Apoptosis and involution in the mammary gland are altered in mice lacking a novel receptor,...

Receptor-mediated cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions are critical regulators of cell survival, and perturbing these signaling pathways can disrupt cellular differentiation and function in a variety of tissues, including the mammary gland. One such receptor is the cell surface-associated, long isoform of beta1,4-galactosyltransferase I (GalT I). Deletion of long GalT I leads to increased mammary ductal branching morphogenesis [Dev. Biol., 244 (2002) 114]. Here, we show that this expansion in the mammary epithelial (ME) cell compartment is accomplished through decreased apoptosis during pregnancy and involution. Decreased apoptosis during involution is concomitant with delayed alveolar collapse, persistent expression of the milk protein gene alpha-lactalbumin and delayed expression of genes associated with the tissue-remodeling phase of involution. Using 3-dimensional in vitro cultures, we show that the decrease in apoptosis is dependent on laminin 1, a ligand for surface GalT I, suggesting that surface GalT I negatively influences ECM-dependent cell survival, a novel function for an ECM receptor. In the best-studied examples, ECM promotes survival through integrin receptor-mediated activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Aggregation of surface GalT I also activates FAK, therefore, we asked if FAK activation was altered in ME from long GalT I null mice. Activated FAK was appropriately localized to focal adhesions in long GalT I null ME. However, FAK activation was constitutively reduced 4.5-fold in long GalT I nulls relative to wild type. Expression of the integrin beta1 subunit was not affected by loss of long GalT I. Collectively, these results suggest that surface GalT I might negatively regulate ME cell survival by linking integrin-independent FAK activation to apoptotic rather than survival signaling events.