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Heydari Z, Moeinvaziri F, Mirazimi SMA, Dashti F, Smirnova O, Shpichka A, Mirzaei H, Timashev P, Vosough M. Alteration in DNA methylation patterns: Epigenetic signatures in gastrointestinal cancers. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 973:176563. [PMID: 38593929 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Abnormalities in epigenetic modifications can cause malignant transformations in cells, leading to cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which accounts for 20% of all cancers worldwide. Among the epigenetic alterations, DNA hypomethylation is associated with genomic instability. In addition, CpG methylation and promoter hypermethylation have been recognized as biomarkers for different malignancies. In GI cancers, epigenetic alterations affect genes responsible for cell cycle control, DNA repair, apoptosis, and tumorigenic-specific signaling pathways. Understanding the pattern of alterations in DNA methylation in GI cancers could help scientists discover new molecular-based pharmaceutical treatments. This study highlights alterations in DNA methylation in GI cancers. Understanding epigenetic differences among GI cancers may improve targeted therapies and lead to the discovery of new diagnostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Heydari
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Farideh Moeinvaziri
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Ali Mirazimi
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Dashti
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Olga Smirnova
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasia Shpichka
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
| | - Peter Timashev
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia; World-Class Research Center "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare", Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia; Chemistry Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Massoud Vosough
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Shu J, Jelinek J, Chen H, Zhang Y, Qin T, Li M, Liu L, Issa JPJ. Genome-wide screening and functional validation of methylation barriers near promoters. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:4857-4871. [PMID: 38647050 PMCID: PMC11109949 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae302] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
CpG islands near promoters are normally unmethylated despite being surrounded by densely methylated regions. Aberrant hypermethylation of these CpG islands has been associated with the development of various human diseases. Although local genetic elements have been speculated to play a role in protecting promoters from methylation, only a limited number of methylation barriers have been identified. In this study, we conducted an integrated computational and experimental investigation of colorectal cancer methylomes. Our study revealed 610 genes with disrupted methylation barriers. Genomic sequences of these barriers shared a common 41-bp sequence motif (MB-41) that displayed homology to the chicken HS4 methylation barrier. Using the CDKN2A (P16) tumor suppressor gene promoter, we validated the protective function of MB-41 and showed that loss of such protection led to aberrant hypermethylation. Our findings highlight a novel sequence signature of cis-acting methylation barriers in the human genome that safeguard promoters from silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingmin Shu
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jaroslav Jelinek
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
- Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ 08103, USA
- Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, NJ 08103, USA
| | - Hai Chen
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Yan Zhang
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Taichun Qin
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Ming Li
- Phoenix VA Health Care System, Phoenix, AZ 85012, USA
- University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Li Liu
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre J Issa
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
- Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ 08103, USA
- Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, NJ 08103, USA
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Xian L, Xiong Y, Qin L, Wei L, Zhou S, Wang Q, Fu Q, Chen M, Qin Y. Jun/Fos promotes migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by enhancing BORIS promoter activity. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2024; 169:106540. [PMID: 38281696 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
The Brother of the Regulator of Imprinted Sites (BORIS), as a specific indicator of hepatocellular carcinoma, exhibits a significant increase in expression. However, its upstream regulatory network remains enigmatic. Previous research has indicated a strong correlation between the Hippo pathway and the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. It is well established that the Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) frequently engages in interactions with the Hippo pathway. Thus, we attempt to prove whether Jun and Fos, a major member of the AP-1 family, are involved in the regulation of BORIS expression. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the existence of binding sites for Jun and Fos within the BORIS promoter. Through a series of overexpression and knockdown experiments, we corroborated that Jun and Fos have the capacity to augment BORIS expression, thereby fostering the migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Moreover, Methylation-Specific PCR and Bisulfite Sequencing PCR assays revealed that Jun and Fos do not have a significant impact on the demethylation of the BORIS promoter. However, luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments substantiated that Jun and Fos could directly bind to the BORIS promoter, thereby enhancing its transcription. In conclusion, these results suggest that Jun and Fos can promote the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by directly regulating the expression of BORIS. These findings may provide experimental evidence positioning BORIS as a novel target for the clinical intervention of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longjun Xian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, No. 17, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yimei Xiong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, No. 17, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Lu Qin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, No. 17, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ling Wei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, No. 17, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Siqi Zhou
- Department of Surgery Division of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Rd., Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Qinda Wang
- Department of Surgery Division of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Rd., Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Qiang Fu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, No. 17, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Mingmei Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, No. 17, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Yang Qin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, No. 17, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
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Lu YW, Ding ZL, Mao R, Zhao GG, He YQ, Li XL, Liu J. Early results of the integrative epigenomic-transcriptomic landscape of colorectal adenoma and cancer. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2024; 16:414-435. [PMID: 38425399 PMCID: PMC10900154 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i2.414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant methylation is common during the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), and detecting these changes that occur during early adenoma (ADE) formation and CRC progression has clinical value. AIM To identify potential DNA methylation markers specific to ADE and CRC. METHODS Here, we performed SeqCap targeted bisulfite sequencing and RNA-seq analysis of colorectal ADE and CRC samples to profile the epigenomic-transcriptomic landscape. RESULTS Comparing 22 CRC and 25 ADE samples, global methylation was higher in the former, but both showed similar methylation patterns regarding differentially methylated gene positions, chromatin signatures, and repeated elements. High-grade CRC tended to exhibit elevated methylation levels in gene promoter regions compared to those in low-grade CRC. Combined with RNA-seq gene expression data, we identified 14 methylation-regulated differentially expressed genes, of which only AGTR1 and NECAB1 methylation had prognostic significance. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that genome-wide alterations in DNA methylation occur during the early stages of CRC and demonstrate the methylation signatures associated with colorectal ADEs and CRC, suggesting prognostic biomarkers for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- You-Wang Lu
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Zhao-Li Ding
- Kunming Biological Diversity Regional Center of Large Apparatus and Equipments, Public Technical Service Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Rui Mao
- School of Stomatology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Gui-Gang Zhao
- Genome Center of Biodiversity, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650223, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Yu-Qi He
- Genome Center of Biodiversity, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650223, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Xiao-Lu Li
- Genome Center of Biodiversity, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650223, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Jiang Liu
- Department of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China
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Sarangi J, Das P, Ahmad A, Sulaiman M, Ghosh S, Gupta B, Panwar R, Pal S, Yadav R, Ahuja V, Sen S, Upadhyay AD, Dash NR, Sharma A, Gupta SD. Methylation study of tumor suppressor genes in human aberrant crypt foci, colorectal carcinomas, and normal colon. J Cancer Res Ther 2024; 20:268-274. [PMID: 38554332 DOI: 10.4103/jcrt.jcrt_1573_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are the earliest preneoplastic lesions in human colon, identifiable on chromoendoscopic screening. Our objective was to evaluate the %methylation of APC, CDKN2A, MLH1, RASSF1, MGMT, and WIF1 tumor suppressor genes (TSG) in ACF, corresponding colorectal carcinomas (CRC), and normal colonic mucosal controls. METHODS In this study, macroscopically normal-appearing mucosal flaps were sampled 5-10 cm away from the tumor mass from 302 fresh colectomy specimens to identify ACF-like lesions. Thirty-five cases with multiple ACFs were selected (n 35) as the main study group, with corresponding sections from CRC (n 35) as disease controls, and mucosal tissue blocks from 20 colectomy specimens (normal controls), operated for non-neoplastic pathologies. Genomic DNA was extracted, and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on a customized methylation array model. %Methylation data were compared among the groups and with clinicopathological parameters. Selected target mRNA and protein expression studies were performed. RESULTS %Methylation of TSGs in ACF was intermediate between normal colon and CRC, although a statistically significant difference was observed only for the WIF1 gene (P < 0.01). Also, there was increased nuclear β-catenin expression and upregulation of CD44-positive cancer-stem cells in ACF and CRCs than in controls. Right-sided ACFs and dysplastic ACFs had a higher %methylation of CDKN2A (P < 0.01), whereas hyperplastic ACFs had a higher %methylation of RASSF1 (P 0.04). The topographic characteristics of ACFs did not correlate with TSG %methylation. CONCLUSIONS Early epigenetic methylation of WIF1 gene is one of the mechanisms for ACF development in human colon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayati Sarangi
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Prasenjit Das
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Aijaz Ahmad
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Mohamed Sulaiman
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Shouriyo Ghosh
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Brijnandan Gupta
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajesh Panwar
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sujoy Pal
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajni Yadav
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Vineet Ahuja
- Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sudip Sen
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Asish D Upadhyay
- Department of Biostatistics and, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Nihar R Dash
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Atul Sharma
- Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Siddhartha D Gupta
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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6
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Lin PY, Chang YT, Huang YC, Chen PY. Estimating genome-wide DNA methylation heterogeneity with methylation patterns. Epigenetics Chromatin 2023; 16:44. [PMID: 37941029 PMCID: PMC10634068 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-023-00521-7] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In a heterogeneous population of cells, individual cells can behave differently and respond variably to the environment. This cellular diversity can be assessed by measuring DNA methylation patterns. The loci with variable methylation patterns are informative of cellular heterogeneity and may serve as biomarkers of diseases and developmental progression. Cell-to-cell methylation heterogeneity can be evaluated through single-cell methylomes or computational techniques for pooled cells. However, the feasibility and performance of these approaches to precisely estimate methylation heterogeneity require further assessment. RESULTS Here, we proposed model-based methods adopted from a mathematical framework originally from biodiversity, to estimate genome-wide DNA methylation heterogeneity. We evaluated the performance of our models and the existing methods with feature comparison, and tested on both synthetic datasets and real data. Overall, our methods have demonstrated advantages over others because of their better correlation with the actual heterogeneity. We also demonstrated that methylation heterogeneity offers an additional layer of biological information distinct from the conventional methylation level. In the case studies, we showed that distinct profiles of methylation heterogeneity in CG and non-CG methylation can predict the regulatory roles between genomic elements in Arabidopsis. This opens up a new direction for plant epigenomics. Finally, we demonstrated that our score might be able to identify loci in human cancer samples as putative biomarkers for early cancer detection. CONCLUSIONS We adopted the mathematical framework from biodiversity into three model-based methods for analyzing genome-wide DNA methylation heterogeneity to monitor cellular heterogeneity. Our methods, namely MeH, have been implemented, evaluated with existing methods, and are open to the research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Yu Lin
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ting Chang
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Huang
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
- Bioinformatics Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
- Bioinformatics Program, Institute of Statistical Science, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Pao-Yang Chen
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.
- Bioinformatics Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.
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7
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Cui W, Huang Z, Jin SG, Johnson J, Lau KH, Hostetter G, Pfeifer GP. Deficiency of the Polycomb Protein RYBP and TET Methylcytosine Oxidases Promotes Extensive CpG Island Hypermethylation and Malignant Transformation. Cancer Res 2023; 83:2480-2495. [PMID: 37272752 PMCID: PMC10391329 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-0269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Hypermethylation of CpG islands (CGI) is a common feature of cancer cells and predominantly affects Polycomb-associated genomic regions. Elucidating the underlying mechanisms leading to DNA hypermethylation in human cancer could help identify chemoprevention strategies. Here, we evaluated the role of Polycomb complexes and 5-methylcytosine (5mC) oxidases in protecting CGIs from DNA methylation and observed that four genes coding for components of Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) are downregulated in tumors. Inactivation of RYBP, a key activator of variant PRC1 complexes, in combination with all three 5mC oxidases (TET proteins) in nontumorigenic bronchial epithelial cells led to widespread hypermethylation of Polycomb-marked CGIs affecting almost 4,000 target genes, which closely resembled the DNA hypermethylation landscape observed in human squamous cell lung tumors. The RYBP- and TET-deficient cells showed methylation-associated aberrant regulation of cancer-relevant pathways, including defects in the Hippo tumor suppressor network. Notably, the quadruple knockout cells acquired a transformed phenotype, including anchorage-independent growth and formation of squamous cell carcinomas in mice. This work provides a mechanism promoting hypermethylation of CGIs and shows that such hypermethylation can lead to cell transformation. The breakdown of a two-pronged protection mechanism can be a route towards genome-wide hypermethylation of CGIs in tumors. SIGNIFICANCE Dysfunction of the Polycomb component RYBP in combination with loss of 5-methylcytosine oxidases promotes widespread hypermethylation of CpG islands in bronchial cells and induces tumorigenesis, resembling changes seen in human lung tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cui
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Zhijun Huang
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Seung-Gi Jin
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Jennifer Johnson
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Kin H. Lau
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Galen Hostetter
- Pathology and Biorepository Core, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Gerd P. Pfeifer
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
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Bhandari YR, Krishna V, Powers R, Parmar S, Thursby SJ, Gupta E, Kulak O, Gokare P, Reumers J, Van Wesenbeeck L, Bachman KE, Baylin SB, Easwaran H. Transcription factor expression repertoire basis for epigenetic and transcriptional subtypes of colorectal cancers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2301536120. [PMID: 37487069 PMCID: PMC10401032 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301536120] [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: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancers (CRCs) form a heterogenous group classified into epigenetic and transcriptional subtypes. The basis for the epigenetic subtypes, exemplified by varying degrees of promoter DNA hypermethylation, and its relation to the transcriptional subtypes is not well understood. We link cancer-specific transcription factor (TF) expression alterations to methylation alterations near TF-binding sites at promoter and enhancer regions in CRCs and their premalignant precursor lesions to provide mechanistic insights into the origins and evolution of the CRC molecular subtypes. A gradient of TF expression changes forms a basis for the subtypes of abnormal DNA methylation, termed CpG-island promoter DNA methylation phenotypes (CIMPs), in CRCs and other cancers. CIMP is tightly correlated with cancer-specific hypermethylation at enhancers, which we term CpG-enhancer methylation phenotype (CEMP). Coordinated promoter and enhancer methylation appears to be driven by downregulation of TFs with common binding sites at the hypermethylated enhancers and promoters. The altered expression of TFs related to hypermethylator subtypes occurs early during CRC development, detectable in premalignant adenomas. TF-based profiling further identifies patients with worse overall survival. Importantly, altered expression of these TFs discriminates the transcriptome-based consensus molecular subtypes (CMS), thus providing a common basis for CIMP and CMS subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuba R. Bhandari
- CRB1, Department of Oncology and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Vinod Krishna
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA19477
| | - Rachael Powers
- CRB1, Department of Oncology and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Sehej Parmar
- CRB1, Department of Oncology and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Sara-Jayne Thursby
- CRB1, Department of Oncology and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Ekta Gupta
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Ozlem Kulak
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Prashanth Gokare
- Oncology Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA19477
| | - Joke Reumers
- Discovery Technologies and Molecular Pharmacology, Therapeutics Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340Beerse, Belgiumg
| | - Liesbeth Van Wesenbeeck
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research and Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340Beerse, Belgium
| | - Kurtis E. Bachman
- Oncology Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA19477
| | - Stephen B. Baylin
- CRB1, Department of Oncology and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
| | - Hariharan Easwaran
- CRB1, Department of Oncology and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21287
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Chen Z, Lau KS. Advances in Mapping Tumor Progression from Precancer Atlases. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2023; 16:439-447. [PMID: 37167978 PMCID: PMC10523872 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-22-0473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Tissue profiling technologies present opportunities for understanding transition from precancerous lesions to malignancy, which may impact risk stratification, prevention, and even cancer treatment. A human precancer atlas building effort is ongoing to tackle the significant challenge of decoding the heterogeneity among cells, specimens, and patients. Here, we discuss the findings resulting from atlases built across precancer types, including those found in colon, breast, lung, stomach, cervix, and skin, using bulk, single-cell, and spatial profiling strategies. We highlight two main themes that emerge across precancer types: the ordering of molecular events that occur during tumor progression and the fluctuation of microenvironmental response during precancer progression. We further highlight the key challenges of data integration across large cohorts of patients, and the need for computational tools to reliably annotate and quality control high-volume, high-dimensional data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyi Chen
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Program in Chemical and Physical Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ken S. Lau
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Program in Chemical and Physical Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
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10
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Shichijo K, Takatsuji T, Uzbekov D, Chaizhunusova N, Shabdarbaeva D, Kurisu M, Takahashi Y, Stepanenko V, Azhimkhanov A, Hoshi M. Radiation makes cells select the form of death dependent on external or internal exposure: apoptosis or pyroptosis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12002. [PMID: 37491560 PMCID: PMC10368746 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38789-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Internal radiation exposure from neutron-induced radioisotopes environmentally activated following atomic bombing or nuclear accidents should be considered for a complete picture of pathologic effects on survivors. Acute and localized high dose radiation exposure from hot particles taken into the body must induce cell death and severe damage to tissues, whether they are proliferating or not. However, very little the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this internal radiation pathology has been investigated. Male Wistar rats were internally exposed to 56MnO2 powder by inhalation. Small intestine samples were investigated by histological staining at acute phase (6 h, 3 days and 14 days) and late phase (2, 6 and 8 months) after the exposure. Histological location and chemical properties of the hot particles embedded in small intestinal tissues were analyzed by synchrotron radiation-X-ray fluorescence-X-ray absorption near-edge structure (SR-XRF-XANES). Hot particles located in the intestinal cavity were identified as accumulations of Mn and iron. Pathological changes showed evidence of crypt shortening, massive cell death at the position of stem cell zone, including apoptosis and pyroptosis from 6 h through 8 months in the internal exposed rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuko Shichijo
- Department of Tumor and Diagnostic Pathology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan.
| | - Toshihiro Takatsuji
- Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan
- School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu, Shimotsugagun, Tochigi, 321-0293, Japan
| | - Darkhan Uzbekov
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Semey State Medical University, Abay Str., 103, Semey, 071400, Kazakhstan
| | - Nailya Chaizhunusova
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Semey State Medical University, Abay Str., 103, Semey, 071400, Kazakhstan
| | - Dariya Shabdarbaeva
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Semey State Medical University, Abay Str., 103, Semey, 071400, Kazakhstan
| | - Minako Kurisu
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Research Institute for Marine Resources Utilization, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15 Natsusima-cho, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Yoshio Takahashi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Valeriy Stepanenko
- A.Tsyb Medical Radiological Research Center-National Medical Research Center of Radiology, Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, 249036, Obninsk, Russia
| | - Almas Azhimkhanov
- National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Beibyt atom st., 2B, Kurchatov, 071100, Kazakhstan
| | - Masaharu Hoshi
- The Center for Peace, Hiroshima University, Higashi-senda-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, 730-0053, Japan
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11
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Ye Z, Song G, Liang J, Yi S, Gao Y, Jiang H. Optimized screening of DNA methylation sites combined with gene expression analysis to identify diagnostic markers of colorectal cancer. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:617. [PMID: 37400791 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10922-2] [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: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer is related to early detection. However, commonly used screening markers lack sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we identified diagnostic methylation sites for colorectal cancer. METHODS After screening the colorectal cancer methylation dataset, diagnostic sites were identified via survival analysis, difference analysis, and ridge regression dimensionality reduction. The correlation between the selected methylation sites and the estimation of immune cell infiltration was analyzed. The accuracy of the diagnosis was verified using different datasets and the 10-fold crossover method. RESULTS According to Gene Ontology, the main enrichment pathways of genes with hypermethylation sites are axon development, axonogenesis, and pattern specification processes. However, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) suggests the following main enrichment pathways: neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, calcium signaling, and cAMP signaling. In The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE131013 datasets, the area under the curve of cg07628404 was > 0.95. For the NaiveBayes machine model of cg02604524, cg07628404, and cg27364741, the accuracies of 10-fold cross-validation in the GSE131013 and TCGA datasets were 95% and 99.4%, respectively. The survival prognosis of the hypomethylated group (cg02604524, cg07628404, and cg27364741) was better than that of the hypermethylated group. The mutation risk did not differ between the hypermethylated and hypomethylated groups. The correlation coefficient between the three loci and CD4 central memory T cells, hematological stem cells, and other immune cells was not high (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION In cases of colorectal cancer, the main enrichment pathway of genes with hypermethylated sites was axon and nerve development. In the biopsy tissues, the hypermethylation sites were diagnostic for colorectal cancer, and the NaiveBayes machine model of the three loci showed good diagnostic performance. Site (cg02604524, cg07628404, and cg27364741) hypermethylation predicts poor survival for colorectal cancer. Three methylation sites were weakly correlated with individual immune cell infiltration. Hypermethylation sites may be a useful repository for diagnosing colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Ye
- Department of Health Management, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China
| | - Guangle Song
- Department of Health Management, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China
| | - Jianwei Liang
- Department of General Surgery, Tai'an City Center Hospital, Taian, 271000, Shandong, China
| | - Shuying Yi
- Department of Health Management, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China
| | - Yuqi Gao
- Department of Health Management, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China.
| | - Hanming Jiang
- Department of Health Management, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China.
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12
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Shahraki K, Shahraki K, Ghasemi Boroumand P, Sheervalilou R. Promotor methylation in ocular surface squamous neoplasia development: epigenetics implications in molecular diagnosis. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2023; 23:753-769. [PMID: 37493058 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2023.2240238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cancer is heavily influenced by epigenetic mechanisms that include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA. A considerable proportion of human malignancies are believed to be associated with global DNA hypomethylation, with localized hypermethylation at promoters of certain genes. AREA COVERED The present review aims to emphasize on recent investigations on the epigenetic landscape of ocular surface squamous neoplasia, that could be targeted/explored using novel approaches such as personalized medicine. EXPERT OPINION While the former is thought to contribute to genomic instability, promoter-specific hypermethylation might facilitate tumorigenesis by silencing tumor suppressor genes. Ocular surface squamous neoplasia, the most prevalent type of ocular surface malignancy, is suggested to be affected by epigenetic mechanisms, as well. Although the exact role of epigenetics in ocular surface squamous neoplasia has mostly been unexplored, recent findings have greatly contributed to our understanding regarding this pathology of the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kourosh Shahraki
- Ocular Tissue Engineering Research Center, Ophthalmic Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Kianoush Shahraki
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
- Cornea Department, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Paria Ghasemi Boroumand
- ENT, Head and Neck Research Center and Department, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
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13
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Rodger EJ, Gimenez G, Ajithkumar P, Stockwell PA, Almomani S, Bowden SA, Leichter AL, Ahn A, Pattison S, McCall JL, Schmeier S, Frizelle FA, Eccles MR, Purcell RV, Chatterjee A. An epigenetic signature of advanced colorectal cancer metastasis. iScience 2023; 26:106986. [PMID: 37378317 PMCID: PMC10291510 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The majority of CRC deaths are caused by tumor metastasis, even following treatment. There is strong evidence for epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation, accompanying CRC metastasis and poorer patient survival. Earlier detection and a better understanding of molecular drivers for CRC metastasis are of critical clinical importance. Here, we identify a signature of advanced CRC metastasis by performing whole genome-scale DNA methylation and full transcriptome analyses of paired primary cancers and liver metastases from CRC patients. We observed striking methylation differences between primary and metastatic pairs. A subset of loci showed coordinated methylation-expression changes, suggesting these are potentially epigenetic drivers that control the expression of critical genes in the metastatic cascade. The identification of CRC epigenomic markers of metastasis has the potential to enable better outcome prediction and lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Euan J. Rodger
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Gregory Gimenez
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Peter A. Stockwell
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Suzan Almomani
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sarah A. Bowden
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Anna L. Leichter
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Antonio Ahn
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sharon Pattison
- Department of Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - John L. McCall
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Frank A. Frizelle
- Department of Surgery, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Michael R. Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rachel V. Purcell
- Department of Surgery, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Aniruddha Chatterjee
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Honorary Professor, School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES University, India
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14
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Shokoohi F, Khaniki SH. Uncovering Alterations in Cancer Epigenetics via Trans-Dimensional Markov Chain Monte Carlo and Hidden Markov Models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.15.545168. [PMID: 37398181 PMCID: PMC10312753 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.15.545168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic alterations are key drivers in the development and progression of cancer. Identifying differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) in cancer samples is a crucial step toward understanding these changes. In this paper, we propose a trans-dimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo (TMCMC) approach that uses hidden Markov models (HMMs) with binomial emission, and bisulfite sequencing (BS-Seq) data, called DMCTHM, to identify DMCs in cancer epigenetic studies. We introduce the Expander-Collider penalty to tackle under and over-estimation in TMCMC-HMMs. We address all known challenges inherent in BS-Seq data by introducing novel approaches for capturing functional patterns and autocorrelation structure of the data, as well as for handling missing values, multiple covariates, multiple comparisons, and family-wise errors. We demonstrate the effectiveness of DMCTHM through comprehensive simulation studies. The results show that our proposed method outperforms other competing methods in identifying DMCs. Notably, with DMCTHM, we uncovered new DMCs and genes in Colorectal cancer that were significantly enriched in the Tp53 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhad Shokoohi
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vega, NV 89154, USA
| | - Saeedeh Hajebi Khaniki
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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15
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Li M, Zhu C, Xue Y, Miao C, He R, Li W, Zhang B, Yu W, Huang X, Lv M, Xu Y, Huang Q. A DNA methylation signature for the prediction of tumour recurrence in stage II colorectal cancer. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:1681-1689. [PMID: 36828869 PMCID: PMC10133253 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02155-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A major challenge in stage II colorectal carcinoma is to identify patients with increased risk of recurrence. Biomarkers that distinguish patients with poor prognosis from patients without recurrence are currently lacking. This study aims to develop a robust DNA methylation classifier that allows the prediction of recurrence and chemotherapy benefit in patients with stage II colorectal cancer. We performed a genome-wide DNA methylation capture sequencing in 243 stage II colorectal carcinoma samples and identified a relapse-specific DNA methylation signature consisting of eight CpG sites. METHODS Two hundred and forty-three patients with stage II CRC were enrolled in this study. In order to select differential methylation sites among recurrence and non-recurrence stage II CRC samples, DNA methylation profiles of 62 tumour samples including 31 recurrence and 31 nonrecurrence samples were analysed using the Agilent SureSelectXT Human Methyl-Seq, a comprehensive target enrichment system to analyse CpG methylation. Pyrosequencing was applied to quantify the methylation level of candidate DNA methylation sites in 243 patients. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was employed to build the disease recurrence prediction classifier. RESULTS We identified a relapse-related DNA methylation signature consisting of eight CpG sites in stage II CRC by DNA methylation capture sequencing. The classifier showed significantly higher prognostic accuracy than any clinicopathological risk factors. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed an association of high-risk score with poor prognosis. In multivariate analysis, the signature was the most significant prognosis factor, with an HR of 2.80 (95% CI, 1.71-4.58, P < 0.001). The signature could identify patients who are suitable candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS An eight-CpG DNA methylation signature is a reliable prognostic and predictive tool for disease recurrence in patients with stage II CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Congcong Zhu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'An Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong'An Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Ying Xue
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Changhong Miao
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Ruiping He
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Wei Li
- Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, 130 Dong'An Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Baolong Zhang
- Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, 130 Dong'An Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Wenqiang Yu
- Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, 130 Dong'An Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Xingxu Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 201210, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Minzhi Lv
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Department of Biostatistics, Clinical Research Unit, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China.
| | - Ye Xu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'An Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong'An Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China.
| | - Qihong Huang
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Shanghai Respiratory Research Institute, 180 Fenglin Road, 200032, Shanghai, P. R. China.
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16
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Boonsanay V, Mosa MH, Looso M, Weichenhan D, Ceteci F, Pudelko L, Lechel A, Michel CS, Künne C, Farin HF, Plass C, Greten FR. Loss of SUV420H2-Dependent Chromatin Compaction Drives Right-Sided Colon Cancer Progression. Gastroenterology 2023; 164:214-227. [PMID: 36402192 PMCID: PMC9889219 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Epigenetic processes regulating gene expression contribute markedly to epithelial cell plasticity in colorectal carcinogenesis. The lysine methyltransferase SUV420H2 comprises an important regulator of epithelial plasticity and is primarily responsible for trimethylation of H4K20 (H4K20me3). Loss of H4K20me3 has been suggested as a hallmark of human cancer due to its interaction with DNMT1. However, the role of Suv4-20h2 in colorectal cancer is unknown. METHODS We examined the alterations in histone modifications in patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids. Patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids and mouse intestinal organoids were genetically manipulated for functional studies in patient-derived xenograft and orthotopic transplantation. Gene expression profiling, micrococcal nuclease assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to understand epigenetic regulation of chromatin states and gene expression in patient-derived and mouse intestinal organoids. RESULTS We found that reduced H4K20me3 levels occurred predominantly in right-sided patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids, which were associated with increased chromatin accessibility. Re-compaction of chromatin by methylstat, a histone demethylase inhibitor, resulted in reduced growth selectively in subcutaneously grown tumors derived from right-sided cancers. Using mouse intestinal organoids, we confirmed that Suv4-20h2-mediated H4K20me3 is required for maintaining heterochromatin compaction and to prevent R-loop formation. Cross-species comparison of Suv4-20h2-depleted murine organoids with right-sided colorectal cancer organoids revealed a large overlap of gene signatures involved in chromatin silencing, DNA methylation, and stemness/Wnt signaling. CONCLUSIONS Loss of Suv4-20h2-mediated H4K20me3 drives right-sided colorectal tumorigenesis through an epigenetically controlled mechanism of chromatin compaction. Our findings unravel a conceptually novel approach for subtype-specific therapy of this aggressive form of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verawan Boonsanay
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mohammed H. Mosa
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mario Looso
- Department of Cardiac Development and Remodeling, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Dieter Weichenhan
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fatih Ceteci
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lorenz Pudelko
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andre Lechel
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christian S. Michel
- Department of Hematology, Medical Oncology, and Pneumology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Carsten Künne
- Department of Cardiac Development and Remodeling, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Henner F. Farin
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Plass
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany,German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian R. Greten
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany,Correspondence Address correspondence to: Florian R. Greten, MD, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 42-44, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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17
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Big Data in Gastroenterology Research. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032458. [PMID: 36768780 PMCID: PMC9916510 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying individual data types in isolation provides only limited and incomplete answers to complex biological questions and particularly falls short in revealing sufficient mechanistic and kinetic details. In contrast, multi-omics approaches to studying health and disease permit the generation and integration of multiple data types on a much larger scale, offering a comprehensive picture of biological and disease processes. Gastroenterology and hepatobiliary research are particularly well-suited to such analyses, given the unique position of the luminal gastrointestinal (GI) tract at the nexus between the gut (mucosa and luminal contents), brain, immune and endocrine systems, and GI microbiome. The generation of 'big data' from multi-omic, multi-site studies can enhance investigations into the connections between these organ systems and organisms and more broadly and accurately appraise the effects of dietary, pharmacological, and other therapeutic interventions. In this review, we describe a variety of useful omics approaches and how they can be integrated to provide a holistic depiction of the human and microbial genetic and proteomic changes underlying physiological and pathophysiological phenomena. We highlight the potential pitfalls and alternatives to help avoid the common errors in study design, execution, and analysis. We focus on the application, integration, and analysis of big data in gastroenterology and hepatobiliary research.
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18
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Chang YTS, Yen MR, Chen PY. Methylome Imputation by Methylation Patterns. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2624:115-126. [PMID: 36723812 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2962-8_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is studied extensively for its relations with several biological processes such as transcriptional regulation. While methylation levels are usually estimated per cytosine or genomic region, additional information on methylation heterogeneity can be obtained when considering stretches of successive cytosines on the same reads; however, the majority of methylomes suffer from low coverage of genomic regions with sequencing depths enough for accurate estimation of methylation heterogeneity using existing methods. Here we describe a probabilistic-based imputation method that makes use of methylation information from neighboring sites to recover partially observed methylation patterns. Our method and software are proven to be faster and more accurate among all evaluated. Ultimately, our method allows for a more streamlined monitoring of epigenetic changes within cellular populations and their putative role in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ming-Ren Yen
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pao-Yang Chen
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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19
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Xu L, Shi Z, Li H, He J, Chen B, Tao Z, Tian Y, Chen L, Li G, Tao Z, Gu T, Xu W, Lu L. Genome-wide DNA methylation differences between conservation and breeding populations of Shaoxing ducks. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11644. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Parmar S, Easwaran H. Genetic and epigenetic dependencies in colorectal cancer development. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf) 2022; 10:goac035. [PMID: 35975243 PMCID: PMC9373935 DOI: 10.1093/gastro/goac035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have mapped key genetic changes in colorectal cancer (CRC) that impact important pathways contributing to the multistep models for CRC initiation and development. In parallel with genetic changes, normal and cancer tissues harbor epigenetic alterations impacting regulation of critical genes that have been shown to play profound roles in the tumor initiation. Cumulatively, these molecular changes are only loosely associated with heterogenous transcriptional programs, reflecting the heterogeneity in the various CRC molecular subtypes and the paths to CRC development. Studies from mapping molecular alterations in early CRC lesions and use of experimental models suggest that the intricate dependencies of various genetic and epigenetic hits shape the early development of CRC via different pathways and its manifestation into various CRC subtypes. We highlight the dependency of epigenetic and genetic changes in driving CRC development and discuss factors affecting epigenetic alterations over time and, by extension, risk for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sehej Parmar
- Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hariharan Easwaran
- Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Zhang X, Jia X, Zhong B, Wei L, Li J, Zhang W, Fang H, Li Y, Lu Y, Wang X. Evaluating methylation of human ribosomal DNA at each CpG site reveals its utility for cancer detection using cell-free DNA. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6634225. [PMID: 35804466 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac278] [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: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (rDNA) repeats are tandemly located on five acrocentric chromosomes with up to hundreds of copies in the human genome. DNA methylation, the most well-studied epigenetic mechanism, has been characterized for most genomic regions across various biological contexts. However, rDNA methylation patterns remain largely unexplored due to the repetitive structure. In this study, we designed a specific mapping strategy to investigate rDNA methylation patterns at each CpG site across various physiological and pathological processes. We found that CpG sites on rDNA could be categorized into two types. One is within or adjacent to transcribed regions; the other is distal to transcribed regions. The former shows highly variable methylation levels across samples, while the latter shows stable high methylation levels in normal tissues but severe hypomethylation in tumors. We further showed that rDNA methylation profiles in plasma cell-free DNA could be used as a biomarker for cancer detection. It shows good performances on public datasets, including colorectal cancer [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.85], lung cancer (AUC = 0.84), hepatocellular carcinoma (AUC = 0.91) and in-house generated hepatocellular carcinoma dataset (AUC = 0.96) even at low genome coverage (<1×). Taken together, these findings broaden our understanding of rDNA regulation and suggest the potential utility of rDNA methylation features as disease biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianglin Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology; Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology; Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaodong Jia
- Senior Department of Oncology, Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Bixi Zhong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology; Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology; Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lei Wei
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology; Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology; Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology; Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology; Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology; Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology; Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Huan Fang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology; Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology; Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yanda Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology; Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology; Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yinying Lu
- Comprehensive Liver Cancer Center, Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100039, China.,Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Xiaowo Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology; Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology; Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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22
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A Liquid Biopsy-Based Approach for Monitoring Treatment Response in Post-Operative Colorectal Cancer Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073774. [PMID: 35409133 PMCID: PMC8998310 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Monitoring the therapeutic response of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients is crucial to determine treatment strategies; therefore, we constructed a liquid biopsy-based approach for tracking tumor dynamics in non-metastatic (nmCRC) and metastatic (mCRC) patients (n = 55). Serial blood collections were performed during chemotherapy for measuring the amount and the global methylation pattern of cell-free DNA (cfDNA), the promoter methylation of SFRP2 and SDC2 genes, and the plasma homocysteine level. The average cfDNA amount was higher (p < 0.05) in nmCRC patients with recurrent cancer (30.4 ± 17.6 ng) and mCRC patients with progressive disease (PD) (44.3 ± 34.5 ng) compared to individuals with remission (13.2 ± 10.0 ng) or stable disease (12.5 ± 3.4 ng). More than 10% elevation of cfDNA from first to last sample collection was detected in all recurrent cases and 92% of PD patients, while a decrease was observed in most patients with remission. Global methylation level changes indicated a decline (75.5 ± 3.4% vs. 68.2 ± 8.4%), while the promoter methylation of SFRP2 and SDC2 and homocysteine level (10.9 ± 3.4 µmol/L vs. 13.7 ± 4.3 µmol/L) presented an increase in PD patients. In contrast, we found exact opposite changes in remission cases. Our study offers a more precise blood-based approach to monitor the treatment response to different chemotherapies than the currently used markers.
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23
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Detilleux D, Spill YG, Balaramane D, Weber M, Bardet AF. Pan-cancer predictions of transcription factors mediating aberrant DNA methylation. Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:10. [PMID: 35331302 PMCID: PMC8944071 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00443-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant DNA methylation is a hallmark of cancer cells. However, the mechanisms underlying changes in DNA methylation remain elusive. Transcription factors initially thought to be repressed from binding by DNA methylation, have recently emerged as being able to shape DNA methylation patterns. RESULTS Here, we integrated the massive amount of data available from The Cancer Genome Atlas to predict transcription factors driving aberrant DNA methylation in 13 cancer types. We identified differentially methylated regions between cancer and matching healthy samples, searched for transcription factor motifs enriched in those regions and selected transcription factors with corresponding changes in gene expression. We predict transcription factors known to be involved in cancer as well as novel candidates to drive hypo-methylated regions such as FOXA1 and GATA3 in breast cancer, FOXA1 and TWIST1 in prostate cancer and NFE2L2 in lung cancer. We also predict transcription factors that lead to hyper-methylated regions upon transcription factor loss such as EGR1 in several cancer types. Finally, we validate that FOXA1 and GATA3 mediate hypo-methylated regions in breast cancer cells. CONCLUSION Our work highlights the importance of some transcription factors as upstream regulators shaping DNA methylation patterns in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylane Detilleux
- UMR7242 Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, 67412, Illkirch, France
| | - Yannick G Spill
- UMR7242 Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, 67412, Illkirch, France
| | - Delphine Balaramane
- UMR7242 Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, 67412, Illkirch, France
| | - Michaël Weber
- UMR7242 Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, 67412, Illkirch, France.
| | - Anaïs Flore Bardet
- UMR7242 Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, 67412, Illkirch, France.
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24
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Müller D, Győrffy B. DNA methylation-based diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers in colorectal cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188722. [PMID: 35307512 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism regulating gene expression. Changes in DNA methylation were suggested to be useful biomarkers for diagnosis, and for the determination of prognosis and treatment response. Here, we provide an overview of methylation-based biomarkers in colorectal cancer. First, we start with the two methylation-based diagnostic biomarkers already approved for colorectal cancer, SEPT9 and the combination of NDRG4 and BMP3. Then, we provide a list-based overview of new biomarker candidates depending on the sample source including plasma, stool, urine, and surgically removed tumor tissues. The most often identified markers like SDC2, VIM, APC, MGMT, SFRP1, SFRP2, and NDRG4 have distinct functions previously linked to tumor progression. Although numerous studies have identified tumor-specific methylation changes, most of these alterations were observed in a single study only. The lack of validation in independent samples means low reproducibility and is a major limitation. The genome-wide determination of methylation status (methylome) can provide data to solve these issues. In the third section of the review, methylome studies focusing on different aspects related to CRC, including precancerous lesions, CRC-specific changes, molecular subtypes, aging, and chemotherapy response are summarized. Notably, techniques simultaneously analyzing a large set of regions can also uncover epigenetic regulation of genes which have not yet been associated with tumorigenesis previously. A remaining constraint of studies published to date is the low patient number utilized in these preventing the identification of clinically valuable biomarker candidates. Either future large-scale studies or the integration of already available methylome-level data will be necessary to uncover biomarkers sufficiently robust for clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalma Müller
- Dept. of Bioinformatics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Cancer Biomarker Research Group, RCNS, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Győrffy
- Dept. of Bioinformatics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Cancer Biomarker Research Group, RCNS, Budapest, Hungary.
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25
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Chang YTS, Yen MR, Chen PY. BSImp: Imputing Partially Observed Methylation Patterns for Evaluating Methylation Heterogeneity. FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 2:815289. [PMID: 36304331 PMCID: PMC9580945 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2022.815289] [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: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is one of the most studied epigenetic modifications that has applications ranging from transcriptional regulation to aging, and can be assessed by bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq) or enzymatic methyl sequencing (EM-seq) at single base-pair resolution. The permutations of methylation statuses given by aligned reads reflect the methylation patterns of individual cells. These patterns at specific genomic locations are sought to be indicative of cellular heterogeneity within a cellular population, which are predictive of developments and diseases; therefore, methylation heterogeneity has potentials in early detection of these changes. Computational methods have been developed to assess methylation heterogeneity using methylation patterns formed by four consecutive CpGs, but the nature of shotgun sequencing often give partially observed patterns, which makes very limited data available for downstream analysis. While many programs are developed to impute genome-wide methylation levels, currently there is only one method developed for recovering partially observed methylation patterns; however, the program needs lots of data to train and cannot be used directly; therefore, we developed a probabilistic-based imputation method that uses information from neighbouring sites to recover partially observed methylation patterns speedily. It is demonstrated to allow for the evaluation of methylation heterogeneity at 15% more regions genome-wide with high accuracy for data with moderate depth. To make it more user-friendly we also provide a computational pipeline for genome-screening, which can be used in both evaluating methylation levels and profiling methylation patterns genomewide for all cytosine contexts, which is the first of its kind. Our method allows for accurate estimation of methylation levels and makes evaluating methylation heterogeneity available for much more data with reasonable coverage, which has important implications in using methylation heterogeneity for monitoring changes within the cellular populations that were impossible to detect for the assessment of development and diseases.
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26
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Guo R, Xing QS. Roles of Wnt Signaling Pathway and ROR2 Receptor in Embryonic Development: An Update Review Article. Epigenet Insights 2022; 15:25168657211064232. [PMID: 35128307 PMCID: PMC8808015 DOI: 10.1177/25168657211064232] [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: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wnt family is a large class of highly conserved cysteine-rich secretory glycoproteins that play a vital role in various cellular and physiological courses through different signaling pathways during embryogenesis and tissue homeostasis 3. Wnt5a is a secreted glycoprotein that belongs to the noncanonical Wnt family and is involved in a wide range of developmental and tissue homeostasis. A growing body of evidence suggests that Wnt5a affects embryonic development, signaling through various receptors, starting with the activation of β-catenin by Wnt5a. In addition to affecting planar cell polarity and Ca2+ pathways, β-catenin also includes multiple signaling cascades that regulate various cell functions. Secondly, Wnt5a can bind to Ror receptors to mediate noncanonical Wnt signaling and a significant ligand for Ror2 in vertebrates. Consistent with the multiple functions of Wnt5A/Ror2 signaling, Wnt5A knockout mice exhibited various phenotypic defects, including an inability to extend the anterior and posterior axes of the embryo. Numerous essential roles of Wnt5a/Ror2 in development have been demonstrated. Therefore, Ror signaling pathway become a necessary target for diagnosing and treating human diseases. The Wnt5a- Ror2 signaling pathway as a critical factor has attracted extensive attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Guo
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Quan Sheng Xing
- Qingdao University-Affiliated Hospital of Women and Children, Qingdao, China
- Quan Sheng Xing, Qingdao University-Affiliated Hospital of Women and Children, tongfu road 6, shibei district, Qingdao 266000, China.
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27
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Lin S, Gu S, Qian S, Liu Y, Sheng J, Li Q, Yang J, Ying X, Li Z, Tang M, Wang J, Chen K, Jin M. Genome-Wide Methylation Profiling of lncRNAs Reveals a Novel Progression-Related and Prognostic Marker for Colorectal Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 11:782077. [PMID: 35127488 PMCID: PMC8811200 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.782077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) develops principally through the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Previous studies revealed that DNA methylation alterations play a significant role in colorectal neoplastic transformation. On the other hand, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to be associated with some critical tumorigenic processes of CRC. Accumulating evidence indicates more intricate regulatory relationships between DNA methylation and lncRNAs in CRC. Nevertheless, the methylation alterations of lncRNAs at different stages of colorectal carcinogenesis based on a genome-wide scale remain elusive. Therefore, in this study, we first used an Illumina MethylationEPIC BeadChip (850K array) to identify the methylation status of lncRNAs in 12 pairs of colorectal cancerous and adjacent normal tissues from cohort I, followed by cross-validation with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, the abnormal hypermethylation of candidate genes in colorectal lesions was successfully confirmed by MassARRAY EpiTYPER in cohort II including 48 CRC patients, and cohort III including 286 CRC patients, 81 advanced adenoma (AA) patients and 81 nonadvanced adenoma (NAA) patients. DLX6-AS1 hypermethylation was detected at all stages of colorectal neoplasms and occurred as early as the NAA stage during colorectal neoplastic progression. The methylation levels were significantly higher in the comparisons of CRC vs. NAA (P < 0.001) and AA vs. NAA (P = 0.004). Moreover, the hypermethylation of DLX6-AS1 promoter was also found in cell-free DNA samples collected from CRC patients as compared to healthy controls (Padj = 0.003). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed DLX6-AS1 promoter hypermethylation was independently associated with poorer disease-specific survival (HR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.35-4.69, P = 0.004) and overall survival (HR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.02-2.64, P = 0.042) in CRC patients. Finally, a nomogram was constructed and verified by a calibration curve to predict the survival probability of individual CRC patients (C-index: 0.789). Our findings indicate DLX6-AS1 hypermethylation might be an early event during colorectal carcinogenesis and has the potential to be a novel biomarker for CRC progression and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujuan Lin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Simeng Gu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Environmental Health, Institute of Endemic Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sangni Qian
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yaxin Liu
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, and Cancer Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinghao Sheng
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, and Cancer Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qilong Li
- Department of Screening, Jiashan Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Jiashan, China
| | - Jinhua Yang
- Department of Screening, Jiashan Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Jiashan, China
| | - Xiaojiang Ying
- Department of Anorectal Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing, China
| | - Zhenjun Li
- Department of Anorectal Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing, China
| | - Mengling Tang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at School Public Health and the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianbing Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at School of Public Health and National Clinical Research Center for Child Health of the Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Mingjuan Jin, ; Kun Chen,
| | - Mingjuan Jin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Mingjuan Jin, ; Kun Chen,
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28
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Epigenome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiling in Colorectal Cancer and Normal Adjacent Colon Using Infinium Human Methylation 450K. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12010198. [PMID: 35054365 PMCID: PMC8775085 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12010198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The aims were to profile the DNA methylation in colorectal cancer (CRC) and to explore cancer-specific methylation biomarkers. Fifty-four pairs of CRCs and the adjacent normal tissues were subjected to Infinium Human Methylation 450K assay and analysed using ChAMP R package. A total of 26,093 differentially methylated probes were identified, which represent 6156 genes; 650 probes were hypermethylated, and 25,443 were hypomethylated. Hypermethylated sites were common in CpG islands, while hypomethylated sites were in open sea. Most of the hypermethylated genes were associated with pathways in cancer, while the hypomethylated genes were involved in the PI3K-AKT signalling pathway. Among the identified differentially methylated probes, we found evidence of four potential probes in CRCs versus adjacent normal; HOXA2 cg06786372, OPLAH cg17301223, cg15638338, and TRIM31 cg02583465 that could serve as a new biomarker in CRC since these probes were aberrantly methylated in CRC as well as involved in the progression of CRC. Furthermore, we revealed the potential of promoter methylation ADHFE1 cg18065361 in differentiating the CRC from normal colonic tissue from the integrated analysis. In conclusion, aberrant DNA methylation is significantly involved in CRC pathogenesis and is associated with gene silencing. This study reports several potential important methylated genes in CRC and, therefore, merit further validation as novel candidate biomarker genes in CRC.
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29
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Zhao L, Grimes SM, Greer SU, Kubit M, Lee H, Nadauld LD, Ji HP. Characterization of the consensus mucosal microbiome of colorectal cancer. NAR Cancer 2022; 3:zcab049. [PMID: 34988460 PMCID: PMC8693571 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcab049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysbioisis is an imbalance of an organ's microbiome and plays a role in colorectal cancer pathogenesis. Characterizing the bacteria in the microenvironment of a cancer through genome sequencing has advantages compared to culture-based profiling. However, there are notable technical and analytical challenges in characterizing universal features of tumor microbiomes. Colorectal tumors demonstrate microbiome variation among different studies and across individual patients. To address these issues, we conducted a computational study to determine a consensus microbiome for colorectal cancer, analyzing 924 tumors from eight independent RNA-Seq data sets. A standardized meta-transcriptomic analysis pipeline was established with quality control metrics. Microbiome profiles across different cohorts were compared and recurrently altered microbial shifts specific to colorectal cancer were determined. We identified cancer-specific set of 114 microbial species associated with tumors that were found among all investigated studies. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were among the four most abundant phyla for the colorectal cancer microbiome. Member species of Clostridia were depleted and Fusobacterium nucleatum was one of the most enriched bacterial species in tumors. Associations between the consensus species and specific immune cell types were noted. Our results are available as a web data resource for other researchers to explore (https://crc-microbiome.stanford.edu).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Zhao
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Susan M Grimes
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Stephanie U Greer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Matthew Kubit
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - HoJoon Lee
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lincoln D Nadauld
- Intermountain Precision Genomics Program, Intermountain Healthcare, Saint George, UT 84790, USA
| | - Hanlee P Ji
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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30
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Adams E, Sepich-Poore GD, Miller-Montgomery S, Knight R. Using All Our Genomes: Blood-based Liquid Biopsies for the Early Detection of Cancer. VIEW 2022; 3:20200118. [PMID: 35872970 PMCID: PMC9307139 DOI: 10.1002/viw.20200118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The pursuit of highly sensitive and specific cancer diagnostics based on cell-free (cf) nucleic acids isolated from minimally invasive liquid biopsies has been an area of intense research and commercial effort for at least two decades. Most of these tests detect cancer-specific mutations or epigenetic modifications on circulating DNA derived from tumor cells (ctDNA). Although recent FDA approvals of both single and multi-analyte liquid biopsy companion diagnostic assays are proof of the tremendous progress made in this domain, using ctDNA for the diagnosis of early-stage (stage I/II) cancers remains challenging due to several factors, such as low mutational allele frequency in circulation, overlapping profiles in genomic alterations among diverse cancers, and clonal hematopoiesis. This review discusses these analytical challenges, interim solutions, and the opportunity to complement ctDNA diagnostics with microbiome-aware analyses that may mitigate several existing ctDNA assay limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory D Sepich-Poore
- Micronoma, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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31
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Lam KK, Tang CL, Tan E, Wong SH, Cheah PY. KRAS mutation-independent downregulation of MAPK/PI3K signaling in colorectal cancer. Mol Oncol 2021; 16:1171-1183. [PMID: 34919787 PMCID: PMC8895447 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
KRAS is a gatekeeper gene in human colorectal tumorigenesis. KRAS is ‘undruggable’; hence, efforts have been diverted to inhibit downstream RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signaling. Nevertheless, none of these inhibitors has progressed to clinical use despite extensive trials. We examined levels of phospho‐ERK1/2(T202/Y204) and phospho‐Akt1/2/3(S473) in human colorectal tumor compared to matched mucosa with semi‐quantitative near‐infrared western blot and confocal fluorescence immunohistochemistry imaging. Surprisingly, 75.5% (25/33) of tumors had lower or equivalent phospho‐ERK1/2 and 96.9% (31/32) of tumors had lower phospho‐Akt1/2/3 compared to matched mucosa, irrespective of KRAS mutation status. In contrast, we discovered KRAS‐dependent SOX9 upregulation in 28 of the 31 (90.3%) tumors. These observations were substantiated by analysis of the public domain transcriptomics The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and proteomics Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) dataset. These data suggest that RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signaling are unlikely to be activated in most human colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuen Kuen Lam
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Choong Leong Tang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Emile Tan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | | | - Peh Yean Cheah
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.,Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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32
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Gutierrez A, Demond H, Brebi P, Ili CG. Novel Methylation Biomarkers for Colorectal Cancer Prognosis. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1722. [PMID: 34827720 PMCID: PMC8615818 DOI: 10.3390/biom11111722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) comprises the third most common cancer worldwide and the second regarding number of deaths. In order to make a correct and early diagnosis to predict metastasis formation, biomarkers are an important tool. Although there are multiple signaling pathways associated with cancer progression, the most recognized are the MAPK pathway, p53 pathway, and TGF-β pathway. These pathways regulate many important functions in the cell, such as cell cycle regulation, proliferation, differentiation, and metastasis formation, among others. Changes in expression in genes belonging to these pathways are drivers of carcinogenesis. Often these expression changes are caused by mutations; however, epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation, are increasingly acknowledged to play a role in the deregulation of oncogenic genes. This makes DNA methylation changes an interesting biomarkers in cancer. Among the newly identified biomarkers for CRC metastasis INHBB, SMOC2, BDNF, and TBRG4 are included, all of which are highly deregulated by methylation and closely associated with metastasis. The identification of such biomarkers in metastasis of CRC may allow a better treatment and early identification of cancer formation in order to perform better diagnostics and improve the life expectancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Priscilla Brebi
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centro de Excelencia en Medicina Traslacional (CEMT), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile; (A.G.); (H.D.)
| | - Carmen Gloria Ili
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centro de Excelencia en Medicina Traslacional (CEMT), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile; (A.G.); (H.D.)
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33
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Zhou Y, Wang S, Yin X, Gao G, Wang Q, Zhi Q, Han Y, Kuang Y. TSHZ3 functions as a tumor suppressor by DNA methylation in colorectal cancer. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2021; 45:101725. [PMID: 34089916 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2021.101725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Teashirt zinc finger homeobox 3 (TSHZ3) is currently reported to be aberrantly expressed in several tumors, but the detailed functions and epigenetic mechanisms of TSHZ3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, the TSHZ3 expression in 118 CRC and normal adjacent tissues (NATs) was evaluated, and the methylation status of the TSZH3 promoter region in CRC tissues and cell lines was also analyzed. RESULTS The results of PCR analysis showed that TSHZ3 was significantly down-regulated in CRC tissues, and patients with low TSHZ3 levels had a poorer 5-year overall survival (OS) rate. Analyzing the promoter sequence (-1000∼0) by MethPrimer, TSHZ3 promoter was found to harbor abundant of CpG islands. The methylation specific PCR (MSP) analysis presented a relatively hypermethylated status of THSZ3 promoter in CRC samples. The data of MSP and bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) also confirmed that CpG sites of TSHZ3 promoter were methylated in CRC cells, and the DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza) could effectively restored the TSHZ3 expression in vitro. Functionally, the proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis of CRC cells were regulated by TSZH3 over-expression, and the suppressing effects of TSHZ3 in CRC were also confirmed in a xenograft mouse model. CONLUSIONS Our results indicated that promoter methylation was one of the mechanisms contributing to the down-regulation of TSHZ3 in CRC, and TSZH3 might served as a potential tumor suppressor gene in the development and progression of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youxin Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Sentai Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Xuequn Yin
- Department of Anesthesia Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Guanzhuang Gao
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Shengze Hospital, Wujiang, Jiangsu, 215228, China
| | - Qiaoming Zhi
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Ye Han
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China.
| | - Yuting Kuang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China.
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Ideta T, Li B, Flynn C, Igarashi Y, Lowman G, Looney T, Devers TJ, Birk J, Forouhar F, Giardina C, Rosenberg DW. The Epithelial-Stromal Microenvironment in Early Colonic Neoplasia. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 20:56-61. [PMID: 34670862 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Stromal cells play a central role in promoting the progression of colorectal cancer. Here, we analyze molecular changes within the epithelial and stromal compartments of dysplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formed in the ascending colon, where rapidly developing interval cancers occur. We found strong activation of numerous neutrophil/monocyte chemokines, consistent with localized inflammation. The data also indicated a decrease in interferon signaling and cell-based immunity. The immune checkpoint and T-cell exhaustion gene PDCD1 was one of the most significantly upregulated genes, which was accompanied by a decrease in cytotoxic T-cell effector gene expression. In addition, CDKN2A expression was strongly upregulated in the stroma and downregulated in the epithelium, consistent with diverse changes in senescence-associated signaling on the two tissue compartments. IMPLICATIONS: Decreased CD8 T-cell infiltration within proximal colon ACF occurs within the context of a robust inflammatory response and potential stromal cell senescence, thus providing new insight into potential promotional drivers for tumors in the proximal colon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayasu Ideta
- Center for Molecular Oncology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - Boyang Li
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Christopher Flynn
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Yuichi Igarashi
- Center for Molecular Oncology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut
| | | | - Tim Looney
- ThermoFisher Scientific, South San Francisco, California
| | - Thomas J Devers
- Division of Gastroenterology, The University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - John Birk
- Division of Gastroenterology, The University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - Faripour Forouhar
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, John Dempsey Hospital, The University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
| | - Charles Giardina
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Daniel W Rosenberg
- Center for Molecular Oncology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut.
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35
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A CRISPR knockout screen reveals new regulators of canonical Wnt signaling. Oncogenesis 2021; 10:63. [PMID: 34552058 PMCID: PMC8458386 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-021-00354-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wnt signaling pathways play fundamental roles during both development and adult homeostasis. Aberrant activation of the canonical Wnt signal transduction pathway is involved in many diseases including cancer, and is especially implicated in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. Although extensively studied, new genes, mechanisms and regulatory modulators involved in Wnt signaling activation or silencing are still being discovered. Here we applied a genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout (KO) screen based on Wnt signaling induced cell survival to reveal new inhibitors of the oncogenic, canonical Wnt pathway. We have identified several potential Wnt signaling inhibitors and have characterized the effects of the initiation factor DExH-box protein 29 (DHX29) on the Wnt cascade. We show that KO of DHX29 activates the Wnt pathway leading to upregulation of the Wnt target gene cyclin-D1, while overexpression of DHX29 inhibits the pathway. Together, our data indicate that DHX29 may function as a new canonical Wnt signaling tumor suppressor and demonstrates that this screening approach can be used as a strategy for rapid identification of novel Wnt signaling modulators.
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36
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Raos D, Ulamec M, Katusic Bojanac A, Bulic-Jakus F, Jezek D, Sincic N. Epigenetically inactivated RASSF1A as a tumor biomarker. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2021; 21:386-397. [PMID: 33175673 PMCID: PMC8292865 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2020.5219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
RASSF1A, one of the eight isoforms of the RASSF1 gene, is a tumor suppressor gene that influences tumor initiation and development. In cancer, RASSF1A is frequently inactivated by mutations, loss of heterozygosity, and, most commonly, by promoter hypermethylation. Epigenetic inactivation of RASSF1A was detected in various cancer types and led to significant interest; current research on RASSF1A promoter methylation focuses on its roles as an epigenetic tumor biomarker. Typically, researchers analyzed genomic DNA (gDNA) to measure the amount of RASSF1A promoter methylation. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from liquid biopsies is a recent development showing promise as an early cancer diagnostic tool using biomarkers, such as RASSF1A. This review discusses the evidence on aberrantly methylated RASSF1A in gDNA and cfDNA from different cancer types and its utility for early cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and surveillance. We compared methylation frequencies of RASSF1A in gDNA and cfDNA in various cancer types. The weaknesses and strengths of these analyses are discussed. In conclusion, although the importance of RASSSF1A methylation to cancer has been established and is included in several diagnostic panels, its diagnostic utility is still experimental.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Raos
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Scientific Group for Research on Epigenetic Biomarkers, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Scientific Centre of Excellence for Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Monika Ulamec
- Scientific Group for Research on Epigenetic Biomarkers, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Scientific Centre of Excellence for Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Ljudevit Jurak Clinical Department of Pathology and Cytology, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Pathology, University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine and School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Katusic Bojanac
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Scientific Centre of Excellence for Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Floriana Bulic-Jakus
- University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Davor Jezek
- Scientific Centre of Excellence for Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Histology and Embryology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nino Sincic
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Scientific Group for Research on Epigenetic Biomarkers, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Scientific Centre of Excellence for Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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Ahn J, Heo S, Lee J, Bang D. Introduction to Single-Cell DNA Methylation Profiling Methods. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1013. [PMID: 34356635 PMCID: PMC8301785 DOI: 10.3390/biom11071013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that is related to mammalian cellular differentiation, gene expression regulation, and disease. In several studies, DNA methylation has been identified as an effective marker to identify differences between cells. In this review, we introduce single-cell DNA-methylation profiling methods, including experimental strategies and approaches to computational data analysis. Furthermore, the blind spots of the basic analysis and recent alternatives are briefly described. In addition, we introduce well-known applications and discuss future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongseong Ahn
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.A.); (S.H.)
| | - Sunghoon Heo
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.A.); (S.H.)
| | - Jihyun Lee
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
| | - Duhee Bang
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.A.); (S.H.)
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38
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Nalamalapu RR, Yue M, Stone AR, Murphy S, Saha MS. The tweety Gene Family: From Embryo to Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:672511. [PMID: 34262434 PMCID: PMC8273234 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.672511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The tweety genes encode gated chloride channels that are found in animals, plants, and even simple eukaryotes, signifying their deep evolutionary origin. In vertebrates, the tweety gene family is highly conserved and consists of three members—ttyh1, ttyh2, and ttyh3—that are important for the regulation of cell volume. While research has elucidated potential physiological functions of ttyh1 in neural stem cell maintenance, proliferation, and filopodia formation during neural development, the roles of ttyh2 and ttyh3 are less characterized, though their expression patterns during embryonic and fetal development suggest potential roles in the development of a wide range of tissues including a role in the immune system in response to pathogen-associated molecules. Additionally, members of the tweety gene family have been implicated in various pathologies including cancers, particularly pediatric brain tumors, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Here, we review the current state of research using information from published articles and open-source databases on the tweety gene family with regard to its structure, evolution, expression during development and adulthood, biochemical and cellular functions, and role in human disease. We also identify promising areas for further research to advance our understanding of this important, yet still understudied, family of genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rithvik R Nalamalapu
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
| | - Michelle Yue
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
| | - Aaron R Stone
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
| | - Samantha Murphy
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
| | - Margaret S Saha
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
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Yao C, Joehanes R, Wilson R, Tanaka T, Ferrucci L, Kretschmer A, Prokisch H, Schramm K, Gieger C, Peters A, Waldenberger M, Marzi C, Herder C, Levy D. Epigenome-wide association study of whole blood gene expression in Framingham Heart Study participants provides molecular insight into the potential role of CHRNA5 in cigarette smoking-related lung diseases. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:60. [PMID: 33752734 PMCID: PMC7986283 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01041-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background DNA methylation is a key epigenetic modification that can directly affect gene regulation. DNA methylation is highly influenced by environmental factors such as cigarette smoking, which is causally related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. To date, there have been few large-scale, combined analyses of DNA methylation and gene expression and their interrelations with lung diseases. Results We performed an epigenome-wide association study of whole blood gene expression in ~ 6000 individuals from four cohorts. We discovered and replicated numerous CpGs associated with the expression of cis genes within 500 kb of each CpG, with 148 to 1,741 cis CpG-transcript pairs identified across cohorts. We found that the closer a CpG resided to a transcription start site, the larger its effect size, and that 36% of cis CpG-transcript pairs share the same causal genetic variant. Mendelian randomization analyses revealed that hypomethylation and lower expression of CHRNA5, which encodes a smoking-related nicotinic receptor, are causally linked to increased risk of COPD and lung cancer. This putatively causal relationship was further validated in lung tissue data. Conclusions Our results provide a large and comprehensive association study of whole blood DNA methylation with gene expression. Expression platform differences rather than population differences are critical to the replication of cis CpG-transcript pairs. The low reproducibility of trans CpG-transcript pairs suggests that DNA methylation regulates nearby rather than remote gene expression. The putatively causal roles of methylation and expression of CHRNA5 in relation to COPD and lung cancer provide evidence for a mechanistic link between patterns of smoking-related epigenetic variation and lung diseases, and highlight potential therapeutic targets for lung diseases and smoking cessation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-021-01041-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yao
- The Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Avenue, Framingham, MA, 01702, USA.,The Population Sciences Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Roby Joehanes
- The Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Avenue, Framingham, MA, 01702, USA.,The Population Sciences Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rory Wilson
- Research Unit Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Toshiko Tanaka
- Longitudinal Study Section, National Institute On Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Luigi Ferrucci
- Longitudinal Study Section, National Institute On Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anja Kretschmer
- Research Unit Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Holger Prokisch
- Institute of Human Genetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University Munich, München, Germany.,Institute for Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Schramm
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.,Chair of Genetic Epidemiology, IBE, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine I (Cardiology), Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Gieger
- Research Unit Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Annette Peters
- Research Unit Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie Waldenberger
- Research Unit Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764, Bavaria, Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Carola Marzi
- Research Unit of Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology II, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christian Herder
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research At Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Partner Düsseldorf, Germany.,Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Daniel Levy
- The Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Avenue, Framingham, MA, 01702, USA. .,The Population Sciences Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Bhat S, Kabekkodu SP, Adiga D, Fernandes R, Shukla V, Bhandari P, Pandey D, Sharan K, Satyamoorthy K. ZNF471 modulates EMT and functions as methylation regulated tumor suppressor with diagnostic and prognostic significance in cervical cancer. Cell Biol Toxicol 2021; 37:731-749. [PMID: 33566221 PMCID: PMC8490246 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-021-09582-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Cervical cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women in developing countries. However, the underlying mechanisms and molecular targets for therapy remain to be fully understood. We investigated the epigenetic regulation, biological functions, and clinical utility of zinc-finger protein 471 (ZNF471) in CC. Analysis of cervical tissues and five independent public datasets of CC showed significant hypermethylation of the ZNF471 gene promoter. In CC cell lines, promoter DNA methylation was inversely correlated with ZNF471 expression. The sensitivity and specificity of the ZNF471 hypermethylation for squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) vs tumor and normal vs tumor was above 85% with AUC of 0.937. High methylation and low ZNF471 expression predicted poor overall and recurrence-free survival. We identified -686 to +114 bp as ZNF471 promoter, regulated by methylation using transient transfection and luciferase assays. The promoter CpG site methylation of ZNF471 was significantly different among cancer types and tumor grades. Gal4-based heterologous luciferase reporter gene assays revealed that ZNF471 acts as a transcriptional repressor. The retroviral mediated overexpression of ZNF471 in SiHa and CaSki cells inhibited growth, proliferation, cell migration, invasion; delayed cell cycle progression in vitro by increasing cell doubling time; and reduced tumor growth in vivo in nude mice. ZNF471 overexpression inhibited key members of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), Wnt, and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. ZNF471 inhibited EMT by directly targeting vimentin as analyzed by bioinformatic analysis, ChIP-PCR, and western blotting. Thus, ZNF471 CpG specific promoter methylation may determine the prognosis of CC and could function as a potential tumor suppressor by targeting EMT signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samatha Bhat
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Shama Prasada Kabekkodu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Divya Adiga
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Rayzel Fernandes
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Vaibhav Shukla
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Poonam Bhandari
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Deeksha Pandey
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Krishna Sharan
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Kapaettu Satyamoorthy
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India.
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Pinzani P, D'Argenio V, Del Re M, Pellegrini C, Cucchiara F, Salvianti F, Galbiati S. Updates on liquid biopsy: current trends and future perspectives for clinical application in solid tumors. Clin Chem Lab Med 2021; 59:1181-1200. [PMID: 33544478 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2020-1685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in screening and therapeutics cancer continues to be one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The molecular profile of tumor is routinely assessed by surgical or bioptic samples, however, genotyping of tissue has inherent limitations: it represents a single snapshot in time and it is subjected to spatial selection bias owing to tumor heterogeneity. Liquid biopsy has emerged as a novel, non-invasive opportunity of detecting and monitoring cancer in several body fluids instead of tumor tissue. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), RNA (mRNA and microRNA), microvesicles, including exosomes and tumor "educated platelets" were recently identified as a source of genomic information in cancer patients which could reflect all subclones present in primary and metastatic lesions allowing sequential monitoring of disease evolution. In this review, we summarize the currently available information concerning liquid biopsy in breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and melanoma. These promising issues still need to be standardized and harmonized across laboratories, before fully adopting liquid biopsy approaches into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Pinzani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Valeria D'Argenio
- Department of Human Sciences and Quality of Life Promotion, San Raffaele Open University, Rome, Italy.,CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy
| | - Marzia Del Re
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Pellegrini
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Federico Cucchiara
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Salvianti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Galbiati
- Diabetes Research Institute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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42
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Lin H, Ma N, Zhao L, Yang G, Cao B. KDM5c Promotes Colon Cancer Cell Proliferation Through the FBXW7-c-Jun Regulatory Axis. Front Oncol 2020; 10:535449. [PMID: 33042830 PMCID: PMC7526003 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.535449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
KDM5c is a histone demethylase that specifically demethylates trimethylated and dimethylated H3 Lys-4 to play a central role in transcriptional repression. C-Jun is a proto-oncogene and promotes cell proliferation when ectopically accumulated, but can be ubiquitinated by SCF (FBXW7), leading to its degradation. FBXW7 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase of c-Jun, and exhibits carcinostasis in colon cancer. Here, we report that overexpression of KDM5c in human colon cancer cells results in attenuated FBXW7 transcription and accumulated c-Jun protein, leading to increased proliferation of colon cancer cells. We show that overexpression of KDM5c can result in increased c-Jun protein levels and decreased ubiquitin levels, with no significant change in mRNA levels of c-Jun. KDM5c overexpression blocks the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway of c-Jun by down-regulating the expression of FBXW7. KDM5c down-regulation of FBXW7 occurs by demethylation of H3K4me3 at TSS and downstream of the FBXW7 gene. And interaction of KDM5c with H3K4me3 downstream of FBXW7 gene may be followed by recruitment of DNMT3b to methylate the spatially close CpG island located near the FBXW7 TSS. This methylation represses FBXW7 gene expression, which can reduce c-Jun degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. TCGA database analysis revealed high expression of KDM5c in colon cancer tissues. KDM5c expression in colon cancer was correlated with poor overall survival of patients in the first 7 years. Data from TCGA showed that high expression of KDM5c was correlated with high DNA methylation of the FBXW7 gene, but was not positively correlated with methylation of the Jun gene. These results suggest that KDM5c regulation of colon cell proliferation is mainly mediated by the KDM5c-FBXW7-c-Jun axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haishan Lin
- Cancer Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Nina Ma
- Cancer Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- Cancer Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guowei Yang
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Bangwei Cao
- Cancer Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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43
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Ili C, Buchegger K, Demond H, Castillo-Fernandez J, Kelsey G, Zanella L, Abanto M, Riquelme I, López J, Viscarra T, García P, Bellolio E, Saavedra D, Brebi P. Landscape of Genome-Wide DNA Methylation of Colorectal Cancer Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2710. [PMID: 32971738 PMCID: PMC7564781 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous disease caused by both genetic and epigenetics factors. Analysing DNA methylation changes occurring during colorectal cancer progression and metastasis formation is crucial for the identification of novel epigenetic markers of patient prognosis. Genome-wide methylation sequencing of paired samples of colon (normal adjacent, primary tumour and lymph node metastasis) showed global hypomethylation and CpG island (CGI) hypermethylation of primary tumours compared to normal. In metastasis we observed high global and non-CGI regions methylation, but lower CGI methylation, compared to primary tumours. Gene ontology analysis showed shared biological processes between hypermethylated CGIs in metastasis and primary tumours. After complementary analysis with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, FIGN, HTRA3, BDNF, HCN4 and STAC2 genes were found associated with poor survival. We mapped the methylation landscape of colon normal tissues, primary tumours and lymph node metastasis, being capable of identified methylation changes throughout the genome. Furthermore, we found five genes with potential for methylation biomarkers of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Ili
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centro de Excelencia en Medicina Traslacional (CEMT), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile; (C.I.); (K.B.); (H.D.); (L.Z.); (J.L.); (T.V.)
| | - Kurt Buchegger
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centro de Excelencia en Medicina Traslacional (CEMT), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile; (C.I.); (K.B.); (H.D.); (L.Z.); (J.L.); (T.V.)
- Departamento Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
| | - Hannah Demond
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centro de Excelencia en Medicina Traslacional (CEMT), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile; (C.I.); (K.B.); (H.D.); (L.Z.); (J.L.); (T.V.)
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK; (J.C.-F.); (G.K.)
| | - Juan Castillo-Fernandez
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK; (J.C.-F.); (G.K.)
| | - Gavin Kelsey
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK; (J.C.-F.); (G.K.)
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | - Louise Zanella
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centro de Excelencia en Medicina Traslacional (CEMT), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile; (C.I.); (K.B.); (H.D.); (L.Z.); (J.L.); (T.V.)
| | - Michel Abanto
- Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile;
| | - Ismael Riquelme
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco 4810101, Chile;
| | - Jaime López
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centro de Excelencia en Medicina Traslacional (CEMT), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile; (C.I.); (K.B.); (H.D.); (L.Z.); (J.L.); (T.V.)
| | - Tamara Viscarra
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centro de Excelencia en Medicina Traslacional (CEMT), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile; (C.I.); (K.B.); (H.D.); (L.Z.); (J.L.); (T.V.)
| | - Patricia García
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330034, Chile;
| | - Enrique Bellolio
- Departamento Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4781180, Chile;
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Hernán Henríquez Aravena, Temuco 4781151, Chile;
| | - David Saavedra
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Hernán Henríquez Aravena, Temuco 4781151, Chile;
- Clínica Alemana de Temuco, Temuco 4810297, Chile
| | - Priscilla Brebi
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centro de Excelencia en Medicina Traslacional (CEMT), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile; (C.I.); (K.B.); (H.D.); (L.Z.); (J.L.); (T.V.)
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Zhao R, Coker OO, Wu J, Zhou Y, Zhao L, Nakatsu G, Bian X, Wei H, Chan AWH, Sung JJY, Chan FKL, El-Omar E, Yu J. Aspirin Reduces Colorectal Tumor Development in Mice and Gut Microbes Reduce its Bioavailability and Chemopreventive Effects. Gastroenterology 2020; 159:969-983.e4. [PMID: 32387495 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Alterations in the intestinal microbiota affect development of colorectal cancer and drug metabolism. We studied whether the intestinal microbiota affect the ability of aspirin to reduce colon tumor development in mice. METHODS We performed studies with APCmin/+ mice and mice given azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium to induce colorectal carcinogenesis. Some mice were given antibiotics to deplete intestinal microbes, with or without aspirin, throughout the entire experiment. Germ-free mice were studied in validation experiments. Colon tissues were collected and analyzed by histopathology, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, and immunoblots. Blood samples and gut luminal contents were analyzed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and an arylesterase activity assay. Fecal samples were analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA gene and shotgun metagenome sequencing. RESULTS Administration of aspirin to mice reduced colorectal tumor number and load in APCmin/+ mice and mice given azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium that had been given antibiotics (depleted gut microbiota), but not in mice with intact microbiota. Germ-free mice given aspirin developed fewer colorectal tumors than conventionalized germ-free mice given aspirin. Plasma levels of aspirin were higher in mice given antibiotics than in mice with intact gut microbiota. Analyses of luminal contents revealed that aerobic gut microbes, including Lysinibacillus sphaericus, degrade aspirin. Germ-free mice fed L sphaericus had lower plasma levels of aspirin than germ-free mice that were not fed this bacterium. There was an inverse correlation between aspirin dose and colorectal tumor development in conventional mice, but this correlation was lost with increased abundance of L sphaericus. Fecal samples from mice fed aspirin were enriched in Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus genera, which are considered beneficial, and had reductions in Alistipes finegoldii and Bacteroides fragili, which are considered pathogenic. CONCLUSIONS Aspirin reduces development of colorectal tumors in APCmin/+ mice and mice given azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium, depending on the presence of intestinal microbes. L sphaericus in the gut degrades aspirin and reduced its chemopreventive effects in mice. Fecal samples from mice fed aspirin were enriched in beneficial bacteria, with reductions in pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risheng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Olabisi Oluwabukola Coker
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jianlin Wu
- Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Yunfei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Liuyang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Geicho Nakatsu
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiqing Bian
- Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Hong Wei
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China; Department of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anthony W H Chan
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Joseph J Y Sung
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Francis K L Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Emad El-Omar
- Microbiome Research Centre, St George & Sutherland Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jun Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Patani H, Rushton MD, Higham J, Teijeiro SA, Oxley D, Cutillas P, Sproul D, Ficz G. Transition to naïve human pluripotency mirrors pan-cancer DNA hypermethylation. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3671. [PMID: 32699299 PMCID: PMC7376100 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17269-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic reprogramming is a cancer hallmark, but how it unfolds during early neoplastic events and its role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression is not fully understood. Here we show that resetting from primed to naïve human pluripotency results in acquisition of a DNA methylation landscape mirroring the cancer DNA methylome, with gradual hypermethylation of bivalent developmental genes. We identify a dichotomy between bivalent genes that do and do not become hypermethylated, which is also mirrored in cancer. We find that loss of H3K4me3 at bivalent regions is associated with gain of methylation. Additionally, we observe that promoter CpG island hypermethylation is not restricted solely to emerging naïve cells, suggesting that it is a feature of a heterogeneous intermediate population during resetting. These results indicate that transition to naïve pluripotency and oncogenic transformation share common epigenetic trajectories, which implicates reprogramming and the pluripotency network as a central hub in cancer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemalvi Patani
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ, London, UK
| | - Michael D Rushton
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ, London, UK
| | - Jonathan Higham
- MRC Human Genetics Unit and Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, EH4 2XU, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Saul A Teijeiro
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ, London, UK
| | - David Oxley
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Babraham Institute, CB22 3AT, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pedro Cutillas
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ, London, UK
| | - Duncan Sproul
- MRC Human Genetics Unit and Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, EH4 2XU, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gabriella Ficz
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ, London, UK.
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46
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Eggeling F, Hoffmann F. Microdissection—An Essential Prerequisite for Spatial Cancer Omics. Proteomics 2020; 20:e2000077. [DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202000077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Eggeling
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyMALDI Imaging and Core Unit Proteome AnalysisDFG Core Unit Jena Biophotonic and Imaging Laboratory (JBIL)Jena University Hospital Am Klinikum 1 Jena 07747 Germany
| | - Franziska Hoffmann
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyMALDI Imaging and Core Unit Proteome AnalysisDFG Core Unit Jena Biophotonic and Imaging Laboratory (JBIL)Jena University Hospital Am Klinikum 1 Jena 07747 Germany
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47
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Lian H, Wang A, Shen Y, Wang Q, Zhou Z, Zhang R, Li K, Liu C, Jia H. Identification of novel alternative splicing isoform biomarkers and their association with overall survival in colorectal cancer. BMC Gastroenterol 2020; 20:171. [PMID: 32503434 PMCID: PMC7275609 DOI: 10.1186/s12876-020-01288-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alternative splicing (AS) is an important mechanism of regulating eukaryotic gene expression. Understanding the most common AS events in colorectal cancer (CRC) will help developing diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic tools in CRC. METHODS Publicly available RNA-seq data of 28 pairs of CRC and normal tissues and 18 pairs of metastatic and normal tissues were used to identify AS events using PSI and DEXSeq methods. RESULT The highly significant splicing events were used to search a database of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We identified AS events in 9 genes in CRC (more inclusion of CLK1-E4, COL6A3-E6, CD44v8-10, alternative first exon regulation of ARHGEF9, CHEK1, HKDC1 and HNF4A) or metastasis (decrease of SERPINA1-E1a, CALD-E5b, E6). Except for CHEK1, all other 8 splicing events were confirmed by TCGA data with 382 CRC tumors and 51 normal controls. The combination of three splicing events was used to build a logistic regression model that can predict sample type (CRC or normal) with near perfect performance (AUC = 1). Two splicing events (COL6A3 and HKDC1) were found to be significantly associated with patient overall survival. The AS features of the 9 genes are highly consistent with previous reports and/or relevant to cancer biology. CONCLUSIONS The significant association of higher expression of the COL6A3 E5-E6 junction and HKDC1 E1-E2 with better overall survival was firstly reported. This study might be of significant value in the future biomarker, prognosis marker and therapeutics development of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Lian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital (BMUH), No. 662 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou City, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Aili Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital (BMUH), No. 662 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou City, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Shen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital (BMUH), No. 662 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou City, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Wang
- Tianjia Genomes Tech CO., LTD., Anhui Chaohu Economic Develop Zone, No. 6 Longquan Road, Hefei, 238014, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenru Zhou
- Tianjia Genomes Tech CO., LTD., Anhui Chaohu Economic Develop Zone, No. 6 Longquan Road, Hefei, 238014, People's Republic of China
| | - Ranran Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital (BMUH), No. 662 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou City, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kun Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital (BMUH), No. 662 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou City, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chengxia Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital (BMUH), No. 662 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou City, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongtao Jia
- Tianjia Genomes Tech CO., LTD., Anhui Chaohu Economic Develop Zone, No. 6 Longquan Road, Hefei, 238014, People's Republic of China.
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Aref-Eshghi E, Biswas S, Chen C, Sadikovic B, Chakrabarti S. Glucose-induced, duration-dependent genome-wide DNA methylation changes in human endothelial cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2020; 319:C268-C276. [PMID: 32459505 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00011.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation, a critical epigenetic mechanism, plays an important role in governing gene expressions during biological processes such as aging, which is well known to be accelerated in hyperglycemia (diabetes). In the present study, we investigated the effects of glucose on whole genome DNA methylation in small [human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRECs)] and large [human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)] vessel endothelial cell (EC) lines exposed to basal or high glucose-containing media for variable lengths of time. Using the Infinium EPIC array, we obtained 773,133 CpG sites (probes) for analysis. Unsupervised clustering of the top 5% probes identified four distinct clusters within EC groups, with significant methylation differences attributed to EC types and the duration of cell culture rather than glucose stimuli alone. When comparing the ECs incubated for 2 days versus 7 days, hierarchical clustering analyses [methylation change >10% and false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05] identified 17,354 and 128 differentially methylated CpGs for HUVECs and HRECs, respectively. Predominant DNA hypermethylation was associated with the length of culture and was enriched for gene enhancer elements and regions surrounding CpG shores and shelves. We identified 88 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) for HUVECs and 8 DMRs for HRECs (all FDR <0.05). Pathway enrichment analyses of DMRs highlighted involvement of regulators of embryonic development (i.e., HOX genes) and cellular differentiation [transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family members]. Collectively, our findings suggest that DNA methylation is a complex process that involves tightly coordinated, cell-specific mechanisms. Such changes in methylation overlap genes critical for cellular differentiation and embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erfan Aref-Eshghi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Saumik Biswas
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charlie Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bekim Sadikovic
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Subrata Chakrabarti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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49
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Genome-Wide Open Chromatin Methylome Profiles in Colorectal Cancer. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10050719. [PMID: 32380793 PMCID: PMC7277229 DOI: 10.3390/biom10050719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The methylome of open chromatins was investigated in colorectal cancer (CRC) to explore cancer-specific methylation and potential biomarkers. Epigenome-wide methylome of open chromatins was studied in colorectal cancer tissues using the Infinium DNA MethylationEPIC assay. Differentially methylated regions were identified using the ChAMP Bioconductor. Our stringent analysis led to the discovery of 2187 significant differentially methylated open chromatins in CRCs. More hypomethylated probes were observed and the trend was similar across all chromosomes. The majority of hyper- and hypomethylated probes in open chromatin were in chromosome 1. Our unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis showed that 40 significant differentially methylated open chromatins were able to segregate CRC from normal colonic tissues. Receiver operating characteristic analyses from the top 40 probes revealed several significant, highly discriminative, specific and sensitive probes such as OPLAH cg26256223, EYA4 cg01328892, and CCNA1 cg11513637, among others. OPLAH cg26256223 hypermethylation is associated with reduced gene expression in the CRC. This study reports many open chromatin loci with novel differential methylation statuses, some of which with the potential as candidate markers for diagnostic purposes.
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50
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Luo D, Liu Q, Shan Z, Cai S, Li Q, Li X. Development and validation of a novel epigenetic signature for predicting prognosis in colon cancer. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:8714-8723. [PMID: 32329069 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic factors play a critical role in carcinogenesis by imparting a distinct feature to the chromatin architecture. The present study aimed to develop a novel epigenetic signature for evaluating the relapse-free survival of colon cancer patients. Public microarray datasets were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus databases: GSE39582, GSE17538, GSE33113, and GSE37892 set. Patients from GSE39582 set were randomized 1:1 into training and internal validation series. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups in training series based on a set of 11 epigenetic factors (p < .001). The good reproducibility for the prognostic value of the epigenetic signature was confirmed in the internal validation series (p < .001), external validation series (a combination of GSE17538 set, GSE33113 set, and GSE37892 set; p = .018), and entire series (p < .001). Furthermore, a nomogram, which integrated the epigenetic signature, pathological stage, and postoperative chemotherapy, was developed based on the GSE39582 set. The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve at 1 year demonstrated that the comprehensive signature presented superior prognostic value than the pathological stage. In conclusion, an epigenetic signature, which could be utilized to divide colon cancer patients into two groups with significantly different risk of relapse, was established. This biomarker would aid in identifying patients who require an intensive follow-up and aggressive therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakui Luo
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zezhi Shan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sanjun Cai
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingguo Li
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinxiang Li
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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