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Frazzi R. KLF4 is an epigenetically modulated, context-dependent tumor suppressor. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1392391. [PMID: 39135777 PMCID: PMC11317372 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1392391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The epigenetic layer of regulation has become increasingly relevant in the research focused on tumor suppressors. KLF4 is a well-described zinc-finger transcription factor, mainly known for its role in the acquisition of cell pluripotency. Here we report and describe the most relevant epigenetic regulation mechanisms that affect KLF4 expression in tumors. CpG island methylation emerges as the most common mechanism in several tumors including lung adenocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, non-Hodgkin lymphomas, among others. Further layers of regulation represented by histone methylation and acetylation and by non-coding RNAs are described. Overall, KLF4 emerges as a crucial target in the fight against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Frazzi
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale–IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
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2
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Mulet-Lazaro R, van Herk S, Nuetzel M, Sijs-Szabo A, Díaz N, Kelly K, Erpelinck-Verschueren C, Schwarzfischer-Pfeilschifter L, Stanewsky H, Ackermann U, Glatz D, Raithel J, Fischer A, Pohl S, Rijneveld A, Vaquerizas JM, Thiede C, Plass C, Wouters BJ, Delwel R, Rehli M, Gebhard C. Epigenetic alterations affecting hematopoietic regulatory networks as drivers of mixed myeloid/lymphoid leukemia. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5693. [PMID: 38972954 PMCID: PMC11228033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49811-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Leukemias with ambiguous lineage comprise several loosely defined entities, often without a clear mechanistic basis. Here, we extensively profile the epigenome and transcriptome of a subgroup of such leukemias with CpG Island Methylator Phenotype. These leukemias exhibit comparable hybrid myeloid/lymphoid epigenetic landscapes, yet heterogeneous genetic alterations, suggesting they are defined by their shared epigenetic profile rather than common genetic lesions. Gene expression enrichment reveals similarity with early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia and a lymphoid progenitor cell of origin. In line with this, integration of differential DNA methylation and gene expression shows widespread silencing of myeloid transcription factors. Moreover, binding sites for hematopoietic transcription factors, including CEBPA, SPI1 and LEF1, are uniquely inaccessible in these leukemias. Hypermethylation also results in loss of CTCF binding, accompanied by changes in chromatin interactions involving key transcription factors. In conclusion, epigenetic dysregulation, and not genetic lesions, explains the mixed phenotype of this group of leukemias with ambiguous lineage. The data collected here constitute a useful and comprehensive epigenomic reference for subsequent studies of acute myeloid leukemias, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias and mixed-phenotype leukemias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Mulet-Lazaro
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stanley van Herk
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Margit Nuetzel
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Aniko Sijs-Szabo
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Noelia Díaz
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
- Renewable Marine Resources Department, Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Katherine Kelly
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Erpelinck-Verschueren
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Hanna Stanewsky
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ute Ackermann
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dagmar Glatz
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Johanna Raithel
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Fischer
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Pohl
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anita Rijneveld
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Juan M Vaquerizas
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital 8 Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Thiede
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christoph Plass
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bas J Wouters
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Ruud Delwel
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Michael Rehli
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT), Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Claudia Gebhard
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT), Regensburg, Germany.
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3
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Noura M, Matsuo H, Yasuda T, Tsuzuki S, Kiyoi H, Hayakawa F. Suppression of super-enhancer-driven TAL1 expression by KLF4 in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Oncogene 2024; 43:447-456. [PMID: 38102337 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02913-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
TAL1 is one of the most frequently dysregulated genes in T-ALL and is overexpressed in about 50% of T-ALL cases. One of the molecular mechanisms of TAL1 overexpression is abnormal mutations in the upstream region of the TAL1 promoter that introduce binding motifs for the MYB transcription factor. MYB binding at this location creates a 5' TAL1 super-enhancer (SE), which leads to aberrant expression of TAL1 and is associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. Although targeting TAL1 is considered to be an attractive therapeutic strategy for patients with T-ALL, direct inhibition of transcription factors is challenging. Here, we show that KLF4, a known tumor suppressor in leukemic cells, suppresses SE-driven TAL1 expression in T-ALL cells. Mechanistically, KLF4 downregulates MYB expression by directly binding to its promoter and inhibits the formation of 5' TAL1 SE. In addition, we found that APTO-253, a small molecule inducer of KLF4, exerts an anti-leukemic effect by targeting SE-driven TAL1 expression in T-ALL cells. Taken together, our results suggest that the induction of KLF4 is a promising strategy to control TAL1 expression and could be a novel treatment for T-ALL patients with a poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Noura
- Division of Cellular and Genetic Sciences, Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
| | - Hidemasa Matsuo
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takahiko Yasuda
- Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shinobu Tsuzuki
- Department of Biochemistry, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Kiyoi
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Hayakawa
- Division of Cellular and Genetic Sciences, Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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Ivanova VS, Davies J, Menter T, Wild D, Müller A, Krasniqi F, Stenner F, Papachristofilou A, Dirnhofer S, Tzankov A. Primary bone diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PB-DLBCL): a distinct extranodal lymphoma of germinal centre origin, with a common EZB-like mutational profile and good prognosis. Histopathology 2024; 84:525-538. [PMID: 37965677 DOI: 10.1111/his.15096] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Primary bone diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PB-DLBCL) is not recognized as a separate entity by the current classification systems. Here we define and highlight its distinctive clinical presentation, morphology, phenotype, gene expression profile (GEP), and molecular genetics. METHODS We collected 27 respective cases and investigated their phenotype, performed gDNA panel sequencing covering 172 genes, and carried out fluorescence in situ hybridization to evaluate MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 translocations. We attempted to genetically subclassify cases using the Two-step classifier and performed GEP for cell-of-origin subtyping and in silico comparison to uncover up- and downregulated genes as opposed to other DLBCL. RESULTS Most cases (n = 22) were germinal centre B-cell-like (GCB) by immunohistochemistry and all by GEP. Additionally, PB-DLBCL had a mutational profile similar to follicular lymphoma and nodal GCB-DLBCL, with the exception of more frequent TP53 and B2M mutations. The GEP of PB-DLBCL was unique, and the frequency of BCL2 rearrangements was lower compared to nodal GCB-DLBCL. The Two-step classifier categorized eight of the cases as EZB, three as ST2, and one as MCD. CONCLUSION This study comprehensively characterizes PB-DLBCL as a separate entity with distinct clinical and morpho-molecular features. These insights may aid in developing tailored therapeutic strategies and shed light on its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa-Sindi Ivanova
- Pathology, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - John Davies
- Leeds Institute for Data Analytics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Thomas Menter
- Pathology, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Damian Wild
- Divison of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anne Müller
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fatime Krasniqi
- Division of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Frank Stenner
- Division of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Stefan Dirnhofer
- Pathology, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexandar Tzankov
- Pathology, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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5
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Amarah A, Elsabagh AA, Ouda A, Karen O, Ferih K, Elmakaty I, Malki MI. Emerging roles of activating transcription factor 2 in the development of breast cancer: a comprehensive review. PRECISION CLINICAL MEDICINE 2023; 6:pbad028. [PMID: 37955015 PMCID: PMC10639104 DOI: 10.1093/pcmedi/pbad028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) is a member of the leucine zipper family of DNA binding proteins that are responsible for regulating various genes that play an essential role in major biological and cellular functions. Since ATF2 plays a vital role in cellular proliferation and apoptosis, it is believed that it greatly affects the development of breast cancers. However, its exact role in breast cancer is incompletely understood. It remains a subject of debate, ambiguity, and continuous research. Several studies have suggested the role of ATF2 as an oncogene, promoting cellular proliferation and worsening the outcome of cancers. In contrast, other studies have postulated that ATF2 plays a tumor suppressive role in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The ambiguity surrounding its role in breast cancer is the reason why there is an influx of recent studies and research in this area. In this narrative review, we investigate several studies that have been published about the role of ATF2 in breast cancer. We also explore studies that have examined the association between ATF2 and endocrine therapy resistance. ATF2 has been suggested to modulate estrogen receptor (ER) expression and activity, potentially affecting tamoxifen sensitivity in breast cancer cells. Therefore, the role of ATF2 in DNA repair mechanisms and drug resistance has been deeply explored in this review. Additionally, there are numerous ongoing clinical trials exploring the effect of targeting ATF2 pathways and mechanisms on the outcome of breast cancers, some of which we have discussed. The studies and clinical trials that are being conducted to understand the multifaceted role of ATF2 and its signaling pathways may provide valuable insight for developing efficient targeted therapeutic solutions to enhance the outcomes of breast cancer and overcome endocrine resistance. We suggest further research to elucidate the dual roles of ATF2 in breast cancer and potential therapeutic therapies for its treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Amarah
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ahmed Adel Elsabagh
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Amr Ouda
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Omar Karen
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Khaled Ferih
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ibrahim Elmakaty
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohammed Imad Malki
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
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6
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Houser JS, Patel M, Wright K, Onopiuk M, Tsiokas L, Humphrey MB. The inhibitor of MyoD Family A (I-MFA) regulates megakaryocyte lineage commitment and terminal differentiation. Blood Cells Mol Dis 2023; 102:102760. [PMID: 37267696 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2023.102760] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoiesis and lineage commitment are regulated by several conserved cell-intrinsic signaling pathways, including MAPKs and β-catenin/TCF/LEF. The Inhibitor of MyoD Family A (I-MFA), a transcriptional repressor and tumor suppressor gene, interacts with these pathways and is dysregulated in chronic and acute myeloid leukemias, suggesting it may play a role in development and differentiation during hematopoiesis. To study this, immune cell populations in the bone marrow (BM) and periphery were analyzed in mice lacking Mdfi, encoding I-MFA (I-MFA-/-), and wild type (WT) controls. I-MFA-/- mice had reduced spleen and BM cellularity, with significant hyposplenism, compared to WT mice. In blood, total red blood cells and platelet counts were significantly reduced in I-MFA-/- mice, accompanied by a reduction in megakaryocyte (MK)/erythrocyte progenitor cells and an increase in myeloid progenitors in BM compared to WT mice. The K562 cell line exhibits PMA-induced MK differentiation, and shRNA knockdown of I-MFA resulted in reduced differentiation compared to control, with an increase and prolongation in phospho-JNK and phospho-ERK signaling. Overexpression of I-MFA promoted MK differentiation. These results suggest I-MFA plays a cell-intrinsic role in the response to differentiation signals, an effect that can be explored in the context of hematological cancers or other blood proliferative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Houser
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America
| | - Maulin Patel
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America
| | - Kyle Wright
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America
| | - Marta Onopiuk
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America
| | - Leonidas Tsiokas
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America
| | - Mary Beth Humphrey
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America; Oklahoma City Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America.
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7
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Kim D, Orr MJ, Kwong AJ, Deibler KK, Munshi HH, Bridges CS, Chen TJ, Zhang X, Lacorazza HD, Scheidt KA. Rational Design of Highly Potent and Selective Covalent MAP2K7 Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:606-613. [PMID: 37197477 PMCID: PMC10184151 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascade is conserved across eukaryotes, where it plays a critical role in the regulation of activities including proliferation, differentiation, and stress responses. This pathway propagates external stimuli through a series of phosphorylation events, which allows external signals to influence metabolic and transcriptional activities. Within the cascade, MEK, or MAP2K, enzymes occupy a molecular crossroads immediately upstream to significant signal divergence and cross-talk. One such kinase, MAP2K7, also known as MEK7 and MKK7, is a protein of great interest in the molecular pathophysiology underlying pediatric T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Herein, we describe the rational design, synthesis, evaluation, and optimization of a novel class of irreversible MAP2K7 inhibitors. With a streamlined one-pot synthesis, favorable in vitro potency and selectivity, and promising cellular activity, this novel class of compounds wields promise as a powerful tool in the study of pediatric T-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalton
R. Kim
- Department
of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Meghan J. Orr
- Department
of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Ada J. Kwong
- Department
of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Kristine K. Deibler
- Department
of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Hasan H. Munshi
- Department
of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Cory Seth Bridges
- Department
of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College
of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Taylor Jie Chen
- Department
of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College
of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Department
of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Chemistry
of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern
University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United
States
| | - H. Daniel Lacorazza
- Department
of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College
of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Karl A. Scheidt
- Department
of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Chemistry
of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern
University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United
States
- Department
of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
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8
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Antileukemic properties of the kinase inhibitor OTSSP167 in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood Adv 2022; 7:422-435. [PMID: 36399528 PMCID: PMC9979715 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022008548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel drugs are needed to increase treatment response in children with high-risk T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Following up on our previous report on the activation of the MAP2K7-JNK pathway in pediatric T-ALL, here we demonstrate that OTSSP167, recently shown to inhibit MAP2K7, has antileukemic capacity in T-ALL. OTSSP167 exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against a panel of T-ALL cell lines with IC50 in the nanomolar range (10-50 nM). OTSSP167 induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in T-ALL cell lines, associated at least partially with the inhibition of MAP2K7 kinase activity and lower activation of its downstream substrate, JNK. Other leukemic T-cell survival pathways, such as mTOR and NOTCH1 were also inhibited. Daily intraperitoneal administration of 10 mg/kg OTSSP167 was well tolerated, with mice showing no hematological toxicity, and effective at reducing the expansion of human T-ALL cells in a cell-based xenograft model. The same dosage of OTSSP167 efficiently controlled the leukemia burden in the blood, bone marrow, and spleen of 3 patient-derived xenografts, which resulted in prolonged survival. OTSSP167 exhibited synergistic interactions when combined with dexamethasone, L-asparaginase, vincristine, and etoposide. Our findings reveal novel antileukemic properties of OTSSP167 in T-ALL and support the use of OTSSP167 as an adjuvant drug to increase treatment response and reduce relapses in pediatric T-ALL.
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9
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Zhang Z, Yang K, Zhang H. Targeting Leukemia-Initiating Cells and Leukemic Niches: The Next Therapy Station for T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225655. [PMID: 36428753 PMCID: PMC9688677 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive subtype of hematological malignancy characterized by its high heterogeneity and potentially life-threatening clinical features. Despite the advances in risk stratification and therapeutic management of T-ALL, patients often suffer from treatment failure and chemotherapy-induced toxicity, calling for greater efforts to improve therapeutic efficacy and safety in the treatment of T-ALL. During the past decades, increasing evidence has shown the indispensable effects of leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) and leukemic niches on T-ALL initiation and progression. These milestones greatly facilitate precision medicine by interfering with the pathways that are associated with LICs and leukemic niches or by targeting themselves directly. Most of these novel agents, either alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapy, have shown promising preclinical results, facilitating them to be further evaluated under clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the latest discoveries in LICs and leukemic niches in terms of T-ALL, with a particular highlight on the current precision medicine. The challenges and future prospects are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziting Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Kun Yang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-158-7796-3252
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10
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Lewis AH, Bridges CS, Moorshead DN, Chen TJ, Du W, Zorman B, Sumazin P, Puppi M, Lacorazza HD. Krüppel-like Factor 4 Supports the Expansion of Leukemia Stem Cells in MLL-AF9-driven Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Stem Cells 2022; 40:736-750. [PMID: 35535819 PMCID: PMC9406610 DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxac033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive malignancy of the bone marrow with 5-year overall survival of less than 10% in patients over the age of 65. Limited progress has been made in the patient outcome because of the inability to selectively eradicate the leukemic stem cells (LSC) driving the refractory and relapsed disease. Herein, we investigated the role of the reprogramming factor KLF4 in AML because of its critical role in the self-renewal and stemness of embryonic and cancer stem cells. Using a conditional Cre-lox Klf4 deletion system and the MLL-AF9 retroviral mouse model, we demonstrated that loss-of-KLF4 does not significantly affect the induction of leukemia but markedly decreased the frequency of LSCs evaluated in limiting-dose transplantation studies. Loss of KLF4 in leukemic granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (L-GMP), a population enriched for AML LSCs, showed lessened clonogenicity and percentage in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. RNAseq analysis of purified L-GMPs revealed decreased expression of stemness genes and MLL-target genes and upregulation of the RNA sensing helicase DDX58. However, silencing of DDX58 in KLF4 knockout leukemia indicated that DDX58 is not mediating this phenotype. CRISPR/Cas9 deletion of KLF4 in MOLM13 cell line and AML patient-derived xenograft cells showed impaired expansion in vitro and in vivo associated with a defective G2/M checkpoint. Collectively, our data suggest a mechanism in which KLF4 promotes leukemia progression by establishing a gene expression profile in AML LSCs supporting cell division and stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Henry Lewis
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cory Seth Bridges
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David Neal Moorshead
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Taylor J Chen
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wa Du
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Barry Zorman
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pavel Sumazin
- Present address: Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Monica Puppi
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - H Daniel Lacorazza
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
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11
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Chen M, Liu Y, Yang Y, Qiu Y, Wang Z, Li X, Zhang W. Emerging roles of activating transcription factor (ATF) family members in tumourigenesis and immunity: Implications in cancer immunotherapy. Genes Dis 2022; 9:981-999. [PMID: 35685455 PMCID: PMC9170601 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Activating transcription factors, ATFs, are a group of bZIP transcription factors that act as homodimers or heterodimers with a range of other bZIP factors. In general, ATFs respond to extracellular signals, indicating their important roles in maintaining homeostasis. The ATF family includes ATF1, ATF2, ATF3, ATF4, ATF5, ATF6, and ATF7. Consistent with the diversity of cellular processes reported to be regulated by ATFs, the functions of ATFs are also diverse. ATFs play an important role in cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and inflammation-related pathological processes. The expression and phosphorylation status of ATFs are also related to neurodegenerative diseases and polycystic kidney disease. Various miRNAs target ATFs to regulate cancer proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, sensitivity and resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Moreover, ATFs are necessary to maintain cell redox homeostasis. Therefore, deepening our understanding of the regulation and function of ATFs will provide insights into the basic regulatory mechanisms that influence how cells integrate extracellular and intracellular signals into genomic responses through transcription factors. Under pathological conditions, especially in cancer biology and response to treatment, the characterization of ATF dysfunction is important for understanding how to therapeutically utilize ATF2 or other pathways controlled by transcription factors. In this review, we will demonstrate how ATF1, ATF2, ATF3, ATF4, ATF5, ATF6, and ATF7 function in promoting or suppressing cancer development and identify their roles in tumour immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Wenling Zhang
- Corresponding author. Department of Medical Laboratory Science, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Tongzipo Road 172, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan 410013, PR China.
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12
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Chen J, Lu T, Zhong F, Lv Q, Fang M, Tu Z, Ji Y, Li J, Gong X. A Signature of N 6-methyladenosine Regulator-Related Genes Predicts Prognoses and Immune Responses for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:809872. [PMID: 35185897 PMCID: PMC8851317 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.809872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to construct a signature of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulator-related genes that could be used for the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and to clarify the molecular and immune characteristics and benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy using the prognostic signature to define the subgroups of HNSCC. This study showed that eighteen m6A regulators were abnormally expressed in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HNSCC tissues compared with those in normal tissues. We constructed a signature of 12 m6A regulator-related genes using the Cox risk model, combined with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) variable screening algorithm. Based on the median of the signature risk score, the patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups. The Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that patients with high-risk scores demonstrated poorer overall survival (OS) than those with low-risk scores based on TCGA-HNSCC data (p <0.001). The OS of high-risk patients was significantly worse than that of low-risk patients in the GSE65858 (p <0.001) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) oral cancer cohorts (p = 0.0089). Furthermore, immune infiltration analyses showed that 8 types of immune cell infiltration showed highly significant differences between the two risk groups (p <0.001). In the Imvigor210CoreBiologies dataset of patients who received ICIs, the objective response rate (ORR) of the low-risk group (32%) was significantly higher than that of the high-risk group (13%). Additionally, patients in the high-risk group presented with a more significant adverse OS than that of the low-risk group (p = 0.00032). GSE78220 also showed that the ORR of the low-risk group (64%) was higher than that of the high-risk group (43%) and the OS of low-risk patients was better than that of high-risk patients (p = 0.0064). The constructed prognostic signature, based on m6A regulator-related genes, could be used to effectively distinguish between prognoses for HNSCC patients. The prognostic signature was found to be related to the immune cell infiltration of HNSCC; it might help predict the responses and prognoses of ICIs during treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Chen
- National Health Commission (NHC), Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Science and Education, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Tianzhu Lu
- National Health Commission (NHC), Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Science and Education, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Fangyan Zhong
- National Health Commission (NHC), Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Qiaoli Lv
- National Health Commission (NHC), Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Science and Education, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Min Fang
- National Health Commission (NHC), Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ziwei Tu
- National Health Commission (NHC), Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Science and Education, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yulong Ji
- National Health Commission (NHC), Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Science and Education, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jingao Li
- National Health Commission (NHC), Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Science and Education, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiaochang Gong
- National Health Commission (NHC), Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Science and Education, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Research, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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13
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Banerjee K, Choudhuri SK. A novel tin based hydroxamic acid complex induces apoptosis through redox imbalance and targets Stat3/JNK1/MMP axis to overcome drug resistance in cancer. Free Radic Res 2021; 55:1018-1035. [PMID: 34865583 DOI: 10.1080/10715762.2021.2013480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Undesired toxicity and emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) are the major impediments for the successful application of organotin-based compounds against cancer. Since oxalyl-bis(N-phenyl)hydroxamic acid (OBPHA) exerts significant efficacy against cancer, we believe that derivatives of OBPHA including organotin molecule can show a promising effect against cancer. Herein, we have selected three previously characterized OBPHA derivatives viz., succinyl-bis(N-phenyl)hydroxamic acid (SBPHA), diphenyl-tin succinyl-bis(N-phenyl)hydroxamic acid (Sn-SBPHA), malonyl-bis(N-phenyl)hydroxamic acid (MBPHA) and evaluated their antiproliferative efficacy against both drug resistant (CEM/ADR5000; EAC/Dox) and sensitive (CCRF-CEM; HeLa; EAC/S) cancers. Data revealed that Sn-SBPHA selectively targets drug resistant and sensitive cancers without inducing any significant toxicity to normal cells (Chang Liver). Moreover, shortening of the backbone of SBPHA enhances the efficacy of the newly formed molecule MBPHA by targeting only drug sensitive cancers. Sn-SBPHA induces caspase3-dependent apoptosis through redox-imbalance in both drug resistant and sensitive cancer. Sn-SBPHA also reduced the activation and expression of both MMP2 and MMP9 without altering the expression status of TIMP1 and TIMP2 in drug resistant cancer. In addition, Sn-SBPHA reduced the activation of both STAT3 and JNK1, the transcriptional modulator of MMPs, in a redox-dependent manner in CEM/ADR5000 cells. Thus, Sn-SBPHA targets MMPs by modulating STAT3 and JNK1 in a redox-dependent manner. However, MBPHA and SBPHA fail to target drug resistance and both drug resistant and sensitive cancer respectively. Furthermore, Sn-SBPHA significantly increases the lifespan of doxorubicin resistant and sensitive Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma bearing mice without inducing any significant systemic-toxicity. Therefore, Sn-SBPHA has the therapeutic potential to target and overcome MDR in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaushik Banerjee
- Department of In vitro Carcinogenesis and Cellular Chemotherapy, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Soumitra Kumar Choudhuri
- Department of In vitro Carcinogenesis and Cellular Chemotherapy, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
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14
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Frazzi R, Cusenza VY, Pistoni M, Canovi L, Cascione L, Bertoni F, Merli F. KLF4, DAPK1 and SPG20 promoter methylation is not affected by DNMT1 silencing and hypomethylating drugs in lymphoma cells. Oncol Rep 2021; 47:10. [PMID: 34751409 PMCID: PMC8600396 DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Promoter methylation represents one of the major epigenetic mechanisms responsible for the regulation of gene expression. Hypomethylating drugs are currently approved for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia, and some studies have recently been carried out on diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). DLBCL is a type of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)1 in mediating the epigenetic regulation of some key targets previously emerged as hypermethylated in Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, genome-wide arrays and methylation-specific PCR were used to determine the level of methylation of specific targets. Gene silencing, gene expression and immunoblotting were used to investigate the role of DNMT1 and DNMT3a in lymphoma cells. The present study showed that lymphoma cell lines displayed a completely different methylation profile on selected targets compared with primary B lymphocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. 5′-aza-cytidine (5AZA) and 5′-aza-2-deoxycitidine (decitabine) exerted their activity through, at least in part, mechanisms independent of DNMT1 downregulation. Despite a global hypomethylating effect of 5AZA and decitabine, DNMT1 was not found to be necessary to maintain the hypermethylation of Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), death associated protein 1 (DAPK1) and spastic paraplegia 20 (SPG20). SPG20 was found to be a completely methylated target in all the tested cell lines, but not in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, suggesting its association with malignancy. The highest methylation was clustered upstream of the transcription starting site in a panel of 28 DLBCL cell lines and the results were unaffected by the silencing of DNMT1 expression. These data demonstrated the epigenetic regulation of SPG20 in lymphoid cells and identified a number of novel markers associated with lymphomas that deserve further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Frazzi
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale ‑ IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, I‑42123 Reggio Emilia, Emilia‑Romagna, Italy
| | - Vincenza Ylenia Cusenza
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale ‑ IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, I‑42123 Reggio Emilia, Emilia‑Romagna, Italy
| | - Mariaelena Pistoni
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale ‑ IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, I‑42123 Reggio Emilia, Emilia‑Romagna, Italy
| | - Laura Canovi
- Immunohematology and Transfusional Medicine Division, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale ‑ IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, I‑42123 Reggio Emilia, Emilia‑Romagna, Italy
| | - Luciano Cascione
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, University of Italian Switzerland, 6501 Bellinzona, Ticino, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, University of Italian Switzerland, 6501 Bellinzona, Ticino, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Merli
- Hematology Division, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale ‑ IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, I‑42123 Reggio Emilia, Emilia‑Romagna, Italy
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15
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Inhibition of the MAP2K7-JNK pathway with 5Z-7-oxozeaenol induces apoptosis in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Oncotarget 2021; 12:1787-1801. [PMID: 34504651 PMCID: PMC8416565 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive pediatric leukemia with a worse prognosis than most frequent B-cell ALL due to a high incidence of treatment failures and relapse. Our previous work showed that loss of the pioneer factor KLF4 in a NOTCH1-induced T-ALL mouse model accelerated the development of leukemia through expansion of leukemia-initiating cells and activation of the MAP2K7 pathway. Similarly, epigenetic silencing of the KLF4 gene in children with T-ALL was associated with MAP2K7 activation. Here, we showed the small molecule 5Z-7-oxozeaenol (5Z7O) induces dose-dependent cytotoxicity in a panel of T-ALL cell lines mainly through inhibition of the MAP2K7-JNK pathway, which further validates MAP2K7 as a therapeutic target. Mechanistically, 5Z7O-mediated apoptosis was caused by the downregulation of regulators of the G2/M checkpoint and the inhibition of survival pathways. The anti-leukemic capacity of 5Z7O was evaluated using leukemic cells from two mouse models of T-ALL and patient-derived xenograft cells generated using lymphoblasts from pediatric T-ALL patients. Finally, a combination of 5Z7O with dexamethasone, a drug used in frontline therapy, showed synergistic induction of cytotoxicity. In sum, we report here that MAP2K7 inhibition thwarts survival mechanisms in T-ALL cells and warrants future pre-clinical studies for high-risk and relapsed patients.
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16
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Abstract
Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant disease characterized by an excessive number of immature lymphocytes, including immature precursors of both B- and T cells. ALL affects children more often than adults. Immature lymphocytes lead to arrested differentiation and proliferation of cells. Its conventional treatments involve medication with dexamethasone, vincristine, and other anticancer drugs. Although the current first-line drugs can achieve effective treatment, they still cannot prevent the recurrence of some patients with ALL. Treatments have high risk of recurrence especially after the first remission. Currently, novel therapies to treat ALL are in need. Autophagy and apoptosis play important roles in regulating cancer development. Autophagy involves degradation of proteins and organelles, and apoptosis leads to cell death. These phenomena are crucial in cancer progression. Past studies reported that many potential anticancer agents regulate intracellular signaling pathways. Methods: The authors discuss the recent research findings on the role of autophagy and apoptosis in ALL. Results: The autophagy and apoptosis are widely used in the treatment of ALL. Most studies showed that many agents regulate autophagy and apoptosis in ALL cell models, clinical trials, and ALL animal models. Conclusions: In summary, activating autophagy and apoptosis pathways are the main strategies for ALL treatments. For ALL, combining new drugs with traditional chemotherapy and glucocorticoids treatments can achieve the greatest therapeutic effect by activating autophagy and apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Liang Huang
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.,Department of Physical Therapy, Hungkuang University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Sheng-Jie Yu
- Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Ling Li
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
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17
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Lewis AH, Bridges CS, Punia VS, Cooper AFJ, Puppi M, Lacorazza HD. Krüppel-like factor 4 promotes survival and expansion in acute myeloid leukemia cells. Oncotarget 2021; 12:255-267. [PMID: 33659038 PMCID: PMC7899553 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy of the bone marrow that affects mostly elderly adults. Alternative therapies are needed for AML patients because the overall prognosis with current standard of care, high dose chemotherapy and allogeneic transplantation, remains poor due to the emergence of refractory and relapsed disease. Here, we found expression of the transcription factor KLF4 in AML cell lines is not silenced through KLF4 gene methylation nor via proteasomal degradation. The deletion of KLF4 by CRISPR-CAS9 technology reduced cell growth and increased apoptosis in both NB4 and MonoMac-6 cell lines. Chemical induced differentiation of gene edited NB4 and MonoMac6 cells with ATRA and PMA respectively increased apoptosis and altered expression of differentiating markers CD11b and CD14. Transplantation of NB4 and MonoMac-6 cells lacking KLF4 into NSG mice resulted in improved overall survival compared to the transplantation of parental cell lines. Finally, loss-of-KLF4 did not alter sensitivity of leukemic cells to the chemotherapeutic drugs daunorubicin and cytarabine. These results suggest that KLF4 expression supports AML cell growth and survival, and the identification and disruption of KLF4-regulated pathways could represent an adjuvant therapeutic approach to increase response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Henry Lewis
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cory Seth Bridges
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Viraaj Singh Punia
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Abraham Fausto Jornada Cooper
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- SMART Program at Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Monica Puppi
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - H. Daniel Lacorazza
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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18
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Recent Discoveries on the Involvement of Krüppel-Like Factor 4 in the Most Common Cancer Types. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228843. [PMID: 33266506 PMCID: PMC7700188 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a transcription factor highly conserved in evolution. It is particularly well known for its role in inducing pluripotent stem cells. In addition, KLF4 plays many roles in cancer. The results of most studies suggest that KLF4 is a tumor suppressor. However, the functioning of KLF4 is regulated at many levels. These include regulation of transcription, alternative splicing, miRNA, post-translational modifications, subcellular localization, protein stability and interactions with other molecules. Simple experiments aimed at assaying transcript levels or protein levels fail to address this complexity and thus may deliver misleading results. Tumor subtypes are also important; for example, in prostate cancer KLF4 is highly expressed in indolent tumors where it impedes tumor progression, while it is absent from aggressive prostate tumors. KLF4 is important in regulating response to many known drugs, and it also plays a role in tumor microenvironment. More and more information is available about upstream regulators, downstream targets and signaling pathways associated with the involvement of KLF4 in cancer. Furthermore, KLF4 performs critical function in the overall regulation of tissue homeostasis, cellular integrity, and progression towards malignancy. Here we summarize and analyze the latest findings concerning this fascinating transcription factor.
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19
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Liu WH, Mrozek-Gorska P, Wirth AK, Herold T, Schwarzkopf L, Pich D, Völse K, Melo-Narváez MC, Carlet M, Hammerschmidt W, Jeremias I. Inducible transgene expression in PDX models in vivo identifies KLF4 as a therapeutic target for B-ALL. Biomark Res 2020; 8:46. [PMID: 32944247 PMCID: PMC7493381 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-020-00226-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Clinically relevant methods are not available that prioritize and validate potential therapeutic targets for individual tumors, from the vast amount of tumor descriptive expression data. Methods We established inducible transgene expression in clinically relevant patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models in vivo to fill this gap. Results With this technique at hand, we analyzed the role of the transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) PDX models at different disease stages. In competitive preclinical in vivo trials, we found that re-expression of wild type KLF4 reduced the leukemia load in PDX models of B-ALL, with the strongest effects being observed after conventional chemotherapy in minimal residual disease (MRD). A nonfunctional KLF4 mutant had no effect on this model. The re-expression of KLF4 sensitized tumor cells in the PDX model towards systemic chemotherapy in vivo. It is of major translational relevance that azacitidine upregulated KLF4 levels in the PDX model and a KLF4 knockout reduced azacitidine-induced cell death, suggesting that azacitidine can regulate KLF4 re-expression. These results support the application of azacitidine in patients with B-ALL as a therapeutic option to regulate KLF4. Conclusion Genetic engineering of PDX models allows the examination of the function of dysregulated genes like KLF4 in a highly clinically relevant translational context, and it also enables the selection of therapeutic targets in individual tumors and links their functions to clinically available drugs, which will facilitate personalized treatment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hsin Liu
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Marchioninistraße 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Paulina Mrozek-Gorska
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Munich, Germany
| | - Anna-Katharina Wirth
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Marchioninistraße 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Herold
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Marchioninistraße 25, 81377 Munich, Germany.,Laboratory for Leukemia Diagnostics, Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Larissa Schwarzkopf
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Marchioninistraße 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Dagmar Pich
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Munich, Germany
| | - Kerstin Völse
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Marchioninistraße 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - M Camila Melo-Narváez
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Munich, Germany
| | - Michela Carlet
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Marchioninistraße 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hammerschmidt
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Munich, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Irmela Jeremias
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Marchioninistraße 25, 81377 Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
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20
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Luo MS, Huang GJ, Liu HB. An autophagy-related model of 4 key genes for predicting prognosis of patients with laryngeal cancer. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e21163. [PMID: 32791689 PMCID: PMC7386963 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000021163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy, a major cause of cancer-related death, is correlated with the pathogenesis of various diseases including cancers. Our study aimed to develop an autophagy-related model for predicting prognosis of patients with laryngeal cancer.We analyzed the correlation between expression profiles of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) and clinical outcomes in 111 laryngeal cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Afterward, gene functional enrichment analyses of gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were performed to find the major biological attributes. Univariate Cox regression analyses and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to screen ARGs whose expression profiles were significantly associated with laryngeal cancer patients overall survival (OS). Furthermore, to provide the doctors and patients with a quantitative method to perform an individualized survival prediction, we constructed a prognostic nomogram.Thirty eight differentially expressed ARGs were screened out in laryngeal cancer patients through the TCGA database. Related functional enrichments may act as tumor-suppressive roles in the tumorigenesis of laryngeal cancer. Subsequently, 4 key prognostic ARGs (IKBKB, ST13, TSC2, and MAP2K7) were identified from all ARGs by the Cox regression model, which significantly correlated with OS in laryngeal cancer. Furthermore, the risk score was constructed, which significantly divided laryngeal cancer patients into high- and low-risk groups. Integrated with clinical characteristics, gender, N and the risk score are very likely associated with patients OS. A prognostic nomogram of ARGs was constructed using the Cox regression model.Our study could provide a valuable prognostic model for predicting the prognosis of laryngeal cancer patients and a new understanding of autophagy in laryngeal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Si Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan, Guangdong Province
| | - Guan-Jiang Huang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
| | - Hong-Bing Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-head and neck Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. No 1, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
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21
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Semba T, Sammons R, Wang X, Xie X, Dalby KN, Ueno NT. JNK Signaling in Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Differentiation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E2613. [PMID: 32283767 PMCID: PMC7177258 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
C-JUN N-terminal kinases (JNKs), which belong to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, are evolutionarily conserved kinases that mediate cell responses to various types of extracellular stress insults. They regulate physiological processes such as embryonic development and tissue regeneration, playing roles in cell proliferation and programmed cell death. JNK signaling is also involved in tumorigenesis and progression of several types of malignancies. Recent studies have shown that JNK signaling has crucial roles in regulating the traits of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Here we describe the functions of the JNK signaling pathway in self-renewal and differentiation, which are essential features of various types of stem cells, such as embryonic, induced pluripotent, and adult tissue-specific stem cells. We also review current knowledge of JNK signaling in CSCs and discuss its role in maintaining the CSC phenotype. A better understanding of JNK signaling as an essential regulator of stemness may provide a basis for the development of regenerative medicine and new therapeutic strategies against malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Semba
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rachel Sammons
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.S.); (K.N.D.)
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xuemei Xie
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kevin N. Dalby
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.S.); (K.N.D.)
- Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Naoto T. Ueno
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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22
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das Chagas PF, de Sousa GR, Kodama MH, de Biagi Junior CAO, Yunes JA, Brandalise SR, Calin GA, Tone LG, Scrideli CA, de Oliveira JC. Ultraconserved long non-coding RNA uc.112 is highly expressed in childhood T versus B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Hematol Transfus Cell Ther 2020; 43:28-34. [PMID: 32014474 PMCID: PMC7910170 DOI: 10.1016/j.htct.2019.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been detected in several types of cancer, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but lncRNA mapped on transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs) are little explored. The T-UCRs uc.112, uc.122, uc.160 and uc.262 were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR in bone marrow samples from children with T-ALL (n = 32) and common-ALL/pre-B ALL (n = 30). In pediatric ALL, higher expression levels of uc.112 were found in patients with T-ALL, compared to patients with B-ALL. T-cells did not differ significantly from B-cells regarding uc.112 expression in non-tumor precursors from public data. Additionally, among B-ALL patients, uc.112 was also found to be increased in patients with hyperdiploidy, compared to other karyotype results. The uc.122, uc.160, and uc.262 were not associated with biological or clinical features. These findings suggest a potential role of uc.112 in pediatric ALL and emphasize the need for further investigation of T-UCR in pediatric ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Ferreira das Chagas
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL), Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Graziella Ribeiro de Sousa
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Márcio Hideki Kodama
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Luiz Gonzaga Tone
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Scrideli
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Carvalho de Oliveira
- Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL), Alfenas, MG, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
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23
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Park CS, Lewis AH, Chen TJ, Bridges CS, Shen Y, Suppipat K, Puppi M, Tomolonis JA, Pang PD, Mistretta TA, Ma L, Green MR, Rau R, Lacorazza HD. A KLF4-DYRK2-mediated pathway regulating self-renewal in CML stem cells. Blood 2019; 134:1960-1972. [PMID: 31515251 PMCID: PMC6887114 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2018875922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukemia stem cells are a rare population with a primitive progenitor phenotype that can initiate, sustain, and recapitulate leukemia through a poorly understood mechanism of self-renewal. Here, we report that Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) promotes disease progression in a murine model of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)-like myeloproliferative neoplasia by repressing an inhibitory mechanism of preservation in leukemia stem/progenitor cells with leukemia-initiating capacity. Deletion of the Klf4 gene severely abrogated the maintenance of BCR-ABL1(p210)-induced CML by impairing survival and self-renewal in BCR-ABL1+ CD150+ lineage-negative Sca-1+ c-Kit+ leukemic cells. Mechanistically, KLF4 repressed the Dyrk2 gene in leukemic stem/progenitor cells; thus, loss of KLF4 resulted in elevated levels of dual-specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 2 (DYRK2), which were associated with inhibition of survival and self-renewal via depletion of c-Myc protein and p53 activation. In addition to transcriptional regulation, stabilization of DYRK2 protein by inhibiting ubiquitin E3 ligase SIAH2 with vitamin K3 promoted apoptosis and abrogated self-renewal in murine and human CML stem/progenitor cells. Altogether, our results suggest that DYRK2 is a molecular checkpoint controlling p53- and c-Myc-mediated regulation of survival and self-renewal in CML cells with leukemic-initiating capacity that can be targeted with small molecules.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cell Survival/drug effects
- Cell Survival/genetics
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/metabolism
- Gene Deletion
- Humans
- Kruppel-Like Factor 4
- Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/genetics
- Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology
- Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics
- Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism
- Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/genetics
- Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics
- Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism
- Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics
- Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism
- Vitamin K 3/pharmacology
- Dyrk Kinases
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew H Lewis
- Department of Pathology and Immunology and
- Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Taylor J Chen
- Department of Pathology and Immunology and
- Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | | | - Ye Shen
- Department of Pathology and Immunology and
- Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Koramit Suppipat
- Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | | | | | - Paul D Pang
- Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | | | - Leyuan Ma
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Michael R Green
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Rachel Rau
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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24
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Park JG, Aziz N, Cho JY. MKK7, the essential regulator of JNK signaling involved in cancer cell survival: a newly emerging anticancer therapeutic target. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2019; 11:1758835919875574. [PMID: 31579105 PMCID: PMC6759727 DOI: 10.1177/1758835919875574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) plays an important role in regulating cell fate, such as proliferation, differentiation, development, transformation, and apoptosis. Its activity is induced through the interaction of MAPK kinase kinases (MAP3Ks), MAPK kinases (MAP2Ks), and various scaffolding proteins. Because of the importance of the JNK cascade to intracellular bioactivity, many studies have been conducted to reveal its precise intracellular functions and mechanisms, but its regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. In this review, we discuss the molecular characterization, activation process, and physiological functions of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7), the MAP2K that most specifically controls the activity of JNK. Understanding the role of MKK7/JNK signaling in physiological conditions could spark new hypotheses for targeted anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Gwang Park
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Nur Aziz
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Youl Cho
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
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25
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Tomar AK, Agarwal R, Kundu B. Most Variable Genes and Transcription Factors in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients. Interdiscip Sci 2019; 11:668-678. [PMID: 30972690 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-019-00325-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a hematologic tumor caused by cell cycle aberrations due to accumulating genetic disturbances in the expression of transcription factors (TFs), signaling oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Though survival rate in childhood ALL patients is increased up to 80% with recent medical advances, treatment of adults and childhood relapse cases still remains challenging. Here, we have performed bioinformatics analysis of 207 ALL patients' mRNA expression data retrieved from the ICGC data portal with an objective to mark out the decisive genes and pathways responsible for ALL pathogenesis and aggression. For analysis, 3361 most variable genes, including 276 transcription factors (out of 16,807 genes) were sorted based on the coefficient of variance. Silhouette width analysis classified 207 ALL patients into 6 subtypes and heat map analysis suggests a need of large and multicenter dataset for non-overlapping subtype classification. Overall, 265 GO terms and 32 KEGG pathways were enriched. The lists were dominated by cancer-associated entries and highlight crucial genes and pathways that can be targeted for designing more specific ALL therapeutics. Differential gene expression analysis identified upregulation of two important genes, JCHAIN and CRLF2 in dead patients' cohort suggesting their possible involvement in different clinical outcomes in ALL patients undergoing the same treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Tomar
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Rahul Agarwal
- Department of Reproductive Biology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Bishwajit Kundu
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
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26
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Chen X, Ding X, Wu Q, Qi J, Zhu M, Miao C. Monomethyltransferase SET8 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma growth by enhancing aerobic glycolysis. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:312. [PMID: 30952833 PMCID: PMC6450876 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1541-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive cancers worldwide. Despite such a public health importance, efficient therapeutic agents are still lacking for this malignancy. Most tumor cells use aerobic glycolysis to sustain anabolic growth, including HCC, and the preference of glycolysis often leads to a close association with poorer clinical outcomes. The histone methyltransferase SET8 plays crucial roles in controlling cell-cycle progression, transcription regulation, and tumorigenesis. However, it remains largely undefined whether SET8 affects the glucose metabolism in HCC. Here, we report that upregulation of SET8 is positively correlated with a poor survival rate in HCC patients. Both in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that SET8 deficiency conferred an impaired glucose metabolism phenotype and thus inhibited the progression of HCC tumors. By contrast, SET8 overexpression aggravated the glycolytic alterations and tumor progression. Mechanistically, SET8 directly binds to and inactivates KLF4, resulting in suppression of its downstream SIRT4. We also provided further evidence that mutations in SET8 failed to restrain the transactivation of SIRT4 by KLF4. Our data collectively uncover a novel mechanism of SET8 in mediating glycolytic metabolism in HCC cells and may provide a basis for targeting SET8 as a therapeutic strategy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyuan Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiaowei Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qichao Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jie Qi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Minmin Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Changhong Miao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, shanghai, 200032, China.
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27
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Park CS, Lewis A, Chen T, Lacorazza D. Concise Review: Regulation of Self-Renewal in Normal and Malignant Hematopoietic Stem Cells by Krüppel-Like Factor 4. Stem Cells Transl Med 2019; 8:568-574. [PMID: 30790473 PMCID: PMC6525558 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.18-0249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent and tissue‐specific stem cells, such as blood‐forming stem cells, are maintained through a balance of quiescence, self‐renewal, and differentiation. Self‐renewal is a specialized cell division that generates daughter cells with the same features as the parental stem cell. Although many factors are involved in the regulation of self‐renewal, perhaps the most well‐known factors are members of the Krüppel‐like factor (KLF) family, especially KLF4, because of the landmark discovery that this protein is required to reprogram somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells. Because KLF4 regulates gene expression through transcriptional activation or repression via either DNA binding or protein‐to‐protein interactions, the outcome of KLF4‐mediated regulation largely depends on the cellular context, cell cycle regulation, chromatin structure, and the presence of oncogenic drivers. This study first summarizes the current understanding of the regulation of self‐renewal by KLF proteins in embryonic stem cells through a KLF circuitry and then delves into the potential function of KLF4 in normal hematopoietic stem cells and its emerging role in leukemia‐initiating cells from pediatric patients with T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia via repression of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase 7 pathway. stem cells translational medicine2019;8:568–574
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun S Park
- Department Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew Lewis
- Department Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Taylor Chen
- Department Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel Lacorazza
- Department Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
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28
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Luo M, Zhang Q, Xia M, Hu F, Ma Z, Chen Z, Guo AY. Differential Co-expression and Regulatory Network Analysis Uncover the Relapse Factor and Mechanism of T Cell Acute Leukemia. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2018; 12:184-194. [PMID: 30195757 PMCID: PMC6023839 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The pediatric T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) still remains a cancer with worst prognosis for high recurrence. Massive studies were conducted for the leukemia relapse based on diagnosis and relapse paired samples. However, the initially diagnostic samples may contain the relapse information and mechanism, which were rarely studied. In this study, we collected mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) data from initially diagnosed pediatric T-ALL samples with their relapse or remission status after treatment. Integrated differential co-expression and miRNA-transcription factor (TF)-gene regulatory network analyses were used to reveal the possible relapse mechanisms for pediatric T-ALL. We detected miR-1246/1248 and NOTCH2 served as key nodes in the relapse network, and they combined with TF WT1/SOX4/REL to form regulatory modules that influence the progress of T-ALL. A regulatory loop miR-429-MYCN-MFHAS1 was found potentially associated with the remission of T-ALL. Furthermore, we proved miR-1246/1248 combined with NOTCH2 could promote cell proliferation in the T-ALL cell line by experiments. Meanwhile, analysis based on the miRNA-drug relationships demonstrated that drugs 5-fluorouracil, ascorbate, and trastuzumab targeting miR-1246 could serve as potential supplements for the standard therapy. In conclusion, our findings revealed the potential molecular mechanisms of T-ALL relapse by the combination of co-expression and regulatory network, and they provide preliminary clues for precise treatment of T-ALL patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Luo
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Mengxuan Xia
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Feifei Hu
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Zhaowu Ma
- Laboratory of Neuronal Network and Brain Diseases Modulation, School of Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, China
| | - Zehua Chen
- Joint Laboratory for the Research of Pharmaceutics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Infinitus, Wuhan, China
| | - An-Yuan Guo
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
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29
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Novel tumor-suppressor function of KLF4 in pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Exp Hematol 2017; 53:16-25. [PMID: 28479419 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2017.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common hematological malignancy in pediatric patients. Despite advances in the treatment of this disease, many children with T-cell ALL (T-ALL) die from disease relapse due to low responses to standard chemotherapy and the lack of a targeted therapy that selectively eradicates the chemoresistant leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) responsible for disease recurrence. We reported recently that the reprogramming factor Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) has a tumor-suppressive function in children with T-ALL. KLF4 silencing by promoter deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation in patients with T-ALL leads to aberrant activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase MAP2K7 and the downstream c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway that controls the expansion of leukemia cells via c-Jun and activating transcription factor 2. This pathway can be inhibited with small molecules and therefore has the potential to eliminate LICs and eradicate disease in combination with standard therapy for patients with refractory and relapsed disease. The present review summarizes the role of the KLF4-MAP2K7 pathway in T-ALL pathogenesis and the function of JNK and MAP2K7 in carcinogenesis and therapy.
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