1
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Korneenko TV, Pestov NB. Oncogenic BRCA1,2 Mutations in the Human Lineage-A By-Product of Sexual Selection? Biomedicines 2023; 12:22. [PMID: 38275383 PMCID: PMC10813183 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010022] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the long-known problem of tissue-specific carcinogenesis in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers: while the genes are expressed ubiquitously, increased cancer risk is observed mostly in the breast and ovaries, and to a much lesser extent, in some other tissues such as the prostate or pancreas. We reevaluate hypotheses on the evolutionary origin of these mutations in humans. Also, we align together the reports that at least some great apes have much lower risks of epithelial cancers in general and breast cancer in particular with the fact that humans have more voluminous breast tissue as compared to their closest extant relatives, particularly chimpanzees and bonobos. We conjecture that this disparity may be a consequence of sexual selection, augmented via selection for enhanced lactation. Further, we argue that there is an organ-specific enigma similar to the Peto paradox: breast cancer risk in humans is only minimally correlated with breast size. These considerations lead to the hypothesis that, along with the evolutionary development of larger breasts in humans, additional changes have played a balancing role in suppressing breast cancer. These yet-to-be-discovered mechanisms, while purely speculative, may be valuable to understanding human breast cancer, though they may not be exclusive to the mammary gland epithelial cells. Combining these themes, we review some anti-carcinogenesis preventive strategies and prospects of new interventions against breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana V. Korneenko
- Group of Cross-Linking Enzymes, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Nikolay B. Pestov
- Group of Cross-Linking Enzymes, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow 119121, Russia
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products, Moscow 108819, Russia
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2
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Dwivedi S, Glock C, Germerodt S, Stark H, Schuster S. Game-theoretical description of the go-or-grow dichotomy in tumor development for various settings and parameter constellations. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16758. [PMID: 37798314 PMCID: PMC10555990 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43199-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A medically important feature of several types of tumors is their ability to "decide" between staying at a primary site in the body or leaving it and forming metastases. The present theoretical study aims to provide a better understanding of the ultimate reasons for this so-called "go-or-grow" dichotomy. To that end, we use game theory, which has proven to be useful in analyzing the competition between tumors and healthy tissues or among different tumor cells. We begin by determining the game types in the Basanta-Hatzikirou-Deutsch model, depending on the parameter values. Thereafter, we suggest and analyze five modified variants of the model. For example, in the basic model, the deadlock game, Prisoner's Dilemma, and hawk-dove game can occur. The modified versions lead to several additional game types, such as battle of the sexes, route-choice, and stag-hunt games. For some game types, all cells are predicted to stay on their original site ("grow phenotype"), while for other types, only a certain fraction stay and the other cells migrate away ("go phenotype"). If the nutrient supply at a distant site is high, all the cells are predicted to go. We discuss our predictions in terms of the pros and cons of caloric restriction and limitations of the supply of vitamins or methionine. Our results may help devise treatments to prevent metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalu Dwivedi
- Department of Bioinformatics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Christina Glock
- Department of Bioinformatics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Germerodt
- Department of Bioinformatics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Heiko Stark
- Department of Bioinformatics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, University of Jena, Erbertstr. 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Schuster
- Department of Bioinformatics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743, Jena, Germany.
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3
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Gu L, Xia C, Yang S, Yang G. The adaptive evolution of cancer driver genes. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:215. [PMID: 37098512 PMCID: PMC10131384 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09301-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer is a life-threatening disease in humans; yet, cancer genes are frequently reported to be under positive selection. This suggests an evolutionary-genetic paradox in which cancer evolves as a secondary product of selection in human beings. However, systematic investigation of the evolution of cancer driver genes is sparse. RESULTS Using comparative genomics analysis, population genetics analysis and computational molecular evolutionary analysis, the evolution of 568 cancer driver genes of 66 cancer types were evaluated at two levels, selection on the early evolution of humans (long timescale selection in the human lineage during primate evolution, i.e., millions of years), and recent selection in modern human populations (~ 100,000 years). Results showed that eight cancer genes covering 11 cancer types were under positive selection in the human lineage (long timescale selection). And 35 cancer genes covering 47 cancer types were under positive selection in modern human populations (recent selection). Moreover, SNPs associated with thyroid cancer in three thyroid cancer driver genes (CUX1, HERC2 and RGPD3) were under positive selection in East Asian and European populations, consistent with the high incidence of thyroid cancer in these populations. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that cancer can be evolved, in part, as a by-product of adaptive changes in humans. Different SNPs at the same locus can be under different selection pressures in different populations, and thus should be under consideration during precision medicine, especially for targeted medicine in specific populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Langyu Gu
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510275, China.
| | - Canwei Xia
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Shiyu Yang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510180, Guangdong, China
| | - Guofen Yang
- Department of Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, China.
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4
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Hendricks SA, King JL, Duncan CL, Vickers W, Hohenlohe PA, Davis BW. Genomic Assessment of Cancer Susceptibility in the Threatened Catalina Island Fox ( Urocyon littoralis catalinae). Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:1496. [PMID: 36011407 PMCID: PMC9408614 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Small effective population sizes raise the probability of extinction by increasing the frequency of potentially deleterious alleles and reducing fitness. However, the extent to which cancers play a role in the fitness reduction of genetically depauperate wildlife populations is unknown. Santa Catalina island foxes (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) sampled in 2007-2008 have a high prevalence of ceruminous gland tumors, which was not detected in the population prior to a recent bottleneck caused by a canine distemper epidemic. The disease appears to be associated with inflammation from chronic ear mite (Otodectes) infections and secondary elevated levels of Staphyloccus pseudointermedius bacterial infections. However, no other environmental factors to date have been found to be associated with elevated cancer risk in this population. Here, we used whole genome sequencing of the case and control individuals from two islands to identify candidate loci associated with cancer based on genetic divergence, nucleotide diversity, allele frequency spectrum, and runs of homozygosity. We identified several candidate loci based on genomic signatures and putative gene functions, suggesting that cancer susceptibility in this population may be polygenic. Due to the efforts of a recovery program and weak fitness effects of late-onset disease, the population size has increased, which may allow selection to be more effective in removing these presumably slightly deleterious alleles. Long-term monitoring of the disease alleles, as well as overall genetic diversity, will provide crucial information for the long-term persistence of this threatened population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Hendricks
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Julie L. King
- Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704, USA
| | - Calvin L. Duncan
- Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704, USA
| | - Winston Vickers
- Institute for Wildlife Studies, Arcata, CA 95521, USA
- Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Paul A. Hohenlohe
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Brian W. Davis
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USA
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USA
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5
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Dujon AM, Boutry J, Tissot S, Lemaître JF, Boddy AM, Gérard AL, Alvergne A, Arnal A, Vincze O, Nicolas D, Giraudeau M, Telonis-Scott M, Schultz A, Pujol P, Biro PA, Beckmann C, Hamede R, Roche B, Ujvari B, Thomas F. Cancer Susceptibility as a Cost of Reproduction and Contributor to Life History Evolution. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.861103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is one of the most energetically demanding life-history stages. As a result, breeding individuals often experience trade-offs, where energy is diverted away from maintenance (cell repair, immune function) toward reproduction. While it is increasingly acknowledged that oncogenic processes are omnipresent, evolving and opportunistic entities in the bodies of metazoans, the associations among reproductive activities, energy expenditure, and the dynamics of malignant cells have rarely been studied. Here, we review the diverse ways in which age-specific reproductive performance (e.g., reproductive aging patterns) and cancer risks throughout the life course may be linked via trade-offs or other mechanisms, as well as discuss situations where trade-offs may not exist. We argue that the interactions between host–oncogenic processes should play a significant role in life-history theory, and suggest some avenues for future research.
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6
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Abstract
Analogies between placentation, in particular the behavior of trophoblast cells, and cancer have been noted since the beginning of the twentieth century. To what degree these can be explained as a consequence of the evolution of placentation has been unclear. In this review, we conclude that many similarities between trophoblast and cancer cells are shared with other, phylogenetically older processes than placentation. The best candidates for cancer hallmarks that can be explained by the evolution of eutherian placenta are mechanisms of immune evasion. Another dimension of the maternal accommodation of the placenta with an impact on cancer malignancy is the evolution of endometrial invasibility. Species with lower degrees of placental invasion tend to have lower vulnerability to cancer malignancy. We finally identify several areas in which one could expect to see coevolutionary changes in placental and cancer biology but that, to our knowledge, have not been explored. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, Volume 10 is February 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günter P Wagner
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA; , , .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Kshitiz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut Health, Storrs, Connecticut, USA;
| | - Anasuya Dighe
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA; , , .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Andre Levchenko
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA; , , .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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7
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Zhao W, Yang J, Wu J, Cai G, Zhang Y, Haltom J, Su W, Dong MJ, Chen S, Wu J, Zhou Z, Gu X. CanDriS: posterior profiling of cancer-driving sites based on two-component evolutionary model. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:6238585. [PMID: 33876217 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Current cancer genomics databases have accumulated millions of somatic mutations that remain to be further explored. Due to the over-excess mutations unrelated to cancer, the great challenge is to identify somatic mutations that are cancer-driven. Under the notion that carcinogenesis is a form of somatic-cell evolution, we developed a two-component mixture model: while the ground component corresponds to passenger mutations, the rapidly evolving component corresponds to driver mutations. Then, we implemented an empirical Bayesian procedure to calculate the posterior probability of a site being cancer-driven. Based on these, we developed a software CanDriS (Cancer Driver Sites) to profile the potential cancer-driving sites for thousands of tumor samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas and International Cancer Genome Consortium across tumor types and pan-cancer level. As a result, we identified that approximately 1% of the sites have posterior probabilities larger than 0.90 and listed potential cancer-wide and cancer-specific driver mutations. By comprehensively profiling all potential cancer-driving sites, CanDriS greatly enhances our ability to refine our knowledge of the genetic basis of cancer and might guide clinical medication in the upcoming era of precision medicine. The results were displayed in a database CandrisDB (http://biopharm.zju.edu.cn/candrisdb/).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyi Zhao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences & College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Jingwen Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Human Phenome Institute, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, China
| | - Jingcheng Wu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Guoxing Cai
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Jeffrey Haltom
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, 12 Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Weijia Su
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, 12 Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Michael J Dong
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, 12 Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Shuqing Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Jian Wu
- College of Computer Science and Technology & School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Zhan Zhou
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Xun Gu
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, 12 Iowa 50011, USA
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8
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Boddy AM, Harrison TM, Abegglen LM. Comparative Oncology: New Insights into an Ancient Disease. iScience 2020; 23:101373. [PMID: 32738614 PMCID: PMC7394918 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer has deep evolutionary roots and is an important source of selective pressure in organismal evolution. Yet, we find a great deal of variation in cancer vulnerabilities across the tree of life. Comparative oncology offers insights into why some species vary in their susceptibility to cancer and the mechanisms responsible for the diversity of cancer defenses. Here we provide an overview for why cancer persists across the tree of life. We then summarize current data on cancer in mammals, reptiles, and birds in comparison with commonly reported human cancers. We report on both novel and shared mechanisms of cancer protection in animals. Cross-discipline collaborations, including zoological and aquarium institutions, wildlife and evolutionary biologists, veterinarians, medical doctors, cancer biologists, and oncologists, will be essential for progress in the field of comparative oncology. Improving medical treatment of humans and animals with cancer is the ultimate promise of comparative oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Boddy
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Tara M Harrison
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Lisa M Abegglen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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9
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Perret C, Gidoin C, Ujvari B, Thomas F, Roche B. Predation shapes the impact of cancer on population dynamics and the evolution of cancer resistance. Evol Appl 2020; 13:1733-1744. [PMID: 32821280 PMCID: PMC7428821 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a widespread disease that affects most of the metazoans. However, cancer development is a slow process and, long before causing the death of the individual, may weaken organisms' capacities and impair their interactions with other species. Yet, the impact of cancer development on biotic interactions, and over the dynamics of the whole ecosystem, is still largely unexplored. As well, the feedback of altered biotic interactions on the evolution of resistance against cancer in the context of community ecology has not been investigated. From this new perspective, we theoretically investigate how cancer can challenge expected interaction outcomes in a predator-prey model system, and how, in return, these altered interaction outcomes could affect evolution of resistance mechanism against cancer. First, we demonstrate a clear difference between prey and predator vulnerability to cancer, with cancer having a limited impact on prey populations. Second, we show that biotic interactions can surprisingly lead to a null or positive effect of cancer on population densities. Finally, our evolutionary analysis sheds light on how biotic interactions can lead to diverse resistance levels in predator populations. While its role in ecosystems is mostly unknown, we demonstrate that cancer in wildlife is an important ecological and evolutionary force to consider.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Perret
- CREEC/CREESUMR IRD 224‐CNRS 5290‐Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Present address:
School of Computing, Engineering & Digital TechnologiesTeeside UniversityMiddlesbroughUK
| | - Cindy Gidoin
- CREEC/CREESUMR IRD 224‐CNRS 5290‐Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Beata Ujvari
- Centre for Integrative EcologySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityVictoriaAustralia
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC/CREESUMR IRD 224‐CNRS 5290‐Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Benjamin Roche
- CREEC/CREESUMR IRD 224‐CNRS 5290‐Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Unité mixte internationale de Modélisation Mathématique et Informatique des Systèmes Complexes (UMI IRD/ Sorbonne Université, UMMISCO)Bondy CedexFrance
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10
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Reynolds BA, Oli MW, Oli MK. Eco-oncology: Applying ecological principles to understand and manage cancer. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8538-8553. [PMID: 32884638 PMCID: PMC7452771 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a disease of single cells that expresses itself at the population level. The striking similarities between initiation and growth of tumors and dynamics of biological populations, and between metastasis and ecological invasion and community dynamics suggest that oncology can benefit from an ecological perspective to improve our understanding of cancer biology. Tumors can be viewed as complex, adaptive, and evolving systems as they are spatially and temporally heterogeneous, continually interacting with each other and with the microenvironment and evolving to increase the fitness of the cancer cells. We argue that an eco-evolutionary perspective is essential to understand cancer biology better. Furthermore, we suggest that ecologically informed therapeutic approaches that combine standard of care treatments with strategies aimed at decreasing the evolutionary potential and fitness of neoplastic cells, such as disrupting cell-to-cell communication and cooperation, and preventing successful colonization of distant organs by migrating cancer cells, may be effective in managing cancer as a chronic condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent A. Reynolds
- Department of NeurosurgeryCollege of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Monika W. Oli
- Department of Microbiology and Cell ScienceInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Madan K. Oli
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
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11
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Noh S, Christopher L, Strassmann JE, Queller DC. Wild Dictyostelium discoideum social amoebae show plastic responses to the presence of nonrelatives during multicellular development. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1119-1134. [PMID: 32076502 PMCID: PMC7029077 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
When multiple strains of microbes form social groups, such as the multicellular fruiting bodies of Dictyostelium discoideum, conflict can arise regarding cell fate. Both fixed and plastic differences among strains can contribute to cell fate, and plastic responses may be particularly important if social environments frequently change. We used RNA-sequencing and photographic time series analysis to detect possible conflict-induced plastic differences between wild D. discoideum aggregates formed by single strains compared with mixed pairs of strains (chimeras). We found one hundred and two differentially expressed genes that were enriched for biological processes including cytoskeleton organization and cyclic AMP response (up-regulated in chimeras), and DNA replication and cell cycle (down-regulated in chimeras). In addition, our data indicate that in reference to a time series of multicellular development in the laboratory strain AX4, chimeras may be slightly behind clonal aggregates in their development. Finally, phenotypic analysis supported slower splitting of aggregates and a nonsignificant trend for larger group sizes in chimeras. The transcriptomic comparison and phenotypic analyses support discoordination among aggregate group members due to social conflict. These results are consistent with previously observed factors that affect cell fate decision in D. discoideum and provide evidence for plasticity in cAMP signaling and phenotypic coordination during development in response to social conflict in D. discoideum and similar microbial social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suegene Noh
- Department of BiologyColby CollegeWatervilleMEUSA
| | | | | | - David C. Queller
- Department of BiologyWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
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12
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Wang X, Ju S, Chen Y, Qian Q, Yan C, Chen S, Chang Y, Xu Y, Ma Z, Zhang C, Qin N, Gu Y, Wang C, Zhang E, Hu Z. Hypomethylation-activated cancer-testis gene SPANXC promotes cell metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:7261-7267. [PMID: 31483565 PMCID: PMC6815806 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many studies have shown that there were similarity between tumorigenesis and gametogenesis. Our previous work found that cancer-testis (CT) genes could serve as a novel source of candidate of cancer. Here, by analysing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we characterized a CT gene, SPANXC, which is expressed only in testis. The SPANXC was reactivated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissues. And the expression of SPANXC was associated with prognosis of LUAD. We also found that the activation of SPANXC was due to the promoter hypomethylation of SPANXC. Moreover, SPANXC could modulate cell metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that SPANXC could bind to ROCK1, a metastasis-related gene, and thus SPANXC may regulate cell metastasis partly through interaction with ROCK1 in LUAD. Together, our results demonstrated that the CT expression pattern of SPANXC served as a crucial role in metastasis of LUAD. And these data further corroborated the resemblance between processes of germ cell development and tumorigenesis, including migration and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewei Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sihan Ju
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yao Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qufei Qian
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Caiwang Yan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuaizhou Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuting Chang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yide Xu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zijian Ma
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chang Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Na Qin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yayun Gu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Erbao Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhibin Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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13
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Passow CN, Bronikowski AM, Blackmon H, Parsai S, Schwartz TS, McGaugh SE. Contrasting Patterns of Rapid Molecular Evolution within the p53 Network across Mammal and Sauropsid Lineages. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:629-643. [PMID: 30668691 PMCID: PMC6406535 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a threat to multicellular organisms, yet the molecular evolution of pathways that prevent the accumulation of genetic damage has been largely unexplored. The p53 network regulates how cells respond to DNA-damaging stressors. We know little about p53 network molecular evolution as a whole. In this study, we performed comparative genetic analyses of the p53 network to quantify the number of genes within the network that are rapidly evolving and constrained, and the association between lifespan and the patterns of evolution. Based on our previous published data set, we used genomes and transcriptomes of 34 sauropsids and 32 mammals to analyze the molecular evolution of 45 genes within the p53 network. We found that genes in the network exhibited evidence of positive selection and divergent molecular evolution in mammals and sauropsids. Specifically, we found more evidence of positive selection in sauropsids than mammals, indicating that sauropsids have different targets of selection. In sauropsids, more genes upstream in the network exhibited positive selection, and this observation is driven by positive selection in squamates, which is consistent with previous work showing rapid divergence and adaptation of metabolic and stress pathways in this group. Finally, we identified a negative correlation between maximum lifespan and the number of genes with evidence of divergent molecular evolution, indicating that species with longer lifespans likely experienced less variation in selection across the network. In summary, our study offers evidence that comparative genomic approaches can provide insights into how molecular networks have evolved across diverse species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney N Passow
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota
| | - Anne M Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University
| | - Heath Blackmon
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Shikha Parsai
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University
| | - Tonia S Schwartz
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
| | - Suzanne E McGaugh
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota
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14
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Vicens A, Posada D. Selective Pressures on Human Cancer Genes along the Evolution of Mammals. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9120582. [PMID: 30487452 PMCID: PMC6316132 DOI: 10.3390/genes9120582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [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: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a disease driven by both somatic mutations that increase survival and proliferation of cell lineages and the evolution of genes associated with cancer risk in populations. Several genes associated with cancer in humans, hereafter cancer genes, show evidence of germline positive selection among species. Taking advantage of a large collection of mammalian genomes, we systematically looked for signatures of germline positive selection in 430 cancer genes available in COSMIC. We identified 40 cancer genes with a robust signal of positive selection in mammals. We found evidence for fewer selective constraints—higher number of non-synonymous substitutions per non-synonymous site to the number of synonymous substitutions per synonymous site (dN/dS)—and higher incidence of positive selection—more positively selected sites—in cancer genes bearing germline and recessive mutations that predispose to cancer. This finding suggests a potential association between relaxed selection, positive selection, and risk of hereditary cancer. On the other hand, we did not find significant differences in terms of tissue or gene type. Human cancer genes under germline positive selection in mammals are significantly enriched in the processes of DNA repair, with high presence of Fanconi anaemia/Breast Cancer A (FA/BRCA) pathway components and T cell proliferation genes. We also show that the inferred positively selected sites in the two genes with the strongest signal of positive selection, i.e., BRCA2 and PTPRC, are in regions of functional relevance, which could be relevant to cancer susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Vicens
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
- Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
| | - David Posada
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
- Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
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15
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Positive Selection in the Evolution of Mammalian CRISPs. J Mol Evol 2018; 86:635-645. [DOI: 10.1007/s00239-018-9872-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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16
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Pizzollo J, Nielsen WJ, Shibata Y, Safi A, Crawford GE, Wray GA, Babbitt CC. Comparative Serum Challenges Show Divergent Patterns of Gene Expression and Open Chromatin in Human and Chimpanzee. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:826-839. [PMID: 29608722 PMCID: PMC5848805 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans experience higher rates of age-associated diseases than our closest living evolutionary relatives, chimpanzees. Environmental factors can explain many of these increases in disease risk, but species-specific genetic changes can also play a role. Alleles that confer increased disease susceptibility later in life can persist in a population in the absence of selective pressure if those changes confer positive adaptation early in life. One age-associated disease that disproportionately affects humans compared with chimpanzees is epithelial cancer. Here, we explored genetic differences between humans and chimpanzees in a well-defined experimental assay that mimics gene expression changes that happen during cancer progression: A fibroblast serum challenge. We used this assay with fibroblasts isolated from humans and chimpanzees to explore species-specific differences in gene expression and chromatin state with RNA-Seq and DNase-Seq. Our data reveal that human fibroblasts increase expression of genes associated with wound healing and cancer pathways; in contrast, chimpanzee gene expression changes are not concentrated around particular functional categories. Chromatin accessibility dramatically increases in human fibroblasts, yet decreases in chimpanzee cells during the serum response. Many regions of opening and closing chromatin are in close proximity to genes encoding transcription factors or genes involved in wound healing processes, further supporting the link between changes in activity of regulatory elements and changes in gene expression. Together, these expression and open chromatin data show that humans and chimpanzees have dramatically different responses to the same physiological stressor, and how a core physiological process can evolve quickly over relatively short evolutionary time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Pizzollo
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst.,Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst
| | | | - Yoichiro Shibata
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University
| | - Alexias Safi
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University
| | - Gregory E Crawford
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University.,Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University
| | - Gregory A Wray
- Department of Biology, Duke University.,Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University
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17
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Albuquerque TAF, Drummond do Val L, Doherty A, de Magalhães JP. From humans to hydra: patterns of cancer across the tree of life. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:1715-1734. [PMID: 29663630 PMCID: PMC6055669 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a disease of multicellularity; it originates when cells become dysregulated due to mutations and grow out of control, invading other tissues and provoking discomfort, disability, and eventually death. Human life expectancy has greatly increased in the last two centuries, and consequently so has the incidence of cancer. However, how cancer patterns in humans compare to those of other species remains largely unknown. In this review, we search for clues about cancer and its evolutionary underpinnings across the tree of life. We discuss data from a wide range of species, drawing comparisons with humans when adequate, and interpret our findings from an evolutionary perspective. We conclude that certain cancers are uniquely common in humans, such as lung, prostate, and testicular cancer; while others are common across many species. Lymphomas appear in almost every animal analysed, including in young animals, which may be related to pathogens imposing selection on the immune system. Cancers unique to humans may be due to our modern environment or may be evolutionary accidents: random events in the evolution of our species. Finally, we find that cancer‐resistant animals such as whales and mole‐rats have evolved cellular mechanisms that help them avoid neoplasia, and we argue that there are multiple natural routes to cancer resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thales A F Albuquerque
- Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, SMHN Quadra 03 conjunto A, Bloco 1 Edifício Fepecs CEP 70, 710-907, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Luisa Drummond do Val
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, Room 281, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, U.K
| | - Aoife Doherty
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, Room 281, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, U.K
| | - João Pedro de Magalhães
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, Room 281, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, U.K
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18
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Zhou Z, Zou Y, Liu G, Zhou J, Wu J, Zhao S, Su Z, Gu X. Mutation-profile-based methods for understanding selection forces in cancer somatic mutations: a comparative analysis. Oncotarget 2017; 8:58835-58846. [PMID: 28938601 PMCID: PMC5601697 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human genes exhibit different effects on fitness in cancer and normal cells. Here, we present an evolutionary approach to measure the selection pressure on human genes, using the well-known ratio of the nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution rate in both cancer genomes (CN /CS ) and normal populations (pN /pS ). A new mutation-profile-based method that adopts sample-specific mutation rate profiles instead of conventional substitution models was developed. We found that cancer-specific selection pressure is quite different from the selection pressure at the species and population levels. Both the relaxation of purifying selection on passenger mutations and the positive selection of driver mutations may contribute to the increased CN /CS values of human genes in cancer genomes compared with the pN /pS values in human populations. The CN /CS values also contribute to the improved classification of cancer genes and a better understanding of the onco-functionalization of cancer genes during oncogenesis. The use of our computational pipeline to identify cancer-specific positively and negatively selected genes may provide useful information for understanding the evolution of cancers and identifying possible targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Zhou
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yangyun Zou
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gangbiao Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingqi Zhou
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingcheng Wu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shimin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhixi Su
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xun Gu
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Program of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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19
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Muller AWJ. Cancer is an adaptation that selects in animals against energy dissipation. Med Hypotheses 2017; 104:104-115. [PMID: 28673566 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2017.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Revised: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
As cancer usually follows reproduction, it is generally assumed that cancer does not select. Graham has however argued that juvenile cancer, which precedes reproduction, could during evolution have implemented a "cancer selection" that resulted in novel traits that suppress this juvenile cancer; an example is protection against UV sunlight-induced cancer, required for the emergence of terrestrial animals from the sea. We modify the cancer selection mechanism to the posited "cancer adaptation" mechanism, in which juvenile mortality is enhanced through the diminished care received by juveniles from their (grand) parents when these suffer from cancer in old age. Moreover, it is posited that the cancer adaptation selects against germline "dissipative genes", genes that result in enhanced free energy dissipation. Cancer's progression is interpreted as a cascade at increasing scale of repeated amplification of energy dissipation, a cascade involving heat shock, the Warburg effect, the cytokine IL-6, tumours, and hypermetabolism. Disturbance of any physiological process must enhance energy dissipation if the animal remains functioning normally, what explains multicausality, why "everything gives you cancer". The hypothesis thus comprises two newly invoked partial processes-diminished (grand) parental care and dissipation amplification-and results in a "selection against enhanced energy dissipation" which gives during evolution the benefit of energy conservation. Due to this benefit, cancer would essentially be an adaptation, and not a genetic disease, as assumed in the "somatic mutation theory". Cancer by somatic mutations is only a side process. The cancer adaptation hypothesis is substantiated by (1) cancer's extancy, (2) the failure of the somatic mutation theory, (3) cancer's initiation by a high temperature, (4) the interpretation of cancer's progression as a thermal process, and (5) the interpretation of tumours as organs that implement thermogenesis. The hypothesis could in principle be verified by monitoring in a population over several generations (1) the presence of dissipative genes, (2) the incidence of cancer, and (3) the beneficial effect of dissipative gene removal by cancer on starvation/famine survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthonie W J Muller
- Synthetic Systems Biology and Nuclear Organization, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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20
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Hochberg ME, Noble RJ. A framework for how environment contributes to cancer risk. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:117-134. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Hochberg
- Intstitut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier; Université de Montpellier; Place E. Bataillon, CC065 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
- Santa Fe Institute; 1399 Hyde Park Rd. Santa Fe NM 87501 USA
| | - Robert J. Noble
- Intstitut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier; Université de Montpellier; Place E. Bataillon, CC065 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
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21
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Arnal A, Jacqueline C, Ujvari B, Leger L, Moreno C, Faugere D, Tasiemski A, Boidin‐Wichlacz C, Misse D, Renaud F, Montagne J, Casali A, Roche B, Mery F, Thomas F. Cancer brings forward oviposition in the fly Drosophila melanogaster. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:272-276. [PMID: 28070290 PMCID: PMC5214257 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hosts often accelerate their reproductive effort in response to a parasitic infection, especially when their chances of future reproduction decrease with time from the onset of the infection. Because malignancies usually reduce survival, and hence potentially the fitness, it is expected that hosts with early cancer could have evolved to adjust their life-history traits to maximize their immediate reproductive effort. Despite the potential importance of these plastic responses, little attention has been devoted to explore how cancers influence animal reproduction. Here, we use an experimental setup, a colony of genetically modified flies Drosophila melanogaster which develop colorectal cancer in the anterior gut, to show the role of cancer in altering life-history traits. Specifically, we tested whether females adapt their reproductive strategy in response to harboring cancer. We found that flies with cancer reached the peak period of oviposition significantly earlier (i.e., 2 days) than healthy ones, while no difference in the length and extent of the fecundity peak was observed between the two groups of flies. Such compensatory responses to overcome the fitness-limiting effect of cancer could explain the persistence of inherited cancer-causing mutant alleles in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Arnal
- CREECMIVEGECUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 6450134394Montpellier Cedex 5France
| | - Camille Jacqueline
- CREECMIVEGECUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 6450134394Montpellier Cedex 5France
| | - Beata Ujvari
- Centre for Integrative EcologySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityWaurn PondsVic.Australia
| | - Lucas Leger
- CREECMIVEGECUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 6450134394Montpellier Cedex 5France
| | - Céline Moreno
- Laboratoire Évolution, Génomes, et SpéciationUnité Propre de Recherche 9034Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 91198 Gif sur Yvette, France; Université Paris‐Sud 1191405OrsayFrance
| | - Dominique Faugere
- CREECMIVEGECUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 6450134394Montpellier Cedex 5France
| | | | | | - Dorothée Misse
- CREECMIVEGECUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 6450134394Montpellier Cedex 5France
| | - François Renaud
- CREECMIVEGECUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 6450134394Montpellier Cedex 5France
| | - Jacques Montagne
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)CNRSUniversité Paris‐SudCEA, UMR919891190Gif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Andreu Casali
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Benjamin Roche
- CREECMIVEGECUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 6450134394Montpellier Cedex 5France
- International Center for Mathematical and Computational Modelling of Complex Systems (UMI IRD/UPMC UMMISCO)32 Avenue Henri Varagnat93143Bondy CedexFrance
| | - Frédéric Mery
- Laboratoire Évolution, Génomes, et SpéciationUnité Propre de Recherche 9034Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 91198 Gif sur Yvette, France; Université Paris‐Sud 1191405OrsayFrance
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREECMIVEGECUMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 6450134394Montpellier Cedex 5France
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22
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Wu CI, Wang HY, Ling S, Lu X. The Ecology and Evolution of Cancer: The Ultra-Microevolutionary Process. Annu Rev Genet 2016; 50:347-369. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-112414-054842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chung-I Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China;
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637;
| | - Hurng-Yi Wang
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine and Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University and Hospital, Taipei 106, Taiwan;
| | - Shaoping Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China;
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
| | - Xuemei Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
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23
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R. Vahdati A, Wagner A. Parallel or convergent evolution in human population genomic data revealed by genotype networks. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:154. [PMID: 27484992 PMCID: PMC4969671 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0722-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genotype networks are representations of genetic variation data that are complementary to phylogenetic trees. A genotype network is a graph whose nodes are genotypes (DNA sequences) with the same broadly defined phenotype. Two nodes are connected if they differ in some minimal way, e.g., in a single nucleotide. RESULTS We analyze human genome variation data from the 1,000 genomes project, and construct haploid genotype (haplotype) networks for 12,235 protein coding genes. The structure of these networks varies widely among genes, indicating different patterns of variation despite a shared evolutionary history. We focus on those genes whose genotype networks show many cycles, which can indicate homoplasy, i.e., parallel or convergent evolution, on the sequence level. CONCLUSION For 42 genes, the observed number of cycles is so large that it cannot be explained by either chance homoplasy or recombination. When analyzing possible explanations, we discovered evidence for positive selection in 21 of these genes and, in addition, a potential role for constrained variation and purifying selection. Balancing selection plays at most a small role. The 42 genes with excess cycles are enriched in functions related to immunity and response to pathogens. Genotype networks are representations of genetic variation data that can help understand unusual patterns of genomic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali R. Vahdati
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Wagner
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- The Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, USA
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24
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Kozlov AP. Expression of evolutionarily novel genes in tumors. Infect Agent Cancer 2016; 11:34. [PMID: 27437030 PMCID: PMC4949931 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-016-0077-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily novel genes originated through different molecular mechanisms are expressed in tumors. Sometimes the expression of evolutionarily novel genes in tumors is highly specific. Moreover positive selection of many human tumor-related genes in primate lineage suggests their involvement in the origin of new functions beneficial to organisms. It is suggested to consider the expression of evolutionarily young or novel genes in tumors as a new biological phenomenon, a phenomenon of TSEEN (tumor specifically expressed, evolutionarily novel) genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. P. Kozlov
- The Biomedical Center and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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25
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Boddy AM, Kokko H, Breden F, Wilkinson GS, Aktipis CA. Cancer susceptibility and reproductive trade-offs: a model of the evolution of cancer defences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:rstb.2014.0220. [PMID: 26056364 PMCID: PMC4581025 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The factors influencing cancer susceptibility and why it varies across species are major open questions in the field of cancer biology. One underexplored source of variation in cancer susceptibility may arise from trade-offs between reproductive competitiveness (e.g. sexually selected traits, earlier reproduction and higher fertility) and cancer defence. We build a model that contrasts the probabilistic onset of cancer with other, extrinsic causes of mortality and use it to predict that intense reproductive competition will lower cancer defences and increase cancer incidence. We explore the trade-off between cancer defences and intraspecific competition across different extrinsic mortality conditions and different levels of trade-off intensity, and find the largest effect of competition on cancer in species where low extrinsic mortality combines with strong trade-offs. In such species, selection to delay cancer and selection to outcompete conspecifics are both strong, and the latter conflicts with the former. We discuss evidence for the assumed trade-off between reproductive competitiveness and cancer susceptibility. Sexually selected traits such as ornaments or large body size require high levels of cell proliferation and appear to be associated with greater cancer susceptibility. Similar associations exist for female traits such as continuous egg-laying in domestic hens and earlier reproductive maturity. Trade-offs between reproduction and cancer defences may be instantiated by a variety of mechanisms, including higher levels of growth factors and hormones, less efficient cell-cycle control and less DNA repair, or simply a larger number of cell divisions (relevant when reproductive success requires large body size or rapid reproductive cycles). These mechanisms can affect intra- and interspecific variation in cancer susceptibility arising from rapid cell proliferation during reproductive maturation, intrasexual competition and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Boddy
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA Center for Evolution and Cancer, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felix Breden
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Gerald S Wilkinson
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - C Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA Center for Evolution and Cancer, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany
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26
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Haig D. Maternal-fetal conflict, genomic imprinting and mammalian vulnerabilities to cancer. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:rstb.2014.0178. [PMID: 26056362 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antagonistic coevolution between maternal and fetal genes, and between maternally and paternally derived genes may have increased mammalian vulnerability to cancer. Placental trophoblast has evolved to invade maternal tissues and evade structural and immunological constraints on its invasion. These adaptations can be co-opted by cancer in intrasomatic selection. Imprinted genes of maternal and paternal origin favour different degrees of proliferation of particular cell types in which they reside. As a result, the set of genes favouring greater proliferation will be selected to evade controls on cell-cycle progression imposed by the set of genes favouring lesser proliferation. The dynamics of stem cell populations will be a particular focus of this intragenomic conflict. Gene networks that are battlegrounds of intragenomic conflict are expected to be less robust than networks that evolve in the absence of conflict. By these processes, maternal-fetal and intragenomic conflicts may undermine evolved defences against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Haig
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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27
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Sun T, Plutynski A, Ward S, Rubin JB. An integrative view on sex differences in brain tumors. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:3323-42. [PMID: 25985759 PMCID: PMC4531141 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-1930-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in human health and disease can range from undetectable to profound. Differences in brain tumor rates and outcome are evident in males and females throughout the world and regardless of age. These observations indicate that fundamental aspects of sex determination can impact the biology of brain tumors. It is likely that optimal personalized approaches to the treatment of male and female brain tumor patients will require recognizing and understanding the ways in which the biology of their tumors can differ. It is our view that sex-specific approaches to brain tumor screening and care will be enhanced by rigorously documenting differences in brain tumor rates and outcomes in males and females, and understanding the developmental and evolutionary origins of sex differences. Here we offer such an integrative perspective on brain tumors. It is our intent to encourage the consideration of sex differences in clinical and basic scientific investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Sun
- />Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, USA
| | - Anya Plutynski
- />Department of Philosophy, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, USA
| | - Stacey Ward
- />Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, USA
| | - Joshua B. Rubin
- />Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, USA
- />Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO 63110 USA
- />Campus Box 8208, 660 South Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO 63110 USA
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Abstract
UNLABELLED Our understanding of cancer is being transformed by exploring clonal diversity, drug resistance, and causation within an evolutionary framework. The therapeutic resilience of advanced cancer is a consequence of its character as a complex, dynamic, and adaptive ecosystem engendering robustness, underpinned by genetic diversity and epigenetic plasticity. The risk of mutation-driven escape by self-renewing cells is intrinsic to multicellularity but is countered by multiple restraints, facilitating increasing complexity and longevity of species. But our own species has disrupted this historical narrative by rapidly escalating intrinsic risk. Evolutionary principles illuminate these challenges and provide new avenues to explore for more effective control. SIGNIFICANCE Lifetime risk of cancer now approximates to 50% in Western societies. And, despite many advances, the outcome for patients with disseminated disease remains poor, with drug resistance the norm. An evolutionary perspective may provide a clearer understanding of how cancer clones develop robustness and why, for us as a species, risk is now off the scale. And, perhaps, of what we might best do to achieve more effective control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mel Greaves
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom.
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29
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Abstract
UNLABELLED Our understanding of cancer is being transformed by exploring clonal diversity, drug resistance, and causation within an evolutionary framework. The therapeutic resilience of advanced cancer is a consequence of its character as a complex, dynamic, and adaptive ecosystem engendering robustness, underpinned by genetic diversity and epigenetic plasticity. The risk of mutation-driven escape by self-renewing cells is intrinsic to multicellularity but is countered by multiple restraints, facilitating increasing complexity and longevity of species. But our own species has disrupted this historical narrative by rapidly escalating intrinsic risk. Evolutionary principles illuminate these challenges and provide new avenues to explore for more effective control. SIGNIFICANCE Lifetime risk of cancer now approximates to 50% in Western societies. And, despite many advances, the outcome for patients with disseminated disease remains poor, with drug resistance the norm. An evolutionary perspective may provide a clearer understanding of how cancer clones develop robustness and why, for us as a species, risk is now off the scale. And, perhaps, of what we might best do to achieve more effective control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mel Greaves
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom.
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30
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Lou DI, McBee RM, Le UQ, Stone AC, Wilkerson GK, Demogines AM, Sawyer SL. Rapid evolution of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in humans and other primates. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:155. [PMID: 25011685 PMCID: PMC4106182 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The maintenance of chromosomal integrity is an essential task of every living organism and cellular repair mechanisms exist to guard against insults to DNA. Given the importance of this process, it is expected that DNA repair proteins would be evolutionarily conserved, exhibiting very minimal sequence change over time. However, BRCA1, an essential gene involved in DNA repair, has been reported to be evolving rapidly despite the fact that many protein-altering mutations within this gene convey a significantly elevated risk for breast and ovarian cancers. Results To obtain a deeper understanding of the evolutionary trajectory of BRCA1, we analyzed complete BRCA1 gene sequences from 23 primate species. We show that specific amino acid sites have experienced repeated selection for amino acid replacement over primate evolution. This selection has been focused specifically on humans and our closest living relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus). After examining BRCA1 polymorphisms in 7 bonobo, 44 chimpanzee, and 44 rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) individuals, we find considerable variation within each of these species and evidence for recent selection in chimpanzee populations. Finally, we also sequenced and analyzed BRCA2 from 24 primate species and find that this gene has also evolved under positive selection. Conclusions While mutations leading to truncated forms of BRCA1 are clearly linked to cancer phenotypes in humans, there is also an underlying selective pressure in favor of amino acid-altering substitutions in this gene. A hypothesis where viruses are the drivers of this natural selection is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sara L Sawyer
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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31
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Livnat A. Interaction-based evolution: how natural selection and nonrandom mutation work together. Biol Direct 2013; 8:24. [PMID: 24139515 PMCID: PMC4231362 DOI: 10.1186/1745-6150-8-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The modern evolutionary synthesis leaves unresolved some of the most fundamental, long-standing questions in evolutionary biology: What is the role of sex in evolution? How does complex adaptation evolve? How can selection operate effectively on genetic interactions? More recently, the molecular biology and genomics revolutions have raised a host of critical new questions, through empirical findings that the modern synthesis fails to explain: for example, the discovery of de novo genes; the immense constructive role of transposable elements in evolution; genetic variance and biochemical activity that go far beyond what traditional natural selection can maintain; perplexing cases of molecular parallelism; and more. PRESENTATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS Here I address these questions from a unified perspective, by means of a new mechanistic view of evolution that offers a novel connection between selection on the phenotype and genetic evolutionary change (while relying, like the traditional theory, on natural selection as the only source of feedback on the fit between an organism and its environment). I hypothesize that the mutation that is of relevance for the evolution of complex adaptation-while not Lamarckian, or "directed" to increase fitness-is not random, but is instead the outcome of a complex and continually evolving biological process that combines information from multiple loci into one. This allows selection on a fleeting combination of interacting alleles at different loci to have a hereditary effect according to the combination's fitness. TESTING AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE HYPOTHESIS This proposed mechanism addresses the problem of how beneficial genetic interactions can evolve under selection, and also offers an intuitive explanation for the role of sex in evolution, which focuses on sex as the generator of genetic combinations. Importantly, it also implies that genetic variation that has appeared neutral through the lens of traditional theory can actually experience selection on interactions and thus has a much greater adaptive potential than previously considered. Empirical evidence for the proposed mechanism from both molecular evolution and evolution at the organismal level is discussed, and multiple predictions are offered by which it may be tested. REVIEWERS This article was reviewed by Nigel Goldenfeld (nominated by Eugene V. Koonin), Jürgen Brosius and W. Ford Doolittle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Livnat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061,
USA
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Vittecoq M, Roche B, Daoust SP, Ducasse H, Missé D, Abadie J, Labrut S, Renaud F, Gauthier-Clerc M, Thomas F. Cancer: a missing link in ecosystem functioning? Trends Ecol Evol 2013; 28:628-35. [PMID: 23972467 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2013.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2013] [Revised: 07/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is a disease that affects the majority of metazoan species and, before directly causing host death, is likely to influence the competitive abilities of individuals, their susceptibility to pathogens, their vulnerability to predators, and their ability to disperse. Despite the potential importance of these ecological impacts, cancer is rarely incorporated into model ecosystems. We describe here the diversity of ways in which oncogenic phenomena, from precancerous lesions to generalized metastatic cancers, may affect ecological processes that govern biotic interactions. We argue that oncogenic phenomena, despite their complexity, can have significant and sometimes predictable ecological consequences. Our aim is to provide a new perspective on the ecological and evolutionary significance of cancer in wildlife, and to stimulate research on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Vittecoq
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique, Évolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)/Unité Mixte 5290, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier CEDEX 5, France; Centre de Recherche de la Tour du Valat, le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Cancer Research (CREEC), 95 rue de la Galera, 34090, Montpellier, France
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Gerrard DT, Fricke C, Edward DA, Edwards DR, Chapman T. Genome-Wide Responses of Female Fruit Flies Subjected to Divergent Mating Regimes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68136. [PMID: 23826372 PMCID: PMC3694895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated rates of mating and reproduction cause decreased female survival and lifetime reproductive success across a wide range of taxa from flies to humans. These costs are fundamentally important to the evolution of life histories. Here we investigate the potential mechanistic basis of this classic life history component. We conducted 4 independent replicated experiments in which female Drosophila melanogaster were subjected to ‘high’ and ‘low’ mating regimes, resulting in highly significant differences in lifespan. We sampled females for transcriptomic analysis at day 10 of life, before the visible onset of ageing, and used Tiling expression arrays to detect differential gene expression in two body parts (abdomen versus head+thorax). The divergent mating regimes were associated with significant differential expression in a network of genes showing evidence for interactions with ecdysone receptor. Preliminary experimental manipulation of two genes in that network with roles in post-transcriptional modification (CG11486, eyegone) tended to enhance sensitivity to mating costs. However, the subtle nature of those effects suggests substantial functional redundancy or parallelism in this gene network, which could buffer females against excessive responses. There was also evidence for differential expression in genes involved in germline maintenance, cell proliferation and in gustation / odorant reception. Interestingly, we detected differential expression in three specific genes (EcR, keap1, lbk1) and one class of genes (gustation / odorant receptors) with previously reported roles in determining lifespan. Our results suggest that high and low mating regimes that lead to divergence in lifespan are associated with changes in the expression of genes such as reproductive hormones, that influence resource allocation to the germ line, and that may modify post-translational gene expression. This predicts that the correct signalling of nutrient levels to the reproductive system is important for maintaining organismal integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave T. Gerrard
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Fricke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfaelische Wilhelms-University, Muenster, Germany
| | - Dominic A. Edward
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Mammalian Behaviour & Evolution, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Dylan R. Edwards
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Tracey Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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34
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[Energy metabolism pathway related genes and adaptive evolution of tumor cells]. DONG WU XUE YAN JIU = ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2012; 33:557-65. [PMID: 23266974 DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1141.2012.06557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The proliferation of tumor cells is an extremely energy-consuming process. However, different from normal cells, tumor cells generate energy via glycolysis even under aerobic conditions, which is one of the ten hallmarks of tumor cells. The switch of energy metabolism results in a series of physiological changes in tumor cells, including rapid generation of ATP and abundant biomass for cell proliferation, which form the basis of tumor cells to successfully adapt to their extreme microenvironment (e.g. lack of oxygen). In this review, we will introduce recent progress in studying somatic mutations on the energy metabolism related genes in tumors, with special focus on the potential factors involving in the "switch" and to decipher the genetic adaptive footprint of the "switch" from the angle of molecular evolution.
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Thomas F, Fisher D, Fort P, Marie JP, Daoust S, Roche B, Grunau C, Cosseau C, Mitta G, Baghdiguian S, Rousset F, Lassus P, Assenat E, Grégoire D, Missé D, Lorz A, Billy F, Vainchenker W, Delhommeau F, Koscielny S, Itzykson R, Tang R, Fava F, Ballesta A, Lepoutre T, Krasinska L, Dulic V, Raynaud P, Blache P, Quittau-Prevostel C, Vignal E, Trauchessec H, Perthame B, Clairambault J, Volpert V, Solary E, Hibner U, Hochberg ME. Applying ecological and evolutionary theory to cancer: a long and winding road. Evol Appl 2012; 6:1-10. [PMID: 23397042 PMCID: PMC3567465 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the mid 1970s, cancer has been described as a process of Darwinian evolution, with somatic cellular selection and evolution being the fundamental processes leading to malignancy and its many manifestations (neoangiogenesis, evasion of the immune system, metastasis, and resistance to therapies). Historically, little attention has been placed on applications of evolutionary biology to understanding and controlling neoplastic progression and to prevent therapeutic failures. This is now beginning to change, and there is a growing international interest in the interface between cancer and evolutionary biology. The objective of this introduction is first to describe the basic ideas and concepts linking evolutionary biology to cancer. We then present four major fronts where the evolutionary perspective is most developed, namely laboratory and clinical models, mathematical models, databases, and techniques and assays. Finally, we discuss several of the most promising challenges and future prospects in this interdisciplinary research direction in the war against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Thomas
- MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS/IRD/UM1) 5290 Montpellier Cedex 5, France ; CREEC Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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36
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Jin W, Wu DD, Zhang X, Irwin DM, Zhang YP. Positive selection on the gene RNASEL: correlation between patterns of evolution and function. Mol Biol Evol 2012; 29:3161-8. [PMID: 22513284 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mss123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
RNASEL is a 2-5A-dependent endoribonuclease that is a component of the interferon-induced 2-5A system, which plays a crucial role in the antiviral and apoptotic activities of interferons. In humans, many polymorphic sites within the RNASEL gene have been associated with an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. Here, we obtained coding sequences for the RNASEL gene from 11 primates and found evidence that positive selection has operated on the C-terminal endoribonuclease domain and the N-terminal ankyrin repeats domain of the protein, domains that directly interact with virus (i.e., ankyrin repeats are responsible for receiving environmental signals, and the endoribonuclease catalyses the destruction of the pathogenic viral RNA). To extend this finding, we studied variation within this gene in modern human populations by resequencing alleles from 144 individuals representing four separate populations. Interestingly, the frequency of the 541D allele shows a negative association with the incidence rate of prostate cancer in worldwide populations, and haplotypes containing the 541D polymorphisms demonstrate signatures of positive selection. RNASEL variants having the 541D haplotype likely have a greater ability to defend against infections by viruses, thus the loss of this activity may be associated with the development of prostate cancer. We provide evidence that positive selection has operated on the RNASEL gene, and its evolution is correlated with its function in pathogen defense and cancer association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jin
- Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resource, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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37
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Carter AJR, Nguyen AQ. Antagonistic pleiotropy as a widespread mechanism for the maintenance of polymorphic disease alleles. BMC MEDICAL GENETICS 2011; 12:160. [PMID: 22151998 PMCID: PMC3254080 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2350-12-160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2011] [Accepted: 12/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many serious diseases have a genetic basis which, from an evolutionary point of view, should have been selected against, resulting in very low frequencies. The remarkable sustained prevalence of a number of disease-associated alleles is therefore surprising. We believe that antagonistic pleiotropy, when multiple effects of a gene have opposing effects on fitness (e.g., sickle cell disease), may be more widespread than typically considered. We hypothesize that, rather than being an exception to the rule of genetic disorders, antagonistic pleiotropy may be common. METHODS We surveyed the medical literature in order to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to reassess the nature of antagonistic pleiotropy; from being considered an unusual scenario to one that is anticipated. We also used a simple population genetic model to examine the feasibility of antagonistic pleiotropy to act as a mechanism to maintain polymorphism for serious genetic disorders even if the benefits are subtle. RESULTS We identified a number of examples of antagonistic pleiotropy where the deleterious effect, the beneficial effect, and the exact molecular cause have been demonstrated. We also identified putative cases in which there is circumstantial evidence or a strong reason to expect antagonistic pleiotropy in a genetic disorder. The population genetic model demonstrates that alleles with severe deleterious health effects can be maintained at medically relevant frequencies with only minor beneficial pleiotropic effects. CONCLUSION We believe that our identification of several cases of antagonistic pleiotropy, despite the lack of research on this question and the varied natures of the types of these disorders, speaks to both the underappreciated nature of this phenomenon and its potentially fundamental importance. If antagonistic pleiotropy is as common as our research suggests, this may explain why so many serious diseases, even apparently environmentally caused ones, have a genetic component. Furthermore, acceptance of a genome full of antagonistically pleiotropic genetic interactions poses important implications for clinical treatment and disease prevention research, especially genetically based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley JR Carter
- Biology Department, California State University Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
| | - Andrew Q Nguyen
- Biology Department, California State University Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
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38
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Liu J, Wang LD, Sun YB, Li EM, Xu LY, Zhang YP, Yao YG, Kong QP. Deciphering the Signature of Selective Constraints on Cancerous Mitochondrial Genome. Mol Biol Evol 2011; 29:1255-61. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msr290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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39
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Nesse RM. Ten questions for evolutionary studies of disease vulnerability. Evol Appl 2011; 4:264-77. [PMID: 25567972 PMCID: PMC3352562 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00181.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2010] [Accepted: 12/20/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many evolutionary applications in medicine rely on well-established methods, such as population genetics, phylogenetic analysis, and observing pathogen evolution. Approaches to evolutionary questions about traits that leave bodies vulnerable to disease are less well developed. Strategies for formulating questions and hypotheses remain unsettled, and methods for testing evolutionary hypotheses are unfamiliar to many in medicine. This article uses recent examples to illustrate successful strategies and some common challenges. Ten questions arise in the course of considering hypotheses about traits that leave bodies vulnerable to disease. Addressing them systematically can help minimize confusion and errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randolph M Nesse
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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40
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Selection and the cell cycle: positive Darwinian selection in a well-known DNA damage response pathway. J Mol Evol 2010; 71:444-57. [PMID: 21057781 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-010-9399-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2010] [Accepted: 10/06/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a common occurrence in multi-cellular organisms and is not strictly limited to the elderly in a population. It is therefore possible that individuals with genotypes that protect against early onset cancers have a selective advantage. In this study the patterns of mutation in the proteins of a well-studied DNA damage response pathway have been examined for evidence of adaptive evolutionary change. Using a maximum likelihood framework and the mammalian species phylogeny, together with codon models of evolution, selective pressure variation across the interacting network of proteins has been detected. The presence of signatures of adaptive evolution in BRCA1 and BRCA2 has already been documented but the effect on the entire network of interacting proteins in this damage response pathway has, until now, been unknown. Positive selection is evident throughout the network with a total of 11 proteins out of 15 examined displaying patterns of substitution characteristic of positive selection. It is also shown here that modern human populations display evidence of an ongoing selective sweep in 9 of these DNA damage repair proteins. The results presented here provide the community with new residues that may be relevant to cancer susceptibility while also highlighting those proteins where human and mouse have undergone lineage-specific functional shift. An understanding of this damage response pathway from an evolutionary perspective will undoubtedly contribute to future cancer treatment approaches.
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41
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Abstract
Patterns and risks of human disease have evolved. In this article, I review evidence regarding the importance of recent adaptive evolution, positive selection, and genomic conflicts in shaping the genetic and phenotypic architectures of polygenic human diseases. Strong recent selection in human populations can create and maintain genetically based disease risk primarily through three processes: increased scope for dysregulation from recent human adaptations, divergent optima generated by intraspecific genomic conflicts, and transient or stable deleterious by-products of positive selection caused by antagonistic pleiotropy, ultimately due to trade-offs at the levels of molecular genetics, development, and physiology. Human disease due to these processes appears to be concentrated in three sets of phenotypes: cognition and emotion, reproductive traits, and life-history traits related to long life-span. Diverse, convergent lines of evidence suggest that a small set of tissues whose pleiotropic patterns of gene function and expression are under especially strong selection-brain, placenta, testis, prostate, breast, and ovary-has mediated a considerable proportion of disease risk in modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B. C., Canada V5A 1S6.
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42
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Fernandez AA, Bowser PR. Selection for a dominant oncogene and large male size as a risk factor for melanoma in the Xiphophorus animal model. Mol Ecol 2010; 19:3114-23. [PMID: 20618898 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04738.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Adult height is a risk factor in numerous human cancers that involve aberrant receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signalling. However, its importance is debated due to conflicting epidemiological studies and the lack of useful in vivo models. In Xiphophorus fishes (Platyfishes/Swordtails), a functional RTK, Xiphophorus melanoma receptor kinase (Xmrk), serves as the dominant oncogene and has been maintained for several million years despite being deleterious and in an extremely unstable genomic region. Here we show that the Xmrk genotype is positively correlated with standard length in male and female wild caught Xiphophorus cortezi sampled throughout their phylogeographic distribution. Histopathology confirms the occurrence of malignant melanomas in both sexes; however, melanoma incidence was extremely male biased. Furthermore, males collected with malignant melanomas in the field were significantly larger than both Xmrk males collected without melanomas and wildtype (Xmrk deficient) males. These results not only provide a novel selective mechanism for the persistence of the germline Xmrk oncogene but also create an innovative avenue of melanoma research within the Xiphophorus fishes. Wildlife cancer in natural systems is a growing concern, therefore, future research investigating life history characteristics associated with certain phenotypes and genotypes that predispose an individual to cancer will be fundamental to increasing our understanding of the evolutionary biology of cancer in nature as well as in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- André A Fernandez
- Department of Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas-M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park/Research Division, Smithville, TX 78957, USA.
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Murphy BF, Belov K, Thompson MB. Evolution of viviparity and uterine angiogenesis: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in oviparous and viviparous skinks. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2010; 314:148-56. [PMID: 19676116 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.21317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
During pregnancy, uterine vasculature of live-bearing lizards proliferates to support embryonic growth and development. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most potent of a suite of growth factors responsible for uterine vascularization in mammals. We have sequenced VEGF mRNA transcripts expressed in the uterus of oviparous and viviparous Australian skinks, and compared uterine VEGF expression in nonreproductive and late-reproductive Saiphos equalis, a fossorial viviparous skink. VEGF sequences differed between phylogenetic groups of skinks, rather than oviparous and viviparous skinks. Two transcripts were identified in the uterus of each species that had the same splice sites as human VEGF(165) and VEGF(189). A third transcript, found only in uterine and testis tissue from S. equalis, had the same splice sites as human VEGF(111). This is the first natural expression of VEGF(111), previously found only in human cultured cells subjected to environmental stress. All the three VEGF transcripts identified showed higher expression in uterus from late-reproductive S. equalis than nonreproductive females. The different angiogenic properties of VEGF transcripts provide a mechanism that may produce the variety of placental complexities observed in viviparous skinks. The presence of VEGF(111) in S. equalis may be an opportunity to investigate the function of this unique transcript in a whole animal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget F Murphy
- Integrative Physiology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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Abstract
Experimental animal models are extremely valuable for the study of human diseases, especially those with underlying genetic components. The exploitation of various animal models, from fruitflies to mice, has led to major advances in our understanding of the etiologies of many diseases, including cancer. Cutaneous malignant melanoma is a form of cancer for which both environmental insult (i.e., UV) and hereditary predisposition are major causative factors. Fish melanoma models have been used in studies of both spontaneous and induced melanoma formation. Genetic hybrids between platyfish and swordtails, different species of the genus Xiphophorus, have been studied since the 1920s to identify genetic determinants of pigmentation and melanoma formation. Recently, transgenesis has been used to develop zebrafish and medaka models for melanoma research. This review will provide a historical perspective on the use of fish models in melanoma research, and an updated summary of current and prospective studies using these unique experimental systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Elizabeth Patton
- Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine, MRC Human Genetics Unit and Division of Cancer Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Finch CE. Evolution in health and medicine Sackler colloquium: Evolution of the human lifespan and diseases of aging: roles of infection, inflammation, and nutrition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107 Suppl 1:1718-24. [PMID: 19966301 PMCID: PMC2868286 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0909606106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans have evolved much longer lifespans than the great apes, which rarely exceed 50 years. Since 1800, lifespans have doubled again, largely due to improvements in environment, food, and medicine that minimized mortality at earlier ages. Infections cause most mortality in wild chimpanzees and in traditional forager-farmers with limited access to modern medicine. Although we know little of the diseases of aging under premodern conditions, in captivity, chimpanzees present a lower incidence of cancer, ischemic heart disease, and neurodegeneration than current human populations. These major differences in pathology of aging are discussed in terms of genes that mediate infection, inflammation, and nutrition. Apolipoprotein E alleles are proposed as a prototype of pleiotropic genes, which influence immune responses, arterial and Alzheimer's disease, and brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb E. Finch
- Davis School of Gerontology and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
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Fernandez AA. A cancer-causing gene is positively correlated with male aggression in Xiphophorus cortezi. J Evol Biol 2009; 23:386-96. [PMID: 20021547 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01914.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The persistence of seemingly maladaptive genes in organisms challenges evolutionary biological thought. In Xiphophorus fishes, certain melanin patterns form malignant melanomas because of a cancer-causing gene (Xiphophorus melanoma receptor kinase; Xmrk), which arose several millions years ago from unequal meiotic recombination. Xiphophorus melanomas are male biased and induced by androgens however male behaviour and Xmrk genotype has not been investigated. This study found that male X. cortezi with the spotted caudal (Sc) pattern, from which melanomas originate, displayed increased aggression in mirror image trials. Furthermore, Xmrk males (regardless of Sc phenotype) bit and performed more agonistic displays than Xmrk deficient males. Male aggressive response decreased when males viewed their Sc image as compared with their non-Sc image. Collectively, these results indicate that Xmrk males experience a competitive advantage over wild-type males and that intrasexual selection could be an important component in the evolutionary maintenance of this oncogene within Xiphophorus.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Fernandez
- Department of Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas - M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; Science Park/Research Division; Smithville, TX, USA.
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47
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The possible evolutionary role of tumors in the origin of new cell types. Med Hypotheses 2009; 74:177-85. [PMID: 19665850 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2009] [Revised: 07/09/2009] [Accepted: 07/11/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The ability of tumor cells to differentiate in combination with their ability to express genes that are not expressed in normal tissues, may result in the emergence of new cell types in evolution. Tumors may play an evolutionary role by providing conditions (space and resources) for the expression of newly evolving genes. Genetically or epigenetically predetermined tumors at the early stages of progression, benign tumors, and some tumor-like processes in invertebrates and plants, all of which are modes of excess cell growth which provide evolving multicellular organisms with extra cell masses, are considered as potentially evolutionarily meaningful. Malignant tumors at the late stages of progression, however, are not. The preexisting cell types of multicellular organisms had restricted potential for the expression of newly evolving genes. Because of regulation and gene competition, some of the newly evolving genes may stay silent. Multicellular organisms would need excess cell masses for the expression of newly evolving genes. The preexisting cell types cannot provide such excess cell masses because of limitations imposed on the number of possible cell divisions. Tumors could provide the evolving multicellular organisms with the excess cell masses for the expression of newly evolving genes. We suggest that tumors could be a sort of proving ground (or reservoir) for the expression of newly evolving genes that originate in the course of genome evolution in the DNA of germ cells (i.e., not in tumor cells themselves). The case in which the expression of a newly evolving gene in tumors results in the origin of a new function would be associated with the origin of new feedback and regulatory circuits, as in root nodules in legumes and macromelanophores in Xiphophorus fishes. Tumor cells would differentiate, resulting in a new cell type for the given multicellular species. This cell type would be inherited because of epigenomic mechanisms similar to those in preexisting cell types. Populations of tumor-bearing organisms with genetically or epigenetically programmed tumors could represent the transition between established species of organisms at different stages of progressive evolution. Experimental confirmation of the prediction of the hypothesis of evolution by tumor cells differentiation concerning the expression of evolutionarily new genes and/or silent (neutrally evolving) sequences in tumor cells is presented.
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Pienta KJ, McGregor N, Axelrod R, Axelrod DE. Ecological therapy for cancer: defining tumors using an ecosystem paradigm suggests new opportunities for novel cancer treatments. Transl Oncol 2008; 1:158-64. [PMID: 19043526 PMCID: PMC2582164 DOI: 10.1593/tlo.08178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2008] [Revised: 09/16/2008] [Accepted: 09/18/2008] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We propose that there is an opportunity to devise new cancer therapies based on the recognition that tumors have properties of ecological systems. Traditionally, localized treatment has targeted the cancer cells directly by removing them (surgery) or killing them (chemotherapy and radiation). These modes of therapy have not always been effective because many tumors recur after these therapies, either because not all of the cells are killed (local recurrence) or because the cancer cells had already escaped the primary tumor environment (distant recurrence). There has been an increasing recognition that the tumor microenvironment contains host noncancer cells in addition to cancer cells, interacting in a dynamic fashion over time. The cancer cells compete and/or cooperate with nontumor cells, and the cancer cells may compete and/or cooperate with each other. It has been demonstrated that these interactions can alter the genotype and phenotype of the host cells as well as the cancer cells. The interaction of these cancer and host cells to remodel the normal host organ microenvironment may best be conceptualized as an evolving ecosystem. In classic terms, an ecosystem describes the physical and biological components of an environment in relation to each other as a unit. Here, we review some properties of tumor microenvironments and ecological systems and indicate similarities between them. We propose that describing tumors as ecological systems defines new opportunities for novel cancer therapies and use the development of prostate cancer metastases as an example. We refer to this as "ecological therapy" for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth J Pienta
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Urology, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Vamathevan JJ, Hasan S, Emes RD, Amrine-Madsen H, Rajagopalan D, Topp SD, Kumar V, Word M, Simmons MD, Foord SM, Sanseau P, Yang Z, Holbrook JD. The role of positive selection in determining the molecular cause of species differences in disease. BMC Evol Biol 2008; 8:273. [PMID: 18837980 PMCID: PMC2576240 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2008] [Accepted: 10/06/2008] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Related species, such as humans and chimpanzees, often experience the same disease with varying degrees of pathology, as seen in the cases of Alzheimer's disease, or differing symptomatology as in AIDS. Furthermore, certain diseases such as schizophrenia, epithelial cancers and autoimmune disorders are far more frequent in humans than in other species for reasons not associated with lifestyle. Genes that have undergone positive selection during species evolution are indicative of functional adaptations that drive species differences. Thus we investigate whether biomedical disease differences between species can be attributed to positively selected genes. RESULTS We identified genes that putatively underwent positive selection during the evolution of humans and four mammals which are often used to model human diseases (mouse, rat, chimpanzee and dog). We show that genes predicted to have been subject to positive selection pressure during human evolution are implicated in diseases such as epithelial cancers, schizophrenia, autoimmune diseases and Alzheimer's disease, all of which differ in prevalence and symptomatology between humans and their mammalian relatives. In agreement with previous studies, the chimpanzee lineage was found to have more genes under positive selection than any of the other lineages. In addition, we found new evidence to support the hypothesis that genes that have undergone positive selection tend to interact with each other. This is the first such evidence to be detected widely among mammalian genes and may be important in identifying molecular pathways causative of species differences. CONCLUSION Our dataset of genes predicted to have been subject to positive selection in five species serves as an informative resource that can be consulted prior to selecting appropriate animal models during drug target validation. We conclude that studying the evolution of functional and biomedical disease differences between species is an important way to gain insight into their molecular causes and may provide a method to predict when animal models do not mirror human biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J Vamathevan
- Department of Biology, University College London, Darwin Bldg, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Samiul Hasan
- Computational Biology Division, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Richard D Emes
- Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Thornburrow Drive, Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 7QB, UK
| | - Heather Amrine-Madsen
- Computational Biology Division, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Dilip Rajagopalan
- Computational Biology Division, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Simon D Topp
- Computational Biology Division, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Computational Biology Division, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Michael Word
- Computational Biology Division, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Mark D Simmons
- Molecular Discovery Research Information Technology, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Steven M Foord
- Computational Biology Division, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Philippe Sanseau
- Computational Biology Division, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Ziheng Yang
- Department of Biology, University College London, Darwin Bldg, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Joanna D Holbrook
- Computational Biology Division, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D Ltd., 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
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50
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Nelson L, Anderson S, Archibald AL, Rhind S, Lu ZH, Condie A, McIntyre N, Thompson J, Nenutil R, Vojtesek B, Whitelaw CBA, Little TJ, Hupp T. An animal model to evaluate the function and regulation of the adaptively evolving stress protein SEP53 in oesophageal bile damage responses. Cell Stress Chaperones 2008; 13:375-85. [PMID: 18465210 PMCID: PMC2673944 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-008-0037-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2007] [Revised: 03/04/2008] [Accepted: 03/12/2008] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Squamous epithelium in mammals has evolved an atypical stress response involving down-regulation of the classic HSP70 protein and induction of sets of proteins including one named SEP53. This atypical stress response might be due to the unusual environmental pressures placed on squamous tissue. In fact, SEP53 plays a role as an anti-apoptotic factor in response to DNA damage induced by deoxycholic acid stresses implicated in oesophageal reflux disease. SEP53 also has a genetic signature characteristic of an adaptively and rapidly evolving gene, and this observation has been used to imply a role for SEP53 in immunity. Physiological models of squamous tissue are required to further define the regulation and function of SEP53. We examined whether porcine squamous epithelium would be a good model to study SEP53, since this animal suffers from a bile-reflux disease in squamous oesophageal tissue. We have (1) cloned and sequenced the porcine SEP53 locus from porcine bacterial artificial chromosome genomic DNA, (2) confirmed the strikingly divergent nature of the C-terminal portion of the SEP53 gene amongst mammals, (3) discovered that a function of the conserved N-terminal domain of the gene is to maintain cytoplasmic localisation, and (4) examined SEP53 expression in normal and diseased porcine pars oesophagea. SEP53 expression in porcine tissue was relatively confined to gastric squamous epithelium, consistent with its expression in normal human squamous epithelium. Immunohistochemical staining for SEP53 protein in normal and damaged pars oesophagea demonstrated significant stabilisation of SEP53 protein in the injured tissue. These results suggest that porcine squamous epithelium would be a robust physiological model to examine the evolution and function of the SEP53 stress pathway in modulating stress-induced responses in squamous tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenny Nelson
- CRUK p53 Signal Transduction Group, University of Edinburgh, South Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR UK
| | - Susan Anderson
- Division of Genomics and Genetics, Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS UK
| | - Alan L. Archibald
- Division of Genomics and Genetics, Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS UK
| | - Susan Rhind
- Division of Animal Health and Welfare, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RG UK
| | - Zen H. Lu
- Division of Genomics and Genetics, Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS UK
| | - Alison Condie
- Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, South Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Neal McIntyre
- Division of Animal Health and Welfare, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RG UK
| | - Jill Thompson
- SAC Veterinary Services (Edinburgh), Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QE UK
| | | | | | - C. Bruce A. Whitelaw
- Division of Genomics and Genetics, Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS UK
| | - Tom J. Little
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, School of Biology, Kings Buildings, EH9 3JT Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ted Hupp
- CRUK p53 Signal Transduction Group, University of Edinburgh, South Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR UK
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