PCBP1 regulates LIFR through FAM3C to maintain breast cancer stem cell self-renewal and invasiveness

The poly(rC) binding protein 1 gene (PCBP1) encodes the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein E1 (hnRNPE1), a nucleic acid-binding protein that plays a tumor-suppressive role in the mammary epithelium by regulating phenotypic plasticity and cell fate. Following the loss of PCBP1 function, the FAM3C gene (encoding the Interleukin-like EMT inducer, or “ILEI” protein) and the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) gene are upregulated. Interaction between FAM3C and LIFR in the extracellular space induces phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3). Overexpression and/or hyperactivity of STAT3 has been detected in 40% of breast cancer cases and is associated with a poor prognosis. Herein, we characterize feed-forward regulation of LIFR expression in response to FAM3C/LIFR/STAT3 signaling in mammary epithelial cells. We show that PCBP1 upregulates LIFR transcription through activity at the LIFR promoter, and that FAM3C participates in transcriptional regulation of LIFR. Additionally, our bioinformatic analysis reveals a signature of transcriptional regulation associated with FAM3C/LIFR interaction and identifies the TWIST1 transcription factor as a downstream effector that participates in the maintenance of LIFR expression. Finally, we characterize the effect of LIFR expression in cell-based experiments that demonstrate the promotion of invasion, migration, and self-renewal of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), consistent with previous studies linking LIFR expression to tumor initiation and metastasis in mammary epithelial cells.