Reversal of endocrine resistance in breast cancer: interrelationships among 14-3-3 zeta, FOXM1, and a gene signature associated with mitosis

Introduction: Despite the benefits of estrogen receptor (ER)-targeted endocrine therapies in breast cancer, many tumors develop resistance. 14-3-3 zeta/YWHAZ, a member of the 14-3-3 family of conserved proteins, is over-expressed in several types of cancer, and our previous work showed that high expression of 14-3-3 zeta in ER-positive breast cancers was associated with a poor clinical outcome for women on tamoxifen. Therefore, we now probe the role of 14-3-3 zeta in endocrine resistance, and we examine the functional dimensions and molecular basis that underlie 14-3-3 zeta activities. Methods: From analyses of four independent breast cancer microarray datasets from nearly 400 women, we characterized a gene signature that correlated strongly with high expression of 14-3-3 zeta in breast tumors and examined its association with breast cancer molecular subtypes and clinical-pathological features. We investigated the effects of altering 14-3-3 zeta levels in ER-positive, endocrine sensitive and resistant breast cancer cells on the regulation of 14-3-3 zeta signature genes, and on cellular signaling pathways and cell phenotypic properties. Results: The gene signature associated with high 14-3-3 zeta levels in breast tumors encompassed many with functions in mitosis and cytokinesis, including aurora kinase-B, polo-like kinase-1, CDC25B, and BIRC5/survivin. The gene signature correlated with early recurrence and risk of metastasis, and was found predominantly in luminal B breast cancers, the more aggressive ER-positive molecular subtype. The expression of the signature genes was significantly decreased or increased upon reduction or overexpression of 14-3-3 zeta in ER-positive breast cancer cells, indicating their coregulation. 14-3-3 zeta also played a critical role in the regulation of FOXM1, with 14-3-3 zeta acting upstream of FOXM1 to regulate cell division-signature genes. Depletion of 14-3-3 zeta markedly increased apoptosis, reduced proliferation and receptor tyrosine kinase (HER2 and EGFR) signaling, and, importantly, reversed endocrine resistance. Conclusions: This study reveals that 14-3-3 zeta is a key predictive marker for risk of failure on endocrine therapy and serves a pivotal role impacting growth factor signaling, and promoting cell survival and resistance to endocrine therapies. Targeting 14-3-3 zeta and its coregulated proteins, such as FOXM1, should prove valuable in restoring endocrine sensitivity and reducing risk of breast cancer recurrence.