14-3-3σ is frequently lost in human breast cancers by genetic deletion or promoter methylation. We have now investigated the involvement of 14-3-3σ in the termination of NF-κB signal in mammary cells and its putative role in cancer relapse and metastasis. Our results show that 14-3-3σ regulates nuclear export of p65-NF-κB following chronic TNFα stimulation. Restoration of 14-3-3σ in breast cancer cells reduces migration capacity and metastatic abilities in vivo. By microarray analysis, we have identified a genetic signature that responds to TNFα in a 14-3-3σ-dependent manner and significantly associates with different breast and other types of cancer. By interrogating public databases, we have found that over-expression of this signature correlates with poor relapse-free survival in breast cancer patients. Finally, screening of 96 human breast tumors showed that NF-κB activation strictly correlates with the absence of 14-3-3σ and it is significantly associated with worse prognosis in the multivariate analysis. Our findings identify a genetic signature that is important for breast cancer prognosis and for future personalized treatments based on NF-κB targeting.

This work was funded by ISCIII/FEDER-Subdirección General de Evaluación y Fomento de la Investigación (PI07/0778, PI10/01128, PS09/1296 and PS09/01285), AGAUR (2009SGR23 and 2009SGR321) and Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica (I+D+I), iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Programa Consolider and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)/FEDER (RD06/0020/0098 and RD06/0020/0109). Financial support was provided to RRG by BBVA foundation and Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer. NLB acknowledges funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (SAF2009-06954). AJ-S was funded by Science and Education Spanish Ministry (MEC) FPI predoctoral fellowship (BES-2008-001850). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript