The role of estrogen in promoting mammary stem cell proliferation remains controversial. It is unclear if estrogen receptor (ER)–expressing cells have stem/progenitor activity themselves or if they act in a paracrine fashion to stimulate stem cell proliferation. We have used flow cytometry to prospectively isolate mouse mammary ER-expressing epithelial cells and shown, using analysis of gene expression patterns and cell type–specific markers, that they form a distinct luminal epithelial cell subpopulation that expresses not only the ER but also the progesterone and prolactin receptors. Furthermore, we have used an in vivo functional transplantation assay to directly demonstrate that the ER-expressing luminal epithelial subpopulation contains little in vivo stem cell activity. Rather, the mammary stem cell activity is found within the basal mammary epithelial cell population. Therefore, ER-expressing cells of the mammary epithelium are distinct from the mammary stem cell population, and the effects of estrogen on mammary stem cells are likely to be mediated indirectly. These results are important for our understanding of cellular responses to hormonal stimulation in the normal breast and in breast cancer.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
1 January 2007
Report|
December 26 2006
Dissociation of estrogen receptor expression and in vivo stem cell activity in the mammary gland
Katherine E. Sleeman,
Katherine E. Sleeman
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Howard Kendrick,
Howard Kendrick
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
David Robertson,
David Robertson
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Clare M. Isacke,
Clare M. Isacke
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Alan Ashworth,
Alan Ashworth
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Matthew J. Smalley
Matthew J. Smalley
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Katherine E. Sleeman
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Howard Kendrick
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
David Robertson
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Clare M. Isacke
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Alan Ashworth
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Matthew J. Smalley
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
Correspondence to Matthew J. Smalley: [email protected]
Abbreviations used in this paper: CFC, colony-forming cell; CK, cytokeratin; ER, estrogen receptor; MaCFC, mammary colony-forming cell; MRU, mammary-repopulating unit; PE, phycoerythrin; qPCR, quantitative real time PCR; SMA, α-isoform smooth muscle actin.
Received:
April 12 2006
Accepted:
November 29 2006
Online ISSN: 1540-8140
Print ISSN: 0021-9525
The Rockefeller University Press
2007
J Cell Biol (2007) 176 (1): 19–26.
Article history
Received:
April 12 2006
Accepted:
November 29 2006
Citation
Katherine E. Sleeman, Howard Kendrick, David Robertson, Clare M. Isacke, Alan Ashworth, Matthew J. Smalley; Dissociation of estrogen receptor expression and in vivo stem cell activity in the mammary gland . J Cell Biol 1 January 2007; 176 (1): 19–26. doi: https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.200604065
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionSuggested Content
Email alerts
Advertisement
Advertisement