| Summary |
Translation initiation factor eIF4E is overexpressed early in breast cancers in association with disease progression and reduced survival. Much remains to be understood regarding the role of eIF4E in human cancer. Using immortalized human breast epithelial cells, we report that elevated expression of elF4E translationally activates the TGFβ pathway, promoting cell invasion, loss of cell polarity, increased cell survival and other hallmarks of early neoplasia. Overexpression of eIF4E is shown to facilitate selective translation of integrin β1 mRNA, which drives the translationally controlled assembly of a TGFβ receptor signaling complex containing α3β1 integrins, β-catenin, TGFβ receptor I, E-cadherin and phosphorylated Smads2/3. This receptor complex acutely sensitizes non-malignant breast epithelial cells to activation by typically sub-stimulatory levels of activated TGFβ. TGFβ can promote cellular differentiation or invasion and transformation. As a translational coactivator of TGFβ, eIF4E confers selective mRNA translation, reprogramming non-malignant cells to an invasive phenotype by reducing the set-point for stimulation by activated TGFβ. Overexpression of eIF4E may be a pro-invasive facilitator of TGFβ activity. |
