PyMT-1099, a versatile murine cell model for EMT in breast cancer

Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 14;8(1):12123. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30640-1.

Abstract

An epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been implicated in cancer metastasis, drug resistance, and in conferring stem cell-like traits to cancer cells. Most studies investigating EMT in cancer have either utilized immortalized or cancer cell lines that are already primed to undergo an EMT and do not adequately represent a fully differentiated epithelial state in the absence of an EMT induction. Hence, model systems are required which recapitulate all stages of EMT in cancer cells. Here, we report the derivation and characterization of epithelial PyMT-1099 cancer cells from the MMTV-PyMT mouse model of breast cancer. We demonstrate that PyMT-1099 cells undergo an EMT upon TGFβ treatment, while upon TGFβ withdrawal they go through a mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), as assessed by changes in cell morphology and marker expression and comparable to normal murine mammary gland NMuMG cells. However, in contrast to NMuMG cells, PyMT-1099 cells show an increase in cell migration and are highly tumorigenic and metastatic when transplanted into immunocompromised mice. Finally, we report cancer cell-specific changes in gene expression during EMT of PyMT-1099 cells not found in non-transformed NMuMG cells. Thus, PyMT-1099 cells are a versatile tool to study breast cancer-associated EMT and MET in vitro and in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods
  • Cell Line, Tumor / transplantation
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Mammary Glands, Animal / cytology
  • Mice
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism

Substances

  • Transforming Growth Factor beta