Tumor progression and chromatin landscape of lung cancer are regulated by the lineage factor GATA6

PLAU, transcriptionally negatively regulated by GATA6, promotes lung squamous carcinoma cell proliferation and migration

BACKGROUND

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is associated with high mortality and has limited therapeutic treatment options. Plasminogen activator urokinase (PLAU) plays important roles in tumor cell malignancy. However, the oncogenic role of PLAU in the progression of LUSC remains unknown. GATA-binding factor 6 (GATA6), a key regulator of lung development, inhibits LUSC cell proliferation and migration, but the underlying regulatory mechanism remains to be further explored. Moreover, the regulatory effect of GATA6 on PLAU expression has not been reported. The aim of this study was to identify the role of PLAU and the transcriptional inhibition mechanism of GATA6 on PLAU expression in LUSC.

METHODS

To identify the potential target genes regulated by GATA6, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) obtained from GEO datasets analysis and RNA-seq experiment were subjected to Venn analysis and correlation heatmap analysis. The transcriptional regulatory effects of GATA6 on PLAU expression were detected by real-time PCR, immunoblotting, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The oncogenic effects of PLAU on LUSC cell proliferation and migration were evaluated by EdU incorporation, Matrigel 3D culture and Transwell assays. PLAU expression was detected in tissue microarray of LUSC via immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay. To determine prognostic factors for prognosis of LUSC patients, the clinicopathological characteristics and PLAU expression were subjected to univariate Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

PLAU overexpression promoted LUSC cell proliferation and migration. PLAU is overexpressed in LUSC tissues compared with normal tissues. Consistently, high PLAU expression, which acts as an independent risk factor, is associated with poor prognosis of LUSC patients. Furthermore, the expression of PLAU is transcriptionally regulated by GATA6.

CONCLUSION

In this work, it was revealed that PLAU is a novel oncogene for LUSC and a new molecular regulatory mechanism of GATA6 in LUSC was unveiled. Targeting the GATA6/PLAU pathway might help in the development of novel therapeutic treatment strategies for LUSC.

GATA6 inhibits the biological function of non-small cell lung cancer by modulating glucose metabolism

PURPOSE

This study aims to explore the role of GATA6 in lung cancer, with a focus on its impact on metabolic processes.

METHODS

We assessed GATA6 expression in lung cancer tissues and its association with patient prognosis. In vitro cell function experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of altered GATA6 levels on lung cancer cell proliferation and migration. Mechanistic insights were gained by examining GATA6's influence on glucose metabolism-related genes, particularly its effect on c-Myc mRNA expression.

RESULTS

Our study revealed significant down-regulation of GATA6 in lung cancer tissues, and this down-regulation was strongly correlated with unfavorable patient prognosis. Elevating GATA6 levels effectively inhibited the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells in our cell function experiments. Mechanistically, we found that GATA6 suppressed the expression of c-Myc mRNA, impacting genes related to glucose metabolism. As a result, glucose uptake and metabolism in lung cancer cells were disrupted, ultimately impeding their malignant behaviors.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides crucial insights into the metabolic regulation of GATA6 in lung cancer cells. These findings have the potential to offer a solid theoretical foundation for the development of novel clinical treatments for lung cancer.

Cellular plasticity in reprogramming, rejuvenation and tumorigenesis: a pioneer TF perspective

The multistep process of in vivo reprogramming, mediated by the transcription factors (TFs) Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM), holds great promise for the development of rejuvenating and regenerative strategies. However, most of the approaches developed so far are accompanied by a persistent risk of tumorigenicity. Here, we review the groundbreaking effects of in vivo reprogramming with a particular focus on rejuvenation and regeneration. We discuss how the activity of pioneer TFs generates cellular plasticity that may be critical for inducing not only reprogramming and regeneration, but also cancer initiation. Finally, we highlight how a better understanding of the uncoupled control of cellular identity, plasticity, and aging during reprogramming might pave the way to the development of rejuvenating/regenerating strategies in a nontumorigenic manner.

Preliminary results from the EMoLung clinical study showing early lung cancer detection by the LC score

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer (LC) causes more deaths worldwide than any other cancer type. Despite advances in therapeutic strategies, the fatality rate of LC cases remains high (95%) since the majority of patients are diagnosed at late stages when patient prognosis is poor. Analysis of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) database indicates that early diagnosis is significantly associated with favorable outcome. However, since symptoms of LC at early stages are unspecific and resemble those of benign pathologies, current diagnostic approaches are mostly initiated at advanced LC stages.

METHODS

We developed a LC diagnosis test based on the analysis of distinct RNA isoforms expressed from the GATA6 and NKX2-1 gene loci, which are detected in exhaled breath condensates (EBCs). Levels of these transcript isoforms in EBCs were combined to calculate a diagnostic score (the LC score). In the present study, we aimed to confirm the applicability of the LC score for the diagnosis of early stage LC under clinical settings. Thus, we evaluated EBCs from patients with early stage, resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who were prospectively enrolled in the EMoLung study at three sites in Germany.

RESULTS

LC score-based classification of EBCs confirmed its performance under clinical conditions, achieving a sensitivity of 95.7%, 91.3% and 84.6% for LC detection at stages I, II and III, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The LC score is an accurate and non-invasive option for early LC diagnosis and a valuable complement to LC screening procedures based on computed tomography.

Resveratrol Improves the Cytotoxic Effect of CD8+T Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment by Regulating HMMR/Ferroptosis in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death process, is a potential therapeutic strategy for Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Resveratrol (RES) is an anti-tumor polyphenol. However, whether and how RES treats LUSC is not yet known. This study aimed to investigate the effect of RES on LUSC and to explore its potential mechanism. This study used a combination of proteomics, bioinformatics, clinical samples, and cell experiments to study the interaction between HMMR and the ferroptosis signaling pathway and investigate the role of RES in regulating tumor immune microenvironment and anti-tumor by cytotoxic CD8 +T cells in LUSC. Ferroptosis signaling pathway and HMMR were involved in the LUSC tumor immune microenvironment and correlated with worse prognosis of LUSC patients. RES+H520 cells induced a higher level of ferroptosis and MDA, mainly by reducing the expression of GPX4 and SLC7A11, inducing the expression of ACSL4 and TFRC. HMMR, GSH, and SOD contents were lower observed than in H520 cells. When HMMR was expressed, SLC7A11 was also highly expressed in LUSC, and there was an interaction between HMMR expression and SLC7A11. In addition, RES increased the TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-12, and IL-2 expression and increased the cytotoxic effects of CD8 +T cells expressions in LUSC. Resveratrol regulates SLC7A11-HMMR interaction, activates ferroptosis, enhances the cytotoxic effect of CD8 +T cells, and regulates the tumor immune microenvironment. Based on the pathogenesis of LUSC and the clinical efficacy of RES, this study explored the influence of RES on LUSC, clarified its biological effects, and further provided cell biological basis for the clinical application of RES, which could guide clinical combination and personalized medicine, improve the response rate of immunotherapy and benefit more patients with LUSC.

Lineage tracing reveals the phylodynamics, plasticity, and paths of tumor evolution

Tumor evolution is driven by the progressive acquisition of genetic and epigenetic alterations that enable uncontrolled growth and expansion to neighboring and distal tissues. The study of phylogenetic relationships between cancer cells provides key insights into these processes. Here, we introduced an evolving lineage-tracing system with a single-cell RNA-seq readout into a mouse model of Kras;Trp53(KP)-driven lung adenocarcinoma and tracked tumor evolution from single-transformed cells to metastatic tumors at unprecedented resolution. We found that the loss of the initial, stable alveolar-type2-like state was accompanied by a transient increase in plasticity. This was followed by the adoption of distinct transcriptional programs that enable rapid expansion and, ultimately, clonal sweep of stable subclones capable of metastasizing. Finally, tumors develop through stereotypical evolutionary trajectories, and perturbing additional tumor suppressors accelerates progression by creating novel trajectories. Our study elucidates the hierarchical nature of tumor evolution and, more broadly, enables in-depth studies of tumor progression.

Long non-coding RNA GATA6-AS1 upregulates GATA6 to regulate the biological behaviors of lung adenocarcinoma cells

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is known to be one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally. In recent decades, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been indicated to exert pivotal regulating functions in multiple biological behaviors in the initiation and development of LUAD. However, the functional mechanism of lncRNA GATA binding protein 6 antisense RNA 1 (GATA6-AS1) in LUAD has not been explored.

Methods

In the current study, GATA6-AS1 expression in LUAD tissues was revealed. Meanwhile, GATA6-AS1 expression in LUAD cells was investigated via RT-qPCR analysis. After A549 and H1975 cells were transfected with GATA6-AS1 overexpression plasmids, EdU and colony formation assays, TUNEL assays and flow cytometry analyses, as well as wound healing and Transwell assays were conducted to detect cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Afterwards, bioinformatic tools, western blot analyses, dual-luciferase reporter assays, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were performed to investigate the correlation of microRNA-4530 (miR-4530), GATA6-AS1 and GATA6.

Results

We found that GATA6-AS1 expression was low-expressed in LUAD tissues and cells. Furthermore, the upregulation of GATA6-AS1 suppressed the proliferative, migration and invasion abilities, as well as promoted apoptotic rate of A549 and H1975 cells. Moreover, the mechanistic investigations revealed that GATA6-AS1 upregulated the expression of its cognate sense gene GATA6 by binding with miR-4530, thereby modulating the malignant progression of LUAD cells.

Conclusions

GATA6-AS1 repressed LUAD cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis via regulation of the miR-4530/GATA6 axis, indicating GATA6-AS1 as a new prognostic biomarker for LUAD.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12890-021-01521-7.