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Qing F, Xue J, Sui L, Xiao Q, Xie T, Chen Y, Huang J, Liu Z. Intestinal epithelial SNAI1 promotes the occurrence of colorectal cancer by enhancing EMT and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Med Oncol 2023; 41:34. [PMID: 38150048 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02253-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent cause of cancer and mortality on a global scale. SNAI1, a member of the zinc finger transcription superfamily, is a significant contributor to embryonic development and carcinogenesis through the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). While prior research utilizing CRC cells and clinical data has demonstrated that SNAI1 facilitates CRC progression through diverse mechanisms, the precise manner in which epithelial SNAI1 regulates CRC development in vivo remains unclear. In this study, colitis and colitis-associated CRC were induced through the use of intestinal epithelium-specific Snai1 knockout (Snai1 cKO) mice. Our findings indicate that Snai1 cKO mice exhibit a reduced susceptibility to acute colitis and colitis-associated CRC compared to control mice. Western-blot analysis of colon tissues revealed that Snai1 cKO mice exhibited a higher overall apoptosis level during tumor formation than control mice. No significant differences were observed in the activation of the classical p53 signaling pathway. However, Snai1 cKO mice exhibited weakened EMT and Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation. In summary, our study has provided evidence in vivo that the intestinal epithelial SNAI1 protein suppresses apoptosis, amplifies the EMT, and activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in both early and late phases of CRC formation, thus promoting the development and progression of colitis-associated CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furong Qing
- School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China
| | - Junxia Xue
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, People's Hospital of Xiangshui, Yancheng, Jiangsu, 224600, China
| | - Lina Sui
- School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China
| | - Qiuxiang Xiao
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China
| | - Tao Xie
- Center for Scientific Research, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China
| | - Yayun Chen
- School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China
| | - Junyun Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China.
| | - Zhiping Liu
- School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China.
- Center for Scientific Research, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China.
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2
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Brown M, Leon A, Kedzierska K, Moore C, Belnoue‐Davis HL, Flach S, Lydon JP, DeMayo FJ, Lewis A, Bosse T, Tomlinson I, Church DN. Functional analysis reveals driver cooperativity and novel mechanisms in endometrial carcinogenesis. EMBO Mol Med 2023; 15:e17094. [PMID: 37589076 PMCID: PMC10565641 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202217094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
High-risk endometrial cancer has poor prognosis and is increasing in incidence. However, understanding of the molecular mechanisms which drive this disease is limited. We used genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) to determine the functional consequences of missense and loss of function mutations in Fbxw7, Pten and Tp53, which collectively occur in nearly 90% of high-risk endometrial cancers. We show that Trp53 deletion and missense mutation cause different phenotypes, with the latter a substantially stronger driver of endometrial carcinogenesis. We also show that Fbxw7 missense mutation does not cause endometrial neoplasia on its own, but potently accelerates carcinogenesis caused by Pten loss or Trp53 missense mutation. By transcriptomic analysis, we identify LEF1 signalling as upregulated in Fbxw7/FBXW7-mutant mouse and human endometrial cancers, and in human isogenic cell lines carrying FBXW7 mutation, and validate LEF1 and the additional Wnt pathway effector TCF7L2 as novel FBXW7 substrates. Our study provides new insights into the biology of high-risk endometrial cancer and suggests that targeting LEF1 may be worthy of investigation in this treatment-resistant cancer subgroup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Brown
- Cancer Genomics and Immunology Group, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Oxford NIHR Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustOxfordUK
| | - Alicia Leon
- Department of PathologyLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Kedzierska
- Cancer Genomics and Immunology Group, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Charlotte Moore
- Cancer Genomics and Immunology Group, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Hayley L Belnoue‐Davis
- Gastrointestinal Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Susanne Flach
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryLMU KlinikumMunichGermany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner SiteMunichGermany
| | - John P Lydon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
| | - Francesco J DeMayo
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology LaboratoryNational Institute of Environmental Health SciencesResearch Triangle ParkNCUSA
| | - Annabelle Lewis
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life SciencesBrunel University LondonUxbridgeUK
| | - Tjalling Bosse
- Department of PathologyLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Ian Tomlinson
- Institute of Genetics and CancerThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - David N Church
- Cancer Genomics and Immunology Group, Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Oxford NIHR Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustOxfordUK
- Oxford Cancer Centre, Churchill HospitalOxford University Hospitals Foundation NHS TrustOxfordUK
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3
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Hou Y, Yu W, Wu G, Wang Z, Leng S, Dong M, Li N, Chen L. Carcinogenesis promotion in oral squamous cell carcinoma: KDM4A complex-mediated gene transcriptional suppression by LEF1. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:510. [PMID: 37553362 PMCID: PMC10409759 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06024-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent cancer of the mouth, characterised by rapid progression and poor prognosis. Hence, an urgent need exists for the development of predictive targets for early diagnosis, prognosis determination, and clinical therapy. Dysregulation of lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1), an important transcription factor involved in the Wnt-β-catenin pathway, contributes to the poor prognosis of OSCC. Herein, we aimed to explore the correlation between LEF1 and histone lysine demethylase 4 A (KDM4A). Results show that the KDM4A complex is recruited by LEF1 and specifically binds the LATS2 promoter region, thereby inhibiting its expression, and consequently promoting cell proliferation and impeding apoptosis in OSCC. We also established NOD/SCID mouse xenograft models using CAL-27 cells to conduct an in vivo analysis of the roles of LEF1 and KDM4A in tumour growth, and our findings show that cells stably suppressing LEF1 or KDM4A have markedly decreased tumour-initiating capacity. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that LEF1 plays a pivotal role in OSCC development and has potential to serve as a target for early diagnosis and treatment of OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Hou
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Wenqian Yu
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250013, P. R. China
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250022, China
- Center of Clinical Laboratory, Shandong Second Provincial General Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, 250022, China
| | - Gaoyi Wu
- School of Stomatology, Heilongjiang Key Lab of Oral Biomedicine Materials and Clinical Application & Experimental Center for Stomatology Engineering, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, 154007, China
| | - Zhaoling Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Shuai Leng
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250013, P. R. China
| | - Ming Dong
- School of Stomatology, Heilongjiang Key Lab of Oral Biomedicine Materials and Clinical Application & Experimental Center for Stomatology Engineering, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, 154007, China
| | - Na Li
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250022, China.
- Center of Clinical Laboratory, Shandong Second Provincial General Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, 250022, China.
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China.
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Vanderbeck K, Rothrock AT, Cho WC, Nagarajan P, Aung PP, Hudgens C, Bassett RL, Ivan D, Prieto VG, Curry JL, Torres-Cabala CA. PRAME and LEF1 in Combined Deep Penetrating Nevus and Combined Blue Nevus: Utility and Pitfalls. Am J Dermatopathol 2023; 45:549-556. [PMID: 37462205 PMCID: PMC10534018 DOI: 10.1097/dad.0000000000002488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Deep penetrating nevi (DPN), particularly those showing combined features, or combined deep penetrating nevi (CDPN), may show histopathological resemblance to blue nevus (BN) and melanoma. Preferentially Expressed Antigen in MElanoma (PRAME) is a marker that helps distinguish melanoma from benign melanocytic lesions. Lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) has been proposed to be used in conjunction with β-catenin for diagnosis of DPN. The immunohistochemical expression of PRAME and LEF1 was evaluated in 10 DPN (including 6 CDPN and 2 DPN-like proliferations with atypical features), 16 BN (including combined and cellular BN), and 2 melanomas with features of DPN or BN. PRAME was negative in most DPN (n = 10/10, n = 9/10, one case with discrepancy between readers) and all BN (n = 16/16), while the 2 melanomas included were positive (n = 2/2). All DPN were positive for LEF1 (n = 9/9) while only a subset of BN were positive (n = 6/16, P = 0.0028; n = 5/16, P = 0.001, per both readers). LEF1 seemed to be easier to interpret than β-catenin because of its nuclear pattern of expression. The expression of LEF1 in the regular nevus component of combined BN presents a potential pitfall in practice because it may lead to misinterpretation of LEF1 as positive in the BN component of the lesion. However, a subset (approximately one-third) of combined BN seemed to show true LEF1 expression. Taking into account pitfalls in interpretation, the combinatorial panel of PRAME and LEF1, in addition to conventional histopathological features, may be useful to distinguish CDPN from combined BN and other benign and malignant mimics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin Vanderbeck
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aimi T Rothrock
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Woo Cheal Cho
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Priyadharsini Nagarajan
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Phyu P Aung
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Courtney Hudgens
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Roland L Bassett
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Doina Ivan
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Victor G Prieto
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jonathan L Curry
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carlos A Torres-Cabala
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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5
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Fuertes G, Del Valle‐Pérez B, Pastor J, Andrades E, Peña R, García de Herreros A, Duñach M. Noncanonical Wnt signaling promotes colon tumor growth, chemoresistance and tumor fibroblast activation. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e54895. [PMID: 36704936 PMCID: PMC10074097 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202254895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Colon tumors of the mesenchymal subtype have the lowest overall survival. Snail1 is essential for the acquisition of this phenotype, characterized by increased tumor stemness and invasion, and high resistance to chemotherapy. Here, we find that Snail1 expression in colon tumor cells is dependent on an autocrine noncanonical Wnt pathway. Accordingly, depletion of Ror2, the co-receptor for noncanonical Wnts such as Wnt5a, potently decreases Snail1 expression. Wnt5a, Ror2, and Snail1 participate in a self-stimulatory feedback loop since Wnt5a increases its own synthesis in a Ror2- and Snail1-dependent fashion. This Wnt5a/Ror2/Snail1 axis controls tumor invasion, chemoresistance, and formation of tumor spheres. It also stimulates TGFβ synthesis; consequently, tumor cells expressing Snail1 are more efficient in activating cancer-associated fibroblasts than the corresponding controls. Ror2 downmodulation or inhibition of the Wnt5a pathway decreases Snail1 expression in primary colon tumor cells and their ability to form tumors and liver metastases. Finally, the expression of SNAI1, ROR2, and WNT5A correlates in human colon and other tumors. These results identify inhibition of the noncanonical Wnt pathway as a putative colon tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillem Fuertes
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, CEB, Facultat de MedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Beatriz Del Valle‐Pérez
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, CEB, Facultat de MedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la VidaUniversitat Pompeu FabraBarcelonaSpain
| | - Javier Pastor
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, CEB, Facultat de MedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Evelyn Andrades
- Departament de DermatologiaHospital del MarBarcelonaSpain
- Grup de Malalties Inflamatòries i Neoplàsiques DermatològiquesInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Raúl Peña
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Antonio García de Herreros
- Programa de Recerca en CàncerInstitut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Unitat Associada al CSICBarcelonaSpain
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la VidaUniversitat Pompeu FabraBarcelonaSpain
| | - Mireia Duñach
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, CEB, Facultat de MedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
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6
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Gu S, Liu F, Xie X, Ding M, Wang Z, Xing X, Xiao T, Sun X. β-Sitosterol blocks the LEF-1-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway to inhibit proliferation of human colon cancer cells. Cell Signal 2023; 104:110585. [PMID: 36603684 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the LEF-1-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway for its biological functions and prognostic value in colon cancer (CC). Furthermore, the potential molecular mechanism of β-sitosterol in CC was investigated in vitro. METHODS Clinical information and gene expression profiles from CC patients were obtained based on Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. In addition, we applied R software "Limma" package for the differential analysis of LEF-1 between cancer and para-carcinoma tissue samples. Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis was adopted for analyzing whether LEF-1 was of prognostic significance. Moreover, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was adopted for pathway enrichment analysis and visualization. In addition, CCK8, plate cloning, scratch and high-content screening (HCS) imaging assays were performed to examine the therapeutic efficacy of β-sitosterol in human CC HCT116 cells. siRNA technology was employed to knock down LEF1 expression in HCT116 cells. qRT-PCR and Western-blot (WB) analysis were carried out to analyze the HCT-116 mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively. RESULTS LEF-1 was up-regulated within CC and acted as an oncogenic gene. LEF-1 up-regulation predicted the dismal prognostic outcome and activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. β-sitosterol effectively suppressed HCT116 cells proliferation and invasion. For the mechanism underlying β-sitosterol, β-sitosterol was found to significantly down-regulate LEF-1 gene and protein expression and disrupt Wnt/β-catenin pathway transmission in HCT116 cells. After suppressing LEF-1 expression, its downstream targets including C-myc, Survivin and CCND1 were also down-regulated. CONCLUSION According to our results, LEF-1 down-regulation can effectively block Wnt/β-catenin pathway, inhibit CC cell growth and migration. Collectively, β-sitosterol can be used to treat CC, which can provide anti-tumor activity by targeting LEF-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengliang Gu
- Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550025, China; Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Fahui Liu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Xueheng Xie
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of efficacy evaluation of Chinese Medicine against Glycolipid Metabolism Disorder Disease, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Meng Ding
- Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550025, China; Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of efficacy evaluation of Chinese Medicine against Glycolipid Metabolism Disorder Disease, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiaoyan Xing
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of efficacy evaluation of Chinese Medicine against Glycolipid Metabolism Disorder Disease, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Tianbao Xiao
- Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Xiaobo Sun
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of efficacy evaluation of Chinese Medicine against Glycolipid Metabolism Disorder Disease, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100193, China.
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7
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de Morais EF, Morais HGDF, de França GM, Téo FH, Galvão HC, Salo T, Coletta RD, Freitas RDA. SNAIL1 is involved in the control of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2023; 135:530-538. [PMID: 36918320 DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of SNAIL1, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin immunoexpression in oral tongue carcinogenesis. In addition, we evaluated in vitro the impact of silencing of the nuclear transcription factor SNAIL1 on the viability, apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and invasion of SCC-9 and HSC-3 cells. STUDY DESIGN Immunohistochemical analysis of SNAIL1, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin was carried out in 47 samples representing oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and 41 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). The suppression of SNAIL1 expression was performed using shRNA-expression vectors in HSC-3 and SCC-9 cells to investigate in vitro the impact of SNAIL1 on proliferation, apoptosis, viability, migration, and invasion of SCC-9 and HSC-3 cells. RESULTS Significant differences were observed in the expression of SNAIL1, E-cadherin, and N-Cadherin between OTSCC and OED. A low membrane expression of E-cadherin was strongly associated with poor overall survival in patients with OTSCC (P < .05), but the association did not withstand the Cox multivariate survival analysis. SNAIL1 silencing played a key role in the suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and inhibited migration and invasion of HSC-3 cells (P < .0001, P < .01, respectively). In SCC-9 cells, SNAIL1 silencing promoted a significant reduction in the proliferation (P < .0001) and invasion (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS The epithelial-mesenchymal transition is present in different stages of oral tongue carcinogenesis, and SNAIL1 plays a key role in this process, although the underlying mechanisms still need to be elucidated. Thus, SNAIL1 might be a promising therapeutic target in OTSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Everton Freitas de Morais
- Postgraduate Program in Oral Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Hannah Gil de Farias Morais
- Postgraduate Program in Oral Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Glória Maria de França
- Postgraduate Program in Oral Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Fábio Haach Téo
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hébel Cavalcanti Galvão
- Postgraduate Program in Oral Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Tuula Salo
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Institute of Oral and Maxillofacial Disease, University of Helsinki, and HUSLAB, Department of Pathology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ricardo D Coletta
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil; Graduate Program in Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roseana de Almeida Freitas
- Postgraduate Program in Oral Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
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8
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Stoletov K, Sanchez S, Gorroño I, Rabano M, Vivanco MDM, Kypta R, Lewis JD. Intravital imaging of Wnt/β-catenin and ATF2-dependent signalling pathways during tumour cell invasion and metastasis. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:286293. [PMID: 36621522 PMCID: PMC10022745 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt signalling has been implicated as a driver of tumour cell metastasis, but less is known about which branches of Wnt signalling are involved and when they act in the metastatic cascade. Here, using a unique intravital imaging platform and fluorescent reporters, we visualised β-catenin/TCF-dependent and ATF2-dependent signalling activities during human cancer cell invasion, intravasation and metastatic lesion formation in the chick embryo host. We found that cancer cells readily shifted between states of low and high canonical Wnt activity. Cancer cells that displayed low Wnt canonical activity showed higher invasion and intravasation potential in primary tumours and in metastatic lesions. In contrast, cancer cells showing low ATF2-dependent activity were significantly less invasive both at the front of primary tumours and in metastatic lesions. Simultaneous visualisation of both these reporters using a double-reporter cell line confirmed their complementary activities in primary tumours and metastatic lesions. These findings might inform the development of therapies that target different branches of Wnt signalling at specific stages of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Stoletov
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Saray Sanchez
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Irantzu Gorroño
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Miriam Rabano
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Maria D M Vivanco
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Robert Kypta
- Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain.,Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - John D Lewis
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada
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9
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Antón-García P, Haghighi EB, Rose K, Vladimirov G, Boerries M, Hecht A. TGFβ1-Induced EMT in the MCF10A Mammary Epithelial Cell Line Model Is Executed Independently of SNAIL1 and ZEB1 but Relies on JUNB-Coordinated Transcriptional Regulation. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:558. [PMID: 36672507 PMCID: PMC9856774 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) fosters cancer cell invasion and metastasis, the main cause of cancer-related mortality. Growing evidence that SNAIL and ZEB transcription factors, typically portrayed as master regulators of EMT, may be dispensable for this process, led us to re-investigate its mechanistic underpinnings. For this, we used an unbiased computational approach that integrated time-resolved analyses of chromatin structure and differential gene expression, to predict transcriptional regulators of TGFβ1-inducible EMT in the MCF10A mammary epithelial cell line model. Bioinformatic analyses indicated comparatively minor contributions of SNAIL proteins and ZEB1 to TGFβ1-induced EMT, whereas the AP-1 subunit JUNB was anticipated to have a much larger impact. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated loss-of-function studies confirmed that TGFβ1-induced EMT proceeded independently of SNAIL proteins and ZEB1. In contrast, JUNB was necessary and sufficient for EMT in MCF10A cells, but not in A549 lung cancer cells, indicating cell-type-specificity of JUNB EMT-regulatory capacity. Nonetheless, the JUNB-dependence of EMT-associated transcriptional reprogramming in MCF10A cells allowed to define a gene expression signature which was regulated by TGFβ1 in diverse cellular backgrounds, showed positively correlated expression with TGFβ signaling in multiple cancer transcriptomes, and was predictive of patient survival in several cancer types. Altogether, our findings provide novel mechanistic insights into the context-dependent control of TGFβ1-driven EMT and thereby may lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Antón-García
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Elham Bavafaye Haghighi
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center–University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katja Rose
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Georg Vladimirov
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Boerries
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center–University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Hecht
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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10
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Fröhlich J, Rose K, Hecht A. Transcriptional activity mediated by β-CATENIN and TCF/LEF family members is completely dispensable for survival and propagation of multiple human colorectal cancer cell lines. Sci Rep 2023; 13:287. [PMID: 36609428 PMCID: PMC9822887 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27261-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Unrestrained transcriptional activity of β-CATENIN and its binding partner TCF7L2 frequently underlies colorectal tumor initiation and is considered an obligatory oncogenic driver throughout intestinal carcinogenesis. Yet, the TCF7L2 gene carries inactivating mutations in about 10% of colorectal tumors and is non-essential in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. To determine whether CRC cells acquire TCF7L2-independence through cancer-specific compensation by other T-cell factor (TCF)/lymphoid enhancer-binding factor (LEF) family members, or rather lose addiction to β-CATENIN/TCF7L2-driven gene expression altogether, we generated multiple CRC cell lines entirely negative for TCF/LEF or β-CATENIN expression. Survival of these cells and the ability to propagate them demonstrate their complete β-CATENIN- and TCF/LEF-independence. Nonetheless, one β-CATENIN-deficient cell line eventually became senescent, and absence of TCF/LEF proteins and β-CATENIN consistently impaired CRC cell proliferation, reminiscent of mitogenic effects of WNT/β-CATENIN signaling in the healthy intestine. Despite this common phenotype, β-CATENIN-deficient cells exhibited highly cell-line-specific gene expression changes with little overlap between β-CATENIN- and TCF7L2-dependent transcriptomes. Apparently, β-CATENIN and TCF7L2 independently control sizeable fractions of their target genes. The observed divergence of β-CATENIN and TCF7L2 transcriptional programs, and the finding that neither β-CATENIN nor TCF/LEF activity is strictly required for CRC cell survival has important implications when evaluating these factors as potential drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Fröhlich
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.5963.9Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katja Rose
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Hecht
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104, Freiburg, Germany. .,Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany. .,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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11
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Sajadi M, Fazilti M, Nazem H, Mahdevar M, Ghaedi K. The expression changes of transcription factors including ANKZF1, LEF1, CASZ1, and ATOH1 as a predictor of survival rate in colorectal cancer: a large-scale analysis. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:339. [PMID: 36344988 PMCID: PMC9641931 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02751-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Transcription factors (TFs) are essential for many biological processes and regulate the expression of several genes. This study's objective was to analyze the abnormalities in TF expression, their impact on patient prognosis, and related pathways in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHOD The expression alterations of all TFs were investigated using the cancer genome atlas and GSE39582 data. Clinical data were also used to study the association between TFs expression and patient prognosis through the Cox regression test, and a predictive model of CRC patient survival was constructed based on TFs expression. Co-expression network was used to discover TF-related pathways. To validate the findings, the RT-qPCR method was applied to CRC samples and adjacent normal tissue. RESULTS The findings revealed that ANKZF1, SALL4, SNAI1, TIGD1, LEF1, FOXS1, SIX4, and ETV5 expression levels increased in both cohorts and were linked to the poor prognosis. NR3C2, KLF4, CASZ1, FOXD2, ATOH1, SALL1, and RORC expression, on the other hand, exhibited a significant decrease, and their increase was related to the good prognosis of patients. The patient mortality risk model based on expression of mentioned TFs revealed that, independent of clinical characteristics, the expression of ANKZF1, LEF1, CASZ1, and ATOH1 could accurately predict patient survival rates. According to the co-expression network, increased transcription factors were linked to metastatic pathways, while decreasing TFs were involved to apoptotic pathways. RT-qPCR findings showed that FOXS1 expression was markedly overexpressed in CRC samples. However, in CRC samples, the expression of CASZ1 decreased. CONCLUSION In CRC, TFs expression of ANKZF1, LEF1, CASZ1 and ATOH1 are deregulated, which are associated with prognosis in patients. According to our findings, changes in the expression of the mentioned TFs have the potential to be considered diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manizheh Sajadi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Payame Noor University, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Fazilti
- Department of Biochemistry, Payame Noor University, P.O.Box 19395-4697, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Habibollah Nazem
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Payame Noor University, Isfahan, Iran
| | | | - Kamran Ghaedi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
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12
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Chen X, Tu J, Liu C, Wang L, Yuan X. MicroRNA-621 functions as a metastasis suppressor in colorectal cancer by directly targeting LEF1 and suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Life Sci 2022; 308:120941. [PMID: 36087740 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is the leading death-causing among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Recently, a novel tumor-related microRNA, miR-621, has been identified as a tumor suppressor in diverse tumor types, but its role in CRLM remains unclear and requires further investigation. MAIN METHODS To elucidate novel regulators of CRLM progression, we used a well-established CRLM animal model. After serially transplanting human colon carcinoma cell lines Caco-2 into the liver, we obtained liver metastatic variants that exhibited a strong ability for invasion and metastasis. High-throughput sequencing was conducted on these newly established cell lines. After comparison and prediction between the two cell lines: parental Caco-2 (hereafter referred to as F0) and F3, miR-621 was identified as a candidate regulator for lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) expression. Further validation was achieved with dual-luciferase reporter assay. KEY FINDINGS The gain- and loss-of-function validation showed that miR-621 inhibits cell viability, cell cycle progression, colony formation, and proliferation in vitro. Meanwhile, miR-621 could reverse EMT malignant phenotype. LEF1, an important downstream mediator of activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, was validated as the direct functional target of miR-621. miR-621 interacts directly with the LEF1 3'-UTR and post-transcriptionally suppresses LEF1 expression. Moreover, LEF1 overexpression reversed the effect of miR-621. LEF1 silencing counteracted miR-621 down-regulation-induced effects. Further in vivo experiments revealed that miR-621 over-expression suppressed CRLM, but LEF1 abrogated the inhibitory effect of miR-621. SIGNIFICANCE MiR-621 is a vital tumor suppressor in CRC and could be a promising anti-cancer therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Chen
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jie Fang road 1095, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jingyao Tu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jie Fang road 1095, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Chaofan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jie Fang road 1095, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jie Fang road 1095, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Xianglin Yuan
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jie Fang road 1095, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
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13
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Tang L, Wang N, Wei X, Huang S, Wang P, Zheng Y, Chen L, Zhang L. Cysteine and glycine-rich protein 2 promotes hypoxic pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation through the Wnt3α-β-catenin/lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 pathway. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2022; 36:e23122. [PMID: 35695329 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is mainly characterized by abnormal pulmonary vascular hyperplasia and vascular remodeling, but its mechanism is complicated and currently unclear. Cysteine and glycine-rich protein 2 (Csrp2) has been reported to promote cell proliferation and migration, and affect cell cycle progression. As a new invasive actin-binding factor, Csrp2 increased the invasion and even metastasis of some cancer cells. It was associated with tumor recurrence and chemotherapy resistance. However, the role of Csrp2 in PH remains unknown. We found that Csrp2 expression was increased both in pulmonary arteries (PAs) and smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in PH. Csrp2 enhanced PASMC proliferation and phenotypic transition. The Wnt3α-β-catenin/lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) pathway is involved in cell proliferation and phenotypic transition regulated by Csrp2 expression. These results suggest that hypoxia downregulates YinYang-1 (YY1) and then increases Csrp2 expression. Increased Csrp2 promotes PASMC proliferation and phenotypic transition by activating the Wnt3α-β-catenin/LEF1 pathways, which leads to pulmonary vascular remodeling and even provides a new theoretical basis for studying the pathogenesis and therapeutic targets of PH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyu Tang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China.,Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, The Key Laboratory of Fujian Province Universities on Ion Channel and Signal Transduction in Cardiovascular Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China.,Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, The Key Laboratory of Fujian Province Universities on Ion Channel and Signal Transduction in Cardiovascular Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaozhen Wei
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, The Key Laboratory of Fujian Province Universities on Ion Channel and Signal Transduction in Cardiovascular Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Sirui Huang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, The Key Laboratory of Fujian Province Universities on Ion Channel and Signal Transduction in Cardiovascular Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, The Key Laboratory of Fujian Province Universities on Ion Channel and Signal Transduction in Cardiovascular Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yameng Zheng
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, The Key Laboratory of Fujian Province Universities on Ion Channel and Signal Transduction in Cardiovascular Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Liangwan Chen
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China.,Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, The Key Laboratory of Fujian Province Universities on Ion Channel and Signal Transduction in Cardiovascular Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
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14
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PHF13 epigenetically activates TGFβ driven epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:487. [PMID: 35597793 PMCID: PMC9124206 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04940-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic alteration is a pivotal factor in tumor metastasis. PHD finger protein 13 (PHF13) is a recently identified epigenetic reader of H3K4me2/3 that functions as a transcriptional co-regulator. In this study, we demonstrate that PHF13 is required for pancreatic-cancer-cell growth and metastasis. Integrative analysis of transcriptome and epigenetic profiles provide further mechanistic insights into the epigenetic regulation of genes associated with cell metastasis during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). Our data suggest PHF13 depletion impairs activation of TGFβ stimulated genes and correlates with a loss of active epigenetic marks (H3K4me3 and H3K27ac) at these genomic regions. These observations argue for a dependency of TGFβ target activation on PHF13. Furthermore, PHF13-dependent chromatin regions are enriched in broad H3K4me3 domains and super-enhancers, which control genes critical to cancer-cell migration and invasion, such as SNAI1 and SOX9. Overall, our data indicate a functional and mechanistic correlation between PHF13 and EMT.
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15
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NR4A1 promotes LEF1 expression in the pathogenesis of papillary thyroid cancer. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:46. [PMID: 35110542 PMCID: PMC8810957 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-00843-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The morbidity of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is on the rise, but its pathogenesis is still poorly understood. NR4A1 is a transcription factor primarily involving a wide range of pathophysiological responses, but its relationship with PTC malignancy remains unclear. This study demonstrates that high NR4A1 expression is strongly associated with poor survival outcomes in PTC patients. The depletion of NR4A1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of PTC cells by negating the LEF1-mediated oncogenic alteration. Mechanistically, NR4A1 directly binds to the promoter region of LEF1 and leads to crosstalk with histone acetylation and DNA demethylation to transcriptionally upregulate LEF1 expression, subsequently promoting downstream growth-related genes expressions in PTC. In the light of our findings, NR4A1 may be an emerging driving factor in PTC pathogenesis and progression.
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16
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Frey P, Devisme A, Rose K, Schrempp M, Freihen V, Andrieux G, Boerries M, Hecht A. SMAD4 mutations do not preclude epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer. Oncogene 2021; 41:824-837. [PMID: 34857888 PMCID: PMC8816731 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02128-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily signaling is a prime inducer of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMT) that foster cancer cell invasion and metastasis, a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Yet, TGFβ signaling is frequently inactivated in human tumor entities including colorectal cancer (CRC) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) with a high proportion of mutations incapacitating SMAD4, which codes for a transcription factor (TF) central to canonical TGFβ and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. Beyond its role in initiating EMT, SMAD4 was reported to crucially contribute to subsequent gene regulatory events during EMT execution. It is therefore widely assumed that SMAD4-mutant (SMAD4mut) cancer cells are unable to undergo EMT. Here, we scrutinized this notion and probed for potential SMAD4-independent EMT execution using SMAD4mut CRC cell lines. We show that SMAD4mut cells exhibit morphological changes, become invasive, and regulate EMT marker genes upon induction of the EMT-TF SNAIL1. Furthermore, SNAIL1-induced EMT in SMAD4mut cells was found to be entirely independent of TGFβ/BMP receptor activity. Global assessment of the SNAIL1-dependent transcriptome confirmed the manifestation of an EMT gene regulatory program in SMAD4mut cells highly related to established EMT signatures. Finally, analyses of human tumor transcriptomes showed that SMAD4 mutations are not underrepresented in mesenchymal tumor samples and that expression patterns of EMT-associated genes are similar in SMAD4mut and SMAD4 wild-type (SMAD4wt) cases. Altogether, our findings suggest that alternative TFs take over the gene regulatory functions of SMAD4 downstream of EMT-TFs, arguing for considerable plasticity of gene regulatory networks operating in EMT execution. Further, they establish that EMT is not categorically precluded in SMAD4mut tumors, which is relevant for their diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Frey
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Antoine Devisme
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katja Rose
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Monika Schrempp
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Vivien Freihen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Geoffroy Andrieux
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melanie Boerries
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Freiburg, Germany, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Hecht
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. .,Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. .,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. .,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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17
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Greco L, Rubbino F, Morelli A, Gaiani F, Grizzi F, de’Angelis GL, Malesci A, Laghi L. Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition: A Challenging Playground for Translational Research. Current Models and Focus on TWIST1 Relevance and Gastrointestinal Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111469. [PMID: 34768901 PMCID: PMC8584071 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Resembling the development of cancer by multistep carcinogenesis, the evolution towards metastasis involves several passages, from local invasion and intravasation, encompassing surviving anoikis into the circulation, landing at distant sites and therein establishing colonization, possibly followed by the outgrowth of macroscopic lesions. Within this cascade, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) works as a pleiotropic program enabling cancer cells to overcome local, systemic, and distant barriers against diffusion by replacing traits and functions of the epithelial signature with mesenchymal-like ones. Along the transition, a full-blown mesenchymal phenotype may not be accomplished. Rather, the plasticity of the program and its dependency on heterotopic signals implies a pendulum with oscillations towards its reversal, that is mesenchymal to epithelial transition. Cells in intermixed E⇔M states can also display stemness, enabling their replication together with the epithelial reversion next to successful distant colonization. If we aim to include the EMT among the hallmarks of cancer that could modify clinical practice, the gap between the results pursued in basic research by animal models and those achieved in translational research by surrogate biomarkers needs to be filled. We review the knowledge on EMT, derived from models and mechanistic studies as well as from translational studies, with an emphasis on gastrointestinal cancers (GI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Greco
- Laboratory of Molecular Gastroenterology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (L.G.); (F.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Federica Rubbino
- Laboratory of Molecular Gastroenterology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (L.G.); (F.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Alessandra Morelli
- Laboratory of Molecular Gastroenterology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (L.G.); (F.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Federica Gaiani
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (F.G.); (G.L.d.)
- Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, University-Hospital of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Fabio Grizzi
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy;
| | - Gian Luigi de’Angelis
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (F.G.); (G.L.d.)
- Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, University-Hospital of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Alberto Malesci
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy;
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
| | - Luigi Laghi
- Laboratory of Molecular Gastroenterology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (L.G.); (F.R.); (A.M.)
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (F.G.); (G.L.d.)
- Correspondence:
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18
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Yang Y, Feng M, Bai L, Liao W, Zhou K, Zhang M, Wu Q, Wen F, Lei W, Zhang P, Zhang N, Huang J, Li Q. Comprehensive analysis of EMT-related genes and lncRNAs in the prognosis, immunity, and drug treatment of colorectal cancer. J Transl Med 2021; 19:391. [PMID: 34526059 PMCID: PMC8444417 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-03065-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND EMT is an important biological process in the mechanism of tumor invasion and metastasis. However, there are still many unknowns about the specific mechanism of EMT in tumor. At present, a comprehensive analysis of EMT-related genes in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still lacking. METHODS All the data were downloaded from public databases including TCGA database (488 tumor samples and 52 normal samples) as the training set and the GEO database (GSE40967 including 566 tumor samples and 19 normal samples, GSE12945 including 62 tumor samples, GSE17536 including 177 tumor samples, GSE17537 including 55 tumor samples) as the validation sets. One hundred and sixty-six EMT-related genes (EMT-RDGs) were selected from the Molecular Signatures Database. Bioinformatics methods were used to analyze the correlation between EMT-RDGs and CRC prognosis, metastasis, drug efficacy, and immunity. RESULTS We finally obtained nine prognostic-related EMT-RDGs (FGF8, NOG, PHLDB2, SIX2, SNAI1, TBX5, TIAM1, TWIST1, TCF15) through differential expression analysis, Unicox and Lasso regression analysis, and then constructed a risk prognosis model. There were significant differences in clinical characteristics, 22 immune cells, and immune functions between the high-risk and low-risk groups and the different states of the nine prognostic-related EMT-RDGs. The methylation level and mutation status of nine prognostic-related EMT-RDGs all affect their regulation of EMT. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was also constructed by the methylation sites of nine prognostic-related EMT-RDGs. In addition, the expression of FGF8, PHLDB2, SIX2, and SNAIL was higher and the expression level of NOG and TWIST1 was lower in the non-metastasis CRC group. Nine prognostic-related EMT-RDGs also affected the drug treatment response of CRC. CONCLUSIONS Targeting these nine prognostic-related EMT-RDGs can regulate CRC metastasis and immune, which is beneficial for the prognosis of CRC patients, improve drug sensitivity in CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mingyang Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - LiangLiang Bai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Weiting Liao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Kexun Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mengxi Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiuji Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Feng Wen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wanting Lei
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiaxing Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiu Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. .,West China Biomedical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, No. 37, GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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19
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Xue Y, Wang P, Jiang F, Yu J, Ding H, Zhang Z, Pei H, Li B. A Newly Identified lncBCAS1-4_1 Associated With Vitamin D Signaling and EMT in Ovarian Cancer Cells. Front Oncol 2021; 11:691500. [PMID: 34422647 PMCID: PMC8377733 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.691500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were identified rapidly due to their important role in many biological processes and human diseases including cancer. 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3] and its analogues are widely applied as preventative and therapeutic anticancer agents. However, the expression profile of lncRNAs regulated by 1α,25(OH)2D3 in ovarian cancer remains to be clarified. In the present study, we found 606 lncRNAs and 102 mRNAs that showed differential expression (DE) based on microarray data. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that the DE genes were mainly enriched in TGF-β, MAPK, Ras, PI3K-Akt, and Hippo signaling pathways, as well as the vitamin D-related pathway. We further assessed the potential lncRNAs that linked vitamin D signaling with EMT, and lncBCAS1-4_1 was identified in the first time. Moreover, we found that the most upregulated lncBCAS1-4_1 showed 75% same transcripts with CYP24A1 (metabolic enzyme of 1α,25(OH)2D3). Finally, the lncBCAS1-4_1 gain-of-function cell model was established, which demonstrated that the knockdown of lncBCAS1-4_1 inhibited the proliferation and migration of ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, lncBCAS1-4_1 could resist the antitumor effect of 1α,25(OH)2D3, which was associated with upregulated ZEB1. These data provide new evidences that lncRNAs served as a target for the antitumor effect of 1α,25(OH)2D3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqi Xue
- Deparment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Department of Clinical Nutrition, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Deparment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Fei Jiang
- Deparment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jing Yu
- Deparment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Hongmei Ding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zengli Zhang
- Deparment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Hailong Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Bingyan Li
- Deparment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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20
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Li Y, Xing BX, Wang YH, Yu S, Zhao H, Lv QQ, Lu CX. CTHRC1 promotes growth, migration and invasion of trophoblasts via reciprocal Wnt/β-catenin regulation. J Cell Commun Signal 2021; 16:63-74. [PMID: 34043142 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-021-00625-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication that is characterized by high blood pressure and is associated with high maternal and fetal morbidities. At a mechanistic level, PE is characterized by reduced invasion ability of trophoblasts. Collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1) is a well-known tumor-promoting factor in several malignant tumors, but its role in trophoblasts remains unknown. In this study, we characterized the expression of CTHRC1 in placenta tissue samples from PE pregnancies and from normal pregnancies. We used the trophoblasts cell lines HTR-8/SVneo and JEG-3 to investigate the role of CTHRC1 in cell migration, invasion and proliferation. Western blot, PCR and TOP/FOP luciferase activity assays were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying these cell behaviors. Placenta tissue samples obtained from pregnant women with PE expressed lower levels of CTHRC1 than those of placenta tissues from women with normal pregnancies. Down-regulation of CTHRC1 impaired cell proliferation, migration and invasion of trophoblasts, while CTHRC1 overexpression promoted nuclear translocation of β-catenin, a result that was further confirmed by TOP/FOP luciferase activity assay. Our findings suggest that CTHRC1 promotes migration and invasion of trophoblasts via reciprocal Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Down-regulation of CTHRC1 may be a potential mechanism underpinning the development of preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 266003, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Bao-Xiang Xing
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 266003, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yi-Hao Wang
- Department of Pain Medicine, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, 266011, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Sha Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 266003, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Han Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 266003, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Qing-Qing Lv
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 266003, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Cai-Xia Lu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 266003, Qingdao, Shandong, China. .,, 16 Jiangsu Road, 266003, Qingdao, China.
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21
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He Q, Li Z, Yin J, Li Y, Yin Y, Lei X, Zhu W. Prognostic Significance of Autophagy-Relevant Gene Markers in Colorectal Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:566539. [PMID: 33937013 PMCID: PMC8081889 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.566539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant solid tumor with an extremely low survival rate after relapse. Previous investigations have shown that autophagy possesses a crucial function in tumors. However, there is no consensus on the value of autophagy-associated genes in predicting the prognosis of CRC patients. This work screens autophagy-related markers and signaling pathways that may participate in the development of CRC, and establishes a prognostic model of CRC based on autophagy-associated genes. Methods Gene transcripts from the TCGA database and autophagy-associated gene data from the GeneCards database were used to obtain expression levels of autophagy-associated genes, followed by Wilcox tests to screen for autophagy-related differentially expressed genes. Then, 11 key autophagy-associated genes were identified through univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis and used to establish prognostic models. Additionally, immunohistochemical and CRC cell line data were used to evaluate the results of our three autophagy-associated genes EPHB2, NOL3, and SNAI1 in TCGA. Based on the multivariate Cox analysis, risk scores were calculated and used to classify samples into high-risk and low-risk groups. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, risk profiling, and independent prognosis analysis were carried out. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to estimate the specificity and sensitivity of the prognostic model. Finally, GSEA, GO, and KEGG analysis were performed to identify the relevant signaling pathways. Results A total of 301 autophagy-related genes were differentially expressed in CRC. The areas under the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year receiver operating characteristic curves of the autophagy-based prognostic model for CRC were 0.764, 0.751, and 0.729, respectively. GSEA analysis of the model showed significant enrichment in several tumor-relevant pathways and cellular protective biological processes. The expression of EPHB2, IL-13, MAP2, RPN2, and TRAF5 was correlated with microsatellite instability (MSI), while the expression of IL-13, RPN2, and TRAF5 was related to tumor mutation burden (TMB). GO analysis showed that the 11 target autophagy genes were chiefly enriched in mRNA processing, RNA splicing, and regulation of the mRNA metabolic process. KEGG analysis showed enrichment mainly in spliceosomes. We constructed a prognostic risk assessment model based on 11 autophagy-related genes in CRC. Conclusion A prognostic risk assessment model based on 11 autophagy-associated genes was constructed in CRC. The new model suggests directions and ideas for evaluating prognosis and provides guidance to choose better treatment strategies for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinglian He
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Ziqi Li
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Jinbao Yin
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Yuling Li
- Department of Pathology, Dongguan People's Hospital, Southern Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Yuting Yin
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Xue Lei
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
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22
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Satu MS, Khan MI, Rahman MR, Howlader KC, Roy S, Roy SS, Quinn JMW, Moni MA. Diseasome and comorbidities complexities of SARS-CoV-2 infection with common malignant diseases. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:1415-1429. [PMID: 33539530 PMCID: PMC7929360 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
With the increasing number of immunoinflammatory complexities, cancer patients have a higher risk of serious disease outcomes and mortality with SARS-CoV-2 infection which is still not clear. In this study, we aimed to identify infectome, diseasome and comorbidities between COVID-19 and cancer via comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to identify the synergistic severity of the cancer patient for SARS-CoV-2 infection. We utilized transcriptomic datasets of SARS-CoV-2 and different cancers from Gene Expression Omnibus and Array Express Database to develop a bioinformatics pipeline and software tools to analyze a large set of transcriptomic data and identify the pathobiological relationships between the disease conditions. Our bioinformatics approach revealed commonly dysregulated genes (MARCO, VCAN, ACTB, LGALS1, HMOX1, TIMP1, OAS2, GAPDH, MSH3, FN1, NPC2, JUND, CHI3L1, GPNMB, SYTL2, CASP1, S100A8, MYO10, IGFBP3, APCDD1, COL6A3, FABP5, PRDX3, CLEC1B, DDIT4, CXCL10 and CXCL8), common gene ontology (GO), molecular pathways between SARS-CoV-2 infections and cancers. This work also shows the synergistic complexities of SARS-CoV-2 infections for cancer patients through the gene set enrichment and semantic similarity. These results highlighted the immune systems, cell activation and cytokine production GO pathways that were observed in SARS-CoV-2 infections as well as breast, lungs, colon, kidney and thyroid cancers. This work also revealed ribosome biogenesis, wnt signaling pathway, ribosome, chemokine and cytokine pathways that are commonly deregulated in cancers and COVID-19. Thus, our bioinformatics approach and tools revealed interconnections in terms of significant genes, GO, pathways between SARS-CoV-2 infections and malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Shahriare Satu
- Department of Management Information Systems, Noakhali Science & Technology University, Bangladesh
| | - Md Imran Khan
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Gono Bishwabidyalay, Bangladesh
| | - Md Rezanur Rahman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Biomedical Science, Khwaja Yunus Ali University, Enayetpur, Sirajganj, Bangladesh
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh
| | - Koushik Chandra Howlader
- Department of Computer Science and Telecommunication Engineering, Noakhali Science & Technology University, Bangladesh
| | - Shatabdi Roy
- Department of Computer Science and Telecommunication Engineering, Noakhali Science & Technology University, Bangladesh
| | - Shuvo Saha Roy
- Department of Computer Science and Telecommunication Engineering, Noakhali Science & Technology University, Bangladesh
| | - Julian M W Quinn
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Healthy Ageing Theme, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Mohammad Ali Moni
- Department of Management Information Systems, Noakhali Science & Technology University, Bangladesh
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Healthy Ageing Theme, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
- WHO Collaborating Centre on eHealth, UNSW Digital Health, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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23
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Diagnostic Utility of LEF1 Immunohistochemistry in Differentiating Deep Penetrating Nevi From Histologic Mimics. Am J Surg Pathol 2020; 44:1413-1418. [PMID: 32520758 DOI: 10.1097/pas.0000000000001513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Deep penetrating nevi (DPNs) are intermediate grade lesions which have the capacity to recur, metastasize, or progress to melanoma. Differentiating DPN from other melanocytic lesions including blue and cellular blue nevi can be diagnostically challenging, and markers to distinguish these entities can be useful. Mutations of the β-catenin and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways have recently been elucidated as distinctive of DPN. This pathway can subsequently activate lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1), a transcription factor shown to facilitate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition to propagate tumorigenesis. Seventy-two cases in total were examined on hematoxylin and eosin sections and with β-catenin and LEF1 immunohistochemistry. This included: DPN (14), cellular blue nevi (19), blue nevi (15), congenital melanocytic nevi (12), and melanoma (12). Nuclear expression of LEF1, present throughout the entire depth of the lesion, was noted in 13/14 (93%) of DPN, 0/19 (0%) of cellular blue nevi, 0/15 (0%) of blue nevi, 1/12 (8%) of congenital melanocytic nevi, and 9/12 (75%) of melanoma cases. Nuclear expression of β-catenin, present throughout the entire depth of the lesion, was noted in 14/14 (100%) of DPN, 0/18 (0%) of cellular blue nevi, 0/15 (0%) of blue nevi, 1/12 (8%) of congenital melanocytic nevi, and 1/12 (8%) of melanoma cases. A majority of congenital melanocytic nevi demonstrated a gradient of LEF1 and β-catenin expression with more intense staining superficially and loss of staining with increasing depth. Deep, uniform nuclear LEF1 combined with β-catenin immunohistochemical staining can be useful in distinguishing DPN from histologic mimics.
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24
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Mohammadinejad R, Biagioni A, Arunkumar G, Shapiro R, Chang KC, Sedeeq M, Taiyab A, Hashemabadi M, Pardakhty A, Mandegary A, Thiery JP, Aref AR, Azimi I. EMT signaling: potential contribution of CRISPR/Cas gene editing. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:2701-2722. [PMID: 32008085 PMCID: PMC11104910 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03449-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex plastic and reversible cellular process that has critical roles in diverse physiological and pathological phenomena. EMT is involved in embryonic development, organogenesis and tissue repair, as well as in fibrosis, cancer metastasis and drug resistance. In recent years, the ability to edit the genome using the clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and associated protein (Cas) system has greatly contributed to identify or validate critical genes in pathway signaling. This review delineates the complex EMT networks and discusses recent studies that have used CRISPR/Cas technology to further advance our understanding of the EMT process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Mohammadinejad
- Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Alessio Biagioni
- Section of Experimental Pathology and Oncology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ganesan Arunkumar
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rebecca Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Kun-Che Chang
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94303, USA
| | - Mohammed Sedeeq
- Division of Pharmacy, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Aftab Taiyab
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Mohammad Hashemabadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Pardakhty
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ali Mandegary
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology and Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Jean-Paul Thiery
- Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health, Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Amir Reza Aref
- Department of Medical Oncology, Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Iman Azimi
- Division of Pharmacy, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
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25
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Wenzel J, Rose K, Haghighi EB, Lamprecht C, Rauen G, Freihen V, Kesselring R, Boerries M, Hecht A. Loss of the nuclear Wnt pathway effector TCF7L2 promotes migration and invasion of human colorectal cancer cells. Oncogene 2020; 39:3893-3909. [PMID: 32203164 PMCID: PMC7203011 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1259-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor TCF7L2 is indispensable for intestinal tissue homeostasis where it transmits mitogenic Wnt/β-Catenin signals in stem and progenitor cells, from which intestinal tumors arise. Yet, TCF7L2 belongs to the most frequently mutated genes in colorectal cancer (CRC), and tumor-suppressive functions of TCF7L2 were proposed. This apparent paradox warrants to clarify the role of TCF7L2 in colorectal carcinogenesis. Here, we investigated TCF7L2 dependence/independence of CRC cells and the cellular and molecular consequences of TCF7L2 loss-of-function. By genome editing we achieved complete TCF7L2 inactivation in several CRC cell lines without loss of viability, showing that CRC cells have widely lost the strict requirement for TCF7L2. TCF7L2 deficiency impaired G1/S progression, reminiscent of the physiological role of TCF7L2. In addition, TCF7L2-negative cells exhibited morphological changes, enhanced migration, invasion, and collagen adhesion, albeit the severity of the phenotypic alterations manifested in a cell-line-specific fashion. To provide a molecular framework for the observed cellular changes, we performed global transcriptome profiling and identified gene-regulatory networks in which TCF7L2 positively regulates the proto-oncogene MYC, while repressing the cell cycle inhibitors CDKN2C/CDKN2D. Consistent with its function in curbing cell motility and invasion, TCF7L2 directly suppresses the pro-metastatic transcription factor RUNX2 and impinges on the expression of cell adhesion molecules. Altogether, we conclude that the proliferation-stimulating activity of TCF7L2 persists in CRC cells. In addition, TCF7L2 acts as invasion suppressor. Despite its negative impact on cell cycle progression, TCF7L2 loss-of-function may thereby increase malignancy, which could explain why TCF7L2 is mutated in a sizeable fraction of colorectal tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Wenzel
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katja Rose
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Elham Bavafaye Haghighi
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Breisacherstr. 153, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Constanze Lamprecht
- Institute of Physics, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 3a, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technology (FIT), University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 105, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gilles Rauen
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Vivien Freihen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Kesselring
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Center for Surgery, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Straße 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Boerries
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Breisacherstr. 153, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Hugstetter Straße 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Hecht
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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26
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Canonical BMP Signaling Executes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Downstream of SNAIL1. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12041019. [PMID: 32326239 PMCID: PMC7226241 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12041019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a pivotal process in development and disease. In carcinogenesis, various signaling pathways are known to trigger EMT by inducing the expression of EMT transcription factors (EMT-TFs) like SNAIL1, ultimately promoting invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance. However, how EMT is executed downstream of EMT-TFs is incompletely understood. Here, using human colorectal cancer (CRC) and mammary cell line models of EMT, we demonstrate that SNAIL1 critically relies on bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling for EMT execution. This activity requires the transcription factor SMAD4 common to BMP/TGFβ pathways, but is TGFβ signaling-independent. Further, we define a signature of BMP-dependent genes in the EMT-transcriptome, which orchestrate EMT-induced invasiveness, and are found to be regulated in human CRC transcriptomes and in developmental EMT processes. Collectively, our findings substantially augment the knowledge of mechanistic routes whereby EMT can be effectuated, which is relevant for the conceptual understanding and therapeutic targeting of EMT processes.
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27
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Polvani S, Pepe S, Milani S, Galli A. COUP-TFII in Health and Disease. Cells 2019; 9:E101. [PMID: 31906104 PMCID: PMC7016888 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear receptors (NRs) belong to a vast family of evolutionary conserved proteins acting as ligand-activated transcription factors. Functionally, NRs are essential in embryogenesis and organogenesis and in adulthood they are involved in almost every physiological and pathological process. Our knowledge of NRs action has greatly improved in recent years, demonstrating that both their expression and activity are tightly regulated by a network of signaling pathways, miRNA and reciprocal interactions. The Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter Transcription Factor II (COUP-TFII, NR2F2) is a NR classified as an orphan due to the lack of a known natural ligand. Although its expression peaks during development, and then decreases considerably, in adult tissues, COUP-TFII is an important regulator of differentiation and it is variably implicated in tissues homeostasis. As such, alterations of its expression or its transcriptional activity have been studied and linked to a spectrum of diseases in organs and tissues of different origins. Indeed, an altered COUP-TFII expression and activity may cause infertility, abnormality in the vascular system and metabolic diseases like diabetes. Moreover, COUP-TFII is actively investigated in cancer research but its role in tumor progression is yet to be fully understood. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of COUP-TFII in healthy and pathological conditions, proposing an updated and critical view of the many functions of this NR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Polvani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy; (S.P.); (S.M.)
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, largo Brambilla 50, 50139 Firenze, Italy
| | - Sara Pepe
- Istituto per la Ricerca, la Prevenzione e la rete Oncologica (ISPRO), viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy;
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, via M. Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Milani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy; (S.P.); (S.M.)
| | - Andrea Galli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy; (S.P.); (S.M.)
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