• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.882-889
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• 2022

Breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance 3 (BCAR3) has been identified as one of the genes that induces anti-estrogen resistance in breast cancer. We have previously reported that BCAR3 activates promoters of c-Jun, activator protein-1, and the serum response element. In this study, we investigated the functional role of BCAR3 in the activation of the estrogen response element (ERE) in normal human breast MCF-12A cells. Transient expression of BCAR3 induced ERE activation, which was further increased by 17β-estradiol treatment but was not blocked by the anti-estrogen tamoxifen. Next, we studied the signaling pathway of BCAR3 leading to ERE activation. BCAR3-mediated ERE activation was inhibited by LY294002 and AZD5363, inhibitors of the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase pathway, but not by PD98059 and U0126, inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. ERE activation was induced by the catalytic subunit p110α. of PI3-kinase or the active mutant of Akt, and this activation was not further increased by additional BCAR3 transfection. Based on these results, we propose that BCAR3 plays an important role in ERE activation through the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway in human breast MCF-12A cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1383-1391
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• 2016

Anti-estrogen drugs such as tamoxifen have been used for treating patients with ER-positive, early breast cancer. However, resistance to anti-estrogen treatment is inevitable in most patients. Breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance-3 (BCAR3) has been identified as the protein responsible for the induction of tamoxifen resistance in estrogen-dependent human breast cancer. We have previously reported that BCAR3 regulates the cell cycle progression and the signaling pathway of EGF and insulin leading to DNA synthesis. In this study, we investigated the functional role of BCAR3 in regulating c-Jun transcription in non-tumorigenic human breast epithelial MCF-12A cells. A transient transfection of BCAR3 increased both the mRNA and protein of c-Jun expression, and stable expression of BCAR3 increased c-Jun protein expression. The overexpression of BCAR3 directly activated the promoter of c-jun, AP-1, and SRE but not that of $NF-{\kappa}B$. Furthermore, single-cell microinjection of BCAR3 expression plasmid in the cell cycle-arrested MCF-12A cells induced c-Jun protein expression, and co-injection of dominant negative mutants of Ras, Rac, and Rho suppressed the transcriptional activity of c-Jun in the presence of BCAR3. Furthermore, stable expression of BCAR3 increased the proliferation of MCF-12A cells. The microinjection of inhibitory materials such as anti-BCAR3 antibody and siRNA BCAR3 inhibited EGF-induced c-Jun expression but did not affect IGF-1 induced upregulation of c-Jun. Taken together, we propose that BCAR3 plays a crucial role in c-Jun protein expression and cell proliferation and that small GTPases (e.g., Ras, Rac, and Rho) are required for the BCAR3-mediated activation of c-Jun expression.