EMT inducers catalyze malignant transformation of mammary epithelial cells and drive tumorigenesis towards claudin-low tumors [mouse]. Mus musculus

The newly identified claudin-low subtype of cancer is believed to represent the most primitive breast malignancies, having arisen from transformation of an early epithelial precursor with inherent stemness properties and metaplastic features. Challenging this hypothesis, we show both in vitro and in vivo that transcription factors inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition can drive the development of claudin-low tumors from differentiated mammary epithelial cells, by playing a dual role in cell transformation and dedifferentiation. Overall design: Gene expression profiles of three independent Twist1 + Ras- transgenic mouse-derived metaplastic breast tumors (Breast Tumor A, B and C) and of two luminal MMTV-ERBB2/Neu-breast tumor-derived cell lines (1 and 2) were determined.