Grb7 is dispensable for Erbb2-driven mouse mammary tumorigenesis

Growth factor receptor-bound 7 (Grb7) is a multidomain adaptor protein implicated in signal transduction from multiple receptor tyrosine kinases, including ERBB2. ERBB2 amplification is a common event in breast cancer, and co-amplification of the neighboring GRB7 gene typically occurs, which has been presumed to lead to synergistic pro-tumorigenic signaling between both encoded proteins. Accordingly, GRB7 has been proposed as a candidate therapeutic target in breast cancer and other malignancies.

Genetic deletion of Grb7 results in relatively phenotypically normal, viable, fertile mice. The sole defect observed in these animals was a mammary dysfunction resulting in a failure to efficiently nurse pups to weaning. Here we sought to directly evaluate the extent to which Grb7 expression may be required for Erbb2-driven mammary tumorigenesis by crossing these Grb7 knockout mice with MMTV- Neu transgenic mice. Both Grb7 deficient and proficient MMTV- Neu cohorts developed tumors at very similar rates, demonstrating that Grb7 is dispensable for Erbb2-driven tumorigenesis in this model.