A transcriptional response to replication stress selectively expands a subset of Brca2-mutant mammary epithelial cells

Abstract

Germline BRCA2 mutation carriers frequently develop luminal-like breast cancers, but it remains unclear how BRCA2 mutations affect mammary epithelial subpopulations. Here, we report that monoallelic Brca2^mut/WT mammary organoids subjected to replication stress activate a transcriptional response that selectively expands Brca2^mut/WT luminal cells lacking hormone receptor expression (HR-). While CyTOF analyses reveal comparable epithelial compositions among wildtype and Brca2^mut/WT mammary glands, Brca2^mut/WT HR- luminal cells exhibit greater organoid formation and preferentially survive and expand under replication stress. ScRNA-seq analysis corroborates the expansion of HR- luminal cells which express elevated transcript levels of Tetraspanin-8 (Tspan8) and Thrsp, plus pathways implicated in replication stress survival including Type I interferon responses. Notably, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of Tspan8 or Thrsp prevents Brca2^mut/WT HR- luminal cell expansion. Our findings indicate that Brca2^mut/WT cells activate a transcriptional response after replication stress that preferentially favours outgrowth of HR- luminal cells through the expression of interferon-responsive and mammary alveolar genes.