MCF-7 and T47D human breast cancer cells contain a functional peroxisomal response

• Published in: Molecular and cellular endocrinology Vol. 129; no. 2; pp. 229 - 235
• Main Authors: Kilgore, Michael W, Tate, Patricia L, Rai, Sudha, Sengoku, Eiichi, Price, Thomas M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 16-05-1997
• Subjects: Blotting, Northern; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Gene Expression Regulation; human breast cancer; Humans; MCF-7 cells; Peroxisomal Proliferator; PPAR; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - genetics; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription, Genetic; Tumor Cells, Cultured; MCF-7 cells; PPAR; Peroxisomal Proliferator; human breast cancer
• ISSN: 0303-7207; 1872-8057
• DOI: 10.1016/S0303-7207(97)04057-4

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated nuclear receptors that regulate transcription of target genes. Since attempts have been made to correlate the ingestion of high-fat diets, itself a peroxisome proliferator, with the occurrence of breast cancer, we set about to determine if human breast cancer cells contained a functional PPAR. In this report we demonstrate the presence of an mRNA in two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and T47D) which is specifically recognized by a mouse PPAR
γ2 probe. Furthermore, in gel shift assays a consensus PPAR response element (PPRE) was specifically bound by nuclear extracts from MCF-7 cells and was further retarded by antibodies raised to mouse PPAR
γ. Finally, when transfected with a PPRE-luciferase transcriptional reporter construct, transcription was increased in response to activators of PPAR and its dimmeric partner the retinoic acid X receptor (RXR). These data indicate that peroxisomal proliferators are capable of mediating transcription in human breast cells and suggest the possibility of a physiological role in the breast.