1
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Vesuna F, Penet MF, Mori N, Bhujwalla ZM, Raman V. Twist alters the breast tumor microenvironment via choline kinase to facilitate an aggressive phenotype. Mol Cell Biochem 2023; 478:939-948. [PMID: 36136285 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-022-04555-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Twist (TWIST1) is a gene required for cell fate specification in embryos and its expression in mammary epithelium can initiate tumorigenesis through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. To identify downstream target genes of Twist in breast cancer, we performed microarray analysis on the transgenic breast cancer cell line, MCF-7/Twist. One of the targets identified was choline kinase whose upregulation resulted in increased cellular phosphocholine and total choline containing compounds-a characteristic observed in highly aggressive metastatic cancers. To study the interactions between Twist, choline kinase, and their effect on the microenvironment, we used 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and found significantly higher phosphocholine and total choline, as well as increased phosphocholine/glycerophosphocholine ratio in MCF-7/Twist cells. We also observed significant increases in extracellular glucose, lactate, and [H +] ion concentrations in the MCF-7/Twist cells. Magnetic resonance imaging of MCF-7/Twist orthotopic breast tumors showed a significant increase in vascular volume and permeability surface area product compared to control tumors. In addition, by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we discovered that Twist upregulated choline kinase expression in estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cell lines through FOXA1 downregulation. Moreover, using The Cancer Genome Atlas database, we observed a significant inverse relationship between FOXA1 and choline kinase expression and propose that it could act as a modulator of the Twist/choline kinase axis. The data presented indicate that Twist is a driver of choline kinase expression in breast cancer cells via FOXA1 resulting in the generation of an aggressive breast cancer phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhad Vesuna
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marie-France Penet
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Noriko Mori
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zaver M Bhujwalla
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Venu Raman
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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2
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Pu H, Wen X, Luo D, Guo Z. Regulation of progesterone receptor expression in endometriosis, endometrial cancer, and breast cancer by estrogen, polymorphisms, transcription factors, epigenetic alterations, and ubiquitin-proteasome system. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 227:106199. [PMID: 36191723 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2022.106199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The uterus and breasts are hormone-responsive tissues. Progesterone and estradiol regulate gonadotropin secretion, prepare the endometrium for implantation, maintain pregnancy, and regulate the differentiation of breast tissue. Dysregulation of these hormones causes endometriosis, endometrial cancer, and breast cancer, damaging the physical and mental health of women. Emerging evidence has shown that progesterone resistance or elevated progesterone activity is the primary hormonal substrate of these diseases. Since progesterone acts through its specific nuclear receptor, the abnormal expression of the progesterone receptor (PR) dysregulates progesterone function. This review discusses the regulatory mechanisms of PR expression in patients with endometriosis, and endometrial or breast cancer, including estrogen, polymorphisms, transcription factors, epigenetics, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. (1) Estrogen promotes the expression of PRA (a PR isoform) mRNA and protein through the interaction of estrogen receptors (ERs) and Sp1 with half-ERE/Sp1 binding sites. ERs also affect the binding of Sp1 and Sp1 sites to promote the expression of PRB (another PR isoform)(2) PR polymorphisms, mainly PROGINS and + 331 G/A polymorphism, regulate PR expression by affecting DNA methylation and transcription factor binding. (3) The influence of epigenetic alterations on PR expression occurs through DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNA. (4) As one of the main protein degradation pathways in vivo, the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) regulates PR expression by participating in protein degradation. These mechanisms may provide new molecular targets for diagnosing and treating endometriosis, endometrial, and breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijie Pu
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Xiaosha Wen
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - DiXian Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital (Nanshan Hospital), Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Zifen Guo
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
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3
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Deregulation of miR-375 Inhibits HOXA5 and Promotes Migration, Invasion, and Cell Proliferation in Breast Cancer. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s12010-023-04375-3. [PMID: 36701095 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-023-04375-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is a highly aggressive tumour and one of the women's leading causes of cancer-related deaths in worldwide. MiR-375 overexpressed in BC cells, and its biological relevance is largely unknown. Here in, we explored the function of miR-375 in BC. MicroRNA-375 targets were predicted by online target prediction tools and found that HOXA5 is one of the potential targets. MTT assay was employed to assess the effect of miR-375 on cell proliferation, where migration and invasion transwell assays were applied to detect cell migratory and invasive ability. Besides, relative expression of miR-375 and HOXA5 was measured in BC and HEK-293 cells, and its downstream gene target expressions were evaluated by qRT-PCR and western blot. In this study, we found that miR-375 expression was higher in BC cell lines than in the HEK-293 cell line, whereas HOXA5 expression was significantly lower. Our study showed that exogenous inhibition of miR-375 promoted HOXA5 expression; on the contrary, miR-375 mimics down-regulated HOXA5 expression level. Knockdown of miR-375 expression in BC cells reduces cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by inverse correlation expression of HOXA5. Our findings associated that miR-375 accelerated apoptosis evasion, proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting HOXA5. In addition, nucleolin interferes in miR-375 biogenesis while silencing of nucleolin significantly reduced miR-375 expression and increased HOXA5 expression in BC. Thus, miR-375/HOXA5 axis may represent a potential therapeutic target for BC treatment.
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4
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Chen L, Fu B. T cell exhaustion assessment algorism in tumor microenvironment predicted clinical outcomes and immunotherapy effects in glioma. Front Genet 2022; 13:1087434. [DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1087434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the recent increase in the use of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), no ICB medications have been approved or are undergoing large-scale clinical trials for glioma. T cells, the main mediators of adaptive immunity, are important components of the tumor immune microenvironment. Depletion of T cells in tumors plays a key role in assessing the sensitivity of patients to immunotherapy. In this study, the bioinformatics approach was applied to construct T cell depletion-related risk assessment to investigate the impact of T cell depletion on prognosis and ICB response in glioma patients. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE108474 glioma cohorts and IMvigor210 immunotherapy datasets were collected, including complete mRNA expression profiles and clinical information. We used cell lines to verify the gene expression and the R 3.6.3 tool and GraphPad for bioinformatics analysis and mapping. T cell depletion in glioma patients displayed significant heterogeneity. The T cell depletion-related prognostic model was developed based on seven prognostic genes (HSPB1, HOXD10, HOXA5, SEC61G, H19, ANXA2P2, HOXC10) in glioma. The overall survival of patients with a high TEXScore was significantly lower than that of patients with a low TEXScore. In addition, high TEXScore scores were followed by intense immune responses and a more complex tumor immune microenvironment. The “hot tumors” were predominantly enriched in the high-risk group, which patients expressed high levels of suppressive immune checkpoints, such as PD1, PD-L1, and TIM3. However, patients with a low TEXScore had a more significant clinical response to immunotherapy. In addition, HSPB1 expression was higher in the U251 cells than in the normal HEB cells. In conclusion, the TEXScore related to T cell exhaustion combined with other pathological profiles can effectively assess the clinical status of glioma patients. The TEXScore constructed in this study enables the effective assessment of the immunotherapy response of glioma patients and provides therapeutic possibilities.
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5
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HOXA5: A crucial transcriptional factor in cancer and a potential therapeutic target. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 155:113800. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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6
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Kciuk M, Gielecińska A, Kołat D, Kałuzińska Ż, Kontek R. Transcription factors in DNA damage response. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188757. [PMID: 35781034 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) constitute a wide and highly diverse group of proteins capable of controlling gene expression. Their roles in oncogenesis, tumor progression, and metastasis have been established, but recently their role in the DNA damage response pathway (DDR) has emerged. Many of them can affect elements of canonical DDR pathways, modulating their activity and deciding on the effectiveness of DNA repair. In this review, we focus on the latest reports on the effects of two TFs with dual roles in oncogenesis and metastasis (hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF1α), proto-oncogene MYC) and three epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) TFs (twist-related protein 1 (TWIST), zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), and zinc finger protein 281 (ZNF281)) associated with control of canonical DDR pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Kciuk
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Genetics, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland; University of Lodz, Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Banacha Street 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland.
| | - Adrianna Gielecińska
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Genetics, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
| | - Damian Kołat
- Department of Experimental Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136 Lodz, Poland
| | - Żaneta Kałuzińska
- Department of Experimental Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136 Lodz, Poland
| | - Renata Kontek
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Genetics, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
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7
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Belpaire M, Taminiau A, Geerts D, Rezsohazy R. HOXA1, a breast cancer oncogene. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188747. [PMID: 35675857 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
More than 25 years ago, the first literature records mentioned HOXA1 expression in human breast cancer. A few years later, HOXA1 was confirmed as a proper oncogene in mammary tissue. In the following two decades, molecular data about the mode of action of the HOXA1 protein, the factors contributing to activate and maintain HOXA1 gene expression and the identity of its target genes have accumulated and provide a wider view on the association of this transcription factor to breast oncogenesis. Large-scale transcriptomic data gathered from wide cohorts of patients further allowed refining the relationship between breast cancer type and HOXA1 expression. Several recent reports have reviewed the connection between cancer hallmarks and the biology of HOX genes in general. Here we take HOXA1 as a paradigm and propose an extensive overview of the molecular data centered on this oncoprotein, from what its expression modulators, to the interactors contributing to its oncogenic activities, and to the pathways and genes it controls. The data converge to an intricate picture that answers questions on the multi-modality of its oncogene activities, point towards better understanding of breast cancer aetiology and thereby provides an appraisal for treatment opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Belpaire
- Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology Group (AMCB), Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (LIBST), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Taminiau
- Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology Group (AMCB), Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (LIBST), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Dirk Geerts
- Heart Failure Research Center, Amsterdam University Medical Center (AMC), Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - René Rezsohazy
- Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology Group (AMCB), Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (LIBST), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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8
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Diagnostic and Therapeutic Perspectives Associated to Cobalamin-Dependent Metabolism and Transcobalamins’ Synthesis in Solid Cancers. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14102058. [PMID: 35631199 PMCID: PMC9145230 DOI: 10.3390/nu14102058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cobalamin or vitamin B12 (B12) is a cofactor for methionine synthase and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, two enzymes implicated in key pathways for cell proliferation: methylation, purine synthesis, succinylation and ATP production. Ensuring these functions in cancer cells therefore requires important cobalamin needs and its uptake through the transcobalamin II receptor (TCII-R). Thus, both the TCII-R and the cobalamin-dependent metabolic pathways constitute promising therapeutic targets to inhibit cancer development. However, the link between cobalamin and solid cancers is not limited to cellular metabolism, as it also involves the circulating transcobalamins I and II (TCI or haptocorrin and TCII) carrier proteins, encoded by TCN1 and TCN2, respectively. In this respect, elevations of B12, TCI and TCII concentrations in plasma are associated with cancer onset and relapse, and with the presence of metastases and worse prognosis. In addition, TCN1 and TCN2 overexpressions are associated with chemoresistance and a proliferative phenotype, respectively. Here we review the involvement of cobalamin and transcobalamins in cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and as potential therapeutic targets. We further detail the relationship between cobalamin-dependent metabolic pathways in cancer cells and the transcobalamins’ abundancies in plasma and tumors, to ultimately hypothesize screening and therapeutic strategies linking these aspects.
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9
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Morgan R, Hunter K, Pandha HS. Downstream of the HOX genes: explaining conflicting tumour suppressor and oncogenic functions in cancer. Int J Cancer 2022; 150:1919-1932. [PMID: 35080776 PMCID: PMC9304284 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The HOX genes are a highly conserved group of transcription factors that have key roles in early development, but which are also highly expressed in most cancers. Many studies have found strong associative relationships between the expression of individual HOX genes in tumours and clinical parameters including survival. For the majority of HOX genes, high tumour expression levels seem to be associated with a worse outcome for patients, and in some cases this has been shown to result from the activation of pro-oncogenic genes and pathways. However, there are also many studies that indicate a tumour suppressor role for some HOX genes, sometimes with conclusions that contradict earlier work. In this review, we have attempted to clarify the role of HOX genes in cancer by focusing on their downstream targets as identified in studies that provide experimental evidence for their activation or repression. On this basis, the majority of HOX genes would appear to have a pro-oncogenic function, with the notable exception of HOXD10, which acts exclusively as a tumour suppressor. HOX proteins regulate a wide range of target genes involved in metastasis, cell death, proliferation, and angiogenesis, and activate key cell signalling pathways. Furthermore, for some functionally related targets, this regulation is achieved by a relatively small subgroup of HOX genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Morgan
- School of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of West LondonLondonUK
| | - Keith Hunter
- Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Clinical DentistryUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Hardev S. Pandha
- Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of SurreyGuildfordUK
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10
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Feng Y, Zhang T, Wang Y, Xie M, Ji X, Luo X, Huang W, Xia L. Homeobox Genes in Cancers: From Carcinogenesis to Recent Therapeutic Intervention. Front Oncol 2021; 11:770428. [PMID: 34722321 PMCID: PMC8551923 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.770428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The homeobox (HOX) genes encoding an evolutionarily highly conserved family of homeodomain-containing transcriptional factors are essential for embryogenesis and tumorigenesis. HOX genes are involved in cell identity determination during early embryonic development and postnatal processes. The deregulation of HOX genes is closely associated with numerous human malignancies, highlighting the indispensable involvement in mortal cancer development. Since most HOX genes behave as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in human cancer, a better comprehension of their upstream regulators and downstream targets contributes to elucidating the function of HOX genes in cancer development. In addition, targeting HOX genes may imply therapeutic potential. Recently, novel therapies such as monoclonal antibodies targeting tyrosine receptor kinases, small molecular chemical inhibitors, and small interfering RNA strategies, are difficult to implement for targeting transcriptional factors on account of the dual function and pleiotropic nature of HOX genes-related molecular networks. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge on the roles of HOX genes in human cancer and emphasizes the emerging importance of HOX genes as potential therapeutic targets to overcome the limitations of present cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Feng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tongyue Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yijun Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyu Ji
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiangyuan Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenjie Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Limin Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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11
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Greco L, Rubbino F, Morelli A, Gaiani F, Grizzi F, de’Angelis GL, Malesci A, Laghi L. Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition: A Challenging Playground for Translational Research. Current Models and Focus on TWIST1 Relevance and Gastrointestinal Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111469. [PMID: 34768901 PMCID: PMC8584071 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Resembling the development of cancer by multistep carcinogenesis, the evolution towards metastasis involves several passages, from local invasion and intravasation, encompassing surviving anoikis into the circulation, landing at distant sites and therein establishing colonization, possibly followed by the outgrowth of macroscopic lesions. Within this cascade, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) works as a pleiotropic program enabling cancer cells to overcome local, systemic, and distant barriers against diffusion by replacing traits and functions of the epithelial signature with mesenchymal-like ones. Along the transition, a full-blown mesenchymal phenotype may not be accomplished. Rather, the plasticity of the program and its dependency on heterotopic signals implies a pendulum with oscillations towards its reversal, that is mesenchymal to epithelial transition. Cells in intermixed E⇔M states can also display stemness, enabling their replication together with the epithelial reversion next to successful distant colonization. If we aim to include the EMT among the hallmarks of cancer that could modify clinical practice, the gap between the results pursued in basic research by animal models and those achieved in translational research by surrogate biomarkers needs to be filled. We review the knowledge on EMT, derived from models and mechanistic studies as well as from translational studies, with an emphasis on gastrointestinal cancers (GI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Greco
- Laboratory of Molecular Gastroenterology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (L.G.); (F.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Federica Rubbino
- Laboratory of Molecular Gastroenterology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (L.G.); (F.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Alessandra Morelli
- Laboratory of Molecular Gastroenterology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (L.G.); (F.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Federica Gaiani
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (F.G.); (G.L.d.)
- Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, University-Hospital of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Fabio Grizzi
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy;
| | - Gian Luigi de’Angelis
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (F.G.); (G.L.d.)
- Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, University-Hospital of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Alberto Malesci
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy;
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
| | - Luigi Laghi
- Laboratory of Molecular Gastroenterology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (L.G.); (F.R.); (A.M.)
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (F.G.); (G.L.d.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Ding F, Chen P, Bie P, Piao W, Cheng Q. HOXA5 Is Recognized as a Prognostic-Related Biomarker and Promotes Glioma Progression Through Affecting Cell Cycle. Front Oncol 2021; 11:633430. [PMID: 34485110 PMCID: PMC8416157 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.633430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioma is malignant tumor derives from glial cells in the central nervous system. High-grade glioma shows aggressive growth pattern, and conventional treatments, such as surgical removal and chemo-radiotherapy, archive limitation in the interference of this process. In this work, HOXA5, from the HOX family, was identified as a glioma cell proliferation-associated factor by investigating its feature in the TCGA and CGGA data set. High HOXA5 expression samples contain unfavorable clinical features of glioma, including IDH wild type, un-methylated MGMT status, non-codeletion 1p19q status, malignant molecular subtype. Survival analysis indicates that high HOXA5 expression samples are associated with worse clinical outcome. The CNVs and SNPs profile difference further confirmed the enrichment of glioma aggressive related biomarkers. In the meantime, the activation of DNA damage repair-related pathways and TP53-related pathways is also related to HOXA5 expression. In cell lines, U87MG and U251, by interfering HOXA5 expression significantly inhibit glioma progression and apoptosis, and cell cycle is arrested at the G2/M phase. Collectively, increased HOXA5 expression can promote glioma progression via affecting glioma cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqin Ding
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, First Affiliated Hospital of Northwest Minzu University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Ping Chen
- Medical Experiment Center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Pengfei Bie
- Department of Neurosurgery, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, First Affiliated Hospital of Northwest Minzu University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Wenhua Piao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, First Affiliated Hospital of Northwest Minzu University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy Center for Glioma of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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13
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Twist activates miR-22 to suppress estrogen receptor alpha in breast cancer. Mol Cell Biochem 2021; 476:2295-2306. [PMID: 33582945 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-021-04065-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
TWIST1 (Twist) is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that is overexpressed in many cancers and promotes tumor cell invasion, metastasis, and recurrence. In this study, we demonstrate that Twist upregulates expression of microRNA 22 (miR-22) which, in turn, downregulates estrogen receptor alpha (ER) expression in breast cancer. Initial analysis of miR-22 and Twist expression in a panel of breast cancer cell lines showed a direct correlation between Twist and miR-22 levels with miR-22 being highly expressed in ER negative cell lines. Overexpressing Twist caused increased miR-22 levels while downregulating it led to decreased miR-22 expression. To characterize the upstream promoter region of miR-22, we utilized rapid amplification of cDNA ends and identified the transcription start site and the putative promoter region of miR-22. Mechanistically, we determined that Twist, in combination with HDAC1 and DNMT3B, transcriptionally upregulates miR-22 expression by binding to E-boxes in the proximal miR-22 promoter. We also established that miR-22 causes an increase in growth in 3D but not 2D cultures. Importantly, we observed a direct correlation between increased breast cancer grade and Twist and miR-22 expression. We also identified two potential miR-22 binding sites in the 3'-UTR region of ER and confirmed by promoter assays that miR-22 regulates ER expression by binding to both target sites. These results reveal a novel pathway of ER suppression by Twist through miR-22 activation that could potentially promote the ER negative phenotype in breast cancers.
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Yang Y, Zhu X, Jia X, Hou W, Zhou G, Ma Z, Yu B, Pi Y, Zhang X, Wang J, Wang G. Phosphorylation of Msx1 promotes cell proliferation through the Fgf9/18-MAPK signaling pathway during embryonic limb development. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:11452-11467. [PMID: 33080014 PMCID: PMC7672426 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Msh homeobox (Msx) is a subclass of homeobox transcriptional regulators that control cell lineage development, including the early stage of vertebrate limb development, although the underlying mechanisms are not clear. Here, we demonstrate that Msx1 promotes the proliferation of myoblasts and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) by enhancing mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Msx1 directly binds to and upregulates the expression of fibroblast growth factor 9 (Fgf9) and Fgf18. Accordingly, knockdown or antibody neutralization of Fgf9/18 inhibits Msx1-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) phosphorylation. Mechanistically, we determined that the phosphorylation of Msx1 at Ser136 is critical for enhancing Fgf9 and Fgf18 expression and cell proliferation, and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) is apparently responsible for Ser136 phosphorylation. Furthermore, mesenchymal deletion of Msx1/2 results in decreased Fgf9 and Fgf18 expression and Erk1/2 phosphorylation, which leads to serious defects in limb development in mice. Collectively, our findings established an important function of the Msx1-Fgf-MAPK signaling axis in promoting cell proliferation, thus providing a new mechanistic insight into limb development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yenan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Xiang Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Wanwan Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zhangjing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Bin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yan Pi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xumin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jingqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
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Bondos SE, Geraldo Mendes G, Jons A. Context-dependent HOX transcription factor function in health and disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 174:225-262. [PMID: 32828467 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
During animal development, HOX transcription factors determine the fate of developing tissues to generate diverse organs and appendages. The power of these proteins is striking: mis-expressing a HOX protein causes homeotic transformation of one body part into another. During development, HOX proteins interpret their cellular context through protein interactions, alternative splicing, and post-translational modifications to regulate cell proliferation, cell death, cell migration, cell differentiation, and angiogenesis. Although mutation and/or mis-expression of HOX proteins during development can be lethal, changes in HOX proteins that do not pattern vital organs can result in survivable malformations. In adults, mutation and/or mis-expression of HOX proteins disrupts their gene regulatory networks, deregulating cell behaviors and leading to arthritis and cancer. On the molecular level, HOX proteins are composed of DNA binding homeodomain, and large regions of unstructured, or intrinsically disordered, protein sequence. The primary roles of HOX proteins in arthritis and cancer suggest that mutations associated with these diseases in both the structured and disordered regions of HOX proteins can have substantial functional effects. These insights lead to new questions critical for understanding and manipulating HOX function in physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Bondos
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States.
| | - Gabriela Geraldo Mendes
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Amanda Jons
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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16
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Wang H, Wei H, Wang J, Li L, Chen A, Li Z. MicroRNA-181d-5p-Containing Exosomes Derived from CAFs Promote EMT by Regulating CDX2/HOXA5 in Breast Cancer. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2020; 19:654-667. [PMID: 31955007 PMCID: PMC6970169 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Recently, novel mechanisms underlying the pro-tumorigenic effects of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been identified in several cancers, including breast cancer. CAFs can secrete exosomes that are loaded with proteins, lipids, and RNAs to affect tumor microenvironment. Herein, we identify CAF-derived exosomes that can transfer miR-181d-5p to enhance the aggressiveness of breast cancer. Cancerous tissues and matched paracancerous tissues were surgically resected from 122 patients with breast cancer. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual luciferase reporter assays were employed to identify interaction between homeobox A5 (HOXA5) and caudal-related homeobox 2 (CDX2), as well as between CDX2 and miR-181d-5p, respectively. Human breast cancer Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells were cocultured with CAF-derived exosomes. 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, TUNEL staining, Transwell invasion assays, and scratch tests were carried out to evaluate MCF-7 cell functions. Nude mice bearing xenografted MCF-7 cells were injected with CAF-derived exosomes, and the tumor formation was evaluated. HOXA5 expressed at a poor level in breast cancer tissues, and its overexpression retarded MCF-7 cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and facilitated its apoptosis in vitro. miR-181d-5p targets CDX2, a transcription factor binding to HOXA5 promoter. Coculture of CAFs and MCF-7 cells showed that CAFs prolonged proliferation and antagonized apoptosis of MCF-7 cells via release of exosomes. Coculture of MCF-7 cells and exosomes derived from CAFs identified miR-181d-5p as a mediator of the exosomal effects on MCF-7 cells, in part, via downregulation of CDX2 and HOXA5. CAF-derived exosomes containing miR-181d-5p promoted the tumor growth of nude mice bearing xenografted MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, exosomal miR-181d-5p plays a key role in CAF-mediated effects on tumor environment in breast cancer, likely via CDX2 and HOXA5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Wang
- The Second Ward, Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Wei
- In-Patient Department of Ultrasound, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingsong Wang
- The Second Ward, Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Li
- The Second Ward, Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Anyue Chen
- The Second Ward, Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhigao Li
- The Second Ward, Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, People's Republic of China.
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17
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de Bessa Garcia SA, Araújo M, Pereira T, Mouta J, Freitas R. HOX genes function in Breast Cancer development. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2020; 1873:188358. [PMID: 32147544 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer develops in the mammary glands during mammalian adulthood and is considered the second most common type of human carcinoma and the most incident and mortal in the female population. In contrast to other human structures, the female mammary glands continue to develop after birth, undergoing various modifications during pregnancy, lactation and involution under the regulation of hormones and transcription factors, including those encoded by the HOX clusters (A, B, C, and D). Interestingly, HOX gene deregulation is often associated to breast cancer development. Within the HOXB cluster, 8 out of the 10 genes present altered expression levels in breast cancer with an impact in its aggressiveness and resistance to hormone therapy, which highlights the importance of HOXB genes as potential therapeutic targets used to overcome the limitations of tamoxifen-resistant cancer treatments. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the role of HOX genes in breast cancer, specially focus on HOXB, discussing the causes and consequences of HOXB gene deregulation and their relevance as prognostic factors and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Aparecida de Bessa Garcia
- IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, I3S- Institute for Innovation and Health Research, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Mafalda Araújo
- IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, I3S- Institute for Innovation and Health Research, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Tiago Pereira
- IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, I3S- Institute for Innovation and Health Research, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - João Mouta
- IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, I3S- Institute for Innovation and Health Research, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Renata Freitas
- IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, I3S- Institute for Innovation and Health Research, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.; ICBAS- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Portugal..
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18
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Lan C, Peng H, Hutvagner G, Li J. Construction of competing endogenous RNA networks from paired RNA-seq data sets by pointwise mutual information. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:943. [PMID: 31874629 PMCID: PMC6929403 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6321-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) can act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to compete with an mRNA for binding to the same miRNA. Such an interplay between the lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA is called a ceRNA crosstalk. As an miRNA may have multiple lncRNA targets and multiple mRNA targets, connecting all the ceRNA crosstalks mediated by the same miRNA forms a ceRNA network. Methods have been developed to construct ceRNA networks in the literature. However, these methods have limits because they have not explored the expression characteristics of total RNAs. RESULTS We proposed a novel method for constructing ceRNA networks and applied it to a paired RNA-seq data set. The first step of the method takes a competition regulation mechanism to derive candidate ceRNA crosstalks. Second, the method combines a competition rule and pointwise mutual information to compute a competition score for each candidate ceRNA crosstalk. Then, ceRNA crosstalks which have significant competition scores are selected to construct the ceRNA network. The key idea, pointwise mutual information, is ideally suitable for measuring the complex point-to-point relationships embedded in the ceRNA networks. CONCLUSION Computational experiments and results demonstrate that the ceRNA networks can capture important regulatory mechanism of breast cancer, and have also revealed new insights into the treatment of breast cancer. The proposed method can be directly applied to other RNA-seq data sets for deeper disease understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaowang Lan
- Advanced Analytics Institute, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Hui Peng
- Advanced Analytics Institute, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Gyorgy Hutvagner
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Jinyan Li
- Advanced Analytics Institute, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia.
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19
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Identification of important invasion and proliferation related genes in adrenocortical carcinoma. Med Oncol 2019; 36:73. [DOI: 10.1007/s12032-019-1296-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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20
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Chen YQ, Yang TQ, Zhou B, Yang MX, Feng HJ, Wang YL. HOXA5 overexpression promotes osteosarcoma cell apoptosis through the p53 and p38α MAPK pathway. Gene 2019; 689:18-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.11.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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21
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Zhao H, Yu H, Zheng J, Ning N, Tang F, Yang Y, Wang Y. Lowly-expressed lncRNA GAS5 facilitates progression of ovarian cancer through targeting miR-196-5p and thereby regulating HOXA5. Gynecol Oncol 2018; 151:345-355. [PMID: 30201235 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2018.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This investigation was aimed at extrapolating whether and how lncRNA GAS5, miR-196a-5p and HOXA5 altered progression of ovarian cancer (OA). METHOD Totally 195 pairs of OA tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected. Also si-GAS5, pcDNA-GAS5, miR-196a-5p mimic, miR-196a-5p inhibitor and negative control (NC) were, respectively, transfected into OA cells. Besides, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to validate the targeted relationships between GAS5 and miR-196a-5p, as well as between miR-196a-5p and HOXA5. The impacts of GAS5, miR-196a-5p and HOXA5 on viability, proliferation and apoptosis of OA cells were appraised via conduction of colony formation assay, MTT assay and flow cytometry assay. RESULT Lower GAS5 expression and higher miR-196a-5p expression were associated with larger tumor size (≥5 cm) and more advanced FIGO stage (III-IV) of OA patients (P < 0.05). Transfection of si-GAS5, miR-196a-5p mimic or si-HOXA5 conferred OA cells with stronger viability, faster proliferation and smaller percentage of apoptosis (P < 0.05). After injecting mice models with si-GAS5, miR-196a-5p mimic or si-HOXA5, a larger tumor size was also observed within the rats (P < 0.05). GAS5 was indicated to directly target miR-196a-5p and modify its expression, and the targeted relationship also seemed to exist between miR-196a-5p and HOXA5 (P < 0.05). The HOXA5 was found to reverse the effects imposed by miR-196a-5p on viability, proliferation and apoptosis of OA cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION LncRNA GAS5 depressed OA development by targeting miR-196a-5p and thereby down-regulating HOXA5 expression, providing substance for developing lncRNA-based strategies to treat OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmin Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province 150001, China
| | - Hongli Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province 150001, China
| | - Jianhua Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province 150001, China
| | - Ning Ning
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province 150001, China
| | - Fanglan Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province 150001, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province 150001, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province 150001, China.
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22
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Mikheev AM, Mikheeva SA, Tokita M, Severs LJ, Rostomily RC. Twist1 mediated regulation of glioma tumorigenicity is dependent on mode of mouse neural progenitor transformation. Oncotarget 2017; 8:107716-107729. [PMID: 29296200 PMCID: PMC5746102 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Twist1 is a master regulator of epithelial mesenchymal transition and carcinoma metastasis. Twist1 has also been associated with increased malignancy of human glioma. However, the impact of inhibiting Twist1 on tumorigenicity has not been characterized in glioma models in the context of different oncogenic transformation paradigms. Here we used an orthotopic mouse glioma model of transplanted transformed neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to demonstrate the effects of Twist1 loss of function on tumorigenicity. Decreased tumorigenicity was observed after shRNA mediated Twist knockdown in HPV E6/7 Ha-RasV12 transformed NPCs and Cre mediated Twist1 deletion in Twist1 fl/fl NPCs transformed by p53 knockdown and Ha-RasV12 expression. By contrast, Twist1 deletion had no effect on tumorigenicity of NPCs transformed by co-expression of Akt and Ha-RasV12. We demonstrated a dramatic off-target effect of Twist1 deletion with constitutive Cre expression, which was completely reversed when Twist1 deletion was achieved by transient administration of recombinant Cre protein. Together these findings demonstrate that the function of Twist1 in these models is highly dependent on specific oncogenic contexts of NPC transformation. Therefore, the driver mutational context in which Twist1 functions may need to be taken into account when evaluating mechanisms of action and developing therapeutic approaches to target Twist1 in human gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei M. Mikheev
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Houston Methodist Hospital and Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Svetlana A. Mikheeva
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Houston Methodist Hospital and Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mari Tokita
- Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Liza J. Severs
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Robert C. Rostomily
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Houston Methodist Hospital and Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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23
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Zhao Z, Rahman MA, Chen ZG, Shin DM. Multiple biological functions of Twist1 in various cancers. Oncotarget 2017; 8:20380-20393. [PMID: 28099910 PMCID: PMC5386770 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Twist1 is a well-known regulator of transcription during embryonic organogenesis in many species. In humans, Twist1 malfunction was first linked to Saethre-Chotzen syndrome and later identified to play an essential role in tumor initiation, stemness, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, and chemo-resistance in a variety of carcinomas, sarcomas, and hematological malignances. In this review, we will first focus on systematically elaborating the diverse pathological functions of Twist1 in various cancers, then delineating the intricate underlying network of molecular mechanisms, based on which we will summarize current therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment that target and modulate Twist1-involved signaling pathways. Most importantly, we will put special emphasis on revealing the independence and interdependency of these multiple biological functions of Twist1, piecing together the whole delicate picture of Twist1's diversified pathological roles in different cancers and providing new perspectives to guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiang Zhao
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.,Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Mohammad Aminur Rahman
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Zhuo G Chen
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Dong M Shin
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
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24
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Jacqueroud L, Bouard C, Richard G, Payen L, Devouassoux-Shisheboran M, Spicer DB, Caramel J, Collin G, Puisieux A, Tissier A, Ansieau S. The Heterodimeric TWIST1-E12 Complex Drives the Oncogenic Potential of TWIST1 in Human Mammary Epithelial Cells. Neoplasia 2017; 18:317-327. [PMID: 27237323 PMCID: PMC4887617 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2016.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The TWIST1 embryonic transcription factor displays biphasic functions during the course of carcinogenesis. It facilitates the escape of cells from oncogene-induced fail-safe programs (senescence, apoptosis) and their consequent neoplastic transformation. Additionally, it promotes the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the initiation of the metastatic spread of cancer cells. Interestingly, cancer cells recurrently remain dependent on TWIST1 for their survival and/or proliferation, making TWIST1 their Achilles’ heel. TWIST1 has been reported to form either homodimeric or heterodimeric complexes mainly in association with the E bHLH class I proteins. These complexes display distinct, sometimes even antagonistic, functions during development and unequal prometastatic functions in prostate cancer cells. Using a tethered dimer strategy, we successively assessed the ability of TWIST1 dimers to cooperate with an activated version of RAS in human mammary epithelial cell transformation, to provide mice with the ability to spontaneously develop breast tumors, and lastly to maintain a senescence program at a latent state in several breast cancer cell lines. We demonstrate that the TWIST1-E12 complex, unlike the homodimer, is an oncogenic form of TWIST1 in mammary epithelial cells and that efficient binding of both partners is a prerequisite for its activity. The detection of the heterodimer in human premalignant lesions by a proximity ligation assay, at a stage preceding the initiation of the metastatic cascade, is coherent with such an oncogenic function. TWIST1-E protein heterodimeric complexes may thus constitute the main active forms of TWIST1 with regard to senescence inhibition over the time course of breast tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Jacqueroud
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Charlotte Bouard
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Geoffrey Richard
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Léa Payen
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France; Université de Lyon 1, ISPB, Lyon, France; Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Mojgan Devouassoux-Shisheboran
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France; Université de Lyon 1, ISPB, Lyon, France; Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France; Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon, France
| | - Douglas B Spicer
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Main Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Julie Caramel
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France; Université de Lyon 1, ISPB, Lyon, France
| | - Guillaume Collin
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Alain Puisieux
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France; Université de Lyon 1, ISPB, Lyon, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Agnès Tissier
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Stéphane Ansieau
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, France; LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, France; Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France.
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25
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Chang CJ, Chen YL, Hsieh CH, Liu YJ, Yu SL, Chen JJW, Wang CC. HOXA5 and p53 cooperate to suppress lung cancer cell invasion and serve as good prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer. J Cancer 2017; 8:1071-1081. [PMID: 28529621 PMCID: PMC5436261 DOI: 10.7150/jca.17295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide and tumor metastasis is the major cause of cancer-related death. Our previous study suggested that Homeobox A5 (HOXA5) could inhibit lung cancer cell invasion via regulating cytoskeletal remodeling and involved in tumor metastasis. Recently, consensus HOX binding sites was found in the p53 gene promoter region. However, whether the HOXA5 could cooperate with p53 and contribute the inhibition of lung cancer cell invasion is still unclear. The aim of the current study is to elucidate the correlation of HOXA5 and p53 in tumor invasion and its prognostic influence in lung cancer patient specimens. Totally 71 cases of primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were collected. The median follow-up period is 6.8 years. Immunohistochemical stain for p53 and HOXA5 were performed. Kaplan-Meier plot was done for overall survival analysis. In addition, lung cancer cell lines transfected with wild-type or mutated p53 constructs were overexpressed with HOXA5 for invasion assay. In human specimens, HOXA5 expressed mainly in the cytoplasm (54.1%) rather than nuclei (14.6%) of the NSCLC tumor part. The HOXA5 expression is higher in adenocarcinoma than in squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.001). In addition, poor prognosis is seen in group with both non-immunoreactive for p53 and HOXA5. HOXA5 and p53 could cooperate to inhibit tumor cell invasion significantly partly by decreasing MMP2 activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Our studies provide new insights into how HOXA5 and p53 cooperate to contribute to the suppression of lung cancer cell invasion and play good prognostic roles in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Jen Chang
- School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Lin Chen
- School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Pathology, Cardinal Tien Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hung Hsieh
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Jung Liu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sung-Liang Yu
- Department of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,NTU Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jeremy J W Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chung Wang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan
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26
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Sakowicz-Burkiewicz M, Przybyla T, Wesserling M, Bielarczyk H, Maciejewska I, Pawelczyk T. Suppression of TWIST1 enhances the sensitivity of colon cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2016; 78:268-278. [PMID: 27458056 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2016.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The 5-fluorouracil (5FU)-based adjuvant chemotherapy improves the survival of patients with colorectal cancer, however the main obstacle affecting its effectiveness is a drug resistance. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of TWIST1 silencing on the sensitivity of cancer cells to 5FU. The suppression of TWIST1 expression in human colon cancer HT29 and HCT116 cell lines was achieved by transduction with lentiviral vector carrying the TWIST1 silencing sequence (pLL3.7-shTWIST1). The suppression of TWIST1 expression induced changes in the expression pattern of epithelial to mesenchymal transition markers, reduced the cells proliferation rate, increased their sensitivity to serum withdrawn, and increased the cytotoxic effect of 5FU. However, significantly higher 5FU cytotoxicity was observed in HT29 cell cultures. Cells with silenced TWIST1 displayed altered expression of enzymes metabolizing 5FU. The expression level of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, and thymidylate synthase decreased significantly in HT29 shTWIST1 cells, but not in HCT116 shTWIST1 cells. On the other hand, significant increases in the expression levels of thymidine phosphorylase, and uridine phosphorylase 1 were seen in both cell lines with suppressed expression of TWIST1. The changes in enzymes expression were mirrored by enzymatic activities. In conclusion, our observations point to TWIST1 as a target protein to enhance the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to 5FU.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tomasz Przybyla
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Martyna Wesserling
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Hanna Bielarczyk
- Departemnt of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Izabela Maciejewska
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Pawelczyk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland.
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27
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da Fonseca LM, da Silva VA, Freire-de-Lima L, Previato JO, Mendonça-Previato L, Capella MAM. Glycosylation in Cancer: Interplay between Multidrug Resistance and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition? Front Oncol 2016; 6:158. [PMID: 27446804 PMCID: PMC4916178 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2016.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of unusual glycan structures is a hallmark of cancer progression, and their functional roles in cancer biology have been extensively investigated in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) models. EMT is a physiological process involved in embryonic development and wound healing. It is characterized by loss of epithelial cell polarity and cell adhesion, permitting cell migration, and thus formation of new epithelia. However, this process is unwanted when occurring outside their physiological limit, resulting in fibrosis of organs and progression of cancer and metastasis. Several studies observed that EMT is related to the acquisition of multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype, a condition in which cancer cells acquire resistance to multiple different drugs, which has virtually nothing in common. However, although some studies suggested interplay between these two apparently distinct phenomena, almost nothing is known about this possible relationship. A common pathway to them is the need for glycosylation, a post-translational modification that can alter biological function. Thus, this review intends to compile the main facts obtained until now in these two areas, as an effort to unravel the relationship between EMT and MDR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Marques da Fonseca
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
| | - Vanessa Amil da Silva
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
| | - Leonardo Freire-de-Lima
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
| | - José Osvaldo Previato
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
| | - Lucia Mendonça-Previato
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
| | - Márcia Alves Marques Capella
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratório de P&D em Práticas Integrativas e Complementares, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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28
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Alaee M, Danesh G, Pasdar M. Plakoglobin Reduces the in vitro Growth, Migration and Invasion of Ovarian Cancer Cells Expressing N-Cadherin and Mutant p53. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154323. [PMID: 27144941 PMCID: PMC4856367 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant expression of cadherins and catenins plays pivotal roles in ovarian cancer development and progression. Plakoglobin (PG, γ-catenin) is a paralog of β-catenin with dual adhesive and signaling functions. While β-catenin has known oncogenic function, PG generally acts as a tumor/metastasis suppressor. We recently showed that PG interacted with p53 and that its growth/metastasis inhibitory function may be mediated by this interaction. Very little is known about the role of PG in ovarian cancer. Here, we investigated the in vitro tumor/metastasis suppressor effects of PG in ovarian cancer cell lines with mutant p53 expression and different cadherin profiles. We showed that the N-cadherin expressing and E-cadherin and PG deficient ES-2 cells were highly migratory and invasive, whereas OV-90 cells that express E-cadherin, PG and very little/no N-cadherin were not. Exogenous expression of PG or E-cadherin or N-cadherin knockdown in ES-2 cells (ES-2-E-cad, ES-2-PG and ES-2-shN-cad) significantly reduced their migration and invasion. Also, PG expression or N-cadherin knockdown significantly decreased ES-2 cells growth. Furthermore, PG interacted with both cadherins and with wild type and mutant p53 in normal ovarian and ES-2-PG cell lines, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Alaee
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G1Z2, Canada
| | - Ghazal Danesh
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G1Z2, Canada
| | - Manijeh Pasdar
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G1Z2, Canada
- * E-mail:
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29
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Jeannotte L, Gotti F, Landry-Truchon K. Hoxa5: A Key Player in Development and Disease. J Dev Biol 2016; 4:E13. [PMID: 29615582 PMCID: PMC5831783 DOI: 10.3390/jdb4020013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical position in the developmental hierarchy is occupied by the Hox genes, which encode transcription factors. Hox genes are crucial in specifying regional identity along the embryonic axes and in regulating morphogenesis. In mouse, targeted mutations of Hox genes cause skeletal transformations and organ defects that can impair viability. Here, we present the current knowledge about the Hoxa5 gene, a paradigm for the function and the regulation of Hox genes. The phenotypic survey of Hoxa5-/- mice has unveiled its critical role in the regional specification of the skeleton and in organogenesis. Most Hoxa5-/- mice die at birth from respiratory distress due to tracheal and lung dysmorphogenesis and impaired diaphragm innervation. The severity of the phenotype establishes that Hoxa5 plays a predominant role in lung organogenesis versus other Hox genes. Hoxa5 also governs digestive tract morphogenesis, thyroid and mammary glands development, and ovary homeostasis. Deregulated Hoxa5 expression is reported in cancers, indicating Hoxa5 involvement in tumor predisposition and progression. The dynamic Hoxa5 expression profile is under the transcriptional control of multiple cis-acting sequences and trans-acting regulators. It is also modulated by epigenetic mechanisms, implicating chromatin modifications and microRNAs. Finally, lncRNAs originating from alternative splicing and distal promoters encompass the Hoxa5 locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Jeannotte
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l'Université Laval; CRCHU de Québec, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, QC G1R 3S3, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Université Laval, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Florian Gotti
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l'Université Laval; CRCHU de Québec, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, QC G1R 3S3, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Université Laval, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Kim Landry-Truchon
- Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l'Université Laval; CRCHU de Québec, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, QC G1R 3S3, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Université Laval, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
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30
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Rezsohazy R, Saurin AJ, Maurel-Zaffran C, Graba Y. Cellular and molecular insights into Hox protein action. Development 2016; 142:1212-27. [PMID: 25804734 DOI: 10.1242/dev.109785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hox genes encode homeodomain transcription factors that control morphogenesis and have established functions in development and evolution. Hox proteins have remained enigmatic with regard to the molecular mechanisms that endow them with specific and diverse functions, and to the cellular functions that they control. Here, we review recent examples of Hox-controlled cellular functions that highlight their versatile and highly context-dependent activity. This provides the setting to discuss how Hox proteins control morphogenesis and organogenesis. We then summarise the molecular modalities underlying Hox protein function, in particular in light of current models of transcription factor function. Finally, we discuss how functional divergence between Hox proteins might be achieved to give rise to the many facets of their action.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Rezsohazy
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve B-1348, Belgium
| | - Andrew J Saurin
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM, UMR 7288, Marseille 13288, Cedex 09, France
| | | | - Yacine Graba
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IBDM, UMR 7288, Marseille 13288, Cedex 09, France
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31
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Srivastava J, Rho O, Youssef RM, DiGiovanni J. Twist1 regulates keratinocyte proliferation and skin tumor promotion. Mol Carcinog 2015; 55:941-52. [PMID: 26013710 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we evaluated the effect of deleting Twist1 on keratinocyte proliferation and on skin tumor development using the two-stage chemical carcinogenesis model. BK5.Cre × Twist1(flox/flox) mice, which have a keratinocyte-specific Twist1 knockout (Twist1 KO), developed significantly reduced numbers of papilloma (70% reduction) and squamous cell carcinoma (75% reduction) as well as delayed tumor latency compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Interestingly, knockdown of Twist1 in primary keratinocytes impeded cell cycle progression at the G1/S transition that coincided with reduced levels of the cell cycle proteins c-Myc, Cyclin E1, and E2F1 and increased levels of p53 and p21. Furthermore, ChIP analyses revealed that Twist1 bound to the promoter regions of Cyclin E1, E2F1, and c-Myc at the canonical E-box binding motif suggesting a direct transcriptional regulation. Further analyses of Twist1 KO mice revealed a significant reduction in the number of label-retaining cells as well as the number of α6-integrin(+) /CD34(+) cells in the hair follicles of untreated mice compared to WT mice. These mice also exhibited significantly reduced epidermal proliferation in response to TPA treatment that again correlated with reduced levels of cell cycle regulators and increased levels of p53 and p21. Finally, Twist1 deficiency in keratinocytes led to an upregulation of p53 via its stabilization and nuclear localization, which is responsible for the increased expression of p21 in these cells. Collectively, these findings indicate that Twist1 has a novel role in epithelial carcinogenesis by regulating proliferation of keratinocytes, including keratinocyte stem cells during tumor promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Srivastava
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Okkyung Rho
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Ronnie M Youssef
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - John DiGiovanni
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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32
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Wang CC, Su KY, Chen HY, Chang SY, Shen CF, Hsieh CH, Hong QS, Chiang CC, Chang GC, Yu SL, Chen JJW. HOXA5 inhibits metastasis via regulating cytoskeletal remodelling and associates with prolonged survival in non-small-cell lung carcinoma. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124191. [PMID: 25875824 PMCID: PMC4396855 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeobox genes comprise a family of regulatory genes that contain a common homeobox domain and act as transcription factors. Recent studies indicate that homeobox A5 (HOXA5) may serve as a tumour suppressor gene in breast cancers. However, the precise role and the underlying mechanism of HOXA5 in lung cancer remain unclear. Oligonucleotide microarrays and an invasion/metastasis lung adenocarcinoma cell line model were used to determine the correlation between HOXA5 expression and cancer cell invasion ability. We found that ectopic expression of HOXA5 in highly invasive cancer cells suppressed cell migration, invasion, and filopodia formation in vitro and inhibited metastatic potential in vivo. Knockdown of HOXA5 promoted the invasiveness of lung cancer cells. In addition, HOXA5 expression was associated with better clinical outcome in non-small cell lung cancer patients with wild-type EGFR. Furthermore, genome-wide transcriptomic and pathway analyses were performed to identify the potential molecular mechanisms. Our data showed that HOXA5 may bind to the promoters of the cytoskeleton-related genes and downregulate their mRNA and protein expression levels. Our studies provide new insights into how HOXA5 may contribute to the suppression of metastasis in lung cancer via cytoskeleton remodelling regulation. Therefore, targeted induction of HOXA5 may represent a promising approach for non-small-cell lung cancer therapy.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/mortality
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Movement
- Cell Proliferation
- Cytoskeleton/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Disease-Free Survival
- ErbB Receptors/metabolism
- Homeodomain Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Homeodomain Proteins/genetics
- Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism
- Humans
- Lung Neoplasms/metabolism
- Lung Neoplasms/mortality
- Lung Neoplasms/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, SCID
- Microscopy, Fluorescence
- Neoplasm Metastasis
- Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Protein Binding
- RNA Interference
- RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism
- Survival Rate
- Transplantation, Heterologous
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chung Wang
- Graduate Institute of Basic Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kang-Yi Su
- Department of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- NTU Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsuan-Yu Chen
- NTU Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - So-Yi Chang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Fan Shen
- Graduate Institute of Basic Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hung Hsieh
- Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Qi-Sheng Hong
- Department of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Cheng Chiang
- Department of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Gee-Chen Chang
- Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Sung-Liang Yu
- Department of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- NTU Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology and Graduate Institute of Pathology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Center for Optoelectronic Biomedicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jeremy J. W. Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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33
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Zhang ML, Nie FQ, Sun M, Xia R, Xie M, Lu KH, Li W. HOXA5 indicates poor prognosis and suppresses cell proliferation by regulating p21 expression in non small cell lung cancer. Tumour Biol 2014; 36:3521-31. [PMID: 25549794 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-014-2988-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeobox genes, a superfamily of evolutionarily conserved developmental genes, function as critical master regulatory factors in controlling body plan specification and cell fate determination. Recently, a substantial body of evidence indicates that the aberrant Homeobox (HOX) genes also play key roles in the development of cancers. Many reports have shown not only that HOX gene expression is upregulated or downregulated in many cancers but also that the expression of specific HOX genes tends to differ based on tissue type. Homeobox A5 (HOXA5) is a master regulator of the morphogenesis and cell differentiation, and its expression is also downregulated in many cancers mediated by DNA methylation. However, its biological role and clinical significance in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development and progression are not well documented. In this study, we found that expression levels of HOXA5 were significantly decreased in NSCLC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Its expression level was significantly correlated with tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis. Moreover, patients with lower levels of HOXA5 expression had a relatively poor prognosis. Furthermore, ectopic overexpression of HOXA5 could inhibit cell proliferation and invasion, while knockdown HOXA5 by siRNA promoted cell proliferation in NSCLC cells partly via regulating p21 expression. Our findings present that decreased HOXA5 could be identified as a poor prognostic biomarker in NSCLC and regulate cell proliferation and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-ling Zhang
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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34
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Kim K, Park EY, Yoon MS, Suh DS, Kim KH, Lee JH, Shin DH, Kim JY, Sol MY, Choi KU. The Role of TWIST in Ovarian Epithelial Cancers. KOREAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2014; 48:283-91. [PMID: 25214860 PMCID: PMC4160591 DOI: 10.4132/koreanjpathol.2014.48.4.283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Background Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with tumor hypoxia. EMT is regulated, in part, by the action of TWIST, which inhibits of E-cadherin expression and may interfere with the p53 tumor-suppressor pathway. Methods We examined the expression of TWIST, E-cadherin, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), and p53 by immunohistochemistry in 123 cases of ovarian epithelial cancers (OEC) to evaluate the role of TWIST in OEC. We assessed the association between protein expression and clinicopathologic parameters. Results The expression of TWIST, E-cadherin, HIF1α, and p53 proteins was found in 28.5%, 51.2%, 35.0%, and 29.3% of cases, respectively. TWIST expression was associated with higher histologic grade and unfavorable survival. TWIST expression was correlated with HIF1α expression and reduced E-cadherin expression. The altered HIF1α/TWIST/E-cadherin pathway was associated with lower overall survival (OS), while the co-expression of TWIST and p53 was correlated with lower progression-free survival. In the multivariate analyses, TWIST expression was an independent prognostic factor for OS. Conclusions Our data imply that TWIST expression could be a useful predictor of unfavorable prognosis for OEC. TWIST may affect the p53 tumor-suppressor pathway. Moreover, hypoxia-mediated EMT, which involves the HIF1α/TWIST/E-cadherin pathway may play an important role in the progression of OEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyungbin Kim
- Department of Pathology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Eun Young Park
- Department of Pathology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Man Soo Yoon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Dong Soo Suh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Ki Hyung Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Jeong Hee Lee
- Department of Pathology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Dong Hoon Shin
- Department of Pathology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea. ; Department of Pathology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Jee Yeon Kim
- Department of Pathology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea. ; Department of Pathology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Mee Young Sol
- Department of Pathology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea. ; Department of Pathology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Kyung Un Choi
- Department of Pathology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea. ; Department of Pathology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea
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Merindol N, Riquet A, Szablewski V, Eliaou JF, Puisieux A, Bonnefoy N. The emerging role of Twist proteins in hematopoietic cells and hematological malignancies. Blood Cancer J 2014; 4:e206. [PMID: 24769647 PMCID: PMC4003416 DOI: 10.1038/bcj.2014.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Twist1 and Twist2 (Twist1–2) are two transcription factors, members of the basic helix-loop-helix family, that have been well established as master transcriptional regulators of embryogenesis and developmental programs of mesenchymal cell lineages. Their role in oncogenesis in epithelium-derived cancer and in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition has also been thoroughly characterized. Recently, emerging evidence also suggests a key role for Twist1–2 in the function and development of hematopoietic cells, as well as in survival and development of numerous hematological malignancies. In this review, we summarize the latest data that depict the role of Twist1–2 in monocytes, T cells and B lymphocyte activation, and in associated hematological malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Merindol
- Université de Lyon and INSERM U1111, Lyon, France
| | - A Riquet
- Université de Lyon and INSERM U1111, Lyon, France
| | - V Szablewski
- 1] IRCM, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM U896, Université Montpellier 1, Montpellier, France [2] Département de Biopathologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Montpellier et Faculté de Médecine, Université Montpellier 1, Montpellier, France
| | - J-F Eliaou
- 1] IRCM, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM U896, Université Montpellier 1, Montpellier, France [2] Département d'Immunologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Montpellier et Faculté de Médecine, Université Montpellier 1, Montpellier, France
| | - A Puisieux
- Centre de Receherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, INSERM UMR-S1052, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - N Bonnefoy
- IRCM, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM U896, Université Montpellier 1, Montpellier, France
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Qian J, Luo Y, Gu X, Zhan W, Wang X. Twist1 promotes gastric cancer cell proliferation through up-regulation of FoxM1. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77625. [PMID: 24204899 PMCID: PMC3812021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Twist-related protein 1 (Twist1), also known as class A basic helix-loop-helix protein 38 (bHLHa38), has been implicated in cell lineage determination and differentiation. Previous studies demonstrate that Twist1 expression is up-regulated in gastric cancer with poor clinical outcomes. Besides, Twist1 is suggested to be involved in progression of human gastric cancer. However, its biological functions remain largely unexplored. In the present study, we show that Twist 1 overexpression leads to a significant up-regulation of FoxM1, which plays a key role in cell cycle progression in gastric cancer cells. In contrast, knockdown of Twist 1 reduces FoxM1 expression, suggesting that FoxM1 might be a direct transcriptional target of Twist 1. At the molecular level, we further reveal that Twist 1 could bind to the promoter region of FoxM1, and subsequently recruit p300 to induce FoxM1 mRNA transcription. Therefore, our results uncover a previous unknown Twist 1/FoxM1 regulatory pathway, which may help to understand the mechanisms of gastric cancer proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxin Qian
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Yizhou Luo
- Department of Oncology & Hematology, the 454th Hospital of PLA, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Gu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Wang Zhan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
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Khan MA, Chen HC, Zhang D, Fu J. Twist: a molecular target in cancer therapeutics. Tumour Biol 2013; 34:2497-506. [PMID: 23873099 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-013-1002-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Twist, the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, is involved in the process of epithelial to mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), which play an essential role in cancer metastasis. Overexpression of Twist or its promoter methylation is a common scenario in metastatic carcinomas. Twist is activated by a variety of signal transduction pathways, including Akt, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, mitogen-activated protein kinase, Ras, and Wnt signaling. Activated Twist upregulates N-cadherin and downregulates E-cadherin, which are the hallmarks of EMT. Moreover, Twist plays an important role in some physiological processes involved in metastasis, like angiogenesis, invadopodia, extravasation, and chromosomal instability. Twist also protects cancer cells from apoptotic cell death. In addition, Twist is responsible for the stemness of cancer cells and the generation of drug resistance. Recently, targeting Twist has gained significant interests in cancer therapeutics. The inactivation of Twist by small RNA technology or chemotherapeutic approach has been proved successful. Moreover, several inhibitors which are antagonistic to the upstream or downstream molecules of Twist signaling pathways have also been identified. Development of potential treatment strategies by targeting Twist has a great promise in cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Asaduzzaman Khan
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Luzhou Medical College, 3-319 Zhongshan Road, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
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Zhao M, Hu HG, Huang J, Zou Q, Wang J, Liu MQ, Zhao Y, Li GZ, Xue S, Wu ZS. Expression and correlation of Twist and gelatinases in breast cancer. Exp Ther Med 2013; 6:97-100. [PMID: 23935727 PMCID: PMC3735531 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2013.1099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered expression of Twist, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 proteins has been identified in various types of human cancers. However, the correlation between Twist and these gelatinases in breast cancer remains unclear. In this study, immunohistochemical analysis of Twist, MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression was performed on tissue microarrays from 200 breast cancer cases. The association of Twist and gelatinase expression with clinicopathological factors and patient survival was analyzed. Altered expression of Twist, MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins was observed in breast cancer tissue. The positive rates of Twist, MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression were 75.5, 97.0 and 96.0%, respectively. Increased expression of Twist was positively correlated with the status of axillary lymph node metastasis and higher tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P<0.01). Moreover, increased expression of Twist was correlated with poor overall survival (OS) and post-operative relapse-free survival (RFS), compared with those for the patients with reduced expression levels of Twist (P<0.05, P<0.01). The expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was positively correlated with Twist expression (P<0.001). Our results indicate that Twist may play an important role in the invasion, metastasis and prognosis of breast cancer. Additionally, our results suggest that Twist may be a regulator of gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9).
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhao
- Department of Pathology, The Second People's Hospital of Hefei, Hefei, Anhui 230011
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Otto B, Streichert T, Wegwitz F, Gevensleben H, Klätschke K, Wagener C, Deppert W, Tolstonog GV. Transcription factors link mouse WAP-T mammary tumors with human breast cancer. Int J Cancer 2012; 132:1311-22. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.27941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Chen L, Tweddle DA. p53, SKP2, and DKK3 as MYCN Target Genes and Their Potential Therapeutic Significance. Front Oncol 2012; 2:173. [PMID: 23226679 PMCID: PMC3508619 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2012.00173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2012] [Accepted: 11/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial solid tumor of childhood. Despite significant advances, it currently still remains one of the most difficult childhood cancers to cure, with less than 40% of patients with high-risk disease being long-term survivors. MYCN is a proto-oncogene implicated to be directly involved in neuroblastoma development. Amplification of MYCN is associated with rapid tumor progression and poor prognosis. Novel therapeutic strategies which can improve the survival rates whilst reducing the toxicity in these patients are therefore required. Here we discuss genes regulated by MYCN in neuroblastoma, with particular reference to p53, SKP2, and DKK3 and strategies that may be employed to target them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindi Chen
- Newcastle Cancer Centre, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University Newcastle, UK
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Piccinin S, Tonin E, Sessa S, Demontis S, Rossi S, Pecciarini L, Zanatta L, Pivetta F, Grizzo A, Sonego M, Rosano C, Dei Tos AP, Doglioni C, Maestro R. A "twist box" code of p53 inactivation: twist box: p53 interaction promotes p53 degradation. Cancer Cell 2012; 22:404-15. [PMID: 22975381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2012.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2011] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 08/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Twist proteins have been shown to contribute to cancer development and progression by impinging on different regulatory pathways, but their mechanism of action is poorly defined. By investigating the role of Twist in sarcomas, we found that Twist1 acts as a mechanism alternative to TP53 mutation and MDM2 overexpression to inactivate p53 in mesenchymal tumors. We provide evidence that Twist1 binds p53 C terminus through the Twist box. This interaction hinders key posttranslational modifications of p53 and facilitates its MDM2-mediated degradation. Our study suggests the existence of a Twist box code of p53 inactivation and provides the proof of principle that targeting the Twist box:p53 interaction might offer additional avenues for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Piccinin
- Experimental Oncology 1, CRO National Cancer Institute, Aviano 33081, Italy.
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Vesuna F, Lisok A, Kimble B, Domek J, Kato Y, van der Groep P, Artemov D, Kowalski J, Carraway H, van Diest P, Raman V. Twist contributes to hormone resistance in breast cancer by downregulating estrogen receptor-α. Oncogene 2012; 31:3223-34. [PMID: 22056872 PMCID: PMC3276743 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2011.483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2011] [Revised: 09/14/2011] [Accepted: 09/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The role of estrogen receptor-α (ER) in breast cancer development, and as a primary clinical marker for breast cancer prognosis, has been well documented. In this study, we identified the oncogenic protein, TWIST1 (Twist), which is overexpressed in high-grade breast cancers, as a potential negative regulator of ER expression. Functional characterization of ER regulation by Twist was performed using Twist low (MCF-7, T-47D) and Twist high (Hs 578T, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7/Twist) expressing cell lines. All Twist high expressing cell lines exhibited low ER transcript and protein levels. By chromatin immunoprecipitation and promoter assays, we demonstrated that Twist could directly bind to E-boxes in the ER promoter and significantly downregulate ER promoter activity in vitro. Functionally, Twist overexpression caused estrogen-independent proliferation of breast cells, and promoted hormone resistance to the selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen and selective estrogen receptor down-regulator fulvestrant. Importantly, this effect was reversible on downregulating Twist. In addition, orthotopic tumors generated in mice using MCF-7/Twist cells were resistant to tamoxifen. These tumors had high vascular volume and permeability surface area, as determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Mechanistically, Twist recruited DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) to the ER promoter, leading to a significantly higher degree of ER promoter methylation compared with parental cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation that Twist interacted with histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) at the ER promoter, causing histone deacetylation and chromatin condensation, further reducing ER transcript levels. Functional re-expression of ER was achieved using the demethylating agent, 5-azacytidine, and the HDAC inhibitor, valproic acid. Finally, an inverse relationship was observed between Twist and ER expression in human breast tumors. In summary, the regulation of ER by Twist could be an underlying mechanism for the loss of ER activity observed in breast tumors, and may contribute to the generation of hormone-resistant, ER-negative breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Vesuna
- Russell H Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA.
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Mixed lineage leukaemia-4 regulates cell-cycle progression and cell viability and its depletion suppresses growth of xenografted tumour in vivo. Br J Cancer 2012; 107:315-24. [PMID: 22713656 PMCID: PMC3394987 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2012.263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mixed lineage leukaemia-4 (MLL4) is one of the MLL family of histone H3 lysine-4 (H3K4)-specific methyl transferases that have critical roles in gene expression and epigenetics in human. Though MLLs are well recognised as crucial players in histone methylation and gene regulation; little is known about the biochemical functions of MLL4 and its roles in cancer. METHODS Herein, we have investigated the roles of MLL4 in cell viability, cell-cycle progression and explored its potential roles in tumour growth using antisense-mediated knockdown experiments, flow-cytometry analysis, chromatin immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence staining and animal models. RESULTS Our studies demonstrated that knockdown of MLL4 severely affects cell-cycle progression and induces apoptotic cell death in cultured tumour cells. Knockdown of MLL4 induced nuclear condensation, fragmentation, cytochrome-c release from mitochondria to cytosol and activated caspase-3/7 indicating apoptotic cell death. The MLL4 regulates expression of various critical cell-cycle regulatory genes such as cyclin D, cyclin E, p27, HOXA5 and HOXB7 via histone H3K4 trimethylation and recruitment of RNA polymerase II. Interestingly, application of MLL4 antisense suppressed tumour growth in vivo in colon cancer xenograft implanted in nude mouse. The MLL4 antisense specifically knocked down MLL4 in tumour tissue and also downregulated the expression of various growth and angiogenic factors resulting in tumour suppression. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrated that MLL4 is a crucial player in cell viability, cell-cycle progression and is critical for tumour growth in vivo.
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Tran PT, Shroff EH, Burns TF, Thiyagarajan S, Das ST, Zabuawala T, Chen J, Cho YJ, Luong R, Tamayo P, Salih T, Aziz K, Adam SJ, Vicent S, Nielsen CH, Withofs N, Sweet-Cordero A, Gambhir SS, Rudin CM, Felsher DW. Twist1 suppresses senescence programs and thereby accelerates and maintains mutant Kras-induced lung tumorigenesis. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002650. [PMID: 22654667 PMCID: PMC3360067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Accepted: 02/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
KRAS mutant lung cancers are generally refractory to chemotherapy as well targeted agents. To date, the identification of drugs to therapeutically inhibit K-RAS have been unsuccessful, suggesting that other approaches are required. We demonstrate in both a novel transgenic mutant Kras lung cancer mouse model and in human lung tumors that the inhibition of Twist1 restores a senescence program inducing the loss of a neoplastic phenotype. The Twist1 gene encodes for a transcription factor that is essential during embryogenesis. Twist1 has been suggested to play an important role during tumor progression. However, there is no in vivo evidence that Twist1 plays a role in autochthonous tumorigenesis. Through two novel transgenic mouse models, we show that Twist1 cooperates with KrasG12D to markedly accelerate lung tumorigenesis by abrogating cellular senescence programs and promoting the progression from benign adenomas to adenocarcinomas. Moreover, the suppression of Twist1 to physiological levels is sufficient to cause Kras mutant lung tumors to undergo senescence and lose their neoplastic features. Finally, we analyzed more than 500 human tumors to demonstrate that TWIST1 is frequently overexpressed in primary human lung tumors. The suppression of TWIST1 in human lung cancer cells also induced cellular senescence. Hence, TWIST1 is a critical regulator of cellular senescence programs, and the suppression of TWIST1 in human tumors may be an effective example of pro-senescence therapy. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide. The Twist1 gene encodes for an essential transcription factor required for embryogenesis and overexpressed in many cancer types. It has yet to be shown in vivo whether Twist1 plays a role in the initiation or maintenance of cancer. Here we demonstrate using novel transgenic mouse models that Twist1 cooperates to induce lung tumorigenesis by suppressing cellular senescence programs. Moreover, the suppression of Twist1 in murine tumors elicited cellular senescence and the loss of a neoplastic phenotype. We found that TWIST1 is commonly overexpressed in human lung cancers. Finally, the inhibition of TWIST1 levels in human lung cancer cells was associated with loss of proliferation, induction of cellular senescence, and the inability to form tumors in mice. Hence, we conclude that TWIST1 is a key regulator of cellular senescence programs during tumorigenesis. The targeted inactivation of TWIST1 may be an effective pro-senescence therapy for human lung adenocarcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuoc T. Tran
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PTT); (DWF)
| | - Emelyn H. Shroff
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Timothy F. Burns
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Saravanan Thiyagarajan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sandhya T. Das
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tahera Zabuawala
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Joy Chen
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Yoon-Jae Cho
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Richard Luong
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Pablo Tamayo
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tarek Salih
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Khaled Aziz
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stacey J. Adam
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Silvestre Vicent
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Carsten H. Nielsen
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Nadia Withofs
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Alejandro Sweet-Cordero
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Sanjiv S. Gambhir
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Charles M. Rudin
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dean W. Felsher
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PTT); (DWF)
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Park S, Kim D, Dan HC, Chen H, Testa JR, Cheng JQ. Identification of Akt interaction protein PHF20/TZP that transcriptionally regulates p53. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:11151-63. [PMID: 22334668 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.333922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Akt regulates a diverse array of cellular functions, including cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and metabolism. Although a number of molecules have been identified as upstream regulators and downstream targets of Akt, the mechanisms by which Akt regulates these cellular processes remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a novel transcription factor, PHF20/TZP (referring to Tudor and zinc finger domain containing protein), binds to Akt and induces p53 expression at the transcription level. Knockdown of PHF20 significantly reduces p53. PHF20 inhibits cell growth, DNA synthesis, and cell survival. Akt phosphorylates PHF20 at Ser(291) in vitro and in vivo, which results in its translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and attenuation of PHF20 function. These data indicate that PHF20 is a substrate of Akt and plays a role in Akt cell survival/growth signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungman Park
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
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Ansieau S, Hinkal G, Morel AP, Puisieux A. Revisiting the canonical tumour progression model. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 59:294-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.patbio.2009.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2009] [Accepted: 11/23/2009] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Schroeder JK, Kessler CA, Handwerger S. Critical role for TWIST1 in the induction of human uterine decidualization. Endocrinology 2011; 152:4368-76. [PMID: 21914771 PMCID: PMC3199000 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-1140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The importance of the transcription factor TWIST1 for uterine decidualization was examined in human uterine fibroblast (HUF) cells decidualized in vitro with medroxyprogesterone, estradiol (E2), and prostaglandin E2. TWIST1 mRNA levels increased by 6.0- to 6.8-fold during the first 1-2 d of decidualization and remained above predecidualization levels for up to 15 d. Pretreatment of HUF cells with a TWIST1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) for 3 d before the induction of decidualization resulted in less morphologic differentiation than HUF cells pretreated with a nonsilencing control RNA. In addition, the cells pretreated with TWIST1 siRNA expressed 75-95% less IGF binding protein 1, LEFTY2, fibromodulin, laminin, and several other mRNA during decidualization, including the mRNA for the transcription factors forkhead box protein O1 and v-ets-erythroblastosis virus E26, both of which were previously shown to be critical for the induction of decidualization. The HUF cells pretreated with the TWIST1 siRNA also underwent less apoptosis during decidualization than the control cells, as evidenced by a 20% decrease in DNA fragmentation (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase 2'-deoxyuridine, 5'-triphosphate nick end labeling assay) and a 43-48% decrease in caspase 3, BCL2-associated X protein, and TNF receptor superfamily member 6 mRNA levels. Although the knockdown of TWIST1 expression markedly attenuated the induction of decidualization, overexpression of TWIST1 alone was insufficient to induce the decidualization of HUF cells. Taken together, these findings strongly implicate an essential role for TWIST1 in the initiation of human decidualization and uterine stromal cell apoptosis that occurs upstream of the induction of forkhead box protein O1 and v-ets-erythroblastosis virus E26 mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Schroeder
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati and Division of Endocrinology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039, USA
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Protein networks as logic functions in development and cancer. PLoS Comput Biol 2011; 7:e1002180. [PMID: 21980275 PMCID: PMC3182870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2011] [Accepted: 07/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many biological and clinical outcomes are based not on single proteins, but on modules of proteins embedded in protein networks. A fundamental question is how the proteins within each module contribute to the overall module activity. Here, we study the modules underlying three representative biological programs related to tissue development, breast cancer metastasis, or progression of brain cancer, respectively. For each case we apply a new method, called Network-Guided Forests, to identify predictive modules together with logic functions which tie the activity of each module to the activity of its component genes. The resulting modules implement a diverse repertoire of decision logic which cannot be captured using the simple approximations suggested in previous work such as gene summation or subtraction. We show that in cancer, certain combinations of oncogenes and tumor suppressors exert competing forces on the system, suggesting that medical genetics should move beyond cataloguing individual cancer genes to cataloguing their combinatorial logic. Biological outcomes are often determined by modules of proteins working in combination. In classic biological studies, these modules have been shown to encode a diverse repertoire of logic functions which provide the means to express complex regulatory programs using a limited number of proteins. Here, we integrate gene expression profiles and physical protein interaction maps to provide a systematic and global view of combinatorial network modules underlying representative developmental and cancer programs. We develop a new method that associates decision trees with concise network regions to identify network decision modules predictive of biological or clinical outcome. The resulting network signatures prove robust across different sample cohorts and capture causal mechanisms of development or disease. Furthermore, we find that the most predictive network decision functions rely on both coherent and opposing gene activities. Notably, in cancer progression the predictive gene associations often map to physical interactions between known oncogenes and tumor suppressors, where the combined activity of these genes determines disease outcome.
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A preliminary study of differentially expressed genes in expanded skin and normal skin: implications for adult skin regeneration. Arch Dermatol Res 2011; 303:125-33. [PMID: 21286735 DOI: 10.1007/s00403-011-1123-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2010] [Revised: 01/09/2011] [Accepted: 01/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
In adults, severely damaged skin heals by scar formation and cannot regenerate to the original skin structure. However, tissue expansion is an exception, as normal skin regenerates under the mechanical stretch resulting from tissue expansion. This technique has been used clinically for defect repair and organ reconstruction for decades. However, the phenomenon of adult skin regeneration during tissue expansion has caused little attention, and the mechanism of skin regeneration during tissue expansion has not been fully understood. In this study, microarray analysis was performed on expanded human skin and normal human skin. Significant difference was observed in 77 genes, which suggest a network of several integrated cascades, including cytokines, extracellular, cytoskeletal, transmembrane molecular systems, ion or ion channels, protein kinases and transcriptional systems, is involved in the skin regeneration during expansion. Among these, the significant expression of some regeneration related genes, such as HOXA5, HOXB2 and AP1, was the first report in tissue expansion. Data in this study suggest a list of candidate genes, which may help to elucidate the fundamental mechanism of skin regeneration during tissue expansion and which may have implications for postnatal skin regeneration and therapeutic interventions in wound healing.
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