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Wang R, Yan Z. Cancer spreading patterns based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1259953. [PMID: 38665432 PMCID: PMC11043583 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1259953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Metastasis is a major cause of cancer-related deaths, underscoring the necessity to discern the rules and patterns of cancer cell spreading. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity contributes to cancer aggressiveness and metastasis. Despite establishing key determinants of cancer aggressiveness and metastatic ability, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanism is unknown. We aimed to propose a classification system for cancer cells based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, focusing on hysteresis of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. Methods: We extensively reviewed the concept of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, specifically considering the hysteresis of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. Results: In this review and hypothesis article, based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, especially the hysteresis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype, we proposed a classification of cancer cells, indicating that cancer cells with epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity potential could be classified into four types: irreversible hysteresis, weak hysteresis, strong hysteresis, and hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. These four types of cancer cells had varied biology, spreading features, and prognoses. Discussion: Our results highlight that the proposed classification system offers insights into the diverse behaviors of cancer cells, providing implications for cancer aggressiveness and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhaopeng Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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2
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Rashid M, Devi BM, Banerjee M. Combinatorial Cooperativity in miR200-Zeb Feedback Network can Control Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Bull Math Biol 2024; 86:48. [PMID: 38555331 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-024-01277-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Carcinomas often utilize epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programs for cancer progression and metastasis. Numerous studies report SNAIL-induced miR200/Zeb feedback circuit as crucial in regulating EMT by placing cancer cells in at least three phenotypic states, viz. epithelial (E), hybrid (h-E/M), mesenchymal (M), along the E-M phenotypic spectrum. However, a coherent molecular-level understanding of how such a tiny circuit controls carcinoma cell entrance into and residence in various states is lacking. Here, we use molecular binding data and mathematical modeling to report that the miR200/Zeb circuit can essentially utilize combinatorial cooperativity to control E-M phenotypic plasticity. We identify minimal combinatorial cooperativities that give rise to E, h-E/M, and M phenotypes. We show that disrupting a specific number of miR200 binding sites on Zeb as well as Zeb binding sites on miR200 can have phenotypic consequences-the circuit can dynamically switch between two (E, M) and three (E, h-E/M, M) phenotypes. Further, we report that in both SNAIL-induced and SNAIL knock-out miR200/Zeb circuits, cooperative transcriptional feedback on Zeb as well as Zeb translation inhibition due to miR200 are essential for the occurrence of intermediate h-E/M phenotype. Finally, we demonstrate that SNAIL can be dispensable for EMT, and in the absence of SNAIL, the transcriptional feedback can control cell state transition from E to h-E/M, to M state. Our results thus highlight molecular-level regulation of EMT in miR200/Zeb circuit and we expect these findings to be crucial to future efforts aiming to prevent EMT-facilitated dissemination of carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubasher Rashid
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, 208016, India.
| | - Brasanna M Devi
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, 208016, India
| | - Malay Banerjee
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, 208016, India
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3
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Zhang H, Chen N, Ding C, Zhang H, Liu D, Liu S. Ferroptosis and EMT resistance in cancer: a comprehensive review of the interplay. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1344290. [PMID: 38469234 PMCID: PMC10926930 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1344290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis differs from traditional cell death mechanisms like apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy, primarily due to its reliance on iron metabolism and the loss of glutathione peroxidase activity, leading to lipid peroxidation and cell death. The dysregulation of iron metabolism is a hallmark of various cancers, contributing to tumor progression, metastasis, and notably, drug resistance. The acquisition of mesenchymal characteristics by epithelial cells is known as Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), a biological process intricately linked to cancer development, promoting traits such as invasiveness, metastasis, and resistance to therapeutic interventions. EMT plays a pivotal role in cancer progression and contributes significantly to the complex dynamics of carcinogenesis. Research findings indicate that mesenchymal cancer cells exhibit greater susceptibility to ferroptosis compared to their epithelial counterparts. The induction of ferroptosis becomes more effective in eliminating drug-resistant cancer cells during the process of EMT. The interplay between ferroptosis and EMT, a process where epithelial cells transform into mobile mesenchymal cells, is crucial in understanding cancer progression. EMT is associated with increased cancer metastasis and drug resistance. The review delves into how ferroptosis and EMT influence each other, highlighting the role of key proteins like GPX4, which protects against lipid peroxidation, and its inhibition can induce ferroptosis. Conversely, increased GPX4 expression is linked to heightened resistance to ferroptosis in cancer cells. Moreover, the review discusses the implications of EMT-induced transcription factors such as Snail, Zeb1, and Twist in modulating the sensitivity of tumor cells to ferroptosis, thereby affecting drug resistance and cancer treatment outcomes. Targeting the ferroptosis pathway offers a promising therapeutic strategy, particularly for tumors resistant to conventional treatments. The induction of ferroptosis in these cells could potentially overcome drug resistance. However, translating these findings into clinical practice presents challenges, including understanding the precise mechanisms of ferroptosis induction, identifying predictive biomarkers, and optimizing combination therapies. The review underscores the need for further research to unravel the complex interactions between ferroptosis, EMT, and drug resistance in cancer. This could lead to the development of more effective, targeted cancer treatments, particularly for drug-resistant tumors, offering new hope in cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiming Zhang
- School of Basic Medicine, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Naifeng Chen
- School of Basic Medicine, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Chenglong Ding
- School of Basic Medicine, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Huinan Zhang
- School of Basic Medicine, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Dejiang Liu
- College of Biology and Agriculture, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Shuang Liu
- School of Basic Medicine, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
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4
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Merckens A, Sieler M, Keil S, Dittmar T. Altered Phenotypes of Breast Epithelial × Breast Cancer Hybrids after ZEB1 Knock-Out. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17310. [PMID: 38139138 PMCID: PMC10744253 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
ZEB1 plays a pivotal role in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), (cancer) cell stemness and cancer therapy resistance. The M13HS tumor hybrids, which were derived from spontaneous fusion events between the M13SV1-EGFP-Neo breast epithelial cells and HS578T-Hyg breast cancer cells, express ZEB1 and exhibit prospective cancer stem cell properties. To explore a possible correlation between the ZEB1 and stemness/ EMT-related properties in M13HS tumor hybrids, ZEB1 was knocked-out by CRISPR/Cas9. Colony formation, mammosphere formation, cell migration, invasion assays, flow cytometry and Western blot analyses were performed for the characterization of ZEB1 knock-out cells. The ZEB1 knock-out in M13HS tumor cells was not correlated with the down-regulation of the EMT-related markers N-CADHERIN (CDH2) and VIMENTIN and up-regulation of miR-200c-3p. Nonetheless, both the colony formation and mammosphere formation capacities of the M13HS ZEB1 knock-out cells were markedly reduced. Interestingly, the M13HS-2 ZEB1-KO cells harbored a markedly higher fraction of ALDH1-positive cells. The Transwell/ Boyden chamber migration assay data indicated a reduced migratory activity of the M13HS ZEB1-knock-out tumor hybrids, whereas in scratch/ wound-healing assays only the M13SH-8 ZEB1-knock-out cells possessed a reduced locomotory activity. Similarly, only the M13HS-8 ZEB1-knock-out tumor hybrids showed a reduced invasion capacity. Although the ZEB1 knock-out resulted in only moderate phenotypic changes, our data support the role of ZEB1 in EMT and stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Thomas Dittmar
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Stockumer Str. 10, 58448 Witten, Germany; (A.M.); (M.S.); (S.K.)
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5
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Subhadarshini S, Sahoo S, Debnath S, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. Dynamical modeling of proliferative-invasive plasticity and IFNγ signaling in melanoma reveals mechanisms of PD-L1 expression heterogeneity. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006766. [PMID: 37678920 PMCID: PMC10496669 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006766] [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] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phenotypic heterogeneity of melanoma cells contributes to drug tolerance, increased metastasis, and immune evasion in patients with progressive disease. Diverse mechanisms have been individually reported to shape extensive intra-tumor and inter-tumor phenotypic heterogeneity, such as IFNγ signaling and proliferative to invasive transition, but how their crosstalk impacts tumor progression remains largely elusive. METHODS Here, we integrate dynamical systems modeling with transcriptomic data analysis at bulk and single-cell levels to investigate underlying mechanisms behind phenotypic heterogeneity in melanoma and its impact on adaptation to targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. We construct a minimal core regulatory network involving transcription factors implicated in this process and identify the multiple 'attractors' in the phenotypic landscape enabled by this network. Our model predictions about synergistic control of PD-L1 by IFNγ signaling and proliferative to invasive transition were validated experimentally in three melanoma cell lines-MALME3, SK-MEL-5 and A375. RESULTS We demonstrate that the emergent dynamics of our regulatory network comprising MITF, SOX10, SOX9, JUN and ZEB1 can recapitulate experimental observations about the co-existence of diverse phenotypes (proliferative, neural crest-like, invasive) and reversible cell-state transitions among them, including in response to targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. These phenotypes have varied levels of PD-L1, driving heterogeneity in immunosuppression. This heterogeneity in PD-L1 can be aggravated by combinatorial dynamics of these regulators with IFNγ signaling. Our model predictions about changes in proliferative to invasive transition and PD-L1 levels as melanoma cells evade targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors were validated in multiple RNA-seq data sets from in vitro and in vivo experiments. CONCLUSION Our calibrated dynamical model offers a platform to test combinatorial therapies and provide rational avenues for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. This improved understanding of crosstalk among PD-L1 expression, proliferative to invasive transition and IFNγ signaling can be leveraged to improve the clinical management of therapy-resistant and metastatic melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Shibjyoti Debnath
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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6
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Subhadarshini S, Sahoo S, Debnath S, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. Dynamical modelling of proliferative-invasive plasticity and IFNγ signaling in melanoma reveals mechanisms of PD-L1 expression heterogeneity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.09.523355. [PMID: 37398358 PMCID: PMC10312429 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.09.523355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic heterogeneity of melanoma cells contributes to drug tolerance, increased metastasis, and immune evasion in patients with progressive disease. Diverse mechanisms have been individually reported to shape extensive intra- and inter-tumoral phenotypic heterogeneity, such as IFNγ signaling and proliferative to invasive transition, but how their crosstalk impacts tumor progression remains largely elusive. Here, we integrate dynamical systems modeling with transcriptomic data analysis at bulk and single-cell levels to investigate underlying mechanisms behind phenotypic heterogeneity in melanoma and its impact on adaptation to targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. We construct a minimal core regulatory network involving transcription factors implicated in this process and identify the multiple "attractors" in the phenotypic landscape enabled by this network. Our model predictions about synergistic control of PD-L1 by IFNγ signaling and proliferative to invasive transition were validated experimentally in three melanoma cell lines - MALME3, SK-MEL-5 and A375. We demonstrate that the emergent dynamics of our regulatory network comprising MITF, SOX10, SOX9, JUN and ZEB1 can recapitulate experimental observations about the co-existence of diverse phenotypes (proliferative, neural crest-like, invasive) and reversible cell-state transitions among them, including in response to targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. These phenotypes have varied levels of PD-L1, driving heterogeneity in immune-suppression. This heterogeneity in PD-L1 can be aggravated by combinatorial dynamics of these regulators with IFNγ signaling. Our model predictions about changes in proliferative to invasive transition and PD-L1 levels as melanoma cells evade targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors were validated in multiple data sets from in vitro and in vivo experiments. Our calibrated dynamical model offers a platform to test combinatorial therapies and provide rational avenues for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. This improved understanding of crosstalk among PD-L1 expression, proliferative to invasive transition and IFNγ signaling can be leveraged to improve the clinical management of therapy-resistant and metastatic melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | | | | | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
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7
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Verstappe J, Berx G. A role for partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in enabling stemness in homeostasis and cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 90:15-28. [PMID: 36773819 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Stem cells have self-renewal capacities and the ability to give rise to differentiated cells thereby sustaining tissues during homeostasis and injury. This structural hierarchy extends to tumours which harbor stem-like cells deemed cancer stem cells that propagate the tumour and drive metastasis and relapse. The process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which plays an important role in development and cancer cell migration, was shown to be correlated with stemness in both homeostasis and cancer indicating that stemness can be acquired and is not necessarily an intrinsic trait. Nowadays it is experimentally proven that the activation of an EMT program does not necessarily drive cells towards a fully mesenchymal phenotype but rather to hybrid E/M states. This review offers the latest advances in connecting the EMT status and stem-cell state of both non-transformed and cancer cells. Recent literature clearly shows that hybrid EMT states have a higher probability of acquiring stem cell traits. The position of a cell along the EMT-axis which coincides with a stem cell-like state is known as the stemness window. We show how the original EMT-state of a cell dictates the EMT/MET inducing programmes required to reach stemness. Lastly we present the mechanism of stemness regulation and the regulatory feedback loops which position cells at a certain EMT state along the EMT axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Verstappe
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Berx
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.
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8
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Subbalakshmi AR, Sahoo S, Manjunatha P, Goyal S, Kasiviswanathan VA, Mahesh Y, Ramu S, McMullen I, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. The ELF3 transcription factor is associated with an epithelial phenotype and represses epithelial-mesenchymal transition. J Biol Eng 2023; 17:17. [PMID: 36864480 PMCID: PMC9983220 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-023-00333-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) involves bidirectional transitions between epithelial, mesenchymal and multiple intermediary hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes. While the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its associated transcription factors are well-characterised, the transcription factors that promote mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) and stabilise hybrid E/M phenotypes are less well understood. RESULTS Here, we analyse multiple publicly-available transcriptomic datasets at bulk and single-cell level and pinpoint ELF3 as a factor that is strongly associated with an epithelial phenotype and is inhibited during EMT. Using mechanism-based mathematical modelling, we also show that ELF3 inhibits the progression of EMT. This behaviour was also observed in the presence of an EMT inducing factor WT1. Our model predicts that the MET induction capacity of ELF3 is stronger than that of KLF4, but weaker than that of GRHL2. Finally, we show that ELF3 levels correlates with worse patient survival in a subset of solid tumour types. CONCLUSION ELF3 is shown to be inhibited during EMT progression and is also found to inhibit the progression of complete EMT suggesting that ELF3 may be able to counteract EMT induction, including in the presence of EMT-inducing factors, such as WT1. The analysis of patient survival data indicates that the prognostic capacity of ELF3 is specific to cell-of-origin or lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayalur Raghu Subbalakshmi
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Prakruthi Manjunatha
- grid.444321.40000 0004 0501 2828Department of Medical Electronics, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, 560054 Bangalore, India
| | - Shaurya Goyal
- grid.429017.90000 0001 0153 2859Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, 721302 Kharagpur, India
| | - Vignesh A Kasiviswanathan
- grid.512757.30000 0004 1761 9897Department of Biotechnology, JSS Science and Technology University, 570006 Mysore, India
| | - Yeshwanth Mahesh
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Soundharya Ramu
- grid.419655.a0000 0001 0008 3668Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, 506004 Warangal, India
| | - Isabelle McMullen
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Medicine, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA
| | - Jason A. Somarelli
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Medicine, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA ,grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012, Bangalore, India.
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Saha S, Pradhan N, B N, Mahadevappa R, Minocha S, Kumar S. Cancer plasticity: Investigating the causes for this agility. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 88:138-156. [PMID: 36584960 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is not a hard-wired phenomenon but an evolutionary disease. From the onset of carcinogenesis, cancer cells continuously adapt and evolve to satiate their ever-growing proliferation demands. This results in the formation of multiple subtypes of cancer cells with different phenotypes, cellular compositions, and consequently displaying varying degrees of tumorigenic identity and function. This phenomenon is referred to as cancer plasticity, during which the cancer cells exist in a plethora of cellular states having distinct phenotypes. With the advent of modern technologies equipped with enhanced resolution and depth, for example, single-cell RNA-sequencing and advanced computational tools, unbiased cancer profiling at a single-cell resolution are leading the way in understanding cancer cell rewiring both spatially and temporally. In this review, the processes and mechanisms that give rise to cancer plasticity include both intrinsic genetic factors such as epigenetic changes, differential expression due to changes in DNA, RNA, or protein content within the cancer cell, as well as extrinsic environmental factors such as tissue perfusion, extracellular milieu are detailed and their influence on key cancer plasticity hallmarks such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer cell stemness (CSCs) are discussed. Due to therapy evasion and drug resistance, tumor heterogeneity caused by cancer plasticity has major therapeutic ramifications. Hence, it is crucial to comprehend all the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control cellular plasticity. How this process evades therapy, and the therapeutic avenue of targeting cancer plasticity must be diligently investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubhraneel Saha
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Nikita Pradhan
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Neha B
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Ravikiran Mahadevappa
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Science, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management, Deemed to be University, Bengaluru, Karnataka 562163, India
| | - Shilpi Minocha
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India.
| | - Saran Kumar
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India.
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Underlying mechanisms of epithelial splicing regulatory proteins in cancer progression. J Mol Med (Berl) 2022; 100:1539-1556. [PMID: 36163376 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-022-02257-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is the second-leading disease-related cause of global mortality after cardiovascular disease. Despite significant advances in cancer therapeutic strategies, cancer remains one of the major obstacles to human life extension. Cancer pathogenesis is extremely complicated and not fully understood. Epithelial splicing regulatory proteins (ESRPs), including ESRP1 and ESRP2, belong to the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein family of RNA-binding proteins and are crucial regulators of the alternative splicing of messenger RNAs (mRNAs). The expression and activity of ESRPs are modulated by various mechanisms, including post-translational modifications and non-coding RNAs. Although a growing body of evidence suggests that ESRP dysregulation is closely associated with cancer progression, the detailed mechanisms remain inconclusive. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the structures, functions, and regulatory mechanisms of ESRPs and focus on their underlying mechanisms in cancer progression. We also highlight the clinical implications of ESRPs as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. The information reviewed herein could be extremely beneficial to the development of individualized therapeutic strategies for cancer patients.
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11
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More MH, Varankar SS, Naik RR, Dhake RD, Ray P, Bankar RM, Mali AM, Subbalakshmi AR, Chakraborty P, Jolly MK, Bapat SA. A Multistep Tumor Growth Model of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma Identifies Hypoxia-Associated Signatures. Cells Tissues Organs 2022; 213:79-95. [PMID: 35970135 DOI: 10.1159/000526432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) is associated with late-stage disease presentation and poor prognosis, with a limited understanding of early transformation events. Our study analyzes HGSC tumor progression and organ-specific metastatic dissemination to identify hypoxia-associated molecular, cellular, and histological alterations. Clinical characteristics of the HGSC were replicated in orthotopic xenografts, which involve metastatic dissemination and the prevalence of group B tumors (volume: >0.0625 ≤ 0.5 cm3). Enhanced hyaluronic acid (HA) deposition, expanded tumor vasculature, and increased necrosis contributed to the remodeling of tumor tissue architecture. The proliferative potential of tumor cells and the ability to form glands were also altered during tumor growth. Flow cytometry and label chase-based molecular profiling across the tumor regenerative hierarchy identified the hypoxia-vasculogenic niche and the hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal tumor-cell state as determinants of self-renewal capabilities of progenitors and cancer stem cells. A regulatory network and mathematical model based on tumor histology and molecular signatures predicted hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF1A) as a central node connecting HA synthesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metabolic, vasculogenic, inflammatory, and necrotic pathways in HGSC tumors. Thus, our findings provide a temporal resolution of hypoxia-associated events that sculpt HGSC tumor growth; an in-depth understanding of it may aid in the early detection and treatment of HGSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhuri H More
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Sagar S Varankar
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Rutika R Naik
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Rahul D Dhake
- Department of Histopathology, Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital, Morbai Naraindas Cancer Institute, Pune, India
| | - Pritha Ray
- Advance Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Rahul M Bankar
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Avinash M Mali
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | | | - Priyanka Chakraborty
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Sharmila A Bapat
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
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12
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Bar-Hai N, Ishay-Ronen D. Engaging plasticity: Differentiation therapy in solid tumors. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:944773. [PMID: 36034865 PMCID: PMC9410762 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.944773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a systemic heterogeneous disease that can undergo several rounds of latency and activation. Tumor progression evolves by increasing diversity, adaptation to signals from the microenvironment and escape mechanisms from therapy. These dynamic processes indicate necessity for cell plasticity. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a major role in facilitating cell plasticity in solid tumors by inducing dedifferentiation and cell type transitions. These two practices, plasticity and dedifferentiation enhance tumor heterogeneity creating a key challenge in cancer treatment. In this review we will explore cancer cell plasticity and elaborate treatment modalities that aspire to overcome such dynamic processes in solid tumors. We will further discuss the therapeutic potential of utilizing enhanced cell plasticity for differentiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neta Bar-Hai
- Cancer Research Center, Oncology Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Affiliated with Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dana Ishay-Ronen
- Cancer Research Center, Oncology Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Affiliated with Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- *Correspondence: Dana Ishay-Ronen,
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13
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Panchy N, Watanabe K, Takahashi M, Willems A, Hong T. Comparative single-cell transcriptomes of dose and time dependent epithelial–mesenchymal spectrums. NAR Genom Bioinform 2022; 4:lqac072. [PMID: 36159174 PMCID: PMC9492285 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqac072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process involved in development and disease progression. Intermediate EMT states were observed in tumors and fibrotic tissues, but previous in vitro studies focused on time-dependent responses with single doses of signals; it was unclear whether single-cell transcriptomes support stable intermediates observed in diseases. Here, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing with human mammary epithelial cells treated with multiple doses of TGF-β. We found that dose-dependent EMT harbors multiple intermediate states at nearly steady state. Comparisons of dose- and time-dependent EMT transcriptomes revealed that the dose-dependent data enable higher sensitivity to detect genes associated with EMT. We identified cell clusters unique to time-dependent EMT, reflecting cells en route to stable states. Combining dose- and time-dependent cell clusters gave rise to accurate prognosis for cancer patients. Our transcriptomic data and analyses uncover a stable EMT continuum at the single-cell resolution, and complementary information of two types of single-cell experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Panchy
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology. The University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Kazuhide Watanabe
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences , 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Masataka Takahashi
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences , 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Andrew Willems
- School of Genome Science and Technology, The University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37916, USA
| | - Tian Hong
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology. The University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis , Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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14
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Bhavani GS, Palanisamy A. SNAIL driven by a feed forward loop motif promotes TGF βinduced epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Biomed Phys Eng Express 2022; 8. [PMID: 35700712 DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/ac7896] [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: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) plays an important role in tissue regeneration, embryonic development, and cancer metastasis. Several signaling pathways are known to regulate EMT, among which the modulation of TGFβ(Transforming Growth Factor-β) induced EMT is crucial in several cancer types. Several mathematical models were built to explore the role of core regulatory circuit of ZEB/miR-200, SNAIL/miR-34 double negative feedback loops in modulating TGFβinduced EMT. Different emergent behavior including tristability, irreversible switching, existence of hybrid EMT states were inferred though these models. Some studies have explored the role of TGFβreceptor activation, SMADs nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and complex formation. Recent experiments have revealed that MDM2 along with SMAD complex regulates SNAIL expression driven EMT. Encouraged by this, in the present study we developed a mathematical model for p53/MDM2 dependent TGFβinduced EMT regulation. Inclusion of p53 brings in an additional mechanistic perspective in exploring the EM transition. The network formulated comprises a C1FFL moderating SNAIL expression involving MDM2 and SMAD complex, which functions as a noise filter and persistent detector. The C1FFL was also observed to operate as a coincidence detector driving the SNAIL dependent downstream signaling into phenotypic switching decision. Systems modelling and analysis of the devised network, displayed interesting dynamic behavior, systems response to various inputs stimulus, providing a better understanding of p53/MDM2 dependent TGF-βinduced Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition.
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15
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Role of CD44 isoforms in epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and metastasis. Clin Exp Metastasis 2022; 39:391-406. [PMID: 35023031 PMCID: PMC10042269 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-022-10146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cellular plasticity lies at the core of cancer progression, metastasis, and resistance to treatment. Stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in cancer are concepts that represent a cancer cell's ability to coopt and adapt normal developmental programs to promote survival and expansion. The cancer stem cell model states that a small subset of cancer cells with stem cell-like properties are responsible for driving tumorigenesis and metastasis while remaining especially resistant to common chemotherapeutic drugs. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity describes a cancer cell's ability to transition between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes which drives invasion and metastasis. Recent research supports the existence of stable epithelial/mesenchymal hybrid phenotypes which represent highly plastic states with cancer stem cell characteristics. The cell adhesion molecule CD44 is a widely accepted marker for cancer stem cells, and it lies at a functional intersection between signaling networks regulating both stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. CD44 expression is complex, with alternative splicing producing many isoforms. Interestingly, not only does the pattern of isoform expression change during transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes in cancer, but these isoforms have distinct effects on cell behavior including the promotion of metastasis and stemness. The role of CD44 both downstream and upstream of signaling pathways regulating epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and stemness make this protein a valuable target for further research and therapeutic intervention.
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16
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Perez-Oquendo M, Gibbons DL. Regulation of ZEB1 Function and Molecular Associations in Tumor Progression and Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081864. [PMID: 35454770 PMCID: PMC9031734 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) is a pleiotropic transcription factor frequently expressed in carcinomas. ZEB1 orchestrates the transcription of genes in the control of several key developmental processes and tumor metastasis via the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The biological function of ZEB1 is regulated through pathways that influence its transcription and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Diverse signaling pathways converge to induce ZEB1 activity; however, only a few studies have focused on the molecular associations or functional changes of ZEB1 by post-translational modifications (PTMs). Due to the robust effect of ZEB1 as a transcription repressor of epithelial genes during EMT, the contribution of PTMs in the regulation of ZEB1-targeted gene expression is an active area of investigation. Herein, we review the pivotal roles that phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, sumoylation, and other modifications have in regulating the molecular associations and behavior of ZEB1. We also outline several questions regarding the PTM-mediated regulation of ZEB1 that remain unanswered. The areas of research covered in this review are contributing to new treatment strategies for cancer by improving our mechanistic understanding of ZEB1-mediated EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mabel Perez-Oquendo
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Don L. Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-713-792-6363
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17
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Duddu AS, Majumdar SS, Sahoo S, Jhunjhunwala S, Jolly MK. Emergent dynamics of a three-node regulatory network explain phenotypic switching and heterogeneity: a case study of Th1/Th2/Th17 cell differentiation. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar46. [PMID: 35353012 PMCID: PMC9265159 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-10-0521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Naïve helper (CD4+) T-cells can differentiate into distinct functional subsets including Th1, Th2, and Th17 phenotypes. Each of these phenotypes has a 'master regulator' - T-bet (Th1), GATA3 (Th2) and RORγT (Th17) - that inhibits the other two master regulators. Such mutual repression among them at a transcriptional level can enable multistability, giving rise to six experimentally observed phenotypes - Th1, Th2, Th17, hybrid Th/Th2, hybrid Th2/Th17 and hybrid Th1/Th17. However, the dynamics of switching among these phenotypes, particularly in the case of epigenetic influence, remains unclear. Here, through mathematical modeling, we investigated the coupled transcription-epigenetic dynamics in a three-node mutually repressing network to elucidate how epigenetic changes mediated by any 'master regulator' can influence the transition rates among different cellular phenotypes. We show that the degree of plasticity exhibited by one phenotype depends on relative strength and duration of mutual epigenetic repression mediated among the master regulators in a three-node network. Further, our model predictions can offer putative mechanisms underlying relatively higher plasticity of Th17 phenotype as observed in vitro and in vivo. Together, our modeling framework characterizes phenotypic plasticity and heterogeneity as an outcome of emergent dynamics of a three-node regulatory network, such as the one mediated by T-bet/GATA3/RORγT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atchuta Srinivas Duddu
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Sauma Suvra Majumdar
- epartment of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur 713216, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Siddharth Jhunjhunwala
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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18
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Tang WJ, Watson CJ, Olmstead T, Allan CH, Kwon RY. Single-cell resolution of MET- and EMT-like programs in osteoblasts during zebrafish fin regeneration. iScience 2022; 25:103784. [PMID: 35169687 PMCID: PMC8829776 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish regenerate fin rays following amputation through epimorphic regeneration, a process that has been proposed to involve the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to elucidate osteoblastic transcriptional programs during zebrafish caudal fin regeneration. We show that osteoprogenitors are enriched with components associated with EMT and its reverse, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET), and provide evidence that the EMT markers cdh11 and twist2 are co-expressed in dedifferentiating cells at the amputation stump at 1 dpa, and in differentiating osteoblastic cells in the regenerate, the latter of which are enriched in EMT signatures. We also show that esrp1, a regulator of alternative splicing in epithelial cells that is associated with MET, is expressed in a subset of osteoprogenitors during outgrowth. This study provides a single cell resource for the study of osteoblastic cells during zebrafish fin regeneration, and supports the contribution of MET- and EMT-associated components to this process. Osteoblasts express EMT/MET signatures during zebrafish fin regeneration De/re-differentiating osteoblasts express cdh11, an EMT marker A subset of osteoprogenitors express the MET marker esrp1 Our scRNA-seq data can be explored online
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Affiliation(s)
- W Joyce Tang
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Claire J Watson
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Theresa Olmstead
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Christopher H Allan
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ronald Y Kwon
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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19
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Sahoo S, Ashraf B, Duddu AS, Biddle A, Jolly MK. Interconnected high-dimensional landscapes of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and stemness in cancer. Clin Exp Metastasis 2022; 39:279-290. [PMID: 34993766 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-021-10139-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Establishing macrometastases at distant organs is a highly challenging process for cancer cells, with extremely high attrition rates. A very small percentage of disseminated cells have the ability to dynamically adapt to their changing micro-environments through reversibly switching to another phenotype, aiding metastasis. Such plasticity can be exhibited along one or more axes-epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) being the two most studied, and often tacitly assumed to be synonymous. Here, we review the emerging concepts related to EMP and CSCs across multiple cancers. Both processes are multi-dimensional in nature; for instance, EMP can be defined on morphological, molecular and functional changes, which may or may not be synchronized. Similarly, self-renewal, multi-lineage potential, and resistance to anoikis and/or therapy may not all occur simultaneously in CSCs. Thus, understanding the complexity in defining EMP and CSCs is essential if we are to understand their contribution to cancer metastasis. This will require a more comprehensive understanding of the non-linearity of these processes. These processes are dynamic, reversible, and semi-independent in nature; cells traverse the inter-connected high-dimensional EMP and CSC landscapes in diverse paths, each of which may exhibit a distinct EMP-CSC coupling. Our proposed model offers a potential unifying framework for elucidating the coupled decision-making along these dimensions and highlights a key set of open questions to be answered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.,UG Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Bazella Ashraf
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Kashmir, Ganderbal, India
| | - Atchuta Srinivas Duddu
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Adrian Biddle
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.
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20
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Porukala M, Vinod PK. Systems-level analysis of transcriptome reorganization during liver regeneration. Mol Omics 2022; 18:315-327. [DOI: 10.1039/d1mo00382h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Tissue homeostasis and regeneration depend on the reversible transitions between quiescence (G0) and proliferation. The liver has a remarkable capacity to regenerate after injury or resection by cell growth and...
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21
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Subbalakshmi AR, Sahoo S, McMullen I, Saxena AN, Venugopal SK, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. KLF4 Induces Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition (MET) by Suppressing Multiple EMT-Inducing Transcription Factors. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5135. [PMID: 34680284 PMCID: PMC8533753 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity (EMP) refers to reversible dynamic processes where cells can transition from epithelial to mesenchymal (EMT) or from mesenchymal to epithelial (MET) phenotypes. Both these processes are modulated by multiple transcription factors acting in concert. While EMT-inducing transcription factors (TFs)-TWIST1/2, ZEB1/2, SNAIL1/2/3, GSC, and FOXC2-are well-characterized, the MET-inducing TFs are relatively poorly understood (OVOL1/2 and GRHL1/2). Here, using mechanism-based mathematical modeling, we show that transcription factor KLF4 can delay the onset of EMT by suppressing multiple EMT-TFs. Our simulations suggest that KLF4 overexpression can promote a phenotypic shift toward a more epithelial state, an observation suggested by the negative correlation of KLF4 with EMT-TFs and with transcriptomic-based EMT scoring metrics in cancer cell lines. We also show that the influence of KLF4 in modulating the EMT dynamics can be strengthened by its ability to inhibit cell-state transitions at the epigenetic level. Thus, KLF4 can inhibit EMT through multiple parallel paths and can act as a putative MET-TF. KLF4 associates with the patient survival metrics across multiple cancers in a context-specific manner, highlighting the complex association of EMP with patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayalur Raghu Subbalakshmi
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.R.S.); (S.S.); (S.K.V.)
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.R.S.); (S.S.); (S.K.V.)
| | | | | | - Sudhanva Kalasapura Venugopal
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.R.S.); (S.S.); (S.K.V.)
| | - Jason A. Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA;
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.R.S.); (S.S.); (S.K.V.)
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22
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Vadlamudi Y, Dey DK, Kang SC. Emerging Multi-cancer Regulatory Role of ESRP1: Orchestration of Alternative Splicing to Control EMT. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2021; 20:654-665. [PMID: 32564755 DOI: 10.2174/1568009620666200621153831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
RNA binding proteins (RBPs) associate with nascent and mature RNAs to perform biological functions such as alternative splicing and RNA stability. Having unique RNA recognition binding motifs, RBPs form complexes with RNA in a sequence- and structure-based manner. Aberrant expressions of several RBPs have been identified in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. These uncontrolled RBPs affect several mechanisms, including cell proliferation, tumor growth, invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance. Epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) is a member of the hnRNP family of proteins that play a crucial role in regulating numerous cellular processes, including alternative splicing and translation of multiple genes during organogenesis. Abnormal expression of ESRP1 alters the cell morphology, and leads to cell proliferation and tumor growth during cancer progression. ESRP1 mediated alternative splicing of target genes, including CD44, FGFR, PTBP1, LYN, ENAH, SPAG1 and ZMYND8, results in cancer progression. In addition, ESRP1 also regulates circularization and biogenesis of circular RNAs such as circUHRF1, circNOL10 and circANKS1B, whose expressions have been identified as key factors in various cancers. This multi-functional protein is also involved in imposing stability of target mRNAs such as cyclin A2, and thereby cell cycle regulation. The scope of this review is to examine recent scientific data, outcomes of the up- and down-regulated proteins, and the role of ESRP1 in various cancers. We conclude by summarizing ESRP1 dysregulation and its consequences on target genes in various human cancers. Collectively, the consequences of ESRP1 mediated splicing in cancer cells suggest the role of ESRP1 in cell proliferation and chemoresistance via apoptosis and autophagy modulation, which could, therefore, be potential targets for cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Debasish K Dey
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk-38453, Korea
| | - Sun C Kang
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk-38453, Korea
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23
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Chakraborty P, Chen EL, McMullen I, Armstrong AJ, Kumar Jolly M, Somarelli JA. Analysis of immune subtypes across the epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity spectrum. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:3842-3851. [PMID: 34306571 PMCID: PMC8283019 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity plays a critical role in many solid tumor types as a mediator of metastatic dissemination and treatment resistance. In addition, there is also a growing appreciation that the epithelial/mesenchymal status of a tumor plays a role in immune evasion and immune suppression. A deeper understanding of the immunological features of different tumor types has been facilitated by the availability of large gene expression datasets and the development of methods to deconvolute bulk RNA-Seq data. These resources have generated powerful new ways of characterizing tumors, including classification of immune subtypes based on differential expression of immunological genes. In the present work, we combine scoring algorithms to quantify epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity with immune subtype analysis to understand the relationship between epithelial plasticity and immune subtype across cancers. We find heterogeneity of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) status both within and between cancer types, with greater heterogeneity in the expression of EMT-related factors than of MET-related factors. We also find that specific immune subtypes have associated EMT scores and differential expression of immune checkpoint markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Chakraborty
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | | | | | - Andrew J. Armstrong
- Department of Medicine, Durham, NC, United Kingdom
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Durham, NC, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United Kingdom
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Jason A. Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Durham, NC, United Kingdom
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Durham, NC, United Kingdom
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24
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Sheng Y, Cao M, Liu Y, He Y, Zhang G, Du Y, Gao F, Yang C. Hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2) regulates cell phenotype and invadopodia formation in luminal-like breast cancer cells. Mol Cell Biochem 2021; 476:3383-3391. [PMID: 33954907 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-021-04165-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Although luminal breast cancer cells are typically highly cohesive epithelial cells and have low invasive ability, many eventually develop metastasis. Until now, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. In this work, we showed that the level of hyaluronic acid synthase 2 (HAS2) was positively correlated with the malignant phenotype of breast cancer cells. Notably, the increased expression of HAS2 promoted the invasive and migratory abilities of luminal breast cancer cells in vitro, followed by a reduced expression of E-cadherin, β-catenin, and ZO-1, and an elevated expression of N-cadherin and vimentin. Furthermore, overexpression of HAS2 promoted while knockdown of HAS2 impeded invadopodia formation, which subsequently increased or decreased the activation of cortactin, Tks5, and metalloproteinases (MMPs). Activation of these invadopodia-related proteins was prevented by inhibition of HAS2 or disruption of HA, which in turn attenuated the increased motility and invasiveness. Further, in vivo study showed that, HAS2 increased tumor growth and the rate of lung metastasis via driving transition to an invasive cell phenotype in SCID mice that were orthotopically transplanted with luminal breast cancer cells. Collectively, our results showed that HAS2 promoted cell invasion by inducing transition to an invasive phenotype and by enhancing invadopodia formation in luminal breast cancer cells, which may provide new mechanistic insights into its role in tumor metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Sheng
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Manlin Cao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Yiqing He
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Guoliang Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Yan Du
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China. .,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China.
| | - Cuixia Yang
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China. .,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China.
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25
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FOXO3a inhibits the EMT and metastasis of breast cancer by regulating TWIST-1 mediated miR-10b/CADM2 axis. Transl Oncol 2021; 14:101096. [PMID: 33882368 PMCID: PMC8081990 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most common malignancy and has been considered as a leading cause of cancer death in women. Exploring the mechanism of breast cancer metastasis is extremely important for seeking novel therapeutic strategies and improving prognosis. METHODS Clinical specimens and pathological characteristics were collected for evaluating the expression of forkhead box class O 3a (FOXO3a) and twist-related protein 1 (TWIST-1) in breast cancer tissues. CCK-8 assay was used to analyze cell proliferation. Cell invasion and migration were assessed by transwell assays. The expression of FOXO3a, TWIST-1, miR-10b, CADM2, FAK, phosphor-AKT and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related protein (N-cadherin, E-cadherin and vimentin) were analyzed by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemical staining, immunofluorescence assay or western blot, respectively. Xenograft mouse models were used to analyze the role of the FOXO3a in breast cancer. RESULTS FOXO3a was down-regulated and TWIST-1 was up-regulated in breast cancer tissues. Overexpression of FOXO3a or knockdown of TWIST-1 suppressed the proliferation, invasion, migration and EMT of breast cancer cells. Overexpression of TWIST-1 could reverse the effect of FOXO3a on the proliferation, invasion, migration and EMT of breast cancer. Moreover, FOXO3a suppressed the growth and metastasis of breast cancer by targeting TWIST1 in vivo. CONCLUSION FOXO3a inhibited the EMT and metastasis of breast cancer via TWIST-1/miR-10b/CADM2 axis.
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26
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Zolghadr F, Tse N, Loka D, Joun G, Meppat S, Wan V, Zoellner H, Xaymardan M, Farah CS, Lyons JG, Hau E, Patrick E, Seyedasli N. A Wnt-mediated phenotype switch along the epithelial-mesenchymal axis defines resistance and invasion downstream of ionising radiation in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Br J Cancer 2021; 124:1921-1933. [PMID: 33785878 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01352-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dynamic transitions of tumour cells along the epithelial-mesenchymal axis are important in tumorigenesis, metastasis and therapy resistance. METHODS In this study, we have used cell lines, 3D spheroids and tumour samples in a variety of cell biological and transcriptome analyses to highlight the cellular and molecular dynamics of OSCC response to ionising radiation. RESULTS Our study demonstrates a prominent hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal state in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells and tumour samples. We have further identified a key role for levels of E-cadherin in stratifying the hybrid cells to compartments with varying levels of radiation response and radiation-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The response to radiation further entailed the generation of a new cell population with low expression levels of E-cadherin, and positive for Vimentin (ECADLow/Neg-VIMPos), a phenotypic signature that showed an enhanced capacity for radiation resistance and invasion. At the molecular level, transcriptome analysis of spheroids in response to radiation showed an initial burst of misregulation within the first 30 min that further declined, although still highlighting key alterations in gene signatures. Among others, pathway analysis showed an over-representation for the Wnt signalling pathway that was further confirmed to be functionally involved in the generation of ECADLow/Neg-VIMPos population, acting upstream of radiation resistance and tumour cell invasion. CONCLUSION This study highlights the functional significance and complexity of tumour cell remodelling in response to ionising radiation with links to resistance and invasive capacity. An area of less focus in conventional radiotherapy, with the potential to improve treatment outcomes and relapse-free survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Zolghadr
- Discipline of Oral Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Nigel Tse
- Discipline of Oral Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Dikasya Loka
- Discipline of Oral Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - George Joun
- Discipline of Oral Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Sreelakshmi Meppat
- Discipline of Oral Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Victor Wan
- Discipline of Oral Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Hans Zoellner
- Discipline of Oral Surgery, Medicine and Diagnostics, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Munira Xaymardan
- Discipline of Oral Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Camile S Farah
- Australian Centre for Oral Oncology Research and Education, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Maxillofacial, Oral and Dental Surgery, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - J Guy Lyons
- Discipline of Dermatology, Sydney Medical School and Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,Cancer Services, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Eric Hau
- Sydney West Radiation Oncology Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,The Centre for Cancer Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Ellis Patrick
- The Centre for Cancer Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,School of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Naisana Seyedasli
- Discipline of Oral Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia. .,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia. .,The Centre for Cancer Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
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27
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Singh D, Bocci F, Kulkarni P, Jolly MK. Coupled Feedback Loops Involving PAGE4, EMT and Notch Signaling Can Give Rise to Non-genetic Heterogeneity in Prostate Cancer Cells. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 23:288. [PMID: 33652914 PMCID: PMC7996788 DOI: 10.3390/e23030288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Non-genetic heterogeneity is emerging as a crucial factor underlying therapy resistance in multiple cancers. However, the design principles of regulatory networks underlying non-genetic heterogeneity in cancer remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the coupled dynamics of feedback loops involving (a) oscillations in androgen receptor (AR) signaling mediated through an intrinsically disordered protein PAGE4, (b) multistability in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and c) Notch-Delta-Jagged signaling mediated cell-cell communication, each of which can generate non-genetic heterogeneity through multistability and/or oscillations. Our results show how different coupling strengths between AR and EMT signaling can lead to monostability, bistability, or oscillations in the levels of AR, as well as propagation of oscillations to EMT dynamics. These results reveal the emergent dynamics of coupled oscillatory and multi-stable systems and unravel mechanisms by which non-genetic heterogeneity in AR levels can be generated, which can act as a barrier to most existing therapies for prostate cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyoj Singh
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
- Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Federico Bocci
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA;
- NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
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28
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Chedere A, Hari K, Kumar S, Rangarajan A, Jolly MK. Multi-Stability and Consequent Phenotypic Plasticity in AMPK-Akt Double Negative Feedback Loop in Cancer Cells. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10030472. [PMID: 33530625 PMCID: PMC7865639 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10030472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation and survival of cancer cells to various stress and growth factor conditions is crucial for successful metastasis. A double-negative feedback loop between two serine/threonine kinases AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) and Akt can regulate the adaptation of breast cancer cells to matrix-deprivation stress. This feedback loop can significantly generate two phenotypes or cell states: matrix detachment-triggered pAMPKhigh/ pAktlow state, and matrix (re)attachment-triggered pAkthigh/ pAMPKlow state. However, whether these two cell states can exhibit phenotypic plasticity and heterogeneity in a given cell population, i.e., whether they can co-exist and undergo spontaneous switching to generate the other subpopulation, remains unclear. Here, we develop a mechanism-based mathematical model that captures the set of experimentally reported interactions among AMPK and Akt. Our simulations suggest that the AMPK-Akt feedback loop can give rise to two co-existing phenotypes (pAkthigh/ pAMPKlow and pAMPKhigh/pAktlow) in specific parameter regimes. Next, to test the model predictions, we segregated these two subpopulations in MDA-MB-231 cells and observed that each of them was capable of switching to another in adherent conditions. Finally, the predicted trends are supported by clinical data analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer and pan-cancer cohorts that revealed negatively correlated pAMPK and pAkt protein levels. Overall, our integrated computational-experimental approach unravels that AMPK-Akt feedback loop can generate multi-stability and drive phenotypic switching and heterogeneity in a cancer cell population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adithya Chedere
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development, and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.C.); (S.K.)
| | - Kishore Hari
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
| | - Saurav Kumar
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development, and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.C.); (S.K.)
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Annapoorni Rangarajan
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development, and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.C.); (S.K.)
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (M.K.J.)
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (M.K.J.)
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29
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Zheng M, Niu Y, Bu J, Liang S, Zhang Z, Liu J, Guo L, Zhang Z, Wang Q. ESRP1 regulates alternative splicing of CARM1 to sensitize small cell lung cancer cells to chemotherapy by inhibiting TGF-β/Smad signaling. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:3554-3572. [PMID: 33495408 PMCID: PMC7906186 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) is an RNA-binding protein that regulates alternative splicing of mRNA. ESRP1 plays an important role in chemoresistance of various cancers, including breast cancer, colon cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. However, the role of ESRP1 and its mechanism in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) chemoresistance remains unclear. In this study, we found that ESRP1 is significantly downregulated in SCLC chemo-resistant cells compared with chemo-sensitive cells. Moreover, the expression of ESRP1 was significantly lower in SCLC tissues than that in normal adjacent tissues and positively correlated with overall survival. Overexpression of ESRP1 increased SCLC chemosensitivity, and induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, whereas knockdown of ESRP1 induced the opposite effects. ESRP1 could inhibit the growth of SCLC in vivo. Through mRNA transcriptome sequencing, we found that ESRP1 regulates coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) to produce two different transcripts CARM1FL and CARM1ΔE15 by alternative splicing. ESRP1 affects the chemoresistance of SCLC by changing the content of different transcripts of CARM1. Furthermore, CARM1 regulates arginine methylation of Smad7, activates the TGF-β/Smad pathway and induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby promoting SCLC chemoresistance. Collectively, our study firstly demonstrates that ESRP1 inhibits the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway by regulating alternative splicing of CARM1, thereby reversing chemoresistance of SCLC. The splicing factor ESRP1 may serve as a new drug resistance marker molecule and a potential therapeutic target in SCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuchun Niu
- Department of Pathology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junguo Bu
- Department of Radiotherapy, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shumei Liang
- Department of Pathology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhilin Zhang
- Department of Radiotherapy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Jianhua Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Linlang Guo
- Department of Pathology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhihua Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Qiongyao Wang
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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30
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Abstract
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the corresponding reverse process, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), are dynamic and reversible cellular programs orchestrated by many changes at both biochemical and morphological levels. A recent surge in identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying EMT/MET has led to the development of various mathematical models that have contributed to our improved understanding of dynamics at single-cell and population levels: (a) multi-stability-how many phenotypes can cells attain during an EMT/MET?, (b) reversibility/irreversibility-what time and/or concentration of an EMT inducer marks the "tipping point" when cells induced to undergo EMT cannot revert?, (c) symmetry in EMT/MET-do cells take the same path when reverting as they took during the induction of EMT?, and (d) non-cell autonomous mechanisms-how does a cell undergoing EMT alter the tendency of its neighbors to undergo EMT? These dynamical traits may facilitate a heterogenous response within a cell population undergoing EMT/MET. Here, we present a few examples of designing different mathematical models that can contribute to decoding EMT/MET dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubham Tripathi
- PhD Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianhua Xing
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Physics and Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
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31
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Coban B, Bergonzini C, Zweemer AJM, Danen EHJ. Metastasis: crosstalk between tissue mechanics and tumour cell plasticity. Br J Cancer 2021; 124:49-57. [PMID: 33204023 PMCID: PMC7782541 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01150-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the fact that different genetic programmes drive metastasis of solid tumours, the ultimate outcome is the same: tumour cells are empowered to pass a series of physical hurdles to escape the primary tumour and disseminate to other organs. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been proposed to drive the detachment of individual cells from primary tumour masses and facilitate the subsequent establishment of metastases in distant organs. However, this concept has been challenged by observations from pathologists and from studies in animal models, in which partial and transient acquisition of mesenchymal traits is seen but tumour cells travel collectively rather than as individuals. In this review, we discuss how crosstalk between a hybrid E/M state and variations in the mechanical aspects of the tumour microenvironment can provide tumour cells with the plasticity required for strategies to navigate surrounding tissues en route to dissemination. Targeting such plasticity provides therapeutic opportunities to combat metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bircan Coban
- Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Cecilia Bergonzini
- Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Annelien J M Zweemer
- Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Erik H J Danen
- Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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32
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Pasani S, Sahoo S, Jolly MK. Hybrid E/M Phenotype(s) and Stemness: A Mechanistic Connection Embedded in Network Topology. J Clin Med 2020; 10:E60. [PMID: 33375334 PMCID: PMC7794989 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10010060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis remains an unsolved clinical challenge. Two crucial features of metastasizing cancer cells are (a) their ability to dynamically move along the epithelial-hybrid-mesenchymal spectrum and (b) their tumor initiation potential or stemness. With increasing functional characterization of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotypes along the spectrum, recent in vitro and in vivo studies have suggested an increasing association of hybrid E/M phenotypes with stemness. However, the mechanistic underpinnings enabling this association remain unclear. Here, we develop a mechanism-based mathematical modeling framework that interrogates the emergent nonlinear dynamics of the coupled network modules regulating E/M plasticity (miR-200/ZEB) and stemness (LIN28/let-7). Simulating the dynamics of this coupled network across a large ensemble of parameter sets, we observe that hybrid E/M phenotype(s) are more likely to acquire stemness relative to "pure" epithelial or mesenchymal states. We also integrate multiple "phenotypic stability factors" (PSFs) that have been shown to stabilize hybrid E/M phenotypes both in silico and in vitro-such as OVOL1/2, GRHL2, and NRF2-with this network, and demonstrate that the enrichment of hybrid E/M phenotype(s) with stemness is largely conserved in the presence of these PSFs. Thus, our results offer mechanistic insights into recent experimental observations of hybrid E/M phenotype(s) that are essential for tumor initiation and highlight how this feature is embedded in the underlying topology of interconnected EMT (Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition) and stemness networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satwik Pasani
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.P.); (S.S.)
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.P.); (S.S.)
- Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.P.); (S.S.)
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33
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Pastushenko I, Mauri F, Song Y, de Cock F, Meeusen B, Swedlund B, Impens F, Van Haver D, Opitz M, Thery M, Bareche Y, Lapouge G, Vermeersch M, Van Eycke YR, Balsat C, Decaestecker C, Sokolow Y, Hassid S, Perez-Bustillo A, Agreda-Moreno B, Rios-Buceta L, Jaen P, Redondo P, Sieira-Gil R, Millan-Cayetano JF, Sanmatrtin O, D'Haene N, Moers V, Rozzi M, Blondeau J, Lemaire S, Scozzaro S, Janssens V, De Troya M, Dubois C, Pérez-Morga D, Salmon I, Sotiriou C, Helmbacher F, Blanpain C. Fat1 deletion promotes hybrid EMT state, tumour stemness and metastasis. Nature 2020; 589:448-455. [PMID: 33328637 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-03046-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 225] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
FAT1, which encodes a protocadherin, is one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancers1-5. However, the role and the molecular mechanisms by which FAT1 mutations control tumour initiation and progression are poorly understood. Here, using mouse models of skin squamous cell carcinoma and lung tumours, we found that deletion of Fat1 accelerates tumour initiation and malignant progression and promotes a hybrid epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype. We also found this hybrid EMT state in FAT1-mutated human squamous cell carcinomas. Skin squamous cell carcinomas in which Fat1 was deleted presented increased tumour stemness and spontaneous metastasis. We performed transcriptional and chromatin profiling combined with proteomic analyses and mechanistic studies, which revealed that loss of function of FAT1 activates a CAMK2-CD44-SRC axis that promotes YAP1 nuclear translocation and ZEB1 expression that stimulates the mesenchymal state. This loss of function also inactivates EZH2, promoting SOX2 expression, which sustains the epithelial state. Our comprehensive analysis identified drug resistance and vulnerabilities in FAT1-deficient tumours, which have important implications for cancer therapy. Our studies reveal that, in mouse and human squamous cell carcinoma, loss of function of FAT1 promotes tumour initiation, progression, invasiveness, stemness and metastasis through the induction of a hybrid EMT state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ievgenia Pastushenko
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Dermatology Department, Cliniques de l'Europe, Brussels, Belgium.,Dermatology Department, CHU Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Federico Mauri
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yura Song
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Florian de Cock
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bob Meeusen
- Laboratory of Protein Phosphorylation and Proteomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Swedlund
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Francis Impens
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Proteomics Core, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Delphi Van Haver
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Proteomics Core, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Manuel Thery
- CytoMorpho Lab, UMR976 HIPI, CEA, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,CytoMorpho Lab, UMR5168 LPCV, CEA, CNRS, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Yacine Bareche
- Breast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory J.-C. Heuson, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gaelle Lapouge
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marjorie Vermeersch
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi, Belgium
| | - Yves-Rémi Van Eycke
- DIAPath, Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi, Belgium.,Laboratory of Image Synthesis and Analysis, Ecole Polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cédric Balsat
- DIAPath, Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi, Belgium
| | - Christine Decaestecker
- DIAPath, Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi, Belgium.,Laboratory of Image Synthesis and Analysis, Ecole Polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Youri Sokolow
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sergio Hassid
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Beatriz Agreda-Moreno
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Hospital Clinico 'Lozano Blesa', Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Luis Rios-Buceta
- Dermatology Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Madrid, Spain.,University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRyCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Jaen
- Dermatology Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Madrid, Spain.,University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRyCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Redondo
- Department of Dermatology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Navarra, Spain
| | - Ramon Sieira-Gil
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Onofre Sanmatrtin
- Department of Dermatology, Instituto Valenciano de Oncologia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Nicky D'Haene
- Pathology Department, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Virginie Moers
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Milena Rozzi
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jeremy Blondeau
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Lemaire
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Samuel Scozzaro
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Veerle Janssens
- Laboratory of Protein Phosphorylation and Proteomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Christine Dubois
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - David Pérez-Morga
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi, Belgium.,Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, IBMM, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Salmon
- Pathology Department, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christos Sotiriou
- Breast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory J.-C. Heuson, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Cédric Blanpain
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium. .,WELBIO, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
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34
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Sinha D, Saha P, Samanta A, Bishayee A. Emerging Concepts of Hybrid Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer Progression. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1561. [PMID: 33207810 PMCID: PMC7697085 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex process through which epithelial (E) cells lose their adherens junctions, transform into mesenchymal (M) cells and attain motility, leading to metastasis at distant organs. Nowadays, the concept of EMT has shifted from a binary phase of interconversion of pure E to M cells and vice versa to a spectrum of E/M transition states preferably coined as hybrid/partial/intermediate EMT. Hybrid EMT, being a plastic transient state, harbours cells which co-express both E and M markers and exhibit high tumourigenic properties, leading to stemness, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Several preclinical and clinical studies provided the evidence of co-existence of E/M phenotypes. Regulators including transcription factors, epigenetic regulators and phenotypic stability factors (PSFs) help in maintaining the hybrid state. Computational and bioinformatics approaches may be excellent for identifying new factors or combinations of regulatory elements that govern the different EMT transition states. Therapeutic intervention against hybrid E/M cells, though few, may evolve as a rational strategy against metastasis and drug resistance. This review has attempted to present the recent advancements on the concept and regulation of the process of hybrid EMT which generates hybrid E/M phenotypes, evidence of intermediate EMT in both preclinical and clinical setup, impact of partial EMT on promoting tumourigenesis, and future strategies which might be adapted to tackle this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dona Sinha
- Department of Receptor Biology and Tumour Metastasis, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata 700 026, India; (P.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Priyanka Saha
- Department of Receptor Biology and Tumour Metastasis, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata 700 026, India; (P.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Anurima Samanta
- Department of Receptor Biology and Tumour Metastasis, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata 700 026, India; (P.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Anupam Bishayee
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL 34211, USA
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Saxena K, Jolly MK, Balamurugan K. Hypoxia, partial EMT and collective migration: Emerging culprits in metastasis. Transl Oncol 2020; 13:100845. [PMID: 32781367 PMCID: PMC7419667 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular biological process involved in migration of primary cancer cells to secondary sites facilitating metastasis. Besides, EMT also confers properties such as stemness, drug resistance and immune evasion which can aid a successful colonization at the distant site. EMT is not a binary process; recent evidence suggests that cells in partial EMT or hybrid E/M phenotype(s) can have enhanced stemness and drug resistance as compared to those undergoing a complete EMT. Moreover, partial EMT enables collective migration of cells as clusters of circulating tumor cells or emboli, further endorsing that cells in hybrid E/M phenotypes may be the 'fittest' for metastasis. Here, we review mechanisms and implications of hybrid E/M phenotypes, including their reported association with hypoxia. Hypoxia-driven activation of HIF-1α can drive EMT. In addition, cyclic hypoxia, as compared to acute or chronic hypoxia, shows the highest levels of active HIF-1α and can augment cancer aggressiveness to a greater extent, including enriching for a partial EMT phenotype. We also discuss how metastasis is influenced by hypoxia, partial EMT and collective cell migration, and call for a better understanding of interconnections among these mechanisms. We discuss the known regulators of hypoxia, hybrid EMT and collective cell migration and highlight the gaps which needs to be filled for connecting these three axes which will increase our understanding of dynamics of metastasis and help control it more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Saxena
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - Kuppusamy Balamurugan
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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Ling Z, Cheng B, Tao X. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Challenges and opportunities. Int J Cancer 2020; 148:1548-1561. [PMID: 33091960 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy representing 90% of all forms of oral cancer worldwide. Although great efforts have been made in the past decades, the 5-year survival rate of OSCC patients is no more than 60% due to tumor metastasis and subsequent recurrence. The metastasis from the primary site is due to a complex process known as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). During the EMT, epithelial cells gradually acquire the structural and functional characteristics of mesenchymal cells, leading to the upregulation of cell migration and the promotion of tumor cell dissemination. Therefore, EMT attracted broad attention due to its close relationship with cancer invasion and metastasis. Therefore, in the present review, an extensive description of the current research on OSCC and the role of EMT in this cancer type is provided, including diverse EMT markers, regulatory networks and crucial EMT-inducing transcription factors in OSCC. Moreover, a brief summary was made regarding the current application of EMT-correlated indexes in the prognostic analysis of OSCC patients, and the potential therapeutic approaches against OSCC and difficulties in the development of an effective anti-EMT treatment are discussed. Our aim is to provide novel insights to develop new strategies to combat OSCC by targeting EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihang Ling
- Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Cheng
- Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoan Tao
- Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guangzhou, China
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Silveira DA, Gupta S, Mombach JCM. Systems biology approach suggests new miRNAs as phenotypic stability factors in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20200693. [PMID: 33050781 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular programme on which epithelial cells undergo a phenotypic transition to mesenchymal ones acquiring metastatic properties such as mobility and invasion. TGF-β signalling can promote the EMT process. However, the dynamics of the concentration response of TGF-β-induced EMT is not well explained. In this work, we propose a logical model of TGF-β dose dependence of EMT in MCF10A breast cells. The model outcomes agree with experimentally observed phenotypes for the wild-type and perturbed/mutated cases. As important findings of the model, it predicts the coexistence of more than one hybrid state and that the circuit between TWIST1 and miR-129 is involved in their stabilization. Thus, miR-129 should be considered as a phenotypic stability factor. The circuit TWIST1/miR-129 associates with ZEB1-mediated circuits involving miRNAs 200, 1199, 340, and the protein GRHL2 to stabilize the hybrid state. Additionally, we found a possible new autocrine mechanism composed of the circuit involving TGF-β, miR-200, and SNAIL1 that contributes to the stabilization of the mesenchymal state. Therefore, our work can extend our comprehension of TGF-β-induced EMT in MCF10A cells to potentially improve the strategies for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daner A Silveira
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Shantanu Gupta
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
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Saxena K, Srikrishnan S, Celia-Terrassa T, Jolly MK. OVOL1/2: Drivers of Epithelial Differentiation in Development, Disease, and Reprogramming. Cells Tissues Organs 2020; 211:183-192. [PMID: 32932250 DOI: 10.1159/000511383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OVOL proteins (OVOL1 and OVOL2), vertebrate homologs of Drosophila OVO, are critical regulators of epithelial lineage determination and differentiation during embryonic development in tissues such as kidney, skin, mammary epithelia, and testis. OVOL can inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition and/or can promote mesenchymal-epithelial transition. Moreover, they can regulate the stemness of cancer cells, thus playing an important role during cancer cell metastasis. Due to their central role in differentiation and maintenance of epithelial lineage, OVOL overexpression has been shown to be capable of reprogramming fibroblasts to epithelial cells. Here, we review the roles of OVOL-mediated epithelial differentiation across multiple contexts, including embryonic development, cancer progression, and cellular reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Saxena
- Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Toni Celia-Terrassa
- Cancer Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India,
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Shomar A, Barak O, Brenner N. Local and global features of genetic networks supporting a phenotypic switch. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238433. [PMID: 32881964 PMCID: PMC7470255 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic switches are associated with alterations in the cell's gene expression profile and are vital to many aspects of biology. Previous studies have identified local motifs of the genetic regulatory network that could underlie such switches. Recent advancements allowed the study of networks at the global, many-gene, level; however, the relationship between the local and global scales in giving rise to phenotypic switches remains elusive. In this work, we studied the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) using a gene regulatory network model. This model supports two clusters of stable steady-states identified with the epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes, and a range of intermediate less stable hybrid states, whose importance in cancer has been recently highlighted. Using an array of network perturbations and quantifying the resulting landscape, we investigated how features of the network at different levels give rise to these landscape properties. We found that local connectivity patterns affect the landscape in a mostly incremental manner; in particular, a specific previously identified double-negative feedback motif is not required when embedded in the full network, because the landscape is maintained at a global level. Nevertheless, despite the distributed nature of the switch, it is possible to find combinations of a few local changes that disrupt it. At the level of network architecture, we identified a crucial role for peripheral genes that act as incoming signals to the network in creating clusters of states. Such incoming signals are a signature of modularity and are expected to appear also in other biological networks. Hybrid states between epithelial and mesenchymal arise in the model due to barriers in the interaction between genes, causing hysteresis at all connections. Our results suggest emergent switches can neither be pinpointed to local motifs, nor do they arise as typical properties of random network ensembles. Rather, they arise through an interplay between the nature of local interactions, and the core-periphery structure induced by the modularity of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aseel Shomar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
- Network Biology Research Laboratories, Lorry Lokey Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Omri Barak
- Network Biology Research Laboratories, Lorry Lokey Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
- Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Naama Brenner
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
- Network Biology Research Laboratories, Lorry Lokey Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
- * E-mail:
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Gomez KE, Wu F, Keysar SB, Morton JJ, Miller B, Chimed TS, Le PN, Nieto C, Chowdhury FN, Tyagi A, Lyons TR, Young CD, Zhou H, Somerset HL, Wang XJ, Jimeno A. Cancer Cell CD44 Mediates Macrophage/Monocyte-Driven Regulation of Head and Neck Cancer Stem Cells. Cancer Res 2020; 80:4185-4198. [PMID: 32816856 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) cooperate with cancer stem cells (CSC) to maintain stemness. We recently identified cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) as a surface marker defining head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) CSC. PI3K-4EBP1-SOX2 activation and signaling regulate CSC properties, yet the upstream molecular control of this pathway and the mechanisms underlying cross-talk between TAM and CSC in HNSCC remain largely unknown. Because CD44 is a molecular mediator in the TME, we propose here that TAM-influenced CD44 signaling could mediate stemness via the PI3K-4EBP1-SOX2 pathway, possibly by modulating availability of hyaluronic acid (HA), the main CD44 ligand. HNSCC IHC was used to identify TAM/CSC relationships, and in vitro coculture spheroid models and in vivo mouse models were used to identify the influence of TAMs on CSC function via CD44. Patient HNSCC-derived TAMs were positively and negatively associated with CSC marker expression at noninvasive and invasive edge regions, respectively. TAMs increased availability of HA and increased cancer cell invasion. HA binding to CD44 increased PI3K-4EBP1-SOX2 signaling and the CSC fraction, whereas CD44-VCAM-1 binding promoted invasive signaling by ezrin/PI3K. In vivo, targeting CD44 decreased PI3K-4EBP1-SOX2 signaling, tumor growth, and CSC. TAM depletion in syngeneic and humanized mouse models also diminished growth and CSC numbers. Finally, a CD44 isoform switch regulated epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity as standard form of CD44 and CD44v8-10 determined invasive and tumorigenic phenotypes, respectively. We have established a mechanistic link between TAMs and CSCs in HNSCC that is mediated by CD44 intracellular signaling in response to extracellular signals. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings establish a mechanistic link between tumor cell CD44, TAM, and CSC properties at the tumor-stroma interface that can serve as a vital area of focus for target and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina E Gomez
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - FangLong Wu
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Stephen B Keysar
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - J Jason Morton
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Bettina Miller
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Tugs-Saikhan Chimed
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Phuong N Le
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Cera Nieto
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Farshad N Chowdhury
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Anit Tyagi
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Traci R Lyons
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.,Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Christian D Young
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Hongmei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hilary L Somerset
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.,Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Antonio Jimeno
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. .,Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
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Peritoneal Metastatic Cancer Stem Cells of Gastric Cancer with Partial Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition and Enhanced Invasiveness in an Intraperitoneal Transplantation Model. Gastroenterol Res Pract 2020; 2020:3256538. [PMID: 32831823 PMCID: PMC7426763 DOI: 10.1155/2020/3256538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives This preliminary study is aimed at enriching and isolating peritoneal metastatic cancer stem cells (pMCSCs) of gastric cancer and assessing their epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype and invasiveness. Methods Cancer stem cells of human gastric cancer (CSC-hGC) were previously isolated and transfected with green fluorescent protein and luciferase genes to validate the mouse model of peritoneal metastasis established via transplantation. The first and second generations ([G1] and [G2], respectively) of pMCSCs were isolated from intraperitoneally transplanted CSC-hGC (pMCSC-tGC) by spherical culture. CSC and EMT-related markers and regulators in the two generations of intraperitoneally transplanted tumors were examined by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining, and quantitative PCR. Cell mobility was examined by a transwell assay. Results The nude mouse model of intraperitoneally transplanted CSC-hGC was successful in establishing sequential formation of peritoneal tumors and enrichment of pMCSCs. CD44 and CD54 were consistently expressed in the two generations of transplanted tumors. In vitro cell (migration) assays and immunocytofluorescence assays showed that in pMCSC-tGC[G2], E-cad, Survivin, and Vimentin expression was stable; α-SMA expression was decreased; and OVOL2, GRHL2, and ZEB1 expression was increased. PCR analysis indicated that in pMCSC-tGC[G2], the mRNA expression of E-cad, α-SMA, MMP9, MMP2, and Vimentin was downregulated, while that of ZEB1, OVOL2, and GRHL2 was upregulated. In vivo tumor (homing) assays and immunohistochemical assays demonstrated that in pMCSC-tGC[G2], E-cad and Snail were upregulated, while α-SMA was downregulated. The numbers of migrated and invaded pMCSC-tGC[G1] and pMCSC-tGC[G2] were significantly higher than those of CSC-hGC in migration and invasion assays. Conclusions pMCSCs might be a specific subpopulation that can be sequentially enriched by intraperitoneal transplantation. pMCSCs exhibited a tendency towards partial mesenchymal-epithelial transition, enhancing their invasiveness during homing and the formation of peritoneal tumors. However, these preliminary findings require validation in further experiments.
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Dinger TF, Chen O, Dittfeld C, Hetze L, Hüther M, Wondrak M, Löck S, Eicheler W, Breier G, Kunz-Schughart LA. Microenvironmentally-driven Plasticity of CD44 isoform expression determines Engraftment and Stem-like Phenotype in CRC cell lines. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:7599-7621. [PMID: 32685007 PMCID: PMC7359088 DOI: 10.7150/thno.39893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Theranostic biomarkers for putative cancer stem-like cells (CSC) in colorectal cancer (CRC) are of particular interest in translational research to develop patient-individualized treatment strategies. Surface proteins still under debate are CD44 and CD133. The structural and functional diversity of these antigens, as well as their plasticity, has only just begun to be understood. Our study aimed to gain novel insight into the plasticity of CD133/CD44, thereby proving the hypothesis of marker-associated tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic phenotypes to be environmentally driven. Methods: CD133/CD44 profiles of 20 CRC cell lines were monitored; three models with distinct surface patterns in vitro were systematically examined. CD133/CD44 subpopulations were isolated by FACS and analyzed upon in vitro growth and/or in limiting dilution engraftment studies. The experimental setup included biomarker analyses on the protein (flow cytometry, Western blotting, immunofluorescence) and mRNA levels (RT-/qPCR) as well as CD44 gene sequencing. Results: In general, we found that (i) the in vitro CD133/CD44 pattern never determined engraftment and (ii) the CD133/CD44 population distributions harmonized under in vivo conditions. The LS1034 cell line appeared as a unique model due to its de novo in vivo presentation of CD44. CD44v8-10 was identified as main transcript, which was stronger expressed in primary human CRC than in normal colon tissues. Biomarker pattern of LS1034 cells in vivo reflected secondary engraftment: the tumorigenic potential was highest in CD133+/CD44+, intermediate in CD133+/CD44- and entirely lost in CD133-/CD44- subfractions. Both CD44+ and CD44- LS1034 cells gave rise to tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic progeny and were convertible - but only as long as they expressed CD133 in vivo. The highly tumorigenic CD133+/CD44(v8-10)+ LS1034 cells were localized in well-oxygenated perivascular but not hypoxic regions. From a multitude of putative modulators, only the direct interaction with stromal fibroblasts triggered an essential, in vivo-like enhancement of CD44v8-10 presentation in vitro. Conclusion: Environmental conditions modulate CD133/CD44 phenotypes and tumorigenic potential of CRC subpopulations. The identification of fibroblasts as drivers of cancer-specific CD44 expression profile and plasticity sheds light on the limitation of per se dynamic surface antigens as biomarkers. It can also explain the location of putative CD133/CD44-positive CRC CSC in the perivascular niche, which is likely to comprise cancer-associated fibroblasts. The LS1034 in vitro/in vivo model is a valuable tool to unravel the mechanism of stromal-induced CD44v8-10 expression and identify further therapeutically relevant, mutual interrelations between microenvironment and tumorigenic phenotype.
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Plasticity in Ovarian Cancer: The Molecular Underpinnings and Phenotypic Heterogeneity. J Indian Inst Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-020-00174-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Identifying inhibitors of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity using a network topology-based approach. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2020; 6:15. [PMID: 32424264 PMCID: PMC7235229 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-020-0132-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the cause of over 90% of cancer-related deaths. Cancer cells undergoing metastasis can switch dynamically between different phenotypes, enabling them to adapt to harsh challenges, such as overcoming anoikis and evading immune response. This ability, known as phenotypic plasticity, is crucial for the survival of cancer cells during metastasis, as well as acquiring therapy resistance. Various biochemical networks have been identified to contribute to phenotypic plasticity, but how plasticity emerges from the dynamics of these networks remains elusive. Here, we investigated the dynamics of various regulatory networks implicated in Epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity (EMP)—an important arm of phenotypic plasticity—through two different mathematical modelling frameworks: a discrete, parameter-independent framework (Boolean) and a continuous, parameter-agnostic modelling framework (RACIPE). Results from either framework in terms of phenotypic distributions obtained from a given EMP network are qualitatively similar and suggest that these networks are multi-stable and can give rise to phenotypic plasticity. Neither method requires specific kinetic parameters, thus our results emphasize that EMP can emerge through these networks over a wide range of parameter sets, elucidating the importance of network topology in enabling phenotypic plasticity. Furthermore, we show that the ability to exhibit phenotypic plasticity correlates positively with the number of positive feedback loops in a given network. These results pave a way toward an unorthodox network topology-based approach to identify crucial links in a given EMP network that can reduce phenotypic plasticity and possibly inhibit metastasis—by reducing the number of positive feedback loops.
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Thankamony AP, Saxena K, Murali R, Jolly MK, Nair R. Cancer Stem Cell Plasticity - A Deadly Deal. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:79. [PMID: 32426371 PMCID: PMC7203492 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity is a major ongoing challenge in the effective therapeutic targeting of cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that a fraction of cells within a tumor termed Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) are primarily responsible for this diversity resulting in therapeutic resistance and metastasis. Adding to this complexity, recent studies have shown that there can be different subpopulations of CSCs with varying biochemical and biophysical traits resulting in varied dissemination and drug-resistance potential. Moreover, cancer cells can exhibit a high level of plasticity or the ability to dynamically switch between CSC and non-CSC states or among different subsets of CSCs. In addition, CSCs also display extensive metabolic plasticity. The molecular mechanisms underlying these different interconnected axes of plasticity has been under extensive investigation and the trans-differentiation process of Epithelial to Mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been identified as a major contributing factor. Besides genetic and epigenetic factors, CSC plasticity is also shaped by non-cell-autonomous effects such as the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review, we discuss the latest developments in decoding mechanisms and implications of CSC plasticity in tumor progression at biochemical and biophysical levels, and the latest in silico approaches being taken for characterizing cancer cell plasticity. These efforts can help improve existing therapeutic approaches by taking into consideration the contribution of cellular plasticity/heterogeneity in enabling drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana P. Thankamony
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, India
| | - Kritika Saxena
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Reshma Murali
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Radhika Nair
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, India
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Drápela S, Bouchal J, Jolly MK, Culig Z, Souček K. ZEB1: A Critical Regulator of Cell Plasticity, DNA Damage Response, and Therapy Resistance. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:36. [PMID: 32266287 PMCID: PMC7096573 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The predominant way in which conventional chemotherapy kills rapidly proliferating cancer cells is the induction of DNA damage. However, chemoresistance remains the main obstacle to therapy effectivity. An increasing number of studies suggest that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) represents a critical process affecting the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) is a prime element of a network of transcription factors controlling EMT and has been identified as an important molecule in the regulation of DNA damage, cancer cell differentiation, and metastasis. Recent studies have considered upregulation of ZEB1 as a potential modulator of chemoresistance. It has been hypothesized that cancer cells undergoing EMT acquire unique properties that resemble those of cancer stem cells (CSCs). These stem-like cells manifest enhanced DNA damage response (DDR) and DNA repair capacity, self-renewal, or chemoresistance. In contrast, functional experiments have shown that ZEB1 induces chemoresistance regardless of whether other EMT-related changes occur. ZEB1 has also been identified as an important regulator of DDR by the formation of a ZEB1/p300/PCAF complex and direct interaction with ATM kinase, which has been linked to radioresistance. Moreover, ATM can directly phosphorylate ZEB1 and enhance its stability. Downregulation of ZEB1 has also been shown to reduce the abundance of CHK1, an effector kinase of DDR activated by ATR, and to induce its ubiquitin-dependent degradation. In this perspective, we focus on the role of ZEB1 in the regulation of DDR and describe the mechanisms of ZEB1-dependent chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Drápela
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia.,International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Brno, Czechia.,Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jan Bouchal
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czechia
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Zoran Culig
- International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Brno, Czechia.,Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Karel Souček
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia.,International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Brno, Czechia.,Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
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47
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Cao C, Lin S, Zhi W, Lazare C, Meng Y, Wu P, Gao P, Wei J, Wu P. LOXL2 Expression Status Is Correlated With Molecular Characterizations of Cervical Carcinoma and Associated With Poor Cancer Survival via Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Phenotype. Front Oncol 2020; 10:284. [PMID: 32211324 PMCID: PMC7067748 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As molecular analyses based on high-throughput sequencing have developed, the molecular classification of cancer has facilitated clinical work. The aim of the present study was to identify a new potential therapeutic target for cervical carcinoma by molecular analyses. We firstly tested the LOXL2 expression pattern in 50 paired normal cervix and cervical carcinoma via qPCR and immunohistochemistry, and the LOXL2 expression pattern was found to be in accordance with public datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Then, we comprehensively rewired the 176 cervical carcinoma samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), subsequently clustered the samples into two groups corresponding to LOXL2 expression to determined the associations between LOXL2 expression status and molecular characterizations of cervical carcinoma. In vitro assays for further verifying the correlations in SiHa-shLOXL2 and HeLa-shLOXL2 cell lines. In this study, we found that LOXL2 highly expressed in carcinoma tissue, with 14 CpG islands of LOXL2 promoter that were significantly and negatively associated with its expression in cervical carcinoma. And there were notable correlations among LOXL2 expression status and molecular characterizations of cervical carcinoma, including diagnostic age, HPV A7 types, mRNA molecular clusters, miRNA molecular clusters, and DNA methylation molecular clusters et al. In addition, high LOXL2 expression was negatively correlated with lower tumor mutation density, especially in EP300, ERBB2, EGFR and NOTCH2, and was negatively correlated with lower expression of APOBEC3 family genes, such as APOBEC3A, APOBEC3B, APOBEC3D, and APOBEC3G. Furthermore, high LOXL2 expression was associated with poor overall (OS) and poor disease-free survival (DFS) in cervical carcinoma, and was associated with higher epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) score, enrichment of extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling, the phenotype that was found to be associated with poor prognosis in cervical carcinoma from TCGA. Conversely, the ability of cell proliferation and cell migration were reversed in LOXL2 knock-down cervical cell lines via regulating the genes' expression of EMT phenotype in vitro. Overall, we demonstrated the correlation between LOXL2 expression status and cancer molecular characterizations of cervical carcinoma, and identified LOXL2 may serve as a therapeutic target for such carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canhui Cao
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shitong Lin
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenhua Zhi
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Cordelle Lazare
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yifan Meng
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping Wu
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Peipei Gao
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Juncheng Wei
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Peng Wu
- Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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48
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Kang X, Wang J, Li C. Exposing the Underlying Relationship of Cancer Metastasis to Metabolism and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transitions. iScience 2019; 21:754-772. [PMID: 31739095 PMCID: PMC6864351 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.10.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a disease governed by the underlying gene regulatory networks. The hallmarks of cancer have been proposed to characterize the cancerization, e.g., abnormal metabolism, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cancer metastasis. We constructed a metabolism-EMT-metastasis regulatory network and quantified its underlying landscape. We identified four attractors, characterizing epithelial, abnormal metabolic, mesenchymal, and metastatic cell states, respectively. Importantly, we identified an abnormal metabolic state. Based on the transition path theory, we quantified the kinetic transition paths among these different cell states. Our results for landscape and paths indicate that metastasis is a sequential process: cells tend to first change their metabolism, then activate the EMT and eventually reach the metastatic state. This demonstrates the importance of the temporal order for different gene circuits switching on or off during metastatic progression of cancer cells and underlines the cascading regulation of metastasis through an abnormal metabolic intermediate state. We develop an approach to quantify the interplay among metabolism, EMT, and metastasis An intermediate abnormal metabolic state exists in metastatic progression Landscape and path indicate that the metastasis is a sequential process Landscape suggests a potential therapeutic strategy by targeting BACH1 and metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Kang
- Shanghai Center for Mathematical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; School of Mathematical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | - Chunhe Li
- Shanghai Center for Mathematical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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49
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San Juan BP, Garcia-Leon MJ, Rangel L, Goetz JG, Chaffer CL. The Complexities of Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1575. [PMID: 31623163 PMCID: PMC6826702 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11101575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapies that prevent metastatic dissemination and tumor growth in secondary organs are severely lacking. A better understanding of the mechanisms that drive metastasis will lead to improved therapies that increase patient survival. Within a tumor, cancer cells are equipped with different phenotypic and functional capacities that can impact their ability to complete the metastatic cascade. That phenotypic heterogeneity can be derived from a combination of factors, in which the genetic make-up, interaction with the environment, and ability of cells to adapt to evolving microenvironments and mechanical forces play a major role. In this review, we discuss the specific properties of those cancer cell subgroups and the mechanisms that confer or restrict their capacity to metastasize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz P San Juan
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia.
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales Medicine, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia.
| | - Maria J Garcia-Leon
- INSERM UMR_S1109, Tumor Biomechanics, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
- Université de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), 67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Laura Rangel
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia.
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales Medicine, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia.
| | - Jacky G Goetz
- INSERM UMR_S1109, Tumor Biomechanics, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
- Université de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), 67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Christine L Chaffer
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia.
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales Medicine, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia.
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50
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Jia W, Deshmukh A, Mani SA, Jolly MK, Levine H. A possible role for epigenetic feedback regulation in the dynamics of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Phys Biol 2019; 16:066004. [PMID: 31342918 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ab34df] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) often plays a critical role in cancer metastasis and chemoresistance, and decoding its dynamics is crucial to design effective therapeutics. EMT is regulated at multiple levels-transcriptional, translational, protein stability and epigenetics; the mechanisms by which epigenetic regulation can alter the dynamics of EMT remain elusive. Here, to identify the possible effects of epigenetic regulation in EMT, we incorporate a feedback term in our previously proposed model of EMT regulation of the miR-200/ZEB/miR-34/SNAIL circuit. This epigenetic feedback that stabilizes long-term transcriptional activity can alter the relative stability and distribution of states in a given cell population, particularly when incorporated in the inhibitory effect on miR-200 from ZEB. This feedback can stabilize the mesenchymal state, thus making transitions out of that state difficult. Conversely, epigenetic regulation of the self-activation of ZEB has only minor effects. Our model predicts that this effect could be seen in experiments, when epithelial cells are treated with an external EMT-inducing signal for a sufficiently long period of time and then allowed to recover. Our preliminary experimental data indicates that a chronic TGF-β exposure gives rise to irreveversible EMT state; i.e. unable to reverse back to the epithelial state. Thus, this integrated theoretical-experimental approach yields insights into how an epigenetic feedback may alter the dynamics of EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Jia
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, United States of America. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, United States of America. These authors contributed equally
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