Delta-Crystallin Enhancer Binding Factor 1 Controls the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Phenotype and Resistance to the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor Erlotinib in Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Lines
- 15 January 2009
- journal article
- Published by American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Clinical Cancer Research
- Vol. 15 (2), 532-542
- https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-08-1733
Abstract
Purpose: Although the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in a majority of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), only a minority of patients derive substantial clinical benefit from EGFR inhibitors. We initiated the present study to identify the mechanisms underlying erlotinib resistance in a panel of HNSCC cell lines. Methods: We used [3H]thymidine incorporation to characterize the heterogeneity of responsiveness to erlotinib-mediated growth inhibition in a panel of 27 human HNSCC cells. We characterized the molecular mechanisms involved in resistance using a representative subset of six erlotinib-sensitive and erlotinib-resistant HNSCC lines. Results: Erlotinib had heterogeneous effects on DNA synthesis in HNSCC cells that correlated closely with molecular markers of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Specifically, the drug-sensitive lines expressed high levels of E-cadherin and showed limited invasion and migration capabilities. In contrast, the erlotinib-resistant HNSCC lines expressed high levels of the E-cadherin repressor delta-crystallin enhancer binding factor 1 (deltaEF1; Zeb-1) and other mesenchymal markers and low levels of E-cadherin, and they were highly invasive and migratory. Small interfering RNA–mediated knockdown of deltaEF1 in the erlotinib-resistant cell lines (1386LN and UMSCC1) resulted in up-regulation of E-cadherin and increased sensitivity to erlotinib in an E-cadherin–dependent manner. Conclusions: DeltaEF1 controls the mesenchymal phenotype and drives erlotinib resistance in HNSCC cells. E-cadherin and deltaEF1 may prove to be useful markers in predicting EGFR inhibitor responsiveness.Keywords
This publication has 32 references indexed in Scilit:
- A reciprocal repression between ZEB1 and members of the miR‐200 family promotes EMT and invasion in cancer cellsEMBO Reports, 2008
- The miR-200 family determines the epithelial phenotype of cancer cells by targeting the E-cadherin repressors ZEB1 and ZEB2Genes & Development, 2008
- Bypassing cellular EGF receptor dependence through epithelial-to-mesenchymal-like transitionsClinical & Experimental Metastasis, 2008
- Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Cooperates with Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 to Induce Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer Cells via Up-regulation of TWIST Gene ExpressionCancer Research, 2007
- Overexpression of the MicroRNA hsa-miR-200c Leads to Reduced Expression of Transcription Factor 8 and Increased Expression of E-CadherinCancer Research, 2007
- Snail, Zeb and bHLH factors in tumour progression: an alliance against the epithelial phenotype?Nature Reviews Cancer, 2007
- Dimethyl sulfoxide to vorinostat: development of this histone deacetylase inhibitor as an anticancer drugNature Biotechnology, 2007
- Molecular correlates of gefitinib responsiveness in human bladder cancer cellsMolecular Cancer Therapeutics, 2007
- Gene Expression Profiles Identify Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Activation of Nuclear Factor-κB Signaling as Characteristics of a High-risk Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaCancer Research, 2006
- Induction of tyrosine phosphorylation and association of β-catenin with EGF receptor upon tryptic digestion of quiescent cells at confluenceOncogene, 1997