LGR6-dependent conditional inactivation of E-cadherin and p53 leads to invasive skin and mammary carcinomas in mice

Eline J Ter Steege, Thijmen Sijnesael, Lotte Enserink, Sjoerd Klarenbeek, Wisse E Haakma, Elvira R M Bakker, Patrick W B Derksen

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Abstract

Tissue-specific inactivation of E-cadherin combined with tumor suppressor loss leads to invasive and metastatic cancers in mice. While epidermal E-cadherin loss in mice induces squamous cell carcinomas, inactivation of E-cadherin in the mammary gland leads to invasive lobular carcinoma. To further explore the carcinogenic consequences of cell-cell adhesion loss in these compartments, we developed a new conditional mouse model inactivating E-cadherin (Cdh1) and p53 (Trp53) simultaneously in cells expressing the leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 6 (Lgr6), a putative epithelial stem cell marker in the skin and alveolar progenitor marker in the mammary gland. Compound Lgr6-CreERT2;Cdh1F;Trp53F female mice containing either heterozygous or homozygous Cdh1F alleles were bred, and Lgr6-driven Cre expression was activated in pre-puberal mice using tamoxifen. We observed that 41% of the mice (16/39) developed mostly invasive squamous-type skin carcinomas, but also a non-lobular mammary tumor was formed. In contrast to previous K14cre or WAPcre E-cadherin and p53 compound models, no significant differences were detected in the tumor-free survival of Lgr6-CreERT2 heterozygous Cdh1F/WT;Trp53F/F versus homozygous Cdh1F/F;Trp53F/F mice (778 versus 754 days, p=0.5). One Cdh1F homozygous mouse presented with lung metastasis that originated from a non-lobular and ERα negative invasive mammary gland carcinoma with squamous metaplasia. In total, 2/8 (25%) Cdh1F heterozygous and 3/12 (25%) Cdh1F homozygous mice developed metastases to lungs, liver, lymph nodes, or the gastro-intestinal tract. In conclusion, we show that inducible and conditional Lgr6-driven inactivation of E-cadherin and p53 in mice causes squamous cell carcinomas of the skin in approximately 40% of the mice and an occasional ductal-type mammary carcinoma after long latency periods.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100844
JournalNeoplasia
Volume35
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms/metabolism
  • Cadherins/genetics
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
  • Female
  • Mice
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics
  • Squamous cell carcinoma
  • Breast cancer
  • E-cadherin
  • Skin
  • Lgr6

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