Background
Estrogen is an established enhancer of breast cancer development, but less is known on its effect on local progression or metastasis. We studied the effect of estrogen receptor recruitment on actin cytoskeleton remodeling and breast cancer cell movement and invasion. Moreover, we characterized the signaling steps through which these actions are enacted. Methodology/principal findings: In estrogen receptor (ER) positive T47-D breast cancer cells ER activation with 17beta-estradiol induces rapid and dynamic actin cytoskeleton remodeling with the formation of specialized cell membrane structures like ruffles and pseudopodia. These effects depend on the rapid recruitment of the actin-binding protein moesin. Moesin activation by estradiol depends on the interaction of ER alpha with the G protein G alpha(13), which
Significance
These results provide an original mechanism through which estrogen can facilitate breast cancer local and distant progression, identifying the extra-nuclear G alpha(13)/RhoA/ROCK/moesin signaling cascade as a target of ER alpha in breast cancer cells. This information helps to understand the effects of estrogen on breast cancer metastasis and may provide new targets for therapeutic interventions.