The quorum sensing peptides PhrG, CSP and EDF promote angiogenesis and invasion of breast cancer cells in vitro

Bart De Spiegeleer; Frederick Verbeke; Matthias D'Hondt; An Hendrix; Christophe Van De Wiele; Christian Burvenich; Kathelijne Peremans; Olivier De Wever; Marc Bracke; Evelien Wynendaele

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119471

The quorum sensing peptides PhrG, CSP and EDF promote angiogenesis and invasion of breast cancer cells in vitro

PLoS One. 2015 Mar 17;10(3):e0119471. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119471. eCollection 2015.

Affiliations

¹ Drug Quality and Registration (DruQuaR) group, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
² Department of Radiation Oncology and Experimental Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
³ Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
⁴ Comparative Physiology and Biometrics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
⁵ Department of Medical Imaging, Medicine and Clinical Biology of Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.

Abstract

The role of the human microbiome on cancer progression remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the influence of some quorum sensing peptides, produced by diverse commensal or pathogenic bacteria, on breast cancer cell invasion and thus cancer outcome. Based on microscopy, transcriptome and Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) analyses, four peptides (PhrG from B. subtilis, CSP from S. mitis and EDF from E. coli, together with its tripeptide analogue) were found to promote tumour cell invasion and angiogenesis, thereby potentially influencing tumour metastasis. Our results offer not only new insights on the possible role of the microbiome, but also further opportunities in cancer prevention and therapy by competing with these endogenous molecules and/or by modifying people's life style.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
Bacterial Proteins / physiology
Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
Caco-2 Cells
Chick Embryo
Female
Gene Expression Profiling
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
Humans
MCF-7 Cells
Microbiota / physiology*
Neoplasm Invasiveness*
Neovascularization, Pathologic*
Quorum Sensing*

Substances

Bacterial Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Special Research Fund of Ghent University [Grant number BOF 01J22510 to BDS and EW, (https://www.ugent.be/en/research/funding/phd/bof/doc)] and the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation through Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT-Vlaanderen) [Grant numbers 131356 to FV and 101529 to MD, (http://www.iwt.be/)]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.