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Sahoo S, Ramu S, Nair MG, Pillai M, San Juan BP, Milioli HZ, Mandal S, Naidu CM, Mavatkar AD, Subramaniam H, Neogi AG, Chaffer CL, Prabhu JS, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. Increased prevalence of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal state and enhanced phenotypic heterogeneity in basal breast cancer. iScience 2024; 27:110116. [PMID: 38974967 PMCID: PMC11225361 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Intra-tumoral phenotypic heterogeneity promotes tumor relapse and therapeutic resistance and remains an unsolved clinical challenge. Decoding the interconnections among different biological axes of plasticity is crucial to understand the molecular origins of phenotypic heterogeneity. Here, we use multi-modal transcriptomic data-bulk, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomics-from breast cancer cell lines and primary tumor samples, to identify associations between epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and luminal-basal plasticity-two key processes that enable heterogeneity. We show that luminal breast cancer strongly associates with an epithelial cell state, but basal breast cancer is associated with hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype(s) and higher phenotypic heterogeneity. Mathematical modeling of core underlying gene regulatory networks representative of the crosstalk between the luminal-basal and epithelial-mesenchymal axes elucidate mechanistic underpinnings of the observed associations from transcriptomic data. Our systems-based approach integrating multi-modal data analysis with mechanism-based modeling offers a predictive framework to characterize intra-tumor heterogeneity and identify interventions to restrict it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarthak Sahoo
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Soundharya Ramu
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Madhumathy G. Nair
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Maalavika Pillai
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | | | | | - Susmita Mandal
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Chandrakala M. Naidu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Apoorva D. Mavatkar
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Harini Subramaniam
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Arpita G. Neogi
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Christine L. Chaffer
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
- University of New South Wales, UNSW Medicine, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Jyothi S. Prabhu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560012, India
| | | | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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2
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Chiang YC, Selvam P, Liu YX, Shih PC, Chen NF, Kuo HM, Lin HYH, Wen ZH, Chen WF. STAT3 phosphorylation inhibitor Bt354 exhibits anti-neoplastic activity in glioblastoma multiforme cells. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2024; 39:3292-3303. [PMID: 38415901 DOI: 10.1002/tox.24178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The high mortality rate of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a lethal primary brain tumor, is attributable to postsurgical recurrence. STAT3, an oncogenic protein, is a signal transducer and transcription activator encourages cancer cell migration and proliferation, which results in resistance to therapy. STAT3 inhibition reduces cancer metastasis and improves patient prognosis. Bt354, a small molecule STAT inhibitor, exhibits significant cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activities against certain cancer types. Here, we demonstrated that exposure of GBM cells (U87 MG) to Bt354 had a significant, concentration-dependent growth suppression. Bt354 also induced apoptosis and downregulated the expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition genes. Therefore, this study suggests the potential of Bt354 for treating GBM owing to its ability to induce cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chun Chiang
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Padhmavathi Selvam
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - You-Xuan Liu
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Po-Chang Shih
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Nan-Fu Chen
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Mei Kuo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hugo You-Hsien Lin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Zhi-Hong Wen
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wu-Fu Chen
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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3
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Wang Z, Tang S, Cai L, Wang Q, Pan D, Dong Y, Zhou H, Li J, Ji N, Zeng X, Zhou Y, Shen YQ, Chen Q. DRP1 inhibition-mediated mitochondrial elongation abolishes cancer stemness, enhances glutaminolysis, and drives ferroptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1744-1757. [PMID: 38582810 PMCID: PMC11130175 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02670-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mitochondrial dynamics play a fundamental role in determining stem cell fate. However, the underlying mechanisms of mitochondrial dynamics in the stemness acquisition of cancer cells are incompletely understood. METHODS Metabolomic profiling of cells were analyzed by MS/MS. The genomic distribution of H3K27me3 was measured by CUT&Tag. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells depended on glucose or glutamine fueling TCA cycle were monitored by 13C-isotope tracing. Organoids and tumors from patients and mice were treated with DRP1 inhibitors mdivi-1, ferroptosis inducer erastin, or combination with mdivi-1 and erastin to evaluate treatment effects. RESULTS Mitochondria of OSCC stem cells own fragment mitochondrial network and DRP1 is required for maintenance of their globular morphology. Imbalanced mitochondrial dynamics induced by DRP1 knockdown suppressed stemness of OSCC cells. Elongated mitochondria increased α-ketoglutarate levels and enhanced glutaminolysis to fuel the TCA cycle by increasing glutamine transporter ASCT2 expression. α-KG promoted the demethylation of histone H3K27me3, resulting in downregulation of SNAI2 associated with stemness and EMT. Significantly, suppressing DRP1 enhanced the anticancer effects of ferroptosis. CONCLUSION Our study reveals a novel mechanism underlying mitochondrial dynamics mediated cancer stemness acquisition and highlights the therapeutic potential of mitochondria elongation to increase the susceptibility of cancer cells to ferroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Shouyi Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Luyao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Qing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Dan Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Yunmei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Hao Zhou
- Department of Stomatology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Ning Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
| | - Ying-Qiang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
| | - Qianming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
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4
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Jiao Y, Yu Y, Zheng M, Yan M, Wang J, Zhang Y, Zhang S. Dormant cancer cells and polyploid giant cancer cells: The roots of cancer recurrence and metastasis. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1567. [PMID: 38362620 PMCID: PMC10870057 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumour cell dormancy is critical for metastasis and resistance to chemoradiotherapy. Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) with giant or multiple nuclei and high DNA content have the properties of cancer stem cell and single PGCCs can individually generate tumours in immunodeficient mice. PGCCs represent a dormant form of cancer cells that survive harsh tumour conditions and contribute to tumour recurrence. Hypoxic mimics, chemotherapeutics, radiation and cytotoxic traditional Chinese medicines can induce PGCCs formation through endoreduplication and/or cell fusion. After incubation, dormant PGCCs can recover from the treatment and produce daughter cells with strong proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities via asymmetric cell division. Additionally, PGCCs can resist hypoxia or chemical stress and have a distinct protein signature that involves chromatin remodelling and cell cycle regulation. Dormant PGCCs form the cellular basis for therapeutic resistance, metastatic cascade and disease recurrence. This review summarises regulatory mechanisms governing dormant cancer cells entry and exit of dormancy, which may be used by PGCCs, and potential therapeutic strategies for targeting PGCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Jiao
- School of Integrative MedicineTianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
| | - Yongjun Yu
- Department of PathologyTianjin Union Medical CenterTianjinChina
| | - Minying Zheng
- Department of PathologyTianjin Union Medical CenterNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Man Yan
- School of Integrative MedicineTianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
| | - Jiangping Wang
- School of Integrative MedicineTianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
| | - Yue Zhang
- School of Integrative MedicineTianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
| | - Shiwu Zhang
- Department of PathologyTianjin Union Medical CenterTianjinChina
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5
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Aouad P, Quinn HM, Berger A, Brisken C. Tumor dormancy: EMT beyond invasion and metastasis. Genesis 2024; 62:e23552. [PMID: 37776086 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23552] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
More than two-thirds of cancer-related deaths are attributable to metastases. In some tumor types metastasis can occur up to 20 years after diagnosis and successful treatment of the primary tumor, a phenomenon termed late recurrence. Metastases arise from disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) that leave the primary tumor early on in tumor development, either as single cells or clusters, adapt to new environments, and reduce or shut down their proliferation entering a state of dormancy for prolonged periods of time. Dormancy has been difficult to track clinically and study experimentally. Recent advances in technology and disease modeling have provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms orchestrating dormancy and the switch to a proliferative state. A new role for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in inducing plasticity and maintaining a dormant state in several cancer models has been revealed. In this review, we summarize the major findings linking EMT to dormancy control and highlight the importance of pre-clinical models and tumor/tissue context when designing studies. Understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling dormant DTCs is pivotal in developing new therapeutic agents that prevent distant recurrence by maintaining a dormant state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Aouad
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Lausanne, Jules-Gonin Eye Hospital, Fondation Asile des Aveugles, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hazel M Quinn
- ISREC-Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Adeline Berger
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Lausanne, Jules-Gonin Eye Hospital, Fondation Asile des Aveugles, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cathrin Brisken
- ISREC-Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
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6
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Northey JJ, Hayward MK, Yui Y, Stashko C, Kai F, Mouw JK, Thakar D, Lakins JN, Ironside AJ, Samson S, Mukhtar RA, Hwang ES, Weaver VM. Mechanosensitive hormone signaling promotes mammary progenitor expansion and breast cancer risk. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:106-126.e13. [PMID: 38181747 PMCID: PMC11050720 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.12.002] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Tissue stem-progenitor cell frequency has been implicated in tumor risk and progression, but tissue-specific factors linking these associations remain ill-defined. We observed that stiff breast tissue from women with high mammographic density, who exhibit increased lifetime risk for breast cancer, associates with abundant stem-progenitor epithelial cells. Using genetically engineered mouse models of elevated integrin mechanosignaling and collagen density, syngeneic manipulations, and spheroid models, we determined that a stiff matrix and high mechanosignaling increase mammary epithelial stem-progenitor cell frequency and enhance tumor initiation in vivo. Augmented tissue mechanics expand stemness by potentiating extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activity to foster progesterone receptor-dependent RANK signaling. Consistently, we detected elevated phosphorylated ERK and progesterone receptors and increased levels of RANK signaling in stiff breast tissue from women with high mammographic density. The findings link fibrosis and mechanosignaling to stem-progenitor cell frequency and breast cancer risk and causally implicate epidermal growth factor receptor-ERK-dependent hormone signaling in this phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Northey
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Mary-Kate Hayward
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Yui
- Research Institute, Nozaki Tokushukai Hospital, Tanigawa 2-10-50, Daito, Osaka 574-0074, Japan
| | - Connor Stashko
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - FuiBoon Kai
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada
| | - Janna K Mouw
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Dhruv Thakar
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jonathon N Lakins
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Alastair J Ironside
- Department of Pathology, Western General Hospital, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh EH42XU, UK
| | - Susan Samson
- UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Rita A Mukhtar
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - E Shelley Hwang
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Valerie M Weaver
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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7
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Knutsen E, Das Sajib S, Fiskaa T, Lorens J, Gudjonsson T, Mælandsmo GM, Johansen SD, Seternes OM, Perander M. Identification of a core EMT signature that separates basal-like breast cancers into partial- and post-EMT subtypes. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1249895. [PMID: 38111531 PMCID: PMC10726128 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1249895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular plasticity program critical for embryonic development and tissue regeneration, and aberrant EMT is associated with disease including cancer. The high degree of plasticity in the mammary epithelium is reflected in extensive heterogeneity among breast cancers. Here, we have analyzed RNA-sequencing data from three different mammary epithelial cell line-derived EMT models and identified a robust mammary EMT gene expression signature that separates breast cancers into distinct subgroups. Most strikingly, the basal-like breast cancers form two subgroups displaying partial-EMT and post-EMT gene expression patterns. We present evidence that key EMT-associated transcription factors play distinct roles at different stages of EMT in mammary epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Knutsen
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Centre for Clinical Research and Education, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Saikat Das Sajib
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Tonje Fiskaa
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - James Lorens
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Thorarinn Gudjonsson
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Department of Hematology, Landspitali, University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Gunhild M. Mælandsmo
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Steinar Daae Johansen
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Genomics Division, Faculty of Bioscience and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
| | - Ole-Morten Seternes
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Maria Perander
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Centre for Clinical Research and Education, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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8
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Schuhwerk H, Brabletz T. Mutual regulation of TGFβ-induced oncogenic EMT, cell cycle progression and the DDR. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 97:86-103. [PMID: 38029866 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
TGFβ signaling and the DNA damage response (DDR) are two cellular toolboxes with a strong impact on cancer biology. While TGFβ as a pleiotropic cytokine affects essentially all hallmarks of cancer, the multifunctional DDR mostly orchestrates cell cycle progression, DNA repair, chromatin remodeling and cell death. One oncogenic effect of TGFβ is the partial activation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), conferring invasiveness, cellular plasticity and resistance to various noxae. Several reports show that both individual networks as well as their interface affect chemo-/radiotherapies. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly resolved. EMT often correlates with TGFβ-induced slowing of proliferation, yet numerous studies demonstrate that particularly the co-activated EMT transcription factors counteract anti-proliferative signaling in a partially non-redundant manner. Collectively, evidence piled up over decades underscore a multifaceted, reciprocal inter-connection of TGFβ signaling / EMT with the DDR / cell cycle progression, which we will discuss here. Altogether, we conclude that full cell cycle arrest is barely compatible with the propagation of oncogenic EMT traits and further propose that 'EMT-linked DDR plasticity' is a crucial, yet intricate facet of malignancy, decisively affecting metastasis formation and therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Schuhwerk
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Thomas Brabletz
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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9
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Gray GK, Girnius N, Kuiken HJ, Henstridge AZ, Brugge JS. Single-cell and spatial analyses reveal a tradeoff between murine mammary proliferation and lineage programs associated with endocrine cues. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113293. [PMID: 37858468 PMCID: PMC10840493 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113293] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Although distinct epithelial cell types have been distinguished in glandular tissues such as the mammary gland, the extent of heterogeneity within each cell type and the degree of endocrine control of this diversity across development are incompletely understood. By combining mass cytometry and cyclic immunofluorescence, we define a rich array of murine mammary epithelial cell subtypes associated with puberty, the estrous cycle, and sex. These subtypes are differentially proliferative and spatially segregate distinctly in adult versus pubescent glands. Further, we identify systematic suppression of lineage programs at the protein and RNA levels as a common feature of mammary epithelial expansion during puberty, the estrous cycle, and gestation and uncover a pervasive enrichment of ribosomal protein genes in luminal cells elicited specifically during progesterone-dominant expansionary periods. Collectively, these data expand our knowledge of murine mammary epithelial heterogeneity and connect endocrine-driven epithelial expansion with lineage suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Kenneth Gray
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nomeda Girnius
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; The Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hendrik J Kuiken
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aylin Z Henstridge
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joan S Brugge
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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10
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Sahoo S, Ramu S, Nair MG, Pillai M, San Juan BP, Milioli HZ, Mandal S, Naidu CM, Mavatkar AD, Subramaniam H, Neogi AG, Chaffer CL, Prabhu JS, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. Multi-modal transcriptomic analysis unravels enrichment of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal state and enhanced phenotypic heterogeneity in basal breast cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.30.558960. [PMID: 37873432 PMCID: PMC10592858 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.30.558960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Intra-tumoral phenotypic heterogeneity promotes tumor relapse and therapeutic resistance and remains an unsolved clinical challenge. It manifests along multiple phenotypic axes and decoding the interconnections among these different axes is crucial to understand its molecular origins and to develop novel therapeutic strategies to control it. Here, we use multi-modal transcriptomic data analysis - bulk, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics - from breast cancer cell lines and primary tumor samples, to identify associations between epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and luminal-basal plasticity - two key processes that enable heterogeneity. We show that luminal breast cancer strongly associates with an epithelial cell state, but basal breast cancer is associated with hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype(s) and higher phenotypic heterogeneity. These patterns were inherent in methylation profiles, suggesting an epigenetic crosstalk between EMT and lineage plasticity in breast cancer. Mathematical modelling of core underlying gene regulatory networks representative of the crosstalk between the luminal-basal and epithelial-mesenchymal axes recapitulate and thus elucidate mechanistic underpinnings of the observed associations from transcriptomic data. Our systems-based approach integrating multi-modal data analysis with mechanism-based modeling offers a predictive framework to characterize intra-tumor heterogeneity and to identify possible interventions to restrict it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarthak Sahoo
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Soundharya Ramu
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Madhumathy G Nair
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Maalavika Pillai
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
- Current affiliation: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, 60611, USA
| | - Beatriz P San Juan
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | | | - Susmita Mandal
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Chandrakala M Naidu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Apoorva D Mavatkar
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Harini Subramaniam
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Arpita G Neogi
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Christine L Chaffer
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
- University of New South Wales, UNSW Medicine, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jyothi S Prabhu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | | | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
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11
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Li H, Wang Y, Feng S, Chang K, Yu X, Yang F, Huang H, Wang Y, Li X, Guan F. Reciprocal regulation of TWIST1 and OGT determines the decitabine efficacy in MDS/AML. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:255. [PMID: 37736724 PMCID: PMC10514931 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01278-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemoresistance poses a significant impediment to effective treatment strategies for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our previous study unveiled that oncogene TWIST1 interacted with DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3a) to regulate the decitabine (DAC) resistance in MDS/AML. However, the underlying mechanism of TWIST1 dysregulation in DAC resistance remained enigmatic. Here, we found that O-GlcNAc modification was upregulated in CD34+ cells from MDS/AML patients who do not respond to DAC treatment. Functional study revealed that O-GlcNAcylation could stabilize TWIST1 by impeding its interaction with ubiquitin E3 ligase CBLC. In addition, as one typical transcription factor, TWIST1 could bind to the promoter of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) gene and activate its transcription. Collectively, we highlighted the crucial role of the O-GlcNAcylated TWIST1 in the chemoresistance capacity of MDS/AML clonal cells, which may pave the way for the development of a new therapeutic strategy targeting O-GlcNAcylated proteins and reducing the ratio of MDS/AML relapse. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology Western China, Ministry of Education; Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Hematology, Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Shuang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology Western China, Ministry of Education; Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Kaijing Chang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology Western China, Ministry of Education; Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Xinwen Yu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology Western China, Ministry of Education; Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Fenfang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology Western China, Ministry of Education; Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Haozhe Huang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology Western China, Ministry of Education; Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Yuanbo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology Western China, Ministry of Education; Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Feng Guan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology Western China, Ministry of Education; Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, 229 Taibai North Road, Xi'an, 710069, Shaanxi, China.
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12
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Polak KL, Tamagno I, Parameswaran N, Smigiel J, Chan ER, Yuan X, Rios B, Jackson MW. Oncostatin-M and OSM-Receptor Feed-Forward Activation of MAPK Induces Separable Stem-like and Mesenchymal Programs. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:975-990. [PMID: 37310811 PMCID: PMC10527478 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) frequently present with advanced metastatic disease and exhibit a poor response to therapy, resulting in poor outcomes. The tumor microenvironment cytokine Oncostatin-M (OSM) initiates PDAC plasticity, inducing the reprogramming to a stem-like/mesenchymal state, which enhances metastasis and therapy resistance. Using a panel of PDAC cells driven through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by OSM or the transcription factors ZEB1 or SNAI1, we find that OSM uniquely induces tumor initiation and gemcitabine resistance independently of its ability to induce a CD44HI/mesenchymal phenotype. In contrast, while ZEB1 and SNAI1 induce a CD44HI/mesenchymal phenotype and migration comparable with OSM, they are unable to promote tumor initiation or robust gemcitabine resistance. Transcriptomic analysis identified that OSM-mediated stemness requires MAPK activation and sustained, feed-forward transcription of OSMR. MEK and ERK inhibitors prevented OSM-driven transcription of select target genes and stem-like/mesenchymal reprogramming, resulting in reduced tumor growth and resensitization to gemcitabine. We propose that the unique properties of OSMR, which hyperactivates MAPK signaling when compared with other IL6 family receptors, make it an attractive therapeutic target, and that disrupting the OSM-OSMR-MAPK feed-forward loop may be a novel way to therapeutically target the stem-like behaviors common to aggressive PDAC. IMPLICATIONS Small-molecule MAPK inhibitors may effectively target the OSM/OSMR-axis that leads to EMT and tumor initiating properties that promote aggressive PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L Polak
- Department of Pathology and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ilaria Tamagno
- Department of Pathology and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Neetha Parameswaran
- Department of Pathology and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jacob Smigiel
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - E. Ricky Chan
- Department of Pathology and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Xueer Yuan
- Department of Pathology and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Brenda Rios
- Cancer Biology Program, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Mark W. Jackson
- Department of Pathology and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH, USA
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13
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Najafi A, Jolly MK, George JT. Population dynamics of EMT elucidates the timing and distribution of phenotypic intra-tumoral heterogeneity. iScience 2023; 26:106964. [PMID: 37426354 PMCID: PMC10329148 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a hallmark of cancer metastasis and morbidity. EMT is a non-binary process, and cells can be stably arrested en route to EMT in an intermediate hybrid state associated with enhanced tumor aggressiveness and worse patient outcomes. Understanding EMT progression in detail will provide fundamental insights into the mechanisms underlying metastasis. Despite increasingly available single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data that enable in-depth analyses of EMT at the single-cell resolution, current inferential approaches are limited to bulk microarray data. There is thus a great need for computational frameworks to systematically infer and predict the timing and distribution of EMT-related states at single-cell resolution. Here, we develop a computational framework for reliable inference and prediction of EMT-related trajectories from scRNA-seq data. Our model can be utilized across a variety of applications to predict the timing and distribution of EMT from single-cell sequencing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annice Najafi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Mohit K. Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Jason T. George
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Intercollegiate School of Engineering Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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14
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Akhmetkaliyev A, Alibrahim N, Shafiee D, Tulchinsky E. EMT/MET plasticity in cancer and Go-or-Grow decisions in quiescence: the two sides of the same coin? Mol Cancer 2023; 22:90. [PMID: 37259089 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01793-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) are genetic determinants of cellular plasticity. These programs operate in physiological (embryonic development, wound healing) and pathological (organ fibrosis, cancer) conditions. In cancer, EMT and MET interfere with various signalling pathways at different levels. This results in gross alterations in the gene expression programs, which affect most, if not all hallmarks of cancer, such as response to proliferative and death-inducing signals, tumorigenicity, and cell stemness. EMT in cancer cells involves large scale reorganisation of the cytoskeleton, loss of epithelial integrity, and gain of mesenchymal traits, such as mesenchymal type of cell migration. In this regard, EMT/MET plasticity is highly relevant to the Go-or-Grow concept, which postulates the dichotomous relationship between cell motility and proliferation. The Go-or-Grow decisions are critically important in the processes in which EMT/MET plasticity takes the central stage, mobilisation of stem cells during wound healing, cancer relapse, and metastasis. Here we outline the maintenance of quiescence in stem cell and metastatic niches, focusing on the implication of EMT/MET regulatory networks in Go-or-Grow switches. In particular, we discuss the analogy between cells residing in hybrid quasi-mesenchymal states and GAlert, an intermediate phase allowing quiescent stem cells to enter the cell cycle rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azamat Akhmetkaliyev
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, Astana, 020000, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Darya Shafiee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, Astana, 020000, Kazakhstan
| | - Eugene Tulchinsky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, Astana, 020000, Kazakhstan.
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
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15
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Verstappe J, Berx G. A role for partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in enabling stemness in homeostasis and cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 90:15-28. [PMID: 36773819 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Stem cells have self-renewal capacities and the ability to give rise to differentiated cells thereby sustaining tissues during homeostasis and injury. This structural hierarchy extends to tumours which harbor stem-like cells deemed cancer stem cells that propagate the tumour and drive metastasis and relapse. The process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which plays an important role in development and cancer cell migration, was shown to be correlated with stemness in both homeostasis and cancer indicating that stemness can be acquired and is not necessarily an intrinsic trait. Nowadays it is experimentally proven that the activation of an EMT program does not necessarily drive cells towards a fully mesenchymal phenotype but rather to hybrid E/M states. This review offers the latest advances in connecting the EMT status and stem-cell state of both non-transformed and cancer cells. Recent literature clearly shows that hybrid EMT states have a higher probability of acquiring stem cell traits. The position of a cell along the EMT-axis which coincides with a stem cell-like state is known as the stemness window. We show how the original EMT-state of a cell dictates the EMT/MET inducing programmes required to reach stemness. Lastly we present the mechanism of stemness regulation and the regulatory feedback loops which position cells at a certain EMT state along the EMT axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Verstappe
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Berx
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.
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16
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Subhadarshini S, Markus J, Sahoo S, Jolly MK. Dynamics of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity: What Have Single-Cell Investigations Elucidated So Far? ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:11665-11673. [PMID: 37033874 PMCID: PMC10077445 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) is a key driver of cancer metastasis and therapeutic resistance, through which cancer cells can reversibly and dynamically alter their molecular and functional traits along the epithelial-mesenchymal spectrum. While cells in the epithelial phenotype are usually tightly adherent, less metastatic, and drug-sensitive, those in the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal and/or mesenchymal state are more invasive, migratory, drug-resistant, and immune-evasive. Single-cell studies have emerged as a powerful tool in gaining new insights into the dynamics of EMP across various cancer types. Here, we review many recent studies that employ single-cell analysis techniques to better understand the dynamics of EMP in cancer both in vitro and in vivo. These single-cell studies have underlined the plurality of trajectories cells can traverse during EMP and the consequent heterogeneity of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes seen at both preclinical and clinical levels. They also demonstrate how diverse EMP trajectories may exhibit hysteretic behavior and how the rate of such cell-state transitions depends on the genetic/epigenetic background of recipient cells, as well as the dose and/or duration of EMP-inducing growth factors. Finally, we discuss the relationship between EMP and patient survival across many cancer types. We also present a next set of questions related to EMP that could benefit much from single-cell observations and pave the way to better tackle phenotypic switching and heterogeneity in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joel Markus
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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17
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Groves SM, Panchy N, Tyson DR, Harris LA, Quaranta V, Hong T. Involvement of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Genes in Small Cell Lung Cancer Phenotypic Plasticity. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1477. [PMID: 36900269 PMCID: PMC10001072 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051477] [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: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive cancer recalcitrant to treatment, arising predominantly from epithelial pulmonary neuroendocrine (NE) cells. Intratumor heterogeneity plays critical roles in SCLC disease progression, metastasis, and treatment resistance. At least five transcriptional SCLC NE and non-NE cell subtypes were recently defined by gene expression signatures. Transition from NE to non-NE cell states and cooperation between subtypes within a tumor likely contribute to SCLC progression by mechanisms of adaptation to perturbations. Therefore, gene regulatory programs distinguishing SCLC subtypes or promoting transitions are of great interest. Here, we systematically analyze the relationship between SCLC NE/non-NE transition and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-a well-studied cellular process contributing to cancer invasiveness and resistance-using multiple transcriptome datasets from SCLC mouse tumor models, human cancer cell lines, and tumor samples. The NE SCLC-A2 subtype maps to the epithelial state. In contrast, SCLC-A and SCLC-N (NE) map to a partial mesenchymal state (M1) that is distinct from the non-NE, partial mesenchymal state (M2). The correspondence between SCLC subtypes and the EMT program paves the way for further work to understand gene regulatory mechanisms of SCLC tumor plasticity with applicability to other cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Groves
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Nicholas Panchy
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Darren R. Tyson
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Leonard A. Harris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Vito Quaranta
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Tian Hong
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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18
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Li D, Xia L, Huang P, Wang Z, Guo Q, Huang C, Leng W, Qin S. Heterogeneity and plasticity of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer metastasis: Focusing on partial EMT and regulatory mechanisms. Cell Prolif 2023:e13423. [PMID: 36808651 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) or mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) plays critical roles in cancer metastasis. Recent studies, especially those based on single-cell sequencing, have revealed that EMT is not a binary process, but a heterogeneous and dynamic disposition with intermediary or partial EMT states. Multiple double-negative feedback loops involved by EMT-related transcription factors (EMT-TFs) have been identified. These feedback loops between EMT drivers and MET drivers finely regulate the EMT transition state of the cell. In this review, the general characteristics, biomarkers and molecular mechanisms of different EMT transition states were summarized. We additionally discussed the direct and indirect roles of EMT transition state in tumour metastasis. More importantly, this article provides direct evidence that the heterogeneity of EMT is closely related to the poor prognosis in gastric cancer. Notably, a seesaw model was proposed to explain how tumour cells regulate themselves to remain in specific EMT transition states, including epithelial state, hybrid/intermediate state and mesenchymal state. Additionally, this article also provides a review of the current status, limitations and future perspectives of EMT signalling in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Li
- Department of Stomatology, Taihe Hospital and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.,Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Academy of Bio-medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Lingyun Xia
- Department of Stomatology, Taihe Hospital and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Pan Huang
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Academy of Bio-medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Zidi Wang
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Academy of Bio-medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Qiwei Guo
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Academy of Bio-medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Congcong Huang
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Academy of Bio-medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Weidong Leng
- Department of Stomatology, Taihe Hospital and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Shanshan Qin
- Department of Stomatology, Taihe Hospital and Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.,Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Academy of Bio-medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
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19
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Poonaki E, Kahlert UD, Meuth SG, Gorji A. The role of the ZEB1–neuroinflammation axis in CNS disorders. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:275. [PMCID: PMC9675144 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02636-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) is a master modulator of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process whereby epithelial cells undergo a series of molecular changes and express certain characteristics of mesenchymal cells. ZEB1, in association with other EMT transcription factors, promotes neuroinflammation through changes in the production of inflammatory mediators, the morphology and function of immune cells, and multiple signaling pathways that mediate the inflammatory response. The ZEB1–neuroinflammation axis plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of different CNS disorders, such as brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular diseases, and neuropathic pain, by promoting tumor cell proliferation and invasiveness, formation of the hostile inflammatory micromilieu surrounding neuronal tissues, dysfunction of microglia and astrocytes, impairment of angiogenesis, and dysfunction of the blood–brain barrier. Future studies are needed to elucidate whether the ZEB1–neuroinflammation axis could serve as a diagnostic, prognostic, and/or therapeutic target for CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Poonaki
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany ,grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Epilepsy Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Domagkstr. 11, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Ulf Dietrich Kahlert
- grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Molecular and Experimental Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic for General-, Visceral-, Vascular- and Transplantation Surgery, Otto-Von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sven G. Meuth
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ali Gorji
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Epilepsy Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Domagkstr. 11, 48149 Münster, Germany ,grid.512981.60000 0004 0612 1380Shefa Neuroscience Research Center, Khatam Alanbia Hospital, Tehran, Iran ,grid.411583.a0000 0001 2198 6209Neuroscience Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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20
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Opposing roles of ZEB1 in the cytoplasm and nucleus control cytoskeletal assembly and YAP1 activity. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111452. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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21
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WNT signaling and cancer stemness. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:319-331. [PMID: 35837811 PMCID: PMC9484141 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stemness, defined as the self-renewal and tumor-initiation potential of cancer stem cells (CSCs), is a cancer biology property featuring activation of CSC signaling networks. Canonical WNT signaling through Frizzled and LRP5/6 receptors is transmitted to the β-catenin-TCF/LEF-dependent transcription machinery to up-regulate MYC, CCND1, LGR5, SNAI1, IFNG, CCL28, CD274 (PD-L1) and other target genes. Canonical WNT signaling causes expansion of rapidly cycling CSCs and modulates both immune surveillance and immune tolerance. In contrast, noncanonical WNT signaling through Frizzled or the ROR1/2 receptors is transmitted to phospholipase C, Rac1 and RhoA to control transcriptional outputs mediated by NFAT, AP-1 and YAP-TEAD, respectively. Noncanonical WNT signaling supports maintenance of slowly cycling, quiescent or dormant CSCs and promotes epithelial–mesenchymal transition via crosstalk with TGFβ (transforming growth factor-β) signaling cascades, while the TGFβ signaling network induces immune evasion. The WNT signaling network orchestrates the functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment and fine-tunes stemness in human cancers, such as breast, colorectal, gastric and lung cancers. Here, WNT-related cancer stemness features, including proliferation/dormancy plasticity, epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity and immune-landscape plasticity, will be discussed. Porcupine inhibitors, β-catenin protein–protein interaction inhibitors, β-catenin proteolysis targeting chimeras, ROR1 inhibitors and ROR1-targeted biologics are investigational drugs targeting WNT signaling cascades. Mechanisms of cancer plasticity regulated by the WNT signaling network are promising targets for therapeutic intervention; however, further understanding of context-dependent reprogramming trajectories might be necessary to optimize the clinical benefits of WNT-targeted monotherapy and applied combination therapy for patients with cancer.
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22
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Yao Y, Lin M, Liu Z, Liu M, Zhang S, Zhang Y. Hesperidin Inhibits Lung Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo Through PinX1. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:918665. [PMID: 35847001 PMCID: PMC9283948 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.918665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
New drugs or active leads with high efficiency and low toxicity are needed in the treatment of lung cancer. Natural products are an important source of anti-tumor drugs. At present, there are many molecular-targeted anti-tumor drugs derived from natural products or their derivatives for tumor treatment or in clinical trials. Hesperidin is a flavanone isolated from the Rutaceae plant lime Citrus aurantium L. or Citrus sinensis Osbeck. It has been considered to inhibit cancer cell viability in vitro. However, the effect of hesperidin on lung cancer and its underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we found that the pinX1 expression level is closely related to overall survival and plays an important role in regulating lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and senescence. More importantly, hesperidin significantly increased pinX1 protein expression, and knockdown pinX1 by its specific siRNA blocked the protective effects of hesperidin. Moreover, we also assessed that hesperidin at 100 mg/kg is safe in vivo. These findings showed that hesperidin is a potential therapeutic candidate for preventing the progression of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yao
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Genuine Medicinal Materials in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, Chongqing, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College, Chongqing, China
- Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College, Chongqing, China
| | - Mingyue Lin
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Genuine Medicinal Materials in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, Chongqing, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhujun Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Genuine Medicinal Materials in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, Chongqing, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College, Chongqing, China
| | - Mengyang Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Shiheng Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Genuine Medicinal Materials in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, Chongqing, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Shiheng Zhang, ; Yukun Zhang,
| | - Yukun Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Development and Utilization of Genuine Medicinal Materials in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, Chongqing, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College, Chongqing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Shiheng Zhang, ; Yukun Zhang,
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23
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Defining mammary basal cell transcriptional states using single-cell RNA-sequencing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4893. [PMID: 35318370 PMCID: PMC8940936 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08870-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease that can be classified into multiple subtypes including the most aggressive basal-like and triple-negative subtypes. Understanding the heterogeneity within the normal mammary basal epithelial cells holds the key to inform us about basal-like cancer cell differentiation dynamics as well as potential cells of origin. Although it is known that the mammary basal compartment contains small pools of stem cells that fuel normal tissue morphogenesis and regeneration, a comprehensive yet focused analysis of the transcriptional makeup of the basal cells is lacking. We used single-cell RNA-sequencing and multiplexed RNA in-situ hybridization to characterize mammary basal cell heterogeneity. We used bioinformatic and computational pipelines to characterize the molecular features as well as predict differentiation dynamics and cell-cell communications of the newly identified basal cell states. We used genetic cell labeling to map the in vivo fates of cells in one of these states. We identified four major distinct transcriptional states within the mammary basal cells that exhibit gene expression signatures suggestive of different functional activity and metabolic preference. Our in vivo labeling and ex vivo organoid culture data suggest that one of these states, marked by Egr2 expression, represents a dynamic transcriptional state that all basal cells transit through during pubertal mammary morphogenesis. Our study provides a systematic approach to understanding the molecular heterogeneity of mammary basal cells and identifies previously unknown dynamics of basal cell transcriptional states.
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Sun P, Han Y, Plikus M, Dai X. Altered Epithelial-mesenchymal Plasticity as a Result of Ovol2 Deletion Minimally Impacts the Self-renewal of Adult Mammary Basal Epithelial Cells. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2021; 26:377-386. [PMID: 34984648 PMCID: PMC8858298 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-021-09508-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem-cell containing mammary basal epithelial cells exist in a quasi-mesenchymal transcriptional state characterized by simultaneous expression of typical epithelial genes and typical mesenchymal genes. Whether robust maintenance of such a transcriptional state is required for adult basal stem cells to fuel self-renewal and regeneration remains unclear. In this work, we utilized SMA-CreER to direct efficient basal cell-specific deletion of Ovol2, which encodes a transcription factor that inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in adult mammary gland. We identified a basal cell-intrinsic role of Ovol2 in promoting epithelial, and suppressing mesenchymal, molecular traits. Interestingly, Ovol2-deficient basal cells display minimal perturbations in their ability to support tissue homeostasis, colony formation, and transplant outgrowth. These findings underscore the ability of adult mammary basal cells to tolerate molecular perturbations associated with altered epithelia-mesenchymal plasticity without drastically compromising their self-renewal potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Sun
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, CA, Irvine, 92697, USA
| | - Yingying Han
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, CA, Irvine, 92697, USA
| | - Maksim Plikus
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Xing Dai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, CA, Irvine, 92697, USA.
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