Novel mechanistic targets of Forkhead box Q1 transcription factor in human breast cancer cells

Abstract

The transcription factor forkhead box Q1 (FoxQ1), which is overexpressed in different solid tumors, has emerged as a key player in the pathogenesis of breast cancer by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition, maintenance of cancer-stem like cells, and metastasis. However, the mechanism underlying oncogenic function of FoxQ1 is still not fully understood. In this study, we compared the RNA-seq data from FoxQ1 overexpressing SUM159 cells with that of empty vector-transfected control (EV) cells to identify novel mechanistic targets of this transcription factor. Consistent with published results in basal-like subtype, immunohistochemistry revealed upregulation of FoxQ1 protein in luminal-type human breast cancer tissue microarrays when compared to normal mammary tissues. Many previously reported transcriptional targets of FoxQ1 (e.g., E-cadherin, N-cadherin, fibronectin 1, etc.) were verified from the RNA-Seq analysis. FoxQ1 overexpression resulted in downregulation of genes associated with cell cycle checkpoints, M phase, and cellular response to stress/external stimuli as evidenced from the Reactome pathway analysis. Consequently, FoxQ1 overexpression resulted in S, G2M and mitotic arrest in basal-like SUM159 and HMLE cells, but not in luminal-type MCF-7 cells. There were differences in expression of cell cycle-associated proteins between FoxQ1 overexpressing SUM159 and MCF-7 cells. Finally, we show for the first time that FoxQ1 is a direct transcriptional regulator of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor in breast cancer cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed FoxQ1 occupancy at the promoters of IL-1, IL-8, and VEGF. In conclusion, the present study reports novel mechanistic targets of FoxQ1 in human breast cancer cells.