BRCA1 regulation of breast cancer cell motility

<p>Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, generating a need for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving its progression. The protein product of BRCA1, a crucial tumour suppressor gene, has emerged as a pivotal player in various cellular p...

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Main Author: Hernandez Nuñez, ZE
Other Authors: Sengupta, S
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2023
Subjects:
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author Hernandez Nuñez, ZE
author2 Sengupta, S
author_facet Sengupta, S
Hernandez Nuñez, ZE
author_sort Hernandez Nuñez, ZE
collection OXFORD
description <p>Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, generating a need for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving its progression. The protein product of BRCA1, a crucial tumour suppressor gene, has emerged as a pivotal player in various cellular processes, including control of cell migration by its ubiquitin ligase activity. Mutations in BRCA1 have been implicated in the increased risk of developing several cancers. This thesis hypothesises the potential association between BRCA1 ubiquitin ligase activity and cell migration. Different databases were compiled to 1) identify substrates of BRCA1’s enzymatic activity, 2) find proteins that interact with BRCA1 and 3) find proteins with a role in regulating migration. Candidate proteins were identified as the intersection of these three categories. To validate these candidates in vitro cell culture models were developed. Time-lapse microscopy of breast cancer cell lines with various BRCA1 backgrounds was employed to evaluate the impact of inhibiting ubiquitin ligase activity. BRCA1 ubiquitin ligase activity was inhibited using three distinct approaches: 1) overexpression of a point mutation in the BRCA1 gene, 2) pharmacological inhibition with cisplatin, and 3) inducible BRCA1 degradation.</p> <p>The results revealed that inhibition of ubiquitin ligase activity led to increased motility across all three models. These models were used in conjunction with the siRNA knockdown of candidate proteins from the <em>in-silico</em> analysis. siRNA knockdown of SART3 significantly enhanced motility in cells lacking BRCA’s ubiquitin ligase activity, highlighting its potential role in promoting cell motility and emphasising the regulatory role of BRCA1’s ubiquitin ligase activity in breast cancer progression.</p> <p>These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting BRCA1-associated pathways, particularly SART3, in breast cancer treatment. Future investigations could explore diagnostic and therapies targeting BRCA1 enzymatic activity and SART3 pathways implicated in breast cancer pathogenesis.</p>
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spelling oxford-uuid:ba4973c0-0e19-4c9b-92f4-5733455dac0d2025-01-21T08:30:13ZBRCA1 regulation of breast cancer cell motilityThesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_db06uuid:ba4973c0-0e19-4c9b-92f4-5733455dac0dBRCA genesEnglishHyrax Deposit2023Hernandez Nuñez, ZESengupta, SVaux, D<p>Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, generating a need for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving its progression. The protein product of BRCA1, a crucial tumour suppressor gene, has emerged as a pivotal player in various cellular processes, including control of cell migration by its ubiquitin ligase activity. Mutations in BRCA1 have been implicated in the increased risk of developing several cancers. This thesis hypothesises the potential association between BRCA1 ubiquitin ligase activity and cell migration. Different databases were compiled to 1) identify substrates of BRCA1’s enzymatic activity, 2) find proteins that interact with BRCA1 and 3) find proteins with a role in regulating migration. Candidate proteins were identified as the intersection of these three categories. To validate these candidates in vitro cell culture models were developed. Time-lapse microscopy of breast cancer cell lines with various BRCA1 backgrounds was employed to evaluate the impact of inhibiting ubiquitin ligase activity. BRCA1 ubiquitin ligase activity was inhibited using three distinct approaches: 1) overexpression of a point mutation in the BRCA1 gene, 2) pharmacological inhibition with cisplatin, and 3) inducible BRCA1 degradation.</p> <p>The results revealed that inhibition of ubiquitin ligase activity led to increased motility across all three models. These models were used in conjunction with the siRNA knockdown of candidate proteins from the <em>in-silico</em> analysis. siRNA knockdown of SART3 significantly enhanced motility in cells lacking BRCA’s ubiquitin ligase activity, highlighting its potential role in promoting cell motility and emphasising the regulatory role of BRCA1’s ubiquitin ligase activity in breast cancer progression.</p> <p>These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting BRCA1-associated pathways, particularly SART3, in breast cancer treatment. Future investigations could explore diagnostic and therapies targeting BRCA1 enzymatic activity and SART3 pathways implicated in breast cancer pathogenesis.</p>
spellingShingle BRCA genes
Hernandez Nuñez, ZE
BRCA1 regulation of breast cancer cell motility
title BRCA1 regulation of breast cancer cell motility
title_full BRCA1 regulation of breast cancer cell motility
title_fullStr BRCA1 regulation of breast cancer cell motility
title_full_unstemmed BRCA1 regulation of breast cancer cell motility
title_short BRCA1 regulation of breast cancer cell motility
title_sort brca1 regulation of breast cancer cell motility
topic BRCA genes
work_keys_str_mv AT hernandeznunezze brca1regulationofbreastcancercellmotility