Detection of amphiregulin and Cripto-1 in mammary tumors from transgenic mice

Epidermal growth factor family members are widely expressed in human breast cancer and are thought to play an important dual role in mammary gland development and tumorigenesis. Overexpression of two relatively new members of this family, amphiregulin (AR) and Cripto-1 (CR-1), has been previously shown to transform immortalized human and mouse mammary epithelial cells. Here, we extend these results and address the disregulated expression of AR and CR-1 in many types of transgenic neoplastic mouse mammary tissues. Transgenic mouse strains overexpressing the oncogenes transforming growth factor-alpha, neu, int-3, polyoma virus middle T antigen, and simian virus 40 large T antigen have been previously shown to develop spontaneous mammary neoplasia. These models were each examined for mammary-tumor expression of AR and CR-1 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunocytochemical analyses. Mammary tumors from each source expressed AR and CR-1. Western blot analysis revealed that, in all mammary tumors, AR and CR-1 protein species were processed differently than in virgin and lactating mouse mammary tissue. In addition, immunohistochemical detection of AR and CR-1 in tumor tissue revealed different patterns of growth-factor localization in different types of transgenic mouse mammary-derived tumors. These findings are consistent with the possibility of widespread roles for AR and CR-1 in the promotion and/or progression stages of mouse mammary tumorigenesis.