| First Author | Maekawa T | Year | 2007 |
| Journal | Mol Cell Biol | Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 1730-44 |
| PubMed ID | 17189429 | Mgi Jnum | J:118986 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3700897 | Doi | 10.1128/MCB.01579-06 |
| Citation | Maekawa T, et al. (2007) Reduced levels of ATF-2 predispose mice to mammary tumors. Mol Cell Biol 27(5):1730-44 |
| abstractText | Transcription factor ATF-2 is a nuclear target of stress-activated protein kinases, such as p38, which are activated by various extracellular stresses, including UV light. Here, we show that ATF-2 plays a critical role in hypoxia- and high-cell-density-induced apoptosis and the development of mammary tumors. Compared to wild-type cells, Atf-2(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were more resistant to hypoxia- and anisomycin-induced apoptosis but remained equally susceptible to other stresses, including UV. Atf-2(-/-) and Atf-2(+/-) MEFs could not express a group of genes, such as Gadd45alpha, whose overexpression can induce apoptosis, in response to hypoxia. Atf-2(-/-) MEFs also had a higher saturation density than wild-type cells and expressed lower levels of Maspin, the breast cancer tumor suppressor, which is also known to enhance cellular sensitivity to apoptotic stimuli. Atf-2(-/-) MEFs underwent a lower degree of apoptosis at high cell density than wild-type cells. Atf-2(+/-) mice were highly prone to mammary tumors that expressed reduced levels of Gadd45alpha and Maspin. The ATF-2 mRNA levels in human breast cancers were lower than those in normal breast tissue. Thus, ATF-2 acts as a tumor susceptibility gene of mammary tumors, at least partly, by activating a group of target genes, including Maspin and Gadd45alpha. |
