Patients with triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are at high risk for recurrent or metastatic disease despite standard treatment, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic targets and strategies. Here we report that protein tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6) is expressed in approximately 70% of TNBCs where it acts to promote survival and metastatic lung colonization. PTK6 downregulation in mesenchymal TNBC cells suppressed migration and three-dimensional culture growth, and enhanced anoikis, resistance to which is considered a prerequisite for metastasis. PTK6 downregulation restored E-cadherin levels via proteasome-dependent degradation of the E-cadherin repressor SNAIL. Beyond being functionally required in TNBC cells, kinase-active PTK6 also suppressed E-cadherin expression, promoted cell migration, and increased levels of mesenchymal markers in nontransformed MCF10A breast epithelial cells, consistent with a role in promoting an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). SNAIL downregulation and E-cadherin upregulation mediated by PTK6 inhibition induced anoikis, leading to impaired metastatic lung colonization in vivo. Finally, effects of PTK6 downregulation were phenocopied by treatment with a recently developed PTK6 kinase inhibitor, further implicating kinase activity in regulation of EMT and metastases. Our findings illustrate the clinical potential for PTK6 inhibition to improve treatment of patients with high-risk TNBC.Cancer Res; 76(15); 4406-17. Ó2016 AACR.

BackgroundThe protein kinase C (PKC) family comprises distinct classes of proteins, many of which are implicated in diverse cellular functions. Protein tyrosine kinase C theta isoform (PRKCQ)/PKCθ, a member of the novel PKC family, may have a distinct isoform-specific role in breast cancer. PKCθ is preferentially expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) compared to other breast tumor subtypes. We hypothesized that PRKCQ/PKCθ critically regulates growth and survival of a subset of TNBC cells.MethodsTo elucidate the role of PRKCQ/PKCθ in regulating growth and anoikis resistance, we used both gain and loss of function to modulate expression of PRKCQ. We enhanced expression of PKCθ (kinase-active or inactive) in non-transformed breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A) and assessed effects on epidermal growth factor (EGF)-independent growth, anoikis, and migration. We downregulated expression of PKCθ in TNBC cells, and determined effects on in vitro and in vivo growth and survival. TNBC cells were also treated with a small molecule inhibitor to assess requirement for PKCθ kinase activity in the growth of TNBC cells.ResultsPRKCQ/PKCθ can promote oncogenic phenotypes when expressed in non-transformed MCF-10A mammary epithelial cells; PRKCQ/PKCθ enhances anchorage-independent survival, growth-factor-independent proliferation, and migration. PKCθ expression promotes retinoblastoma (Rb) phosphorylation and cell-cycle progression under growth factor-deprived conditions that typically induce cell-cycle arrest of MCF-10A breast epithelial cells. Proliferation and Rb phosphorylation are dependent on PKCθ-stimulated extracellular signal-related kinase (Erk)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity. Enhanced Erk/MAPK activity is dependent on the kinase activity of PKCθ, as overexpression of kinase-inactive PKCθ does not stimulate Erk/MAPK or Rb phosphorylation or promote growth-factor-independent proliferation. Downregulation of PRKCQ/PKCθ in TNBC cells enhances anoikis, inhibits growth in 3-D MatrigelTM cultures, and impairs triple-negative tumor xenograft growth. AEB071, an inhibitor of PKCθ kinase activity, also inhibits growth and invasive branching of TNBC cells in 3-D cultures, further supporting a role for PKCθ kinase activity in triple-negative cancer cell growth.ConclusionsEnhanced PRKCQ/PKCθ expression can promote growth-factor-independent growth, anoikis resistance, and migration. PRKCQ critically regulates growth and survival of a subset of TNBC. Inhibition of PKCθ kinase activity may be an attractive therapeutic approach for TNBC, a subtype in need of improved targeted therapies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-016-0749-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Protein kinase C theta, (PRKCQ/PKCθ) is a serine/threonine kinase that is highly expressed in a subset of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) and promotes their growth, anoikis resistance, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and invasion. Here, we show that PRKCQ regulates the sensitivity of TNBC cells to apoptosis triggered by standard-of-care chemotherapy by regulating levels of pro-apoptotic Bim. Methods: To determine the effects of PRKCQ expression on chemotherapy-induced apoptosis, shRNA and cDNA vectors were used to modulate the PRKCQ expression in MCF-10A breast epithelial cells or triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB231Luc, HCC1806). A novel PRKCQ small-molecule inhibitor, 17k, was used to inhibit kinase activity. Viability and apoptosis of cells treated with PRKCQ cDNA/shRNA/inhibitor +/-chemotherapy were measured. Expression levels of Bcl2 family members were assessed. Results: Enhanced expression of PRKCQ is sufficient to suppress apoptosis triggered by paclitaxel or doxorubicin treatment. Downregulation of PRKCQ also enhanced the apoptosis of chemotherapy-treated TNBC cells. Regulation of chemotherapy sensitivity by PRKCQ mechanistically occurs via regulation of levels of Bim, a pro-apoptotic Bcl2 family member; suppression of Bim prevents the enhanced apoptosis observed with combined PRKCQ downregulation and chemotherapy treatment. Regulation of Bim and chemotherapy sensitivity is significantly dependent on PRKCQ kinase activity; overexpression of a catalytically inactive PRKCQ does not suppress Bim or chemotherapy-associated apoptosis. Furthermore, PRKCQ kinase inhibitor treatment suppressed growth, increased anoikis and Bim expression, and enhanced apoptosis of chemotherapy-treated TNBC cells, phenocopying the effects of PRKCQ downregulation. Conclusions: These studies support PRKCQ inhibition as an attractive therapeutic strategy and complement to chemotherapy to inhibit the growth and survival of TNBC cells.

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<p>Supplemental Table 2. Sequences of the shRNA vectors</p>