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SUN2 downregulation promotes breast cancer cell proliferation via NFATC4 upregulation

Jaehyeok Lee1, Haein Kim1, Mirae Yeo1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|November 27, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Sad1/UNC-84 domain-containing protein 2 (SUN2) acts as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer. Reduced SUN2 expression promotes cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth by upregulating nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 4 (NFATC4).

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Oncology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • The linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex is crucial for nuclear envelope integrity and mechanical signaling.
  • Sad1/UNC-84 domain-containing protein 2 (SUN2), a LINC complex component, has an unclear role in breast cancer pathogenesis.
  • Understanding SUN2's function is vital for identifying new therapeutic targets in breast cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional significance of SUN2 in breast cancer.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying SUN2's role in breast cancer progression.
  • To establish SUN2 as a potential tumor suppressor in breast cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of SUN2 expression in breast cancer tissues and cell lines.
  • Functional studies including SUN2 depletion and overexpression in vitro and in vivo.
  • Transcriptomic profiling and analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA-BRCA) data.
  • Investigation of the regulatory relationship between SUN2 and nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 4 (NFATC4).

Main Results:

  • SUN2 expression is significantly reduced in breast cancer, correlating with poor patient survival.
  • SUN2 depletion enhances breast cancer cell proliferation, colony formation, and xenograft tumor growth.
  • SUN2 loss leads to upregulation of NFATC4, a key driver of proliferation.
  • SUN2 overexpression suppresses proliferation and attenuates NFATC4 levels.

Conclusions:

  • SUN2 acts as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer.
  • A novel SUN2-NFATC4 regulatory axis controls breast cancer cell proliferation.
  • Targeting SUN2 or its downstream effectors may offer therapeutic strategies for breast cancer.
Keywords:
Breast cancerNFATC4ProliferationSUN2

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