14-3-3ζ Cooperates with ErbB2 to Promote Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Progression to Invasive Breast Cancer by Inducing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

ErbB2, a metastasis-promoting oncoprotein, is overexpressed in similar to 25% of invasive/metastatic breast cancers, but in 50%-60% of noninvasive ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS). It has been puzzling how a subset of ErbB2-overexpressing DCIS develops into invasive breast cancer (I BC). We found that co-overexpression of 14-3-3 zeta in ErbB2-overexpressing DCIS conferred a higher risk of progression to IBC. ErbB2 and 14-3-3 zeta overexpression, respectively, increased cell migration and decreased cell adhesion, two prerequisites of tumor cell invasion. 14-3-3 zeta overexpression reduced cell adhesion by activating the TGF-beta/Smads pathway that led to ZFHX1B/SIP-1 upregulation, E-cadherin loss, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Importantly, patients whose breast tumors overexpressed both ErbB2 and 14-3-3 zeta had higher rates of metastatic recurrence and death than those whose tumors overexpressed only one.