PGC-1α mediates mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation in cancer cells to promote metastasis. Mus musculus

The study aimed to analyse the transcriptome of mouse cancer cells while in primary tumor, in circulation and after homing to metastatic site. The model used here is the 4T1 cancer cell orthotopic model. Overall design: GFP-labeled 4T1 breast cancer cells were orthotopically implanted in the mammary pads of mice. In this mouse model for breast cancer, primary breast tumors emerge following injection of cancer cells in the breast pad of female mice and subsequently develop lung metastases with 100% penetrance. Circulating cancer cells (CCC) and cancer cells from the primary tumors (PCC) and metastatic lungs (MCC) were FACS purified and their transcriptome assayed by gene expression microarray. RNA was extracted from PCC, MCC, and CCC using RNeasy Plus Mini Kit (Qiagen) and submitted to the Molecular Genetics Core Facility at Children’s Hospital (Boston, MA). Microarray analysis was performed using Mouse Ref8 Gene Expression BeadChip (Illumina platform).