Insulin and IGF-1, but not 17β-estradiol, alter the subcellular localization of MIER1α in MCF7 breast carcinoma cells

Background MIER1α is a transcriptional regulator that interacts with estrogen receptor α and inhibits estrogen-stimulated growth of breast carcinoma cells. Interestingly, analysis of MIER1α subcellular localization in breast samples revealed a stepwise shift from the nucleus to the cytoplasm during progression to invasive carcinoma. Previously, we demonstrated that MIER1α is nuclear in MCF7 cells yet it does not contain a nuclear localization signal. Instead MIER1α is targeted to the nucleus through interaction and co-transport with HDAC 1 and 2.