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Leptin utilizes Jun N-terminal kinases to stimulate the invasion of MCF-7 breast cancer cells

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Abstract

In breast tumors, high levels of leptin have been associated with increased incidence of breast cancer metastasis. Breast cancer metastasis is directly associated with breast cancer cell invasion. However, whether leptin could augment breast cancer cell invasion is not known. Here we showed that leptin increased the invasiveness and the matrix metallo-proteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity of the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Leptin stimulated the phosphorylation of extracellular signals regulated kinases, signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 and Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK); however, only inhibition of JNK decreased leptin-mediated activation of MMP-2. Furthermore, inhibition of JNK suppressed leptin-mediated breast cancer cell invasion. Here we report the novel findings that leptin increased invasion of breast cancer cells by activating JNK, resulting in increased MMP-2 activity.

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Abbreviations

DMEM/F-12:

Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium/Nutrient Mixture F-12

ERK:

Extracellular signals regulated kinases

JAK2:

Janus-activated kinase 2

JNK:

Jun N-terminal kinases

MMPs:

Metalloproteinases

SRC:

Sarcoma oncogene

STAT3:

Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation (to A.-M. Simeone) and by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (to A. M. Tari).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 422, Houston, TX, USA

    Vanity McMurtry, Ann-Marie Simeone, René Nieves-Alicea & Ana M. Tari

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  1. Vanity McMurtry
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  2. Ann-Marie Simeone
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  3. René Nieves-Alicea
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  4. Ana M. Tari
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Correspondence to Ana M. Tari.

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McMurtry, V., Simeone, AM., Nieves-Alicea, R. et al. Leptin utilizes Jun N-terminal kinases to stimulate the invasion of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Clin Exp Metastasis 26, 197–204 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10585-008-9231-x

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