1
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Gallardo A, López-Onieva L, Belmonte-Reche E, Fernández-Rengel I, Serrano-Prados A, Molina A, Sánchez-Pozo A, Landeira D. EZH2 represses mesenchymal genes and upholds the epithelial state of breast carcinoma cells. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:609. [PMID: 39174513 PMCID: PMC11341823 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-07011-y] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Emerging studies support that the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) regulates phenotypic changes of carcinoma cells by modulating their shifts among metastable states within the epithelial and mesenchymal spectrum. This new role of PRC2 in cancer has been recently proposed to stem from the ability of its catalytic subunit EZH2 to bind and modulate the transcription of mesenchymal genes during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung cancer cells. Here, we asked whether this mechanism is conserved in other types of carcinomas. By combining TGF-β-mediated reversible induction of epithelial to mesenchymal transition and inhibition of EZH2 methyltransferase activity, we demonstrate that EZH2 represses a large set of mesenchymal genes and favours the residence of breast cancer cells towards the more epithelial spectrum during EMT. In agreement, analysis of human patient samples supports that EZH2 is required to efficiently repress mesenchymal genes in breast cancer tumours. Our results indicate that PRC2 operates through similar mechanisms in breast and lung cancer cells. We propose that PRC2-mediated direct transcriptional modulation of the mesenchymal gene expression programme is a conserved molecular mechanism underlying cell dissemination across human carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amador Gallardo
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenida de la Ilustración 114, 18016, Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Lourdes López-Onieva
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenida de la Ilustración 114, 18016, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Science, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Efres Belmonte-Reche
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenida de la Ilustración 114, 18016, Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Iván Fernández-Rengel
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenida de la Ilustración 114, 18016, Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Andrea Serrano-Prados
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenida de la Ilustración 114, 18016, Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Aldara Molina
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenida de la Ilustración 114, 18016, Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Antonio Sánchez-Pozo
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenida de la Ilustración 114, 18016, Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - David Landeira
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenida de la Ilustración 114, 18016, Granada, Spain.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain.
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2
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Casanova AG, Roth GS, Hausmann S, Lu X, Bischoff LJM, Froeliger EM, Belmudes L, Bourova-Flin E, Flores NM, Benitez AM, Chasan T, Caporicci M, Vayr J, Blanchet S, Ielasi F, Rousseaux S, Hainaut P, Gozani O, Le Romancer M, Couté Y, Palencia A, Mazur PK, Reynoird N. Cytoskeleton remodeling induced by SMYD2 methyltransferase drives breast cancer metastasis. Cell Discov 2024; 10:12. [PMID: 38296970 PMCID: PMC10830559 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-023-00644-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Malignant forms of breast cancer refractory to existing therapies remain a major unmet health issue, primarily due to metastatic spread. A better understanding of the mechanisms at play will provide better insights for alternative treatments to prevent breast cancer cell dispersion. Here, we identify the lysine methyltransferase SMYD2 as a clinically actionable master regulator of breast cancer metastasis. While SMYD2 is overexpressed in aggressive breast cancers, we notice that it is not required for primary tumor growth. However, mammary-epithelium specific SMYD2 ablation increases mouse overall survival by blocking the primary tumor cell ability to metastasize. Mechanistically, we identify BCAR3 as a genuine physiological substrate of SMYD2 in breast cancer cells. BCAR3 monomethylated at lysine K334 (K334me1) is recognized by a novel methyl-binding domain present in FMNLs proteins. These actin cytoskeleton regulators are recruited at the cell edges by the SMYD2 methylation signaling and modulate lamellipodia properties. Breast cancer cells with impaired BCAR3 methylation lose migration and invasiveness capacity in vitro and are ineffective in promoting metastases in vivo. Remarkably, SMYD2 pharmacologic inhibition efficiently impairs the metastatic spread of breast cancer cells, PDX and aggressive mammary tumors from genetically engineered mice. This study provides a rationale for innovative therapeutic prevention of malignant breast cancer metastatic progression by targeting the SMYD2-BCAR3-FMNL axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre G Casanova
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Gael S Roth
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
- Clinique Universitaire d'Hépato-gastroentérologie et Oncologie digestive, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Simone Hausmann
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaoyin Lu
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ludivine J M Bischoff
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Emilie M Froeliger
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Lucid Belmudes
- Grenoble Alpes University, CEA, INSERM, UA13 BGE, CNRS CEA, FR2048, Grenoble, France
| | - Ekaterina Bourova-Flin
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Natasha M Flores
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ana Morales Benitez
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tourkian Chasan
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Marcello Caporicci
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jessica Vayr
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Sandrine Blanchet
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Francesco Ielasi
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Sophie Rousseaux
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Pierre Hainaut
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Or Gozani
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Muriel Le Romancer
- Université de Lyon, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Inserm U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France
| | - Yohann Couté
- Grenoble Alpes University, CEA, INSERM, UA13 BGE, CNRS CEA, FR2048, Grenoble, France
| | - Andres Palencia
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Pawel K Mazur
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Nicolas Reynoird
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U 1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France.
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3
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Casanova AG, Roth GS, Hausmann S, Lu X, Belmudes L, Bourova-Flin E, Flores NM, Benitez AM, Caporicci M, Vayr J, Blanchet S, Ielasi F, Rousseaux S, Hainaut P, Gozani O, Couté Y, Palencia A, Mazur PK, Reynoird N. Cytoskeleton remodeling induced by SMYD2 methyltransferase drives breast cancer metastasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.18.558201. [PMID: 37790557 PMCID: PMC10542120 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.18.558201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Malignant forms of breast cancer refractory to existing therapies remain a major unmet health issue, primarily due to metastatic spread. A better understanding of the mechanisms at play will provide better insights for alternative treatments to prevent breast cancer cells dispersion. Here, we identify the lysine methyltransferase SMYD2 as a clinically actionable master regulator of breast cancer metastasis. While SMYD2 is overexpressed in aggressive breast cancers, we notice that it is not required for primary tumor growth. However, mammary-epithelium specific SMYD2 ablation increases mouse overall survival by blocking the primary tumor cells ability to metastasize. Mechanistically, we identify BCAR3 as a genuine physiological substrate of SMYD2 in breast cancer cells. BCAR3 monomethylated at lysine K334 (K334me1) is recognized by a novel methyl-binding domain present in FMNLs proteins. These actin cytoskeleton regulators are recruited at the cell edges by the SMYD2 methylation signaling and modulates lamellipodia properties. Breast cancer cells with impaired BCAR3 methylation loose migration and invasiveness capacity in vitro and are ineffective in promoting metastases in vivo . Remarkably, SMYD2 pharmacologic inhibition efficiently impairs the metastatic spread of breast cancer cells, PDX and aggressive mammary tumors from genetically engineered mice. This study provides a rationale for innovative therapeutic prevention of malignant breast cancer metastatic progression by targeting the SMYD2-BCAR3-FMNL axis.
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4
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Gautam N, Kaur S, Kashyap S. EZH2 Expression and Survival for ER+/tamoxifen Treated Breast Cancer Patients with rs2302427 C>G: A Novel Prognostic and Risk Predictive Biomarker. Arch Med Res 2023:102852. [PMID: 37438214 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2023.102852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Overexpression of the EZH2 gene silences several genes involved in DNA repair, cell-cell adhesion, and tumor suppressor genes, resulting in the development of several types of cancers. In the present study, a genetic polymorphism analysis was performed by selecting three SNPs (rs.2302427C>G, rs.3757441C>T, and rs.6950683T>C) of the EZH2 gene based on our previous in silico studies. METHODS A total of 250 breast cancer patients and 250 healthy individuals were recruited for the study. Patients with pre-operative breast cancer with different clinical-pathological variables and age-matched healthy women were recruited for the EZH2 gene expression analysis. RESULTS The genetic polymorphism analysis revealed two SNPs (rs.2302427C>G and rs.6950683T>C) of the three studied SNPs of the EZH2 gene have a protective role in all three genetic models. The haplotype analysis predicted that two haplotypes ACGT and ACGC were significantly associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS Three significant findings of the SNP rs.2302427C>G (Asp193His) i.e., protective role against breast cancer, survival advantage in ER+/tamoxifen treated breast cancer patients, and decreased expression due to the presence of mutant GG genotype, suggests considering it as an important prognostic biomarker for a good survival outcome of breast cancer patients treated with ER+/tamoxifen. Compared with other studies, the other SNP rs.3757441T>C was observed to have a protective effect in breast cancer biology but plays an antagonistic role in colorectal cancer (CRC) biology. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed study on computationally validated EZH2 SNPs in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Gautam
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, Punjabi University, Patiala, India.
| | - Satbir Kaur
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, Punjabi University, Patiala, India
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Day CA, Hinchcliffe EH, Robinson JP. H3K27me3 in Diffuse Midline Glioma and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Opposing Epigenetic Changes Leading to the Same Poor Outcomes. Cells 2022; 11:cells11213376. [PMID: 36359771 PMCID: PMC9655269 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone post-translational modifications modulate gene expression through epigenetic gene regulation. The core histone H3 family members, H3.1, H3.2, and H3.3, play a central role in epigenetics. H3 histones can acquire many post-translational modifications, including the trimethylation of H3K27 (H3K27me3), which represses transcription. Triple methylation of H3K27 is performed by the histone methyltransferase Enhancer of Zeste Homologue 2 (EZH2), a component of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2. Both global increases and decreases in H3K27me3 have been implicated in a wide range of cancer types. Here, we explore how opposing changes in H3K27me3 contribute to cancer by highlighting its role in two vastly different cancer types; (1) a form of glioma known as diffuse midline glioma H3K27-altered and (2) epithelial ovarian cancer. These two cancers vary widely in the age of onset, sex, associated mutations, and cell and organ type. However, both diffuse midline glioma and ovarian cancer have dysregulation of H3K27 methylation, triggering changes to the cancer cell transcriptome. In diffuse midline glioma, the loss of H3K27 methylation is a primary driving factor in tumorigenesis that promotes glial cell stemness and silences tumor suppressor genes. Conversely, hypermethylation of H3K27 occurs in late-stage epithelial ovarian cancer, which promotes tumor vascularization and tumor cell migration. By using each cancer type as a case study, this review emphasizes the importance of H3K27me3 in cancer while demonstrating that the mechanisms of histone H3 modification and subsequent gene expression changes are not a one-size-fits-all across cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A. Day
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Edward H. Hinchcliffe
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - James P. Robinson
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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6
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PAR-Induced Harnessing of EZH2 to β-Catenin: Implications for Colorectal Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158758. [PMID: 35955891 PMCID: PMC9368822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in a wide array of physiological and disease functions, yet knowledge of their role in colon cancer stem cell maintenance is still lacking. In addition, the molecular mechanisms underlying GPCR-induced post-translational signaling regulation are poorly understood. Here, we find that protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) unexpectedly acts as a potent oncogene, inducing β-catenin stability and transcriptional activity. Both PAR4 and PAR2 are able to drive the association of methyltransferase EZH2 with β-catenin, culminating in β-catenin methylation. This methylation on a lysine residue at the N-terminal portion of β-catenin suppresses the ubiquitination of β-catenin, thereby promoting PAR-induced β-catenin stability and transcriptional activity. Indeed, EZH2 is found to be directly correlated with high PAR4-driven tumors, and is abundantly expressed in large tumors, whereas very little to almost none is expressed in small tumors. A truncated form of β-catenin, ∆N133β-catenin, devoid of lysine, as well as serine/threonine residues, exhibits low levels of β-catenin and a markedly reduced transcriptional activity following PAR4 activation, in contrast to wt β-catenin. Our study demonstrates the importance of β-catenin lysine methylation in terms of its sustained expression and function. Taken together, we reveal that PAR-induced post-transcriptional regulation of β-catenin is centrally involved in colon cancer.
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7
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EZH2 engages TGFβ signaling to promote breast cancer bone metastasis via integrin β1-FAK activation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2543. [PMID: 35538070 PMCID: PMC9091212 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30105-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bone metastases occur in 50-70% of patients with late-stage breast cancers and effective therapies are needed. The expression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is correlated with breast cancer metastasis, but its function in bone metastasis hasn't been well-explored. Here we report that EZH2 promotes osteolytic metastasis of breast cancer through regulating transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling. EZH2 induces cancer cell proliferation and osteoclast maturation, whereas EZH2 knockdown decreases bone metastasis incidence and outgrowth in vivo. Mechanistically, EZH2 transcriptionally increases ITGB1, which encodes for integrin β1. Integrin β1 activates focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which phosphorylates TGFβ receptor type I (TGFβRI) at tyrosine 182 to enhance its binding to TGFβ receptor type II (TGFβRII), thereby activating TGFβ signaling. Clinically applicable FAK inhibitors but not EZH2 methyltransferase inhibitors effectively inhibit breast cancer bone metastasis in vivo. Overall, we find that the EZH2-integrin β1-FAK axis cooperates with the TGFβ signaling pathway to promote bone metastasis of breast cancer.
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8
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Inhibition of EZH2 Catalytic Activity Selectively Targets a Metastatic Subpopulation in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cell Rep 2021; 30:755-770.e6. [PMID: 31968251 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic changes are increasingly being appreciated as key events in breast cancer progression. However, breast cancer subtype-specific epigenetic regulation remains poorly investigated. Here we report that EZH2 is a leading candidate of epigenetic modulators associated with the TNBC subtype and that it predicts poor overall survival in TNBC patients. We demonstrate that specific pharmacological or genetic inhibition of EZH2 catalytic activity impairs distant metastasis. We further define a specific EZH2high population with enhanced invasion, mammosphere formation, and metastatic potential that exhibits marked sensitivity to EZH2 inhibition. Mechanistically, EZH2 inhibition differentiates EZH2high basal cells to a luminal-like phenotype by derepressing GATA3 and renders them sensitive to endocrine therapy. Furthermore, dissection of human TNBC heterogeneity shows that EZH2high basal-like 1 and mesenchymal subtypes have exquisite sensitivity to EZH2 inhibition compared with the EZH2low luminal androgen receptor subtype. These preclinical findings provide a rationale for clinical development of EZH2 as a targeted therapy against TNBC metastasis.
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9
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Gao B, Liu X, Li Z, Zhao L, Pan Y. Overexpression of EZH2/NSD2 Histone Methyltransferase Axis Predicts Poor Prognosis and Accelerates Tumor Progression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 10:600514. [PMID: 33665162 PMCID: PMC7921704 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.600514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Two histone methyltransferases, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and nuclear SET domain-containing 2 (NSD2), are aberrantly expressed in several types of human cancers. However, the regulatory relationship between EZH2 and NSD2 and their prognostic values in breast cancer (BC) have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that EZH2 and NSD2 were overexpressed in BC compared with benign lesions and normal tissues using tissue microarray, immunohistochemistry, and bioinformatic databases. Both EZH2 and NSD2 expression were associated with pathological grade of tumor and lymph node metastasis. A comprehensive survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier Plotter database indicated that EZH2 expression was negatively correlated with relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and postprogression survival (PPS) in 3951 BC patients, and NSD2 expression was negatively correlated with RFS and DMFS. Notably, EZH2 and NSD2 expression were coordinately higher in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) than that in other subtypes. Stable knockdown of EZH2 using lentiviral shRNA vector significantly reduced the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468, and downregulated NSD2 expression as well as the levels of H3K27me3 and H3K36me2, two histone methylation markers catalyzed by EZH2 and NSD2, respectively. By contrast, overexpression of EZH2 using adenovirus vector displayed an inverse phenotype. Furthermore, knockdown of NSD2 in EZH2-overexpressing cells could dramatically attenuate EZH2-mediated oncogenic effects. Bioinformatic analysis further revealed the function and pathway enrichments of co-expressed genes and interactive genes of EZH2/NSD2 axis, suggesting that EZH2/NSD2 axis was associated with cell division, mitotic nuclear division and transition of mitotic cell cycle in TNBC. Taken together, EZH2/NSD2 axis may act as a predictive marker for poor prognosis and accelerate the progression of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Gao
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Xiumin Liu
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Zhengjin Li
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Lixian Zhao
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Yun Pan
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
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10
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Cao Z, Wu W, Wei H, Zhang W, Huang Y, Dong Z. Downregulation of histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EZH2 inhibits cell viability and enhances chemosensitivity in lung cancer cells. Oncol Lett 2020; 21:26. [PMID: 33240432 PMCID: PMC7681225 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.12287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EZH2 (EZH2) is the principle component of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2)/embryonic ectoderm development protein-EZH2 complex, which promotes tumorigenesis by repressing transcription of tumor suppressor genes. EZH2 is considered a key marker in several types of cancer, such as colorectal and prostate cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms and clinical value of EZH2 in lung cancer have not yet been fully investigated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the functions of EZH2 in lung cancer progression and to determine whether treatment with an EZH2 inhibitor enhanced the chemosensitivity of lung cancer cells to cisplatin (CDDP). At the logarithmic growth phase, A549 cells were treated with a small interfering (si)RNA-EZH2, and cell viability was detected using an MTT assay. The degree of apoptosis and cell cycle were detected using flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were detected via wound healing and Transwell Matrigel assays. According to information from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, the results of the present study demonstrated that EZH2 was upregulated in lung cancer. Furthermore, overexpression of EZH2 was associated with poor patient prognosis, while EZH2 knockdown inhibited cell viability and migration, and enhanced apoptosis and chemosensitivity in a lung cancer cell line. EZH2 knockdown and treatment of A549 cells using EZH2 inhibitor elevated the inhibitory effects of CDDP on cell viability and apoptosis. Western blot and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analyses were performed to assess the expression levels of relative protein and mRNA, respectively, in A549 cells treated with siRNA-EZH2 or with CDDP. Overall, the results of the present study demonstrated that high EZH2 expression was associated with poor prognosis, accompanied with a potential impairment of migration and viability in lung cancer cells. These findings suggest that EZH2 may act as a candidate molecular target for gene therapy, and treatment with EZH2 inhibitor may be used to increase chemosensitivity to CDDP agents in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Cao
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wu
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Haiting Wei
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Zhengwei Dong
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
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11
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Chen YC, Gonzalez ME, Burman B, Zhao X, Anwar T, Tran M, Medhora N, Hiziroglu AB, Lee W, Cheng YH, Choi Y, Yoon E, Kleer CG. Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell Engulfment Reveals Metastatic Advantage in Breast Cancer. Cell Rep 2020; 27:3916-3926.e5. [PMID: 31242423 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Twenty percent of breast cancer (BC) patients develop distant metastasis for which there is no cure. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) in the tumor microenvironment were shown to stimulate metastasis, but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we identified and quantified cancer cells engulfing stromal cells in clinical samples of BC metastasis by dual immunostaining for EZH2 and ALDH1 expression. Using flow cytometry and a microfluidic single-cell paring and retrieval platform, we show that MSC engulfment capacity is associated with BC cell metastatic potential and generates cells with mesenchymal-like, invasion, and stem cell traits. Whole-transcriptome analyses of selectively retrieved engulfing BC cells identify a gene signature of MSC engulfment consisting of WNT5A, MSR1, ELMO1, IL1RL2, ZPLD1, and SIRPB1. These results delineate a mechanism by which MSCs in the tumor microenvironment promote metastasis and provide a microfluidic platform with the potential to predict BC metastasis in clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chih Chen
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Forbes Institute for Cancer Discovery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Maria E Gonzalez
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Boris Burman
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xintao Zhao
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Talha Anwar
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Molecular Cellular and Pathology Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mai Tran
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Natasha Medhora
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ayse B Hiziroglu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Woncheol Lee
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yu-Heng Cheng
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yehyun Choi
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Euisik Yoon
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Celina G Kleer
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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12
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Ma A, Stratikopoulos E, Park KS, Wei J, Martin TC, Yang X, Schwarz M, Leshchenko V, Rialdi A, Dale B, Lagana A, Guccione E, Parekh S, Parsons R, Jin J. Discovery of a first-in-class EZH2 selective degrader. Nat Chem Biol 2020; 16:214-222. [PMID: 31819273 PMCID: PMC6982609 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0421-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is the main enzymatic subunit of the PRC2 complex, which catalyzes trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) to promote transcriptional silencing. EZH2 is overexpressed in multiple types of cancer including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and high expression levels correlate with poor prognosis. Several EZH2 inhibitors, which inhibit the methyltransferase activity of EZH2, have shown promise in treating sarcoma and follicular lymphoma in clinics. However, EZH2 inhibitors are ineffective at blocking proliferation of TNBC cells, even though they effectively reduce the H3K27me3 mark. Using a hydrophobic tagging approach, we generated MS1943, a first-in-class EZH2 selective degrader that effectively reduces EZH2 levels in cells. Importantly, MS1943 has a profound cytotoxic effect in multiple TNBC cells, while sparing normal cells, and is efficacious in vivo, suggesting that pharmacologic degradation of EZH2 can be advantageous for treating the cancers that are dependent on EZH2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Ma
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elias Stratikopoulos
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kwang-Su Park
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jieli Wei
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tiphaine C Martin
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiaobao Yang
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Megan Schwarz
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Violetta Leshchenko
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexander Rialdi
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brandon Dale
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alessandro Lagana
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Next Generation Healthcare, Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ernesto Guccione
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samir Parekh
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ramon Parsons
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Jian Jin
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Duan S, Chan WK, Oman A, Basile DP, Alvira CM, Buxton IL, Iosef C. NF-κB/NKILA signaling modulates the anti-cancerous effects of EZH2 inhibition. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:6182-6192. [PMID: 31282094 PMCID: PMC6714229 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A wealth of evidence supports the broad therapeutic potential of NF-κB and EZH2 inhibitors as adjuvants for breast cancer treatment. We contribute to this knowledge by elucidating, for the first time, unique regulatory crosstalk between EZH2, NF-κB and the NF-κB interacting long non-coding RNA (NKILA). We define a novel signaling loop encompassing canonical and non-canonical actions of EZH2 on the regulation of NF-κB/NKILA homeostasis, with relevance to breast cancer treatment. We applied a respective silencing approach in non-transformed breast epithelial cells, triple negative MDA-MB-231 cells and hormone responsive MCF-7 cells, and measured changes in EZH2/NF-κB/NKILA levels to confirm their interdependence. We demonstrate cell line-specific fluctuations in these factors that functionally contribute to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remodelling and cell fate response. EZH2 inhibition attenuates MDA-MB-231 cell motility and CDK4-mediated MCF-7 cell cycle regulation, while inducing global H3K27 methylation and an EMT phenotype in non-transformed cells. Notably, these events are mediated by a cell-context dependent gain or loss of NKILA and NF-κB. Depletion of NF-κB in non-transformed cells enhances their sensitivity to growth factor signaling and suggests a role for the host microenvironment milieu in regulating EZH2/NF-κB/NKILA homeostasis. Taken together, this knowledge critically informs the delivery and assessment of EZH2 inhibitors in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzann Duan
- University of Nevada Reno, School of MedicineRenoNevada
| | | | - Andrew Oman
- University of Nevada Reno, School of MedicineRenoNevada
| | | | | | | | - Cristiana Iosef
- University of Nevada Reno, School of MedicineRenoNevada
- Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia
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14
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Puppe J, Opdam M, Schouten PC, Jóźwiak K, Lips E, Severson T, van de Ven M, Brambillasca C, Bouwman P, van Tellingen O, Bernards R, Wesseling J, Eichler C, Thangarajah F, Malter W, Pandey GK, Ozretić L, Caldas C, van Lohuizen M, Hauptmann M, Rhiem K, Hahnen E, Reinhardt HC, Büttner R, Mallmann P, Schömig-Markiefka B, Schmutzler R, Linn S, Jonkers J. EZH2 Is Overexpressed in BRCA1-like Breast Tumors and Predictive for Sensitivity to High-Dose Platinum-Based Chemotherapy. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:4351-4362. [PMID: 31036541 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-4024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE BRCA1-deficient breast cancers carry a specific DNA copy-number signature ("BRCA1-like") and are hypersensitive to DNA double-strand break (DSB) inducing compounds. Here, we explored whether (i) EZH2 is overexpressed in human BRCA1-deficient breast tumors and might predict sensitivity to DSB-inducing drugs; (ii) EZH2 inhibition potentiates cisplatin efficacy in Brca1-deficient murine mammary tumors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN EZH2 expression was analyzed in 497 breast cancers using IHC or RNA sequencing. We classified 370 tumors by copy-number profiles as BRCA1-like or non-BRCA1-like and examined its association with EZH2 expression. Additionally, we assessed BRCA1 loss through mutation or promoter methylation status and investigated the predictive value of EZH2 expression in a study population of breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant high-dose platinum-based chemotherapy compared with standard anthracycline-based chemotherapy. To explore whether EZH2 inhibition by GSK126 enhances sensitivity to platinum drugs in EZH2-overexpressing breast cancers we used a Brca1-deficient mouse model. RESULTS The highest EZH2 expression was found in BRCA1-associated tumors harboring a BRCA1 mutation, BRCA1-promoter methylation or were classified as BRCA1 like. We observed a greater benefit from high-dose platinum-based chemotherapy in BRCA1-like and non-BRCA1-like patients with high EZH2 expression. Combined treatment with the EZH2 inhibitor GSK126 and cisplatin decreased cell proliferation and improved survival in Brca1-deficient mice in comparison with single agents. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that EZH2 is expressed at significantly higher levels in BRCA1-deficient breast cancers. EZH2 overexpression can identify patients with breast cancer who benefit significantly from intensified DSB-inducing platinum-based chemotherapy independent of BRCA1-like status. EZH2 inhibition improves the antitumor effect of platinum drugs in Brca1-deficient breast tumors in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Puppe
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center of Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mark Opdam
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Philip C Schouten
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Jóźwiak
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esther Lips
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tesa Severson
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke van de Ven
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Chiara Brambillasca
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Bouwman
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Olaf van Tellingen
- Division of Pharmacology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - René Bernards
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jelle Wesseling
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christian Eichler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fabinshy Thangarajah
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Wolfram Malter
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gaurav Kumar Pandey
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Genetics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Luka Ozretić
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Maarten van Lohuizen
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Genetics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michael Hauptmann
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kerstin Rhiem
- Center of Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eric Hahnen
- Center of Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Reinhard Büttner
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Peter Mallmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Rita Schmutzler
- Center of Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sabine Linn
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jos Jonkers
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Center of Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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15
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Olney KC, Nyer DB, Vargas DA, Wilson Sayres MA, Haynes KA. The synthetic histone-binding regulator protein PcTF activates interferon genes in breast cancer cells. BMC SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2018; 12:83. [PMID: 30253781 PMCID: PMC6156859 DOI: 10.1186/s12918-018-0608-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background Mounting evidence from genome-wide studies of cancer shows that chromatin-mediated epigenetic silencing at large cohorts of genes is strongly linked to a poor prognosis. This mechanism is thought to prevent cell differentiation and enable evasion of the immune system. Drugging the cancer epigenome with small molecule inhibitors to release silenced genes from the repressed state has emerged as a powerful approach for cancer research and drug development. Targets of these inhibitors include chromatin-modifying enzymes that can acquire drug-resistant mutations. In order to directly target a generally conserved feature, elevated trimethyl-lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27me3), we developed the Polycomb-based Transcription Factor (PcTF), a fusion activator that targets methyl-histone marks via its N-terminal H3K27me3-binding motif, and co-regulates sets of silenced genes. Results Here, we report transcriptome profiling analyses of PcTF-treated breast cancer model cell lines. We identified a set of 19 PcTF-upregulated genes, or PUGs, that were consistent across three distinct breast cancer cell lines. These genes are associated with the interferon response pathway. Conclusions Our results demonstrate for the first time a chromatin-mediated interferon-related transcriptional response driven by an engineered fusion protein that physically links repressive histone marks with active transcription. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12918-018-0608-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly C Olney
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, 85287-4501, AZ, USA
| | - David B Nyer
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, 501 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85287-9709, USA
| | - Daniel A Vargas
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, 501 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85287-9709, USA
| | - Melissa A Wilson Sayres
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, 85287-4501, AZ, USA.,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, 85287-1701, AZ, USA
| | - Karmella A Haynes
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, 501 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85287-9709, USA.
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16
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Zhang P, Xiao Z, Wang S, Zhang M, Wei Y, Hang Q, Kim J, Yao F, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Ton BN, Lee M, Wang Y, Zhou Z, Zeng L, Hu X, Lawhon SE, Siverly AN, Su X, Li J, Xie X, Cheng X, Liu LC, Chang HW, Chiang SF, Lopez-Berestein G, Sood AK, Chen J, You MJ, Sun SC, Liang H, Huang Y, Yang X, Sun D, Sun Y, Hung MC, Ma L. ZRANB1 Is an EZH2 Deubiquitinase and a Potential Therapeutic Target in Breast Cancer. Cell Rep 2018; 23:823-837. [PMID: 29669287 PMCID: PMC5933875 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although EZH2 enzymatic inhibitors have shown antitumor effects in EZH2-mutated lymphoma and ARID1A-mutated ovarian cancer, many cancers do not respond because EZH2 can promote cancer independently of its histone methyltransferase activity. Here we identify ZRANB1 as the EZH2 deubiquitinase. ZRANB1 binds, deubiquitinates, and stabilizes EZH2. Depletion of ZRANB1 in breast cancer cells results in EZH2 destabilization and growth inhibition. Systemic delivery of ZRANB1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) leads to marked antitumor and antimetastatic effects in preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Intriguingly, a small-molecule inhibitor of ZRANB1 destabilizes EZH2 and inhibits the viability of TNBC cells. In patients with breast cancer, ZRANB1 levels correlate with EZH2 levels and poor survival. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential for targeting the EZH2 deubiquitinase ZRANB1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peijing Zhang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China.
| | - Zhenna Xiao
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shouyu Wang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mutian Zhang
- Center for Epigenetics & Disease Prevention, Texas A&M University Institute of Biosciences & Technology, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yongkun Wei
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Qinglei Hang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jongchan Kim
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Fan Yao
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Baochau N Ton
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Minjung Lee
- Center for Epigenetics & Disease Prevention, Texas A&M University Institute of Biosciences & Technology, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular & Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Yumeng Wang
- Graduate Program in Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhicheng Zhou
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Liyong Zeng
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Hu
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sarah E Lawhon
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ashley N Siverly
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaohua Su
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jia Li
- Center for Epigenetics & Disease Prevention, Texas A&M University Institute of Biosciences & Technology, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoping Xie
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xuhong Cheng
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Liang-Chiu Liu
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Wen Chang
- Department of Pathology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Fen Chiang
- Cancer Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | - Gabriel Lopez-Berestein
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anil K Sood
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Junjie Chen
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - M James You
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shao-Cong Sun
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Han Liang
- Graduate Program in Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yun Huang
- Center for Epigenetics & Disease Prevention, Texas A&M University Institute of Biosciences & Technology, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular & Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | - Deqiang Sun
- Center for Epigenetics & Disease Prevention, Texas A&M University Institute of Biosciences & Technology, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yutong Sun
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Molecular Medicine and Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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17
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Yalçınkaya U, Uğraş N, Özgün G, Ocakoğlu G, Deligönül A, Çetintaş SK, Bilgen MS. Enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) expression in synovial sarcomas as a promising indicator of prognosis. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2017; 17:302-308. [PMID: 28738014 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2017.1938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 02/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a type of soft-tissue sarcoma, often linked to poor survival. Although overexpression of enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) has been associated with poor prognosis in different tumors, a few studies investigated this link in SS. Here, we analyzed the relationship between EZH2 expression and prognostic factors in SS. We included 29 patients with SS. Immunostaining of EZH2 was performed with (D2C9) XPTM Rabbit mAb antibody, and the results were classified as low EZH2 expression (negative or weak expression) and high EZH2 expression category (moderate or strong expression). Analysis of survival in relation to prognostic factors was performed with Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Our sample included 19/29 female and 10/29 male patients, with age range 16-63 years. The tumor diameter ranged from 2 to 15 cm. Necrosis was observed in 15/29 cases. Sixteen cases had >10 mitoses per 50 high-power fields (HPFs). Out of 29 cases, 14 showed low and 15 had high EZH2 expression. Statistically significant results were obtained for the association between the presence of metastasis and necrosis (p = 0.042), high EZH2 expression and distant metastasis (p = 0.018), high EZH2 expression and necrosis (p = 0.016), and high EZH2 expression and the tumor size >5 cm versus tumor size ≤5 cm (p = 0.014). Patients with all of the following: the tumor size ≤5 cm, low EZH2 expression, and without necrosis and distant metastasis had significantly longer survival time. Our results are consistent with previous studies, suggesting that EZH2 overexpression is an indicator of poor prognosis in SS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulviye Yalçınkaya
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey.
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Pourakbar S, Pluard TJ, Accurso AD, Farassati F. Ezh2, a novel target in detection and therapy of breast cancer. Onco Targets Ther 2017; 10:2685-2687. [PMID: 28579806 PMCID: PMC5449122 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s138777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Pourakbar
- Midwest Biomedical Research Foundation, Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center.,University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine
| | | | - Anthony D Accurso
- Midwest Biomedical Research Foundation, Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center
| | - Faris Farassati
- Midwest Biomedical Research Foundation, Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center.,Saint Luke's Cancer Institute, Kansas City, MO, USA
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Prognostic value of high EZH2 expression in patients with different types of cancer: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Oncotarget 2016; 7:4584-97. [PMID: 26683709 PMCID: PMC4826228 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) is a potential independent mechanism for epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes in cancer. We conducted an electronic search on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane library to perform this up-to-date meta-analysis. Fifty-one studies with a total of 9444 patients were included. The prevalence of high EZH2 expression was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.47-0.61). High EZH2 expression was significantly associated with poorer prognosis [overall survival: HR 1.54 (95% CI: 1.30-1.78), P < 0.000; disease free survival: HR 1.35 (95% CI: 1.00-1.71), P < 0.000]. In breast cancer, high EZH2 expression correlated with histological types [OR: 1.53 (95CI: 1.13-2.06); P < 0.006], histological grade [OR: 1.62 (95CI: 1.35-1.95); P < 0.000], estrogen receptor (ER) negativity [OR: 2.05 (95CI: 1.67-2.52); P < 0.000], progesterone receptor (PgR) negativity [OR: 1.42 (95CI: 1.03-1.96); P = 0.034], HER-2 positivity [OR: 1.35 (95CI: 1.08-1.69); P = 0.009], and high p53 expression [OR: 1.66 (95CI: 1.07-2.59); P = 0.024]. These results suggest that high EZH2 expression may be a promising prognostic factor to different cancers. High EZH2 expression tends to correlate with pathological types, histological grade, ER negativity, PgR negativity, HER-2 positivity and p53 high expression in breast cancer.
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Zhang H, Qi J, Reyes JM, Li L, Rao PK, Li F, Lin CY, Perry JA, Lawlor MA, Federation A, De Raedt T, Li YY, Liu Y, Duarte MA, Zhang Y, Herter-Sprie GS, Kikuchi E, Carretero J, Perou CM, Reibel JB, Paulk J, Bronson RT, Watanabe H, Brainson CF, Kim CF, Hammerman PS, Brown M, Cichowski K, Long H, Bradner JE, Wong KK. Oncogenic Deregulation of EZH2 as an Opportunity for Targeted Therapy in Lung Cancer. Cancer Discov 2016; 6:1006-21. [PMID: 27312177 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-16-0164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED As a master regulator of chromatin function, the lysine methyltransferase EZH2 orchestrates transcriptional silencing of developmental gene networks. Overexpression of EZH2 is commonly observed in human epithelial cancers, such as non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), yet definitive demonstration of malignant transformation by deregulated EZH2 remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate the causal role of EZH2 overexpression in NSCLC with new genetically engineered mouse models of lung adenocarcinoma. Deregulated EZH2 silences normal developmental pathways, leading to epigenetic transformation independent of canonical growth factor pathway activation. As such, tumors feature a transcriptional program distinct from KRAS- and EGFR-mutant mouse lung cancers, but shared with human lung adenocarcinomas exhibiting high EZH2 expression. To target EZH2-dependent cancers, we developed a potent open-source EZH2 inhibitor, JQEZ5, that promoted the regression of EZH2-driven tumors in vivo, confirming oncogenic addiction to EZH2 in established tumors and providing the rationale for epigenetic therapy in a subset of lung cancer. SIGNIFICANCE EZH2 overexpression induces murine lung cancers that are similar to human NSCLC with high EZH2 expression and low levels of phosphorylated AKT and ERK, implicating biomarkers for EZH2 inhibitor sensitivity. Our EZH2 inhibitor, JQEZ5, promotes regression of these tumors, revealing a potential role for anti-EZH2 therapy in lung cancer. Cancer Discov; 6(9); 1006-21. ©2016 AACR.See related commentary by Frankel et al., p. 949This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 932.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haikuo Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jaime M Reyes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lewyn Li
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Prakash K Rao
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Fugen Li
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Charles Y Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jennifer A Perry
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matthew A Lawlor
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Alexander Federation
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Thomas De Raedt
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Genetics Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yvonne Y Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Melissa A Duarte
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yanxi Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Grit S Herter-Sprie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Eiki Kikuchi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Julian Carretero
- Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Charles M Perou
- Department of Genetics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jacob B Reibel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joshiawa Paulk
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Roderick T Bronson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Division of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hideo Watanabe
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Christine Fillmore Brainson
- Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carla F Kim
- Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peter S Hammerman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Myles Brown
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karen Cichowski
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Genetics Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Henry Long
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - James E Bradner
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Zhang Y, Liss AL, Chung E, Pierce LJ, Kleer CG. Stromal cells in phyllodes tumors of the breast are enriched for EZH2 and stem cell marker expression. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2016; 158:21-28. [DOI: 10.1007/s10549-016-3853-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Jang SH, Lee JE, Oh MH, Lee JH, Cho HD, Kim KJ, Kim SY, Han SW, Kim HJ, Bae SB, Lee HJ. High EZH2 Protein Expression Is Associated with Poor Overall Survival in Patients with Luminal A Breast Cancer. J Breast Cancer 2016; 19:53-60. [PMID: 27066096 PMCID: PMC4822107 DOI: 10.4048/jbc.2016.19.1.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) is a catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2, a highly conserved histone methyltransferase. EZH2 overexpression has been implicated in various malignancies, including breast cancer, where is associated with poor outcomes. This study aims to clarify nuclear EZH2 expression levels in breast cancers using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and correlate these findings with clinicopathologic variables, including prognostic significance. METHODS IHC was performed on tissue microarrays of 432 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) tumors. Associations between EZH2 expression, clinicopathologic characteristics, and molecular subtype were retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between EZH2 protein expression in normal breast tissue and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) was also assessed. RESULTS High EZH2 expression was demonstrated in 215 of 432 tumors (49.8%). EZH2 was more frequently expressed in DCIS and IDC than in normal breast tissue (p=0.001). High EZH2 expression significantly correlated with high histologic grade (p<0.001), large tumor size (p=0.014), advanced pathologic stage (p=0.006), negative estrogen receptor status (p<0.001), positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status (p<0.001), high Ki-67 staining index (p<0.001), positive cytokeratin 5/6 status (p=0.003), positive epidermal growth factor receptor status (p<0.001), and positive p53 status (p<0.001). Based on molecular subtypes, high EZH2 expression was significantly associated with HER2-negative luminal B, HER2-positive luminal B, and HER2 type and triple-negative basal cancers (p<0.001). In patients with luminal A, there was a significant trend toward shorter overall survival for those with tumors having high EZH2 expression compared to those with tumors having low EZH2 expression (p=0.045). CONCLUSION EZH2 is frequently upregulated in breast malignancies, and it may play an important role in cancer development and progression. Furthermore, EZH2 may be a prognostic marker, especially in patients with luminal A cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Hyong Jang
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Jong Eun Lee
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Mee-Hye Oh
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Ji-Hye Lee
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hyun Deuk Cho
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Kyung-Ju Kim
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sung Yong Kim
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sun Wook Han
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Han Jo Kim
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sang Byung Bae
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hyun Ju Lee
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
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Ding M, Zhang H, Li Z, Wang C, Chen J, Shi L, Xu D, Gao Y. The polycomb group protein enhancer of zeste 2 is a novel therapeutic target for cervical cancer. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2016; 42:458-64. [PMID: 25739318 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.12382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2), a polycomb histone methyltransferase, is overexpressed in various cancers, including cervical cancer. Gene expression analysis revealed that increased expression of EZH2 is associated with cervical cancer progression, particularly the progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Enhancer of zeste 2 is known to trimethylate lysine 27 on histone H3, leading to gene silencing that contributes to the progression of tumours into a more aggressive form of cancer. However, the specific molecular mechanisms by which EZH2 contributes to the development of cervical cancer remain largely unknown. Recently, an EZH2 inhibitor was reported to selectively inhibit trimethylated lysine 27 on histone H3 and to reactivate silenced genes in cancer cells. In this study, we found that GSK343 (a specific inhibitor of EZH2 methyltransferase) induces phenotypic reprogramming of cancer cells from mesenchymal to epithelial cells, reducing proliferation and cell motility and blocking the invasion of cervical cancer cell lines both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with the EZH2 inhibitor led to increased levels of the epithelial marker E-cadherin and decreased levels of mesenchymal markers such as N-cadherin and vimentin. The observed reprogramming is associated with restrained cervical cancer progression and provides direct evidence in support of EZH2 as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muyang Ding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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Clinical and prognostic relevance of EZH2 in breast cancer: A meta-analysis. Biomed Pharmacother 2015; 75:218-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2015.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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WU JIANCHUN, CROWE DAVIDL. The histone methyltransferase EZH2 promotes mammary stem and luminal progenitor cell expansion, metastasis and inhibits estrogen receptor-positive cellular differentiation in a model of basal breast cancer. Oncol Rep 2015; 34:455-60. [DOI: 10.3892/or.2015.4003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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Chen S, Huang L, Sun K, Wu D, Li M, Li M, Zhong B, Chen M, Zhang S. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 as an independent prognostic marker for cancer: a meta-analysis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125480. [PMID: 25974088 PMCID: PMC4431777 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Novel biomarkers are of particular interest for predicting cancer prognosis. This study aimed to explore the associations between enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and patient survival in various cancers. Methods Relevant literature was retrieved from PubMed and Web of Science databases. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs), odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results Forty-nine studies (8,050 patients) were included. High EZH2 expression was significantly associated with shorter overall (hazard ratio [HR] 1.74, 95% CI: 1.46–2.07), disease-free (HR 1.59, 95% CI: 1.27–1.99), metastasis-free (HR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.38–3.47), progression-free (HR 2.53, 95% CI: 1.52–4.21), cancer-specific (HR 3.13, 95% CI: 1.70–5.74), and disease-specific (HR 2.29, 95% CI: 1.56–3.35) survival, but not recurrence-free survival (HR 1.38, 95% CI: 0.93–2.06). Moreover, EZH2 expression significantly correlated with distant metastasis (OR 3.25, 95% CI: 1.07–9.87) in esophageal carcinoma; differentiation (OR 3.00, 95% CI: 1.37–6.55) in non-small cell lung cancer; TNM stage (OR 3.18, 95% CI: 2.49–4.08) in renal cell carcinoma; and histological grade (OR 4.50, 95% CI: 3.33–6.09), estrogen receptor status (OR 0.15, 95% CI: 0.11–0.20) and progesterone receptor status (OR 0.30, 95% CI: 0.23–0.39) in breast cancer. Conclusions Our results suggested that EZH2 might be an independent prognostic factor for multiple survival measures in different cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuling Chen
- Division of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Lixia Huang
- Division of Respiration, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Kaiyu Sun
- Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Dexi Wu
- Division of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Minrui Li
- Division of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Manying Li
- Division of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Bihui Zhong
- Division of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Minhu Chen
- Division of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (SZ); (MC)
| | - Shenghong Zhang
- Division of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (SZ); (MC)
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Völkel P, Dupret B, Le Bourhis X, Angrand PO. Diverse involvement of EZH2 in cancer epigenetics. Am J Transl Res 2015; 7:175-193. [PMID: 25901190 PMCID: PMC4399085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
EZH2 is the catalytic subunit of Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 (PRC2) which catalyzes methylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me) and mediates gene silencing of target genes via local chromatin reorganization. Numerous evidences show that EZH2 plays a critical role in cancer initiation, progression and metastasis, as well as in cancer stem cell biology. Indeed, EZH2 dysregulation alters gene expression programs in various cancer types. The molecular mechanisms responsible for EZH2 alteration appear to be diverse and depending on the type of cancer. Furthermore, accumulating evidences indicate that EZH2 could also act as a PRC2-independent transcriptional activator in cancer. In this review, we address the current understanding of the oncogenic role of EZH2, including the mechanisms of EZH2 dysregulation in cancer and progresses in therapeutic approaches targeting EZH2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Völkel
- Cell Plasticity & Cancer - Inserm U908, University of LilleBâtiment SN3, Cité Scientifique, F-59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute - CNRS USR3078/University of LilleParc de la Haute Borne, 50 avenue de Halley, F-59658 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Barbara Dupret
- Cell Plasticity & Cancer - Inserm U908, University of LilleBâtiment SN3, Cité Scientifique, F-59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Xuefen Le Bourhis
- Cell Plasticity & Cancer - Inserm U908, University of LilleBâtiment SN3, Cité Scientifique, F-59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Pierre-Olivier Angrand
- Cell Plasticity & Cancer - Inserm U908, University of LilleBâtiment SN3, Cité Scientifique, F-59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
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Salz T, Deng C, Pampo C, Siemann D, Qiu Y, Brown K, Huang S. Histone Methyltransferase hSETD1A Is a Novel Regulator of Metastasis in Breast Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2014; 13:461-9. [PMID: 25373480 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-14-0389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Epigenetic alteration is a hallmark of all cancers. Such alterations lead to modulation of fundamental cancer-related functions, such as proliferation, migration, and invasion. In particular, methylation of Histone H3 Lysine 4 (H3K4), a histone mark generally associated with transcriptional activation, is altered during progression of several human cancers. While the depletion of H3K4 demethylases promotes breast cancer metastasis, the effect of H3K4 methyltransferases on metastasis is not clear. Nevertheless, gene duplications in the human SETD1A (hSETD1A) H3K4 methyltransferase are present in almost half of breast cancers. Herein, expression analysis determined that hSETD1A is upregulated in multiple metastatic human breast cancer cell lines and clinical tumor specimens. Ablation of hSETD1A in breast cancer cells led to a decrease in migration and invasion in vitro and to a decrease in metastasis in nude mice. Furthermore, a group of matrix metalloproteinases (including MMP2, MMP9, MMP12, MMP13, and MMP17) were identified which were downregulated upon depletion of hSETD1A and demonstrated a decrease in H3K4me3 at their proximal promoters based on chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis. These results provide evidence for a functional and mechanistic link among hSETD1A, MMPs, and metastasis in breast cancer, thereby supporting an oncogenic role for hSETD1A in cancer. IMPLICATIONS This study reveals that hSETD1A controls tumor metastasis by activating MMP expression and provides an epigenetic link among hSETD1A, MMPs, and metastasis of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Salz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Changwang Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Christine Pampo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Dietmar Siemann
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida. UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Yi Qiu
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida. Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Kevin Brown
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida. UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Suming Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida. UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida.
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Healey MA, Hu R, Beck AH, Collins LC, Schnitt SJ, Tamimi RM, Hazra A. Association of H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 repressive histone marks with breast cancer subtypes in the Nurses' Health Study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2014; 147:639-51. [PMID: 25224916 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-014-3089-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Repressive histone tail modifications have been associated with molecular breast cancer subtypes. We investigated whether histone 3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) and histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) were associated with tumor features and subtypes while adjusting for prospectively collected reproductive and lifestyle breast cancer risk factors. We have tissue microarray data with immunohistochemical marker information on 804 incident cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed from 1976-2000 in the Nurses' Health Study. Tissue microarray sections were stained for global H3K9me3 and H3K27me3, and scored into four categories. Multivariate odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression models for tumor features and subtypes, adjusting for breast cancer risk factors. While there were no significant associations between H3K9me3 and tumor features, H3K27me3 was significantly associated with lower grade tumors compared to high grade tumors in the multivariate model (OR = 1.95, 95 % CI 1.35-2.81, p = 0.0004). H3K27me3 was suggestively associated with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumors (OR = 1.47, 95 % CI 0.97-2.23, p = 0.07). In subtype analyses, H3K27me3 was positively associated with the luminal A subtype compared to all other subtypes (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI 1.14-1.77, p = 0.002), and was inversely associated with HER2-type (OR = 0.58, 95 % CI 0.37-0.91, p = 0.02) and basal-like breast cancer (OR = 0.52, 95 % CI 0.36-0.76, p = 0.0006). In the largest immunohistochemical examination of H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 in breast cancer, we found that H3K27me3 positivity, but not H3K9me3, was associated with lower grade tumors and the luminal A subtype after adjusting for reproductive and lifestyle breast cancer risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Healey
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Reijm EA, Timmermans AM, Look MP, Meijer-van Gelder ME, Stobbe CK, van Deurzen CHM, Martens JWM, Sleijfer S, Foekens JA, Berns PMJJ, Jansen MPHM. High protein expression of EZH2 is related to unfavorable outcome to tamoxifen in metastatic breast cancer. Ann Oncol 2014; 25:2185-2190. [PMID: 25193989 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdu391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is a highly heterogeneous disease with great differences in outcome to both chemo- and endocrine therapy. Better insight into the mechanisms underlying resistance is essential to better predict outcome to therapy and to obtain a more tailored treatment approach. We have previously described that increased mRNA expression levels of Enhancer of Zeste homolog (EZH2) are associated with worse outcome to tamoxifen therapy in MBC. Here, we explored whether this is also the case for EZH2 protein expression. PATIENTS AND METHODS A tissue microarray (TMA) was created using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded estrogen receptor (ER)-positive primary breast tumor tissues of 250 MBC patients treated with first-line tamoxifen. Quantity and intensity of EZH2 expression were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and both were used to generate and group scores according to a previously described method for scoring EZH2. RESULTS In total, 116 tumors (46%) were considered to be EZH2 positive. The presence of EZH2 protein expression was significantly associated with progression-free survival (PFS) in both univariate [hazard ratio (HR) 1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-1.97, P = 0.002] and multivariate analysis including traditional factors associated with tamoxifen outcome (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.06-1.88, P = 0.017). Considering quantity irrespective of intensity, tumors with >50% EZH2-positive cells had the worst PFS (HR 2.15, 95% CI 1.42-3.27, P < 0.001), whereas intensity alone did not show a significant association with PFS. Application of other methods of scoring EZH2 positivity resulted in a similar significant association between the amount of EZH2 positive cells and PFS. CONCLUSION In addition to EZH2 mRNA levels, these results suggest that protein expression of EZH2 can be used as a marker to predict outcome to tamoxifen therapy. This provides new rationale to explore EZH2 inhibition in the clinical setting and increases the possibilities for a more personalized treatment approach in MBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Reijm
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Genomics Netherlands
| | - A M Timmermans
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Genomics Netherlands
| | - M P Look
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Genomics Netherlands
| | | | - C K Stobbe
- Department of PATHAN BV, Laboratory Pathology, Sint Franciscus Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C H M van Deurzen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Genomics Netherlands; Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam
| | - J W M Martens
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Genomics Netherlands
| | - S Sleijfer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Genomics Netherlands
| | - J A Foekens
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Genomics Netherlands
| | - P M J J Berns
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Genomics Netherlands.
| | - M P H M Jansen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Genomics Netherlands
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Zhang K, Zhang Y, Ren K, Zhao G, Yan K, Ma B. MicroRNA-101 inhibits the metastasis of osteosarcoma cells by downregulation of EZH2 expression. Oncol Rep 2014; 32:2143-9. [PMID: 25190211 DOI: 10.3892/or.2014.3459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non‑coding RNA molecules, which play regulatory roles at the post-transcriptional level by suppressing the translation of protein‑coding genes or inducing mRNA cleavage. Dysregulated expression of miRNAs is involved in multiple types of cancers and plays important roles in regulating various biological processes including metastasis. miR-101 is downregulated in various types of cancer and functions as a suppressor of cell migration and invasion. Meanwhile, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is associated with the metastatic potential of several aggressive tumors. In the present study, we reported that ectopic overexpression of miR-101 downregulated the expression level of EZH2 and significantly inhibited migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. In addition, knockdown of EZH2 by siRNA showed the same effect of miR-101 on migration and invasion. To conclude, these results indicate that miR-101 may act as a tumor suppressor in osteosarcoma, as it has a suppressive role in cell migration and invasion by targeting EZH2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailiang Zhang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China
| | - Yinglong Zhang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China
| | - Kun Ren
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China
| | - Guangyi Zhao
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China
| | - Kang Yan
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China
| | - Baoan Ma
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, P.R. China
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Yamaguchi H, Hung MC. Regulation and Role of EZH2 in Cancer. Cancer Res Treat 2014; 46:209-22. [PMID: 25038756 PMCID: PMC4132442 DOI: 10.4143/crt.2014.46.3.209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is the epigenetic regulator that induces histone H3 lysine 27 methylation (H3K27me3) and silences specific gene transcription. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is an enzymatic subunit of PRC2, and evidence shows that EZH2 plays an essential role in cancer initiation, development, progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. EZH2 expression is indeed regulated by various oncogenic transcription factors, tumor suppressor miRNAs, and cancer-associated non-coding RNA. EZH2 activity is also controlled by post-translational modifications, which are deregulated in cancer. The canonical role of EZH2 is gene silencing through H3K27me3, but accumulating evidence shows that EZH2 methlyates substrates other than histone and has methylase-independent functions. These non-canonical functions of EZH2 are shown to play a role in cancer progression. In this review, we summarize current information on the regulation and roles of EZH2 in cancer. We also discuss various therapeutic approaches to targeting EZH2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirohito Yamaguchi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Aberrant expression of enhancer of zeste homologue 2, correlated with HIF-1α, refines relapse risk and predicts poor outcome for breast cancer. Oncol Rep 2014; 32:1101-7. [DOI: 10.3892/or.2014.3322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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Shukla A, Alsarraj J, Hunter K. Understanding susceptibility to breast cancer metastasis: the genetic approach. BREAST CANCER MANAGEMENT 2014; 3:165-172. [PMID: 25214894 DOI: 10.2217/bmt.14.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is a complex phenotype that is not discrete, is polygenic, varies in range over the entire population and follows non-Mendelian inheritance. Recent evidence indicates that inherited susceptibility affects not only the development of the primary tumor, but is also an important factor in progression and metastasis. Since metastasis accounts for the majority of breast cancer deaths, identification and understanding of the genetic modifiers of metastasis underlies success of personalized therapy. Studies from our laboratory and others have now characterized several metastasis susceptibility factors. While an important step forward, these certainly do not describe the entire metastatic phenomenon and efforts continue to expand this knowledge. Here we review the complex metastatic process and current knowledge on the genetics of breast cancer metastasis, including germline polymorphisms that have been associated with the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Shukla
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology & Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jude Alsarraj
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology & Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kent Hunter
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology & Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Zhao L, Yu Y, Wu J, Bai J, Zhao Y, Li C, Sun W, Wang X. Role of EZH2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma carcinogenesis. Gene 2014; 537:197-202. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2014.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Revised: 12/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Time-dependent risk of developing distant metastasis in breast cancer patients according to treatment, age and tumour characteristics. Br J Cancer 2014; 110:1378-84. [PMID: 24434426 PMCID: PMC3950882 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2014.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Revised: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastatic breast cancer is a severe condition without curative treatment. How relative and absolute risk of distant metastasis varies over time since diagnosis, as a function of treatment, age and tumour characteristics, has not been studied in detail. METHODS A total of 9514 women under the age of 75 when diagnosed with breast cancer in Stockholm and Gotland regions during 1990-2006 were followed up for metastasis (mean follow-up=5.7 years). Time-dependent development of distant metastasis was analysed using flexible parametric survival models and presented as hazard ratio (HR) and cumulative risk. RESULTS A total of 995 (10.4%) patients developed distant metastasis; the most common sites were skeleton (32.5%) and multiple sites (28.3%). Women younger than 50 years at diagnosis, with lymph node-positive, oestrogen receptor (ER)-negative, >20 mm tumours and treated only locally, had the highest risk of distant metastasis (0-5 years' cumulative risk =0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47-0.64). Women older than 50 years at diagnosis, with ER-positive, lymph node-negative and ≤20-mm tumours, had the same and lowest cumulative risk of developing metastasis 0-5 and 5-10 years (cumulative risk=0.03; 95% CI: 0.02-0.04). In the period of 5-10 years after diagnosis, women with ER-positive, lymph node-positive and >20-mm tumours were at highest risk of distant recurrence. Women with ER-negative tumours showed a decline in risk during this period. CONCLUSION Our data show no support for discontinuation at 5 years of clinical follow-up in breast cancer patients and suggest further investigation on differential clinical follow-up for different subgroups of patients.
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Roh S, Park SY, Ko HS, Sohn JS, Cha EJ. EZH2 expression in invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast. World J Surg Oncol 2013; 11:299. [PMID: 24266940 PMCID: PMC4222266 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7819-11-299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 11/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most common histologic type of breast cancer, but the prognosis of ILC is still controversial. Enhancer of Zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), the catalytic subunit of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), is frequently overexpressed in various cancers. This study evaluated the relationship between clinicopathologic characteristics and EZH2 expression. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 54 patients with ILC and selected 49 cases of ILC. Immunohistochemistry for EZH2 was undertaken. Results We defined ILC as discohesive cells with a linear or nonlinear growth pattern. No statistically significant difference was found for most variables, including multifocality, menstrual status, body mass index, tumor stage (pT), lymph node stage (pN), estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor. In contrast, nuclear grade was statistically significant and EZH2 expression was associated with high nuclear grade. In total, 80% of nuclear grade 3 cases had an EZH2 score of 4, and 86% of nuclear grade 1 cases had EZH2 scores of 1 and 2. Our cases had a score of 3 for tubule formation and a score of 1 for mitosis, and so the histologic grading consisted of grades 1 (7 cases) and 2 (42 cases) depending on the nuclear grade. Conclusion Although EZH2 could not predict survival in our study, EZH2 expression was associated with a high nuclear grade. Most ILCs have histologic grade 2 with nuclear grade 2 or 3. Therefore, our opinion is that if ILC is diagnosed by separating the classic type and variants and considering both EZH2 expression and nuclear grade, EZH2 overexpression could help and the Nottingham grading system would be more accurate prognostic factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- SiGyun Roh
- Department of Pathology, Konyang University College of Medicine and Konyang University Myunggok Medical Research Institute, 158 Gwanjeodong-ro, Seo-Gu, Daejeon 302-718, South Korea.
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Xu B, Abourbih S, Sircar K, Kassouf W, Mansure JJ, Aprikian A, Tanguay S, Brimo F. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 expression is associated with metastasis and adverse clinical outcome in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a comparative study and review of the literature. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2013; 137:1326-36. [PMID: 24079759 DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2012-0525-oa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase mediating chromatin condensation and epigenetic modulation, is overexpressed in various human carcinomas and is associated with adverse clinicopathologic characteristics and biologic behavior. The expression of EZH2 in renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) has not been fully characterized yet. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prognostic role of EZH2 in RCC by analyzing the immunohistochemical staining pattern of the marker in relation to pathologic features and clinical outcome. DESIGN We correlated the immunolabeling of EZH2 with multiple clinicopathologic features, including Fuhrman nuclear grade, pathologic stage, metastatic status, and clinical outcome in 223 clear cell RCCs (CRCCs) and 21 papillary RCCs, by using tissue microarrays of primary and metastatic cases. RESULTS Most CRCCs (75%) showed positive EZH2 staining, with most primary tumors showing focal staining in comparison to nonfocal staining in metastatic cases. In primary tumors, EZH2 expression was associated with higher nuclear grade and lower pathologic stage. Metastatic tumors showed a higher number of positive cases (81% versus 67%) and a more diffuse and more intense pattern of staining than primary CRCCs. For the 22 locally advanced primary tumors (T3/4) and 43 metastatic RCCs, patients who experienced RCC-related deaths significantly overexpressed the marker in comparison to patients who did not experience RCC-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS By showing that EZH2 expression is associated with increased metastatic potential and a worse clinical outcome, this study suggests that EZH2 can serve as a prognostic biomarker for RCC, thus confirming it as a key molecule driving oncogenesis and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Xu
- From the Departments of Pathology (Drs Xu and Brimo) and Urology (Drs Abourbih, Kassouf, Mansure, Aprikian, and Tanguay), McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; and the Department of Pathology (Dr Sircar), The University of Texas Maryland Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
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Granit RZ, Gabai Y, Hadar T, Karamansha Y, Liberman L, Waldhorn I, Gat-Viks I, Regev A, Maly B, Darash-Yahana M, Peretz T, Ben-Porath I. EZH2 promotes a bi-lineage identity in basal-like breast cancer cells. Oncogene 2013; 32:3886-95. [PMID: 22986524 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2012.390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms regulating breast cancer differentiation state are poorly understood. Of particular interest are molecular regulators controlling the highly aggressive and poorly differentiated traits of basal-like breast carcinomas. Here we show that the Polycomb factor EZH2 maintains the differentiation state of basal-like breast cancer cells, and promotes the expression of progenitor associated and basal-lineage genes. Specifically, EZH2 regulates the composition of basal-like breast cancer cell populations by promoting a ‘bi-lineage’ differentiation state, in which cells co-express basal- and luminal-lineage markers. We show that human basal-like breast cancers contain a subpopulation of bi-lineage cells, and that EZH2-deficient cells give rise to tumors with a decreased proportion of such cells. Bi-lineage cells express genes that are active in normal luminal progenitors, and possess increased colony-formation capacity, consistent with a primitive differentiation state. We found that GATA3, a driver of luminal differentiation, performs a function opposite to EZH2, acting to suppress bi-lineage identity and luminal-progenitor gene expression. GATA3 levels increase upon EZH2 silencing, mediating a decrease in bi-lineage cell numbers. Our findings reveal a novel role for EZH2 in controlling basal-like breast cancer differentiation state and intra-tumoral cell composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Z Granit
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research – Israel-Canada, Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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Jene-Sanz A, Váraljai R, Vilkova AV, Khramtsova GF, Khramtsov AI, Olopade OI, Lopez-Bigas N, Benevolenskaya EV. Expression of polycomb targets predicts breast cancer prognosis. Mol Cell Biol 2013; 33:3951-61. [PMID: 23918806 PMCID: PMC3811872 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00426-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2013] [Accepted: 07/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Global changes in the epigenome are increasingly being appreciated as key events in cancer progression. The pathogenic role of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been connected to its histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27) methyltransferase activity and gene repression; however, little is known about relationship of changes in expression of EZH2 target genes to cancer characteristics and patient prognosis. Here we show that through expression analysis of genomic regions with H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) and EZH2 binding, breast cancer patients can be stratified into good and poor prognostic groups independent of known cancer gene signatures. The EZH2-bound regions were downregulated in tumors characterized by aggressive behavior, high expression of cell cycle genes, and low expression of developmental and cell adhesion genes. Depletion of EZH2 in breast cancer cells significantly increased expression of the top altered genes, decreased proliferation, and improved cell adhesion, indicating a critical role played by EZH2 in determining the cancer phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Jene-Sanz
- Research Unit on Biomedical Informatics, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Renáta Váraljai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alexandra V. Vilkova
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | | | - Nuria Lopez-Bigas
- Research Unit on Biomedical Informatics, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elizaveta V. Benevolenskaya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Chen X, Song N, Matsumoto K, Nanashima A, Nagayasu T, Hayashi T, Ying M, Endo D, Wu Z, Koji T. High expression of trimethylated histone H3 at lysine 27 predicts better prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer. Int J Oncol 2013; 43:1467-80. [PMID: 23969945 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2013.2062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic parameters such as DNA methylation and histone modifications play pivotal roles in carcinogenesis. Global histone modification patterns have been implicated as possible predictors of cancer recurrence and prognoses in a great variety of tumor entities. Our study was designed to evaluate the association among trimethylated histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3), clinicopathological variables and outcome in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The expression of H3K27me3 and its methyl-transferase, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) together with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in normal lung tissue (n=5) and resected NSCLC patients (n=42). In addition, the specificity of antibody for H3K27me3 was tested by western blot analysis. The optimal cut-off point of H3K27me3 expression for prognosis was determined by the X-tile program. The prognostic significance was determined by means of Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and log-rank tests. As a result, enhanced trimethylation of H3K27me3 was correlated with longer overall survival (OS) and better prognosis (P<0.05). Moreover, both univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that H3K27me3 level was a significant and independent predictor of better survival (hazard ratio, 0.187; 95% confidence interval, 0.066-0.531, P=0.002). Furthermore, H3K27me3 expression was positively correlated with DNA methylation level at CCGG sites while reversely related to EZH2 expression (P<0.05). In conclusion, H3K27me3 level defines unrecognized subgroups of NSCLC patients with distinct epigenetic phenotype and clinical outcome, and can probably be used as a novel predictor for better prognosis in NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Chen
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki, Japan
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Invasive breast carcinomas in Ghana: high frequency of high grade, basal-like histology and high EZH2 expression. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2012; 135:59-66. [PMID: 22527102 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-012-2055-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2012] [Accepted: 03/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer in African-American women has a worse outcome than in Caucasian women. The ancestors of most African-American women come from West Africa, including Ghana. The Polycomb group protein EZH2 is a marker of poor outcome in breast cancers from Caucasian women. The histopathological features and biomarker expression of African breast cancers remain obscure. Here, we investigated a cohort of Ghanaian breast cancers to better define the prevalent tumor types and to test if EZH2 protein may identify aggressive tumors. A group of 169 breast tissues (100 invasive carcinomas and 69 benign) from women treated at Komfo Anoyke Teaching Hospital between 2006 and 2011 were histologically classified and investigated for EZH2 expression. EZH2 nuclear expression we defined as high or low following previously published criteria. Of the 100 invasive carcinomas, 89 % were ductal, 2 % were lobular, and 9 % were metaplastic. Basal-like pathological features were present in 30 % of the tumors. Of the invasive carcinomas, 7 % were grade 1, 41 % grade 2, and 52 % grade 3. EZH2 protein was overexpressed in invasive carcinomas compared to benign breast (p < 0.0001). In invasive carcinomas nuclear EZH2 overexpression was significantly associated with basal-like subtype (p = 0.03) and high histologic grade (p < 0.05). Cytoplasmic EZH2, which has not been previously reported, was present in 16 % of invasive carcinomas and it was associated with triple negative status (p = 0.02). Our results provide the first comprehensive histopathological study of this patient population and uncover the association of EZH2 with high grade and basal-like tumors. We provide the basis for further detailed investigations on this cohort to advance diagnosis and treatment of African and African-American women.
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Nakahara O, Takamori H, Iwatsuki M, Baba Y, Sakamoto Y, Tanaka H, Chikamoto A, Horino K, Beppu T, Kanemitsu K, Honda Y, Iyama KI, Baba H. Carcinogenesis of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas: loss of microRNA-101 promotes overexpression of histone methyltransferase EZH2. Ann Surg Oncol 2011; 19 Suppl 3:S565-71. [PMID: 21932133 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-011-2068-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms of IPMN carcinogenesis are as yet unclear. This study aimed to determine whether expression of EZH2 promotes neoplastic progression of IPMN and PDCA, and to elucidate regulation of EZH2 expression by miR-101. METHODS EZH2 mRNA and protein expression were investigated in 8 human pancreatic cancer cell lines by PCR and western blotting. Pre-miR-101 and anti-miR-101 were transfected into pancreatic cancer cells to elucidate EZH2 regulation by miR-101. To evaluate whether EZH2 modulates malignant progression of IPMN, EZH2 expression in IPMN was examined by immunohistochemistry. Next, we collected malignant and benign cells from FFPE samples of IPMNs using laser capture microdissection and extracted the RNA. miR-101 expression in IPMN was assessed using real-time PCR. RESULTS All pancreatic cancer cell lines expressed EZH2 mRNA and protein. The induction of miR-101 by transfection of pre-miR-101 in MIA PaCa-2 was closely related to a reduction in EZH2 protein production compared with control, whereas there was little difference in the expression of EZH2 mRNA. Anti-miR-101 transfected pancreatic cancer cells showed an increase in EZH2 protein, while the level of EZH2 mRNA was not elevated. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the expression of EZH2 was significantly higher in malignant than benign IPMN. Expression of miR-101 was significantly lower in malignant IPMN than benign IPMN. CONCLUSIONS MiR-101 targets EZH2 at the posttranscriptional level, and loss of miR-101 could be a trigger for the adenomacarcinoma sequence of IPMN by upregulation of EZH2. This study suggests miR-101-EZH2 blockade as a potential therapeutic target in IPMN carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osamu Nakahara
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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