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Thankamony AP, Ramkomuth S, Ramesh ST, Murali R, Chakraborty P, Karthikeyan N, Varghese BA, Jaikumar VS, Jolly MK, Swarbrick A, Nair R. Phenotypic heterogeneity drives differential disease outcome in a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1230647. [PMID: 37841442 PMCID: PMC10570535 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1230647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer that has poor clinical outcome and is an unmet clinical challenge. Accumulating evidence suggests that intratumoral heterogeneity or the presence of phenotypically distinct cell populations within a tumor play a crucial role in chemoresistance, tumor progression and metastasis. An increased understanding of the molecular regulators of intratumoral heterogeneity is crucial to the development of effective therapeutic strategies in TNBC. To this end, we used an unbiased approach to identify a molecular mediator of intratumoral heterogeneity in breast cancer by isolating two tumor cell populations (T1 and T2) from the 4T1 TNBC model. Phenotypic characterization revealed that the cells are different in terms of their morphology, proliferation and self-renewal ability in vitro as well as primary tumor formation and metastatic potential in vivo. Bioinformatic analysis followed by Kaplan Meier survival analysis in TNBC patients identified Metastasis associated colon cancer 1 (Macc1) as one of the top candidate genes mediating the aggressive phenotype in the T1 tumor cells. The role of Macc1 in regulating the proliferative phenotype was validated and taken forward in a therapeutic context with Lovastatin, a small molecule transcriptional inhibitor of Macc1 to target the T1 cell population. This study increases our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of intratumoral heterogeneity in breast cancer that is critical to improve the treatment of women currently living with the highly aggressive TNBC subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana P. Thankamony
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Sonny Ramkomuth
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Cancer Research Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Shikha T. Ramesh
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Reshma Murali
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Priyanka Chakraborty
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | | | | | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Alexander Swarbrick
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Cancer Research Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
- St Vincent’s Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Radhika Nair
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
- Centre for Human Genetics, Bangalore, India
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Baldissera AB, Boia-Ferreira M, Basílio ABC, Resende JSDS, Castro MAA, Chaim OM, Gremski LH, Veiga SS, Senff-Ribeiro A. Sertraline as a potential cancer therapeutic approach: Biological relevance of TCTP in breast cancer cell lines and tumors. Adv Med Sci 2023; 68:227-237. [PMID: 37379765 DOI: 10.1016/j.advms.2023.06.001] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate the role of Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) in breast cancer (BC) and investigate the effects of sertraline, a serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), on BC cells. The objective was to assess the potential of sertraline as a therapeutic agent in BC treatment by examining its ability to inhibit TCTP expression and exert antitumor effects. MATERIAL AND METHODS We utilized five different BC cell lines representing the molecular heterogeneity and distinct subtypes of BC, including luminal, normal-like, HER2-positive, and triple-negative BC. These subtypes play a crucial role in determining clinical treatment strategies and prognosis. RESULTS The highest levels of TCTP were observed in triple-negative BC cell lines, known for their aggressive behavior. Sertraline treatment reduced TCTP expression in BC cell lines, significantly impacting cell viability, clonogenicity, and migration. Additionally, sertraline sensitized triple-negative BC cell lines to cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs (doxorubicin and cisplatin) suggesting its potential as an adjunctive therapy to enhance the chemotherapeutic response. Bioinformatic analysis of TCTP mRNA levels in TCGA BC data revealed a negative correlation between TCTP levels and patient survival, as well as between TCTP/tpt1 and Ki67. These findings contradict our data and previous studies indicating a correlation between TCTP protein levels and aggressiveness and poor prognosis in BC. CONCLUSIONS Sertraline shows a promise as a potential therapeutic option for BC, particularly in triple-negative BC. Its ability to inhibit TCTP expression, enhance chemotherapeutic response, highlights its potential clinical utility in BC treatment, specifically in triple-negative BC subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alana B C Basílio
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Jean Silva de Souza Resende
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Laboratory, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil; Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute, Oncology Division, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Olga M Chaim
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Silvio S Veiga
- Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
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Arfelli VC, Chang YC, Bagnoli JW, Kerbs P, Ciamponi FE, Paz LMDS, Pankivskyi S, de Matha Salone J, Maucuer A, Massirer KB, Enard W, Kuster B, Greif PA, Archangelo LF. UHMK1 is a novel splicing regulatory kinase. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:103041. [PMID: 36803961 PMCID: PMC10033318 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.103041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The U2AF Homology Motif Kinase 1 (UHMK1) is the only kinase that contains the U2AF homology motif, a common protein interaction domain among splicing factors. Through this motif, UHMK1 interacts with the splicing factors SF1 and SF3B1, known to participate in the 3' splice site recognition during the early steps of spliceosome assembly. Although UHMK1 phosphorylates these splicing factors in vitro, the involvement of UHMK1 in RNA processing has not previously been demonstrated. Here, we identify novel putative substrates of this kinase and evaluate UHMK1 contribution to overall gene expression and splicing, by integrating global phosphoproteomics, RNA-seq, and bioinformatics approaches. Upon UHMK1 modulation, 163 unique phosphosites were differentially phosphorylated in 117 proteins, of which 106 are novel potential substrates of this kinase. Gene Ontology analysis showed enrichment of terms previously associated with UHMK1 function, such as mRNA splicing, cell cycle, cell division, and microtubule organization. The majority of the annotated RNA-related proteins are components of the spliceosome but are also involved in several steps of gene expression. Comprehensive analysis of splicing showed that UHMK1 affected over 270 alternative splicing events. Moreover, splicing reporter assay further supported UHMK1 function on splicing. Overall, RNA-seq data demonstrated that UHMK1 knockdown had a minor impact on transcript expression and pointed to UHMK1 function in epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Functional assays demonstrated that UHMK1 modulation affects proliferation, colony formation, and migration. Taken together, our data implicate UHMK1 as a splicing regulatory kinase, connecting protein regulation through phosphorylation and gene expression in key cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa C Arfelli
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Yun-Chien Chang
- Proteomics and Bioanalytics, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany
| | - Johannes W Bagnoli
- Anthropology & Human Genomics, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Martinsried, Germany
| | - Paul Kerbs
- Laboratory for Experimental Leukemia and Lymphoma Research, Munich University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felipe E Ciamponi
- Center for Medicinal Chemistry (CQMED), Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Laissa M da S Paz
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Serhii Pankivskyi
- SABNP, Univ Evry, INSERM U1204, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | | | - Alexandre Maucuer
- SABNP, Univ Evry, INSERM U1204, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Katlin B Massirer
- Center for Medicinal Chemistry (CQMED), Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wolfgang Enard
- Anthropology & Human Genomics, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Martinsried, Germany
| | - Bernhard Kuster
- Proteomics and Bioanalytics, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany
| | - Philipp A Greif
- Laboratory for Experimental Leukemia and Lymphoma Research, Munich University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Leticia Fröhlich Archangelo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Zhu X, Ren J, Xu D, Cheng D, Wang W, Ren J, Xiao Z, Jiang H, Ding Y, Tan Y. Upregulation of Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein Is Associated With Cervical Cancer Progression. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:686718. [PMID: 34589516 PMCID: PMC8473787 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.686718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Outside a few affluent countries with adequate vaccination and screening coverage, cervical cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in many countries. Currently, a major problem is that a substantial proportion of patients are already at an advanced cancer stage when diagnosed. There is increasing evidence that indicates the involvement of translationally controlled tumor protein 1 (TPT1) overexpression in cancer development, but little is known about its implication in cervical cancer. We assessed the levels of TPT1 in surgical tissue and sera of patients with cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III, and cervical cancer, as well as in normal and cancerous cervical cell lines. Gene sets, pathways, and functional protein interactions associated with TPT1 were identified using the TCGA data cohort of cervical cancer. We found that the TPT1 expression was significantly increased in cervical cancer tissue compared to all nonmalignant cervical tissues, including samples of cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III, and normal controls. Serum level of TPT1 was also increased in cervical cancer patients compared to healthy subjects. Furthermore, elevated TPT1 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and a low differentiation degree of the cancer. In the cancerous tissues and cell lines, selective markers of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway over-activation, apoptosis repression, and EMT were detected, and their interaction with TPT1 was supported by biometrics analyses. Our results, for the first time, demonstrate a strong correlation of upregulated TPT1 expression with cervical cancer progression, suggesting that TPT1 might provide a potential biomarker for cervical cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhu
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Ji Ren
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Dianqin Xu
- Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Di Cheng
- Affiliated Oncology Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Affiliated Oncology Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jie Ren
- Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Ziwen Xiao
- Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Hongmei Jiang
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yan Ding
- Taihe Hospital, Affiliated to Hubei Medical University, Shiyan, China
| | - Yujie Tan
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.,Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
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Liu Q, Li Y, Zhou Y. MicroRNA-489-3p plays a significant role in congenital hypothyroidism through regulating neuronal cell apoptosis via targeting translationally controlled tumor protein 1. Exp Ther Med 2021; 21:229. [PMID: 33603838 PMCID: PMC7851619 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.9660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating reports have indicated that congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is an endocrine disorder caused by underdeveloped thyroid gland or thyroid dyshormonogenesis. It has been also reported that certain microRNAs (miRNAs) may exert protective effects against the development of CH. However, whether miR-489-3p regulates CH progression remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of miR-489-3p on CH and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, Sprague Dawley rats were injected with propylthiouracil (50 mg/day) to establish a CH model. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay demonstrated that miR-489-3p was upregulated in the hippocampal tissues of CH rats. Furthermore, the TargetScan software was employed to predict the target gene of miR-489-3p, and a dual luciferase reporter assay revealed that translationally controlled tumor protein 1 (TPT1) was directly targeted by miR-489-3p. Additionally, RT-qPCR and western blot assays suggested that TPT1 was markedly downregulated in the hippocampal tissues of CH rats compared with control rats. In addition, inhibitor control, miR-489-3p inhibitor, control-shRNA or TPT1-shRNA were injected into CH rats. The results of the open-field and forced swimming tests revealed that miR-489-3p inhibitor notably improved the behavior of CH rats. Flow cytometry was applied to explore the effects of miR-489-3p inhibitor on neuronal cell apoptosis, and the findings indicated that miR-489-3p inhibitor attenuated CH-induced neuronal cell apoptosis, whereas these effects were reversed by treatment with miR-489-3p inhibitor and TPT1-shRNA. Finally, the function of miR-489-3p in neuronal cells was investigated in vitro. Neuronal cell viability, apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins were determined using MTT assay, flow cytometry and western blot analysis, respectively. The results demonstrated that miR-489-3p inhibitor enhanced cell viability, suppressed apoptosis and upregulated Pim-3, phosphorylated (p)-Bad (Ser112) and Bcl-xL expression. Rescue experiments indicated that these effects were reversed following silencing of TPT1. Taken together, the findings of the present study demonstrated that miR-489-3p inhibitor could relieve CH-induced neurological damage through regulating TPT1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Yancheng Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu 224002, P.R. China
| | - Yuehong Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Yancheng Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu 224002, P.R. China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, Yancheng Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu 224002, P.R. China
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Meng T, Shen S, Li C, Liu X. MicroRNA-1236-3p/translationally controlled tumor protein (TPT1) axis participates in congenital hypothyroidism progression by regulating neuronal apoptosis. Exp Ther Med 2019; 19:459-466. [PMID: 31885695 PMCID: PMC6913314 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2019.8262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is an endocrine disease caused by congenital thyroid hormone (TH) deficiency. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) have been reported to inhibit the progression of congenital hypothyroidism. However, the expression and role of miR-1236-3p in CH remains unclear. To address this, 12 day old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: Control; Congenital hypothyroidism (CH), miR-1236-3p inhibitor control (inhibitor control); miR-1236-3p inhibitor (inhibitor); and miR-1236-3p inhibitor + translationally-controlled tumor protein 1 (TPT1)-small interfering (si)RNA (inhibitor + siRNA). Propylthiouracil (50 mg/day) was injected intraperitoneally into pregnant rats to generate pups with CH. The levels of miR-1236-3p and TPT1 were detected via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to predict the targets of miR-1236-3p, which was confirmed using dual luciferase reporter assay. Flow cytometry and MTT assay were used to measure neuronal cell apoptosis and cell viability, whereas western blotting was applied to detect the expression of Pim-3, p-Bad (Ser112), Bad and Bcl-xL, proteins associated with apoptosis. The results revealed that miR-1236-3p expression was significantly upregulated, whilst TPT1 expression was significantly downregulated in the hippocampus tissues of CH rats compared with the control group. TPT1 was confirmed as a target of miR-1236-3p. MiR-1236-3p inhibitor prevented hippocampal neuron apoptosis induced by CH induction, which was reversed by TPT1-siRNA transfection. In addition, following miR-1236-3p inhibitor transfection, neuronal cell apoptosis significantly reduced compared with the control group, which was accompanied by significantly increased expressions of Pim-3, p-Bad (Ser112) and Bcl-xL expression. These effects were reversed by TPT1-siRNA co-transfection. These results indicated that inhibition of miR-1236-3p expression inhibited neuron apoptosis in vivo and in vitro by targeting TPT1, serving a protective role in CH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Meng
- Pediatric Blood Care Station, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China
| | - Shiman Shen
- Pediatric Blood Care Station, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China
| | - Cheng Li
- Pediatric Blood Care Station, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China
| | - Xuehua Liu
- Pediatric Blood Care Station, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China
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