Substrate stiffness regulates triple-negative breast cancer signaling through CXCR4 receptor dynamics

Biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), such as mechanical stiffness, directly regulate behaviors of cancer cells linked to cancer initiation and progression. Cells sense and respond to ECM stiffness in the context of dynamic changes in biochemical inputs, such as growth factors and chemokines. While commonly studied as isolated inputs, mechanisms by which combined effects of mechanical stiffness and biochemical factors affect functions of cancer cells remain poorly defined. Using a combination of elastically supportive surface (ESS) culture dishes with defined stiffnesses and single-cell imaging, we report here that culturing cells on a stiff (28 kPa) versus soft (1.5 kPa) substrate increases CXCR4 and EGFR expression and promotes greater ligand-dependent internalization of CXCR4. In addition to increased CXCR4 expression, a stiff ECM also increases basal activation of Akt and ERK as well as signaling through these kinases in response to CXCL12-α and EGF and promotes migration of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. These data implicate receptor dynamics as a key mediator of Akt and ERK signaling as a mechanism for adverse effects of enhanced ECM stiffness on disease progression in TNBC.