Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor represses mammosphere formation in MCF-7 cells

Cancer Lett. 2012 Apr 28;317(2):192-8. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2011.11.025. Epub 2011 Nov 26.

Abstract

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor. Recent studies have reported the anti-tumor effects of the AhR in breast cancer. In this study, we investigated the anti-tumor effect of AhR activation based on the cancer stem cell hypothesis. We show that AhR activation suppressed mammosphere formation of MCF-7 cells and decreased the proportion of cells with high ALDH-1 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 1) activity. In addition, we also demonstrate that AhR activation regulates self-renewal signaling by down-regulating Wnt/β-catenin and Notch.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / genetics
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / metabolism
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism
  • Methylcholanthrene / pharmacology
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / pathology
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / agonists
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / genetics*
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Notch / metabolism
  • Retinal Dehydrogenase / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Spheroids, Cellular / drug effects
  • Spheroids, Cellular / metabolism*
  • Spheroids, Cellular / pathology
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism
  • beta Catenin / metabolism
  • beta-Naphthoflavone / pharmacology

Substances

  • Isoenzymes
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon
  • Receptors, Notch
  • Wnt Proteins
  • beta Catenin
  • Methylcholanthrene
  • beta-Naphthoflavone
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1
  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family
  • ALDH1A1 protein, human
  • Retinal Dehydrogenase