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Hu C, Li Q, Xiang L, Luo Y, Li S, An J, Yu X, Zhang G, Chen Y, Wang Y, Wang D. Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis unveils the significant prognostic value and potential role in immune microenvironment modulation of TRIB3. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:234-250. [PMID: 38161736 PMCID: PMC10757237 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.11.043] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
TRIB3, a pseudokinase, was previously studied within only some specific cancer types, leaving its comprehensive functions in pan-cancer contexts largely unexplored. Here, we performed an integrated analysis of TRIB3 expression, prognosis, genetic alterations, functional enrichment and tumor immune-related characteristics in 33 cancer types. Our results showed that TRIB3 exhibits high expression levels across 24 different cancer types and correlates closely with unfavorable prognoses. Meanwhile, TRIB3 shows mutations in a wide spectrum of 22 distinct cancer types, with the predominant mutation types being missense mutations and gene amplifications, and significant changes in DNA methylation levels in 14 types of cancer. We further discovered that TRIB3 expression is significantly associated with cancer immune-related genome mutations, such as tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI) and DNA mismatch repair (MMR), and infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, such as CD4+ Th2 cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), into the tumor microenvironment. These results indicated that the expression of TRIB3 might reshape the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and lead to immunosuppressive "cold" tumors. In addition, our results confirmed that the loss of function of TRIB3 inhibits cell proliferation, promotes apoptosis, and leads to significant enrichment of "hot" tumor-related immune pathways, at least in breast cancer cells, which further supports the important role of TRIB3 in cancer prognosis and TIME regulation. Together, this pan-cancer investigation provided a comprehensive understanding of the critical role of TRIB3 in human cancers, and suggested that TRIB3 might be a promising prognostic biomarker and a potential target for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Qingzhou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Lei Xiang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yan Luo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Shengrong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Jun An
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Xiankuo Yu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Guochen Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yuhui Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yumei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
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Lujan C, Tyler EJ, Ecker S, Webster AP, Stead ER, Martinez-Miguel VE, Milligan D, Garbe JC, Stampfer MR, Beck S, Lowe R, Bishop CL, Bjedov I. An expedited screening platform for the discovery of anti-ageing compounds in vitro and in vivo. Genome Med 2024; 16:85. [PMID: 38956711 PMCID: PMC11218148 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01349-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Restraining or slowing ageing hallmarks at the cellular level have been proposed as a route to increased organismal lifespan and healthspan. Consequently, there is great interest in anti-ageing drug discovery. However, this currently requires laborious and lengthy longevity analysis. Here, we present a novel screening readout for the expedited discovery of compounds that restrain ageing of cell populations in vitro and enable extension of in vivo lifespan. METHODS Using Illumina methylation arrays, we monitored DNA methylation changes accompanying long-term passaging of adult primary human cells in culture. This enabled us to develop, test, and validate the CellPopAge Clock, an epigenetic clock with underlying algorithm, unique among existing epigenetic clocks for its design to detect anti-ageing compounds in vitro. Additionally, we measured markers of senescence and performed longevity experiments in vivo in Drosophila, to further validate our approach to discover novel anti-ageing compounds. Finally, we bench mark our epigenetic clock with other available epigenetic clocks to consolidate its usefulness and specialisation for primary cells in culture. RESULTS We developed a novel epigenetic clock, the CellPopAge Clock, to accurately monitor the age of a population of adult human primary cells. We find that the CellPopAge Clock can detect decelerated passage-based ageing of human primary cells treated with rapamycin or trametinib, well-established longevity drugs. We then utilise the CellPopAge Clock as a screening tool for the identification of compounds which decelerate ageing of cell populations, uncovering novel anti-ageing drugs, torin2 and dactolisib (BEZ-235). We demonstrate that delayed epigenetic ageing in human primary cells treated with anti-ageing compounds is accompanied by a reduction in senescence and ageing biomarkers. Finally, we extend our screening platform in vivo by taking advantage of a specially formulated holidic medium for increased drug bioavailability in Drosophila. We show that the novel anti-ageing drugs, torin2 and dactolisib (BEZ-235), increase longevity in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Our method expands the scope of CpG methylation profiling to accurately and rapidly detecting anti-ageing potential of drugs using human cells in vitro, and in vivo, providing a novel accelerated discovery platform to test sought after anti-ageing compounds and geroprotectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Lujan
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, 72 Huntley Street London, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Eleanor Jane Tyler
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Simone Ecker
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, 72 Huntley Street London, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Amy Philomena Webster
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, 72 Huntley Street London, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Eleanor Rachel Stead
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, 72 Huntley Street London, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Victoria Eugenia Martinez-Miguel
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, 72 Huntley Street London, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Deborah Milligan
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - James Charles Garbe
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Martha Ruskin Stampfer
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Stephan Beck
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, 72 Huntley Street London, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
| | - Robert Lowe
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Cleo Lucinda Bishop
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Ivana Bjedov
- UCL Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, University College London, 72 Huntley Street London, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
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Ambatipudi S, Inchanalkar M, Mahimkar MB. Role of DNA methylation-based mitotic ageing indices in oral cancer development and recurrence. Oral Dis 2024; 30:2929-2939. [PMID: 37846052 DOI: 10.1111/odi.14764] [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: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE DNA methylation data can be used to derive mitotic indices from complex tissues. Here, we assessed if the DNA methylation-derived mitotic ageing indices are associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) development and recurrence-free survival (RFS). METHODS DNA methylation-based mitotic indices (MitoticAge, TNSC and hypoSC) were derived using algorithms "MitoticAge" and "epiTOC2" for the discovery [non-malignant (n = 22), premalignant (n = 22) and OSCC (n = 68) tissues] and validation datasets (GSE87053, GSE136704 and TCGA-HNSCC). Differences in mitotic indices between non-malignant, premalignant and OSCC tissues were assessed. Finally, the association between estimated mitotic indices and RFS was evaluated in OSCCs. RESULTS In the discovery and validation datasets, increased mitotic ageing was observed in OSCC compared to non-malignant and premalignant oral tissues. HPV-positive HNSCCs had higher mitotic index TNSC. Mitotic age index hypoSC was associated with RFS in OSCC (p = 0.011, HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.24-5.48). CONCLUSIONS DNA methylation-derived mitotic indices are associated with OSCC development and RFS. Thus, DNA methylation-derived mitotic indices may be a valuable research tool to reliably estimate the cumulative number of stem cell divisions in malignant and non-malignant oral tissues. Future research utilizing mitotic indices for predicting clinical outcomes in OSCC is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikant Ambatipudi
- Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Govt. Medical College Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Mayuri Inchanalkar
- Mahimkar Lab, Cancer Research Institute, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Manoj B Mahimkar
- Mahimkar Lab, Cancer Research Institute, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Jia W, Li N, Wang J, Gong X, Ouedraogo SY, Wang Y, Zhao J, Grech G, Chen L, Zhan X. Immune-related gene methylation prognostic instrument for stratification and targeted treatment of ovarian cancer patients toward advanced 3PM approach. EPMA J 2024; 15:375-404. [PMID: 38841623 PMCID: PMC11148001 DOI: 10.1007/s13167-024-00359-3] [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: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Background DNA methylation is an important mechanism in epigenetics, which can change the transcription ability of genes and is closely related to the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer (OC). We hypothesize that DNA methylation is significantly different in OCs compared to controls. Specific DNA methylation status can be used as a biomarker of OC, and targeted drugs targeting these methylation patterns and DNA methyltransferase may have better therapeutic effects. Studying the key DNA methylation sites of immune-related genes (IRGs) in OC patients and studying the effects of these methylation sites on the immune microenvironment may provide a new method for further exploring the pathogenesis of OC, realizing early detection and effective monitoring of OC, identifying effective biomarkers of DNA methylation subtypes and drug targets, improving the efficacy of targeted drugs or overcoming drug resistance, and better applying it to predictive diagnosis, prevention, and personalized medicine (PPPM; 3PM) of OC. Method Hypermethylated subtypes (cluster 1) and hypomethylated subtypes (cluster 2) were established in OCs based on the abundance of different methylation sites in IRGs. The differences in immune score, immune checkpoints, immune cells, and overall survival were analyzed between different methylation subtypes in OC samples. The significant pathways, gene ontology (GO), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the identified methylation sites in IRGs were enriched. In addition, the immune-related methylation signature was constructed with multiple regression analysis. A methylation site model based on IRGs was constructed and verified. Results A total of 120 IRGs with 142 differentially methylated sites (DMSs) were identified. The DMSs were clustered into a high-level methylation group (cluster 1) and a low-level methylation group (cluster 2). The significant pathways and GO analysis showed many immune-related and cancer-associated enrichments. A methylation site signature based on IRGs was constructed, including RORC|cg25112191, S100A13|cg14467840, TNF|cg04425624, RLN2|cg03679581, and IL1RL2|cg22797169. The methylation sites of all five genes showed hypomethylation in OC, and there were statistically significant differences among RORC|cg25112191, S100A13|cg14467840, and TNF|cg04425624 (p < 0.05). This prognostic model based on low-level methylation and high-level methylation groups was significantly linked to the immune microenvironment as well as overall survival in OC. Conclusions This study provided different methylation subtypes for OC patients according to the methylation sites of IRGs. In addition, it helps establish a relationship between methylation and the immune microenvironment, which showed specific differences in biological signaling pathways, genomic changes, and immune mechanisms within the two subgroups. These data provide ones to deeply understand the mechanism of immune-related methylation genes on the occurrence and development of OC. The methylation-site signature is also to establish new possibilities for OC therapy. These data are a precious resource for stratification and targeted treatment of OC patients toward an advanced 3PM approach. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-024-00359-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenshuang Jia
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong Provincial Key Medical and Health Laboratory of Ovarian Cancer Multiomics, & Shandong Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, Shandong 250117 People’s Republic of China
| | - Na Li
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong Provincial Key Medical and Health Laboratory of Ovarian Cancer Multiomics, & Shandong Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, Shandong 250117 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Pathology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, Shandong 250117 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxia Gong
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong Provincial Key Medical and Health Laboratory of Ovarian Cancer Multiomics, & Shandong Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, Shandong 250117 People’s Republic of China
| | - Serge Yannick Ouedraogo
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong Provincial Key Medical and Health Laboratory of Ovarian Cancer Multiomics, & Shandong Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, Shandong 250117 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Wang
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong Provincial Key Medical and Health Laboratory of Ovarian Cancer Multiomics, & Shandong Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, Shandong 250117 People’s Republic of China
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, 250117 People’s Republic of China
| | - Junkai Zhao
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong Provincial Key Medical and Health Laboratory of Ovarian Cancer Multiomics, & Shandong Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, Shandong 250117 People’s Republic of China
| | - Godfrey Grech
- Department of Pathology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, 250117 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xianquan Zhan
- Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong Provincial Key Medical and Health Laboratory of Ovarian Cancer Multiomics, & Shandong Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, Shandong 250117 People’s Republic of China
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Tong H, Dwaraka VB, Chen Q, Luo Q, Lasky-Su JA, Smith R, Teschendorff AE. Quantifying the stochastic component of epigenetic aging. NATURE AGING 2024; 4:886-901. [PMID: 38724732 PMCID: PMC11186785 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-024-00600-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/15/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation clocks can accurately estimate chronological age and, to some extent, also biological age, yet the process by which age-associated DNA methylation (DNAm) changes are acquired appears to be quasi-stochastic, raising a fundamental question: how much of an epigenetic clock's predictive accuracy could be explained by a stochastic process of DNAm change? Here, using DNAm data from sorted immune cells, we build realistic simulation models, subsequently demonstrating in over 22,770 sorted and whole-blood samples from 25 independent cohorts that approximately 66-75% of the accuracy underpinning Horvath's clock could be driven by a stochastic process. This fraction increases to 90% for the more accurate Zhang's clock, but is lower (63%) for the PhenoAge clock, suggesting that biological aging is reflected by nonstochastic processes. Confirming this, we demonstrate that Horvath's age acceleration in males and PhenoAge's age acceleration in severe coronavirus disease 2019 cases and smokers are not driven by an increased rate of stochastic change but by nonstochastic processes. These results significantly deepen our understanding and interpretation of epigenetic clocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huige Tong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Qingwen Chen
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Qi Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jessica A Lasky-Su
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Andrew E Teschendorff
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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Zhu T, Tong H, Du Z, Beck S, Teschendorff AE. An improved epigenetic counter to track mitotic age in normal and precancerous tissues. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4211. [PMID: 38760334 PMCID: PMC11101651 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48649-8] [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: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The cumulative number of stem cell divisions in a tissue, known as mitotic age, is thought to be a major determinant of cancer-risk. Somatic mutational and DNA methylation (DNAm) clocks are promising tools to molecularly track mitotic age, yet their relationship is underexplored and their potential for cancer risk prediction in normal tissues remains to be demonstrated. Here we build and validate an improved pan-tissue DNAm counter of total mitotic age called stemTOC. We demonstrate that stemTOC's mitotic age proxy increases with the tumor cell-of-origin fraction in each of 15 cancer-types, in precancerous lesions, and in normal tissues exposed to major cancer risk factors. Extensive benchmarking against 6 other mitotic counters shows that stemTOC compares favorably, specially in the preinvasive and normal-tissue contexts. By cross-correlating stemTOC to two clock-like somatic mutational signatures, we confirm the mitotic-like nature of only one of these. Our data points towards DNAm as a promising molecular substrate for detecting mitotic-age increases in normal tissues and precancerous lesions, and hence for developing cancer-risk prediction strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Huige Tong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Zhaozhen Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Stephan Beck
- Medical Genomics Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
| | - Andrew E Teschendorff
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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7
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Liu Y, Sun Y, Yang J, Wu D, Yu S, Liu J, Hu T, Luo J, Zhou H. DNMT1-targeting remodeling global DNA hypomethylation for enhanced tumor suppression and circumvented toxicity in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:104. [PMID: 38755637 PMCID: PMC11097543 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01993-1] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The faithful maintenance of DNA methylation homeostasis indispensably requires DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in cancer progression. We previously identified DNMT1 as a potential candidate target for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, how the DNMT1- associated global DNA methylation is exploited to regulate OSCC remains unclear. METHODS The shRNA-specific DNMT1 knockdown was employed to target DNMT1 on oral cancer cells in vitro, as was the use of DNMT1 inhibitors. A xenografted OSCC mouse model was established to determine the effect on tumor suppression. High-throughput microarrays of DNA methylation, bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, multiplex immunohistochemistry, functional sphere formation and protein immunoblotting were utilized to explore the molecular mechanism involved. Analysis of human samples revealed associations between DNMT1 expression, global DNA methylation and collaborative molecular signaling with oral malignant transformation. RESULTS We investigated DNMT1 expression boosted steadily during oral malignant transformation in human samples, and its inhibition considerably minimized the tumorigenicity in vitro and in a xenografted OSCC model. DNMT1 overexpression was accompanied by the accumulation of cancer-specific DNA hypomethylation during oral carcinogenesis; conversely, DNMT1 knockdown caused atypically extensive genome-wide DNA hypomethylation in cancer cells and xenografted tumors. This novel DNMT1-remodeled DNA hypomethylation pattern hampered the dual activation of PI3K-AKT and CDK2-Rb and inactivated GSK3β collaboratively. When treating OSCC mice, targeting DNMT1 achieved greater anticancer efficacy than the PI3K inhibitor, and reduced the toxicity of blood glucose changes caused by the PI3K inhibitor or combination of PI3K and CDK inhibitors as well as adverse insulin feedback. CONCLUSIONS Targeting DNMT1 remodels a novel global DNA hypomethylation pattern to facilitate anticancer efficacy and minimize potential toxic effects via balanced signaling synergia. Our study suggests DNMT1 is a crucial gatekeeper regarding OSCC destiny and treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangfan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- School of Stomatology, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, Hainan, China
| | - Jin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Deyang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Shuang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Junjiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Tao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jingjing Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Hongmei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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Teschendorff AE. On epigenetic stochasticity, entropy and cancer risk. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230054. [PMID: 38432318 PMCID: PMC10909509 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0054] [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: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic changes are known to accrue in normal cells as a result of ageing and cumulative exposure to cancer risk factors. Increasing evidence points towards age-related epigenetic changes being acquired in a quasi-stochastic manner, and that they may play a causal role in cancer development. Here, I describe the quasi-stochastic nature of DNA methylation (DNAm) changes in ageing cells as well as in normal cells at risk of neoplastic transformation, discussing the implications of this stochasticity for developing cancer risk prediction strategies, and in particular, how it may require a conceptual paradigm shift in how we select cancer risk markers. I also describe the mounting evidence that a significant proportion of DNAm changes in ageing and cancer development are related to cell proliferation, reflecting tissue-turnover and the opportunity this offers for predicting cancer risk via the development of epigenetic mitotic-like clocks. Finally, I describe how age-associated DNAm changes may be causally implicated in cancer development via an irreversible suppression of tissue-specific transcription factors that increases epigenetic and transcriptomic entropy, promoting a more plastic yet aberrant cancer stem-cell state. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes and consequences of stochastic processes in development and disease'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E. Teschendorff
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China
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Toh H, Sasaki H. Spatiotemporal DNA methylation dynamics shape megabase-scale methylome landscapes. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302403. [PMID: 38233073 PMCID: PMC10794778 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302403] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic mechanism that regulates cellular reprogramming and development. Studies using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing have revealed distinct DNA methylome landscapes in human and mouse cells and tissues. However, the factors responsible for the differences in megabase-scale methylome patterns between cell types remain poorly understood. By analyzing publicly available 258 human and 301 mouse whole-genome bisulfite sequencing datasets, we reveal that genomic regions rich in guanine and cytosine, when located near the nuclear center, are highly susceptible to both global DNA demethylation and methylation events during embryonic and germline reprogramming. Furthermore, we found that regions that generate partially methylated domains during global DNA methylation are more likely to resist global DNA demethylation, contain high levels of adenine and thymine, and are adjacent to the nuclear lamina. The spatial properties of genomic regions, influenced by their guanine-cytosine content, are likely to affect the accessibility of molecules involved in DNA (de)methylation. These properties shape megabase-scale DNA methylation patterns and change as cells differentiate, leading to the emergence of different megabase-scale methylome patterns across cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidehiro Toh
- https://ror.org/02xg1m795 Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
- https://ror.org/00p4k0j84 Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Sasaki
- https://ror.org/00p4k0j84 Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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10
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Tibben BM, Rothbart SB. Mechanisms of DNA Methylation Regulatory Function and Crosstalk with Histone Lysine Methylation. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168394. [PMID: 38092287 PMCID: PMC10957332 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168394] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a well-studied epigenetic modification that has key roles in regulating gene expression, maintaining genome integrity, and determining cell fate. Precisely how DNA methylation patterns are established and maintained in specific cell types at key developmental stages is still being elucidated. However, research over the last two decades has contributed to our understanding of DNA methylation regulation by other epigenetic processes. Specifically, lysine methylation on key residues of histone proteins has been shown to contribute to the allosteric regulation of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activities. In this review, we discuss the dynamic interplay between DNA methylation and histone lysine methylation as epigenetic regulators of genome function by synthesizing key recent studies in the field. With a focus on DNMT3 enzymes, we discuss mechanisms of DNA methylation and histone lysine methylation crosstalk in the regulation of gene expression and the maintenance of genome integrity. Further, we discuss how alterations to the balance of various sites of histone lysine methylation and DNA methylation contribute to human developmental disorders and cancers. Finally, we provide perspectives on the current direction of the field and highlight areas for continued research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey M Tibben
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Scott B Rothbart
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA.
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11
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de Lima Camillo LP. pyaging: a Python-based compendium of GPU-optimized aging clocks. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btae200. [PMID: 38603598 PMCID: PMC11058068 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btae200] [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: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Aging is intricately linked to diseases and mortality. It is reflected in molecular changes across various tissues which can be leveraged for the development of biomarkers of aging using machine learning models, known as aging clocks. Despite advancements in the field, a significant challenge remains: the lack of robust, Python-based software tools for integrating and comparing these diverse models. This gap highlights the need for comprehensive solutions that can handle the complexity and variety of data in aging research. RESULTS To address this gap, I introduce pyaging, a comprehensive open-source Python package designed to facilitate aging research. pyaging harmonizes dozens of aging clocks, covering a range of molecular data types such as DNA methylation, transcriptomics, histone mark ChIP-Seq, and ATAC-Seq. The package is not limited to traditional model types; it features a diverse array, from linear and principal component models to neural networks and automatic relevance determination models. Thanks to a PyTorch-based backend that enables GPU acceleration, pyaging is capable of rapid inference, even when dealing with large datasets and complex models. In addition, the package's support for multi-species analysis extends its utility across various organisms, including humans, various mammals, and Caenorhabditis elegans. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION pyaging is accessible on GitHub, at https://github.com/rsinghlab/pyaging, and the distribution is available on PyPi, at https://pypi.org/project/pyaging/. The software is also archived on Zenodo, at https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.10335011.
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12
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Tiedemann RL, Hrit J, Du Q, Wiseman AK, Eden HE, Dickson BM, Kong X, Chomiak AA, Vaughan RM, Hebert JM, David Y, Zhou W, Baylin SB, Jones PA, Clark SJ, Rothbart SB. UHRF1 ubiquitin ligase activity supports the maintenance of low-density CpG methylation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.13.580169. [PMID: 38405904 PMCID: PMC10888769 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.13.580169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The RING E3 ubiquitin ligase UHRF1 is an established cofactor for DNA methylation inheritance. Nucleosomal engagement through histone and DNA interactions directs UHRF1 ubiquitin ligase activity toward lysines on histone H3 tails, creating binding sites for DNMT1 through ubiquitin interacting motifs (UIM1 and UIM2). Here, we profile contributions of UHRF1 and DNMT1 to genome-wide DNA methylation inheritance and dissect specific roles for ubiquitin signaling in this process. We reveal DNA methylation maintenance at low-density CpGs is vulnerable to disruption of UHRF1 ubiquitin ligase activity and DNMT1 ubiquitin reading activity through UIM1. Hypomethylation of low-density CpGs in this manner induces formation of partially methylated domains (PMD), a methylation signature observed across human cancers. Furthermore, disrupting DNMT1 UIM2 function abolishes DNA methylation maintenance. Collectively, we show DNMT1-dependent DNA methylation inheritance is a ubiquitin-regulated process and suggest a disrupted UHRF1-DNMT1 ubiquitin signaling axis contributes to the development of PMDs in human cancers.
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13
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Masala N, Mittag M, Giovannetti EA, O'Neil DA, Distler F, Rupprecht P, Helmchen F, Yuste R, Fuhrmann M, Beck H, Wenzel M, Kelly T. Aberrant hippocampal Ca 2+ micro-waves following synapsin-dependent adeno-associated viral expression of Ca 2+ indicators. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.08.566169. [PMID: 37986838 PMCID: PMC10659308 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.08.566169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) such as GCaMP are invaluable tools in neuroscience to monitor neuronal activity using optical imaging. The viral transduction of GECIs is commonly used to target expression to specific brain regions, can be conveniently used with any mouse strain of interest without the need for prior crossing with a GECI mouse line and avoids potential hazards due to the chronic expression of GECIs during development. A key requirement for monitoring neuronal activity with an indicator is that the indicator itself minimally affects activity. Here, using common adeno-associated viral (AAV) transduction procedures, we describe spatially confined aberrant Ca2+ micro-waves slowly travelling through the hippocampus following expression of GCaMP6, GCaMP7 or R-CaMP1.07 driven by the synapsin promoter with AAV-dependent gene transfer, in a titre-dependent fashion. Ca2+ micro-waves developed in hippocampal CA1 and CA3, but not dentate gyrus (DG) nor neocortex, were typically first observed at 4 weeks after viral transduction, and persisted up to at least 8 weeks. The phenomenon was robust, observed across laboratories with various experimenters and setups. Our results indicate that aberrant hippocampal Ca2+ micro-waves depend on the promoter and viral titre of the GECI, density of expression as well as the targeted brain region. We used an alternative viral transduction method of GCaMP which avoids this artifact. The results show that commonly used Ca2+-indicator AAV transduction procedures can produce artefactual Ca2+ responses. Our aim is to raise awareness in the field of these artefactual transduction-induced Ca2+ micro-waves and we provide a potential solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Masala
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Manuel Mittag
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Darik A O'Neil
- NeuroTechnology Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fabian Distler
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
| | - Peter Rupprecht
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rafael Yuste
- NeuroTechnology Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Fuhrmann
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Heinz Beck
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Wenzel
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tony Kelly
- University of Bonn, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research (IEECR), Bonn, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn
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14
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Abstract
Lymphoid neoplasms represent a heterogeneous group of disease entities and subtypes with markedly different molecular and clinical features. Beyond genetic alterations, lymphoid tumors also show widespread epigenomic changes. These severely affect the levels and distribution of DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin accessibility, and three-dimensional genome interactions. DNA methylation stands out as a tracer of cell identity and memory, as B cell neoplasms show epigenetic imprints of their cellular origin and proliferative history, which can be quantified by an epigenetic mitotic clock. Chromatin-associated marks are informative to uncover altered regulatory regions and transcription factor networks contributing to the development of distinct lymphoid tumors. Tumor-intrinsic epigenetic and genetic aberrations cooperate and interact with microenvironmental cells to shape the transcriptome at different phases of lymphoma evolution, and intraclonal heterogeneity can now be characterized by single-cell profiling. Finally, epigenetics offers multiple clinical applications, including powerful diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martí Duran-Ferrer
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain;
| | - José Ignacio Martín-Subero
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain;
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Departamento de Fundamentos Clínicos, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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15
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Li G, Mahajan S, Ma S, Jeffery ED, Zhang X, Bhattacharjee A, Venkatasubramanian M, Weirauch MT, Miraldi ER, Grimes HL, Sheynkman GM, Tilburgs T, Salomonis N. Splicing neoantigen discovery with SNAF reveals shared targets for cancer immunotherapy. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eade2886. [PMID: 38232136 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.ade2886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a crucial strategy to combat cancer by "reprogramming" a patient's own immune system. Although immunotherapy is typically reserved for patients with a high mutational burden, neoantigens produced from posttranscriptional regulation may provide an untapped reservoir of common immunogenic targets for new targeted therapies. To comprehensively define tumor-specific and likely immunogenic neoantigens from patient RNA-Seq, we developed Splicing Neo Antigen Finder (SNAF), an easy-to-use and open-source computational workflow to predict splicing-derived immunogenic MHC-bound peptides (T cell antigen) and unannotated transmembrane proteins with altered extracellular epitopes (B cell antigen). This workflow uses a highly accurate deep learning strategy for immunogenicity prediction (DeepImmuno) in conjunction with new algorithms to rank the tumor specificity of neoantigens (BayesTS) and to predict regulators of mis-splicing (RNA-SPRINT). T cell antigens from SNAF were frequently evidenced as HLA-presented peptides from mass spectrometry (MS) and predict response to immunotherapy in melanoma. Splicing neoantigen burden was attributed to coordinated splicing factor dysregulation. Shared splicing neoantigens were found in up to 90% of patients with melanoma, correlated to overall survival in multiple cancer cohorts, induced T cell reactivity, and were characterized by distinct cells of origin and amino acid preferences. In addition to T cell neoantigens, our B cell focused pipeline (SNAF-B) identified a new class of tumor-specific extracellular neoepitopes, which we termed ExNeoEpitopes. ExNeoEpitope full-length mRNA predictions were tumor specific and were validated using long-read isoform sequencing and in vitro transmembrane localization assays. Therefore, our systematic identification of splicing neoantigens revealed potential shared targets for therapy in heterogeneous cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyuan Li
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Shweta Mahajan
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Siyuan Ma
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Erin D Jeffery
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Anukana Bhattacharjee
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Meenakshi Venkatasubramanian
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Emily R Miraldi
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - H Leighton Grimes
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Gloria M Sheynkman
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Tamara Tilburgs
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Nathan Salomonis
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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16
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Harvanek ZM, Boks MP, Vinkers CH, Higgins-Chen AT. The Cutting Edge of Epigenetic Clocks: In Search of Mechanisms Linking Aging and Mental Health. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:694-705. [PMID: 36764569 PMCID: PMC10409884 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with psychiatric disorders are at increased risk of age-related diseases and early mortality. Recent studies demonstrate that this link between mental health and aging is reflected in epigenetic clocks, aging biomarkers based on DNA methylation. The reported relationships between epigenetic clocks and mental health are mostly correlational, and the mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we review recent progress concerning the molecular and cellular processes underlying epigenetic clocks as well as novel technologies enabling further studies of the causes and consequences of epigenetic aging. We then review the current literature on how epigenetic clocks relate to specific aspects of mental health, such as stress, medications, substance use, health behaviors, and symptom clusters. We propose an integrated framework where mental health and epigenetic aging are each broken down into multiple distinct processes, which are then linked to each other, using stress and schizophrenia as examples. This framework incorporates the heterogeneity and complexity of both mental health conditions and aging, may help reconcile conflicting results, and provides a basis for further hypothesis-driven research in humans and model systems to investigate potentially causal mechanisms linking aging and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M Harvanek
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Marco P Boks
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan H Vinkers
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Mood, Anxiety, Psychosis, Sleep & Stress program, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Albert T Higgins-Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
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17
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Kerr L, Kafetzopoulos I, Grima R, Sproul D. Genome-wide single-molecule analysis of long-read DNA methylation reveals heterogeneous patterns at heterochromatin that reflect nucleosome organisation. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010958. [PMID: 37782664 PMCID: PMC10569558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010958] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing technology is central to our current understanding of the human methylome. The vast majority of studies use chemical conversion to analyse bulk-level patterns of DNA methylation across the genome from a population of cells. While this technology has been used to probe single-molecule methylation patterns, such analyses are limited to short reads of a few hundred basepairs. DNA methylation can also be directly detected using Nanopore sequencing which can generate reads measuring megabases in length. However, thus far these analyses have largely focused on bulk-level assessment of DNA methylation. Here, we analyse DNA methylation in single Nanopore reads from human lymphoblastoid cells, to show that bulk-level metrics underestimate large-scale heterogeneity in the methylome. We use the correlation in methylation state between neighbouring sites to quantify single-molecule heterogeneity and find that heterogeneity varies significantly across the human genome, with some regions having heterogeneous methylation patterns at the single-molecule level and others possessing more homogeneous methylation patterns. By comparing the genomic distribution of the correlation to epigenomic annotations, we find that the greatest heterogeneity in single-molecule patterns is observed within heterochromatic partially methylated domains (PMDs). In contrast, reads originating from euchromatic regions and gene bodies have more ordered DNA methylation patterns. By analysing the patterns of single molecules in more detail, we show the existence of a nucleosome-scale periodicity in DNA methylation that accounts for some of the heterogeneity we uncover in long single-molecule DNA methylation patterns. We find that this periodic structure is partially masked in bulk data and correlates with DNA accessibility as measured by nanoNOMe-seq, suggesting that it could be generated by nucleosomes. Our findings demonstrate the power of single-molecule analysis of long-read data to understand the structure of the human methylome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndsay Kerr
- MRC Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ioannis Kafetzopoulos
- MRC Human Genetics Unit and CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Current address: Altos Labs Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ramon Grima
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan Sproul
- MRC Human Genetics Unit and CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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18
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Varshavsky M, Harari G, Glaser B, Dor Y, Shemer R, Kaplan T. Accurate age prediction from blood using a small set of DNA methylation sites and a cohort-based machine learning algorithm. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100567. [PMID: 37751697 PMCID: PMC10545910 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Chronological age prediction from DNA methylation sheds light on human aging, health, and lifespan. Current clocks are mostly based on linear models and rely upon hundreds of sites across the genome. Here, we present GP-age, an epigenetic non-linear cohort-based clock for blood, based upon 11,910 methylomes. Using 30 CpG sites alone, GP-age outperforms state-of-the-art models, with a median accuracy of ∼2 years on held-out blood samples, for both array and sequencing-based data. We show that aging-related changes occur at multiple neighboring CpGs, with implications for using fragment-level analysis of sequencing data in aging research. By training three independent clocks, we show enrichment of donors with consistent deviation between predicted and actual age, suggesting individual rates of biological aging. Overall, we provide a compact yet accurate alternative to array-based clocks for blood, with applications in longitudinal aging research, forensic profiling, and monitoring epigenetic processes in transplantation medicine and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miri Varshavsky
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; The Center for Computational Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gil Harari
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin Glaser
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hadassah Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yuval Dor
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; The Center for Computational Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ruth Shemer
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tommy Kaplan
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; The Center for Computational Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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19
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Liu R, Zhao E, Yu H, Yuan C, Abbas MN, Cui H. Methylation across the central dogma in health and diseases: new therapeutic strategies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:310. [PMID: 37620312 PMCID: PMC10449936 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01528-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The proper transfer of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein is essential for cell-fate control, development, and health. Methylation of DNA, RNAs, histones, and non-histone proteins is a reversible post-synthesis modification that finetunes gene expression and function in diverse physiological processes. Aberrant methylation caused by genetic mutations or environmental stimuli promotes various diseases and accelerates aging, necessitating the development of therapies to correct the disease-driver methylation imbalance. In this Review, we summarize the operating system of methylation across the central dogma, which includes writers, erasers, readers, and reader-independent outputs. We then discuss how dysregulation of the system contributes to neurological disorders, cancer, and aging. Current small-molecule compounds that target the modifiers show modest success in certain cancers. The methylome-wide action and lack of specificity lead to undesirable biological effects and cytotoxicity, limiting their therapeutic application, especially for diseases with a monogenic cause or different directions of methylation changes. Emerging tools capable of site-specific methylation manipulation hold great promise to solve this dilemma. With the refinement of delivery vehicles, these new tools are well positioned to advance the basic research and clinical translation of the methylation field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruochen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing, 401329, China
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Silk Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, Chongqing, 400716, China
- Engineering Research Center for Cancer Biomedical and Translational Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Erhu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing, 401329, China
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Silk Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, Chongqing, 400716, China
- Engineering Research Center for Cancer Biomedical and Translational Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Huijuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Chaoyu Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Muhammad Nadeem Abbas
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing, 401329, China
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Silk Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, Chongqing, 400716, China
- Engineering Research Center for Cancer Biomedical and Translational Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Hongjuan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing, 401329, China.
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Silk Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, Chongqing, 400716, China.
- Engineering Research Center for Cancer Biomedical and Translational Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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20
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Kanholm T, Rentia U, Hadley M, Karlow JA, Cox OL, Diab N, Bendall ML, Dawson T, McDonald JI, Xie W, Crandall KA, Burns KH, Baylin SB, Easwaran H, Chiappinelli KB. Oncogenic Transformation Drives DNA Methylation Loss and Transcriptional Activation at Transposable Element Loci. Cancer Res 2023; 83:2584-2599. [PMID: 37249603 PMCID: PMC10527578 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-3485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TE) are typically silenced by DNA methylation and repressive histone modifications in differentiated healthy human tissues. However, TE expression increases in a wide range of cancers and is correlated with global hypomethylation of cancer genomes. We assessed expression and DNA methylation of TEs in fibroblast cells that were serially transduced with hTERT, SV40, and HRASR24C to immortalize and then transform them, modeling the different steps of the tumorigenesis process. RNA sequencing and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing were performed at each stage of transformation. TE expression significantly increased as cells progressed through transformation, with the largest increase in expression after the final stage of transformation, consistent with data from human tumors. The upregulated TEs were dominated by endogenous retroviruses [long terminal repeats (LTR)]. Most differentially methylated regions (DMR) in all stages were hypomethylated, with the greatest hypomethylation in the final stage of transformation. A majority of the DMRs overlapped TEs from the RepeatMasker database, indicating that TEs are preferentially demethylated. Many hypomethylated TEs displayed a concordant increase in expression. Demethylation began during immortalization and continued into transformation, while upregulation of TE transcription occurred in transformation. Numerous LTR elements upregulated in the model were also identified in The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets of breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Overall, these findings indicate that TEs, specifically endogenous retroviruses, are demethylated and transcribed during transformation. SIGNIFICANCE Analysis of epigenetic and transcriptional changes in a transformation model reveals that transposable element expression and methylation are dysregulated during oncogenic transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Kanholm
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- The Institute for Biomedical Sciences at the George Washington University
| | - Uzma Rentia
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Melissa Hadley
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Karlow
- Department of Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute / Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Olivia L. Cox
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Noor Diab
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
| | - Matthew L. Bendall
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tyson Dawson
- The Institute for Biomedical Sciences at the George Washington University
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - James I. McDonald
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Wenbing Xie
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Keith A. Crandall
- Computational Biology Institute, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kathleen H. Burns
- Department of Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute / Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen B. Baylin
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hari Easwaran
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Katherine B. Chiappinelli
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- The Institute for Biomedical Sciences at the George Washington University
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21
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Minteer CJ, Thrush K, Gonzalez J, Niimi P, Rozenblit M, Rozowsky J, Liu J, Frank M, McCabe T, Sehgal R, Higgins-Chen AT, Hofstatter E, Pusztai L, Beckman K, Gerstein M, Levine ME. More than bad luck: Cancer and aging are linked to replication-driven changes to the epigenome. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf4163. [PMID: 37467337 PMCID: PMC10355820 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf4163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Aging is a leading risk factor for cancer. While it is proposed that age-related accumulation of somatic mutations drives this relationship, it is likely not the full story. We show that aging and cancer share a common epigenetic replication signature, which we modeled using DNA methylation from extensively passaged immortalized human cells in vitro and tested on clinical tissues. This signature, termed CellDRIFT, increased with age across multiple tissues, distinguished tumor from normal tissue, was escalated in normal breast tissue from cancer patients, and was transiently reset upon reprogramming. In addition, within-person tissue differences were correlated with predicted lifetime tissue-specific stem cell divisions and tissue-specific cancer risk. Our findings suggest that age-related replication may drive epigenetic changes in cells and could push them toward a more tumorigenic state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyra Thrush
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine,
New Haven, CT, USA
- San Diego Institute of Science, Altos Labs, San
Diego, CA, USA
| | - John Gonzalez
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine,
New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Peter Niimi
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine,
New Haven, CT, USA
- San Diego Institute of Science, Altos Labs, San
Diego, CA, USA
| | - Mariya Rozenblit
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of
Medical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Joel Rozowsky
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and
Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jason Liu
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and
Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mor Frank
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and
Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Thomas McCabe
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine,
New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Raghav Sehgal
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine,
New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Erin Hofstatter
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of
Medical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lajos Pusztai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of
Medical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kenneth Beckman
- Biomedical Genomics Center, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mark Gerstein
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and
Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Morgan E. Levine
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine,
New Haven, CT, USA
- San Diego Institute of Science, Altos Labs, San
Diego, CA, USA
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22
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Ferrari AJ, Rawat P, Rendulich HS, Annapragada AV, Kinose Y, Zhang X, Devins K, Budina A, Scharpf RB, Mitchell MA, Tanyi JL, Morgan MA, Schwartz LE, Soong TR, Velculescu VE, Drapkin R. H2Bub1 loss is an early contributor to clear cell ovarian cancer progression. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e164995. [PMID: 37345659 PMCID: PMC10371241 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.164995] [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: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic aberrations, including posttranslational modifications of core histones, are major contributors to cancer. Here, we define the status of histone H2B monoubiquitylation (H2Bub1) in clear cell ovarian carcinoma (CCOC), low-grade serous carcinoma, and endometrioid carcinomas. We report that clear cell carcinomas exhibited profound loss, with nearly all cases showing low or negative H2Bub1 expression. Moreover, we found that H2Bub1 loss occurred in endometriosis and atypical endometriosis, which are established precursors to CCOCs. To examine whether dysregulation of a specific E3 ligase contributes to the loss of H2Bub1, we explored expression of ring finger protein 40 (RNF40), ARID1A, and UBR7 in the same case cohort. Loss of RNF40 was significantly and profoundly correlated with loss of H2Bub1. Using genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of 230 patients with CCOC, we identified hypermethylation of RNF40 in CCOC as a likely mechanism underlying the loss of H2Bub1. Finally, we demonstrated that H2Bub1 depletion promoted cell proliferation and clonogenicity in an endometriosis cell line. Collectively, our results indicate that H2Bub1 plays a tumor-suppressive role in CCOCs and that its loss contributes to disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Ferrari
- Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology; and
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Priyanka Rawat
- Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | - Hannah S. Rendulich
- Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | - Akshaya V. Annapragada
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yasuto Kinose
- Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | - Xiaoming Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kyle Devins
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anna Budina
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Robert B. Scharpf
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marilyn A. Mitchell
- Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | - Janos L. Tanyi
- Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | - Mark A. Morgan
- Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | - Lauren E. Schwartz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - T. Rinda Soong
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Victor E. Velculescu
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ronny Drapkin
- Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology; and
- Basser Center for BRCA, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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