Annexin-1 (ANXA1) is known to be involved in important cellular processes and implicated in
cancer. Our previous study showed its roles in cell migration and DNA-damage response processes in
breast cancer initiation. In order to understand its roles in
tumorigenesis, we extended our studies to analyze
tumors derived from polyomavirus middle
T-antigen ANXA1 heterozygous (ANXA1(+/-) ) and ANXA1 null (ANXA1(-/-) ) mice. We performed quantitative comparison of ANXA1(+/-) and ANXA1(-/-)
tumors employing reductive dimethyl labeling quantitative proteomics. We observed 253 differentially expressed
proteins (DEPs) with high statistical significance among over 5000 quantified
proteins. Combinatorial use of pathway and network-based computational analyses of the DEPs revealed that ANXA1 primarily modulates processes related to cytoskeletal remodeling and immune responses in these mammary
tumors. Of particular note, ANXA1(-/-)
tumor showed reduced expression of a known epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker
vimentin, as well as
myosin light-chain kinase, which has been reported to induce
Rho-kinase mediated assembly of stress fibers known to be implicated in EMT. Integrative network analysis of established interactome of ANXA1 alongside with DEPs further highlights the involvement of ANXA1 in EMT. Functional role of ANXA1 in
tumorigenesis was established in invasion assay where knocking down ANXA1 in murine mammary tumor cell line 168FARN showed lower invasive capability. Altogether, this study emphasizes that ANXA1 plays modulating roles contributing to invasion-
metastasis in mammary
tumorigenesis, distinctive to its roles in
cancer initiation.