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Keyimu R, Tuerdi M, Zhao Z. MSX2 represses tumor stem cell phenotypes within oral squamous cell carcinomas via SOX2 degradation. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2021; 246:2660-2670. [PMID: 34435915 PMCID: PMC8669173 DOI: 10.1177/15353702211041029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth malignancy in the world with high incidence. The MSX2 (muscle segment homeobox 2)-Sry-related high-mobility box 2 (SOX2) signaling pathway plays a significant role in maintaining cancer stem cells, which are the origin of malignancy, leading to unfavorable outcomes in several carcinomas. This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms through which the MSX2-SOX2 pathway controls the cancer stem cell-like characterization in OSCC. The results showed that MSX2 was remarkably downregulated in OSCC and that the MSX2 expression level was related to unfavorable outcomes in patients with OSCC. Meanwhile, the MSX2 expression level was lower in the CD44+/CD24- population than in the other populations of OSCC cells. The OSCC2 cells exhibited decreased percentage of CD44+/CD24- cells, owing to MSX2 overexpression but increased owing to MSX2 knockdown. Moreover, a negative correlation was observed between MSX2 expression and is SOX2 transcriptional levels in different populations within the OSCC cell lines. Regarding the loss and gain of function, cancer stem cell phenotypes such as tumor globular formation, CD44+ subpopulation cells, and stem cell-associated gene expression were enhanced by MSX2 knockdown in OSCC CD44+/CD24- cells but decreased by MSX2 overexpression in other OSCC populations. However, these events were counteracted by the co-knockdown or SOX2 overexpression. Cells with MSX2 overexpression or knockdown formed smaller or bigger cancers in vivo, thereby showing a lower or a higher tumor incidence, respectively. Thus, our results confirm that MSX2 has a tumor suppression effect on the cancer stem cell phenotypes of OSCC and indicate that the MSX2-SOX2 signaling pathway could be a useful target for OSCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reziwan Keyimu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Maimaitituxun Tuerdi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma and Orthognathic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital (Stomatological Hospital) of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Zhihe Zhao
- National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Chengdu 610041, China
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Wu Q, Zhang L, Su P, Lei X, Liu X, Wang H, Lu L, Bai Y, Xiong T, Li D, Zhu Z, Duan E, Jiang E, Feng S, Han M, Xu Y, Wang F, Zhou J. MSX2 mediates entry of human pluripotent stem cells into mesendoderm by simultaneously suppressing SOX2 and activating NODAL signaling. Cell Res 2015; 25:1314-32. [PMID: 26427715 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2015.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
How BMP signaling integrates into and destabilizes the pluripotency circuitry of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to initiate differentiation into individual germ layers is a long-standing puzzle. Here we report muscle segment homeobox 2 (MSX2), a homeobox transcription factor of msh family, as a direct target gene of BMP signaling and a master mediator of hPSCs' differentiation to mesendoderm. Enforced expression of MSX2 suffices to abolish pluripotency and induce directed mesendoderm differentiation of hPSCs, while MSX2 depletion impairs mesendoderm induction. MSX2 is a direct target gene of the BMP pathway in hPSCs, and can be synergistically activated by Wnt signals via LEF1 during mesendoderm induction. Furthermore, MSX2 destabilizes the pluripotency circuitry through direct binding to the SOX2 promoter and repression of SOX2 transcription, while MSX2 controls mesendoderm lineage commitment by simultaneous suppression of SOX2 and induction of NODAL expression through direct binding and activation of the Nodal promoter. Interestingly, SOX2 can promote the degradation of MSX2 protein, suggesting a mutual antagonism between the two lineage-specifying factors in the control of stem cell fate. Together, our findings reveal crucial new mechanisms of destabilizing pluripotency and directing lineage commitment in hPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Leisheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Pei Su
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohua Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hongtao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lisha Lu
- College of Life Sciences at Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434025, China
| | - Yang Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Xiong
- College of Life Sciences at Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434025, China
| | - Dong Li
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Third People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 201900, China
| | - Zhengmao Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Enkui Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Erlie Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Sizhou Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Mingzhe Han
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanfu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jiaxi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin 300020, China.,Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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