ΔNp63-Regulated Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition State Heterogeneity Confers a Leader-Follower Relationship That Drives Collective Invasion

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 80; no. 18; pp. 3933 - 3944
• Main Authors: Westcott, Jill M, Camacho, Sharon, Nasir, Apsra, Huysman, Molly E, Rahhal, Raneen, Dang, Tuyen T, Riegel, Anna T, Brekken, Rolf A, Pearson, Gray W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 15.09.2020
• Subjects: Animals; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - mortality; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Cell Surface Extensions; Disease Progression; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition - genetics; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition - physiology; Extracellular Matrix - pathology; Female; Humans; Interleukin-1alpha - genetics; Interleukin-1alpha - metabolism; Mice; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; Neoplasm Invasiveness - genetics; Neoplasm Invasiveness - pathology; Neoplasm Invasiveness - physiopathology; Neoplasm Proteins - deficiency; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; RNA, Small Interfering - metabolism; Spheroids, Cellular; Trans-Activators - genetics; Trans-Activators - metabolism; Transcription Factors - deficiency; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Tumor Suppressor Proteins - deficiency; Tumor Suppressor Proteins - genetics; Tumor Suppressor Proteins - metabolism
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445
• DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-0014

Defining how interactions between tumor subpopulations contribute to invasion is essential for understanding how tumors metastasize. Here, we find that the heterogeneous expression of the transcription factor ΔNp63 confers distinct proliferative and invasive epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) states in subpopulations that establish a leader-follower relationship to collectively invade. A ΔNp63-high EMT program coupled the ability to proliferate with an IL1α- and miR-205-dependent suppression of cellular protrusions that are required to initiate collective invasion. An alternative ΔNp63-low EMT program conferred cells with the ability to initiate and lead collective invasion. However, this ΔNp63-low EMT state triggered a collateral loss of fitness. Importantly, rare growth-suppressed ΔNp63-low EMT cells influenced tumor progression by leading the invasion of proliferative ΔNp63-high EMT cells in heterogeneous primary tumors. Thus, heterogeneous activation of distinct EMT programs promotes a mode of collective invasion that overcomes cell intrinsic phenotypic deficiencies to induce the dissemination of proliferative tumor cells. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings reveal how an interaction between cells in different EMT states confers properties that are not induced by either EMT program alone.