AKT/PKB is a family of serine-threonine kinases activated in response to growth stimuli downstream of the PI3K /PTEN pathway. The AKT family consists of three members: AKT-1, AKT-2 and AKT-3, and has been implicated in different malignancies, such as glioblastoma, ovarian, gastric, colorectal, prostate and breast tumors. Gene amplification and/or over-activation of the three AKT members have been found in different tumors. However, it is not clear to what extent each member of the AKT family contributes to different tumors individually or in combination with other members. To explore how each individual or combination of the AKT isoforms contributes to the development of mammary gland tumors, we have generated a “multi-hit” mouse expressing each member of the AKT family (“AKT multi-hit”) in an inducible manner. We have crossed these mice to the Rosa26CreERT2 line and, upon Cre induction, mice develop breast tumors. Within this project, we expect to gain understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the contribution the AKT family to mammary gland tumors.
AKT dependent mammary gland tumors developed in our mouse genetic model.