hypoxia*
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / pathology
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / physiopathology
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / secondary*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / pathology*
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / physiopathology
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / biosynthesis*

Substances

  • F-Box Proteins
  • F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7
  • Fbxw7 protein, mouse
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases