Relaxin downregulates the calcium binding protein S100A4 in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells

Yvonne Radestock1, Cuong Hoang-Vu, Sabine Hombach-Klonisch

  • 1Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Sciences, University of Manitoba, Faculty of Medicine, 130 Basic Medical Sciences, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W3, Canada.

Expressed in the human breast and in human breast cancer tissues, the heterodimeric peptide hormone relaxin is involved in extracellular matrix turnover. To investigate the role of relaxin in estrogen receptor-alpha negative human breast cancer cells, we established transfectants of the human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line stably overexpressing H2-relaxin (MDA-MB-231/pIRES-EGFP-H2). These transfectants produced and secreted functional relaxin. Our investigations revealed downregulation of mRNA and protein of the calcium binding protein S100A4 (metastasin) in MDA-MB-231/pIRES-EGFP-H2 transfectants, indicating a distinct and novel role for relaxin in estrogen receptor-alpha negative human breast cancer cells.

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