Identification of genes responsible for RelA-dependent proliferation arrest in human mammary epithelial cells conditionally expressing RelA

The molecular mechanisms responsible for opposing oncogenic and tumor-suppressor activities of NF-kB are obscure. Semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry of primary breast tumors using antibodies to RelA, the pleiotropic NF-kB factor, and Ki67 revealed a negative correlation between RelA levels and Ki67-index among ER +/HER2 − tumors [1]. Similarly, expression of AURKA, a marker for proliferation, negatively correlates with expression of NFKBIA, a surrogate for RelA expression and activity, in ER +/HER2 − tumors analyzed by The Cancer Genome Atlas [2], [3], [4]. Furthermore, conditional expression of RelA using a Tetracycline-inducible system in Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HRA cells) caused proliferation arrest while withdrawal of Doxycycline (Dox) and suppression of RelA expression in arrested cells restored cell cycle progression [1]. To identify genes responsible for the negative relationship between RelA levels and proliferation, we performed genome-wide gene expression analysis of HRA cells under the following conditions: RelA un-induced, No Dox (ND); Dox induced for 24 h; Dox induced for 72 h; Dox induced for 24 h then Dox withdrawn for 48 h. The expression data was submitted to Gene Expression Ominibus (GEO) and the accession number is GSE65040. Analysis of the data identified cross-talk between basal RelA activity and the Interferon pathway mediated by IRF1, a target of RelA [5]. Activation of the Interferon pathway lead to down-regulation of CDK4 expression resulting in RB1 hypo-phosphorylation and suppression of cell cycle progression. The tumor-suppressor activity of NF-kB, specifically RelA, may stem from cross-talk with the Interferon pathway.