Abstract
CCAAT/Enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs) are a family of nuclear proteins that function in the control of cell growth, death, and differentiation. We previously reported that C/EBPδ plays a key role in mammary epithelial cell G0 growth arrest. In this report, we investigated the role of C/EBPδ in mammary gland development and function using female mice homozygous for a targeted deletion of C/EBPδ (C/EBPδ –/–). C/EBPδ –/– females develop normally and exhibit normal reproductive and lactational performance. Adult nulliparous C/EBPδ –/– females, however, exhibit mammary epithelial cell growth control defects. The mean number of mammary ductal branches is significantly higher in adult nulliparous C/EBPδ –/– females compared with C/EBPδ +/+ (wild-type control) females (66.8 ± 5.2 vs 42.9 * 6.3 branch points/field, P < 0.01). In addition, the mean total mammary gland cellular volume occupied by epithelium is significantly higher in adult nulliparous C/EBPδ –/– females compared with C/EBPδ +/+ controls (29.0± 1.4 vs 20.4 ± 1.3, P < 0.001). Our results showed that the BrdU labeling index was significantly higher in mammary epithelial cells from nulliparous C/EBPδ –/– females compared with C/EBPδ +/+ controls during the proestrus/estrus (4.55 ± 0.70 vs 2.14 ± 0.43, P < 0.01) and metestrus/diestrus (6.92 ± 0.75 vs 3.98 ± 0.43 P < 0.01) phases of the estrus cycle. In contrast, the percentage of mammary epithelial cells undergoing apoptosis during both phases of the estrus cycle did not differ between C/EBPδ –/– and C/EBPδ +/+ females. The increased epithelial cell content and proliferative capacity was restricted to the nulliparous C/EBPδ –/– females as no differences in mammary gland morphology, ductal branching or total epithelial content were observed between multiparous C/EBPδ –/– and C/EBPδ +/+ females. These results demonstrate that C/EBPδ plays a novel role in mammary epithelial cell growth control that appears to be restricted to the nulliparous mammary gland.