RNA sequencing of MMTV-Neu early lesion (EL) and primary tumor (PT) spheres

Cancer cells can disseminate from early-evolved primary lesions. It is thought that a state of early disseminated cancer cell (early DCC) dormancy would precede genetic maturation of DCCs and metastasis initiation. Here we reveal at single cell resolution a previously unrecognized role of mesenchymal- and pluripotency-like programs in coordinating early cancer cell spread and a long-lived dormancy program in early DCCs. We identify in early lesions and early DCCs, the transcription factor ZFP281 as an inducer of mesenchymal- and primed pluripotency-like programs, which is absent in advanced primary tumors and overt metastasis. ZFP281 not only controls the early spread of cancer cells but also locks early DCCs in a prolonged dormancy state by preventing the acquisition of an epithelial-like proliferative program. Thus, ZFP281-driven dormancy of early DCCs may be a rate-limiting step in metastatic progression functioning as a first barrier that DCCs must overcome to then undergo genetic maturation. Overall design: RNA sequencing of MMTV-Neu early lesion (EL) and primary tumor (PT) spheres, which recapitulate the in vivo behavior of EL and PT lesions