Stat3 regulates ErbB-2 expression and co-opts ErbB-2 nuclear function to induce miR-21 expression, PDCD4 downregulation and breast cancer metastasis

Oncogene. 2016 Apr 28;35(17):2208-22. doi: 10.1038/onc.2015.281. Epub 2015 Jul 27.

Abstract

Membrane overexpression of the receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB-2 (MErbB-2) accounts for a clinically aggressive breast cancer (BC) subtype (ErbB-2-positive) with increased incidence of metastases. We and others demonstrated that nuclear ErbB-2 (NErbB-2) also plays a key role in BC and is a poor prognostic factor in ErbB-2-positive tumors. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3), another player in BC, has been recognized as a downstream mediator of MErbB-2 action in BC metastasis. Here, we revealed an unanticipated novel direction of the ErbB-2 and Stat3 interaction underlying BC metastasis. We found that Stat3 binds to its response elements (GAS) at the ErbB-2 promoter to upregulate ErbB-2 transcription in metastatic, ErbB-2-positive BC. We validated these results in several BC subtypes displaying metastatic and non-metastatic ability, highlighting Stat3 general role as upstream regulator of ErbB-2 expression in BC. Moreover, we showed that Stat3 co-opts NErbB-2 function by recruiting ErbB-2 as its coactivator at the GAS sites in the promoter of microRNA-21 (miR-21), a metastasis-promoting microRNA (miRNA). Using an ErbB-2 nuclear localization domain mutant and a constitutively activated ErbB-2 variant, we found that NErbB-2 role as a Stat3 coactivator and also its direct role as transcription factor upregulate miR-21 in BC. This reveals a novel function of NErbB-2 as a regulator of miRNAs expression. Increased levels of miR-21, in turn, downregulate the expression of the metastasis-suppressor protein programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4), a validated miR-21 target. Using an in vivo model of metastatic ErbB-2-postive BC, in which we silenced Stat3 and reconstituted ErbB-2 or miR-21 expression, we showed that both are downstream mediators of Stat3-driven metastasis. Supporting the clinical relevance of our results, we found an inverse correlation between ErbB-2/Stat3 nuclear co-expression and PDCD4 expression in ErbB-2-positive primary invasive BCs. Our findings identify Stat3 and NErbB-2 as novel therapeutic targets to inhibit ErbB-2-positive BC metastasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / biosynthesis*
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / biosynthesis*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / genetics*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transcriptional Activation / genetics
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • MIRN21 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • PDCD4 protein, human
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2