Quantitative analysis of the transcriptional start sites of estrogen receptor in breast carcinoma

Recent studies have identified an estrogen receptor (ER) promoter upstream of the transcriptional start site originally mapped for the ER gene. We have examined promoter use in a number of breast carcinoma cell lines. MCF7, T47D, BT474, and MDA-MB-361 cell lines all use the P0 promoter, whereas BT20 and ZR75-1 do not demonstrate transcription from this upstream start site. S1 nuclease analysis was used to quantitate the amount of ER mRNA originating from the two different promoters. In MCF7, one-third of the ER mRNA results from transcription originating upstream of the major ER promoter and in T47D, 12% of the message originates from upstream transcription. Promoter use was analyzed in human mammary epithelial cells and human late proliferation endometrium. Upstream promoter use was found to be characteristic of human late proliferation endometrium but not human mammary epithelial cells. These results indicated that certain breast carcinomas demonstrate ER transcription from a promoter not normally active in normal breast epithelium. This activation may involve a factor active in normal human endometrium.