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Zhang S, Wu Q, Cheng W, Dong W, Kou B. YTHDC1-Mediated lncRNA MSC-AS1 m6A Modification Potentiates Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Development via Repressing ATXN7 Transcription. Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-024-01150-5. [PMID: 38637450 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01150-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) has the highest mortality rate among head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. This study was designed to investigate the biological effect of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) MSC antisense RNA 1 (MSC-AS1) on LSCC development and the underlying mechanism. The expression and prognostic value of lncRNAs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were predicted in the bioinformatics tools. The overexpression of MSC-AS1 in LSCC patients predicted a poor prognosis. Depletion of MSC-AS1 using shRNA repressed the malignant phenotype of AMC-HN-8 and TU-177 cells. MSC-AS1, mainly localized in the nucleus, interacted closely with the transcription factor CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF). CTCF played anti-tumor effects in vitro and in vivo. Ataxin-7 (ATXN7) was predicted to be a downstream target of CTCF, whose expression was negatively controlled by MSC-AS1. MSC-AS1 was found to block the expression of CTCF, thereby repressing ATXN7. Finally, MSC-AS1 overexpression in LSCC was governed by YTH domain-containing protein 1 (YTHDC1)-mediated m6A modification. In summary, our research identified the YTHDC1/MSC-AS1/CTCF/ATXN7 axis in LSCC development, which indicated that MSC-AS1 is an attractive biomarker in the LSCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Yanta District, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, 010050, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China
| | - Qun Wu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Yanta District, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Department of General Surgery, Danfeng County Hospital, Shangluo, 726200, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Weijiang Dong
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Kou
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 277, Yanta West Road, Yanta District, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
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Akhtar MS, Akhter N, Talat A, Alharbi RA, Sindi AAA, Klufah F, Alyahyawi HE, Alruwetei A, Ahmad A, Zamzami MA, Deo S, Husain SA, Badi OA, Khan MJ. Association of mutation and expression of the brother of the regulator of imprinted sites (BORIS) gene with breast cancer progression. Oncotarget 2023; 14:528-541. [PMID: 37235839 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The BORIS, 11 zinc-finger transcription factors, is a member of the cancer-testis antigen (CTA) family. It is mapped to chromosome number 20q13.2 and this region is genetically linked to the early onset of breast cancer. The current study analyzed the correlation between BORIS mutations and the expression of the protein in breast cancer cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS A population-based study including a total of 155 breast cancer tissue samples and an equal number of normal adjacent tissues from Indian female breast cancer patients was carried out. Mutations of the BORIS gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction-single standard confirmation polymorphisms (PCR-SSCP) and automated DNA sequencing and by immunohistochemistry for BORIS protein expression were performed. The observed findings were correlated with several clinicopathological parameters to find out the clinical relevance of associations. RESULTS Of all the cases 16.12% (25/155) showed mutations in the BORIS gene. The observed mutations present on codon 329 are missense, leading to Val> Ile (G>A) change on exon 5 of the BORIS gene. A significant association was observed between mutations of the BORIS gene and some clinicopathological features like nodal status (p = 0.013), estrogen receptor (ER) expression (p = 0.008), progesterone receptor (PR) expression (p = 0.039), clinical stage (p = 0.010) and menopausal status (p = 0.023). The protein expression analysis showed 20.64% (32/155) samples showing low or no expression (+), 34.19% (53/155) with moderate expression (++), and 45.17% (70/155) showing high expression (+++) of BORIS protein. A significant association was observed between the expression of BORIS protein and clinicopathological features like clinical stage (p = 0.013), nodal status (p = 0.049), ER expression (p = 0.039), and PR expression (p = 0.027). When mutation and protein expression were correlated in combination with clinicopathological parameters a significant association was observed in the category of high (+++) level of BORIS protein expression (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION The BORIS mutations and high protein expression occur frequently in carcinoma of the breast suggesting their association with the onset and progression of breast carcinoma. Further, the BORIS has the potential to be used as a biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Salman Akhtar
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Naseem Akhter
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Arshi Talat
- Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, ITS Dental College, Hospital and Research Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi-NCR, India
| | - Raed A Alharbi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulmajeed A A Sindi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal Klufah
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hanan E Alyahyawi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulmohsen Alruwetei
- Department of Medical Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abrar Ahmad
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mazin A Zamzami
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Svs Deo
- Department of Surgical Oncology, BRA- IRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
| | - Syed Akhtar Husain
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Osama A Badi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Wagner R, Amonkar GM, Wang W, Shui JE, Bankoti K, Tse WH, High FA, Zalieckas JM, Buchmiller TL, Zani A, Keijzer R, Donahoe PK, Lerou PH, Ai X. A Tracheal Aspirate-derived Airway Basal Cell Model Reveals a Proinflammatory Epithelial Defect in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2023; 207:1214-1226. [PMID: 36731066 PMCID: PMC10161756 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202205-0953oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is characterized by incomplete closure of the diaphragm and lung hypoplasia. The pathophysiology of lung defects in CDH is poorly understood. Objectives: To establish a translational model of human airway epithelium in CDH for pathogenic investigation and therapeutic testing. Methods: We developed a robust methodology of epithelial progenitor derivation from tracheal aspirates of newborns. Basal stem cells (BSCs) from patients with CDH and preterm and term non-CDH control subjects were derived and analyzed by bulk RNA sequencing, assay for transposase accessible chromatin with sequencing, and air-liquid interface differentiation. Lung sections from fetal human CDH samples and the nitrofen rat model of CDH were subjected to histological assessment of epithelial defects. Therapeutics to restore epithelial differentiation were evaluated in human epithelial cell culture and the nitrofen rat model of CDH. Measurements and Main Results: Transcriptomic and epigenetic profiling of CDH and control BSCs reveals a proinflammatory signature that is manifested by hyperactive nuclear factor kappa B and independent of severity and hernia size. In addition, CDH BSCs exhibit defective epithelial differentiation in vitro that recapitulates epithelial phenotypes found in fetal human CDH lung samples and fetal tracheas of the nitrofen rat model of CDH. Furthermore, blockade of nuclear factor kappa B hyperactivity normalizes epithelial differentiation phenotypes of human CDH BSCs in vitro and in nitrofen rat tracheas in vivo. Conclusions: Our findings have identified an underlying proinflammatory signature and BSC differentiation defects as a potential therapeutic target for airway epithelial defects in CDH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Wagner
- Division of Newborn Medicine and
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gaurang M. Amonkar
- Division of Newborn Medicine and
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Wei Wang
- Division of Newborn Medicine and
| | | | | | - Wai Hei Tse
- Departments of Surgery, Pediatrics & Child Health, Physiology & Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba and Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Frances A. High
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, and
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Surgery and
| | - Jill M. Zalieckas
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and
| | - Terry L. Buchmiller
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and
| | - Augusto Zani
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Keijzer
- Departments of Surgery, Pediatrics & Child Health, Physiology & Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba and Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Patricia K. Donahoe
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Momeni-Boroujeni A, Vanderbilt C, Yousefi E, Abu-Rustum NR, Aghajanian C, Soslow RA, Ellenson LH, Weigelt B, Murali R. Landscape of chromatin remodeling gene alterations in endometrial carcinoma. Gynecol Oncol 2023; 172:54-64. [PMID: 36958196 PMCID: PMC10192087 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2023.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Chromatin remodeling genes (CRGs) encode components of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and alterations in these genes have been identified in several tumor types, including gynecologic cancers. In this study, we sought to investigate the prevalence and clinicopathological associations of CRG alterations in endometrial carcinoma (EC). METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of 660 ECs sequenced using a clinical massively parallel sequencing assay targeting up to 468 genes, including 25 CRGs, and defined the presence of somatic CRG alterations. Clinicopathologic features were obtained for all cases. Immunohistochemical interrogation of ARID1A and PTEN proteins was performed in a subset of samples. RESULTS Of the 660 ECs sequenced, 438 (66.4%) harbored CRG alterations covered by our panel. The most commonly altered CRG was ARID1A (46%), followed by CTCF (21%), KMT2D (18%), KMT2B (17%), BCOR (16%), ARID1B (12%) and SMARCA4 (11%). We found that ARID1A genetic alterations were preferentially bi-allelic and often corresponded to altered ARID1A protein expression in ECs. We further observed that ARID1A alterations were often subclonal when compared to PTEN alterations, which were primarily clonal in ECs harboring both mutations. Finally, CRG alterations were associated with an increased likelihood of myometrial and lymphovascular invasion in endometrioid ECs. CONCLUSION CRG alterations are common in EC and are associated with clinicopathologic features and likely play a crucial role in EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Momeni-Boroujeni
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Chad Vanderbilt
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Elham Yousefi
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irvine Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Nadeem R Abu-Rustum
- Departments of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Carol Aghajanian
- Departments of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Robert A Soslow
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Lora H Ellenson
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Britta Weigelt
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Rajmohan Murali
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America.
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Mao A, Chen C, Portillo-Ledesma S, Schlick T. Effect of Single-Residue Mutations on CTCF Binding to DNA: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076395. [PMID: 37047368 PMCID: PMC10094706 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans and other eukaryotes, DNA is condensed into chromatin fibers that are further wound into chromosomes. This organization allows regulatory elements in the genome, often distant from each other in the linear DNA, to interact and facilitate gene expression through regions known as topologically associating domains (TADs). CCCTC–binding factor (CTCF) is one of the major components of TAD formation and is responsible for recruiting a partner protein, cohesin, to perform loop extrusion and facilitate proper gene expression within TADs. Because single-residue CTCF mutations have been linked to the development of a variety of cancers in humans, we aim to better understand how these mutations affect the CTCF structure and its interaction with DNA. To this end, we compare all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of a wildtype CTCF–DNA complex to those of eight different cancer-linked CTCF mutant sequences. We find that most mutants have lower binding energies compared to the wildtype protein, leading to the formation of less stable complexes. Depending on the type and position of the mutation, this loss of stability can be attributed to major changes in the electrostatic potential, loss of hydrogen bonds between the CTCF and DNA, and/or destabilization of specific zinc fingers. Interestingly, certain mutations in specific fingers can affect the interaction with the DNA of other fingers, explaining why mere single mutations can impair CTCF function. Overall, these results shed mechanistic insights into experimental observations and further underscore CTCF’s importance in the regulation of chromatin architecture and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Mao
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA; (A.M.); (C.C.); (S.P.-L.)
| | - Carrie Chen
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA; (A.M.); (C.C.); (S.P.-L.)
| | - Stephanie Portillo-Ledesma
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA; (A.M.); (C.C.); (S.P.-L.)
| | - Tamar Schlick
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA; (A.M.); (C.C.); (S.P.-L.)
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, 251 Mercer St., New York, NY 10012, USA
- New York University-East China Normal University Center for Computational Chemistry, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai 200122, China
- Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry, New York University, 24 Waverly Place, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Correspondence:
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Segueni J, Noordermeer D. CTCF: a misguided jack-of-all-trades in cancer cells. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:2685-2698. [PMID: 35685367 PMCID: PMC9166472 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and progression of cancers is accompanied by a dysregulation of transcriptional programs. The three-dimensional (3D) organization of the human genome has emerged as an important multi-level mediator of gene transcription and regulation. In cancer cells, this organization can be restructured, providing a framework for the deregulation of gene activity. The CTCF protein, initially identified as the product from a tumor suppressor gene, is a jack-of-all-trades for the formation of 3D genome organization in normal cells. Here, we summarize how CTCF is involved in the multi-level organization of the human genome and we discuss emerging insights into how perturbed CTCF function and DNA binding causes the activation of oncogenes in cancer cells, mostly through a process of enhancer hijacking. Moreover, we highlight non-canonical functions of CTCF that can be relevant for the emergence of cancers as well. Finally, we provide guidelines for the computational identification of perturbed CTCF binding and reorganized 3D genome structure in cancer cells.
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7
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CTCFL regulates the PI3K-Akt pathway and it is a target for personalized ovarian cancer therapy. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2022; 8:5. [PMID: 35132075 PMCID: PMC8821627 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-022-00214-z] [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: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy due to the lack of reliable biomarkers, effective treatment, and chemoresistance. Improving the diagnosis and the development of targeted therapies is still needed. The molecular pathomechanisms driving HGSC progression are not fully understood though crucial for effective diagnosis and identification of novel targeted therapy options. The oncogene CTCFL (BORIS), the paralog of CTCF, is a transcriptional factor highly expressed in ovarian cancer (but in rarely any other tissue in females) with cancer-specific characteristics and therapeutic potential. In this work, we seek to understand the regulatory functions of CTCFL to unravel new target genes with clinical relevance. We used in vitro models to evaluate the transcriptional changes due to the presence of CTCFL, followed by a selection of gene candidates using de novo network enrichment analysis. The resulting mechanistic candidates were further assessed regarding their prognostic potential and druggability. We show that CTCFL-driven genes are involved in cytoplasmic membrane functions; in particular, the PI3K-Akt initiators EGFR1 and VEGFA, as well as ITGB3 and ITGB6 are potential drug targets. Finally, we identified the CTCFL targets ACTBL2, MALT1 and PCDH7 as mechanistic biomarkers to predict survival in HGSC. Finally, we elucidated the value of CTCFL in combination with its targets as a prognostic marker profile for HGSC progression and as putative drug targets.
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8
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Abstract
Dysfunction in T cells limits the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. We profiled the epigenome, transcriptome, and enhancer connectome of exhaustion-prone GD2-targeting HA-28z chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and control CD19-targeting CAR T cells, which present less exhaustion-inducing tonic signaling, at multiple points during their ex vivo expansion. We found widespread, dynamic changes in chromatin accessibility and three-dimensional (3D) chromosome conformation preceding changes in gene expression, notably at loci proximal to exhaustion-associated genes such as PDCD1, CTLA4, and HAVCR2, and increased DNA motif access for AP-1 family transcription factors, which are known to promote exhaustion. Although T cell exhaustion has been studied in detail in mice, we find that the regulatory networks of T cell exhaustion differ between species and involve distinct loci of accessible chromatin and cis-regulated target genes in human CAR T cell exhaustion. Deletion of exhaustion-specific candidate enhancers of PDCD1 suppress the expression of PD-1 in an in vitro model of T cell dysfunction and in HA-28z CAR T cells, suggesting enhancer editing as a path forward in improving cancer immunotherapy.
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9
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Li J, Zhu Y. Recent Advances in Liver Cancer Stem Cells: Non-coding RNAs, Oncogenes and Oncoproteins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:548335. [PMID: 33117795 PMCID: PMC7575754 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.548335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, with high morbidity, relapse, metastasis and mortality rates. Although liver surgical resection, transplantation, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and some molecular targeted therapeutics may prolong the survival of HCC patients to a certain degree, the curative effect is still poor, primarily because of tumor recurrence and the drug resistance of HCC cells. Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs), also known as liver tumor-initiating cells, represent one small subset of cancer cells that are responsible for disease recurrence, drug resistance and death. Therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanism of LCSCs in HCC is of vital importance. Thus, new studies that present gene regulation strategies to control LCSC differentiation and replication are under development. In this review, we provide an update on the latest advances in experimental studies on non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), oncogenes and oncoproteins. All the articles addressed the crosstalk between different ncRNAs, oncogenes and oncoproteins, as well as their upstream and downstream products targeting LCSCs. In this review, we summarize three pathways, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, and interleukin 6/Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (IL6/JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway, and their targeting gene, c-Myc. Furthermore, we conclude that octamer 4 (OCT4) and Nanog are two important functional genes that play a pivotal role in LCSC regulation and HCC prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Liver Disease Center of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Institute of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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10
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Alharbi AB, Schmitz U, Marshall AD, Vanichkina D, Nagarajah R, Vellozzi M, Wong JJ, Bailey CG, Rasko JE. Ctcf haploinsufficiency mediates intron retention in a tissue-specific manner. RNA Biol 2020; 18:93-103. [PMID: 32816606 PMCID: PMC7834090 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1796052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CTCF is a master regulator of gene transcription and chromatin organisation with occupancy at thousands of DNA target sites genome-wide. While CTCF is essential for cell survival, CTCF haploinsufficiency is associated with tumour development and hypermethylation. Increasing evidence demonstrates CTCF as a key player in several mechanisms regulating alternative splicing (AS), however, the genome-wide impact of Ctcf dosage on AS has not been investigated. We examined the effect of Ctcf haploinsufficiency on gene expression and AS in five tissues from Ctcf hemizygous (Ctcf+/-) mice. Reduced Ctcf levels caused distinct tissue-specific differences in gene expression and AS in all tissues. An increase in intron retention (IR) was observed in Ctcf+/- liver and kidney. In liver, this specifically impacted genes associated with cytoskeletal organisation, splicing and metabolism. Strikingly, most differentially retained introns were short, with a high GC content and enriched in Ctcf binding sites in their proximal upstream genomic region. This study provides new insights into the effects of CTCF haploinsufficiency on organ transcriptomes and the role of CTCF in AS regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adel B Alharbi
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Computational BioMedicine Laboratory Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University , Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ulf Schmitz
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Computational BioMedicine Laboratory Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia
| | - Amy D Marshall
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia
| | - Darya Vanichkina
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Sydney Informatics Hub, University of Sydney , Darlington, Australia
| | - Rajini Nagarajah
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia
| | - Melissa Vellozzi
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Computational BioMedicine Laboratory Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia
| | - Justin Jl Wong
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Epigenetics and RNA Biology Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia
| | - Charles G Bailey
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia
| | - John Ej Rasko
- Gene & Stem Cell Therapy Program Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Cell & Molecular Therapies, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital , Camperdown, Australia
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11
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Nishana M, Ha C, Rodriguez-Hernaez J, Ranjbaran A, Chio E, Nora EP, Badri SB, Kloetgen A, Bruneau BG, Tsirigos A, Skok JA. Defining the relative and combined contribution of CTCF and CTCFL to genomic regulation. Genome Biol 2020; 21:108. [PMID: 32393311 PMCID: PMC7212617 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02024-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ubiquitously expressed CTCF is involved in numerous cellular functions, such as organizing chromatin into TAD structures. In contrast, its paralog, CTCFL, is normally only present in the testis. However, it is also aberrantly expressed in many cancers. While it is known that shared and unique zinc finger sequences in CTCF and CTCFL enable CTCFL to bind competitively to a subset of CTCF binding sites as well as its own unique locations, the impact of CTCFL on chromosome organization and gene expression has not been comprehensively analyzed in the context of CTCF function. Using an inducible complementation system, we analyze the impact of expressing CTCFL and CTCF-CTCFL chimeric proteins in the presence or absence of endogenous CTCF to clarify the relative and combined contribution of CTCF and CTCFL to chromosome organization and transcription. RESULTS We demonstrate that the N terminus of CTCF interacts with cohesin which explains the requirement for convergent CTCF binding sites in loop formation. By analyzing CTCF and CTCFL binding in tandem, we identify phenotypically distinct sites with respect to motifs, targeting to promoter/intronic intergenic regions and chromatin folding. Finally, we reveal that the N, C, and zinc finger terminal domains play unique roles in targeting each paralog to distinct binding sites to regulate transcription, chromatin looping, and insulation. CONCLUSION This study clarifies the unique and combined contribution of CTCF and CTCFL to chromosome organization and transcription, with direct implications for understanding how their co-expression deregulates transcription in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caryn Ha
- Department of Pathology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | | | - Ali Ranjbaran
- Department of Pathology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Erica Chio
- Department of Pathology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Elphege P Nora
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Sana B Badri
- Department of Pathology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Andreas Kloetgen
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Benoit G Bruneau
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Aristotelis Tsirigos
- Department of Pathology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA.,Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Jane A Skok
- Department of Pathology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA. .,Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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12
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Debaugny RE, Skok JA. CTCF and CTCFL in cancer. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 61:44-52. [PMID: 32334335 PMCID: PMC7893514 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
CTCF plays a key role in organizing chromatin into TAD structures but it can also function as a transcription factor. CTCFL (CTCF-like), the paralog of CTCF, is normally transiently expressed in pre-meiotic male germ cells together with ubiquitously expressed CTCF. It plays a unique role in spermatogenesis by regulating expression of testis-specific genes. Genetic alterations in CTCF and its paralog CTCFL have both been found in numerous cancers, but it remains unknown to what extent CTCFL deregulates transcription on its own or by opposing CTCF. Here, we discuss some of the potential mechanisms by which these two proteins could alter gene regulation and contribute to oncogenic transcriptional programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne E Debaugny
- Dept. of Pathology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jane A Skok
- Dept. of Pathology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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13
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Janssen SM, Moscona R, Elchebly M, Papadakis AI, Redpath M, Wang H, Rubin E, van Kempen LC, Spatz A. BORIS/CTCFL promotes a switch from a proliferative towards an invasive phenotype in melanoma cells. Cell Death Discov 2020; 6:1. [PMID: 32123577 PMCID: PMC7026120 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-019-0235-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is among the most aggressive cancers due to its tendency to metastasize early. Phenotype switching between a proliferative and an invasive state has been suggested as a critical process for metastasis, though the mechanisms that regulate state transitions are complex and remain poorly understood. Brother of Regulator of Imprinted Sites (BORIS), also known as CCCTC binding factor-Like (CTCFL), is a transcriptional modulator that becomes aberrantly expressed in melanoma. Yet, the role of BORIS in melanoma remains elusive. Here, we show that BORIS is involved in melanoma phenotype switching. Genetic modification of BORIS expression in melanoma cells combined with whole-transcriptome analysis indicated that BORIS expression contributes to an invasion-associated transcriptome. In line with these findings, inducible BORIS overexpression in melanoma cells reduced proliferation and increased migration and invasion, demonstrating that the transcriptional switch is accompanied by a phenotypic switch. Mechanistically, we reveal that BORIS binds near the promoter of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TFGB1), a well-recognized factor involved in the transition towards an invasive state, which coincided with increased expression of TGFB1. Overall, our study indicates a pro-invasive role for BORIS in melanoma via transcriptional reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Marlijn Janssen
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC Canada
- Department of Pathology, McGill University, Montréal, QC Canada
| | - Roy Moscona
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Mounib Elchebly
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC Canada
| | | | - Margaret Redpath
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC Canada
- Department of Pathology, McGill University, Montréal, QC Canada
- Division of Pathology, Department of Laboratory medicine, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Hangjun Wang
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC Canada
- Department of Pathology, McGill University, Montréal, QC Canada
- Division of Pathology, Department of Laboratory medicine, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Eitan Rubin
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Léon Cornelis van Kempen
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC Canada
- Department of Pathology, McGill University, Montréal, QC Canada
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory for Molecular Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alan Spatz
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC Canada
- Department of Pathology, McGill University, Montréal, QC Canada
- Division of Pathology, Department of Laboratory medicine, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC Canada
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montréal, QC Canada
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14
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Gan W, Luo J, Li YZ, Guo JL, Zhu M, Li ML. A computational method to predict topologically associating domain boundaries combining histone Marks and sequence information. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:980. [PMID: 31881832 PMCID: PMC6933632 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6303-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The three-dimensional (3D) structure of chromatins plays significant roles during cell differentiation and development. Hi-C and other 3C-based technologies allow us to look deep into the chromatin architectures. Many studies have suggested that topologically associating domains (TAD), as the structure and functional unit, are conserved across different organs. However, our understanding about the underlying mechanism of the TAD boundary formation is still limited. Results We developed a computational method, TAD–Lactuca, to infer this structure by taking the contextual information of the epigenetic modification signals and the primary DNA sequence information on the genome. TAD–Lactuca is found stable in the case of multi-resolutions and different datasets. It could achieve high accuracy and even outperforms the state-of-art methods when the sequence patterns were incorporated. Moreover, several transcript factor binding motifs, besides the well-known CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) motif, were found significantly enriched on the boundaries. Conclusions We provided a low cost, effective method to predict TAD boundaries. Above results suggested the incorporation of sequence features could significantly improve the performance. The sequence motif enrichment analysis indicates several gene regulation motifs around the boundaries, which is consistent with TADs may serve as the functional units of gene regulation and implies the sequence patterns would be important in chromatin folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Gan
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Luo
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Zhou Li
- College of Cybersecurity, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Li Guo
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Zhu
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China.
| | - Meng Long Li
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China.
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15
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Hillman JC, Pugacheva EM, Barger CJ, Sribenja S, Rosario S, Albahrani M, Truskinovsky AM, Stablewski A, Liu S, Loukinov DI, Zentner GE, Lobanenkov VV, Karpf AR, Higgins MJ. BORIS Expression in Ovarian Cancer Precursor Cells Alters the CTCF Cistrome and Enhances Invasiveness through GALNT14. Mol Cancer Res 2019; 17:2051-2062. [PMID: 31292201 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-19-0310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most aggressive and predominant form of epithelial ovarian cancer and the leading cause of gynecologic cancer-related death. We have previously shown that CTCFL (also known as BORIS, Brother of the Regulator of Imprinted Sites) is expressed in most ovarian cancers, and is associated with global and promoter-specific DNA hypomethylation, advanced tumor stage, and poor prognosis. To explore its role in HGSC, we expressed BORIS in human fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells (FTSEC), the presumptive cells of origin for HGSC. BORIS-expressing cells exhibited increased motility and invasion, and BORIS expression was associated with alterations in several cancer-associated gene expression networks, including fatty acid metabolism, TNF signaling, cell migration, and ECM-receptor interactions. Importantly, GALNT14, a glycosyltransferase gene implicated in cancer cell migration and invasion, was highly induced by BORIS, and GALNT14 knockdown significantly abrogated BORIS-induced cell motility and invasion. In addition, in silico analyses provided evidence for BORIS and GALNT14 coexpression in several cancers. Finally, ChIP-seq demonstrated that expression of BORIS was associated with de novo and enhanced binding of CTCF at hundreds of loci, many of which correlated with activation of transcription at target genes, including GALNT14. Taken together, our data indicate that BORIS may promote cell motility and invasion in HGSC via upregulation of GALNT14, and suggests BORIS as a potential therapeutic target in this malignancy. IMPLICATIONS: These studies provide evidence that aberrant expression of BORIS may play a role in the progression to HGSC by enhancing the migratory and invasive properties of FTSEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna C Hillman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Elena M Pugacheva
- Molecular Pathology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Carter J Barger
- Eppley Institute and Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Sirinapa Sribenja
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Spencer Rosario
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Mustafa Albahrani
- Eppley Institute and Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | | | - Aimee Stablewski
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Dmitri I Loukinov
- Molecular Pathology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Gabriel E Zentner
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.,Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Victor V Lobanenkov
- Molecular Pathology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Adam R Karpf
- Eppley Institute and Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
| | - Michael J Higgins
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York.
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16
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Sun F, Chronis C, Kronenberg M, Chen XF, Su T, Lay FD, Plath K, Kurdistani SK, Carey MF. Promoter-Enhancer Communication Occurs Primarily within Insulated Neighborhoods. Mol Cell 2019; 73:250-263.e5. [PMID: 30527662 PMCID: PMC6338517 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Metazoan chromosomes are sequentially partitioned into topologically associating domains (TADs) and then into smaller sub-domains. One class of sub-domains, insulated neighborhoods, are proposed to spatially sequester and insulate the enclosed genes through self-association and chromatin looping. However, it has not been determined functionally whether promoter-enhancer interactions and gene regulation are broadly restricted to within these loops. Here, we employed published datasets from murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to identify insulated neighborhoods that confine promoter-enhancer interactions and demarcate gene regulatory regions. To directly address the functionality of these regions, we depleted estrogen-related receptor β (Esrrb), which binds the Mediator co-activator complex, to impair enhancers of genes within 222 insulated neighborhoods without causing mESC differentiation. Esrrb depletion reduces Mediator binding, promoter-enhancer looping, and expression of both nascent RNA and mRNA within the insulated neighborhoods without significantly affecting the flanking genes. Our data indicate that insulated neighborhoods represent functional regulons in mammalian genomes.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Binding Sites
- CCCTC-Binding Factor/genetics
- CCCTC-Binding Factor/metabolism
- Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics
- Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism
- Cell Line
- Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/genetics
- Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/metabolism
- Chromosomes, Mammalian
- Databases, Genetic
- Down-Regulation
- Enhancer Elements, Genetic
- Insulator Elements
- Mice
- Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells/physiology
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Protein Binding
- RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- Receptors, Estrogen/genetics
- Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism
- Transcription, Genetic
- Cohesins
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Sun
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA
| | - Constantinos Chronis
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA
| | - Michael Kronenberg
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA
| | - Xiao-Fen Chen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA
| | - Trent Su
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA
| | - Fides D Lay
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kathrin Plath
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA
| | - Siavash K Kurdistani
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA
| | - Michael F Carey
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA.
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17
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Brix DM, Tvingsholm SA, Hansen MB, Clemmensen KB, Ohman T, Siino V, Lambrughi M, Hansen K, Puustinen P, Gromova I, James P, Papaleo E, Varjosalo M, Moreira J, Jäättelä M, Kallunki T. Release of transcriptional repression via ErbB2-induced, SUMO-directed phosphorylation of myeloid zinc finger-1 serine 27 activates lysosome redistribution and invasion. Oncogene 2019; 38:3170-3184. [PMID: 30622337 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0653-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
HER2/ErbB2 activation turns on transcriptional processes that induce local invasion and lead to systemic metastasis. The early transcriptional changes needed for ErbB2-induced invasion are poorly understood. Here, we link ErbB2 activation to invasion via ErbB2-induced, SUMO-directed phosphorylation of a single serine residue, S27, of the transcription factor myeloid zinc finger-1 (MZF1). Utilizing an antibody against MZF1-pS27, we show that the phosphorylation of S27 correlates significantly (p < 0.0001) with high-level expression of ErbB2 in primary invasive breast tumors. Phosphorylation of MZF1-S27 is an early response to ErbB2 activation and results in increased transcriptional activity of MZF1. It is needed for the ErbB2-induced expression of MZF1 target genes CTSB and PRKCA, and invasion of single-cells from ErbB2-expressing breast cancer spheroids. The phosphorylation of MZF1-S27 is preceded by poly-SUMOylation of K23, which can make S27 accessible to efficient phosphorylation by PAK4. Based on our results, we suggest for an activation mechanism where phosphorylation of MZF1-S27 triggers MZF1 dissociation from its transcriptional repressors such as the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF). Our findings increase understanding of the regulation of invasive signaling in breast cancer by uncovering a detailed biological mechanism of how ErbB2 activation can rapidly lead to its invasion-promoting target gene expression and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ditte Marie Brix
- Cell Death and Metabolism, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Siri Amanda Tvingsholm
- Cell Death and Metabolism, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Malene Bredahl Hansen
- Cell Death and Metabolism, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Knut Bundgaard Clemmensen
- Cell Death and Metabolism, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tiina Ohman
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00014UH, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Valentina Siino
- Institute for Immunotechnology, Medicon Village, Lund University, 223 81, Lund, Sweden
| | - Matteo Lambrughi
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Klaus Hansen
- Biotech Research and Innovation Center, Copenhagen University, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pietri Puustinen
- Cell Death and Metabolism, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Irina Gromova
- Breast Cancer Biology, Unit of Genome Integrity, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter James
- Turku Centre for Biotechnology, Åbo Akademi University and University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Elena Papaleo
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Markku Varjosalo
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00014UH, Helsinki, Finland
| | - José Moreira
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marja Jäättelä
- Cell Death and Metabolism, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Tuula Kallunki
- Cell Death and Metabolism, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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18
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Soltanian S, Dehghani H. BORIS: a key regulator of cancer stemness. Cancer Cell Int 2018; 18:154. [PMID: 30323717 PMCID: PMC6173857 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-018-0650-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BORIS (CTCFL) is a DNA binding protein which is involved in tumorigenesis. Although, there are different opinions on the level of gene expression and function of BORIS in normal and cancer tissues, the results of many studies have classified BORIS as a protein belonging to cancer/testis (CT) genes, which are identified as a group of genes that are expressed normally in testis, and abnormally in various types of cancers. In testis, BORIS induces the expression of some male germ cell/testis specific genes, and plays crucial roles during spermatogenesis and production of sperm. In tumorigenesis, the role of BORIS in the expression induction of some CT genes and oncogenes, as well as increasing proliferation/viability of cancer cells has been demonstrated in many researches. In addition to cancer cells, some believe that BORIS is also expressed in normal conditions and plays a universal function in cell division and regulation of genes. The following is a comprehensive review on contradictory views on the expression pattern and biological function of BORIS in normal, as well as cancer cells/tissues, and presents some evidence that support the expression of BORIS in cancer stem cells (CSCs) and advanced stage/poorer differentiation grade of cancers. Boris is involved in the regulation of CSC cellular and molecular features such as self-renewal, chemo-resistance, tumorigenicity, sphere-forming ability, and migration capacity. Finally, the role of BORIS in regulating two important signaling pathways including Wnt/β-catenin and Notch in CSCs, and its ability in recruiting transcription factors or chromatin-remodeling proteins to induce tumorigenesis is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Soltanian
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hesam Dehghani
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Azadi Square, Mashhad, 91775-1793 Iran
- Division of Biotechnology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Research Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
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19
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Molecular Lesions of Insulator CTCF and Its Paralogue CTCFL (BORIS) in Cancer: An Analysis from Published Genomic Studies. High Throughput 2018; 7:ht7040030. [PMID: 30275357 PMCID: PMC6306835 DOI: 10.3390/ht7040030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor) is a transcription regulator with hundreds of binding sites in the human genome. It has a main function as an insulator protein, defining together with cohesins the boundaries of areas of the genome called topologically associating domains (TADs). TADs contain regulatory elements such as enhancers which function as regulators of the transcription of genes inside the boundaries of the TAD while they are restricted from regulating genes outside these boundaries. This paper will examine the most common genetic lesions of CTCF as well as its related protein CTCFL (CTCF-like also called BORIS) in cancer using publicly available data from published genomic studies. Cancer types where abnormalities in the two genes are more common will be examined for possible associations with underlying repair defects or other prevalent genetic lesions. The putative functional effects in CTCF and CTCFL lesions will also be explored.
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20
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Fagnocchi L, Poli V, Zippo A. Enhancer reprogramming in tumor progression: a new route towards cancer cell plasticity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:2537-2555. [PMID: 29691590 PMCID: PMC11105402 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2820-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer heterogeneity arises during tumor progression as a consequence of genetic insults, environmental cues, and reversible changes in the epigenetic state, favoring tumor cell plasticity. The role of enhancer reprogramming is emerging as a relevant field in cancer biology as it supports adaptation of cancer cells to those environmental changes encountered during tumor progression and metastasis seeding. In this review, we describe the cancer-related alterations that drive oncogenic enhancer activity, leading to dysregulated transcriptional programs. We discuss the molecular mechanisms of both cis- and trans-factors in overriding the regulatory circuits that maintain cell-type specificity and imposing an alternative, de-regulated enhancer activity in cancer cells. We further comment on the increasing evidence which implicates stress response and aging-signaling pathways in the enhancer landscape reprogramming during tumorigenesis. Finally, we focus on the potential therapeutic implications of these enhancer-mediated subverted transcriptional programs, putting particular emphasis on the lack of information regarding tumor progression and the metastatic outgrowth, which still remain the major cause of mortality related to cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Fagnocchi
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123, Trento, Italy.
| | - Vittoria Poli
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessio Zippo
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123, Trento, Italy.
- Department of Epigenetics, Fondazione Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy.
- Division of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
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21
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Jabbari K, Heger P, Sharma R, Wiehe T. The Diverging Routes of BORIS and CTCF: An Interactomic and Phylogenomic Analysis. Life (Basel) 2018; 8:life8010004. [PMID: 29385718 PMCID: PMC5871936 DOI: 10.3390/life8010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is multi-functional, ubiquitously expressed, and highly conserved from Drosophila to human. It has important roles in transcriptional insulation and the formation of a high-dimensional chromatin structure. CTCF has a paralog called “Brother of Regulator of Imprinted Sites” (BORIS) or “CTCF-like” (CTCFL). It binds DNA at sites similar to those of CTCF. However, the expression profiles of the two proteins are quite different. We investigated the evolutionary trajectories of the two proteins after the duplication event using a phylogenomic and interactomic approach. We find that CTCF has 52 direct interaction partners while CTCFL only has 19. Almost all interactors already existed before the emergence of CTCF and CTCFL. The unique secondary loss of CTCF from several nematodes is paralleled by a loss of two of its interactors, the polycomb repressive complex subunit SuZ12 and the multifunctional transcription factor TYY1. In contrast to earlier studies reporting the absence of BORIS from birds, we present evidence for a multigene synteny block containing CTCFL that is conserved in mammals, reptiles, and several species of birds, indicating that not the entire lineage of birds experienced a loss of CTCFL. Within this synteny block, BORIS and its genomic neighbors seem to be partitioned into two nested chromatin loops. The high expression of SPO11, RAE1, RBM38, and PMEPA1 in male tissues suggests a possible link between CTCFL, meiotic recombination, and fertility-associated phenotypes. Using the 65,700 exomes and the 1000 genomes data, we observed a higher number of intergenic, non-synonymous, and loss-of-function mutations in CTCFL than in CTCF, suggesting a reduced strength of purifying selection, perhaps due to less functional constraint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamel Jabbari
- Cologne Biocenter, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47a, 50674 Köln, Germany.
| | - Peter Heger
- Cologne Biocenter, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47a, 50674 Köln, Germany.
| | - Ranu Sharma
- Cologne Biocenter, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47a, 50674 Köln, Germany.
| | - Thomas Wiehe
- Cologne Biocenter, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47a, 50674 Köln, Germany.
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22
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Abstract
CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is a conserved, essential regulator of chromatin architecture containing a unique array of 11 zinc fingers (ZFs). Gene duplication and sequence divergence during early amniote evolution generated the CTCF paralog Brother Of the Regulator of Imprinted Sites (BORIS), which has a DNA binding specificity identical to that of CTCF but divergent N- and C-termini. While healthy somatic tissues express only CTCF, CTCF and BORIS are normally co-expressed in meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells, and aberrant activation of BORIS occurs in tumors and some cancer cell lines. This has led to a model in which CTCF and BORIS compete for binding to some but not all genomic target sites; however, regulation of CTCF and BORIS genomic co-occupancy is not well understood. We recently addressed this issue, finding evidence for two major classes of CTCF target sequences, some of which contain single CTCF target sites (1xCTSes) and others containing two adjacent CTCF motifs (2xCTSes). The functional and chromatin structural features of 2xCTSes are distinct from those of 1xCTS-containing regions bound by a CTCF monomer. We suggest that these previously overlooked classes of CTCF binding regions may have different roles in regulating diverse chromatin-based phenomena, and may impact our understanding of heritable epigenetic regulation in cancer cells and normal germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor V Lobanenkov
- a Molecular Pathology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , 5601 Fishers Ln, Rockville , MD , USA
| | - Gabriel E Zentner
- b Department of Biology , Indiana University , 915 E 3rd St, Bloomington , IN 47405 , USA
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23
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Liu Q, Chen K, Liu Z, Huang Y, Zhao R, Wei L, Yu X, He J, Liu J, Qi J, Qin Y, Li B. BORIS up-regulates OCT4 via histone methylation to promote cancer stem cell-like properties in human liver cancer cells. Cancer Lett 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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24
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A Tox21 Approach to Altered Epigenetic Landscapes: Assessing Epigenetic Toxicity Pathways Leading to Altered Gene Expression and Oncogenic Transformation In Vitro. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18061179. [PMID: 28587163 PMCID: PMC5486002 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18061179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
An emerging vision for toxicity testing in the 21st century foresees in vitro assays assuming the leading role in testing for chemical hazards, including testing for carcinogenicity. Toxicity will be determined by monitoring key steps in functionally validated molecular pathways, using tests designed to reveal chemically-induced perturbations that lead to adverse phenotypic endpoints in cultured human cells. Risk assessments would subsequently be derived from the causal in vitro endpoints and concentration vs. effect data extrapolated to human in vivo concentrations. Much direct experimental evidence now shows that disruption of epigenetic processes by chemicals is a carcinogenic mode of action that leads to altered gene functions playing causal roles in cancer initiation and progression. In assessing chemical safety, it would therefore be advantageous to consider an emerging class of carcinogens, the epigenotoxicants, with the ability to change chromatin and/or DNA marks by direct or indirect effects on the activities of enzymes (writers, erasers/editors, remodelers and readers) that convey the epigenetic information. Evidence is reviewed supporting a strategy for in vitro hazard identification of carcinogens that induce toxicity through disturbance of functional epigenetic pathways in human somatic cells, leading to inactivated tumour suppressor genes and carcinogenesis. In the context of human cell transformation models, these in vitro pathway measurements ensure high biological relevance to the apical endpoint of cancer. Four causal mechanisms participating in pathways to persistent epigenetic gene silencing were considered: covalent histone modification, nucleosome remodeling, non-coding RNA interaction and DNA methylation. Within these four interacting mechanisms, 25 epigenetic toxicity pathway components (SET1, MLL1, KDM5, G9A, SUV39H1, SETDB1, EZH2, JMJD3, CBX7, CBX8, BMI, SUZ12, HP1, MPP8, DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, TET1, MeCP2, SETDB2, BAZ2A, UHRF1, CTCF, HOTAIR and ANRIL) were found to have experimental evidence showing that functional perturbations played “driver” roles in human cellular transformation. Measurement of epigenotoxicants presents challenges for short-term carcinogenicity testing, especially in the high-throughput modes emphasized in the Tox21 chemicals testing approach. There is need to develop and validate in vitro tests to detect both, locus-specific, and genome-wide, epigenetic alterations with causal links to oncogenic cellular phenotypes. Some recent examples of cell-based high throughput chemical screening assays are presented that have been applied or have shown potential for application to epigenetic endpoints.
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25
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Marshall AD, Bailey CG, Champ K, Vellozzi M, O'Young P, Metierre C, Feng Y, Thoeng A, Richards AM, Schmitz U, Biro M, Jayasinghe R, Ding L, Anderson L, Mardis ER, Rasko JEJ. CTCF genetic alterations in endometrial carcinoma are pro-tumorigenic. Oncogene 2017; 36:4100-4110. [PMID: 28319062 PMCID: PMC5519450 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
CTCF is a haploinsufficient tumour suppressor gene with diverse normal functions in genome structure and gene regulation. However the mechanism by which CTCF haploinsufficiency contributes to cancer development is not well understood. CTCF is frequently mutated in endometrial cancer. Here we show that most CTCF mutations effectively result in CTCF haploinsufficiency through nonsense-mediated decay of mutant transcripts, or loss-of-function missense mutation. Conversely, we identified a recurrent CTCF mutation K365T, which alters a DNA binding residue, and acts as a gain-of-function mutation enhancing cell survival. CTCF genetic deletion occurs predominantly in poor prognosis serous subtype tumours, and this genetic deletion is associated with poor overall survival. In addition, we have shown that CTCF haploinsufficiency also occurs in poor prognosis endometrial clear cell carcinomas and has some association with endometrial cancer relapse and metastasis. Using shRNA targeting CTCF to recapitulate CTCF haploinsufficiency, we have identified a novel role for CTCF in the regulation of cellular polarity of endometrial glandular epithelium. Overall, we have identified two novel pro-tumorigenic roles (promoting cell survival and altering cell polarity) for genetic alterations of CTCF in endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Marshall
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C G Bailey
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Champ
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - M Vellozzi
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - P O'Young
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C Metierre
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Y Feng
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A Thoeng
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A M Richards
- Gynaecological Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - U Schmitz
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - M Biro
- Cell Motility and Mechanobiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - R Jayasinghe
- Cancer Genomics, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.,Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - L Ding
- Cancer Genomics, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.,Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - L Anderson
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - E R Mardis
- Cancer Genomics, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.,Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - J E J Rasko
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Cell and Molecular Therapies, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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26
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Testis-specific transcriptional regulators selectively occupy BORIS-bound CTCF target regions in mouse male germ cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41279. [PMID: 28145452 PMCID: PMC5286509 DOI: 10.1038/srep41279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite sharing the same sequence specificity in vitro and in vivo, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) and its paralog brother of the regulator of imprinted sites (BORIS) are simultaneously expressed in germ cells. Recently, ChIP-seq analysis revealed two classes of CTCF/BORIS-bound regions: single CTCF target sites (1xCTSes) that are bound by CTCF alone (CTCF-only) or double CTCF target sites (2xCTSes) simultaneously bound by CTCF and BORIS (CTCF&BORIS) or BORIS alone (BORIS-only) in germ cells and in BORIS-positive somatic cancer cells. BORIS-bound regions (CTCF&BORIS and BORIS-only sites) are, on average, enriched for RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) binding and histone retention in mature spermatozoa relative to CTCF-only sites, but little else is known about them. We show that subsets of CTCF&BORIS and BORIS-only sites are occupied by several testis-specific transcriptional regulators (TSTRs) and associated with highly expressed germ cell-specific genes and histone retention in mature spermatozoa. We also demonstrate a physical interaction between BORIS and one of the analyzed TSTRs, TATA-binding protein (TBP)-associated factor 7-like (TAF7L). Our data suggest that CTCF and BORIS cooperate with additional TSTRs to regulate gene expression in developing male gametes and histone retention in mature spermatozoa, potentially priming certain regions of the genome for rapid activation following fertilization.
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27
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Garikapati KR, Patel N, Makani VKK, Cilamkoti P, Bhadra U, Bhadra MP. Down-regulation of BORIS/CTCFL efficiently regulates cancer stemness and metastasis in MYCN amplified neuroblastoma cell line by modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 484:93-99. [PMID: 28104398 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.01.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BORIS/CTCFL is a vital nucleotide binding protein expressed during embryogenesis and gametogenesis. BORIS/CTCFL is the paralogue of transcriptional repressor protein CTCF, which is aberrantly expressed in various malignancies and primarily re-expressed in cancer stem cells (CSCs). The mechanism behind regulation of BORIS in various cancer conditions and tumor metastases is so far not explored in detail. The aim of the study was to understand the influence of BORIS/CTCFL on stemness and metastasis by regulating well-known oncogenes and related signaling pathways. In our study, we have identified a cross-talk between expression of BORIS/CTCFL and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which plays a crucial role in various processes including ontogenesis, embryogenesis and maintenance of stem cell properties. Upon knockdown of BORIS/CTCFL, we observed an upregulation of Mesenchymal to Epithelial transition markers such as E-cad and downregulation of Epithelial to Mesenchymal transition markers such as N-CAD, Vimentin, SNAIL, etc. This transition was accomplished by activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by regulating upstream and downstream Wnt associated proteins including β-catenin, Wnt3a/5a, CD44, MYC etc. We also identified that BMI1, an oncogene belonging to polycomb group expressed positively with levels of BORIS/CTCFL. Our study implicates the role of BORIS/CTCFL in maintenance of stemness and in transition from mesenchymal to epithelial state in MYC amplified neuroblastoma IMR-32 cells. Effectively controlling BORIS/CTCFL levels can inhibit disease establishment and hence can be considered as a potent target for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koteswara Rao Garikapati
- Department of Chemical Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Training and Development Complex, CSIR Campus, CSIR Road, Taramani, Chennai, India
| | - Nibedita Patel
- Department of Chemical Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | | | - Priyanka Cilamkoti
- Department of Chemical Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Utpal Bhadra
- Functional Genomics and Gene Silencing Group, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Manika Pal Bhadra
- Department of Chemical Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India.
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28
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Hwang SS, Kim LK, Lee GR, Flavell RA. Role of OCT-1 and partner proteins in T cell differentiation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2016; 1859:825-31. [PMID: 27126747 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of CD4 T cell differentiation gives important insights into the control of immune responses against various pathogens and in autoimmune diseases. Naïve CD4 T cells become effector T cells in response to antigen stimulation in combination with various environmental cytokine stimuli. Several transcription factors and cis-regulatory regions have been identified to regulate epigenetic processes on chromatin, to allow the production of proper effector cytokines during CD4 T cell differentiation. OCT-1 (Pou2f1) is well known as a widely expressed transcription factor in most tissues and cells. Although the importance of OCT-1 has been emphasized during development and differentiation, its detailed molecular underpinning and precise role are poorly understood. Recently, a series of studies have reported that OCT-1 plays a critical role in CD4 T cells through regulating gene expression during differentiation and mediating long-range chromosomal interactions. In this review, we will describe the role of OCT-1 in CD4 T cell differentiation and discuss how this factor orchestrates the fate and function of CD4 effector T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Seok Hwang
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Lark Kyun Kim
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 211 Eonjuro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-720, South Korea
| | - Gap Ryol Lee
- Department of Life-Science, Sogang University, Baekbeom-ro, Seoul 121-742, South Korea
| | - Richard A Flavell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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29
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Hardy K, Wu F, Tu W, Zafar A, Boulding T, McCuaig R, Sutton CR, Theodoratos A, Rao S. Identification of chromatin accessibility domains in human breast cancer stem cells. Nucleus 2016; 7:50-67. [PMID: 26962893 PMCID: PMC4916893 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2016.1150392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is physiological in embryogenesis and wound healing but also associated with the formation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Many EMT signaling pathways are implicated in CSC formation, but the precise underlying mechanisms of CSC formation remain elusive. We have previously demonstrated that PKC is critical for EMT induction and CSC formation in inducible breast EMT/CSC models. Here, we used formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements-sequencing (FAIRE-seq) to investigate DNA accessibility changes after PKC activation and determine how they influence EMT and CSC formation. During EMT, DNA accessibility principally increased in regions distant from transcription start sites, low in CpG content, and enriched with chromatin enhancer marks. ChIP-sequencing revealed that a subset of these regions changed from poised to active enhancers upon stimulation, with some even more acteylated in CSCs. While regions with increased accessibility were enriched for FOX, AP-1, TEAD, and TFAP2 motifs, those containing FOX and AP-1 motif were associated with increased expression of CSC-associated genes, while those with TFAP2 were associated with genes with increased expression in non-CSCs. Silencing of 2 members of the FOX family, FOXN2 and FOXQ1, repressed CSCs and the mesenchymal phenotype and inhibited the CSC gene signature. These novel, PKC-induced DNA accessibility regions help explain how the epigenomic plasticity of cells undergoing EMT leads to CSC gene activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Hardy
- a HRI, Faculty of ESTeM, University of Canberra , Bruce , Australia
| | - F Wu
- a HRI, Faculty of ESTeM, University of Canberra , Bruce , Australia
| | - W Tu
- a HRI, Faculty of ESTeM, University of Canberra , Bruce , Australia
| | - A Zafar
- a HRI, Faculty of ESTeM, University of Canberra , Bruce , Australia
| | - T Boulding
- a HRI, Faculty of ESTeM, University of Canberra , Bruce , Australia
| | - R McCuaig
- a HRI, Faculty of ESTeM, University of Canberra , Bruce , Australia
| | - C R Sutton
- a HRI, Faculty of ESTeM, University of Canberra , Bruce , Australia
| | - A Theodoratos
- b JCSMR, Australian National University , Canberra, Australia
| | - S Rao
- a HRI, Faculty of ESTeM, University of Canberra , Bruce , Australia
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30
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Haag T, Richter AM, Schneider MB, Jiménez AP, Dammann RH. The dual specificity phosphatase 2 gene is hypermethylated in human cancer and regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. BMC Cancer 2016; 16:49. [PMID: 26833217 PMCID: PMC4736155 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-016-2087-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dual specificity phosphatases are a class of tumor-associated proteins involved in the negative regulation of the MAP kinase pathway. Downregulation of the dual specificity phosphatase 2 (DUSP2) has been reported in cancer. Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes by abnormal promoter methylation is a frequent mechanism in oncogenesis. It has been shown that the epigenetic factor CTCF is involved in the regulation of tumor suppressor genes. Methods We analyzed the promoter hypermethylation of DUSP2 in human cancer, including primary Merkel cell carcinoma by bisulfite restriction analysis and pyrosequencing. Moreover we analyzed the impact of a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (5-Aza-dC) and CTCF on the epigenetic regulation of DUSP2 by qRT-PCR, promoter assay, chromatin immuno-precipitation and methylation analysis. Results Here we report a significant tumor-specific hypermethylation of DUSP2 in primary Merkel cell carcinoma (p = 0.05). An increase in methylation of DUSP2 was also found in 17 out of 24 (71 %) cancer cell lines, including skin and lung cancer. Treatment of cancer cells with 5-Aza-dC induced DUSP2 expression by its promoter demethylation, Additionally we observed that CTCF induces DUSP2 expression in cell lines that exhibit silencing of DUSP2. This reactivation was accompanied by increased CTCF binding and demethylation of the DUSP2 promoter. Conclusions Our data show that aberrant epigenetic inactivation of DUSP2 occurs in carcinogenesis and that CTCF is involved in the epigenetic regulation of DUSP2 expression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2087-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Haag
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58-62, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Antje M Richter
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58-62, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Martin B Schneider
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58-62, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Adriana P Jiménez
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58-62, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Reinhard H Dammann
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58-62, D-35392, Giessen, Germany. .,Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
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31
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Buckley L, Lacey M, Ehrlich M. Epigenetics of the myotonic dystrophy-associated DMPK gene neighborhood. Epigenomics 2016; 8:13-31. [PMID: 26756355 PMCID: PMC4863877 DOI: 10.2217/epi.15.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Identify epigenetic marks in the vicinity of DMPK (linked to myotonic dystrophy, DM1) that help explain tissue-specific differences in its expression. Materials & methods: At DMPK and its flanking genes (DMWD, SIX5, BHMG1 and RSPH6A), we analyzed many epigenetic and transcription profiles from myoblasts, myotubes, skeletal muscle, heart and 30 nonmuscle samples. Results: In the DMPK gene neighborhood, muscle-associated DNA hypermethylation and hypomethylation, enhancer chromatin, and CTCF binding were seen. Myogenic DMPK hypermethylation correlated with high expression and decreased alternative promoter usage. Testis/sperm hypomethylation of BHMG1 and RSPH6A was associated with testis-specific expression. G-quadruplex (G4) motifs and sperm-specific hypomethylation were found near the DM1-linked CTG repeats within DMPK. Conclusion: Tissue-specific epigenetic features in DMPK and neighboring genes help regulate its expression. G4 motifs in DMPK DNA and RNA might contribute to DM1 pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Buckley
- Human Genetics Program, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Michelle Lacey
- Tulane Cancer Center & Department of Mathematics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Melanie Ehrlich
- Human Genetics Program, Center for Bioinformatics & Genomics, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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32
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Bornstein S, Schmidt M, Choonoo G, Levin T, Gray J, Thomas CR, Wong M, McWeeney S. IL-10 and integrin signaling pathways are associated with head and neck cancer progression. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:38. [PMID: 26747525 PMCID: PMC4706689 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2359-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Head and neck cancer is morbid with a poor prognosis that has not significantly improved in the past several decades. The purpose of this study was to identify biological pathways underlying progressive head and neck cancer to inform prognostic and adjuvant strategies. We identified 235 head and neck cancer patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) with sufficient clinical annotation regarding therapeutic treatment and disease progression to identify progressors and non-progressors. We compared primary tumor gene expression and mutational status between these two groups. Results 105 genes were differentially expressed between progressors and nonprogressors (FDR < 0.05). Pathway analyses revealed deregulation (FDR < 0.05) of multiple pathways related to integrin signaling as well as IL-10 signaling. A number of genes were uniquely mutated in the progressor cohort including increased frequency of truncating mutations in CTCF (P = 0.007). An 11-gene signature derived from a combination of unique mutations and differential expression was identified (PAGE4, SMTNL1, VTN, CA5A, C1orf43, KRTAP19-1, LEP, HRH4, PAGE5, SEZ6L, CREB3). This signature was associated with decreased overall survival (Logrank Test; P = 0.03443). Cox modeling of both key clinical features and the signature was significant (P = 0.032) with the greatest prognostic improvement seen in the model based on nodal extracapsular spread and alcohol use alone (P = 0.004). Conclusions Molecular analyses of head and neck cancer tumors that progressed despite treatment, identified IL-10 and integrin pathways to be strongly associated with cancer progression. In addition, we identified an 11-gene signature with implications for patient prognostication. Mutational analysis highlighted a potential role for CTCF, a crucial regulator of long-range chromatin interactions, in head and neck cancer progression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2359-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Bornstein
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Mark Schmidt
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University 3, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Gabrielle Choonoo
- OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Trevor Levin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Joe Gray
- OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Charles R Thomas
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA. .,OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Melissa Wong
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University 3, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA. .,OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Shannon McWeeney
- OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA. .,Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA. .,Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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Liu L, Heermann DW. The interaction of DNA with multi-Cys2His2 zinc finger proteins. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2015; 27:064107. [PMID: 25563438 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/27/6/064107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The multi-Cys2His2 (mC2H2) zinc finger protein, like CTCF, plays a central role in the three-dimensional organization of chromatin and gene regulation. The interaction between DNA and mC2H2 zinc finger proteins becomes crucial to better understand how CTCF dynamically shapes the chromatin structure. Here, we study a coarse-grained model of the mC2H2 zinc finger proteins in complexes with DNA, and in particular, we study how a mC2H2 zinc finger protein binds to and searches for its target DNA loci. On the basis of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we present several interesting kinetic conformational properties of the proteins, such as the rotation-coupled sliding, the asymmetrical roles of different zinc fingers and the partial binding partial dangling mode. In addition, two kinds of studied mC2H2 zinc finger proteins, of CG-rich and AT-rich binding motif each, were able to recognize their target sites and slide away from their non-target sites, which shows a proper sequence specificity in our model and the derived force field for mC2H2-DNA interaction. A further application to CTCF shows that the protein binds to a specific DNA duplex only with its central zinc fingers. The zinc finger domains of CTCF asymmetrically bend the DNA, but do not form a DNA loop alone in our simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Liu
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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CCCTC-binding factor recruitment to the early region of the human papillomavirus 18 genome regulates viral oncogene expression. J Virol 2015; 89:4770-85. [PMID: 25694598 PMCID: PMC4403478 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00097-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Host cell differentiation-dependent regulation of human papillomavirus (HPV) gene expression is required for productive infection. The host cell CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) functions in genome-wide chromatin organization and gene regulation. We have identified a conserved CTCF binding site in the E2 open reading frame of high-risk HPV types. Using organotypic raft cultures of primary human keratinocytes containing high-risk HPV18 genomes, we show that CTCF recruitment to this conserved site regulates viral gene expression in differentiating epithelia. Mutation of the CTCF binding site increases the expression of the viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 and promotes host cell proliferation. Loss of CTCF binding results in a reduction of a specific alternatively spliced transcript expressed from the early gene region concomitant with an increase in the abundance of unspliced early transcripts. We conclude that high-risk HPV types have evolved to recruit CTCF to the early gene region to control the balance and complexity of splicing events that regulate viral oncoprotein expression. IMPORTANCE The establishment and maintenance of HPV infection in undifferentiated basal cells of the squamous epithelia requires the activation of a subset of viral genes, termed early genes. The differentiation of infected cells initiates the expression of the late viral transcripts, allowing completion of the virus life cycle. This tightly controlled balance of differentiation-dependent viral gene expression allows the virus to stimulate cellular proliferation to support viral genome replication with minimal activation of the host immune response, promoting virus productivity. Alternative splicing of viral mRNAs further increases the complexity of viral gene expression. In this study, we show that the essential host cell protein CTCF, which functions in genome-wide chromatin organization and gene regulation, is recruited to the HPV genome and plays an essential role in the regulation of early viral gene expression and transcript processing. These data highlight a novel virus-host interaction important for HPV pathogenicity.
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Genome-wide targeting of the epigenetic regulatory protein CTCF to gene promoters by the transcription factor TFII-I. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E677-86. [PMID: 25646466 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1416674112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is a key regulator of nuclear chromatin structure and gene regulation. The impact of CTCF on transcriptional output is highly varied, ranging from repression to transcriptional pausing and transactivation. The multifunctional nature of CTCF may be directed solely through remodeling chromatin architecture. However, another hypothesis is that the multifunctional nature of CTCF is mediated, in part, through differential association with protein partners having unique functions. Consistent with this hypothesis, our mass spectrometry analyses of CTCF interacting partners reveal a previously undefined association with the transcription factor general transcription factor II-I (TFII-I). Biochemical fractionation of CTCF indicates that a distinct CTCF complex incorporating TFII-I is assembled on DNA. Unexpectedly, we found that the interaction between CTCF and TFII-I is essential for directing CTCF to the promoter proximal regulatory regions of target genes across the genome, particularly at genes involved in metabolism. At genes coregulated by CTCF and TFII-I, we find knockdown of TFII-I results in diminished CTCF binding, lack of cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) recruitment, and an attenuation of RNA polymerase II phosphorylation at serine 5. Phenotypically, knockdown of TFII-I alters the cellular response to metabolic stress. Our data indicate that TFII-I directs CTCF binding to target genes, and in turn the two proteins cooperate to recruit CDK8 and enhance transcription initiation.
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