Non-canonical Fzd7 signaling contributes to breast cancer mesenchymal-like stemness involving Col6a1

Mesenchymal-like stemness is characterized by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Breast cancer (BC) cell mesenchymal-like stemness is responsible for distal lung metastasis. Interrogation of databases showed that Fzd7 was closely associated with a panel of mesenchymal-related genes and a panel of stemness-related genes. Fzd7 knockdown in mesenchymal-like MDA-MB-231 and Hs578T cells reduced expression of Vimentin, Slug and Zeb1, induced an epithelial-like morphology, inhibited cell motility, impaired mammosphere formation and decreased Lgr5⁺ subpopulation. In contrast, Fzd7 overexpression in MCF7 cells resulted in opposite changes. Fzd7 knockdown delayed xenograft tumor formation, suppressed tumor growth, and impaired lung metastasis. Mechanistically, Fzd7 combined with Wnt5a/b and modulated expression of phosphorylated Stat3 (p-STAT3), Smad3 and Yes-associated protein 1 (Yap1). Moreover, Fzd7-Wnt5b modulated expression of collagen, type VI, alpha 1 (Col6a1). Both Wnt5b knockdown and Col6a1 knockdown disrupted BC cell mesenchymal phenotype and stemness. Taken together, Fzd7 contributes to BC cell EMT and stemness, inducing tumorigenesis and metastasis, mainly through a non-canonical Wnt5b pathway. Col6a1 is implicated in Fzd7-Wnt5b signaling, and mediates Fzd7-Wnt5b -induced mesenchymal-like stemness. Video Abstract.