The wild-type SHP-2 gene promotes but the mutated SHP-2 gene inhibits the metastasis of breast cancer.

Objective:To investigate the role of SHP-2 [a non-transmembrane type protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) containing two SRC homology 2 (SH2) domains] in the invasion and metastasis of the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 in vitro and in vivo. Methods: This study constructed recombinant plasmid SHP-2-green fluorescence protein (GFP) (SHP-2-GFP) and SHP-2CS-GFP, respectively. The two plasmids were transfected into breast cancer MCF-7 cells to establish two cancer cell lines: SHP-2-GFP-MCF-7 cells and SHP-2CS-GFP-MCF-7 cells. The cell migration was detected by fluorescence microscopy and the growth of the different xenografted tumors in nude mice was observed. Results: The SHP-2-GFP-MCF-7 cell lines showed a higher cell migration ability, and tumor growth was observed in the nude mice after injection of SHP-2-GFP-MCF-7 cells; migration ability of MCF-7 cells was significantly weakened after transfection of recombinant plasmid SHP-2CS-GFP and no tumor growth was observed in the nude mice after injection of SHP-2CS-GFP-MCF-7 cells. Conclusion:The tyrosine phophatase SHP-2 could promote the invasion and metastasis of the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 in vitro and in vivo.