Cyclooxygenase-2 utilizes Jun N-terminal kinases to induce invasion, but not tamoxifen resistance, in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Elevated cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in breast tumors is associated with a lower survival rate in patients with estrogen receptor a (ER alpha)-positive tumors. We hypothesized that COX-2 reduces the survival rate of breast cancer patients with ER alpha-positive tumors since COX-2 increases the invasiveness of ER alpha-positive breast tumors and decreases tumor sensitivity to tamoxifen. Previously, we demonstrated that COX-2 stimulates the activity of protein kinase C (PKC) to increase the invasiveness of ER alpha-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells and to decrease the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to tamoxifen. High levels of COX-2 are associated with the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family and the Akt kinase. However, it is not known whether these kinases mediate COX-2-induced invasive activity and tamoxifen resistance. In the present study, we report that COX-2 utilizes PKC to enhance the phosphorylation of Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), but not that of other MAPK family members or Akt. Inhibition aimed at JNKs reduced COX-2-induced invasion but not COX-2-induced tamoxifen resistance. We conclude that JNKs are essential for induced cell invasion by COX-2, but not tamoxifen resistance, in ER alpha-positive breast cancer cells.