201
|
Jiang YY, Jiang Y, Li CQ, Zhang Y, Dakle P, Kaur H, Deng JW, Lin RYT, Han L, Xie JJ, Yan Y, Doan N, Zheng Y, Mayakonda A, Hazawa M, Xu L, Li Y, Aswad L, Jeitany M, Kanojia D, Guan XY, Said JW, Yang W, Fullwood MJ, Lin DC, Koeffler HP. TP63, SOX2, and KLF5 Establish a Core Regulatory Circuitry That Controls Epigenetic and Transcription Patterns in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines. Gastroenterology 2020; 159:1311-1327.e19. [PMID: 32619460 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.06.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS We investigated the transcriptome of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells, activity of gene regulatory (enhancer and promoter regions), and the effects of blocking epigenetic regulatory proteins. METHODS We performed chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing with antibodies against H3K4me1, H3K4me3, and H3K27ac and an assay for transposase-accessible chromatin to map the enhancer regions and accessible chromatin in 8 ESCC cell lines. We used the CRC_Mapper algorithm to identify core regulatory circuitry transcription factors in ESCC cell lines, and determined genome occupancy profiles for 3 of these factors. In ESCC cell lines, expression of transcription factors was knocked down with small hairpin RNAs, promoter and enhancer regions were disrupted by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, or bromodomains and extraterminal (BET) family proteins and histone deacetylases (HDACs) were inhibited with ARV-771 and romidepsin, respectively. ESCC cell lines were then analyzed by whole-transcriptome sequencing, immunoprecipitation, immunoblots, immunohistochemistry, and viability assays. Interactions between distal enhancers and promoters were identified and verified with circular chromosome conformation capture sequencing. NOD-SCID mice were given injections of modified ESCC cells, some mice where given injections of HDAC or BET inhibitors, and growth of xenograft tumors was measured. RESULTS We identified super-enhancer-regulated circuits and transcription factors TP63, SOX2, and KLF5 as core regulatory factors in ESCC cells. Super-enhancer regulation of ALDH3A1 mediated by core regulatory factors was required for ESCC viability. We observed direct interactions between the promoter region of TP63 and functional enhancers, mediated by the core regulatory circuitry transcription factors. Deletion of enhancer regions from ESCC cells decreased expression of the core regulatory circuitry transcription factors and reduced cell viability; these same results were observed with knockdown of each core regulatory circuitry transcription factor. Incubation of ESCC cells with BET and HDAC disrupted the core regulatory circuitry program and the epigenetic modifications observed in these cells; mice given injections of HDAC or BET inhibitors developed smaller xenograft tumors from the ESCC cell lines. Xenograft tumors grew more slowly in mice given the combination of ARV-771 and romidepsin than mice given either agent alone. CONCLUSIONS In epigenetic and transcriptional analyses of ESCC cell lines, we found the transcription factors TP63, SOX2, and KLF5 to be part of a core regulatory network that determines chromatin accessibility, epigenetic modifications, and gene expression patterns in these cells. A combination of epigenetic inhibitors slowed growth of xenograft tumors derived from ESCC cells in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Yi Jiang
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yuan Jiang
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Chun-Quan Li
- School of Medical Informatics, Daqing Campus, Harbin Medical University, Daqing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pushkar Dakle
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Harvinder Kaur
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jian-Wen Deng
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ruby Yu-Tong Lin
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lin Han
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jian-Jun Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Yiwu Yan
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ngan Doan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Yueyuan Zheng
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Anand Mayakonda
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Masaharu Hazawa
- Cell-Bionomics Research Unit, Innovative Integrated Bio-Research Core, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Liang Xu
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - YanYu Li
- School of Medical Informatics, Daqing Campus, Harbin Medical University, Daqing, China
| | - Luay Aswad
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Maya Jeitany
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Deepika Kanojia
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xin-Yuan Guan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jonathan W Said
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Wei Yang
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Departments of Surgery and Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, California
| | - Melissa J Fullwood
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
| | - De-Chen Lin
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
| | - H Phillip Koeffler
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
202
|
Wang Q, Peng L, Chen Y, Liao L, Chen J, Li M, Li Y, Qian F, Zhang Y, Wang F, Li C, Lin D, Xu L, Li E. Characterization of super-enhancer-associated functional lncRNAs acting as ceRNAs in ESCC. Mol Oncol 2020; 14:2203-2230. [PMID: 32460441 PMCID: PMC7463357 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have important regulatory roles in cancer biology. Although some lncRNAs have well-characterized functions, the vast majority of this class of molecules remains functionally uncharacterized. To systematically pinpoint functional lncRNAs, a computational approach was proposed for identification of lncRNA-mediated competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) through combining global and local regulatory direction consistency of expression. Using esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as model, we further identified many known and novel functional lncRNAs acting as ceRNAs (ce-lncRNAs). We found that most of them significantly regulated the expression of cancer-related hallmark genes. These ce-lncRNAs were significantly regulated by enhancers, especially super-enhancers (SEs). Landscape analyses for lncRNAs further identified SE-associated functional ce-lncRNAs in ESCC, such as HOTAIR, XIST, SNHG5, and LINC00094. THZ1, a specific CDK7 inhibitor, can result in global transcriptional downregulation of SE-associated ce-lncRNAs. We further demonstrate that a SE-associated ce-lncRNA, LINC00094 can be activated by transcription factors TCF3 and KLF5 through binding to SE regions and promoted ESCC cancer cell growth. THZ1 downregulated expression of LINC00094 through inhibiting TCF3 and KLF5. Our data demonstrated the important roles of SE-associated ce-lncRNAs in ESCC oncogenesis and might serve as targets for ESCC diagnosis and therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiu‐Yu Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan AreaShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
- School of Medical InformaticsHarbin Medical UniversityDaqingChina
| | - Liu Peng
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan AreaShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Yang Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan AreaShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
- Institute of Oncologic PathologyMedical College of Shantou UniversityShantouChina
| | - Lian‐Di Liao
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan AreaShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
- Institute of Oncologic PathologyMedical College of Shantou UniversityShantouChina
| | - Jia‐Xin Chen
- School of Medical InformaticsHarbin Medical UniversityDaqingChina
| | - Meng Li
- School of Medical InformaticsHarbin Medical UniversityDaqingChina
| | - Yan‐Yu Li
- School of Medical InformaticsHarbin Medical UniversityDaqingChina
| | - Feng‐Cui Qian
- School of Medical InformaticsHarbin Medical UniversityDaqingChina
| | - Yue‐Xin Zhang
- School of Medical InformaticsHarbin Medical UniversityDaqingChina
| | - Fan Wang
- School of Medical InformaticsHarbin Medical UniversityDaqingChina
| | - Chun‐Quan Li
- School of Medical InformaticsHarbin Medical UniversityDaqingChina
| | - De‐Chen Lin
- Department of MedicineCedars‐Sinai Medical CenterLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Li‐Yan Xu
- Institute of Oncologic PathologyMedical College of Shantou UniversityShantouChina
| | - En‐Min Li
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan AreaShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| |
Collapse
|
203
|
Moreno L, Barone G, DuBois SG, Molenaar J, Fischer M, Schulte J, Eggert A, Schleiermacher G, Speleman F, Chesler L, Geoerger B, Hogarty MD, Irwin MS, Bird N, Blanchard GB, Buckland S, Caron H, Davis S, De Wilde B, Deubzer HE, Dolman E, Eilers M, George RE, George S, Jaroslav Š, Maris JM, Marshall L, Merchant M, Mortimer P, Owens C, Philpott A, Poon E, Shay JW, Tonelli R, Valteau-Couanet D, Vassal G, Park JR, Pearson ADJ. Accelerating drug development for neuroblastoma: Summary of the Second Neuroblastoma Drug Development Strategy forum from Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer and International Society of Paediatric Oncology Europe Neuroblastoma. Eur J Cancer 2020; 136:52-68. [PMID: 32653773 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Only one class of targeted agents (anti-GD2 antibodies) has been incorporated into front-line therapy for neuroblastoma since the 1980s. The Neuroblastoma New Drug Development Strategy (NDDS) initiative commenced in 2012 to accelerate the development of new drugs for neuroblastoma. Advances have occurred, with eight of nine high-priority targets being evaluated in paediatric trials including anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitors being investigated in front-line, but significant challenges remain. This article reports the conclusions of the second NDDS forum, which expanded across the Atlantic to further develop the initiative. Pre-clinical and clinical data for 40 genetic targets and mechanisms of action were prioritised and drugs were identified for early-phase trials. Strategies to develop drugs targeting TERT, telomere maintenance, ATRX, alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), BRIP1 and RRM2 as well as direct targeting of MYCN are high priority and should be championed for drug discovery. Promising pre-clinical data suggest that targeting of ALT by ATM or PARP inhibition may be potential strategies. Drugs targeting CDK2/9, CDK7, ATR and telomere maintenance should enter paediatric clinical development rapidly. Optimising the response to anti-GD2 by combinations with chemotherapy, targeted agents and other immunological targets are crucial. Delivering this strategy in the face of small patient cohorts, genomically defined subpopulations and a large number of permutations of combination trials, demands even greater international collaboration. In conclusion, the NDDS provides an internationally agreed, biologically driven selection of prioritised genetic targets and drugs. Improvements in the strategy for conducting trials in neuroblastoma will accelerate bringing these new drugs more rapidly to front-line therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Moreno
- Paediatric Haematology & Oncology Division, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Giuseppe Barone
- Department of Paediatric Oncology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Steven G DuBois
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jan Molenaar
- Princess Máxima Centre for Paediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthias Fischer
- Experimental Pediatric Oncology, University Children's Hospital, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Johannes Schulte
- Department of Pediatric Oncology & Hematology, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angelika Eggert
- Department of Pediatric Oncology & Hematology, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK Berlin), Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Gudrun Schleiermacher
- SIREDO, Department of Paediatric, Adolescents and Young Adults Oncology and INSERM U830, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Frank Speleman
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent (CMGG), Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Belgium
| | - Louis Chesler
- Paediatric Drug Development, Children & Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK; Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Birgit Geoerger
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, University Paris-Saclay & Inserm U1015, Villejuif, France
| | - Michael D Hogarty
- Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Meredith S Irwin
- Department of Paediatrics, Medical Biophysics and Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, The Hospital for Sick Kids, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nick Bird
- Solving Kids' Cancer, UK and National Cancer Research Institute Children's Cancer & Leukaemia Clinical Studies Group, UK
| | - Guy B Blanchard
- Neuroblastoma UK & Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Bram De Wilde
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent (CMGG), Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Belgium
| | - Hedwig E Deubzer
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Emmy Dolman
- Department of Translational Research, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Eilers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Rani E George
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sally George
- Paediatric Drug Development, Children & Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK; Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Štěrba Jaroslav
- Pediatric Oncology Department, University Hospital Brno, School of Medicine Masaryk University Brno, Regional Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, ICRC Brno, St Anna University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic
| | - John M Maris
- Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lynley Marshall
- Paediatric Drug Development, Children & Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK; Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Melinda Merchant
- Astrazeneca, Early Clinical Projects, Oncology Translation Medicines Unit, Innovative Medicines Unit, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Mortimer
- Astrazeneca, Early Clinical Projects, Oncology Translation Medicines Unit, Innovative Medicines Unit, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cormac Owens
- Department of Paediatric Haemaology/Oncology, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Evon Poon
- Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Jerry W Shay
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Roberto Tonelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Dominique Valteau-Couanet
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, University Paris-Saclay & Inserm U1015, Villejuif, France
| | - Gilles Vassal
- Department of Clinical Research, Gustave Roussy, Paris-Sud University, Paris, France
| | - Julie R Park
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine and Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Seattle Children's Hospital, USA
| | - Andrew D J Pearson
- Paediatric Drug Development, Children & Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK; Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| |
Collapse
|
204
|
Calvani M, Subbiani A, Bruno G, Favre C. Beta-Blockers and Berberine: A Possible Dual Approach to Contrast Neuroblastoma Growth and Progression. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2020; 2020:7534693. [PMID: 32855766 PMCID: PMC7443044 DOI: 10.1155/2020/7534693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The use of nutraceuticals during cancer treatment is a long-lasting debate. Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline quaternary alkaloid extracted from a variety of medicinal plants. BBR has been shown to have therapeutic effects in different pathologies, particularly in cancer, where it affects pathways involved in tumor progression. In neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial childhood solid tumor, BBR, reduces tumor growth by regulating both stemness and differentiation features and by inducing apoptosis. At the same time, the inhibition of β-adrenergic signaling leads to a reduction in growth and increase of differentiation of neuroblastoma. In this review, we summarize the possible beneficial effects of BBR in counteracting tumor growth and progression in various types of cancer and, in particular, in neuroblastoma. However, BBR administration, besides its numerous beneficial effects, presents a few side effects due to inhibition of MAO A enzyme in neuroblastoma cells. Therefore, herein, we proposed a novel therapeutic strategy to overcome side effects of BBR administration consisting of concomitant administration of BBR together with β-blockers in neuroblastoma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maura Calvani
- Department of Paediatric Haematology-Oncology, A. Meyer University Children's Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Angela Subbiani
- Department of Paediatric Haematology-Oncology, A. Meyer University Children's Hospital, Florence, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Gennaro Bruno
- Department of Paediatric Haematology-Oncology, A. Meyer University Children's Hospital, Florence, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Claudio Favre
- Department of Paediatric Haematology-Oncology, A. Meyer University Children's Hospital, Florence, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
205
|
Lynch CJ, Bernad R, Calvo I, Serrano M. Manipulating the Mediator complex to induce naïve pluripotency. Exp Cell Res 2020; 395:112215. [PMID: 32771524 PMCID: PMC7584500 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Human naïve pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) represent an optimal homogenous starting point for molecular interventions and differentiation strategies. This is in contrast to the standard primed PSCs which fluctuate in identity and are transcriptionally heterogeneous. However, despite many efforts, the maintenance and expansion of human naïve PSCs remains a challenge. Here, we discuss our recent strategy for the stabilization of human PSC in the naïve state based on the use of a single chemical inhibitor of the related kinases CDK8 and CDK19. These kinases phosphorylate and negatively regulate the multiprotein Mediator complex, which is critical for enhancer-driven recruitment of RNA Pol II. The net effect of CDK8/19 inhibition is a global stimulation of enhancers, which in turn reinforces transcriptional programs including those related to cellular identity. In the case of pluripotent cells, the presence of CDK8/19i efficiently stabilizes the naïve state. Importantly, in contrast to previous chemical methods to induced the naïve state based on the inhibition of the FGF-MEK-ERK pathway, CDK8/19i-naïve human PSCs are chromosomally stable and retain developmental potential after long-term expansion. We suggest this could be related to the fact that CDK8/19 inhibition does not induce DNA demethylation. These principles may apply to other fate decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cian J Lynch
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Raquel Bernad
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Calvo
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Serrano
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, 08010, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
206
|
Epigenetic Targeting of Mcl-1 Is Synthetically Lethal with Bcl-xL/Bcl-2 Inhibition in Model Systems of Glioblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082137. [PMID: 32752193 PMCID: PMC7464325 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptotic resistance remains a hallmark of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary brain tumor in adults, and a better understanding of this process may result in more efficient treatments. By utilizing chromatin immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing (CHIP-seq), we discovered that GBMs harbor a super enhancer around the Mcl-1 locus, a gene that has been known to confer cell death resistance in GBM. We utilized THZ1, a known super-enhancer blocker, and BH3-mimetics, including ABT263, WEHI-539, and ABT199. Combined treatment with BH3-mimetics and THZ1 led to synergistic growth reduction in GBM models. Reduction in cellular viability was accompanied by significant cell death induction with features of apoptosis, including disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential followed by activation of caspases. Mechanistically, THZ1 elicited a profound disruption of the Mcl-1 enhancer region, leading to a sustained suppression of Mcl-1 transcript and protein levels, respectively. Mechanism experiments suggest involvement of Mcl-1 in the cell death elicited by the combination treatment. Finally, the combination treatment of ABT263 and THZ1 resulted in enhanced growth reduction of tumors without induction of detectable toxicity in two patient-derived xenograft models of GBM in vivo. Taken together, these findings suggest that combined epigenetic targeting of Mcl-1 along with Bcl-2/Bcl-xL is potentially therapeutically feasible.
Collapse
|
207
|
Qu J, Ouyang Z, Wu W, Li G, Wang J, Lu Q, Li Z. Functions and Clinical Significance of Super-Enhancers in Bone-Related Diseases. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:534. [PMID: 32714929 PMCID: PMC7344144 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) are a large cluster of cis-regulatory DNA elements that contain many binding motifs, which master transcription factors and cofactors bind to with high density. SEs usually regulate the expression of genes that can control the cell identity and fate, and SEs can be used to explain the patterns of the expression of cell-specific genes. Hence, it shows great potential for application in the treatment of diseases like cancer. At present, the clinical treatments for osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and other bone-related diseases remain challenging. The poor prognosis and difficult treatment of these diseases imposes heavy economic burden on patients and society. In recent years, research on SEs with respect to bone-related diseases has attracted increasing attention. In this paper, we first review the identification and functional mechanisms of SEs. Then, we integrate the findings of the emerging studies on SEs in bone-related diseases. Finally, we summarize recent strategies for targeting SEs for the treatment of bone-related diseases. This review aims to provide comprehensive insights into the roles of SEs in bone-related diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Qu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhanbo Ouyang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenqiang Wu
- Mathematical Engineering Academy of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guohua Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiaojiao Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qiong Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhihong Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| |
Collapse
|
208
|
CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 enhances antiPD-1 therapy efficacy via the p38α/MYC/PD-L1 signaling in non-small cell lung cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:99. [PMID: 32690037 PMCID: PMC7370470 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-00926-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) subunit of TFIIH regulates RNA polymerase-II-based transcription and promotes tumor progression. However, the mechanisms involved in CDK7-mediated immune evasion are unclear in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods RNA silencing and pharmacologic inhibitors were used to evaluate the functions of CDK7/p38α/MYC/PD-L1 axis in cancer cell proliferation and antiPD-1 therapy resistance. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the status of the immune microenvironment after CDK7 inhibition and antiPD-1 therapy in vivo. CD8 depletion antibodies were used to assess the role of CD8+ T cells in combined CDK7 and PD-1 blockade. The associations among CDK7, p38α, MYC, PD-L1, infiltrating T cells, and survival outcomes were validated in two tissue microarrays and public transcriptomic data of NSCLC. Results High CDK7 mRNA and protein levels were identified to be associated with poor prognosis in NSCLC. CDK7 silencing and CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 elicited apoptosis and suppressed tumor growth. Moreover, CDK7 ablation specifically suppressed p38α/MYC-associated genes, and THZ1 inhibited MYC transcriptional activity through downregulating p38α. CDK7 inhibition sensitized NSCLC to p38α inhibitor. Further, THZ1 suppressed PD-L1 expression by inhibiting MYC activity. THZ1 boosted antitumor immunity by recruiting infiltrating CD8+ T cells and synergized with antiPD-1 therapy. The CDK7/MYC/PD-L1 signature and infiltrating T cell status collectively stratified NSCLC patients into different risk groups. Conclusion These data suggest that the combined CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 and antiPD-1 therapy can be an effective treatment in NSCLC.
Collapse
|
209
|
Zheng C, Liu M, Fan H. Targeting complexes of super-enhancers is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Oncol Lett 2020; 20:2557-2566. [PMID: 32782573 PMCID: PMC7400756 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.11855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The hyperactivation and overexpression of critical oncogenes is a common occurrence in multiple types of malignant tumors. Recently, the abnormal activation mechanism of an oncogene by a super-enhancer (SE) has attracted significant attention. A series of changes (insertion, deletion, translocation and rearrangement) in the genome occurring in cancer cells may generate new SEs, leading to the overexpression of SE-driven oncogenes. SEs are composed of typical enhancers densely loaded with mediator complexes, transcription factors, and chromatin regulators, and drive the overexpression of oncogenes associated with cellular identity and disease. Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) and bromodomain protein 4 (BRD4) are critical mediator complexes associated with SE-mediated transcription. Clinical trials have shown that emerging small-molecule inhibitors (CDK7 and BRD4 inhibitor), targeting the SE exert a notable effect on cancer treatment. Increasing evidences has illustrated that the SE and its associated complexes play a critical role in the development of various types of cancer. The present review discusses the composition, function and regulation of SEs and their contribution to oncogenic transcription. In addition, creative therapeutic approaches that target SE, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the problems with their clinical application are discussed. It was found that targeting SE may be used in conventional treatment and establish more access for patients with cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chuqian Zheng
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China.,School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210018, P.R. China
| | - Hong Fan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
210
|
Gao J, Jung M, Mayoh C, Venkat P, Hannan KM, Fletcher JI, Kamili A, Gifford AJ, Kusnadi EP, Pearson RB, Hannan RD, Haber M, Norris MD, Somers K, Henderson MJ. Suppression of ABCE1-Mediated mRNA Translation Limits N-MYC-Driven Cancer Progression. Cancer Res 2020; 80:3706-3718. [PMID: 32651259 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-3914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The ability of the N-MYC transcription factor to drive cancer progression is well demonstrated in neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial pediatric solid tumor, where MYCN amplification heralds a poor prognosis, with only 11% of high-risk patients surviving past 5 years. However, decades of attempts of direct inhibition of N-MYC or its paralogues has led to the conclusion that this protein is "undruggable." Therefore, targeting pathways upregulated by N-MYC signaling presents an alternative therapeutic approach. Here, we show that MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas are characterized by elevated rates of protein synthesis and that high expression of ABCE1, a translation factor directly upregulated by N-MYC, is itself a strong predictor of poor clinical outcome. Despite the potent ability of N-MYC in heightening protein synthesis and malignant characteristics in cancer cells, suppression of ABCE1 alone selectively negated this effect, returning the rate of translation to baseline levels and significantly reducing the growth, motility, and invasiveness of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells and patient-derived xenograft tumors in vivo. The growth of nonmalignant cells or MYCN-nonamplified neuroblastoma cells remained unaffected by reduced ABCE1, supporting a therapeutic window associated with targeting ABCE1. Neuroblastoma cells with c-MYC overexpression also required ABCE1 to maintain cell proliferation and translation. Taken together, ABCE1-mediated translation constitutes a critical process in the progression of N-MYC-driven and c-MYC-driven cancers that warrants investigations into methods of its therapeutic inhibition. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate that N-MYC-driven cancers are reliant on elevated rates of protein synthesis driven by heightened expression of ABCE1, a vulnerability that can be exploited through suppression of ABCE1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jixuan Gao
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - MoonSun Jung
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chelsea Mayoh
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pooja Venkat
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katherine M Hannan
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra City.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jamie I Fletcher
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alvin Kamili
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew J Gifford
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Anatomical Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Eric P Kusnadi
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richard B Pearson
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ross D Hannan
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra City.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michelle Haber
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Murray D Norris
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,UNSW Centre for Childhood Cancer Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Klaartje Somers
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michelle J Henderson
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. .,School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
211
|
FiTAc-seq: fixed-tissue ChIP-seq for H3K27ac profiling and super-enhancer analysis of FFPE tissues. Nat Protoc 2020; 15:2503-2518. [PMID: 32591768 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-0340-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Fixed-tissue ChIP-seq for H3K27 acetylation (H3K27ac) profiling (FiTAc-seq) is an epigenetic method for profiling active enhancers and promoters in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. We previously developed a modified ChIP-seq protocol (FiT-seq) for chromatin profiling in FFPE. FiT-seq produces high-quality chromatin profiles particularly for methylated histone marks but is not optimized for H3K27ac profiling. FiTAc-seq is a modified protocol that replaces the proteinase K digestion applied in FiT-seq with extended heating at 65 °C in a higher concentration of detergent and a minimized sonication step, to produce robust genome-wide H3K27ac maps from clinical samples. FiTAc-seq generates high-quality enhancer landscapes and super-enhancer (SE) annotation in numerous archived FFPE samples from distinct tumor types. This approach will be of great interest for both basic and clinical researchers. The entire protocol from FFPE blocks to sequence-ready library can be accomplished within 4 d.
Collapse
|
212
|
Dissecting the Pol II transcription cycle and derailing cancer with CDK inhibitors. Nat Chem Biol 2020; 16:716-724. [PMID: 32572259 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-0563-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Largely non-overlapping sets of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) regulate cell division and RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-dependent transcription. Here we review the molecular mechanisms by which specific CDKs are thought to act at discrete steps in the transcription cycle and describe the recent emergence of transcriptional CDKs as promising drug targets in cancer. We emphasize recent advances in understanding the transcriptional CDK network that were facilitated by development and deployment of small-molecule inhibitors with increased selectivity for individual CDKs. Unexpectedly, several of these compounds have also shown selectivity in killing cancer cells, despite the seemingly universal involvement of their target CDKs during transcription in all cells. Finally, we describe remaining and emerging challenges in defining functions of individual CDKs in transcription and co-transcriptional processes and in leveraging CDK inhibition for therapeutic purposes.
Collapse
|
213
|
Bayles I, Krajewska M, Pontius WD, Saiakhova A, Morrow JJ, Bartels C, Lu J, Faber ZJ, Fedorov Y, Hong ES, Karnuta JM, Rubin B, Adams DJ, George RE, Scacheri PC. Ex vivo screen identifies CDK12 as a metastatic vulnerability in osteosarcoma. J Clin Invest 2020; 129:4377-4392. [PMID: 31498151 DOI: 10.1172/jci127718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite progress in intensification of therapy, outcomes for patients with metastatic osteosarcoma (OS) have not improved in thirty years. We developed a system that enabled preclinical screening of compounds against metastatic OS cells in the context of the native lung microenvironment. Using this strategy to screen a library of epigenetically targeted compounds, we identified inhibitors of CDK12 to be most effective, reducing OS cell outgrowth in the lung by more than 90% at submicromolar doses. We found that knockout of CDK12 in an in vivo model of lung metastasis significantly decreased the ability of OS to colonize the lung. CDK12 inhibition led to defects in transcription elongation in a gene length- and expression-dependent manner. These effects were accompanied by defects in RNA processing and altered the expression of genes involved in transcription regulation and the DNA damage response. We further identified OS models that differ in their sensitivity to CDK12 inhibition in the lung and provided evidence that upregulated MYC levels may mediate these differences. Our studies provided a framework for rapid preclinical testing of compounds with antimetastatic activity and highlighted CDK12 as a potential therapeutic target in OS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Bayles
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Malgorzata Krajewska
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - W Dean Pontius
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Alina Saiakhova
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - James J Morrow
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Cynthia Bartels
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jim Lu
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zachary J Faber
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Yuriy Fedorov
- Small Molecules Drug Development Core Facility, Office of Research Administration, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ellen S Hong
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jaret M Karnuta
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Brian Rubin
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Drew J Adams
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Small Molecules Drug Development Core Facility, Office of Research Administration, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Rani E George
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peter C Scacheri
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
214
|
Ji H, Chen Y, Castillo-Armengol J, Dreos R, Moret C, Niederhäuser G, Delacuisine B, Lopez-Mejia IC, Denechaud PD, Fajas L. CDK7 Mediates the Beta-Adrenergic Signaling in Thermogenic Brown and White Adipose Tissues. iScience 2020; 23:101163. [PMID: 32464595 PMCID: PMC7256631 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are emerging regulators of adipose tissue metabolism. Here we aimed to explore the role of CDK7 in thermogenic fat. We found that CDK7 brown adipose tissue (BAT)-specific knockout mice (Cdk7bKO) have decreased BAT mass and impaired β3-adrenergic signaling and develop hypothermia upon cold exposure. We found that loss of CDK7 in BAT disrupts the induction of thermogenic genes in response to cold. However, Cdk7bKO mice do not show systemic metabolic dysfunction. Increased expression of genes of the creatine metabolism compensates for the heat generation in the BAT of Cdk7bKO mice in response to cold. Finally, we show that CDK7 is required for beta 3-adrenergic agonist-induced browning of white adipose tissue (WAT). Indeed, Cdk7 ablation in all adipose tissues (Cdk7aKO) has impaired browning in WAT. Together, our results demonstrate that CDK7 is an important mediator of beta-adrenergic signaling in thermogenic brown and beige fat.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Honglei Ji
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yizhe Chen
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | | | - René Dreos
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Moret
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Guy Niederhäuser
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Pierre-Damien Denechaud
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), UMR1048, Institute of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases, Toulouse, France
| | - Lluis Fajas
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), Languedoc Roussillon, France.
| |
Collapse
|
215
|
Wang X, Cairns MJ, Yan J. Super-enhancers in transcriptional regulation and genome organization. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:11481-11496. [PMID: 31724731 PMCID: PMC7145697 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression is precisely controlled in a stage and cell-type-specific manner, largely through the interaction between cis-regulatory elements and their associated trans-acting factors. Where these components aggregate in promoters and enhancers, they are able to cooperate to modulate chromatin structure and support the engagement in long-range 3D superstructures that shape the dynamics of a cell's genomic architecture. Recently, the term 'super-enhancer' has been introduced to describe a hyper-active regulatory domain comprising a complex array of sequence elements that work together to control the key gene networks involved in cell identity. Here, we survey the unique characteristics of super-enhancers compared to other enhancer types and summarize the recent advances in our understanding of their biological role in gene regulation. In particular, we discuss their capacity to attract the formation of phase-separated condensates, and capacity to generate three-dimensional genome structures that precisely activate their target genes. We also propose a multi-stage transition model to explain the evolutionary pressure driving the development of super-enhancers in complex organisms, and highlight the potential for involvement in tumorigenesis. Finally, we discuss more broadly the role of super-enhancers in human health disorders and related potential in therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Northwest University), Ministry of Education / School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.,Division of Theoretical Systems Biology, Germany Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69115, Germany.,School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Murray J Cairns
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.,Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; and Hunter Medical Research Institute
| | - Jian Yan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Northwest University), Ministry of Education / School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| |
Collapse
|
216
|
SOX9 interacts with FOXC1 to activate MYC and regulate CDK7 inhibitor sensitivity in triple-negative breast cancer. Oncogenesis 2020; 9:47. [PMID: 32398735 PMCID: PMC7217837 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-020-0232-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is particularly sensitive to cyclin-dependent kinase 7 inhibitor, THZ1, compared to hormone receptor (HR)+ breast cancer, but our data found that different TNBC cell lines had a wide range of IC50 values of THZ1, suggesting a possible heterogeneity in sensitivity to THZ1 in TNBC. To seek potential biomarkers of THZ1 sensitivity, we re-analyzed the mRNAs profile in breast cancer cells treated with THZ1 from the previous study and demonstrated that elevated expression of SOX9 was significantly associated with the sensitivity of THZ1 in TNBC. We also verified that SOX9 expression promoted cell proliferation, migration, stemness, and predicted poor prognosis. Moreover, based on the tissue array of 278 patients and over 900 samples from TCGA data, we found that SOX9 expression was significantly higher in TNBC than HR+ breast cancers. Furthermore, ChIP-sequencing indicated that SOX9 binding to enhancer near transcription factor FOXC1, was remarkably inhibited by THZ1. And we also demonstrated that SOX9 and FOXC1 interacted with each other, which might co-operate and co-regulate the MYC signaling pathway in TNBC. Mechanistically, SOX9 may sensitize TNBC cells to THZ1, in a FOXC1-related manner, suggesting that SOX9 could be as a predictive factor of THZ1.
Collapse
|
217
|
Therapeutic Targeting of the General RNA Polymerase II Transcription Machinery. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093354. [PMID: 32397434 PMCID: PMC7246882 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitors targeting the general RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription machinery are candidate therapeutics in cancer and other complex diseases. Here, we review the molecular targets and mechanisms of action of these compounds, framing them within the steps of RNAPII transcription. We discuss the effects of transcription inhibitors in vitro and in cellular models (with an emphasis on cancer), as well as their efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies. We also discuss the rationale for inhibiting broadly acting transcriptional regulators or RNAPII itself in complex diseases.
Collapse
|
218
|
Jia Q, Chen S, Tan Y, Li Y, Tang F. Oncogenic super-enhancer formation in tumorigenesis and its molecular mechanisms. Exp Mol Med 2020; 52:713-723. [PMID: 32382065 PMCID: PMC7272638 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-020-0428-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) consist of a cluster of many enhancers bound to a great number of transcription factors. They are critical cis-regulatory elements that determine the identity of various human cell types. During tumorigenesis, DNA mutations and indels, chromosomal rearrangements, three-dimensional chromatin structural changes, and viral infections mediate oncogenic SE activation, and activated SEs have been found to regulate the expression of oncogenic genes. Inhibition specifically targeted to oncogenic SE assembly and activation provides a novel powerful therapeutic strategy for various cancers. In this paper, we first introduce the current understanding of oncogenic SE assembly and activation and then summarize the pathogenic factors and mechanism of oncogenic SE activation. Next, we elaborate on the oncogenic functions of SEs in cancers and the application of SEs as therapeutic targets. Finally, we turn our focus to the use of SEs in basic research and clinical trials. Drugs that block the assembly and activation of large DNA segments involved in enhancing gene expression could help in the treatment of cancer. Faqing Tang of Hunan Cancer Hospital in Changsha, China, and colleagues review the ways in which cancer cells hijack clusters of gene-regulating sequences known as super-enhancers, regulatory gene regions that normally help determine a cell’s unique identity, to drive the aberrant gene activity that fuels tumor growth. The researchers describe how numerous factors, ranging from internal DNA alterations, both large and small, to viral infections and other external assaults, can spur the formation of cancer-causing super-enhancers, leading to out-of-control gene expression. Therapies that selectively target these super-enhancers are now in early clinical testing. However, more studies of super-enhancers and their role in cancer development are needed to inform future drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qunying Jia
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene and Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Shuhua Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Second People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, 528000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuan Tan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene and Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Yuejin Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene and Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Faqing Tang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene and Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
| |
Collapse
|
219
|
Attia YM, Shouman SA, Salama SA, Ivan C, Elsayed AM, Amero P, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Lopez-Berestein G. Blockade of CDK7 Reverses Endocrine Therapy Resistance in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082974. [PMID: 32340192 PMCID: PMC7215326 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-7 inhibitors are emerging as promising drugs for the treatment of different types of cancer that show chemotherapy resistance. Evaluation of the effects of CDK7 inhibitor, THZ1, alone and combined with tamoxifen is of paramount importance. Thus, in the current work, we assessed the effects of THZ1 and/or tamoxifen in two estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer cell lines (MCF7) and its tamoxifen resistant counterpart (LCC2) in vitro and in xenograft mouse models of breast cancer. Furthermore, we evaluated the expression of CDK7 in clinical samples from breast cancer patients. Cell viability, apoptosis, and genes involved in cell cycle regulation and tamoxifen resistance were determined. Tumor volume and weight, proliferation marker (Ki67), angiogenic marker (CD31), and apoptotic markers were assayed. Bioinformatic data indicated CDK7 expression was associated with negative prognosis, enhanced pro-oncogenic pathways, and decreased response to tamoxifen. Treatment with THZ1 enhanced tamoxifen-induced cytotoxicity, while it inhibited genes involved in tumor progression in MCF-7 and LCC2 cells. In vivo, THZ1 boosted the effect of tamoxifen on tumor weight and tumor volume, reduced Ki67 and CD31 expression, and increased apoptotic cell death. Our findings identify CDK7 as a possible therapeutic target for breast cancer whether it is sensitive or resistant to tamoxifen therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin M. Attia
- Pharmacology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Kasr Al Eini Street, Fom El Khalig, Cairo 11796, Egypt; (Y.M.A.); (S.A.S.)
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (C.I.); (A.M.E.); (P.A.); (C.R.-A.); (G.L.-B.)
| | - Samia A. Shouman
- Pharmacology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Kasr Al Eini Street, Fom El Khalig, Cairo 11796, Egypt; (Y.M.A.); (S.A.S.)
| | - Salama A. Salama
- Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11675, Egypt
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +20-109-550-8894
| | - Cristina Ivan
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (C.I.); (A.M.E.); (P.A.); (C.R.-A.); (G.L.-B.)
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Abdelrahman M. Elsayed
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (C.I.); (A.M.E.); (P.A.); (C.R.-A.); (G.L.-B.)
- Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11675, Egypt
| | - Paola Amero
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (C.I.); (A.M.E.); (P.A.); (C.R.-A.); (G.L.-B.)
| | - Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (C.I.); (A.M.E.); (P.A.); (C.R.-A.); (G.L.-B.)
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Gabriel Lopez-Berestein
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (C.I.); (A.M.E.); (P.A.); (C.R.-A.); (G.L.-B.)
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| |
Collapse
|
220
|
Huang C, You X, Dai C, Xu Q, Li F, Wang L, Huang X, Wang J, Li S, Gao Z, Wu J, Yin X, Zhao W. Targeting Super-Enhancers via Nanoparticle-Facilitated BRD4 and CDK7 Inhibitors Synergistically Suppresses Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:1902926. [PMID: 32274304 PMCID: PMC7140991 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201902926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignant cancer with complex genomic variations, and no targetable genomic lesions have been found yet. Super-enhancers (SEs) have been found to contribute to the continuous and robust oncogenic transcription. Here, histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) is profiled in PDAC cell lines to establish SE landscapes. Concurrently, it is also shown that PDAC is vulnerable to the perturbation of the SE complex using bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) inhibitor, JQ1, synergized with cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) inhibitor, THZ1. Formulations of hydrophobic l-phenylalanine-poly (ester amide) nanoparticles (NPs) with high drug loading of JQ1 and THZ1 (J/T@8P4s) are further designed and developed. J/T@8P4s is assessed for size, encapsulation efficiency, morphology, drug release profiles, and drug uptake in vitro. Compared to conventional free drug formulation, the nanodelivery system dramatically reduces the hepatotoxicity while significantly enhancing the tumor inhibition effects and the bioavailability of incorporated JQ1 and THZ1 at equal doses in a Gemcitabine-resistant PDAC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Overall, the present study demonstrates that the J/T@8P4s can be a promising therapeutic treatment against the PDAC via suppression of SE-associated oncogenic transcription, and provides a strategy utilizing NPs to assist the drug delivery targeting SEs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chen‐Song Huang
- Department of Pancreato‐Biliary SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Xinru You
- Key Laboratory of Sensing Technology and Biomedical Instrument of Guangdong ProvinceSchool of Biomedical EngineeringSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510006China
| | - Chunlei Dai
- Key Laboratory of Sensing Technology and Biomedical Instrument of Guangdong ProvinceSchool of Biomedical EngineeringSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510006China
| | - Qiong‐Cong Xu
- Department of Pancreato‐Biliary SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Fuxi Li
- RNA Biomedical InstituteSun Yat‐sen Memorial HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat‐sen University)Ministry of EducationGuangzhou510080China
| | - Li Wang
- RNA Biomedical InstituteSun Yat‐sen Memorial HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat‐sen University)Ministry of EducationGuangzhou510080China
| | - Xi‐Tai Huang
- Department of Pancreato‐Biliary SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Jie‐Qin Wang
- Department of Pancreato‐Biliary SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Shi‐Jin Li
- Department of Pancreato‐Biliary SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Zhuoxing Gao
- RNA Biomedical InstituteSun Yat‐sen Memorial HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat‐sen University)Ministry of EducationGuangzhou510080China
| | - Jun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Sensing Technology and Biomedical Instrument of Guangdong ProvinceSchool of Biomedical EngineeringSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510006China
| | - Xiao‐Yu Yin
- Department of Pancreato‐Biliary SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Wei Zhao
- RNA Biomedical InstituteSun Yat‐sen Memorial HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat‐sen University)Ministry of EducationGuangzhou510080China
| |
Collapse
|
221
|
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) plays crucial roles in the regulation of cell cycle and transcription that are tightly associated with cancer development and metastasis. The recent identification of the first covalent inhibitor which possesses high specificity against CDK7 prompts intense studies on designing highly selective CDK7 inhibitors and exploring their applications in cancer treatments. This review summarizes the latest biological studies on CDK7 and reviews the development of CDK7 inhibitors in preclinical and clinical evaluations, along with the prospects and potential challenges in this research area. CDK7 is an attractive anticancer target, and the discovery and development of CDK7 inhibitors has received much attention.
Collapse
|
222
|
Kloetgen A, Thandapani P, Ntziachristos P, Ghebrechristos Y, Nomikou S, Lazaris C, Chen X, Hu H, Bakogianni S, Wang J, Fu Y, Boccalatte F, Zhong H, Paietta E, Trimarchi T, Zhu Y, Van Vlierberghe P, Inghirami GG, Lionnet T, Aifantis I, Tsirigos A. Three-dimensional chromatin landscapes in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Nat Genet 2020; 52:388-400. [PMID: 32203470 PMCID: PMC7138649 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-020-0602-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Differences in three-dimensional (3D) chromatin architecture can influence the integrity of topologically associating domains (TADs) and rewire specific enhancer-promoter interactions, impacting gene expression and leading to human disease. Here we investigate the 3D chromatin architecture in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) by using primary human leukemia specimens and examine the dynamic responses of this architecture to pharmacological agents. Systematic integration of matched in situ Hi-C, RNA-seq and CTCF ChIP-seq datasets revealed widespread differences in intra-TAD chromatin interactions and TAD boundary insulation in T-ALL. Our studies identify and focus on a TAD 'fusion' event associated with absence of CTCF-mediated insulation, enabling direct interactions between the MYC promoter and a distal super-enhancer. Moreover, our data also demonstrate that small-molecule inhibitors targeting either oncogenic signal transduction or epigenetic regulation can alter specific 3D interactions found in leukemia. Overall, our study highlights the impact, complexity and dynamic nature of 3D chromatin architecture in human acute leukemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kloetgen
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Palaniraja Thandapani
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Panagiotis Ntziachristos
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yohana Ghebrechristos
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sofia Nomikou
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charalampos Lazaris
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xufeng Chen
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hai Hu
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sofia Bakogianni
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria Center for Life Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yi Fu
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Francesco Boccalatte
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hua Zhong
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Thomas Trimarchi
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,BridgeBio Pharma, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Yixing Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Giorgio G Inghirami
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothee Lionnet
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Iannis Aifantis
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. .,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Aristotelis Tsirigos
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. .,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. .,Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, Office of Science and Research, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
223
|
Tee AE, Ciampa OC, Wong M, Fletcher JI, Kamili A, Chen J, Ho N, Sun Y, Carter DR, Cheung BB, Marshall GM, Liu PY, Liu T. Combination therapy with the CDK7 inhibitor and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor exerts synergistic anticancer effects against MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. Int J Cancer 2020; 147:1928-1938. [PMID: 32086952 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Patients with neuroblastoma due to MYCN oncogene amplification and consequent N-Myc oncoprotein overexpression have very poor prognosis. The cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7)/super-enhancer inhibitor THZ1 suppresses MYCN gene transcription, reduces neuroblastoma cell proliferation, but does not cause significant cell death. The protein kinase phosphatase 1 nuclear targeting subunit (PNUTS) has recently been shown to interact with c-Myc protein and suppresses c-Myc protein degradation. Here we screened the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-Approved Oncology Drugs Set V from the National Cancer Institute, and identified tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), including ponatinib and lapatinib, as the Approved Oncology Drugs exerting the best synergistic anticancer effects with THZ1 in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells. Combination therapy with THZ1 and ponatinib or lapatinib synergistically induced neuroblastoma cell apoptosis, while having little effects in normal nonmalignant cells. Differential gene expression analysis identified PNUTS as one of the genes most synergistically reduced by the combination therapy. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot analyses confirmed that THZ1 and the TKIs synergistically downregulated PNUTS mRNA and protein expression and reduced N-Myc protein but not N-Myc mRNA expression. In addition, PNUTS knockdown resulted in decreased N-Myc protein but not mRNA expression and decreased MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell proliferation and survival. As CDK7 inhibitors are currently under clinical evaluation in patients, our data suggest the addition of the TKI ponatinib or lapatinib in CDK7 inhibitor clinical trials in patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Tee
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Olivia C Ciampa
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Matthew Wong
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jamie I Fletcher
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alvin Kamili
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jingwei Chen
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicholas Ho
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yuting Sun
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel R Carter
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Belamy B Cheung
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Glenn M Marshall
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.,Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pei Y Liu
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tao Liu
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
224
|
Diab S, Yu M, Wang S. CDK7 Inhibitors in Cancer Therapy: The Sweet Smell of Success? J Med Chem 2020; 63:7458-7474. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Diab
- School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, P.O. Box 36, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Mingfeng Yu
- Drug Discovery and Development, University of South Australia Cancer Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Shudong Wang
- Drug Discovery and Development, University of South Australia Cancer Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
225
|
Abstract
Targeting the function of MYC oncoproteins holds the promise of achieving conceptually new and effective anticancer therapies that can be applied to a broad range of tumors. The nature of the target however—a broadly, possibly universally acting transcription factor that has no enzymatic activity and is largely unstructured unless complexed with partner proteins—has so far defied the development of clinically applicable MYC-directed therapies. At the same time, lingering questions about exactly which functions of MYC proteins account for their pervasive oncogenic role in human tumors and need to be targeted have prevented the development of effective therapies using surrogate targets that act in critical MYC-dependent pathways. In this review, we therefore argue that rigorous testing of critical oncogenic functions and protein/protein interactions and new chemical approaches to target them are necessary to successfully eradicate MYC-driven tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elmar Wolf
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Theodor Boveri Institute, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany;,
| | - Martin Eilers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Theodor Boveri Institute, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany;,
| |
Collapse
|
226
|
CDK7 Inhibition is Effective in all the Subtypes of Breast Cancer: Determinants of Response and Synergy with EGFR Inhibition. Cells 2020; 9:cells9030638. [PMID: 32155786 PMCID: PMC7140476 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CDK7, a transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinase, is emerging as a novel cancer target. Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) but not estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers have been reported to be uniquely sensitive to the CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 due to the inhibition of a cluster of TNBC-specific genes. However, bioinformatic analysis indicates that CDK7 RNA expression is associated with negative prognosis in all the major subtypes of breast cancer. To further elucidate the effects of CDK7 inhibition in breast cancer, we profiled a panel of cell lines representing different breast cancer subtypes. THZ1 inhibited cell growth in all subtypes (TNBC, HER2+, ER+, and HER2+/ER+) with no apparent subtype selectivity. THZ1 inhibited CDK7 activity and induced G1 arrest and apoptosis in all the tested cell lines, but THZ1 sensitivity did not correlate with CDK7 inhibition or CDK7 expression levels. THZ1 sensitivity across the cell line panel did not correlate with TNBC-specific gene expression but it was found to correlate with the differential inhibition of three genes: CDKN1B, MYC and transcriptional coregulator CITED2. Response to THZ1 also correlated with basal CITED2 protein expression, a potential marker of CDK7 inhibitor sensitivity. Furthermore, all of the THZ1-inhibited genes examined were inducible by EGF but THZ1 prevented this induction. THZ1 had synergistic or additive effects when combined with the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib, with no outward selectivity for a particular subtype of breast cancer. These results suggest a potential broad utility for CDK7 inhibitors in breast cancer therapy and the potential for combining CDK7 and EGFR inhibitors.
Collapse
|
227
|
Zhang B, Zhong X, Sauane M, Zhao Y, Zheng ZL. Modulation of the Pol II CTD Phosphorylation Code by Rac1 and Cdc42 Small GTPases in Cultured Human Cancer Cells and Its Implication for Developing a Synthetic-Lethal Cancer Therapy. Cells 2020; 9:cells9030621. [PMID: 32143485 PMCID: PMC7140432 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Rho GTPases, including Rho, Cdc42, Rac and ROP subfamilies, are key signaling molecules in RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcriptional control. Our prior work has shown that plant ROP and yeast Cdc42 GTPases similarly modulate Ser2 and Ser5 phosphorylation status of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the Pol II largest subunit by regulating CTD phosphatase degradation. Here, we present genetic and pharmacological evidence showing that Cdc42 and Rac1 GTPase signaling modulates a similar CTD Ser2 and Ser5 phosphorylation code in cultured human cancer cells. While siRNA knockdown of Cdc42 and Rac1, respectively, in HeLa cells increased the level of CTD Ser phosphatases RPAP2 and FCP1, they both decreased the level of CTD kinases CDK7 and CDK13. In addition, the protein degradation inhibitor MG132 reversed the effect of THZ1, a CDK7 inhibitor which could decrease the cell number and amount of CDK7 and CDK13, accompanied by a reduction in the level of CTD Ser2 and Ser5 phosphorylation and DOCK4 and DOCK9 (the activators for Rac1 and Cdc42, respectively). Conversely, treatments of Torin1 or serum deprivation, both of which promote protein degradation, could enhance the effect of THZ1, indicating the involvement of protein degradation in controlling CDK7 and CDK13. Our results support an evolutionarily conserved signaling shortcut model linking Rho GTPases to Pol II transcription across three kingdoms, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia, and could lead to the development of a potential synthetic-lethal strategy in controlling cancer cell proliferation or death.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
- Department of Biology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325060, China
| | - Xuelin Zhong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
- Biology PhD Program, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Moira Sauane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
- Biology PhD Program, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yihong Zhao
- Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies and Department of Applied Psychology, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Zhi-Liang Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
228
|
Chou J, Quigley DA, Robinson TM, Feng FY, Ashworth A. Transcription-Associated Cyclin-Dependent Kinases as Targets and Biomarkers for Cancer Therapy. Cancer Discov 2020; 10:351-370. [DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-0528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
229
|
Baluapuri A, Wolf E, Eilers M. Target gene-independent functions of MYC oncoproteins. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2020; 21:255-267. [PMID: 32071436 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-020-0215-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Oncoproteins of the MYC family are major drivers of human tumorigenesis. Since a large body of evidence indicates that MYC proteins are transcription factors, studying their function has focused on the biology of their target genes. Detailed studies of MYC-dependent changes in RNA levels have provided contrasting models of the oncogenic activity of MYC proteins through either enhancing or repressing the expression of specific target genes, or as global amplifiers of transcription. In this Review, we first summarize the biochemistry of MYC proteins and what is known (or is unclear) about the MYC target genes. We then discuss recent progress in defining the interactomes of MYC and MYCN and how this information affects central concepts of MYC biology, focusing on mechanisms by which MYC proteins modulate transcription. MYC proteins promote transcription termination upon stalling of RNA polymerase II, and we propose that this mechanism enhances the stress resilience of basal transcription. Furthermore, MYC proteins coordinate transcription elongation with DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Finally, we argue that the mechanism by which MYC proteins regulate the transcription machinery is likely to promote tumorigenesis independently of global or relative changes in the expression of their target genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Apoorva Baluapuri
- Theodor Boveri Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Elmar Wolf
- Theodor Boveri Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin Eilers
- Theodor Boveri Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
230
|
Massó-Vallés D, Beaulieu ME, Soucek L. MYC, MYCL, and MYCN as therapeutic targets in lung cancer. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:101-114. [PMID: 32003251 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1723548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Despite recent advances with personalized therapies and immunotherapy, the prognosis remains dire and recurrence is frequent. Myc is an oncogene deregulated in human cancers, including lung cancer, where it supports tumorigenic processes and progression. Elevated Myc levels have also been associated with resistance to therapy.Areas covered: This article summarizes the genomic and transcriptomic studies that compile evidence for (i) MYC, MYCN, and MYCL amplification and overexpression in lung cancer patients, and (ii) their prognostic significance. We collected the most recent literature regarding the development of Myc inhibitors where the emphasis is on those inhibitors tested in lung cancer experimental models and their potential for future clinical application.Expert opinion: The targeting of Myc in lung cancer is potentially an unprecedented opportunity for inhibiting a key player in tumor progression and maintenance and therapeutic resistance. Myc inhibitory strategies are on the path to their clinical application but further work is necessary for the assessment of their use in combination with standard treatment approaches. Given the role of Myc in immune suppression, a significant opportunity may exist in the combination of Myc inhibitors with immunotherapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura Soucek
- Peptomyc S.L., Edifici Cellex, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Edifici Cellex, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana De Recerca I Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
231
|
Tang F, Yang Z, Tan Y, Li Y. Super-enhancer function and its application in cancer targeted therapy. NPJ Precis Oncol 2020; 4:2. [PMID: 32128448 PMCID: PMC7016125 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-020-0108-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, super-enhancers (SEs) have been identified as a unique type of transcriptional regulation involved in cancer development. SEs exhibit a size, high transcription factor density, and strong binding to the transcriptional machinery compared with typical enhancers. SEs play an essential role in cell growth, differentiation, and disease initiation and progression including tumorigenesis. In particular, cancer-specific SEs have been proven to be key oncogenic drivers types of tumor cells. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that cancer-specific SEs can mediate the dysregulation of signaling pathways and promote cancer cell growth. Additionally, therapeutic strategies directly targeting SE components, for example, by disrupting SE structure or inhibiting SE cofactors, have shown a good curative effect on various cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faqing Tang
- 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 410013 Changsha, China
| | - Zongbei Yang
- 2Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhuhai People's Hospital & Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University, 519000 Zhuhai, China
| | - Yuan Tan
- 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 410013 Changsha, China
| | - Yuejin Li
- 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 410013 Changsha, China
| |
Collapse
|
232
|
A combination strategy targeting enhancer plasticity exerts synergistic lethality against BETi-resistant leukemia cells. Nat Commun 2020; 11:740. [PMID: 32029739 PMCID: PMC7005144 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14604-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary and acquired drug resistance imposes a major threat to achieving optimized clinical outcomes during cancer treatment. Aberrant changes in epigenetic modifications are closely involved in drug resistance of tumor cells. Using BET inhibitor (BETi) resistant leukemia cells as a model system, we demonstrated herein that genome-wide enhancer remodeling played a pivotal role in driving therapeutic resistance via compensational re-expression of pro-survival genes. Capitalizing on the CRISPR interference technology, we identified the second intron of IncRNA, PVT1, as a unique bona fide gained enhancer that restored MYC transcription independent of BRD4 recruitment in leukemia. A combined BETi and CDK7 inhibitor treatment abolished MYC transcription by impeding RNAPII loading without affecting PVT1-mediated chromatin looping at the MYC locus in BETi-resistant leukemia cells. Together, our findings have established the feasibility of targeting enhancer plasticity to overcome drug resistance associated with epigenetic therapies.
Collapse
|
233
|
The 3D Genome as a Target for Anticancer Therapy. Trends Mol Med 2020; 26:141-149. [PMID: 31679987 PMCID: PMC9929230 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2019.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The role of 3D genome organization in the precise regulation of gene expression is well established. Accordingly, the mechanistic connections between 3D genome alterations and disease development are becoming increasingly apparent. This opinion article provides a snapshot of our current understanding of the 3D genome alterations associated with cancers. We discuss potential connections of the 3D genome and cancer transcriptional addiction phenomenon as well as molecular mechanisms of action of 3D genome-disrupting drugs. Finally, we highlight issues and perspectives raised by the discovery of the first pharmaceutical strongly affecting 3D genome organization.
Collapse
|
234
|
Localized Inhibition of Protein Phosphatase 1 by NUAK1 Promotes Spliceosome Activity and Reveals a MYC-Sensitive Feedback Control of Transcription. Mol Cell 2020; 77:1322-1339.e11. [PMID: 32006464 PMCID: PMC7086158 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Deregulated expression of MYC induces a dependence on the NUAK1 kinase, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this dependence have not been fully clarified. Here, we show that NUAK1 is a predominantly nuclear protein that associates with a network of nuclear protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) interactors and that PNUTS, a nuclear regulatory subunit of PP1, is phosphorylated by NUAK1. Both NUAK1 and PNUTS associate with the splicing machinery. Inhibition of NUAK1 abolishes chromatin association of PNUTS, reduces spliceosome activity, and suppresses nascent RNA synthesis. Activation of MYC does not bypass the requirement for NUAK1 for spliceosome activity but significantly attenuates transcription inhibition. Consequently, NUAK1 inhibition in MYC-transformed cells induces global accumulation of RNAPII both at the pause site and at the first exon-intron boundary but does not increase mRNA synthesis. We suggest that NUAK1 inhibition in the presence of deregulated MYC traps non-productive RNAPII because of the absence of correctly assembled spliceosomes. Nuclear NUAK1 associates with PP1 and phosphorylates its targeting subunit PNUTS NUAK1, PP1, and PNUTS form a trimer that associates with the splicing machinery Inhibition of NUAK1 reduces spliceosome activity and nascent RNA synthesis When MYC is deregulated, NUAK1 inhibition traps RNAPII at the intron-exon boundary
Collapse
|
235
|
Ke J, Tian J, Mei S, Ying P, Yang N, Wang X, Zou D, Peng X, Yang Y, Zhu Y, Gong Y, Wang Z, Gong J, Zhong R, Chang J, Miao X. Genetic Predisposition to Colon and Rectal Adenocarcinoma Is Mediated by a Super-enhancer Polymorphism Coactivating CD9 and PLEKHG6. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020; 29:850-859. [PMID: 31988071 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-19-1116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified dozens of loci associated with colon and rectal adenocarcinoma risk. As tissue-specific super-enhancers (SE) play important roles in tumorigenesis, we systematically investigate SEs and inner variants in established GWAS loci to decipher the underlying biological mechanisms. METHODS Through a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis on multi-omics data, we screen potential single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in cancer-specific SEs, and then subject them to a two-stage case-control study containing 4,929 cases and 7,083 controls from the Chinese population. A series of functional assays, including reporter gene assays, electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, chromosome conformation capture (3C) assays, and cell proliferation experiments, are performed to characterize the variant's molecular consequence and target genes. RESULTS The SNP rs11064124 in 12p13.31 is found significantly associated with the risk of colon and rectal adenocarcinoma with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.82-0.92, P = 8.67E-06]. The protective rs11064124-G weakens the binding affinity with vitamin D receptor (VDR) and increases the enhancer's activity and interactions with two target genes' promoters, thus coactivating the transcription of CD9 and PLEKHG6, which are both putative tumor suppressor genes for colon and rectal adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Our integrative study highlights an SE polymorphism rs11064124 and two susceptibility genes CD9 and PLEKHG6 in 12p13.31 for colon and rectal adenocarcinoma. IMPACT These findings suggest a novel insight for genetic pathogenesis of colon and rectal adenocarcinoma, involving transcriptional coactivation of diverse susceptibility genes via the SE element as a gene regulation hub.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juntao Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianbo Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shufang Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Pingting Ying
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Nan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Danyi Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiating Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yajie Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhihua Wang
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Rong Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiang Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoping Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation), Key Laboratory of Environment & Health (Ministry of Education), Ministry of Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
236
|
Zurita M, Murillo-Maldonado JM. Drosophila as a Model Organism to Understand the Effects during Development of TFIIH-Related Human Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020630. [PMID: 31963603 PMCID: PMC7013941 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human mutations in the transcription and nucleotide excision repair (NER) factor TFIIH are linked with three human syndromes: xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), trichothiodystrophy (TTD) and Cockayne syndrome (CS). In particular, different mutations in the XPB, XPD and p8 subunits of TFIIH may cause one or a combination of these syndromes, and some of these mutations are also related to cancer. The participation of TFIIH in NER and transcription makes it difficult to interpret the different manifestations observed in patients, particularly since some of these phenotypes may be related to problems during development. TFIIH is present in all eukaryotic cells, and its functions in transcription and DNA repair are conserved. Therefore, Drosophila has been a useful model organism for the interpretation of different phenotypes during development as well as the understanding of the dynamics of this complex. Interestingly, phenotypes similar to those observed in humans caused by mutations in the TFIIH subunits are present in mutant flies, allowing the study of TFIIH in different developmental processes. Furthermore, studies performed in Drosophila of mutations in different subunits of TFIIH that have not been linked to any human diseases, probably because they are more deleterious, have revealed its roles in differentiation and cell death. In this review, different achievements made through studies in the fly to understand the functions of TFIIH during development and its relationship with human diseases are analysed and discussed.
Collapse
|
237
|
Sun B, Mason S, Wilson RC, Hazard SE, Wang Y, Fang R, Wang Q, Yeh ES, Yang M, Roberts TM, Zhao JJ, Wang Q. Inhibition of the transcriptional kinase CDK7 overcomes therapeutic resistance in HER2-positive breast cancers. Oncogene 2020; 39:50-63. [PMID: 31462705 PMCID: PMC6937212 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0953-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Resistance of breast cancer to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) inhibitors involves reprogramming of the kinome through HER2/HER3 signaling via the activation of multiple tyrosine kinases and transcriptional upregulation. The heterogeneity of induced kinases prevents kinase targeting by a single kinase inhibitor and presents a major challenge to the treatment of therapeutically recalcitrant HER2-positive breast cancers (HER2+ BCs). As a result, there is a critical need for effective treatment that attacks the aberrant kinome activation associated with resistance to HER2-targeted therapy. Here, we describe a novel treatment strategy that targets cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) in HER2 inhibitor-resistant (HER2iR) breast cancer. We show that both HER2 inhibitor-sensitive (HER2iS) and HER2iR breast cancer cell lines exhibit high sensitivity to THZ1, a newly identified covalent inhibitor of the transcription regulatory kinase CDK7. CDK7 promotes cell cycle progression through inhibition of transcription, rather than via direct phosphorylation of classical CDK targets. The transcriptional kinase activity of CDK7 is regulated by HER2, and by the receptor tyrosine kinases activated in response to HER2 inhibition, as well as by the downstream SHP2 and PI3K/AKT pathways. A low dose of THZ1 displayed potent synergy with the HER2 inhibitor lapatinib in HER2iR BC cells in vitro. Dual HER2 and CDK7 inhibition induced tumor regression in two HER2iR BC xenograft models in vivo. Our data support the utilization of CDK7 inhibition as an additional therapeutic avenue that blocks the activation of genes engaged by multiple HER2iR kinases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Sun
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Biomedical Translational Research Institute and School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Seth Mason
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Robert C Wilson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Starr E Hazard
- Computational Biology Resource Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Yubao Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Rong Fang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Qiwei Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Yeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Meixiang Yang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Biomedical Translational Research Institute and School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Thomas M Roberts
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jean J Zhao
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
238
|
Miao J, Kyoyama H, Liu L, Chan G, Wang Y, Urisman A, Yang Y, Liu S, Xu Z, Bin H, Li H, Jablons DM, You L. Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 down-regulates yes-associated protein expression in mesothelioma cells. J Cell Mol Med 2020; 24:1087-1098. [PMID: 31755214 PMCID: PMC6933402 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) is a protein kinase that plays a major role in transcription initiation. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a main effector of the Hippo/YAP signalling pathway. Here, we investigated the role of CDK7 on YAP regulation in human malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We found that in microarray samples of human MPM tissue, immunohistochemistry staining showed correlation between the expression level of CDK7 and YAP (n = 70, r = .513). In MPM cells, CDK7 expression level was significantly correlated with GTIIC reporter activity (r = .886, P = .019). Inhibition of CDK7 by siRNA decreased the YAP protein level and the GTIIC reporter activity in the MPM cell lines 211H, H290 and H2052. Degradation of the YAP protein was accelerated after CDK7 knockdown in 211H, H290 and H2052 cells. Inhibition of CDK7 reduced tumour cell migration and invasion, as well as tumorsphere formation ability. Restoration of the CDK7 gene rescued the YAP protein level and GTIIC reporter activity after siRNA knockdown in 211H and H2052 cells. Finally, we performed a co-immunoprecipitation analysis using an anti-YAP antibody and captured the CDK7 protein in 211H cells. Our results suggest that CDK7 inhibition reduces the YAP protein level by promoting its degradation and suppresses the migration and invasion of MPM cells. Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 may be a promising therapeutic target for MPM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinbai Miao
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryBeijing Chao‐Yang HospitalAffiliated with Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hiroyuki Kyoyama
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Luwei Liu
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Class of 2018Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookNYUSA
| | - Geraldine Chan
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Class of 2020Medical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWIUSA
| | - Yucheng Wang
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Anatoly Urisman
- Department of PathologyUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Yi‐Lin Yang
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Shu Liu
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Zhidong Xu
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Hu Bin
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryBeijing Chao‐Yang HospitalAffiliated with Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryBeijing Chao‐Yang HospitalAffiliated with Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - David M. Jablons
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Liang You
- Department of SurgeryThoracic Oncology LaboratoryComprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCAUSA
| |
Collapse
|
239
|
Bisso A, Sabò A, Amati B. MYC in Germinal Center-derived lymphomas: Mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. Immunol Rev 2019; 288:178-197. [PMID: 30874346 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The rearrangement of immunoglobulin loci during the germinal center reaction is associated with an increased risk of chromosomal translocations that activate oncogenes such as MYC, BCL2 or BCL6, thus contributing to the development of B-cell lymphomas. MYC and BCL2 activation are initiating events in Burkitt's (BL) and Follicular Lymphoma (FL), respectively, but can occur at later stages in other subtypes such as Diffuse Large-B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). MYC can also be activated during the progression of FL to the transformed stage. Thus, either DLBCL or FL can give rise to aggressive double-hit lymphomas (DHL) with concurrent activation of MYC and BCL2. Research over the last three decades has improved our understanding of the functions of these oncogenes and the basis for their cooperative action in lymphomagenesis. MYC, in particular, is a transcription factor that contributes to cell activation, growth and proliferation, while concomitantly sensitizing cells to apoptosis, the latter being blocked by BCL2. Here, we review our current knowledge about the role of MYC in germinal center B-cells and lymphomas, discuss MYC-induced dependencies that can sensitize cancer cells to select pharmacological inhibitors, and illustrate their therapeutic potential in aggressive lymphomas-and in particular in DHL, in combination with BCL2 inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bisso
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Sabò
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Bruno Amati
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
240
|
Ornell KJ, Coburn JM. Developing preclinical models of neuroblastoma: driving therapeutic testing. BMC Biomed Eng 2019; 1:33. [PMID: 32903387 PMCID: PMC7422585 DOI: 10.1186/s42490-019-0034-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in cancer therapeutics, particularly in the area of immuno-oncology, successful treatment of neuroblastoma (NB) remains a challenge. NB is the most common cancer in infants under 1 year of age, and accounts for approximately 10% of all pediatric cancers. Currently, children with high-risk NB exhibit a survival rate of 40–50%. The heterogeneous nature of NB makes development of effective therapeutic strategies challenging. Many preclinical models attempt to mimic the tumor phenotype and tumor microenvironment. In vivo mouse models, in the form of genetic, syngeneic, and xenograft mice, are advantageous as they replicated the complex tumor-stroma interactions and represent the gold standard for preclinical therapeutic testing. Traditional in vitro models, while high throughput, exhibit many limitations. The emergence of new tissue engineered models has the potential to bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo models for therapeutic testing. Therapeutics continue to evolve from traditional cytotoxic chemotherapies to biologically targeted therapies. These therapeutics act on both the tumor cells and other cells within the tumor microenvironment, making development of preclinical models that accurately reflect tumor heterogeneity more important than ever. In this review, we will discuss current in vitro and in vivo preclinical testing models, and their potential applications to therapeutic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly J Ornell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01605 USA
| | - Jeannine M Coburn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01605 USA
| |
Collapse
|
241
|
Cho YS, Li S, Wang X, Zhu J, Zhuo S, Han Y, Yue T, Yang Y, Jiang J. CDK7 regulates organ size and tumor growth by safeguarding the Hippo pathway effector Yki/Yap/Taz in the nucleus. Genes Dev 2019; 34:53-71. [PMID: 31857346 PMCID: PMC6938674 DOI: 10.1101/gad.333146.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Hippo signaling controls organ size and tumor progression through a conserved pathway leading to nuclear translocation of the transcriptional effector Yki/Yap/Taz. Most of our understanding of Hippo signaling pertains to its cytoplasmic regulation, but how the pathway is controlled in the nucleus remains poorly understood. Here we uncover an evolutionarily conserved mechanism by which CDK7 promotes Yki/Yap/Taz stabilization in the nucleus to sustain Hippo pathway outputs. We found that a modular E3 ubiquitin ligase complex CRL4DCAF12 binds and targets Yki/Yap/Taz for ubiquitination and degradation, whereas CDK7 phosphorylates Yki/Yap/Taz at S169/S128/S90 to inhibit CRL4DCAF12 recruitment, leading to Yki/Yap/Taz stabilization. As a consequence, inactivation of CDK7 reduced organ size and inhibited tumor growth, which could be reversed by restoring Yki/Yap activity. Our study identifies an unanticipated layer of Hippo pathway regulation, defines a novel mechanism by which CDK7 regulates tissue growth, and implies CDK7 as a drug target for Yap/Taz-driven cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Suk Cho
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Shuang Li
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Jian Zhu
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Shu Zhuo
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Yuhong Han
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Tao Yue
- Center for the Genetics and Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Yingzi Yang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Jin Jiang
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| |
Collapse
|
242
|
Wang L, Tan TK, Durbin AD, Zimmerman MW, Abraham BJ, Tan SH, Ngoc PCT, Weichert-Leahey N, Akahane K, Lawton LN, Rokita JL, Maris JM, Young RA, Look AT, Sanda T. ASCL1 is a MYCN- and LMO1-dependent member of the adrenergic neuroblastoma core regulatory circuitry. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5622. [PMID: 31819055 PMCID: PMC6901540 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13515-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A heritable polymorphism within regulatory sequences of the LMO1 gene is associated with its elevated expression and increased susceptibility to develop neuroblastoma, but the oncogenic pathways downstream of the LMO1 transcriptional co-regulatory protein are unknown. Our ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analyses reveal that a key gene directly regulated by LMO1 and MYCN is ASCL1, which encodes a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor. Regulatory elements controlling ASCL1 expression are bound by LMO1, MYCN and the transcription factors GATA3, HAND2, PHOX2B, TBX2 and ISL1-all members of the adrenergic (ADRN) neuroblastoma core regulatory circuitry (CRC). ASCL1 is required for neuroblastoma cell growth and arrest of differentiation. ASCL1 and LMO1 directly regulate the expression of CRC genes, indicating that ASCL1 is a member and LMO1 is a coregulator of the ADRN neuroblastoma CRC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Tze King Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Adam D Durbin
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02216, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Mark W Zimmerman
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02216, USA
| | - Brian J Abraham
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38102, USA
| | - Shi Hao Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Phuong Cao Thi Ngoc
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Nina Weichert-Leahey
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02216, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Koshi Akahane
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02216, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, 4093898, Japan
| | - Lee N Lawton
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Jo Lynne Rokita
- Oncology Division, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - John M Maris
- Oncology Division, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Richard A Young
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - A Thomas Look
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02216, USA.
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Takaomi Sanda
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
243
|
Singh R, Bhardwaj V, Das P, Purohit R. Natural analogues inhibiting selective cyclin-dependent kinase protein isoforms: a computational perspective. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2019; 38:5126-5135. [PMID: 31760872 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2019.1696709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are known for their vital role in regulating cell cycle progression through protein-kinase interactions. CDKs also help in regulating transcription and development of the central nervous system. Inhibition of CDKs is a very fundamental approach for drug discovery in areas of different types of cancers, Alzheimer's, and HIV infections. The present research focuses on finding a novel, potent, and specific natural inhibitors of CDK isoforms (CDK2, CDK5, CDK7, CDK9). Molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) were carried out to get an in-depth understanding of protein-ligand interactions. Based on our molecular docking results, Ligands-3, 5, 14, and 16 were screened among 17 different Pyrrolone-fused benzosuberene compounds as potent and specific inhibitors without any cross-reactivity against different CDK isoforms. Analysis of MD simulations and MM-PBSA studies, revealed the binding energy profiles of all the selected complexes. Our selected ligands performed better than the standard inhibitor (Roscovitine). Ligands-3 and 14 show specificity for CDK7 and Ligands-5 and 16 were specific against CDK9. These ligands are expected to possess lower risk of side effects due to their natural origin. Moreover, the backbone structure of these ligands could also be exploited to develop specific inhibitors against other CDK isoforms.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Singh
- Structural Bioinformatics Lab, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, HP, India.,Biotechnology Division, CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, HP, India
| | - Vijay Bhardwaj
- Structural Bioinformatics Lab, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, HP, India.,Biotechnology Division, CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, HP, India
| | - Pralay Das
- Natural Product Chemistry and Process Development, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, HP, India.,Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-IHBT Campus, Palampur, HP, India
| | - Rituraj Purohit
- Structural Bioinformatics Lab, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, HP, India.,Biotechnology Division, CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, HP, India.,Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-IHBT Campus, Palampur, HP, India
| |
Collapse
|
244
|
Sampathi S, Acharya P, Zhao Y, Wang J, Stengel KR, Liu Q, Savona MR, Hiebert SW. The CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 alters RNA polymerase dynamics at the 5' and 3' ends of genes. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:3921-3936. [PMID: 30805632 PMCID: PMC6486546 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The t(8;21) is one of the most frequent chromosomal translocations associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We found that t(8;21) AML were extremely sensitive to THZ1, which triggered apoptosis after only 4 h. We used precision nuclear run-on transcription sequencing (PROseq) to define the global effects of THZ1 and other CDK inhibitors on RNA polymerase II dynamics. Inhibition of CDK7 using THZ1 caused wide-spread loss of promoter-proximal paused RNA polymerase. This loss of 5′ pausing was associated with accumulation of polymerases in the body of a large number of genes. However, there were modest effects on genes regulated by ‘super-enhancers’. At the 3′ ends of genes, treatment with THZ1 suppressed RNA polymerase ‘read through’ at the end of the last exon, which resembled a phenotype associated with a mutant RNA polymerase with slower elongation rates. Consistent with this hypothesis, polyA site-sequencing (PolyA-seq) did not detect differences in poly A sites after THZ1 treatment. PROseq analysis after short treatments with THZ1 suggested that these 3′ effects were due to altered CDK7 activity at the 5′ end of long genes, and were likely to be due to slower rates of elongation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shilpa Sampathi
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Pankaj Acharya
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Kristy R Stengel
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Qi Liu
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Michael R Savona
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37027.,Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Scott W Hiebert
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37027
| |
Collapse
|
245
|
Cejas P, Long HW. Principles and methods of integrative chromatin analysis in primary tissues and tumors. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2019; 1873:188333. [PMID: 31759992 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2019.188333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent methodological advances have enabled the genome-wide interrogation of chromatin from primary tumor tissues. Integrative analysis of histone post-translational modifications, transcription factor (TF) binding and open chromatin sites in tumors across cancer stages can elucidate the aberrant epigenetic states accompanying tumor progression. Cancer-associated chromatin alterations can activate or inactivate enhancers at genes involved in cancer while still respecting cell-of-origin constrictions. Accordingly, enhancer analysis in cancer could have uses for biomarker discovery to further refine patient diagnosis and potentially sub-classify patients for tailored therapy. Methodologies used for chromatin analyses of primary tissues need to address issues distinct from cell line studies including the specific sources of variability coming from the heterogeneous cellular composition of tissues and from inter-individual (epi)genetic differences. This leads to requirements for careful histological analysis to select the specific samples and cells of interest. In analyzing tumors somatic changes should be taken into account to distinguish the genuine epigenetic changes across tumor specimens from any genetic alterations such as copy number variations (CNV). In this contribution we review a selection of current results from chromatin profiling, examine experimental methodologies and discuss specific analysis approaches. We also review specific considerations regarding tissue preparation for epigenetic analysis and conclude with our perspectives on emerging approaches that will impact studies of chromatin landscapes of clinical samples in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paloma Cejas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Translational Oncology Laboratory, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ) and CIBERONC, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Henry W Long
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
246
|
Zhang W, Ge H, Jiang Y, Huang R, Wu Y, Wang D, Guo S, Li S, Wang Y, Jiang H, Cheng J. Combinational therapeutic targeting of BRD4 and CDK7 synergistically induces anticancer effects in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2019; 469:510-523. [PMID: 31765738 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The bromodomain and extra-terminal domain protein BRD4 has been recognized as a key oncogenic driver and a druggable target against cancer. However, these BRD4 inhibitors as monotherapy were moderate in efficacy in preclinical models. Here we utilized a small-scale drug synergy screen that combined the BRD4 inhibitor (JQ1) with 8 epigenetic or transcriptional targeted chemicals and identified THZ1 (a CDK7 inhibitor) acting synergistically with JQ1 against head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Combinational JQ1 and THZ1 treatment impaired cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and senescence, which were largely recapitulated by dual BRD4 and CDK7 knockdown. Combinational treatment inhibited tumor growth and progression in 4NQO-induced HNSCC and xenograft animal models. RNA-sequencing analyses identified hundreds of differentially expressed genes modulated by JQ1 and THZ1, which were significantly enriched in categories including cell cycle and apoptosis. Mechanistically, combinational treatment reduced H3K27ac enrichment in the super-enhancer region of YAP1, which inactivated its transcription and in turn induced anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects. Combined BRD4 and CDK7 upregulation associated with worst prognosis in HNSCC patients. Collectively, our findings reveal a novel therapeutic strategy of pharmacological inhibitions of BRD4 and CDK7 against HNSCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Han Ge
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaping Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongmiao Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Songsong Guo
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanling Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbing Jiang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Cheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
247
|
Wu M, Shen J. From Super-Enhancer Non-coding RNA to Immune Checkpoint: Frameworks to Functions. Front Oncol 2019; 9:1307. [PMID: 31824865 PMCID: PMC6883490 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) are clusters of enhancers that play a key role in regulating genes that determine cell identity. Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are non-coding RNAs transcribed from enhancers that function to promote the enhancer's functions via multiple mechanisms, such as recruiting transcription factors to specific enhancers, promoting enhancer-promoter looping, directing chromatin accessibility, interacting with RNA polymerase II and facilitating histone acetylation. Understanding how super-enhancer RNAs (seRNAs) contribute to specific gene regulation has thus become an area of active interest. Immune checkpoint deregulation is one of the key characteristics of tumors and autoimmune diseases, and is also closely related to cell identity. Recent studies revealed a potential pathway for seRNA's involvement in regulating the expression of immune checkpoints. The present study reviews the current knowledge of eRNA function, immune checkpoint blockage mechanism, and its effect. In addition, for the first time, we explore the direct and indirect roles of seRNAs in regulating immune checkpoint expression in cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manqing Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, School of Medicine, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Shen
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, School of Medicine, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
248
|
Suppression of Angiogenesis by Targeting Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 7 in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells and Renal Cell Carcinoma: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study. Cells 2019; 8:cells8111469. [PMID: 31752390 PMCID: PMC6912535 DOI: 10.3390/cells8111469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells rely on aberrant transcription for growth and survival. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) play critical roles in regulating gene transcription by modulating the activity of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). THZ1, a selective covalent inhibitor of CDK7, has antitumor effects in several human cancers. In this study, we investigated the role and therapeutic potential of CDK7 in regulating the angiogenic activity of endothelial cells and human renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Our results revealed that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a critical activator of angiogenesis, upregulated the expression of CDK7 and RNAPII, and the phosphorylation of RNAPII at serine 5 and 7 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), indicating the transcriptional activity of CDK7 may be involved in VEGF-activated angiogenic activity of endothelium. Furthermore, through suppressing CDK7 activity, THZ1 suppressed VEGF-activated proliferation and migration, as well as enhanced apoptosis of HUVECs. Moreover, THZ1 inhibited VEGF-activated capillary tube formation and CDK7 knockdown consistently diminished tube formation in HUVECs. Additionally, THZ1 reduced VEGF expression in human RCC cells (786-O and Caki-2), and THZ1 treatment inhibited tumor growth, vascularity, and angiogenic marker (CD31) expression in RCC xenografts. Our results demonstrated that CDK7-mediated transcription was involved in the angiogenic activity of endothelium and human RCC. THZ1 suppressed VEGF-mediated VEGFR2 downstream activation of angiogenesis, providing a new perspective for antitumor therapy in RCC patients.
Collapse
|
249
|
Rasool RU, Natesan R, Deng Q, Aras S, Lal P, Sander Effron S, Mitchell-Velasquez E, Posimo JM, Carskadon S, Baca SC, Pomerantz MM, Siddiqui J, Schwartz LE, Lee DJ, Palanisamy N, Narla G, Den RB, Freedman ML, Brady DC, Asangani IA. CDK7 Inhibition Suppresses Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer through MED1 Inactivation. Cancer Discov 2019; 9:1538-1555. [PMID: 31466944 PMCID: PMC7202356 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-0189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a fatal disease, primarily resulting from the transcriptional addiction driven by androgen receptor (AR). First-line CRPC treatments typically target AR signaling, but are rapidly bypassed, resulting in only a modest survival benefit with antiandrogens. Therapeutic approaches that more effectively block the AR-transcriptional axis are urgently needed. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the association between the transcriptional coactivator MED1 and AR as a vulnerability in AR-driven CRPC. MED1 undergoes CDK7-dependent phosphorylation at T1457 and physically engages AR at superenhancer sites, and is essential for AR-mediated transcription. In addition, a CDK7-specific inhibitor, THZ1, blunts AR-dependent neoplastic growth by blocking AR/MED1 corecruitment genome-wide, as well as reverses the hyperphosphorylated MED1-associated enzalutamide-resistant phenotype. In vivo, THZ1 induces tumor regression of AR-amplified human CRPC in a xenograft mouse model. Together, we demonstrate that CDK7 inhibition selectively targets MED1-mediated, AR-dependent oncogenic transcriptional amplification, thus representing a potential new approach for the treatment of CRPC. SIGNIFICANCE: Potent inhibition of AR signaling is critical to treat CRPC. This study uncovers a driver role for CDK7 in regulating AR-mediated transcription through phosphorylation of MED1, thus revealing a therapeutically targetable potential vulnerability in AR-addicted CRPC.See related commentary by Russo et al., p. 1490.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1469.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reyaz Ur Rasool
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ramakrishnan Natesan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Qu Deng
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Shweta Aras
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Priti Lal
- Department of Pathology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Samuel Sander Effron
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Erick Mitchell-Velasquez
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jessica M Posimo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Shannon Carskadon
- Department of Urology, Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Sylvan C Baca
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mark M Pomerantz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Javed Siddiqui
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lauren E Schwartz
- Department of Pathology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Daniel J Lee
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nallasivam Palanisamy
- Department of Urology, Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Goutham Narla
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Robert B Den
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Matthew L Freedman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Donita C Brady
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Irfan A Asangani
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| |
Collapse
|
250
|
Abstract
Mutated or dysregulated transcription factors represent a unique class of drug targets that mediate aberrant gene expression, including blockade of differentiation and cell death gene expression programmes, hallmark properties of cancers. Transcription factor activity is altered in numerous cancer types via various direct mechanisms including chromosomal translocations, gene amplification or deletion, point mutations and alteration of expression, as well as indirectly through non-coding DNA mutations that affect transcription factor binding. Multiple approaches to target transcription factor activity have been demonstrated, preclinically and, in some cases, clinically, including inhibition of transcription factor-cofactor protein-protein interactions, inhibition of transcription factor-DNA binding and modulation of levels of transcription factor activity by altering levels of ubiquitylation and subsequent proteasome degradation or by inhibition of regulators of transcription factor expression. In addition, several new approaches to targeting transcription factors have recently emerged including modulation of auto-inhibition, proteolysis targeting chimaeras (PROTACs), use of cysteine reactive inhibitors, targeting intrinsically disordered regions of transcription factors and combinations of transcription factor inhibitors with kinase inhibitors to block the development of resistance. These innovations in drug development hold great promise to yield agents with unique properties that are likely to impact future cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John H Bushweller
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|