Phosphorylation of LSD1 at Ser112 is crucial for its function in induction of EMT and metastasis in breast cancer

Purpose LSD1 is overexpressed in various cancers including breast cancer, but its functional roles in tumourigenesis are not fully understood. This study aims at revealing the role of LSD1 in breast cancer development. In addition, it has been reported that phosphorylation of the Serine 112 residue of LSD1 by PKCα is crucial for its function in gene regulation. We also explored whether this phosphorylation affects LSD1’s role in breast cancer development. Methods This study includes LSD1 IHC data generated with tissue microarrays of 163 cases of breast cancer samples and 72 normal tissues. In vitro, role of LSD1, LSD1 S112D mutant (a phosphorylation simulation) and LSD1 S112A mutant (an unphosphorylation simulation) in induction of EMT is evaluated. Mechanismly, we checked the role of LSD1 and its mutant on E-cadherin promoter histone modifications. We also investigated the role of LSD1 and its mutants in metastasis with a nude mice model. Results We found LSD1 is expressed at a higher level in breast cancer tissues compared with that in normal tissues, and LSD1 expression is closely linked to breast cancer metastasis. LSD1 potentiates EMT in breast epithelia cells by repressing E-cadherin expression through demethylating H3K4me at gene’s promoter, during which phosphorylation of LSD1 Ser112 is crucial for its binding and demethylation activity. In vivo, knockdown of LSD1 impairs the metastatic ability of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in nude mice. Ectopic overexpression of either LSD1 or LSD1 S112D mutant (a phosphorylation simulation) facilitates metastasis, whereas the LSD1 S112A mutant (an unphosphorylation simulation) fails to affect the metastasis. Conclusions Data presented in this report indicate that LSD1 is able to induce EMT and to promote metastasis in breast cancer, and phosphorylation at LSD1 Ser112 is crucial for these functions.