Modulation of ATP-induced calcium signaling by progesterone in T47D-Y breast cancer cells

Extracellular ATP activates purinergic (P2) receptors with an increase in intracellular calcium and phosphorylation of MAPK. In this study we have investigated the effect of progesterone/progestin on ATP-induced calcium mobilization and phosphorylation of the kinase ERK in the T47D-Y breast cancer cell line that exhibits no detectable nuclear progesterone receptor expression. Brief pretreatment with progesterone/progestin results in a dose dependent inhibition of ATP-induced intracellular calcium mobilization, and inhibition of ERK phosphorylation. Response to a cell impermeable ligand and inhibition of the response by an inactivating antibody suggests a mechanism of action at the plasma membrane. These results in T47D-Y cells strongly suggest that progesterone can act in a rapid non-nuclear manner to inhibit extracellular ATP effects on intracellular calcium mobilization and ERK activation. This research provides an example of progesterone action in a breast cancer cell line lacking expression of the classical nuclear progesterone receptors.