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Waghmare I, Gangwani K, Rai A, Singh A, Kango-Singh M. A Tumor-Specific Molecular Network Promotes Tumor Growth in Drosophila by Enforcing a Jun N-Terminal Kinase-Yorkie Feedforward Loop. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1768. [PMID: 38730720 PMCID: PMC11083887 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16091768] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells expand rapidly in response to altered intercellular and signaling interactions to achieve the hallmarks of cancer. Impaired cell polarity combined with activated oncogenes is known to promote several hallmarks of cancer, e.g., activating invasion by increased activity of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and sustained proliferative signaling by increased activity of Hippo effector Yorkie (Yki). Thus, JNK, Yki, and their downstream transcription factors have emerged as synergistic drivers of tumor growth through pro-tumor signaling and intercellular interactions like cell competition. However, little is known about the signals that converge onto JNK and Yki in tumor cells and enable tumor cells to achieve the hallmarks of cancer. Here, using mosaic models of cooperative oncogenesis (RasV12,scrib-) in Drosophila, we show that RasV12,scrib- tumor cells grow through the activation of a previously unidentified network comprising Wingless (Wg), Dronc, JNK, and Yki. We show that RasV12,scrib- cells show increased Wg, Dronc, JNK, and Yki signaling, and all these signals are required for the growth of RasV12,scrib- tumors. We report that Wg and Dronc converge onto a JNK-Yki self-reinforcing positive feedback signal-amplification loop that promotes tumor growth. We found that the Wg-Dronc-Yki-JNK molecular network is specifically activated in polarity-impaired tumor cells and not in normal cells, in which apical-basal polarity remains intact. Our findings suggest that the identification of molecular networks may provide significant insights into the key biologically meaningful changes in signaling pathways and paradoxical signals that promote tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrayani Waghmare
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Karishma Gangwani
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
- Computational Biology Department, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Arushi Rai
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
- Premedical Programs, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
- Integrative Science and Engineering Centre (ISE), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
| | - Madhuri Kango-Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA; (I.W.); (A.R.); (A.S.)
- Premedical Programs, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
- Integrative Science and Engineering Centre (ISE), University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA
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Waghmare I, Gangwani K, Rai A, Singh A, Kango-Singh M. A Tumour-Specific Molecular Network Promotes Tumour Growth in Drosophila by Enforcing a JNK-YKI Feedforward Loop. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.18.561369. [PMID: 37904920 PMCID: PMC10614921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.18.561369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells expand rapidly in response to altered intercellular and signalling interactions to achieve hallmarks of cancer. Impaired cell polarity combined with activated oncogenes is known to promote several hallmarks of cancer e.g., activating invasion by increased activity of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and sustained proliferative signalling by increased activity of Hippo effector Yorkie (Yki). Thus, JNK, Yki, and their downstream transcription factors have emerged as synergistic drivers of tumour growth through pro-tumour signalling and intercellular interactions like cell-competition. However, little is known about the signals that converge onto JNK and Yki in tumour cells that enable the tumour cells to achieve hallmarks of cancer. Here, using mosaic models of cooperative oncogenesis ( Ras V12 , scrib - ) in Drosophila , we show that Ras V12 , scrib - tumour cells grow by activation of a previously unidentified network comprising Wingless (Wg), Dronc, JNK and Yki. We show that Ras V12 , scrib - cells show increased Wg, Dronc, JNK, and Yki signalling, and all of these signals are required for the growth of Ras V12 , scrib - tumours. We report that Wg and Dronc converge onto a JNK-Yki self-reinforcing positive feedback signal-amplification loop that promotes tumour growth. We found that Wg-Dronc-Yki-JNK molecular network is specifically activated in polarity-impaired tumour cells and not in normal cells where apical basal polarity is intact. Our findings suggest that identification of molecular networks may provide significant insights about the key biologically meaningful changes in signalling pathways, and paradoxical signals that promote Tumourigenesis.
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Dillard C, Reis JGT, Rusten TE. RasV12; scrib-/- Tumors: A Cooperative Oncogenesis Model Fueled by Tumor/Host Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168873. [PMID: 34445578 PMCID: PMC8396170 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of how oncogenes and tumor-suppressor mutations can synergize to promote tumor fitness and cancer progression can be studied in relatively simple animal model systems such as Drosophila melanogaster. Almost two decades after the landmark discovery of cooperative oncogenesis between oncogenic RasV12 and the loss of the tumor suppressor scribble in flies, this and other tumor models have provided new concepts and findings in cancer biology that has remarkable parallels and relevance to human cancer. Here we review findings using the RasV12; scrib-/- tumor model and how it has contributed to our understanding of how these initial simple genetic insults cooperate within the tumor cell to set in motion the malignant transformation program leading to tumor growth through cell growth, cell survival and proliferation, dismantling of cell-cell interactions, degradation of basement membrane and spreading to other organs. Recent findings have demonstrated that cooperativity goes beyond cell intrinsic mechanisms as the tumor interacts with the immediate cells of the microenvironment, the immune system and systemic organs to eventually facilitate malignant progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Dillard
- Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway;
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379 Oslo, Norway
- Correspondence: (C.D.); (T.E.R.)
| | - José Gerardo Teles Reis
- Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway;
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Tor Erik Rusten
- Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway;
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Montebello, 0379 Oslo, Norway
- Correspondence: (C.D.); (T.E.R.)
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