BB Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, first, middle): Lisanti, Michael P. DESCRIPTION. State the application's broad, long-term objectives and specific aims, making reference to the health relatedness of the project. Describe concisely the research design and methods for achieving these goals. Avoid summaries of past accomplishments z_l the use of the first person. This description is meant to serve as a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work when separated from the application. If the application is funded, this description, as is, will become public information. Therefore, do not include proprietary/confidential information. D O NOT E XC E ED T H E SPA C E P R O VI D E D. The long-term objective of this proposal is to understand the role of caveolin-1 in i) Jak/STAT signaling, ii) lactation, and iii) the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Caveolae function as 'message centers' for regulating signal transduction. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is the principal structural protein of caveolae membranes that are found in most cells. We mapped human CAV-1 to a suspected tumor suppressor locus (7q31.1/D7S522). In addition, the Cav-1 gene is mutated (P132L) in up to 16% of human breast cancers.
The aim of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that Cav-1 expression is important for regulating lactation via modulation of Jak/STAT signaling and that loss of Cav-1 contributes to the oncogenicity of breast cancer cells. To test this hypothesis, we will use a variety of complementary in vivo approaches, such as i) a Cav-1 null mouse model and ii) the development of transgenic mice that express dominant-negative Cav-1 (PI32L) found in human breast cancers. The three Specific Aims of the project are: 1) To determine the role of Cav-1 in negatively regulating Jak/STAT signaling. We will examine the effects of Cav-1 on the activation of Jak/STAT signaling in cultured mammary epithelial cells that are responsive to prolactin. Our preliminary results indicate that Cav-1 negatively regulates Jak/STAT5a signaling by inhibiting Jak-mediated phosphorylation of STAT5a; 2) To examine the role of Cav-1 in lactation and epithelial i cell hyperplasia. Normal mammary gland development is controlled by signaling from the hormone prolactin vial the Jak/STAT pathway. Thus, if Cav- i is a negative regulator of Jak/STAT signaling, we would predict that a loss of Cav-1 expression leads to premature lactation. Indeed, our preliminary results show that Cav-1 null micei exhibit premature lactation, as well as hyper-activation of the Jak/STAT5a signaling cascade; and 3) To determine if transgenic expression of Cav-1 (P132L) predisposes towards mammary tumor development. For this purpose, we will generate Cav-1 (P132L) mice that transgenically express this form of Cav-1 in the mammary gland. Our preliminary results indicate that Cav-1 (P132L) acts in a dominant-negative fashion in cultured cells. In addition, our preliminary results with Cav-1 null mice show early development of wide-spread mammary epithelial hyperplasia. We predict that this phenotype will be accelerated Cav-I (P132L) transgenic mice. We will cross Cav-1 (P132L) transgenic mice with other well-established models of mammary tumorigenesis, such as MMTV- ErbB2 and MMTV-polyoma middle T mice. It is expected that these studies will contribute fundamental knowledge towards understanding the role of Cav-1 in Jak/STAT signaling and mammary tumorigenesis in vivo. PERFORMANCE SITE ========================================Section End===========================================
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