SAT-133 Breast Tumor Kinase (Brk/PTK6) Mediates Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Migration and Taxol Resistance via SH2 Domain-Dependent Activation of RhoA and AhR

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients have higher recurrence rates and a worse prognosis relative to patients diagnosed with other breast cancer subtypes. Protein tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6; also called Brk), a soluble tyrosine kinase, is overexpressed in 86% of breast cancer patients, however its precise function in the context of TNBC is poorly defined. PTK6 expression is elevated in TNBC models in response to both cellular and endocrine stress, coordinated transcriptionally by the Hypoxia-Inducible Factors (HIFs) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). We showed previously that PTK6 expression, but not its intrinsic kinase activity, is required for breast cancer cell motility. To further delineate the mechanisms of PTK6 signaling, we created kinase-intact domain structure mutants of PTK6 via in frame deletions of the N-terminal SH3 or SH2 domains. MDA-MB-231 cells expressing a PTK6 variant lacking the SH2 domain (SH2-del PTK6) were less responsive to growth factor-stimulated cell motility relative to wild type or kinase dead (KM) controls. To identify signal transduction pathways activated in TNBC cells harboring PTK6 domain mutants, we used a reverse phase protein array (RPPA), which revealed that the SH2 domain of PTK6 mediates TNBC cell motility via activation of the RhoA and/or AhR signaling pathways. Moreover, in TNBC cells, including a taxane-refractory TNBC model, addition of AhR or Rho inhibitors to paclitaxel (Taxol) enhanced cytotoxicity. Together, these studies reveal that the SH2-domain of PTK6 is an effector of advanced cancer phenotypes in GR+ TNBC cells and identify RhoA and AhR as novel therapeutic targets in PTK6+ tumors.