Role of a Novel ER Coactivator in Control of Cell Proliferation and Tamoxifen Resistance

Abstract : Estrogen receptor is a key figure in the process of breast cancer development. Being up-regulated in about two thirds of all breast cancers it is known to promote estrogen-dependent cancer cell proliferation and as a result tumor growth. It is still currently unclear what machinery is involved in transducing this activation signaling to target genes. The mediators that are able to integrate ER-dependent effects into the cell cycle machinery are the focus of the proposed project. A novel protein ATAAB discovered in our laboratory comprises a number of features that make it a possible target of our research. The goal of my training program is to find its place in a complicated web of protein interactions, gene networks and signaling that control cell proliferation. We were able to demonstrate that ATAAB (ANCCA) is highly overexpressed in breast tumors and its expression correlates with the progression of the disease. Our experiments with breast cancer cell lines showed that ATAAB (ANCCA) is essential for cell proliferation and survival.