Activation of Estrogen Receptor Alpha, Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor, and Nuclear Factor Erythroid-2 Like 2 in Human Breast Cancer Cells

There is a strong association between estrogen exposure and breast cancer risk. Estrogen can activate estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) to increase cell proliferation. Estrogen can also be metabolized into genotoxic compounds to induce DNA damage and mutations. Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and nuclear factor erythroid-2 like 2 (NFE2L2; NRF2) can alter the production of genotoxic estrogen. The present thesis investigated the signalling mechanisms of ERalpha, AHR, and NRF2 and how their interaction might modulate breast cancer risk. In Chapter 2, genome-wide, but promoter-focused analysis of ERalpha binding sites in T-47D breast cancer cells identified potential cell line specific differences in estrogen signalling between T-47D and the commonly used MCF-7 breast cancer cells. CYP2B6 was identified to be an ERalpha target gene in T-47D cells but not MCF-7 cells, supporting cell line dependent effect in estrogen signalling. In Chapter 3 and 4, genome-wide analyses of AHR binding sites were performed to investigate the molecular criteria governing genomic AHR transactivation in vivo in mouse and in vitro in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Our analysis identified 1) the previously established aryl hydrocarbon response element to be an important, but not an absolute requirement in AHR transactivation and 2) key epigenetic modifications that modulate AHR-dependent gene regulation. Lastly, in Chapter 5, interaction among ERalpha, AHR, and NRF2 was presented at the regulatory region of two NRF2 target genes, NADPH Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and Heme Oxygenase 1 (HMOX1). ERalpha repressed, whereas AHR enhanced NRF2-dependent NQO1 and HMOX1 mRNA expression through altered p300 recruitment and Histone H3 Lysine 9 acetylation. Collectively, this thesis examined novel molecular mechanisms that might alter breast cancer development/progression by modulating ER, AHR, and NRF2 activity.Ph