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Published on: October 27, 2020
GPER functions as a tumor suppressor in MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells
Christine Weißenborn1, Tanja Ignatov, Angela Poehlmann
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Clinic Magdeburg, Gerhart-Hauptmann Str. 35, 39108, Magdeburg, Germany.
Purpose:
The orphan, membrane-bound estrogen receptor (GPER) is expressed at high levels in a large fraction of breast cancer patients, and its expression is favorable for patients' survival. We investigated the role of GPER as a potential tumor suppressor in MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells.
Methods:
The effect of GPER agonist G-1 in cell culture was used to determine whether GPER inhibit cell growth. The methylation status of GPER promoter was investigated by methylation-specific PCR.
Results:
GPER-specific agonist G-1 inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation in concentration-dependent manner via induction of the cell cycle arrest in M-phase, enhanced phosphorylation of histone 3 and cell apoptosis. Analysis of the methylation status of the GPER promoter in MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 cells revealed that GPER expression is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms and GPER expression is inactivated by promoter methylation. Overall, our results are consistent with our recent findings in triple-negative breast cancer cells, and the cell surface expression of GPER makes it an excellent potential therapeutic target for non-triple-negative breast cancer.
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