Funding
NIH
Susan G. Komen Foundation
Patel Memorial Breast Cancer Endowment Fund; Breast Cancer Research Foundation; The University of Texas MD Anderson-China Medical University and Hospital Sister Institution Fund; Ministry of Science and Technology, International Research-intensive Centers of Excellence in Taiwan
Ministry of Health and Welfare, China Medical University Hospital Cancer Research Center of Excellence
ARTICLE ABSTRACT
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential physiologic process that promotes cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. Several lines of evidence from both cellular and genetic studies suggest that AKT1/PKBα, but not AKT2 or AKT3, serves as a negative regulator of EMT and breast cancer metastasis. However, the underlying mechanism by which AKT1 suppresses EMT remains poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that phosphorylation of Twist1 by AKT1 is required for β-TrCP–mediated Twist1 ubiquitination and degradation. The clinically used AKT inhibitor MK-2206, which possesses higher specificity toward AKT1, stabilized Twist1 and enhanced EMT in breast cancer cells. However, we discovered that resveratrol, a naturally occurring compound, induced β-TrCP–mediated Twist1 degradation to attenuate MK-2206–induced EMT in breast cancer cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that resveratrol counteracts the unexpected metastatic potential induced by anti-AKT therapy and therefore suggest that the addition of resveratrol to an anti-AKT therapeutic regimen may provide extra support for limiting EMT. Cancer Res; 76(6); 1451–62. ©2016 AACR.
