BioProject

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of the TGF-β superfamily of growth factors. More...

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of the TGF-β superfamily of growth factors. They are known for their roles in regulation of osteogenesis and developmental processes and, in recent years, evidence has accumulated of their crucial functions in tumor biology. BMP4, in particular, has been implicated in breast cancer. However, little is known about BMP target genes in the context of tumor. We therefore explored the effects of BMP4 treatment on global gene transcription in five breast cancer cell lines during a 6-point time series. Data analysis included hierarchical clustering of differentially expressed genes, gene ontology enrichment analyses and model based clustering of temporal data. BMP4 had a strong effect on gene expression. The cellular functions most strongly affected were regulation of transcription and development. The observed transcriptional response, as well as its functional outcome, followed a temporal sequence, with regulation of gene expression and signal transduction leading to changes in metabolism and cell proliferation. Hierarchical clustering revealed distinct differences in the response of individual cell lines to BMP4, but also highlighted a synexpression group of genes. Finally, this study provides a list of potential novel BMP target genes relevant in breast cancer. Overall design: Two-condition experiment, vehicle-treated vs. BMP4-treated. Five cell lines were tested at six time points each, what makes a total of 30 samples. RNA samples from three biological replicates were pooled before hybridization. Less...