Single-cell immunoblotting resolves estrogen receptor-α isoforms in breast cancer

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 27;16(7):e0254783. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254783. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

An array of isoforms of the nuclear estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) protein contribute to heterogeneous response in breast cancer (BCa); yet, a single-cell analysis tool that distinguishes the full-length ER-α66 protein from the activation function-1 deficient ER-α46 isoform has not been reported. Specific detection of protein isoforms is a gap in single-cell analysis tools, as the de facto standard immunoassay requires isoform-specific antibody probes. Consequently, to scrutinize hormone response heterogeneity among BCa tumor cells, we develop a precision tool to specifically measure ER-α66, ER- α46, and eight ER-signaling proteins with single-cell resolution in the highly hetero-clonal MCF-7 BCa cell line. With a literature-validated pan-ER immunoprobe, we distinguish ER-α66 from ER-α46 in each individual cell. We identify ER-α46 in 5.5% of hormone-sensitive (MCF-7) and 4.2% of hormone-insensitive (MDA-MB-231) BCa cell lines. To examine whether the single-cell immunoblotting can capture cellular responses to hormones, we treat cells with tamoxifen and identify different sub-populations of ER-α46: (i) ER-α46 induces phospho-AKT at Ser473, (ii) S6-ribosomal protein, an upstream ER target, activates both ER-α66 and ER-α46 in MCF-7 cells, and (iii) ER-α46 partitions MDA-MB-231 subpopulations, which are responsive to tamoxifen. Unlike other single-cell immunoassays, multiplexed single-cell immunoblotting reports-in the same cell-tamoxifen effects on ER signaling proteins and on distinct isoforms of the ER-α protein.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / genetics
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Single-Cell Analysis / instrumentation
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods*
  • Tamoxifen / pharmacology

Substances

  • Estrogen Receptor alpha
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Tamoxifen
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt