1
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Freeman E, Langlois S, Leyba MF, Ammar T, Léger Z, McMillan HJ, Renaud JM, Jasmin BJ, Cowan KN. Pannexin 1 dysregulation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and its exacerbation of dystrophic features in mdx mice. Skelet Muscle 2024; 14:8. [PMID: 38671506 PMCID: PMC11046831 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-024-00340-8] [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: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is associated with impaired muscle regeneration, progressive muscle weakness, damage, and wasting. While the cause of DMD is an X-linked loss of function mutation in the gene encoding dystrophin, the exact mechanisms that perpetuate the disease progression are unknown. Our laboratory has demonstrated that pannexin 1 (Panx1 in rodents; PANX1 in humans) is critical for the development, strength, and regeneration of male skeletal muscle. In normal skeletal muscle, Panx1 is part of a multiprotein complex with dystrophin. We and others have previously shown that Panx1 levels and channel activity are dysregulated in various mouse models of DMD. METHODS We utilized myoblast cell lines derived from DMD patients to assess PANX1 expression and function. To investigate how Panx1 dysregulation contributes to DMD, we generated a dystrophic (mdx) mouse model that lacks Panx1 (Panx1-/-/mdx). In depth characterization of this model included histological analysis, as well as locomotor, and physiological tests such as muscle force and grip strength assessments. RESULTS Here, we demonstrate that PANX1 levels and channel function are reduced in patient-derived DMD myoblast cell lines. Panx1-/-/mdx mice have a significantly reduced lifespan, and decreased body weight due to lean mass loss. Their tibialis anterior were more affected than their soleus muscles and displayed reduced mass, myofiber loss, increased centrally nucleated myofibers, and a lower number of muscle stem cells compared to that of Panx1+/+/mdx mice. These detrimental effects were associated with muscle and locomotor functional impairments. In vitro, PANX1 overexpression in patient-derived DMD myoblasts improved their differentiation and fusion. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our findings suggest that PANX1/Panx1 dysregulation in DMD exacerbates several aspects of the disease. Moreover, our results suggest a potential therapeutic benefit to increasing PANX1 levels in dystrophic muscles.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/genetics
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/metabolism
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/pathology
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/physiopathology
- Connexins/genetics
- Connexins/metabolism
- Mice, Inbred mdx
- Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism
- Muscle, Skeletal/pathology
- Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology
- Male
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
- Humans
- Mice
- Myoblasts/metabolism
- Cell Line
- Muscle Strength
- Disease Models, Animal
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Freeman
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Pediatric General Surgery, 401 Smyth Rd, Room 3360, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Stéphanie Langlois
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Ottawa, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Pediatric General Surgery, 401 Smyth Rd, Room 3360, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Marcos F Leyba
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Ottawa, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Pediatric General Surgery, 401 Smyth Rd, Room 3360, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Tarek Ammar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Zacharie Léger
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Pediatric General Surgery, 401 Smyth Rd, Room 3360, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Hugh J McMillan
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Pediatric General Surgery, 401 Smyth Rd, Room 3360, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Jean-Marc Renaud
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Bernard J Jasmin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kyle N Cowan
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Ottawa, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Pediatric General Surgery, 401 Smyth Rd, Room 3360, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada.
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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2
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Lissoni A, Tao S, Allewaert R, Witschas K, Leybaert L. Cx43 Hemichannel and Panx1 Channel Modulation by Gap19 and 10Panx1 Peptides. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11612. [PMID: 37511370 PMCID: PMC10380488 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411612] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cx43 hemichannels (HCs) and Panx1 channels are two genetically distant protein families. Despite the lack of sequence homology, Cx43 and Panx1 channels have been the subject of debate due to their overlapping expression and the fact that both channels present similarities in terms of their membrane topology and electrical properties. Using the mimetic peptides Gap19 and 10Panx1, this study aimed to investigate the cross-effects of these peptides on Cx43 HCs and Panx1 channels. The single-channel current activity from stably expressing HeLa-Cx43 and C6-Panx1 cells was recorded using patch-clamp experiments in whole-cell voltage-clamp mode, demonstrating 214 pS and 68 pS average unitary conductances for the respective channels. Gap19 was applied intracellularly while 10Panx1 was applied extracellularly at different concentrations (100, 200 and 500 μM) and the average nominal open probability (NPo) was determined for each testing condition. A concentration of 100 µM Gap19 more than halved the NPo of Cx43 HCs, while 200 µM 10Panx1 was necessary to obtain a half-maximal NPo reduction in the Panx1 channels. Gap19 started to significantly inhibit the Panx1 channels at 500 µM, reducing the NPo by 26% while reducing the NPo of the Cx43 HCs by 84%. In contrast 10Panx1 significantly reduced the NPo of the Cx43 HCs by 37% at 100 µM and by 83% at 200 µM, a concentration that caused the half-maximal inhibition of the Panx1 channels. These results demonstrate that 10Panx1 inhibits Cx43 HCs over the 100-500 µM concentration range while 500 µM intracellular Gap19 is necessary to observe some inhibition of Panx1 channels.
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3
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Langlois S, St-Pierre ME, Holland SH, Xiang X, Freeman E, Mohamed H, Dural AC, Hammad A, Karami S, van de Panne C, Cowan KN. Inhibition of PANX1 Channels Reduces the Malignant Properties of Human High-Risk Neuroblastoma. J Cancer 2023; 14:689-706. [PMID: 37056395 PMCID: PMC10088893 DOI: 10.7150/jca.79552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pannexin 1 (PANX1) is expressed in many tissue types including tissues of neural origin. Neuroblastoma (NB) is a neural crest-derived malignancy mainly occurring in children. The majority of NB patients present with high-risk disease for which current therapies are ineffective. Here, we show that while PANX1 is expressed in NB of all stages, high PANX1 expression in high-risk NB is associated with a reduced survival probability. PANX1 channel inhibition using probenecid (PBN) or carbenoxolone (CBX) reduced the proliferation of our panel of high-risk NB cell lines. We show that expression of the Y10F PANX1 mutant, which cannot be phosphorylated on tyrosine 10 and acts in a dominant-negative manner, curtailed NB cell proliferation. Furthermore, PBN and CBX treatment halted the growth of NB spheroids and in some cases triggered the regression of established NB spheroids. Finally, both drugs reduced the progression of high-risk NB in vivo. Together our data indicate that PANX1 channels regulate human NB malignant properties and that the use of PBN or CBX may provide a new therapeutic approach for high-risk NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Langlois
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marie-Eve St-Pierre
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen H. Holland
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiao Xiang
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emily Freeman
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hisham Mohamed
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmet Cem Dural
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmed Hammad
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sanaz Karami
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chloé van de Panne
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kyle N. Cowan
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- ✉ Corresponding author: Dr. Kyle N. Cowan, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Pediatric General Surgery, 401 Smyth Rd, Room 3370, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L1, Canada; E-mail: ; Phone: +1 613-737-7600 (ext. 2675); Fax: 613-738-4849
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Harcha PA, López-López T, Palacios AG, Sáez PJ. Pannexin Channel Regulation of Cell Migration: Focus on Immune Cells. Front Immunol 2022; 12:750480. [PMID: 34975840 PMCID: PMC8716617 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.750480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of Pannexin (PANX) channels during collective and single cell migration is increasingly recognized. Amongst many functions that are relevant to cell migration, here we focus on the role of PANX-mediated adenine nucleotide release and associated autocrine and paracrine signaling. We also summarize the contribution of PANXs with the cytoskeleton, which is also key regulator of cell migration. PANXs, as mechanosensitive ATP releasing channels, provide a unique link between cell migration and purinergic communication. The functional association with several purinergic receptors, together with a plethora of signals that modulate their opening, allows PANX channels to integrate physical and chemical cues during inflammation. Ubiquitously expressed in almost all immune cells, PANX1 opening has been reported in different immunological contexts. Immune activation is the epitome coordination between cell communication and migration, as leukocytes (i.e., T cells, dendritic cells) exchange information while migrating towards the injury site. In the current review, we summarized the contribution of PANX channels during immune cell migration and recruitment; although we also compile the available evidence for non-immune cells (including fibroblasts, keratinocytes, astrocytes, and cancer cells). Finally, we discuss the current evidence of PANX1 and PANX3 channels as a both positive and/or negative regulator in different inflammatory conditions, proposing a general mechanism of these channels contribution during cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paloma A Harcha
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Tamara López-López
- Cell Communication and Migration Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Adrián G Palacios
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Pablo J Sáez
- Cell Communication and Migration Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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5
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Quercetin induces pannexin 1 expression via an alternative transcript with a translationally active 5' leader in rhabdomyosarcoma. Oncogenesis 2022; 11:9. [PMID: 35194046 PMCID: PMC8864035 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-022-00384-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a deadly cancer of skeletal muscle origin. Pannexin 1 (PANX1) is down-regulated in RMS and increasing its levels drastically inhibits RMS progression. PANX1 upregulation thus represents a prospective new treatment strategy for this malignancy. However, the mechanisms regulating PANX1 expression, in RMS and other contexts, remain largely unknown. Here we show that both RMS and normal skeletal muscle express a comparable amount of PANX1 mRNAs, but surprisingly the canonical 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) or 5′ leader of the transcript is completely lost in RMS. We uncover that quercetin, a natural plant flavonoid, increases PANX1 protein levels in RMS by inducing re-expression of a 5′ leader-containing PANX1 transcript variant that is efficiently translated. This particular PANX1 mRNA variant is also present in differentiated human skeletal muscle myoblasts (HSMM) that highly express PANX1. Mechanistically, abolishing ETV4 transcription factor binding sites in the PANX1 promoter significantly reduced the luciferase reporter activities and PANX1 5′ UTR levels, and both quercetin treatment in RMS cells and induction of differentiation in HSMM enriched the binding of ETV4 to its consensus element in the PANX1 promoter. Notably, quercetin treatment promoted RMS differentiation in a PANX1-dependent manner. Further showing its therapeutic potential, quercetin treatment prevented RMS in vitro tumor formation while inducing complete regression of established spheroids. Collectively, our results demonstrate the tumor-suppressive effects of quercetin in RMS and present a hitherto undescribed mechanism of PANX1 regulation via ETV4-mediated transcription of a translationally functional 5′ leader-containing PANX1 mRNA.
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6
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Laird DW, Penuela S. Pannexin biology and emerging linkages to cancer. Trends Cancer 2021; 7:1119-1131. [PMID: 34389277 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pannexins are a family of glycoproteins that comprises three members, PANX1, PANX2, and PANX3. The widely expressed and interrogated PANX1 forms heptameric membrane channels that primarily serve to connect the cytoplasm to the extracellular milieu by being selectively permeable to small signaling molecules when activated. Apart from notable exceptions, PANX1 in many tumor cells appears to facilitate tumor growth and metastasis, suggesting that pannexin-blocking therapeutics may have utility in cancer. Attenuation of PANX1 function must also consider the fact that PANX1 is found in stromal cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME), including immune cells. This review highlights the key discoveries of the past 5 years that suggest pannexins facilitate, or in some cases inhibit, tumor cell growth and metastasis via direct protein interactions and through the regulated efflux of signaling molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale W Laird
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Silvia Penuela
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; Department of Oncology, Divisions of Experimental Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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7
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Xiang X, Langlois S, St-Pierre ME, Blinder A, Charron P, Graber TE, Fowler SL, Baird SD, Bennett SAL, Alain T, Cowan KN. Identification of pannexin 1-regulated genes, interactome, and pathways in rhabdomyosarcoma and its tumor inhibitory interaction with AHNAK. Oncogene 2021; 40:1868-1883. [PMID: 33564071 PMCID: PMC7946643 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01623-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children, is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. Despite current management, the 5-year survival rate for patients with metastatic RMS is ∼30%; underscoring the need to develop better treatment strategies. We have recently reported that pannexin 1 (PANX1) levels are downregulated in RMS and that restoring its expression inhibits RMS progression. Here, we have surveyed and characterized the molecular changes induced by PANX1 re-expression in RMS. We cataloged transcriptomic changes in this context by RNA sequencing. At the protein level, we unveiled PANX1 interactors using BioID, complemented by co-immunoprecipitation coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry performed in PANX1-enriched fractions. Using these data, we generated searchable public databases for the PANX1 interactome and changes to the RMS transcriptome occurring when PANX1 expression is restored. STRING network analyses revealed a PANX1 interactome involving plasma membrane and cytoskeleton-associated proteins including the previously undescribed interactor AHNAK. Indeed, AHNAK knockdown abrogated the PANX1-mediated reduction in RMS cell viability and migration. Using these unbiased approaches, we bring insight to the mechanisms by which PANX1 inhibits RMS progression, identifying the cell migration protein AHNAK as a key modifier of PANX1-mediated changes in RMS malignant properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Xiang
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Stéphanie Langlois
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Marie-Eve St-Pierre
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Anna Blinder
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Philippe Charron
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tyson E Graber
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Stephanie L Fowler
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Neural Regeneration Laboratory and Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Stephen D Baird
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Steffany A L Bennett
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Neural Regeneration Laboratory and Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tommy Alain
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kyle N Cowan
- Molecular Biomedicine Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Jalaleddine N, El-Hajjar L, Dakik H, Shaito A, Saliba J, Safi R, Zibara K, El-Sabban M. Pannexin1 Is Associated with Enhanced Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Patient Breast Cancer Tissues and in Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11121967. [PMID: 31817827 PMCID: PMC6966616 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11121967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of connexin-mediated cell-cell communication is a hallmark of breast cancer progression. Pannexin1 (PANX1), a glycoprotein that shares structural and functional features with connexins and engages in cell communication with its environment, is highly expressed in breast cancer metastatic foci; however, PANX1 contribution to metastatic progression is still obscure. Here we report elevated expression of PANX1 in different breast cancer (BRCA) subtypes using RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The elevated PANX1 expression correlated with poorer outcomes in TCGA BRCA patients. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway genes correlated positively with PANX1 expression. Pharmacological inhibition of PANX1, in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells, or genetic ablation of PANX1, in MDA-MB-231 cells, reverted the EMT phenotype, as evidenced by decreased expression of EMT markers. In addition, PANX1 inhibition or genetic ablation decreased the invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 cells. Our results suggest PANX1 overexpression in breast cancer is associated with a shift towards an EMT phenotype, in silico and in vitro, attributing to it a tumor-promoting effect, with poorer clinical outcomes in breast cancer patients. This association offers a novel target for breast cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour Jalaleddine
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Beirut Arab University, Beirut 1107-2809, Lebanon;
| | - Layal El-Hajjar
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon;
| | - Hassan Dakik
- University of Tours, EA 7501 GICC, CNRS ERL 7001 LNOx, CEDEX 01, 37032 Tours, France;
| | - Abdullah Shaito
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut 1105, Lebanon;
| | - Jessica Saliba
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut 1003, Lebanon;
| | - Rémi Safi
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon;
| | - Kazem Zibara
- ER045-Laboratory of Stem Cells, PRASE, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut 1003, Lebanon;
| | - Marwan El-Sabban
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +961-1-350000 (ext. 4765-4766)
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