Download or read book Phosphorylation-dependent Prolyl Cis/trans Isomerase Pin1 Regulation of Estrogen Receptor-alpha Functions in Breast Cancer written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Estrogen receptor-alpha (ER[alpha]) is a member of nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors. It is known to regulate carcinogenic gene expression programs that are involved in the development and progression of breast cancer. The transcriptional function of ER[alpha] is mediated by a C-terminal AF2 and an N-terminal AF1 activation domains. Ligand-dependent AF2 activity is well-characterized and serves as a basis for hormonal therapy for breast cancer. In contrast, structural and functional mechanisms governing AF1 functions remain poorly understood. AF1 activity of ER[alpha] is regulated by phosphorylation stemming from hormone, peptide growth factors, and second messenger pathways. Paradoxically, phosphorylation results in contrasting responses (differentiation and growth, protein stability and degradation, agonist and antagonist activities). How phosphorylation translates into diverse outcome is not clearly understood. The work presented in this thesis has uncovered a post-translation modification beyond phosphorylation that regulates the function and fate of ER[alpha]. I found that phosphorylation-dependent prolyl cis/trans isomerase, Pin1, causes structural changes at the AF1 region of ER[alpha]. These local changes allosterically regulate DNA binding and dimerization activities, enhancing overall ER[alpha] transcriptional function. Pin1 also stabilizes ER[alpha] protein by blocking its ubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome. Further studies in understanding the role of Pin1 in breast cancer led us to uncover the importance of Pin1 in proliferation of ER[alpha]-positive breast cancer cells and mammary tumors in rodent models. Pin1 overexpression was sufficient to overcome the antagonistic effects of tamoxifen and also contributed to tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells. Finally, the clinical relevance of Pin1 activity was confirmed by our findings in human breast tumors, where Pin1 levels were correlated with ER[alpha] protein levels, and ER[alpha]-positive tumor patients with high Pin1 levels had poor overall survival. Overall, the findings in this thesis have identified a new regulatory mechanism governing ER[alpha] AF1 function in breast cancer and discovered Pin1 as an important component modulating ER[alpha] protein levels and transactivation functions.