1
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Rock A, Uche A, Yoon J, Agulnik M, Chow W, Millis S. Bioinformatic Analysis of Recurrent Genomic Alterations and Corresponding Pathway Alterations in Ewing Sarcoma. J Pers Med 2023; 13:1499. [PMID: 37888109 PMCID: PMC10608227 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13101499] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing Sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive, mesenchymal malignancy associated with a poor prognosis in the recurrent or metastatic setting with an estimated overall survival (OS) of <30% at 5 years. ES is characterized by a balanced, reciprocal chromosomal translocation involving the EWSR1 RNA-binding protein and ETS transcription factor gene (EWS-FLI being the most common). Interestingly, murine ES models have failed to produce tumors phenotypically representative of ES. Genomic alterations (GA) in ES are infrequent and may work synergistically with EWS-ETS translocations to promote oncogenesis. Aberrations in fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR4), a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) have been shown to contribute to carcinogenesis. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from knock-in strain of homologous Fgfr4G385R mice display a transformed phenotype with enhanced TGF-induced mammary carcinogenesis. The association between the FGFRG388R SNV in high-grade soft tissue sarcomas has previously been demonstrated conferring a statistically significant association with poorer OS. How the FGFR4G388R SNV specifically relates to ES has not previously been delineated. To further define the genomic landscape and corresponding pathway alterations in ES, comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) was performed on the tumors of 189 ES patients. The FGFR4G388R SNV was identified in a significant proportion of the evaluable cases (n = 97, 51%). In line with previous analyses, TP53 (n = 36, 19%), CDK2NA/B (n = 33, 17%), and STAG2 (n = 22, 11.6%) represented the most frequent alterations in our cohort. Co-occurrence of CDK2NA and STAG2 alterations was observed (n = 5, 3%). Notably, we identified a higher proportion of TP53 mutations than previously observed. The most frequent pathway alterations affected MAPK (n = 89, 24% of pathological samples), HRR (n = 75, 25%), Notch1 (n = 69, 23%), Histone/Chromatin remodeling (n = 57, 24%), and PI3K (n = 64, 20%). These findings help to further elucidate the genomic landscape of ES with a novel investigation of the FGFR4G388R SNV revealing frequent aberration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Rock
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (J.Y.); (M.A.)
| | - An Uche
- Alameda Health System, 1411 E. 31st St., Oakland, CA 94602, USA;
| | - Janet Yoon
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (J.Y.); (M.A.)
| | - Mark Agulnik
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (J.Y.); (M.A.)
| | - Warren Chow
- UCI Health, 101 The City Drive, South Orange, CA 92868, USA;
| | - Sherri Millis
- Foundation Medicine, Inc., 150 Second St., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA;
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2
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Mancarella C, Giusti V, Caldoni G, Laginestra MA, Parra A, Toracchio L, Giordano G, Roncuzzi L, Piazzi M, Blalock W, Columbaro M, De Feo A, Scotlandi K. Extracellular vesicle-associated IGF2BP3 tunes Ewing sarcoma cell migration and affects PI3K/Akt pathway in neighboring cells. Cancer Gene Ther 2023; 30:1285-1295. [PMID: 37353558 PMCID: PMC10501906 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-023-00637-8] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EWS) is a challenging pediatric cancer characterized by vast intra-tumor heterogeneity. We evaluated the RNA-binding protein IGF2BP3, whose high expression correlates with a poor prognosis and an elevated tendency of metastases, as a possible soluble mediator of inter-cellular communication in EWS. Our data demonstrate that (i) IGF2BP3 is detected in cell supernatants, and it is released inside extracellular vesicles (EVs); (ii) EVs from IGF2BP3-positive or IGF2BP3-negative EWS cells reciprocally affect cell migration but not the proliferation of EWS recipient cells; (iii) EVs derived from IGF2BP3-silenced cells have a distinct miRNA cargo profile and inhibit the PI3K/Akt pathway in recipient cells; (iv) the 11 common differentially expressed miRNAs associated with IGF2BP3-positive and IGF2BP3-negative EVs correctly group IGF2BP3-positive and IGF2BP3-negative clinical tissue specimens. Overall, our data suggest that IGF2BP3 can participate in the modulation of phenotypic heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Mancarella
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Veronica Giusti
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Caldoni
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro Parra
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lisa Toracchio
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giorgia Giordano
- Sarcoma Unit, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO, IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Laura Roncuzzi
- Biomedical Science and Technologies and Nanobiotechnology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Manuela Piazzi
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IGM-CNR), Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - William Blalock
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IGM-CNR), Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marta Columbaro
- Piattaforma di Microscopia Elettronica, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra De Feo
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Katia Scotlandi
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
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3
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Riggi
- From the Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland (N.R., I.S.); and the Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and the Broad Institute of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge - both in Massachusetts (M.L.S.)
| | - Mario L Suvà
- From the Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland (N.R., I.S.); and the Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and the Broad Institute of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge - both in Massachusetts (M.L.S.)
| | - Ivan Stamenkovic
- From the Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland (N.R., I.S.); and the Department of Pathology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and the Broad Institute of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge - both in Massachusetts (M.L.S.)
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4
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Jacques C, Lavaud M, Georges S, Tesfaye R, Baud’huin M, Lamoureux F, Ory B. BET bromodomains’ functions in bone-related pathologies. Epigenomics 2020; 12:127-144. [DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout life, bones are subjected to the so-called ‘bone-remodeling’ process, which is a balanced mechanism between the apposition and the resorption of bone. This remodeling process depends on the activities of bone-specialized cells, namely the osteoblasts and the osteoclasts. Any deregulation in this process results in bone-related pathologies, classified as either metabolic nonmalignant diseases (such as osteoporosis) or malignant primary bone sarcomas. As these pathologies are not characterized by common targetable genetic alterations, epigenetic strategies could be relevant and promising options. Recently, targeting epigenetic regulators such as the bromodomains and extraterminal domains (BET) readers have achieved success in numerous other pathologies, including cancers. In this review, we highlight the current state of the art in terms of the diverse implications of BET bromodomain proteins in the bone’s biology and its defects. Consequently, their role in bone-related pathologies will also be developed, especially in the context of the primary bone sarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Jacques
- Nantes Université, INSERM, Bone sarcomas & remodeling of calcified tissues, UMR 1238, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Melanie Lavaud
- Nantes Université, INSERM, Bone sarcomas & remodeling of calcified tissues, UMR 1238, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Steven Georges
- Nantes Université, INSERM, Bone sarcomas & remodeling of calcified tissues, UMR 1238, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Robel Tesfaye
- Nantes Université, INSERM, Bone sarcomas & remodeling of calcified tissues, UMR 1238, F-44000 Nantes, France
- ‘Niches & Epigenetics of Tumors’ Network from Cancéropôle Grand Ouest
| | - Marc Baud’huin
- Nantes Université, INSERM, Bone sarcomas & remodeling of calcified tissues, UMR 1238, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - François Lamoureux
- Nantes Université, INSERM, Bone sarcomas & remodeling of calcified tissues, UMR 1238, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Benjamin Ory
- Nantes Université, INSERM, Bone sarcomas & remodeling of calcified tissues, UMR 1238, F-44000 Nantes, France
- ‘Niches & Epigenetics of Tumors’ Network from Cancéropôle Grand Ouest
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Sharma R, Gangwar SP, Saxena AK. Comparative structure analysis of the ETSi domain of ERG3 and its complex with the E74 promoter DNA sequence. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2018; 74:656-663. [PMID: 30279318 PMCID: PMC6168766 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x1801110x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
ERG3 (ETS-related gene) is a member of the ETS (erythroblast transformation-specific) family of transcription factors, which contain a highly conserved DNA-binding domain. The ETS family of transcription factors differ in their binding to promoter DNA sequences, and the mechanism of their DNA-sequence discrimination is little known. In the current study, crystals of the ETSi domain (the ETS domain of ERG3 containing a CID motif) in space group P41212 and of its complex with the E74 DNA sequence (DNA9) in space group C2221 were obtained and their structures were determined. Comparative structure analysis of the ETSi domain and its complex with DNA9 with previously determined structures of the ERGi domain (the ETS domain of ERG containing inhibitory motifs) in space group P65212 and of the ERGi-DNA12 complex in space group P41212 were performed. The ETSi domain is observed as a homodimer in solution as well as in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. Superposition of the structure of the ETSi domain on that of the ERGi domain showed a major conformational change at the C-terminal DNA-binding autoinhibitory (CID) motif, while minor changes are observed in the loop regions of the ETSi-domain structure. The ETSi-DNA9 complex in space group C2221 forms a structure that is quite similar to that of the ERG-DNA12 complex in space group P41212. Upon superposition of the complexes, major conformational changes are observed at the 5' and 3' ends of DNA9, while the conformation of the core GGA nucleotides was quite conserved. Comparison of the ETSi-DNA9 structure with known structures of ETS class 1 protein-DNA complexes shows the similarities and differences in the promoter DNA binding and specificity of the class 1 ETS proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruby Sharma
- Structural Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India
| | - Shanti P. Gangwar
- Structural Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India
| | - Ajay K. Saxena
- Structural Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India
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Loganathan SN, Tang N, Fleming JT, Ma Y, Guo Y, Borinstein SC, Chiang C, Wang J. BET bromodomain inhibitors suppress EWS-FLI1-dependent transcription and the IGF1 autocrine mechanism in Ewing sarcoma. Oncotarget 2017; 7:43504-43517. [PMID: 27259270 PMCID: PMC5190040 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is driven by characteristic chromosomal translocations between the EWSR1 gene with genes encoding ETS family transcription factors (EWS-ETS), most commonly FLI1. However, direct pharmacological inhibition of transcription factors like EWS-FLI1 remains largely unsuccessful. Active gene transcription requires orchestrated actions of many epigenetic regulators, such as the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) family proteins. Emerging BET bromodomain inhibitors have exhibited promising antineoplastic activities via suppression of oncogenic transcription factors in various cancers. We reasoned that EWS-FLI1-mediated transcription activation might be susceptible to BET inhibition. In this study, we demonstrated that small molecule BET bromodomain inhibitors repressed EWS-FLI1-driven gene signatures and downregulated important target genes. However, expression of EWS-FLI1 was not significantly affected. Repression of autocrine IGF1 by BET inhibitors led to significant inhibition of the IGF1R/AKT pathway critical to Ewing sarcoma cell proliferation and survival. Consistently, BET inhibitors impaired viability and clonogenic survival of Ewing sarcoma cell lines and blocked EWS-FLI1-induced transformation of mouse NIH3T3 fibroblast cells. Selective depletion of individual BET genes partially phenocopied the actions of BET inhibitors. Finally, the prototypical BET inhibitor, JQ1, significantly repressed Ewing sarcoma xenograft tumor growth. These findings suggest therapeutic potential of BET inhibitors in Ewing sarcoma and highlight an emerging paradigm of using epigenetic agents to treat cancers driven by fusion transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudan N Loganathan
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nan Tang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Jonathan T Fleming
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yufang Ma
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Chin Chiang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jialiang Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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7
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Lu Q, Zhang Y, Ma L, Li D, Li M, Li J, Liu P. EWS-FLI1 positively regulates autophagy by increasing ATG4B expression in Ewing sarcoma cells. Int J Mol Med 2017; 40:1217-1225. [PMID: 28902354 PMCID: PMC5593458 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.3112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and young adults. It is characterized by chromosomal translocations fusing the EWS gene with an ETS oncogene, most frequently FLI1. In the present study, the authors aimed to investigate the function of EWS-FLI1 in autophagy in ES cells, and identified that EWS-FLI1 positively regulates autophagy in ES cells. ATG4B expression was observed markedly upregulated by EWS-FLI1 overexpression, and silencing of ATG4B dramatically inhibits autophagy in ES cells. Furthermore, apoptosis was inhibited in ATG4B overexpressed ES cells, and ATG4B-potentiated autophagy is required for ES cells survival. Taken together, the authors demonstrated the role of EWS-FLI1 and ATG4B in autophagy in ES cells, and suggested EWS-FLI1 and ATG4B as potential therapeutic targets for ES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qunshan Lu
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Yuankai Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Liang Ma
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Deqiang Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Jianmin Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Peilai Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
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8
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Endo A, Tomizawa D, Aoki Y, Morio T, Mizutani S, Takagi M. EWSR1/ELF5 induces acute myeloid leukemia by inhibiting p53/p21 pathway. Cancer Sci 2016; 107:1745-1754. [PMID: 27627705 PMCID: PMC5198945 DOI: 10.1111/cas.13080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWSR1) gene is known to fuse with various partner genes to promote the development of the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors and other sarcomas. In contrast, the association of EWSR1 chimeric fusion genes with leukemia has rarely been reported. We identified a novel EWSR1‐associated chimeric fusion gene in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia harboring 46, XY, t (11; 22) (p13; q12) karyotype abnormality. The patient was refractory to intensified chemotherapy including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Total RNA paired‐end sequencing identified a novel chimeric fusion gene as EWSR1/ELF5, a member of the E26 transformation‐specific transcription factor family. Transduction of EWSR1/ELF5 to NIH3T3 cells induced transformation by attenuating with the p53/p21‐dependent pathway. The injection of EWSR1/ELF5‐transduced NIH3T3 cells into NSG‐SCID mice systematically induced the development of tumors in vivo. These results revealed the oncogenic potency of EWSR1/ELF5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akifumi Endo
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tomizawa
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Leukemia and Lymphoma, Children's Cancer Center, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Aoki
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Pediatric Oncology, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Morio
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuki Mizutani
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Takagi
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
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Wang YL, Chen H, Zhan YQ, Yin RH, Li CY, Ge CH, Yu M, Yang XM. EWSR1 regulates mitosis by dynamically influencing microtubule acetylation. Cell Cycle 2016; 15:2202-2215. [PMID: 27341063 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2016.1200774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
EWSR1, participating in transcription and splicing, has been identified as a translocation partner for various transcription factors, resulting in translocation, which in turn plays crucial roles in tumorigenesis. Recent studies have investigated the role of EWSR1 in mitosis. However, the effect of EWSR1 on mitosis is poorly understood. Here, we observed that depletion of EWSR1 resulted in cell cycle arrest in the mitotic phase, mainly due to an increase in the time from nuclear envelope breakdown to metaphase, resulting in a high percentage of unaligned chromosomes and multipolar spindles. We also demonstrated that EWSR1 is a spindle-associated protein that interacts with α-tubulin during mitosis. EWSR1 depletion increased the cold-sensitivity of spindle microtubules, and decreased the rate of spindle assembly. EWSR1 regulated the level of microtubule acetylation in the mitotic spindle; microtubule acetylation was rescued in EWSR1-depleted mitotic cells following suppression of HDAC6 activity by its specific inhibitor or siRNA treatment. In summary, these results suggest that EWSR1 regulates the acetylation of microtubules in a cell cycle-dependent manner through its dynamic location on spindle MTs, and may be a novel regulator for mitosis progress independent of its translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Long Wang
- a State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Hui Chen
- a State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Yi-Qun Zhan
- a State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Rong-Hua Yin
- a State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Chang-Yan Li
- a State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Chang-Hui Ge
- a State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Miao Yu
- a State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Xiao-Ming Yang
- a State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China
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10
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Hou C, Tsodikov OV. Structural Basis for Dimerization and DNA Binding of Transcription Factor FLI1. Biochemistry 2015; 54:7365-74. [PMID: 26618620 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b01121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
FLI1 (Friend leukemia integration 1) is a metazoan transcription factor that is upregulated in a number of cancers. In addition, rearrangements of the fli1 gene cause sarcomas, leukemias, and lymphomas. These rearrangements encode oncogenic transcription factors, in which the DNA binding domain (DBD or ETS domain) of FLI1 on the C-terminal side is fused to a part of an another protein on the N-terminal side. Such abnormal cancer cell-specific fusions retain the DNA binding properties of FLI1 and acquire non-native protein-protein or protein-nucleic acid interactions of the substituted region. As a result, these fusions trigger oncogenic transcriptional reprogramming of the host cell. Interactions of FLI1 fusions with other proteins and with itself play a critical role in the oncogenic regulatory functions, and they are currently under intense scrutiny, mechanistically and as potential novel anticancer drug targets. We report elusive crystal structures of the FLI1 DBD, alone and in complex with cognate DNA containing a GGAA recognition sequence. Both structures reveal a previously unrecognized dimer of this domain, consistent with its dimerization in solution. The homodimerization interface is helix-swapped and dominated by hydrophobic interactions, including those between two interlocking Phe362 residues. A mutation of Phe362 to an alanine disrupted the propensity of this domain to dimerize without perturbing its structure or the DNA binding function, consistent with the structural observations. We propose that FLI1 DBD dimerization plays a role in transcriptional activation and repression by FLI1 and its fusions at promoters containing multiple FLI1 binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caixia Hou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky , 789 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0596, United States
| | - Oleg V Tsodikov
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky , 789 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0596, United States
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11
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Lerman DM, Monument MJ, McIlvaine E, Liu XQ, Huang D, Monovich L, Beeler N, Gorlick RG, Marina NM, Womer RB, Bridge JA, Krailo MD, Randall RL, Lessnick SL. Tumoral TP53 and/or CDKN2A alterations are not reliable prognostic biomarkers in patients with localized Ewing sarcoma: a report from the Children's Oncology Group. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015; 62:759-65. [PMID: 25464386 PMCID: PMC4376595 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.25340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing collection of retrospective studies have suggested that TP53 mutations and/or CDKN2A deletions have prognostic significance in Ewing sarcoma. We sought to evaluate these variables in patients with localized disease treated prospectively on a single Children's Oncology Group protocol. PROCEDURE Of the 568 patients enrolled on Children's Oncology Group protocol AEWS0031 (NCT00006734), 112 had tumor specimens of sufficient quality and quantity to allow for analysis of TP53 mutations status by DNA sequencing, and CDKN2A deletion by dual color fluorescent in situ hybridization. RESULTS Eight of 93 cases (8.6%) were found to have TP53 point mutations and 12 of 107 cases (11.2%) demonstrated homozygous CDKN2A deletion. Two cases were found to have an alteration in both genes. There was no significant difference in event-free survival of patients with TP53 mutations and/or CDKN2A deletions compared to patients with normal TP53/CDKN2A gene status, as demonstrated by log rank test (p = 0.58). CONCLUSIONS Although previous retrospective studies suggest their significance, TP53 mutation and/or CDKN2A deletion are not reliable prognostic biomarkers in localized Ewing sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M. Lerman
- Department of Orthopedics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA,Center for Children’s Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Michael J. Monument
- Department of Orthopedics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA,Center for Children’s Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Elizabeth McIlvaine
- University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiao-qiong Liu
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NB, USA
| | - Dali Huang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NB, USA
| | - Laura Monovich
- Children’s Oncology Group Biopathology Center, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Natalie Beeler
- Children’s Oncology Group Biopathology Center, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Richard G. Gorlick
- Department of Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Neyssa M. Marina
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Richard B. Womer
- Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Julia A. Bridge
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NB, USA
| | - Mark D. Krailo
- University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - R. Lor Randall
- Department of Orthopedics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA,Center for Children’s Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Stephen L. Lessnick
- Department of Orthopedics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA,Center for Children’s Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA,Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and the Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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12
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Kovar H. Blocking the road, stopping the engine or killing the driver? Advances in targeting EWS/FLI-1 fusion in Ewing sarcoma as novel therapy. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2014; 18:1315-28. [PMID: 25162919 DOI: 10.1517/14728222.2014.947963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ewing sarcoma (ES) represents the paradigm of an aberrant E-twenty-six (ETS) oncogene-driven cancer. It is characterized by specific rearrangements of one of five alternative ETS family member genes with EWSR1. There is experimental evidence that the resulting fusion proteins act as aberrant transcription factors driving ES pathogenesis. The transcriptional gene regulatory network driven by EWS-ETS proteins provides the oncogenic engine to the tumor. Therefore, EWS-ETS and their downstream machinery are considered ideal tumor-specific therapeutic targets. AREAS COVERED This review critically discusses the literature on the development of EWS-ETS-directed ES targeting strategies considering current knowledge of EWS-ETS biology and cellular context. It focuses on determinants of EWS-FLI1 function with an emphasis on interactions with chromatin structure. We speculate about the relevance of poorly investigated aspects in ES research such as chromatin remodeling and DNA damage repair for the development of targeted therapies. EXPERT OPINION This review questions the specificity of signature-based screening approaches to the identification of EWS-FLI1-targeted compounds. It challenges the view that targeting the downstream gene regulatory network carries potential for therapeutic breakthroughs because of resistance-inducing network rewiring. Instead, we propose to combine targeting of the fusion protein with epigenetic therapy as a future treatment strategy in ES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heinrich Kovar
- Children´s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, and Medical University Vienna, Department of Pediatrics , Zimmermannplatz 10, A1090 Vienna , Austria +43 1 40470 4092 ; +43 1 40470 64092 ;
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13
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Anderson JL, Titz B, Akiyama R, Komisopoulou E, Park A, Tap WD, Graeber TG, Denny CT. Phosphoproteomic profiling reveals IL6-mediated paracrine signaling within the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors. Mol Cancer Res 2014; 12:1740-54. [PMID: 25092916 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-14-0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Members of the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) contain tumor-associated translocations that give rise to oncogenic transcription factors, most commonly EWS/FLI1. EWS/FLI1 plays a dominant role in tumor progression by modulating the expression of hundreds of target genes. Here, the impact of EWS/FLI1 inhibition, by RNAi-mediated knockdown, on cellular signaling was investigated using mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics to quantify global changes in phosphorylation. This unbiased approach identified hundreds of unique phosphopeptides enriched in processes such as regulation of cell cycle and cytoskeleton organization. In particular, phosphotyrosine profiling revealed a large upregulation of STAT3 phosphorylation upon EWS/FLI1 knockdown. However, single-cell analysis demonstrated that this was not a cell-autonomous effect of EWS/FLI1 deficiency, but rather a signaling effect occurring in cells in which knockdown does not occur. Conditioned media from knockdown cells were sufficient to induce STAT3 phosphorylation in control cells, verifying the presence of a soluble factor that can activate STAT3. Cytokine analysis and ligand/receptor inhibition experiments determined that this activation occurred, in part, through an IL6-dependent mechanism. Taken together, the data support a model in which EWS/FLI1 deficiency results in the secretion of soluble factors, such as IL6, which activate STAT signaling in bystander cells that maintain EWS/FLI1 expression. Furthermore, these soluble factors were shown to protect against apoptosis. IMPLICATIONS EWS/FLI1 inhibition results in a novel adaptive response and suggests that targeting the IL6/STAT3 signaling pathway may increase the efficacy of ESFT therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Anderson
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Gwynne Hazen Cherry Memorial Laboratories, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Björn Titz
- Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ryan Akiyama
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Gwynne Hazen Cherry Memorial Laboratories, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Evangelia Komisopoulou
- Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ann Park
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Gwynne Hazen Cherry Memorial Laboratories, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - William D Tap
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumors, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Thomas G Graeber
- Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. UCLA Metabolomics Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Christopher T Denny
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Gwynne Hazen Cherry Memorial Laboratories, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
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14
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High-resolution genome-wide copy-number analyses identify localized copy-number alterations in Ewing sarcoma. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 22:76-84. [PMID: 23628818 DOI: 10.1097/pdm.0b013e31827a47f9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma family tumors are aggressive sarcomas of childhood and adolescence with continuing poor outcomes. Decades of research on the characteristics of the often solitary-known oncogenic-genomic aberration in Ewing sarcoma family tumors, namely a TET-ETS fusion, have provided little advancement in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of Ewing sarcoma or treatment thereof. In this study, the high-resolution single-nucleotide polymorphism technology was used to identify additional/secondary copy-number alterations (CNAs) in Ewing sarcoma that might elucidate the aggressive biology of this sarcoma. We compared paired constitutional and tumor DNA samples. Commonly known genomic alterations including gain of 1q and chromosome 8 were the most frequently detected changes in this study. In addition, deletions and loss of heterozygosity were identified in 10q, 11p, and 17p. Furthermore, tumor-specific CNAs were identified not only in genes previously known to be of interest, including CDKN2A, but also in genes not previously associated with Ewing sarcoma, including SOX6 and PTEN. Selected array-based findings were confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemical studies, or sequencing. The results highlight an unexpected level of cytogenetic complexity associated with several of the samples, 2 of which contained TP53 mutations. In summary, our high-resolution genome-wide copy-number data identify several novel CNAs associated with Ewing sarcoma, which are promising targets for novel therapeutic strategies in this aggressive sarcoma.
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Abstract
Sarcomas represent a clinically and biologically diverse group of malignant connective tissue tumors. Despite aggressive conventional therapy, a large proportion of sarcoma patients experience disease recurrence which will ultimately result in mortality. The presence of a unique population of cells, referred to as cancer stem cells (CSCs), have been proposed to be responsible for refractory responses to current chemotherapies as well underlying the basis for metastasis and relapse of disease – clinical corollaries to what has been termed the CSC hypothesis. The presence of CSCs have been suggested in a variety of hematologic and solid malignancies, and only more recently in sarcomas. Based on our current understanding of normal stem cell biology and evidence obtained from the study of malignant hematopoietic and solid tumors, researchers have identified candidate cell surface markers (CD133, CD117, Stro-1), biochemical markers (aldehyde dehydrogenase activity), and cytological characteristics (side population and spherical colony formation) that may identify putative sarcoma CSCs. In this review, we explore the current state of evidence that may suggest the existence of sarcoma CSCs. We present research in osteosarcoma, the Ewing’s sarcoma family of tumors, rhabdomyosarcoma, as well as other sarcoma subtypes to describe commonly used molecular and biochemical markers, as well as techniques, used in the identification, isolation, and characterization of candidate sarcoma CSCs. We will also discuss the current controversies and challenges that face research in sarcoma CSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filemon S Dela Cruz
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center , New York, NY , USA
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16
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Meng X, Lu P, Bai H, Xiao P, Fan Q. Transcriptional regulatory networks in human lung adenocarcinoma. Mol Med Rep 2012; 6:961-6. [PMID: 22895549 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2012.1034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2012] [Accepted: 07/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma (AC) is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer worldwide and its absolute incidence is increasing markedly. Transcriptional regulation is one of the most fundamental processes in lung AC development. However, high-throughput functional analyses of multiple transcription factors and their target genes in lung AC are rare. Thus, the objective of our study was to interpret the mechanisms of human AC through the regulatory network using the GSE2514 microarray data. Our results identified the genes peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPARG), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β (CEBPB), ets variant 4 (ETV4), Friend leukemia virus integration 1 (FLI1), T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia 1 (TAL1) and nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells 1 (NFKB1) as hub nodes in the transcriptome network. Among these genes, it appears that: PPARG promotes the PPAR signaling pathway via the upregulation of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) expression, but suppresses the cell cycle pathway via downregulation of growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible, γ (GADD45G) expression; ETV4 stimulates matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) expression to induce the bladder cancer pathway; FLI upregulates transforming growth factor, β receptor II (TGFBR2) expression to activate TGF-β signaling and upregulates cyclin D3 (CCND3) expression to promote the cell cycle pathway; NFKB1 upregulates interleukin 1, β (IL-1B) expression and initiates the prostate cancer pathway; CEBPB upregulates IL-6 expression and promotes pathways in cancer; and TAL1 promotes kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) expression to promote the TGF-β signaling pathway. This transcriptional regulation analysis may provide an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of lung AC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangrui Meng
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, PR China
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17
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DuBois SG, Goldsby R, Segal M, Woo J, Copren K, Kane JP, Pullinger CR, Matthay KK, Witte J, Lessnick SL, Robison LL, Bhatia S, Strong LC. Evaluation of polymorphisms in EWSR1 and risk of Ewing sarcoma: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 59:52-6. [PMID: 21793187 PMCID: PMC3204324 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.23263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ewing sarcoma is a malignant bone tumor characterized by a high frequency of somatic EWSR1 translocations. Ewing sarcoma is less common in people of African or African-American ancestry, suggesting a genetic etiology. PROCEDURE Germline DNA from white patients with Ewing sarcoma (n = 135), white controls with Wilms tumor (n = 200), and African-American controls (n = 285) was genotyped at 21 SNPs in the EWSR1 gene. Intron 7 of EWSR1, the most common site of translocation, was also sequenced in all subjects. Genetic variation between groups was evaluated statistically using exact logistic regression and Fisher exact tests. RESULTS One SNP in EWSR1 (rs2857461) showed a low level of statistical association with the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma compared to Wilms tumor. The odds ratio for having Ewing sarcoma in people with at least one copy of the minor allele of rs2857461 was 3.57 (95% confidence interval 0.79-21.7; P = 0.07). No other SNPs or variations in intron 7 of EWSR1 were associated with Ewing sarcoma. The median relative difference in minor allele frequencies between white subjects with Ewing sarcoma and African-American controls at the evaluated EWSR1 SNPs was 45%. CONCLUSIONS Variations in EWSR1 at known SNPs or across intron 7 are not associated with the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma. EWSR1 does not appear to be an Ewing sarcoma susceptibility gene. The genetic basis for this disease remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven G. DuBois
- Department of Pediatrics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Robert Goldsby
- Department of Pediatrics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Mark Segal
- Department of Epidemiology/Biostatistics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Jonathan Woo
- Institute for Human Genetics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Kirsten Copren
- Genome Analysis Core Facility at Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - John P. Kane
- Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Institute, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Clive R. Pullinger
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiologic Nursing, UCSF School of Nursing, San Francisco, CA
| | | | - John Witte
- Department of Epidemiology/Biostatistics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA,Institute for Human Genetics, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Stephen L. Lessnick
- Center for Children’s Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute and the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Leslie L. Robison
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Smita Bhatia
- Department of Population Sciences, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
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18
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Montgomery BC, Cortes HD, Burshtyn DN, Stafford JL. Channel catfish leukocyte immune-type receptor mediated inhibition of cellular cytotoxicity is facilitated by SHP-1-dependent and -independent mechanisms. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2012; 37:151-163. [PMID: 21945134 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2011.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2011] [Revised: 09/08/2011] [Accepted: 09/09/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) leukocyte immune-type receptors (IpLITRs) are immunoregulatory proteins belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily that likely play an important role in the regulation of teleost immune cell effector responses. IpLITRs are expressed by myeloid and lymphoid subsets and based on their structural features can be classified as either putative stimulatory or inhibitory forms. We have recently demonstrated at the biochemical and functional levels that stimulatory IpLITR-types induced intracellular signaling cascades resulting in immune cell activation. Alternatively, we have shown that putative inhibitory IpLITRs may abrogate immune cell responses by recruiting teleost Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing cytoplasmic phosphatases (SHP) to their tyrosine-containing cytoplasmic tails. In the present study, we used vaccinia virus to express recombinant chimeric proteins encoding the extracellular and transmembrane regions of human KIR2DL3 fused with the cytoplasmic tails of two putative inhibitory IpLITRs (i.e. IpLITR1.2a and IpLITR1.1b) in mouse spleen-derived cytotoxic lymphocytes. This approach allowed us to study the specific effects of IpLITR-induced signaling on lymphocyte killing of B cell targets (e.g. 721.221 cells) using a standard chromium release assay. Our results suggest that both IpLITR1.2a and IpLITR1.1b are potent inhibitors of lymphocyte-mediated cellular cytotoxicity. Furthermore, using a catalytically inactive SHP-1 mutant in combination with site-directed mutagenesis and co-immunoprecipitations, we also demonstrate that the IpLITR1.2a-mediated functional inhibitory response is SHP-1-dependent. Alternatively, IpLITR1.1b-mediated inhibition of cellular cytotoxicity is facilitated by both SHP-1-dependent and independent mechanisms, possibly involving the C-terminal Src kinase (Csk). The involvement of this inhibitory kinase requires binding to a tyrosine residue encoded in the unique membrane proximal cytoplasmic tail region of IpLITR1.1b. Overall, this represents the first functional information for inhibitory IpLITR-types and reveals that catfish LITRs engage SHP-dependent and -independent inhibitory signaling pathways to abrogate lymphocyte-mediated killing.
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19
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Boro A, Prêtre K, Rechfeld F, Thalhammer V, Oesch S, Wachtel M, Schäfer BW, Niggli FK. Small-molecule screen identifies modulators of EWS/FLI1 target gene expression and cell survival in Ewing's sarcoma. Int J Cancer 2012; 131:2153-64. [PMID: 22323082 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.27472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2011] [Accepted: 01/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors (EFT) is characterized by the presence of chromosomal translocations leading to the expression of oncogenic transcription factors such as, in the majority of cases, EWS/FLI1. Because of its key role in Ewing's sarcoma development and maintenance, EWS/FLI1 represents an attractive therapeutic target. Here, we characterize PHLDA1 as a novel direct target gene whose expression is repressed by EWS/FLI1. Using this gene and additional specific well-characterized target genes such as NROB1, NKX2.2 and CAV1, all activated by EWS/FLI1, as a read-out system, we screened a small-molecule compound library enriched for FDA-approved drugs that modulated the expression of EWS/FLI1 target genes. Among a hit-list of nine well-known drugs such as camptothecin, fenretinide, etoposide and doxorubicin, we also identified the kinase inhibitor midostaurin (PKC412). Subsequent experiments demonstrated that midostaurin is able to induce apoptosis in a panel of six Ewing's sarcoma cell lines in vitro and can significantly suppress xenograft tumor growth in vivo. These results suggest that midostaurin might be a novel drug that is active against Ewing's cells, which might act by modulating the expression of EWS/FLI1 target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar Boro
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 75, Zurich, Switzerland
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20
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Tsokos M, Alaggio RD, Dehner LP, Dickman PS. Ewing sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor and related tumors. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2012; 15:108-26. [PMID: 22420726 PMCID: PMC6993191 DOI: 10.2350/11-08-1078-pb.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (EWS/pPNET) and other tumors with EWS gene rearrangements encompass a malignant and intermediate neoplasm with a broad anatomic distribution and a wide age range but a predilection for soft tissue in children, adolescents, and young adults. The overlapping histologic, immunohistochemical and cytogenetic and molecular genetic features create diagnostic challenges despite significant clinical and prognostic differences. Ewing sarcoma is the 3rd most common sarcoma in children and adolescents, and desmoplastic small round cell tumor is a rare neoplasm that occurs more often in older children, adolescents, and young adults. Pathologic examination is complemented by immunohistochemistry, cytogenetics, and molecular genetics. This article reviews the clinicopathologic features of EWS/pPNET and desmoplastic small round cell tumor in the spectrum of tumors with EWS gene rearrangements. Other tumors with different histopathologic features and an EWS gene rearrangement are discussed elsewhere in this volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tsokos
- Department of Pathology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rita D. Alaggio
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Louis P. Dehner
- Department of Pathology, Lauren V. Ackerman Division of Surgical Pathology, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Paul S. Dickman
- Department of Pathology, Phoenix Children’s Hospital and University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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21
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Bennani-Baiti IM, Aryee DN, Ban J, Machado I, Kauer M, Mühlbacher K, Amann G, Llombart-Bosch A, Kovar H. Notch signalling is off and is uncoupled from HES1 expression in Ewing's sarcoma. J Pathol 2011; 225:353-63. [PMID: 21984123 DOI: 10.1002/path.2966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2010] [Revised: 05/20/2011] [Accepted: 06/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Notch can act as an oncogene or as a tumour suppressor and thus can either promote or inhibit tumour cell growth. To establish Notch status in Ewing's sarcoma family of tumours (ESFT), we investigated the Notch pathway by gene expression profiling meta-analysis or immunohistochemistry in samples obtained from 96 and 24 ESFT patients, respectively. We found that although Notch receptors were highly expressed, Notch did not appear to be active, as evidenced by the absence of Notch receptors in cell nuclei. In contrast, we show that Notch receptors known to be active in colon adenocarcinoma, hepatocarcinoma, and pancreatic carcinoma stain cell nuclei in these tumours. High expression of the Notch effector HES1 transcription factor, usually used as a surrogate marker for active Notch, was also restricted to outside of the nucleus in the majority of ESFT, and analysis of HES1 gene targets indicated HES1 to be transcriptionally inactive. Neither forced activation nor pharmacological or genetic blocking of Notch affected HES1 expression in ESFT cells, indicating HES1 expression to be uncoupled from the Notch pathway. Additional functional studies in ESFT cell lines confirmed Notch to be switched off. Finally, unlike experiments in which HES1 expression was modulated, experimental activation of Notch in ESFT cell lines via several means blocked cell proliferation and reduced their clonogenic potential in soft agar. These indicate that HES1 is uncoupled from Notch in ESFT, that EWS-FLI1-mediated inhibition of Notch contributes to ESFT aggressive cell growth, and support a role for Notch in ESFT tumour suppression, at least partly through the Notch effector HEY1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idriss M Bennani-Baiti
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Zimmermannplatz 10, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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23
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Sankar S, Lessnick SL. Promiscuous partnerships in Ewing's sarcoma. Cancer Genet 2011; 204:351-65. [PMID: 21872822 PMCID: PMC3164520 DOI: 10.1016/j.cancergen.2011.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Revised: 07/18/2011] [Accepted: 07/19/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ewing's sarcoma is a highly aggressive bone and soft tissue tumor of children and young adults. At the molecular genetic level Ewing's sarcoma is characterized by a balanced reciprocal translocation, t(11;22)(q24;q12), which encodes an oncogenic fusion protein and transcription factor EWS/FLI. This tumor-specific chimeric fusion retains the amino terminus of EWS, a member of the TET (TLS/EWS/TAF15) family of RNA-binding proteins, and the carboxy terminus of FLI, a member of the ETS family of transcription factors. In addition to EWS/FLI, variant translocation fusions belonging to the TET/ETS family have been identified in Ewing's sarcoma. These studies solidified the importance of TET/ETS fusions in the pathogenesis of Ewing's sarcoma and have since been used as diagnostic markers for the disease. EWS fusions with non-ETS transcription factor family members have been described in sarcomas that are clearly distinct from Ewing's sarcoma. However, in recent years there have been reports of rare fusions in "Ewing's-like tumors" that harbor the amino-terminus of EWS fused to the carboxy-terminal DNA or chromatin-interacting domains contributed by non-ETS proteins. This review aims to summarize the growing list of fusion oncogenes that characterize Ewing's sarcoma and Ewing's-like tumors and highlights important questions that need to be answered to further support the existing concept that Ewing's sarcoma is strictly a "TET/ETS" fusion-driven malignancy. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of action of the various different fusion oncogenes will provide better insights into the biology underlying this rare but important solid tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savita Sankar
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 84112
| | - Stephen L. Lessnick
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 84112
- Center for Children’s Cancer Research at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 84112
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
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Fernández-Serra A, Rubio-Briones J, García-Casado Z, Solsona E, López-Guerrero JA. [Prostate cancer: the revolution of the fusion genes]. Actas Urol Esp 2011; 35:420-8. [PMID: 21601955 DOI: 10.1016/j.acuro.2010.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2010] [Revised: 11/02/2010] [Accepted: 11/05/2010] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND TMPRSS2-ETS fusion gene rearrangements constitute a very common and specific alteration in prostate cancer cells. These genetic alterations lead the overexpression of ETS genes which encode the E26 family of transcription factors involved in cell proliferation. Of this family, the ERG oncogene is overexpressed in almost 50% of prostate cancer cases. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS TMPRSS2-ERG overexpresses ERG through an androgen-mediated response. Structurally, the rearrangement is due to interstitial deletion and to a lesser extent to reciprocal translocation and plays a key role in cellular metabolism. Almost all fusion gene transcripts produce a truncated ERG protein and the presence of a specific isoform of this gene suggests the clonality of the tumor; hence, metastasis shares the fusion gene status of their primary lesion. Although the prognostic implications of TMPRSS2-ERG have not been fully elucidated, they constitutes a field of great diagnostic potential and, therefore, the development of techniques to identify and to analyze the presence and characteristics of this gene in a non-invasive fashion deserves great interest in this area. Currently, there is evidence supporting the hypothesis that the presence of fusion gene differentiates two molecular groups within prostate cancer with a differential behaviour making the fusion gene a potential therapeutic target. In this regard, the use of anti-HDAC (trichostatin), antagonists of estrogen receptor alpha and abiraterone acetate have shown promising results. CONCLUSIONS This review describes the great potential offered by the investigation of fusion genes in PC and the need for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Fernández-Serra
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, Valencia, España
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25
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France KA, Anderson JL, Park A, Denny CT. Oncogenic fusion protein EWS/FLI1 down-regulates gene expression by both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:22750-7. [PMID: 21531709 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.225433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing family tumors are characterized by a translocation between the RNA binding protein EWS and one of five ETS transcription factors, most commonly FLI1. The fusion protein produced by the translocation has been thought to act as an aberrant transcription factor, leading to changes in gene expression and cellular transformation. In this study, we investigated the specific processes EWS/FLI1 utilizes to alter gene expression. Using both heterologous NIH 3T3 and human Ewing Family Tumor cell lines, we have demonstrated by quantitative pre-mRNA analysis that EWS/FLI1 repressed the expression of previously validated direct target genes at the level of transcript synthesis. ChIP experiments showed that EWS/FLI1 decreases the amount of Pol II at the promoter of down-regulated genes in both murine and human model systems. However, in down-regulated target genes, there was a significant disparity between the modulation of cognate mRNA and pre-mRNAs, suggesting that these genes could also be regulated at a posttranscriptional level. Confirming this, we found that EWS/FLI1 decreased the transcript half-life of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3, a down-regulated direct target gene in human tumor-derived Ewing's sarcoma cell lines. Additionally, we have shown through reexpression experiments that full EWS/FLI1-mediated transcriptional repression requires intact EWS and ETS domains. Together these data demonstrate that EWS/FLI1 can dictate steady-state target gene expression by modulating both transcript synthesis and degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A France
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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Endersby R, Zhu X, Hay N, Ellison DW, Baker SJ. Nonredundant functions for Akt isoforms in astrocyte growth and gliomagenesis in an orthotopic transplantation model. Cancer Res 2011; 71:4106-16. [PMID: 21507933 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-10-3597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The AKT family, comprising three highly homologous kinases, is an essential mediator of the PTEN/PI3K pathway, which is deregulated in many human cancers. A thorough understanding of the specific activities of each isoform in normal and disease tissues is lacking. We evaluated the role of each Akt isoform in gliomagenesis by using a model system driven by common glioma abnormalities, loss of function of p53 and Pten, and expression of EGFRvIII. Both Pten deletion and EGFRvIII expression accelerated the proliferation of p53-null primary murine astrocytes. All three Akt isoforms were expressed and phosphorylated in astrocytes, with significantly higher activation in Pten-null cells. Despite substantial compensation in many contexts when individual Akt isoforms were inhibited, isoform-specific effects were also identified. Specifically, loss of Akt1 or Akt2 decreased proliferation of Pten wild-type astrocytes, whereas combined loss of multiple isoforms was needed to inhibit proliferation of Pten-null astrocytes. In addition, Akt3 was required for anchorage-independent growth of transformed astrocytes and human glioma cells, and Akt3 loss inhibited invasion of transformed astrocytes. EGFRvIII expression transformed p53-null astrocytes with or without Pten deletion, causing rapid development of high-grade astrocytoma on intracranial transplantation. Furthermore, tumorigenesis of Pten;p53-null astrocytes expressing EGFRvIII was delayed by Akt1 loss and accelerated by Akt2 loss. Taken together, these results indicate context-dependent roles for individual Akt isoforms and suggest that there may be heterogeneous tumor response to isoform-specific inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raelene Endersby
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA
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A novel t(4;22)(q31;q12) produces an EWSR1-SMARCA5 fusion in extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor. Mod Pathol 2011; 24:333-42. [PMID: 21113140 DOI: 10.1038/modpathol.2010.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Over 90% of Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) feature an 11;22 translocation leading to an EWSR1-FLI1 fusion. Less commonly, a member of the ETS-transcription factor family other than FLI1 is fused with EWSR1. In this study, cytogenetic analysis of an extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma/PNET revealed a novel chromosomal translocation t(4;22)(q31;q12) as the sole anomaly. Following confirmation of an EWSR1 rearrangement by the use of EWSR1 breakpoint flanking probes, a fluorescence in situ hybridization positional cloning strategy was used to further narrow the 4q31 breakpoint. These analyses identified the breakpoint within RP11-481K16, a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone containing two gene candidates FREM and SMARCA5. Subsequent RACE, RT-PCR, and sequencing studies were conducted to further characterize the fusion transcript. An in-frame fusion of the first 7 exons of EWSR1 to the last 19 exons of SMARCA5 was identified. SMARCA5 encodes for hSNF2H, a chromatin-remodeling protein. Analogous to EWSR1-ETS-expressing NIH3T3 cells, NIH3T3 cells expressing EWSR1-hSNF2H exhibited anchorage-independent growth and formed colonies in soft agar, indicating chimeric protein tumorigenic potential. Conversely, expression of EWSR1-hSNF2H in NIH3T3 cells, unlike EWSR1-ETS fusions, did not induce EAT-2 expression. Mapping analysis demonstrated that deletion of the C-terminus (SLIDE or SANT motives) of hSNF2H impaired, and deletion of the SNF2_N domain fully abrogated NIH3T3 cell transformation by EWSR1-SMARCA5. It is proposed that EWSR1-hSNF2H may act as an oncogenic chromatin-remodeling factor and that its expression contributes to Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumorigenesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of a fusion between EWSR1 and a chromatin-reorganizing gene in Ewing sarcoma/PNET and thus expands the EWSR1 functional partnership beyond transcription factor and zinc-finger gene families.
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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: The Two Faces of the FUS/EWS/TAF15 Protein Family. Sarcoma 2010; 2011:837474. [PMID: 21197473 PMCID: PMC3005952 DOI: 10.1155/2011/837474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2010] [Revised: 10/20/2010] [Accepted: 11/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
FUS, EWS, and TAF15 form the FET family of RNA-binding proteins whose genes are found rearranged with various transcription factor genes predominantly in sarcomas and in rare hematopoietic and epithelial cancers. The resulting fusion gene products have attracted considerable interest as diagnostic and promising therapeutic targets. So far, oncogenic FET fusion proteins have been regarded as strong transcription factors that aberrantly activate or repress target genes of their DNA-binding fusion partners. However, the role of the transactivating domain in the context of the normal FET proteins is poorly defined, and, therefore, our knowledge on how FET aberrations impact on tumor biology is incomplete. Since we believe that a full understanding of aberrant FET protein function can only arise from looking at both sides of the coin, the good and the evil, this paper summarizes evidence for the central function of FET proteins in bridging RNA transcription, processing, transport, and DNA repair.
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Toomey EC, Schiffman JD, Lessnick SL. Recent advances in the molecular pathogenesis of Ewing's sarcoma. Oncogene 2010; 29:4504-16. [PMID: 20543858 PMCID: PMC3555143 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2010.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2010] [Revised: 04/23/2010] [Accepted: 04/25/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Tumor development is a complex process resulting from interplay between mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressors, host susceptibility factors, and cellular context. Great advances have been made by studying rare tumors with unique clinical, genetic, or molecular features. Ewing's sarcoma serves as an excellent paradigm for understanding tumorigenesis because it exhibits some very useful and important characteristics. For example, nearly all cases of Ewing's sarcoma contain the (11;22)(q24;q12) chromosomal translocation that encodes the EWS/FLI oncoprotein. Besides the t(11;22), however, many cases have otherwise simple karyotypes with no other demonstrable abnormalities. Furthermore, it seems that an underlying genetic susceptibility to Ewing's sarcoma, if it exists, must be rare. These two features suggest that EWS/FLI is the primary mutation that drives the development of this tumor. Finally, Ewing's sarcoma is an aggressive tumor that requires aggressive treatment. Thus, improved understanding of the pathogenesis of this tumor will not only be of academic interest, but may also lead to new therapeutic approaches for individuals afflicted with this disease. The purpose of this review is to highlight recent advances in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of Ewing's sarcoma, while considering the questions surrounding this disease that still remain and how this knowledge may be applied to developing new treatments for patients with this highly aggressive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C. Toomey
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Center for Children's Cancer Research at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Joshua D. Schiffman
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Center for Children's Cancer Research at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Stephen L. Lessnick
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Center for Children's Cancer Research at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
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Le Deley MC, Delattre O, Schaefer KL, Burchill SA, Koehler G, Hogendoorn PC, Lion T, Poremba C, Marandet J, Ballet S, Pierron G, Brownhill SC, Nesslböck M, Ranft A, Dirksen U, Oberlin O, Lewis IJ, Craft AW, Jürgens H, Kovar H. Impact of EWS-ETS Fusion Type on Disease Progression in Ewing's Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor: Prospective Results From the Cooperative Euro-E.W.I.N.G. 99 Trial. J Clin Oncol 2010; 28:1982-8. [PMID: 20308673 DOI: 10.1200/jco.2009.23.3585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose EWS-ETS fusion genes are the driving force in Ewing's sarcoma pathogenesis. Because of the variable breakpoint locations in the involved genes, there is heterogeneity in fusion RNA and protein architecture. Since previous retrospective studies suggested prognostic differences among patients expressing different EWS-FLI1 fusion types, the impact of fusion RNA architecture on disease progression and relapse was studied prospectively within the Euro-E.W.I.N.G. 99 clinical trial. Patients and Methods Among 1,957 patients who registered before January 1, 2007, 703 primary tumors were accessible for the molecular biology study. Fusion type was assessed by polymerase chain reaction on frozen (n = 578) or paraffin-embedded materials (n = 125). The primary end point was the time to disease progression or relapse. Results After exclusion of noninformative patients, 565 patients were entered into the prognostic factor analysis comparing type 1 (n = 296), type 2 (n = 133), nontype 1/nontype 2 EWS-FLI1 (n = 91) and EWS-ERG fusions (n = 45). Median follow-up time was 4.5 years. The distribution of sex, age, tumor volume, tumor site, disease extension, or histologic response did not differ between the four fusion type groups. We did not observe any significant prognostic value of the fusion type on the risk of progression or relapse. The only slight difference was that the risk of progression or relapse associated with nontype 1/nontype 2 EWS-FLI1 fusions was 1.38 (95% CI, 0.96 to 2.0) times higher than risk associated with other fusion types, but it was not significant (P = .10). Conclusion In contrast to retrospective studies, the prospective evaluation did not confirm a prognostic benefit for type 1 EWS-FLI1 fusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Cecile Le Deley
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Olivier Delattre
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Karl-Ludwig Schaefer
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Sue A. Burchill
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Gabriele Koehler
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Pancras C.W. Hogendoorn
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Thomas Lion
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Christopher Poremba
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Julien Marandet
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Stelly Ballet
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Gaelle Pierron
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Samantha C. Brownhill
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Michaela Nesslböck
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Andreas Ranft
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Uta Dirksen
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Odile Oberlin
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Ian J. Lewis
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Alan W. Craft
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Heribert Jürgens
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- From the Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif; University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; Institut Curie, Paris, France; Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf; University Children's Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine; Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds; Institute of Child Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna
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Romeo S, Dei Tos AP. Soft tissue tumors associated with EWSR1 translocation. Virchows Arch 2010; 456:219-34. [PMID: 19936782 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-009-0854-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2009] [Revised: 10/07/2009] [Accepted: 10/17/2009] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWSR1; also known as EWS) represents one of the most commonly involved genes in sarcoma translocations. In fact, it is involved in a broad variety of mesenchymal lesions which includes Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumor, desmoplastic small round cell tumor,clear cell sarcoma, angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma, extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma, and a subset of myxoid liposarcoma. The fusion products between EWSR1 and partners usually results in fusion of the N-terminal transcription-activating domain of EWSR1 and the C-terminal DNA-binding domain of the fusion partner, eventually generating novel transcription factors. EWSR1 rearrangement can be visualized by the means of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). As soft tissue sarcomas represent a diagnostically challenging group, FISH analysis is an extremely useful confirmatory diagnostic tool. However, as in most instances a split-apart approach is used, the results of molecular genetics must be evaluated in context with morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Romeo
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Treviso, Piazza Ospedale 1, Treviso, Italy
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Abstract
Ewing's sarcoma/PNET are small round cell tumors showing a varying degree of neuroectodermal differentiation. They are one of the commonest tumors of childhood and occur in bone and within soft tissues. Traditionally, light microscopy with the aid of immunohistochemical stains was suitable for diagnosis. But now translocation analyses are being used not only for the diagnosis and classification of small round cell tumors, but to ascertain their prognostic significance, detect micrometastasis, and monitor minimal residual disease, with potential for targeted therapy. This article analyzes the pathology, biology, and molecular aspects of Ewing's sarcoma/PNET and discusses their clinical and therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saral S Desai
- Department of Pathology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr. Ernest Borges Road, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Nirmala A Jambhekar
- Department of Pathology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr. Ernest Borges Road, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India,Address for correspondence: Dr. Nirmala Jambhekar, Department of Pathology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai-400 012, Maharashtra, India. E-mail:
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Riggi N, Suva ML, Stamenkovic I. Ewing's sarcoma origin: from duel to duality. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2009; 9:1025-30. [PMID: 19671021 DOI: 10.1586/era.09.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Ordóñez JL, Osuna D, Herrero D, de Alava E, Madoz-Gúrpide J. Advances in Ewing's sarcoma research: where are we now and what lies ahead? Cancer Res 2009; 69:7140-50. [PMID: 19738075 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-08-4041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (EFT) are characterized by specific chromosomal translocations, which lead to EWS/ETS transcription factors. Elucidation of EWS/ETS target gene networks within the context of other signaling pathways, together with the identification of the initiating cell, and the development of genetically engineered mice will hopefully lead to biology-based therapeutic strategies for these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Luis Ordóñez
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology of Sarcomas, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer-Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC), Universidad de Salamanca-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
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Lorin S, Borges A, Ribeiro Dos Santos L, Souquère S, Pierron G, Ryan KM, Codogno P, Djavaheri-Mergny M. c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activation is essential for DRAM-dependent induction of autophagy and apoptosis in 2-methoxyestradiol-treated Ewing sarcoma cells. Cancer Res 2009; 69:6924-31. [PMID: 19706754 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-09-1270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma are two aggressive cancers that affect bones and soft tissues in children and adolescents. Despite multimodal therapy, patients with metastatic sarcoma have a poor prognosis, emphasizing a need for more effective treatment. We have shown previously that 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME), an antitumoral compound, induces apoptosis in Ewing sarcoma cells through c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) activation. In the present study, we provide evidence that 2-ME elicits macroautophagy, a process that participates in apoptotic responses, in a JNK-dependent manner, in Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma cells. We also found that the enhanced activation of JNK by 2-ME is partially regulated by p53, highlighting the relationship of JNK and autophagy to p53 signaling pathway. Furthermore, we showed that 2-ME up-regulates damage-regulated autophagy modulator (DRAM), a p53 target gene, in Ewing sarcoma cells through a mechanism that involves JNK activation. The silencing of DRAM expression reduced both apoptosis and autophagy triggered by 2-ME in Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma cells. Our results therefore identify JNK as a novel mediator of DRAM regulation. These findings suggest that 2-ME or other anticancer therapies that increase DRAM expression or function could be used to effectively treat sarcoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Séverine Lorin
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U756, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris-Sud 11, Châtenay-Malabry, France
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Herrero-Martín D, Osuna D, Ordóñez JL, Sevillano V, Martins AS, Mackintosh C, Campos M, Madoz-Gúrpide J, Otero-Motta AP, Caballero G, Amaral AT, Wai DH, Braun Y, Eisenacher M, Schaefer KL, Poremba C, de Alava E. Stable interference of EWS-FLI1 in an Ewing sarcoma cell line impairs IGF-1/IGF-1R signalling and reveals TOPK as a new target. Br J Cancer 2009; 101:80-90. [PMID: 19491900 PMCID: PMC2694277 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ewing sarcoma is a paradigm of solid tumour -bearing chromosomal translocations resulting in fusion proteins that act as deregulated transcription factors. Ewing sarcoma translocations fuse the EWS gene with an ETS transcription factor, mainly FLI1. Most of the EWS-FLI1 target genes still remain unknown and many have been identified in heterologous model systems. METHODS We have developed a stable RNA interference model knocking down EWS-FLI1 in the Ewing sarcoma cell line TC71. Gene expression analyses were performed to study the effect of RNA interference on the genetic signature of EWS-FLI1 and to identify genes that could contribute to tumourigenesis. RESULTS EWS-FLI1 inhibition induced apoptosis, reduced cell migratory and tumourigenic capacities, and caused reduction in tumour growth. IGF-1 was downregulated and the IGF-1/IGF-1R signalling pathway was impaired. PBK/TOPK (T-LAK cell-originated protein kinase) expression was decreased because of EWS-FLI1 inhibition. We showed that TOPK is a new target gene of EWS-FLI1. TOPK inhibition prompted a decrease in the proliferation rate and a dramatic change in the cell's ability to grow in coalescence. CONCLUSION This is the first report of TOPK activity in Ewing sarcoma and suggests a significant role of this MAPKK-like protein kinase in the Ewing sarcoma biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Herrero-Martín
- Molecular Pathology Program, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer-IBMCC (USAL-CSIC), Campus Unamuno s/n, Salamanca, Spain.
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Proctor A, Brownhill SC, Burchill SA. The promise of telomere length, telomerase activity and its regulation in the translocation-dependent cancer ESFT; clinical challenges and utility. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2009; 1792:260-74. [PMID: 19264125 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2009.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2009] [Revised: 02/19/2009] [Accepted: 02/20/2009] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The Ewing's sarcoma family of tumours (ESFT) are diagnosed by EWS-ETS gene translocations. The resulting fusion proteins play a role in both the initiation and maintenance of these solid aggressive malignant tumours, suppressing cellular senescence and increasing cell proliferation and survival. EWS-ETS fusion proteins have altered transcriptional activity, inducing expression of a number of different target genes including telomerase. Up-regulation of hTERT is most likely responsible for the high levels of telomerase activity in primary ESFT, although telomerase activity and expression of hTERT are not predictive of outcome. However levels of telomerase activity in peripheral blood may be useful to monitor response to some therapeutics. Despite high levels of telomerase activity, telomeres in ESFT are frequently shorter than those of matched normal cells. Uncertainty about the role that telomerase and regulators of its activity play in the maintenance of telomere length in normal and cancer cells, and lack of studies examining the relationship between telomerase activity, regulators of its activity and their clinical significance in patient samples have limited their introduction into clinical practice. Studies in clinical samples using standardised assays are critical to establish how telomerase and regulators of its activity might best be exploited for patient benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Proctor
- Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, St James's University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
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Abstract
Ewing's sarcoma is one of the few solid tumors for which the underlying molecular genetic abnormality has been described: rearrangement of the EWS gene on chromosome 22q12 with an ETS gene family member. These translocations define the Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) and provide a valuable tool for their accurate and unequivocal diagnosis. They also represent ideal targets for the development of tumor-specific therapeutics. Although secondary abnormalities occur in over 80% of primary ESFT the clinical utility of these is currently unclear. However, abnormalities in genes that regulate the G(1)/S checkpoint are frequently described and may be important in predicting outcome and response. Increased understanding of the molecular events that arise in ESFT and their role in the development and maintenance of the malignant phenotype will inform the improved stratification of patients for therapy and identify targets and pathways for the design of more effective cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Ann Burchill
- Candlelighter's Children's Cancer Research Group, Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
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Genetically defined EWS/FLI1 model system suggests mesenchymal origin of Ewing's family tumors. J Transl Med 2008; 88:1291-302. [PMID: 18838963 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2008.99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing's family tumors (EFTs) are characterized by recurrent chromosomal translocations that produce chimeric fusions between the EWS gene and one of five ETS transcription factors. The expression of EWS/FLI1, the predominant fusion product in EFTs, is believed to deregulate downstream target genes in an undefined tissue type and leads to development of EFTs. Attempts to generate model systems that represent EFTs have been hampered by an unexpected toxicity of the fusion gene. In the present study, we used gene expression analysis to identify tissue types based on the similarity of their expression profiles to those of EWS/FLI1-modulated genes. The data obtained from this screen helped to identify IMR-90 cells, a human fetal fibroblast, that upon further manipulation can maintain stable EWS/FLI1 expression without the reported toxicity. In addition, gene expression profiling of these cells revealed a significant overlap of genes that have been previously reported to be targets of EWS/FLI1. Furthermore, we show, for the first time, a partial transformation of these human primary fibroblasts with EWS/FLI1 expression. The experiments presented here provide a solid foundation for generation of a new model system for studying Ewing's sarcoma biology.
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Cironi L, Riggi N, Provero P, Wolf N, Suvà ML, Suvà D, Kindler V, Stamenkovic I. IGF1 is a common target gene of Ewing's sarcoma fusion proteins in mesenchymal progenitor cells. PLoS One 2008; 3:e2634. [PMID: 18648544 PMCID: PMC2481291 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2008] [Accepted: 06/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The EWS-FLI-1 fusion protein is associated with 85–90% of Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFT), the remaining 10–15% of cases expressing chimeric genes encoding EWS or FUS fused to one of several ets transcription factor family members, including ERG-1, FEV, ETV1 and ETV6. ESFT are dependent on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) for growth and survival and recent evidence suggests that mesenchymal progenitor/stem cells constitute a candidate ESFT origin. Methodology/Principal Findings To address the functional relatedness between ESFT-associated fusion proteins, we compared mouse progenitor cell (MPC) permissiveness for EWS-FLI-1, EWS-ERG and FUS-ERG expression and assessed the corresponding expression profile changes. Whereas all MPC isolates tested could stably express EWS-FLI-1, only some sustained stable EWS-ERG expression and none could express FUS-ERG for more than 3–5 days. Only 14% and 4% of the total number of genes that were respectively induced and repressed in MPCs by the three fusion proteins were shared. However, all three fusion proteins, but neither FLI-1 nor ERG-1 alone, activated the IGF1 promoter and induced IGF1 expression. Conclusion/Significance Whereas expression of different ESFT-associated fusion proteins may require distinct cellular microenvironments and induce transcriptome changes of limited similarity, IGF1 induction may provide one common mechanism for their implication in ESFT pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Cironi
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolò Riggi
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Provero
- Department of Biology Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Natalie Wolf
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mario-Luca Suvà
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Domizio Suvà
- Department of Orthopedics, University Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Kindler
- Department of Orthopedics, University Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ivan Stamenkovic
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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Brandal P, Panagopoulos I, Bjerkehagen B, Gorunova L, Skjeldal S, Micci F, Heim S. Detection of a t(1;22)(q23;q12) translocation leading to an EWSR1-PBX1 fusion gene in a myoepithelioma. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2008; 47:558-64. [PMID: 18383210 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.20559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosome banding as well as molecular cytogenetic methods are of great help in the diagnosis of mesenchymal tumors. Myoepithelial neoplasms of soft tissue including myoepitheliomas, mixed tumors, and parachordomas are diagnoses that have been increasingly recognized the last few years. It is still debated which neoplasms should be included in these morphologically heterogeneous entities, and the boundaries between them are not clear-cut. The pathogenetic mechanisms behind myoepithelial tumors are unknown. Only five parachordomas and one mixed tumor have previously been karyotyped, and nothing is known about their molecular genetic characteristics. We present a mesenchymal tumor classified as a myoepithelioma that had a balanced translocation t(1;22)(q23;q12) as the sole karyotypic change. A novel EWSR1-PBX1 fusion gene consisting of exons 1-8 of the 5'-end of EWSR1 and exons 5-9 of the 3'-end of PBX1 was shown to result from the translocation. Both genes are known to be targeted also by other neoplasia-specific translocations, PBX1 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and EWSR1 in several solid tumors, most of which are malignant. Based on the structure of the novel fusion gene detected, its transforming mechanism is thought to be the same as for other fusion genes involving EWSR1 or PBX1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petter Brandal
- Department of Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine and Radiotherapy, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Montebello, Oslo, Norway.
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Riggi N, Suvà ML, Suvà D, Cironi L, Provero P, Tercier S, Joseph JM, Stehle JC, Baumer K, Kindler V, Stamenkovic I. EWS-FLI-1 expression triggers a Ewing's sarcoma initiation program in primary human mesenchymal stem cells. Cancer Res 2008; 68:2176-85. [PMID: 18381423 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-07-1761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFT) express the EWS-FLI-1 fusion gene generated by the chromosomal translocation t(11;22)(q24;q12). Expression of the EWS-FLI-1 fusion protein in a permissive cellular environment is believed to play a key role in ESFT pathogenesis. However, EWS-FLI-1 induces growth arrest or apoptosis in differentiated primary cells, and the identity of permissive primary human cells that can support its expression and function has until now remained elusive. Here we show that expression of EWS-FLI-1 in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) is not only stably maintained without inhibiting proliferation but also induces a gene expression profile bearing striking similarity to that of ESFT, including genes that are among the highest ESFT discriminators. Expression of EWS-FLI-1 in hMSCs may recapitulate the initial steps of Ewing's sarcoma development, allowing identification of genes that play an important role early in its pathogenesis. Among relevant candidate transcripts induced by EWS-FLI-1 in hMSCs, we found the polycomb group gene EZH2, which we show to play a critical role in Ewing's sarcoma growth. These observations are consistent with our recent findings using mouse mesenchymal progenitor cells and provide compelling evidence that hMSCs are candidate cells of origin of ESFT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Riggi
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
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Riggi N, Cironi L, Suvà ML, Stamenkovic I. Sarcomas: genetics, signalling, and cellular origins. Part 1: The fellowship of TET. J Pathol 2007; 213:4-20. [PMID: 17691072 DOI: 10.1002/path.2209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Sarcomas comprise some of the most aggressive solid tumours that, for the most part, respond poorly to chemo- and radiation therapy and are associated with a sombre prognosis when surgical removal cannot be performed or is incomplete. Partly because of their lower frequency, sarcomas have not been studied as intensively as carcinomas and haematopoietic malignancies, and the molecular mechanisms that underlie their pathogenesis are only beginning to be understood. Even more enigmatic is the identity of the primary cells from which these tumours originate. Over the past 25 years, however, several non-random chromosomal translocations have been found to be associated with defined sarcomas. Each of these translocations generates a fusion gene believed to be directly related to the pathogenesis of the sarcoma in which it is expressed. The corresponding fusion proteins provide a unique tool not only to study the process of sarcoma development, but also to identify cells that are permissive for their putative oncogenic properties. This is the first of two reviews that cover the mechanisms whereby specific fusion/mutant gene products participate in sarcoma development and the cellular context that may provide the necessary permissiveness for their expression and oncogenicity. Part 1 of the review focuses on sarcomas that express fusion genes containing TET gene family products, including EWSR1, TLS/FUS, and TAFII68. Part 2 (J Pathol 2007; DOI: 10.1002/path.2008) summarizes our current understanding of the genetic and cellular origins of sarcomas expressing fusion genes exclusive of TET family members; it also covers soft tissue malignancies harbouring specific mutations in RTK-encoding genes, the prototype of which are gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST).
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Affiliation(s)
- N Riggi
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Honoki K, Stojanovski E, McEvoy M, Fujii H, Tsujiuchi T, Kido A, Takakura Y, Attia J. Prognostic significance of p16 INK4a alteration for Ewing sarcoma: a meta-analysis. Cancer 2007; 110:1351-60. [PMID: 17661343 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.22908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite findings from individual studies regarding prognostic factors for Ewing sarcoma, no conclusive results have been produced, partly because of small sample sizes. The objective of the current study was to evaluate whether the presence of p16(INK4a) alteration is associated with a poorer prognosis in patients with Ewing sarcomas. METHODS A review was conducted of publications that assessed associations between p16(INK4a) status and 2-year survival among patients with Ewing sarcoma. The association between metastatic disease at initial diagnosis and 2-year survival was evaluated by synthesizing data in the form of risk ratios. RESULTS Of 11 studies that were identified in the initial search strategy, 6 studies, representing 188 patients, met the inclusion criteria and, consequently, were pooled for quantitative analyses. The estimated pooled risk ratio of p16(INK4a) aberration was 2.17 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.55-3.03; P < .001), whereas the estimated pooled risk ratio of metastasis at diagnosis among the 164 eligible patients was 2.60 (95% CI, 1.71-3.97; P < .001). There was no statistically significant difference in the pooled estimated risk ratios of p16(INK4a) aberration for a poor prognosis between patients with and without metastasis at diagnosis (1.86 and 2.21, respectively; P > .59). CONCLUSIONS The presence of p16(INK4a) alteration was a statistically significant predictor of prognosis for patients with Ewing sarcoma. Along with other prognostic factors, such as metastasis, the p16(INK4a) alteration may be a potential candidate for improving the risk-stratifying strategy for patients with these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanya Honoki
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
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Myatt SS, Burchill SA. The sensitivity of the Ewing's sarcoma family of tumours to fenretinide-induced cell death is increased by EWS-Fli1-dependent modulation of p38MAPK activity. Oncogene 2007; 27:985-96. [PMID: 17700534 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Ewing's sarcoma family of tumours (ESFT) are small round cell tumours characterized by the non-random EWS-ETS gene rearrangements. We have previously demonstrated that ESFT are highly sensitive to fenretinide-induced death, effected in part through a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent pathway. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the sensitivity of ESFT cells to fenretinide-induced cell death is decreased following downregulation of the oncogenic fusion protein EWS-Fli1; siRNA targeting EWS-Fli1 attenuated fenretinide-induced cell death in cell lines expressing EWS-Fli1, but not EWS-ERG. This decrease in cell death was independent of the level of ROS produced following exposure to fenretinide, but was effected through EWS-Fli1-dependent modulation of p38(MAPK) activity. Furthermore, inhibition of p38(MAPK) activity and knockdown of EWS-Fli1 reduced fenretinide-induced mitochondrial permeabilization, cytochrome c release, caspase and PARP cleavage, consistent with the hypothesis that p38(MAPK) is critical for activation of the death cascade by fenretinide in ESFT cells. These data demonstrate that expression of EWS-Fli1 enhances fenretinide-induced cell death in ESFT and that this is effected at least in part through modulation of p38(MAPK) activity.
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MESH Headings
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Blotting, Western
- Caspases/metabolism
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Cytochromes c/metabolism
- Down-Regulation
- Electroporation
- Fenretinide/pharmacology
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
- Humans
- Membrane Potentials/drug effects
- Mitochondria/drug effects
- Mitochondria/metabolism
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/antagonists & inhibitors
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/metabolism
- Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1/metabolism
- RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology
- RNA-Binding Protein EWS
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sarcoma, Ewing/drug therapy
- Sarcoma, Ewing/metabolism
- Sarcoma, Ewing/pathology
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- S S Myatt
- Candlelighter's Children's Cancer Research Laboratory, Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK
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Potikyan G, Savene ROV, Gaulden JM, France KA, Zhou Z, Kleinerman ES, Lessnick SL, Denny CT. EWS/FLI1 Regulates Tumor Angiogenesis in Ewing's Sarcoma via Suppression of Thrombospondins. Cancer Res 2007; 67:6675-84. [PMID: 17638877 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-06-4140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Suppression of the expression of antiangiogenic factors has been closely associated with multiple malignancies. Thrombospondins 1 and 2 are members of a family of angiogenic inhibitors that are regulated by several oncogenes. In this study, we investigate the role of thrombospondins in Ewing's sarcoma and their regulation by EWS/ETS fusion oncoproteins. We show that the EWS/FLI1 fusion suppresses the expression of thrombospondins in both NIH3T3 fibroblasts and Ewing's sarcoma tumor-derived cell lines. This regulation depends on an intact EWS/FLI1 DNA-binding domain and may involve direct interactions between EWS/FLI1 and thrombospondin promoter regions. Forced expression of thrombospondins in Ewing's sarcoma cell lines inhibited the rate of tumor formation in vivo and markedly decreased the number of microvessels present in the tumors. These findings suggest that thrombospondins play a biologically significant role in tumor vascularization in Ewing's sarcoma and suggest potential therapeutic strategies for future therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Potikyan
- Molecular Biology Institute, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California-Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
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Riggi N, Stamenkovic I. The Biology of Ewing sarcoma. Cancer Lett 2007; 254:1-10. [PMID: 17250957 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2006.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2006] [Revised: 12/05/2006] [Accepted: 12/12/2006] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Sarcomas account for less than 10% of all human malignancies that are believed to originate from as yet poorly defined mesenchymal progenitor cells. They constitute some of the most aggressive adult and childhood cancers in that they have a high metastatic proclivity and are typically refractory to conventional chemo- and radiation therapy. Ewing's sarcoma is a member of Ewing's family tumors (ESFT) and the second most common solid bone and soft tissue malignancy of children and young adults. It is associated in 85% of cases with the t(11;22)(q24:q12) chromosomal translocation that generates fusion of the 5' segment of the EWS gene with the 3' segment of the ETS family gene FLI-1. The resulting EWS-FLI-1 fusion protein is believed to behave as an aberrant transcriptional activator that contributes to ESFT development by altering the expression of its target genes in a permissive cellular environment. Although ESFTs are among the best studied sarcomas, the mechanisms involved in EWS-FLI-1-induced transformation require further elucidation and the primary cells from which ESFTs originate need to be identified. This review will highlight some of the most recent discoveries in the field of Ewing sarcoma biology and origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Riggi
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
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Shimada H, Nakagawa A. Pathology of the Peripheral Neuroblastic Tumors. Lab Med 2006. [DOI: 10.1309/0506c1bm8gbvv224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Abstract
Ewing's sarcoma and related tumors (ESFT) are characterized by rearrangements of EWS with ets family genes. While detection of these gene fusions greatly facilitated diagnosis, it has not provided any clues about the tissue of origin. Immunological and gene expression profiling studies favour a neuroectodermal histogenesis. These investigations did not appreciate the impact of EWS-ets proteins on the tumor phenotype. Introduction of EWS-ets into different cellular models resulted in diverse outcomes ranging from the induction of cell cycle arrest or apoptosis to transformation and tumorigenicity, and from blocked differentiation to trans-differentiation. Thus, the molecular signature of EWS-ets proteins depends on the cell type. The hen or egg problem in ESFT, therefore, is whether ESFT reflect the phenotype of the tumor stem cell that is blocked in differentiation by the activity of the EWS-ets gene fusion or if the oncogene imposes an incomplete differentiation program on a pluripotent precursor cell. This article addresses the problem by considering the tissue distribution of FLI1 and ERG expression and by reviewing evidence for combinatorial control of EWS-ets activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heinrich Kovar
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderspital, Kinderspitalgasse 6, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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