High level PHGDH expression in breast is predominantly associated with keratin 5-positive cell lineage independently of malignancy

We have previously reported the 2D PAGE-based proteomic profiling of a prospective cohort of 78 triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, and the establishment of a cumulative TNBC protein database. Analysis of this database identified a number of proteins as being specifically overexpressed in TNBC samples. One such protein was D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Phgdh), a candidate oncogene. We analysed expression of Phgdh in normal and TNBC mammary tissue samples by 2D gel-based proteomics and immuhistochemistry (IHC), and show here that high-level expression of Phgdh in mammary epithelial cells is primarily associated with cell lineage, as we found that Phgdh expression was predominant in CK5-positive cells, normal as well as malignant, thus identifying an association of this protein with the basal phenotype.

Source: Molecular Oncology - May 13, 2015 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Irina Gromova, Pavel Gromov, Naoko Honma, Sudha Kumar, David Rimm, Maj-Lis Møller Talman, Vera Timmermans Wielenga, José M.A. Moreira Source Type: research