Regulation of Cripto-1 signaling and biological activity by caveolin-1 in mammary epithelial cells

Caterina Bianco, Luigi Strizzi, Mario Mancino, Kazuhide Watanabe, Monica Gonzales, Shin Hamada, Ahmed Raafat, Lawson Sahlah, Cindy Chang, Federica Sotgia, Nicola Normanno, Michael Lisanti, David S. Salomon*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Human and mouse Cripto-1 (CR-1/Cr-1) proteins play an important role in mammary gland development and tumorigenesis. In this study, we examined the relationship between Cripto-1 and caveolin-1 (Cav-1), a membrane protein that acts as a tumor suppressor in the mammary gland. Cripto-1 was found to interact with Cav-1 in COS7 cells and mammary epithelial cells. Using EpH4 mouse mammary epithelial cells expressing Cr-1 (EpH4 Cr-1) or Cr-1 and Cav-1 (EpH4 Cr-1/Cav-1), we demonstrate that Cav-1 expression markedly reduced the ability of Cr-1 to enhance migration, invasion, and formation of branching structures in EpH4 Cr-1/Cav-1 cells as compared to EpH4 Cr-1 cells. Furthermore, coexpression of Cav-1 together with Cr-1 in EpH4 Cr-1/Cav-1 cells inhibited Cr-1-mediated activation of c-src and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Conversely, primary mammary epithelial cells isolated from Cav-1 null -/-/mouse mammary tumor virus-CR-1 transgenic animals showed enhanced motility and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and c-src as compared to Cav-1+/+/CR-1 mammary cells. Finally, mammary tumors derived from mouse mammary tumor virus-CR-1 mice showed a dramatic reduction of Cav-1 expression as compared to mammary tissue from normal FVB/N mice, suggesting that in vivo Cav-1 is down-regulated during the process of CR-1-mediated mammary tumorigenesis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)345-357
Number of pages13
JournalAmerican Journal of Pathology
Volume172
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2008

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine

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