1
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de Castro FA, Mehdipour P, Chakravarthy A, Ettayebi I, Loo Yau H, Medina TS, Marhon SA, de Almeida FC, Bianco TM, Arruda AGF, Devlin R, de Figueiredo-Pontes LL, Chahud F, da Costa Cacemiro M, Minden MD, Gupta V, De Carvalho DD. Ratio of stemness to interferon signalling as a biomarker and therapeutic target of myeloproliferative neoplasm progression to acute myeloid leukaemia. Br J Haematol 2024; 204:206-220. [PMID: 37726227 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.19107] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Progression to aggressive secondary acute myeloid leukaemia (sAML) poses a significant challenge in the management of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Since the physiopathology of MPN is closely linked to the activation of interferon (IFN) signalling and that AML initiation and aggressiveness is driven by leukaemia stem cells (LSCs), we investigated these pathways in MPN to sAML progression. We found that high IFN signalling correlated with low LSC signalling in MPN and AML samples, while MPN progression and AML transformation were characterized by decreased IFN signalling and increased LSC signature. A high LSC to IFN expression ratio in MPN patients was associated with adverse clinical prognosis and higher colony forming potential. Moreover, treatment with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) activates the IFN signalling pathway in MPN cells by inducing a viral mimicry response. This response is characterized by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) formation and MDA5/RIG-I activation. The HMA-induced IFN response leads to a reduction in LSC signature, resulting in decreased stemness. These findings reveal the frequent evasion of viral mimicry during MPN-to-sAML progression, establish the LSC-to-IFN expression ratio as a progression biomarker, and suggests that HMAs treatment can lead to haematological response in murine models by re-activating dsRNA-associated IFN signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabíola Attié de Castro
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Clinical Analysis, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Parinaz Mehdipour
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ankur Chakravarthy
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ilias Ettayebi
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Helen Loo Yau
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tiago Silva Medina
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Immuno-Oncology Group, International Research Center, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sajid A Marhon
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Felipe Campos de Almeida
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto de Investigação em Imunologia, Institutos Nacionais de Ciência e Tecnologia (INCT-iii), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Thiago Mantello Bianco
- Hematology Division, Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology and Clinical Oncology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Andrea G F Arruda
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rebecca Devlin
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lorena Lobo de Figueiredo-Pontes
- Hematology Division, Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology and Clinical Oncology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Fernando Chahud
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Maira da Costa Cacemiro
- Department of Clinical Analysis, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Mark D Minden
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vikas Gupta
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel D De Carvalho
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Mosaddeghi P, Farahmandnejad M, Zarshenas MM. The role of transposable elements in aging and cancer. Biogerontology 2023:10.1007/s10522-023-10028-z. [PMID: 37017895 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-023-10028-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) constitute a large portion of the human genome. Various mechanisms at the transcription and post-transcription levels developed to suppress TE activity in healthy conditions. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that TE dysregulation is involved in various human diseases, including age-related diseases and cancer. In this review, we explained how sensing TEs by the immune system could induce innate immune responses, chronic inflammation, and following age-related diseases. We also noted that inflammageing and exogenous carcinogens could trigger the upregulation of TEs in precancerous cells. Increased inflammation could enhance epigenetic plasticity and upregulation of early developmental TEs, which rewires the transcriptional networks and gift the survival advantage to the precancerous cells. In addition, upregulated TEs could induce genome instability, activation of oncogenes, or inhibition of tumor suppressors and consequent cancer initiation and progression. So, we suggest that TEs could be considered therapeutic targets in aging and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pouria Mosaddeghi
- Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mitra Farahmandnejad
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Quality Control of Drug Products Department, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad M Zarshenas
- Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- Epilepsy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
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3
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Moore PC, Henderson KW, Classon M. The epigenome and the many facets of cancer drug tolerance. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 158:1-39. [PMID: 36990531 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2022.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The use of chemotherapeutic agents and the development of new cancer therapies over the past few decades has consequently led to the emergence of myriad therapeutic resistance mechanisms. Once thought to be explicitly driven by genetics, the coupling of reversible sensitivity and absence of pre-existing mutations in some tumors opened the way for discovery of drug-tolerant persisters (DTPs): slow-cycling subpopulations of tumor cells that exhibit reversible sensitivity to therapy. These cells confer multi-drug tolerance, to targeted and chemotherapies alike, until the residual disease can establish a stable, drug-resistant state. The DTP state can exploit a multitude of distinct, yet interlaced, mechanisms to survive otherwise lethal drug exposures. Here, we categorize these multi-faceted defense mechanisms into unique Hallmarks of Cancer Drug Tolerance. At the highest level, these are comprised of heterogeneity, signaling plasticity, differentiation, proliferation/metabolism, stress management, genomic integrity, crosstalk with the tumor microenvironment, immune escape, and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. Of these, epigenetics was both one of the first proposed means of non-genetic resistance and one of the first discovered. As we describe in this review, epigenetic regulatory factors are involved in most facets of DTP biology, positioning this hallmark as an overarching mediator of drug tolerance and a potential avenue to novel therapies.
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4
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Dumetier B, Sauter C, Hajmirza A, Pernon B, Aucagne R, Fournier C, Row C, Guidez F, Rossi C, Lepage C, Delva L, Callanan MB. Repeat Element Activation-Driven Inflammation: Role of NFκB and Implications in Normal Development and Cancer? Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10123101. [PMID: 36551854 PMCID: PMC9775655 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The human genome is composed of unique DNA sequences that encode proteins and unique sequence noncoding RNAs that are essential for normal development and cellular differentiation. The human genome also contains over 50% of genome sequences that are repeat in nature (tandem and interspersed repeats) that are now known to contribute dynamically to genetic diversity in populations, to be transcriptionally active under certain physiological conditions, and to be aberrantly active in disease states including cancer, where consequences are pleiotropic with impact on cancer cell phenotypes and on the tumor immune microenvironment. Repeat element-derived RNAs play unique roles in exogenous and endogenous cell signaling under normal and disease conditions. A key component of repeat element-derived transcript-dependent signaling occurs via triggering of innate immune receptor signaling that then feeds forward to inflammatory responses through interferon and NFκB signaling. It has recently been shown that cancer cells display abnormal transcriptional activity of repeat elements and that this is linked to either aggressive disease and treatment failure or to improved prognosis/treatment response, depending on cell context and the amplitude of the so-called 'viral mimicry' response that is engaged. 'Viral mimicry' refers to a cellular state of active antiviral response triggered by endogenous nucleic acids often derived from aberrantly transcribed endogenous retrotransposons and other repeat elements. In this paper, the literature regarding transcriptional activation of repeat elements and engagement of inflammatory signaling in normal (focusing on hematopoiesis) and cancer is reviewed with an emphasis on the role of innate immune receptor signaling, in particular by dsRNA receptors of the RIG-1 like receptor family and interferons/NFκB. How repeat element-derived RNA reprograms cell identity through RNA-guided chromatin state modulation is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Dumetier
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
- Correspondence: (B.D.); (M.B.C.)
| | - Camille Sauter
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Azadeh Hajmirza
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Baptiste Pernon
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Romain Aucagne
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
- Unit for Innovation in Genetics and Epigenetics in Oncology, Dijon University Hospital, 21000 Dijon, France
- CRIGEN, Crispr-Functional Genomics, Dijon University Hospital and University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Cyril Fournier
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
- Unit for Innovation in Genetics and Epigenetics in Oncology, Dijon University Hospital, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Céline Row
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
- Unit for Innovation in Genetics and Epigenetics in Oncology, Dijon University Hospital, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Fabien Guidez
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Cédric Rossi
- School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Côme Lepage
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Laurent Delva
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Mary B. Callanan
- Faculty of Medicine, INSERM1231, University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
- Unit for Innovation in Genetics and Epigenetics in Oncology, Dijon University Hospital, 21000 Dijon, France
- CRIGEN, Crispr-Functional Genomics, Dijon University Hospital and University of Burgundy, 21000 Dijon, France
- Correspondence: (B.D.); (M.B.C.)
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5
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MIR retrotransposons link the epigenome and the transcriptome of coding genes in acute myeloid leukemia. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6524. [PMID: 36316347 PMCID: PMC9622910 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34211-x] [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: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
DNMT3A and IDH1/2 mutations combinatorically regulate the transcriptome and the epigenome in acute myeloid leukemia; yet the mechanisms of this interplay are unknown. Using a systems approach within topologically associating domains, we find that genes with significant expression-methylation correlations are enriched in signaling and metabolic pathways. The common denominator across these methylation-regulated genes is the density in MIR retrotransposons of their introns. Moreover, a discrete number of CpGs overlapping enhancers are responsible for regulating most of these genes. Established mouse models recapitulate the dependency of MIR-rich genes on the balanced expression of epigenetic modifiers, while projection of leukemic profiles onto normal hematopoiesis ones further consolidates the dependencies of methylation-regulated genes on MIRs. Collectively, MIR elements on genes and enhancers are susceptible to changes in DNA methylation activity and explain the cooperativity of proteins in this pathway in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.
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6
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Fu H, Nicolet D, Mrózek K, Stone RM, Eisfeld A, Byrd JC, Archer KJ. Controlled variable selection in Weibull mixture cure models for high-dimensional data. Stat Med 2022; 41:4340-4366. [PMID: 35792553 PMCID: PMC9545322 DOI: 10.1002/sim.9513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Medical breakthroughs in recent years have led to cures for many diseases. The mixture cure model (MCM) is a type of survival model that is often used when a cured fraction exists. Many have sought to identify genomic features associated with a time-to-event outcome which requires variable selection strategies for high-dimensional spaces. Unfortunately, currently few variable selection methods exist for MCMs especially when there are more predictors than samples. This study develops high-dimensional penalized Weibull MCMs, which allow for identification of prognostic factors associated with both cure status and/or survival. We demonstrated how such models may be estimated using two different iterative algorithms. The model-X knockoffs method was combined with these algorithms to control the false discovery rate (FDR) in variable selection. Through extensive simulation studies, our penalized MCMs have been shown to outperform alternative methods on multiple metrics and achieve high statistical power with FDR being controlled. In an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) application with gene expression data, our proposed approach identified 14 genes associated with potential cure and 12 genes with time-to-relapse, which may help inform treatment decisions for AML patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Fu
- Division of BiostatisticsCollege of Public Health, The Ohio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
| | - Deedra Nicolet
- Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes ResearchThe Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer CenterColumbusOhioUSA
- Alliance Statistics and Data Management CenterThe Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer CenterColumbusOhioUSA
| | - Krzysztof Mrózek
- Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes ResearchThe Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer CenterColumbusOhioUSA
| | - Richard M. Stone
- Dana‐Farber/Partners CancerHarvard UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Ann‐Kathrin Eisfeld
- Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes ResearchThe Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer CenterColumbusOhioUSA
| | - John C. Byrd
- Department of Internal MedicineUniversity of CincinnatiCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Kellie J. Archer
- Division of BiostatisticsCollege of Public Health, The Ohio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
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7
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Di Giorgio E, Xodo LE. Endogenous Retroviruses (ERVs): Does RLR (RIG-I-Like Receptors)-MAVS Pathway Directly Control Senescence and Aging as a Consequence of ERV De-Repression? Front Immunol 2022; 13:917998. [PMID: 35757716 PMCID: PMC9218063 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.917998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bi-directional transcription of Human Endogenous Retroviruses (hERVs) is a common feature of autoimmunity, neurodegeneration and cancer. Higher rates of cancer incidence, neurodegeneration and autoimmunity but a lower prevalence of autoimmune diseases characterize elderly people. Although the re-expression of hERVs is commonly observed in different cellular models of senescence as a result of the loss of their epigenetic transcriptional silencing, the hERVs modulation during aging is more complex, with a peak of activation in the sixties and a decline in the nineties. What is clearly accepted, instead, is the impact of the re-activation of dormant hERV on the maintenance of stemness and tissue self-renewing properties. An innate cellular immunity system, based on the RLR-MAVS circuit, controls the degradation of dsRNAs arising from the transcription of hERV elements, similarly to what happens for the accumulation of cytoplasmic DNA leading to the activation of cGAS/STING pathway. While agonists and inhibitors of the cGAS-STING pathway are considered promising immunomodulatory molecules, the effect of the RLR-MAVS pathway on innate immunity is still largely based on correlations and not on causality. Here we review the most recent evidence regarding the activation of MDA5-RIG1-MAVS pathway as a result of hERV de-repression during aging, immunosenescence, cancer and autoimmunity. We will also deal with the epigenetic mechanisms controlling hERV repression and with the strategies that can be adopted to modulate hERV expression in a therapeutic perspective. Finally, we will discuss if the RLR-MAVS signalling pathway actively modulates physiological and pathological conditions or if it is passively activated by them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eros Di Giorgio
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Luigi E Xodo
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
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8
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Alcazer V, Bonaventura P, Tonon L, Michel E, Mutez V, Fabres C, Chuvin N, Boulos R, Estornes Y, Maguer-Satta V, Geistlich K, Viari A, Metzeler KH, Hiddemann W, Batch AMN, Herold T, Caux C, Depil S. HERVs characterize normal and leukemia stem cells and represent a source of shared epitopes for cancer immunotherapy. Am J Hematol 2022; 97:1200-1214. [PMID: 35759575 PMCID: PMC9540360 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.26647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent 8% of the human genome. The expression of HERVs and their immune impact have not been extensively studied in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). In this study, we used a reference of 14,968 HERV functional units to provide a thorough analysis of HERV expression in normal and AML bone marrow cells. We show that the HERV retrotranscriptome accurately characterizes normal and leukemic cell subpopulations, including leukemia stem cells, in line with different epigenetic profiles. We then show that HERV expression delineates AML subtypes with different prognoses. We finally propose a method to select and prioritize CD8+ T cell epitopes derived from AML-specific HERVs and we show that lymphocytes infiltrating patient bone marrow at diagnosis contain naturally occurring CD8+ T cells against these HERV epitopes. We also provide in vitro data supporting the functionality of HERV-specific CD8+ T-cells against AML cells. These results show that HERVs represent an important source of genetic information that can help enhancing disease stratification or biomarker identification and an important reservoir of alternative tumor-specific T cell epitopes relevant for cancer immunotherapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Alcazer
- Department of Hematology, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon Sud Hospital, Pierre-Bénite, France.,Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France
| | - Paola Bonaventura
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Laurie Tonon
- Synergie Lyon Cancer Foundation, Gilles Thomas Bioinformatics Center, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Emilie Michel
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Virginie Mutez
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Clémentine Fabres
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Nicolas Chuvin
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Rasha Boulos
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Yann Estornes
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | | | - Kevin Geistlich
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France
| | - Alain Viari
- Synergie Lyon Cancer Foundation, Gilles Thomas Bioinformatics Center, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Klaus H Metzeler
- Laboratory for Leukemia Diagnostics, Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Dept. of Hematology and Cell Therapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hiddemann
- Laboratory for Leukemia Diagnostics, Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Aarif M N Batch
- Institute of Medical Data Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Data Integration for Future Medicine (DiFuture, www.difuture.de), LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Herold
- Laboratory for Leukemia Diagnostics, Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christophe Caux
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Stéphane Depil
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France.,Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France.,University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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9
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Kermi C, Lau L, Asadi Shahmirzadi A, Classon M. Disrupting Mechanisms that Regulate Genomic Repeat Elements to Combat Cancer and Drug Resistance. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:826461. [PMID: 35602594 PMCID: PMC9114874 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.826461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite advancements in understanding cancer pathogenesis and the development of many effective therapeutic agents, resistance to drug treatment remains a widespread challenge that substantially limits curative outcomes. The historical focus on genetic evolution under drug “pressure” as a key driver of resistance has uncovered numerous mechanisms of therapeutic value, especially with respect to acquired resistance. However, recent discoveries have also revealed a potential role for an ancient evolutionary balance between endogenous “viral” elements in the human genome and diverse factors involved in their restriction in tumor evolution and drug resistance. It has long been appreciated that the stability of genomic repeats such as telomeres and centromeres affect tumor fitness, but recent findings suggest that de-regulation of other repetitive genome elements, including retrotransposons, might also be exploited as cancer therapy. This review aims to present an overview of these recent findings.
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10
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Merkerova MD, Klema J, Kundrat D, Szikszai K, Krejcik Z, Hrustincova A, Trsova I, LE AV, Cermak J, Jonasova A, Belickova M. Noncoding RNAs and Their Response Predictive Value in Azacitidine-treated Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Myelodysplasia-related Changes. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2022; 19:205-228. [PMID: 35181589 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Prediction of response to azacitidine (AZA) treatment is an important challenge in hematooncology. In addition to protein coding genes (PCGs), AZA efficiency is influenced by various noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and transposable elements (TEs). MATERIALS AND METHODS RNA sequencing was performed in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukemia before AZA treatment to assess contribution of ncRNAs to AZA mechanisms and propose novel disease prediction biomarkers. RESULTS Our analyses showed that lncRNAs had the strongest predictive potential. The combined set of the best predictors included 14 lncRNAs, and only four PCGs, one circRNA, and no TEs. Epigenetic regulation and recombinational repair were suggested as crucial for AZA response, and network modeling defined three deregulated lncRNAs (CTC-482H14.5, RP11-419K12.2, and RP11-736I24.4) associated with these processes. CONCLUSION The expression of various ncRNAs can influence the effect of AZA and new ncRNA-based predictive biomarkers can be defined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiri Klema
- Department of Computer Sciences, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Kundrat
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Katarina Szikszai
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Krejcik
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Hrustincova
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Trsova
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Anh Vu LE
- Department of Computer Sciences, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Cermak
- Laboratory of Anemias, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Jonasova
- First Department of Medicine, General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Belickova
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic
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11
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Pradhan RK, Ramakrishna W. Transposons: Unexpected players in cancer. Gene 2022; 808:145975. [PMID: 34592349 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Transposons are repetitive DNA sequences encompassing about half of the human genome. They play a vital role in genome stability maintenance and contribute to genomic diversity and evolution. Their activity is regulated by various mechanisms considering the deleterious effects of these mobile elements. Various genetic risk factors and environmental stress conditions affect the regulatory pathways causing alteration of transposon expression. Our knowledge of the biological role of transposons is limited especially in various types of cancers. Retrotransposons of different types (LTR-retrotransposons, LINEs and SINEs) regulate a plethora of genes that have a role in cell reprogramming, tumor suppression, cell cycle, apoptosis, cell adhesion and migration, and DNA repair. The regulatory mechanisms of transposons, their deregulation and different mechanisms underlying transposon-mediated carcinogenesis in humans focusing on the three most prevalent types, lung, breast and colorectal cancers, were reviewed. The modes of regulation employed include alternative splicing, deletion, insertion, duplication in genes and promoters resulting in upregulation, downregulation or silencing of genes.
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12
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Merkerova MD, Krejcik Z. Transposable elements and Piwi‑interacting RNAs in hemato‑oncology with a focus on myelodysplastic syndrome (Review). Int J Oncol 2021; 59:105. [PMID: 34779490 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2021.5285] [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: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Our current understanding of hematopoietic stem cell differentiation and the abnormalities that lead to leukemogenesis originates from the accumulation of knowledge regarding protein‑coding genes. However, the possible impact of transposable element (TE) mobilization and the expression of P‑element‑induced WImpy testis‑interacting RNAs (piRNAs) on leukemogenesis has been beyond the scope of scientific interest to date. The expression profiles of these molecules and their importance for human health have only been characterized recently due to the rapid progress of high‑throughput sequencing technology development. In the present review, current knowledge on the expression profile and function of TEs and piRNAs was summarized, with specific focus on their reported involvement in leukemogenesis and pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zdenek Krejcik
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, 128 20 Prague, Czech Republic
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Onishi-Seebacher M, Erikson G, Sawitzki Z, Ryan D, Greve G, Lübbert M, Jenuwein T. Repeat to gene expression ratios in leukemic blast cells can stratify risk prediction in acute myeloid leukemia. BMC Med Genomics 2021; 14:166. [PMID: 34174884 PMCID: PMC8234671 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-021-01003-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repeat elements constitute a large proportion of the human genome and recent evidence indicates that repeat element expression has functional roles in both physiological and pathological states. Specifically for cancer, transcription of endogenous retrotransposons is often suppressed to attenuate an anti-tumor immune response, whereas aberrant expression of heterochromatin-derived satellite RNA has been identified as a tumor driver. These insights demonstrate separate functions for the dysregulation of distinct repeat subclasses in either the attenuation or progression of human solid tumors. For hematopoietic malignancies, such as Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), only very few studies on the expression/dysregulation of repeat elements were done. METHODS To study the expression of repeat elements in AML, we performed total-RNA sequencing of healthy CD34 + cells and of leukemic blast cells from primary AML patient material. We also developed an integrative bioinformatic approach that can quantify the expression of repeat transcripts from all repeat subclasses (SINE/ALU, LINE, ERV and satellites) in relation to the expression of gene and other non-repeat transcripts (i.e. R/G ratio). This novel approach can be used as an instructive signature for repeat element expression and has been extended to the analysis of poly(A)-RNA sequencing datasets from Blueprint and TCGA consortia that together comprise 120 AML patient samples. RESULTS We identified that repeat element expression is generally down-regulated during hematopoietic differentiation and that relative changes in repeat to gene expression can stratify risk prediction of AML patients and correlate with overall survival probabilities. A high R/G ratio identifies AML patient subgroups with a favorable prognosis, whereas a low R/G ratio is prevalent in AML patient subgroups with a poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS We developed an integrative bioinformatic approach that defines a general model for the analysis of repeat element dysregulation in physiological and pathological development. We find that changes in repeat to gene expression (i.e. R/G ratios) correlate with hematopoietic differentiation and can sub-stratify AML patients into low-risk and high-risk subgroups. Thus, the definition of a R/G ratio can serve as a valuable biomarker for AML and could also provide insights into differential patient response to epigenetic drug treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Onishi-Seebacher
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research (NIBR), Basel, Switzerland
| | - G Erikson
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Z Sawitzki
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMPRS-MCB) and University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - D Ryan
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - G Greve
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - M Lübbert
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany
| | - T Jenuwein
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany.
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Deblois G, Tonekaboni SAM, Grillo G, Martinez C, Kao YI, Tai F, Ettayebi I, Fortier AM, Savage P, Fedor AN, Liu X, Guilhamon P, Lima-Fernandes E, Murison A, Kuasne H, Ba-alawi W, Cescon DW, Arrowsmith CH, De Carvalho DD, Haibe-Kains B, Locasale JW, Park M, Lupien M. Epigenetic Switch–Induced Viral Mimicry Evasion in Chemotherapy-Resistant Breast Cancer. Cancer Discov 2020; 10:1312-1329. [DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-1493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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15
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Marasca F, Gasparotto E, Polimeni B, Vadalà R, Ranzani V, Bodega B. The Sophisticated Transcriptional Response Governed by Transposable Elements in Human Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093201. [PMID: 32366056 PMCID: PMC7247572 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs), which cover ~45% of the human genome, although firstly considered as “selfish” DNA, are nowadays recognized as driving forces in eukaryotic genome evolution. This capability resides in generating a plethora of sophisticated RNA regulatory networks that influence the cell type specific transcriptome in health and disease. Indeed, TEs are transcribed and their RNAs mediate multi-layered transcriptional regulatory functions in cellular identity establishment, but also in the regulation of cellular plasticity and adaptability to environmental cues, as occurs in the immune response. Moreover, TEs transcriptional deregulation also evolved to promote pathogenesis, as in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancers. Importantly, many of these findings have been achieved through the employment of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies and bioinformatic tools that are in continuous improvement to overcome the limitations of analyzing TEs sequences. However, they are highly homologous, and their annotation is still ambiguous. Here, we will review some of the most recent findings, questions and improvements to study at high resolution this intriguing portion of the human genome in health and diseases, opening the scenario to novel therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Marasca
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Erica Gasparotto
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Benedetto Polimeni
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Rebecca Vadalà
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
- Translational and Molecular Medicine, DIMET, University of Milan-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Valeria Ranzani
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Beatrice Bodega
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
- Correspondence:
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16
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Kazachenka A, Young GR, Attig J, Kordella C, Lamprianidou E, Zoulia E, Vrachiolias G, Papoutselis M, Bernard E, Papaemmanuil E, Kotsianidis I, Kassiotis G. Epigenetic therapy of myelodysplastic syndromes connects to cellular differentiation independently of endogenous retroelement derepression. Genome Med 2019; 11:86. [PMID: 31870430 PMCID: PMC6929315 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-019-0707-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) are characterised by abnormal epigenetic repression and differentiation of bone marrow haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Drugs that reverse epigenetic repression, such as 5-azacytidine (5-AZA), induce haematological improvement in half of treated patients. Although the mechanisms underlying therapy success are not yet clear, induction of endogenous retroelements (EREs) has been hypothesised. METHODS Using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we compared the transcription of EREs in bone marrow HSCs from a new cohort of MDS and chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) patients before and after 5-AZA treatment with HSCs from healthy donors and AML patients. We further examined ERE transcription using the most comprehensive annotation of ERE-overlapping transcripts expressed in HSCs, generated here by de novo transcript assembly and supported by full-length RNA-seq. RESULTS Consistent with prior reports, we found that treatment with 5-AZA increased the representation of ERE-derived RNA-seq reads in the transcriptome. However, such increases were comparable between treatment responses and failures. The extended view of HSC transcriptional diversity offered by de novo transcript assembly argued against 5-AZA-responsive EREs as determinants of the outcome of therapy. Instead, it uncovered pre-treatment expression and alternative splicing of developmentally regulated gene transcripts as predictors of the response of MDS and CMML patients to 5-AZA treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our study identifies the developmentally regulated transcriptional signatures of protein-coding and non-coding genes, rather than EREs, as correlates of a favourable response of MDS and CMML patients to 5-AZA treatment and offers novel candidates for further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiya Kazachenka
- Retroviral Immunology, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - George R Young
- Retrovirus-Host Interactions, The Francis Crick Institute, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Jan Attig
- Retroviral Immunology, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Chrysoula Kordella
- Department of Haematology, Democritus University of Thrace Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Eleftheria Lamprianidou
- Department of Haematology, Democritus University of Thrace Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Emmanuela Zoulia
- Department of Haematology, Democritus University of Thrace Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - George Vrachiolias
- Department of Haematology, Democritus University of Thrace Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Menelaos Papoutselis
- Department of Haematology, Democritus University of Thrace Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Elsa Bernard
- Center for Molecular Oncology, Center for Heme Malignancies and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Elli Papaemmanuil
- Center for Molecular Oncology, Center for Heme Malignancies and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ioannis Kotsianidis
- Department of Haematology, Democritus University of Thrace Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - George Kassiotis
- Retroviral Immunology, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, UK.
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Not Only Mutations Matter: Molecular Picture of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Emerging from Transcriptome Studies. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2019; 2019:7239206. [PMID: 31467542 PMCID: PMC6699387 DOI: 10.1155/2019/7239206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The last two decades of genome-scale research revealed a complex molecular picture of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). On the one hand, a number of mutations were discovered and associated with AML diagnosis and prognosis; some of them were introduced into diagnostic tests. On the other hand, transcriptome studies, which preceded AML exome and genome sequencing, remained poorly translated into clinics. Nevertheless, gene expression studies significantly contributed to the elucidation of AML pathogenesis and indicated potential therapeutic directions. The power of transcriptomic approach lies in its comprehensiveness; we can observe how genome manifests its function in a particular type of cells and follow many genes in one test. Moreover, gene expression measurement can be combined with mutation detection, as high-impact mutations are often present in transcripts. This review sums up 20 years of transcriptome research devoted to AML. Gene expression profiling (GEP) revealed signatures distinctive for selected AML subtypes and uncovered the additional within-subtype heterogeneity. The results were particularly valuable in the case of AML with normal karyotype which concerns up to 50% of AML cases. With the use of GEP, new classes of the disease were identified and prognostic predictors were proposed. A plenty of genes were detected as overexpressed in AML when compared to healthy control, including KIT, BAALC, ERG, MN1, CDX2, WT1, PRAME, and HOX genes. High expression of these genes constitutes usually an unfavorable prognostic factor. Upregulation of FLT3 and NPM1 genes, independent on their mutation status, was also reported in AML and correlated with poor outcome. However, transcriptome is not limited to the protein-coding genes; other types of RNA molecules exist in a cell and regulate genome function. It was shown that microRNA (miRNA) profiles differentiated AML groups and predicted outcome not worse than protein-coding gene profiles. For example, upregulation of miR-10a, miR-10b, and miR-196b and downregulation of miR-192 were found as typical of AML with NPM1 mutation whereas overexpression of miR-155 was associated with FLT3-internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD). Development of high-throughput technologies and microarray replacement by next generation sequencing (RNA-seq) enabled uncovering a real variety of leukemic cell transcriptomes, reflected by gene fusions, chimeric RNAs, alternatively spliced transcripts, miRNAs, piRNAs, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and their special type, circular RNAs. Many of them can be considered as AML biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. The relations between particular RNA puzzles and other components of leukemic cells and their microenvironment, such as exosomes, are now under investigation. Hopefully, the results of this research will shed the light on these aspects of AML pathogenesis which are still not completely understood.
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18
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Prostate-specific loss of UXT promotes cancer progression. Oncotarget 2019; 10:707-716. [PMID: 30774773 PMCID: PMC6366831 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitously-expressed, prefoldin-like chaperone (UXT) also called Androgen Receptor Trapped clone-27 (ART-27) is widely expressed in human tissues. Our previous studies showed that UXT regulates transcription repression including androgen receptor (AR) signaling in prostate cancer. Here we analyzed a tissue microarray consisting of normal prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia, high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) and primary prostate cancer cases for UXT protein expression. We found that HGPIN and malignant tumors have significantly decreased UXT expression compared to the normal prostate. Loss of UXT expression in primary prostate cancer is positively associated with high Gleason grade and poor relapse-free survival. We engineered prostate-specific UxtKO mice that developed a hyperplastic phenotype with apparent prostate secretion fluid blockage as well as PIN by 4-6 months. Doubly mutant UxtKO/PtenKO mice developed a more aggressive PIN phenotype. UXT depletion in prostate cancer cells also increased retroelements expression, including LINE-1 and Alu. Consistent with this finding UxtKO mice have increased LINE-1 protein levels in the prostate compared to control mice. In addition, cancer cells with UXT depletion have increased retrotransposition activity and accumulated DNA damage. Our findings demonstrate that loss of UXT is an early event during prostate cancer progression, which may contribute to genome instability.
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Abstract
Senescence, a state of permanent cell cycle arrest, can be induced by DNA damage. This process, which was initially described in fibroblasts, is now recognized to occur in stem cells. It has been well characterized in cell lines, but there is currently very limited data available on human senescence in vivo. We recently reported that the expression of transposable elements (TE), including endogenous retroviruses, was up-regulated along with inflammatory genes in human senescent hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in vivo. The mechanism of regulation of TE expression is not completely understood, but changes in DNA methylation and chromatin modifications are known to alter their expression. In order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms for TE up-regulation after senescence of HSPCs, we employed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing in paired senescent and active human HSPCs in vivo from healthy subjects. We found that the senescent HSPCs exhibited hypomethylated regions in the genome, which were enriched for TEs. This is the first report characterizing the methylome of senescent human HSPCs.
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20
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Colombo AR, Triche T, Ramsingh G. Transposable Element Expression in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Transcriptome and Prognosis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16449. [PMID: 30401833 PMCID: PMC6219593 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34189-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over half of the human genome is comprised of transposable elements (TE). Despite large-scale studies of the transcriptome in cancer, a comprehensive look at TE expression and its relationship to various mutations or prognosis has not been performed. We characterized the expression of TE in 178 adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients using transcriptome data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We characterized mutation specific dysregulation of TE expression using a multivariate linear model. We identified distinct patterns of TE expression associated with specific mutations and transcriptional networks. Genes regulating methylation was not associated with significant change in TE expression. Using an unpenalized cox regression analysis we identified a TE expression signature that predicted prognosis in AML. We identified 14 candidate prognostic TE transcripts (TEP) that classified AML as high/low-risk and this was independent of mutation-based and coding-gene expression based risk-stratification. TEP was able to predict prognosis in independent cohorts of 284 pediatric AML patients and 19 relapsed adult AML patients. This first comprehensive study of TE expression in AML demonstrates that TE expression can serve as a biomarker for prognosis in AML, and provides novel insights into the biology of AML. Studies characterizing its role in other cancers are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Colombo
- Jane Anne Nohl Division of Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90033, USA
| | - Timothy Triche
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
| | - Giridharan Ramsingh
- Jane Anne Nohl Division of Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90033, USA.
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21
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Colombo AR, Elias HK, Ramsingh G. Senescence induction universally activates transposable element expression. Cell Cycle 2018; 17:1846-1857. [PMID: 30080431 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2018.1502576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Senescent cells constitutively secrete inflammatory cytokines, known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Previous work has implicated SASP in immune-mediated clearance of senescent cells; however, its regulation remains unknown. Our recent transcriptome profiling study has shown that human senescent human stem and progenitors (s-HSPCs) robustly express genomic transposable elements (TEs) and pathways of inflammation. Furthermore, hypomethylating agents have been previously shown to induce expression of TEs and activate the dsRNA recognition pathway and downstream interferon-stimulated genes, leading to immune mediated cell death. Therefore, to examine whether activation of TEs occurred universally, independent of their modality of senescence induction, we performed transcriptomic analysis in artificially-induced senescent cell-lines and observed a robust activation of TEs. Hence we propose that the expression of TEs might play a role in immune mediated clearance of senescent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Colombo
- a Jane Anne Nohl Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases , Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Harold K Elias
- b Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology , New York University School of Medicine , New York , NY , USA
| | - Giridharan Ramsingh
- a Jane Anne Nohl Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases , Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
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Ishak CA, Classon M, De Carvalho DD. Deregulation of Retroelements as an Emerging Therapeutic Opportunity in Cancer. Trends Cancer 2018; 4:583-597. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2018.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Efficacy of azacitidine is independent of molecular and clinical characteristics - an analysis of 128 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myeloid leukemia and a review of the literature. Oncotarget 2018; 9:27882-27894. [PMID: 29963245 PMCID: PMC6021252 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.25328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Azacitidine is the first drug to demonstrate a survival benefit for patients with MDS. However, only half of patients respond and almost all patients eventually relapse. Limited and conflicting data are available on predictive factors influencing response. We analyzed 128 patients from two institutions with MDS or AML treated with azacitidine to identify prognostic indicators. Genetic mutations in ASXL1, RUNX1, DNMT3A, IDH1, IDH2, TET2, TP53, NRAS, KRAS, FLT3, KMT2A-PTD, EZH2, SF3B1, and SRSF2 were assessed by next-generation sequencing. With a median follow up of 5.6 years median survival was 1.3 years with a response rate of 49%. The only variable with significant influence on response was del(20q). All 6 patients responded (p = 0.012) but survival was not improved. No other clinical, cytogenetic or molecular marker for response or survival was identified. Interestingly, patients from poor-risk groups as high-risk cytogenetics (55%), t-MDS/AML (54%), TP53 mutated (48%) or relapsed after chemotherapy (60%) showed a high response rate. Factors associated with shorter survival were low platelets, AML vs. MDS, therapy-related disease, TP53 and KMT2A-PTD. In multivariate analysis anemia, platelets, FLT3-ITD, and therapy-related disease remained in the model. Poor-risk factors such as del(7q)/-7, complex karyotype, ASXL1, RUNX1, EZH2, and TP53 did not show an independent impact. Thus, no clear biomarker for response and survival can be identified. Although a number of publications on predictive markers for response to AZA exist, results are inconsistent and improved response rates did not translate to improved survival. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview comparing the studies published to date.
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Senescent human hematopoietic progenitors show elevated expression of transposable elements and inflammatory genes. Exp Hematol 2018; 62:33-38.e6. [PMID: 29549053 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Genomic transposable elements (TEs) constitute the majority of the genome. Expression of TEs is known to activate the double-stranded RNA recognition pathway ("viral mimicry"), leading to the activation of interferon-stimulated genes, inflammation, and immune-mediated cell death. Recently, we showed that the expression of TEs is suppressed along with immune pathways in leukemic stem cells (LSCs) in acute myeloid leukemia, suggesting a potential mechanism for immune escape of LSCs. This indicated that, during oncogenesis, where there is escape from senescence, expression of TEs is suppressed. Senescence is known to activate the interferon response and inflammatory cytokines, known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). We characterized the transcriptome of senescent and active human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in vivo and showed co-occurrence of overexpression of TEs, SASP genes, and gene pathways of inflammation in senescence. The percentage of circulating senescent HSPCs (s-HSPCs) did not increase with age, indicating active clearance. Induction of senescence in human HSPCs in vitro showed increased expression of TE and SASP genes. SASP is known to mediate clearance of senescent cells and active clearance of senescent cells has been shown to increase organismal fitness. We speculate that the expression of TEs in s-HSPCs could contribute to orderly clearance of the cells via activation of immune pathways, warranting further mechanistic studies. This is the first study to characterize the transcriptome of human s-HSPCs in vivo, revealing activated expression of TEs and inflammatory genes.
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25
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Classon M, LaMarco K, De Carvalho DD. Drug-induced activation of "junk" DNA - A path to combat cancer therapy resistance? Oncoscience 2017; 4:115-116. [PMID: 29142897 PMCID: PMC5672890 DOI: 10.18632/oncoscience.364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Classon
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kelly LaMarco
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Daniel D De Carvalho
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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