The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Master's Theses Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects Fall 12-12-2017 The oler of orphan nuclear receptor DAX-1 (NR0B1) in human breast cancer cells: expression, proliferation and metastasis Erin Dishington [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/thes Part of the Biology Commons, and the Genetics Commons Recommended Citation Dishington, Erin, "The or le of orphan nuclear receptor DAX-1 (NR0B1) in human breast cancer cells: expression, proliferation and metastasis" (2017). Master's Theses. 269. https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/269 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract The orphan nuclear hormone receptor DAX-1 (Dosage Sensitive Sex Reversal, Adrenal Hypoplasia Congenita on the X Chromosome, gene 1) plays an important role in the development of adrenal and gonadal tissues and functions as a global negative-regulator of steroidogenesis. In addition, it is known to be involved in several diseases including some cancers. Herein, we describe our examination of the role of DAX-1 in breast cancer, specifically its influence on proliferation and metastasis and its expression during progressive stages of disease. In an effort to understand how DAX-1 influences breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, we used MCF7 breast cancer cells and MCF10A normal breast cells and manipulated their DAX-1 expression to increase DAX-1 expression by adenovirus infection in MCF7 cells, or knockdown expression of DAX-1 through the use of RNAi in MCF10A cells. We found a trend toward increased cell proliferation when DAX-1 expression was knocked down, and decreased proliferation when DAX-1 is overexpressed. In addition, we looked at the influence of DAX-1 on breast cancer cell proliferation when the estrogen receptor a (ERa) activity is inhibited by the antagonist, Fulvestrant. To gain a better understanding of the transcriptional role of DAX-1 in breast cancer, we utilized PCR arrays to analyze changes in gene expression in the presence of DAX-1. We identified several genes with roles in breast cancer, estrogen receptor signaling and metastasis whose expression was significantly influenced by overexpression of DAX-1 in MCF7 cells. To investigate expression of DAX- 1 through progressive stages of disease we utilized IHC and bioinformatics techniques. We found DAX- 1 to be expressed more frequently and at higher levels at earlier stages of breast cancers and at very low levels regardless of stage in hormone receptor-positive (ER and PR) patients. Through these studies, we hypothesize that DAX-1 has the potential to be utilized clinically as biomarker for predicting disease progression and for tailoring more personalized treatment plans. There may even be a role for DAX-1 as a possible therapeutic for later stage or hormone receptor-positive patients. 1 Acknowledgements Principle Investigator Dr. Christina Tzagarakis-Foster Thesis Committee Members Dr. James Sikes Dr. Jennifer Dever Tzagarakis-Foster Laboratory (Past and Present) Roxxana Valeria Beltran Valencia Victor Gavallos Dominique Mitchell Ryan Jann Agatha Jane Kruse Elizabeth Fitzpatrick Hai Nguyen Fiona Ticho Brandon Reyes Alexandra Maramba Christian Caddali Renata Napolitano University of San Francisco Biology Department Faculty and Staff In particular, to Jeff Oda for all his help University of San Francisco Bioinformatics Students and Staff Michael Totagrande, Shih-Yin Chen, Meriam Vejiga, Dr. Patricia Francis-Lyon A very special thank you to my mentor and PI Christina Tzagarakis-Foster, Roxxana Beltran for her tremendous help in completing this work, and to my husband Colin Dishington for his continued support and encouragement. 2 Table of Contents Page Number Abstract…………………………………………………………………….……………………………...1 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………….……….………………2 Table of Contents………………………………………………………………..………………………3-4 List of Figures…………………………………………………………….………..……………………5-6 List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………..…………………..7 List of Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………..………………8-11 Chapter 1: General Introduction………………………………………………………………………….………12-22 Chapter 2: DAX-1 influence on breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..…………23-30 Materials and Methods…..…………………………………………………………………...………31-38 Results……………………………………………………………………………………..…………39-55 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………….……56-63 Chapter 3: DAX-1 and other receptor status during progressive stages of invasive ductal carcinoma Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..…64-71 Materials and Methods..………………………………………………………………………...……72-74 Results…………………………………………………………………………………………..……75-81 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………….…82-84 3 Thesis summary…………………………………………………………………………..…………..85-86 Appendix I……………………………………………………………………………………………87-88 Appendix II……………………………………………………………………………………….…..89-91 Appendix III……………………………………………………………………………………………...92 Appendix IV……………………………………………………………………………………….....93-94 Appendix V………………………………………………………………………………………………95 References………………………………………………………………………………………..…96-103 4 List of figures Page Number Figure 1.1: Typical nuclear hormone receptor action ………………………………………...………15 Figure 1.2: Structural organization of nuclear hormone receptors …………………………...………16 Figure 1.3: Structural organization of human DAX-1 protein…...…………………………...………18 Figure 2.1: Mitotic cell cycle………………………………………………........................................24 Figure 2.2: DAX-1 mRNA expression from 12 Patient cDNA Samples…………………..………...25 Figure 2.3: Schematic representation of hormonal regulation of metastasis…………………………30 Figure 2.4: pcDNA3.1 (+/-) vector………………………………………………………...…………34 Figure 2.5: Successful DAX-1 Expression in MCF7 Cells by Adenoviral Transduction……………40 Figure 2.6: Fold change in cell number after 72 hours culture, when DAX-1 is expressed in MCF7 cells……………………………………………………………………………………....41 Figure 2.7: Confirmation of DAX-1 Knockout in MCF10A cells by CRISPR/Cas9 system………..42 Figure 2.8: Confirmation of DAX-1 Knockdown by siRNA……………………………………..….43 Figure 2.9: MCF10A and MCF7 cell proliferation +/- DAX-1 expression…………………………..44 Figure 2.10: Changes in breast cancer gene expression when DAX-1 is overexpressed in MCF7 cells ………………………………………………………………………………………...….46 Figure 2.11: Fold change in breast cancer gene expression when DAX-1 is overexpressed………….47 Figure 2.12: Confirmation of ERa Expression in MCF10A Cells after Plasmid Transfection…….…48 Figure 2.13: Proliferation after 72 hours’ culture with increasing concentrations of Fulvestrant...……50 Figure 2.14: Changes in estrogen signaling gene expression when DAX-1 is overexpressed in breast cancer (MCF7) cells………………………………………………………………….…..51 Figure 2.15: Fold change in estrogen signaling gene expression when DAX-1 is overexpressed……..52 5 Figure 2.16: Changes in metastatic gene expression when DAX-1 is overexpressed in breast cancer (MCF7) cells……………………………………………………………………….…….54 Figure 2.17: Fold change in metastatic gene expression when DAX-1 is overexpressed……………..55 Figure 3.1: Breast Cancer Tissue Microarray Panel Display…………………………………..……..73 Figure 3.2: Representative IHC protein staining during progressive stages of invasive ductal carcinoma …………………………………………………………………………………………....76 Figure 3.3: DAX-1 expression compared with other breast cancer markers during progressive stages of invasive ductal carcinoma……………………………………………………….…….78 Figure 3.4: DAX-1 expression in ESR1 (ERa) positive and negative patients categorized by breast cancer stage………………………………………………………………………………79 Figure 3.5: DAX-1 expression in PGR (PR) positive and negative patients categorized by breast cancer stage…………………………………………………………………………………..….80 Figure 3.6: DAX-1 expression in HER2 positive and negative patients categorized by breast cancer stage……………………………………………………………………………………...81 Figure AI: Simplified Illustration of the Adenovirus Transduction Method………………………..88 Figure AII.1: CRISPR-Cas9 knockout mechanism………………………….………………………....90 Figure AII.2: CRISPR/Cas9 knockout plasmids & HDR plasmid……………………………………...91 Figure AIII: siRNA Mechanism……………………………………………………………………….92 Figure AIV.1: EdU HCS mechanism of action………………………………………………………….93 Figure AIV.2: Detection of the incorporated EdU with the Alexa FluorÒ………………………………94 Figure AV: Lipophilic transfection……………………………………………………………….…..95 6 List of Tables Page Number Table 1.1: Molecular subtypes of breast cancer …………………………………..…………………13 Table 2.1: Breast cancer metastasis prognostic markers……………………………………………..29 Table 2.2: Thermocycler conditions for standard PCR……………………………………………....35 Table 2.3: List of primers used for standard PCR and two-step amplification qPCR…………….…..35 Table 2.4: Thermocycler conditions for two-step amplification qPCR……………………………..36 Table 3.1: Breast Cancer Stages…………………………………………………………….……65-67 Table 3.2: Demographic data of the study participants………………………………………..……..73 7 List of Abbreviations AF-1: Activation function 1 AF-2: Activation function 2 AHC: Adrenal hypoplasia congenita AI: Aromatase Inhibitor AMH: Anti-Mullerian hormone