First Author | Malanga D | Year | 2022 |
Journal | Cancers (Basel) | Volume | 14 |
Issue | 11 | PubMed ID | 35681625 |
Mgi Jnum | J:326613 | Mgi Id | MGI:7315358 |
Doi | 10.3390/cancers14112645 | Citation | Malanga D, et al. (2022) The AKT1E17K Allele Promotes Breast Cancer in Mice. Cancers (Basel) 14(11) |
abstractText | The gain-of-function mutation in the pleckstrin homology domain of AKT1 (AKT1E17K) occurs in lung and breast cancer. Through the use of human cellular models and of a AKT1E17K transgenic Cre-inducible murine strain (R26-AKT1E17K mice), we have demonstrated that AKT1E17K is a bona fide oncogene for lung epithelial cells. However, the role of AKT1E17K in breast cancer remains to be determined. Here, we report the generation and the characterization of a MMTV-CRE; R26-AKT1E17K mouse strain that expresses the mutant AKT1E17K allele in the mammary epithelium. We observed that AKT1E17K stimulates the development of mammary tumors classified as ductal adenocarcinoma of medium-high grade and presented a variety of proliferative alterations classified as adenosis with low-to-high grade dysplasia in the mammary epithelium. A subsequent immunohistochemical characterization suggested they were PR(-)/HER2(-)/ER(+), basal-like and CK8(-)/CK10(-)/CK5(+)/CK14(+). We also observed that, in parallel with an increased proliferation rate, tumors expressing mutant AKT1E17K presented an activation of the GSK3/cyclin D1 pathway in the mammary epithelium and cluster significantly with the human basal-like tumors. In conclusion, we demonstrate AKT1E17K is a bona fide oncogene that can initiate tumors at high efficiency in murine mammary epithelium in vivo. |