TEAD4 promotes colorectal tumorigenesis via transcriptionally targeting YAP1

Hippo pathway in non-small cell lung cancer: mechanisms, potential targets, and biomarkers

Lung cancer is the primary contributor to cancer-related deaths globally, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) constitutes around 85% of all lung cancer cases. Recently, the emergence of targeted therapy and immunotherapy revolutionized the treatment of NSCLC and greatly improved patients' survival. However, drug resistance is inevitable, and extensive research has demonstrated that the Hippo pathway plays a crucial role in the development of drug resistance in NSCLC. The Hippo pathway is a highly conserved signaling pathway that is essential for various biological processes, including organ development, maintenance of epithelial balance, tissue regeneration, wound healing, and immune regulation. This pathway exerts its effects through two key transcription factors, namely Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). They regulate gene expression by interacting with the transcriptional-enhanced associate domain (TEAD) family. In recent years, this pathway has been extensively studied in NSCLC. The review summarizes a comprehensive overview of the involvement of this pathway in NSCLC, and discusses the mechanisms of drug resistance, potential targets, and biomarkers associated with this pathway in NSCLC.

TEAD4 Activates PCSK9 to Promote Stomach Adenocarcinoma Cell Stemness through Fatty Acid Metabolism

INTRODUCTION

This study attempted to investigate how proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) influences the stemness of stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) cells.

METHODS

CCK-8 and sphere-formation assays were used to detect cell viability and stemness. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect PCSK9 and TEAD4 expression. The binding relationship was verified by dual-luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The effect of TEAD4 activating PCSK9 on the stemness of STAD cells was detected by bioinformatics, BODIPY 493/503, Oil red O, Western blot, and kits. In vivo experiments verified the role of the TEAD4/PCSK9 axis in tumor formation in nude mice.

RESULTS

PCSK9 and TEAD4 were highly expressed in STAD. PCSK9 was enriched in the fatty acid metabolism (FAM) pathway. PCSK9 activated the fatty acid metabolism and promoted the proliferation and stemness of STAD cells. TEAD4 as a transcription factor upstream of PCSK9, cell experiments revealed that knockdown of PCSK9 inhibited STAD cell stemness, whereas further addition of fatty acid inhibitors could attenuate the promoting effect on STAD cell stemness brought by STAD overexpression. Rescue experiments showed overexpressed PCSK9 exerted an inhibitory effect on the stemness of STAD cells brought by TEAD4 knockdown. The hypothesis that TEAD4/PCSK9 axis can promote STAD cell growth was confirmed by in vivo experiments.

CONCLUSION

Transcription factor TEAD4 could activate PCSK9 to promote the stemness of STAD cells through FAM. These results added weight to the assumption that TEAD4/PCSK9 axis has the potential to be the therapeutic target that inhibits cancer stem cell in STAD.

Transcription factor TEAD4 facilitates glycolysis and proliferation of gastric cancer cells by activating PKMYT1

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks third for cancer deaths worldwide, and glycolysis is a hallmark of several cancers, including GC. TEAD4 plays a role in establishing an oncogenic cascade in cancers, including GC. Whether TEAD4 can influence the glycolysis of GC cells remains uncovered. Hence, this study attempted to investigate the impact on glycolysis of GC cells by TEAD4.

METHODS

By using bioinformatics analysis, differentially expressed mRNAs were screened, and downstream regulatory genes were predicted. Expression levels of TEAD4 and PKMYT1 were assessed by qRT-PCR. The binding sites between TEAD4 and PKMYT1 were predicted by the JASPAR database, meanwhile their modulatory relationship was confirmed through dual-luciferase assay and chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Cell viability and proliferation were assayed via CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Glycolysis was measured by assaying extracellular acidification rate, oxygen consumption rate, and production of pyruvic acid, lactate, citrate, and malate. Expression levels of proteins (HK-2 and PKM2) related to glycolysis were assessed by Western blot.

RESULTS

TEAD4 was upregulated in GC tissues and cells. TEAD4 knockdown substantially repressed glycolysis and proliferation of GC cells. PKMYT1, the target gene downstream of TEAD4, was identified via bioinformatics prediction, and its expression was elevated in GC. Dual-luciferase and ChIP assay validated the targeted relationship between the promoter region of PKMYT1 and TEAD4. As revealed by rescue experiments, the knockdown of TEAD4 reversed the stimulative effect on GC cell glycolysis and proliferation by forced expression of PKMYT1.

CONCLUSION

TEAD4 activated PKMYT1 to facilitate the proliferation and glycolysis of GC cells. TEAD4 and PKMYT1 may be possible therapeutic targets for GC.

High TEAD4 Expression is Associated With Aggressive Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Regardless of YAP1 Expression

Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) and transcriptional coactivator TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) are the main effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway. Deregulation of the Hippo signaling pathway significantly impacts tumorigenesis and tumor progression. We evaluated the mRNA expression level of YAP1 and TEAD4 using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database and investigated the roles of YAP1 and TEAD4 in 349 surgically resected clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) samples through immunohistochemical analysis. High YAP1 and TEAD4 expression were observed in 57 (16.3%) and 131 (37.5%) cases, respectively. High YAP1 expression was associated with a low nuclear grade only. High TEAD4 expression was significantly associated with large tumor size, high nuclear grade, lymphovascular invasion, advanced pT classification, advanced clinical stage, sarcomatous differentiation, and metastasis. CCRCC with YAP1-low/TEAD4-high expression was significantly associated with aggressive clinicopathological variables and poor outcomes. For CCRCC, higher tumor stage, sarcomatous differentiation, and metastasis were the independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). High TEAD4 expression was significantly associated with short OS and DFS but was not an independent prognostic factor. High TEAD4 and YAP1-low/TEAD4-high expression significantly correlated with adverse clinicopathological factors and worse OS and DFS in patients with CCRCC. YAP1 expression was not significantly associated with clinicopathological factors or patient survival. Therefore, TEAD4 plays a critical role in CCRCC tumor progression independent of YAP1 and may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for CCRCC.

YAP-Driven Malignant Reprogramming of Epithelial Stem Cells at Single Cell Resolution

Tumor initiation represents the first step in tumorigenesis during which normal progenitor cells undergo cell fate transition to cancer. Capturing this process as it occurs in vivo, however, remains elusive. Here we employ cell tracing approaches with spatiotemporally controlled oncogene activation and tumor suppressor inhibition to unveil the processes underlying oral epithelial progenitor cell reprogramming into cancer stem cells (CSCs) at single cell resolution. This revealed the rapid emergence of a distinct stem-like cell state, defined by aberrant proliferative, hypoxic, squamous differentiation, and partial epithelial to mesenchymal (pEMT) invasive gene programs. Interestingly, CSCs harbor limited cell autonomous invasive capacity, but instead recruit myeloid cells to remodel the basement membrane and ultimately initiate tumor invasion. CSC transcriptional programs are conserved in human carcinomas and associated with poor patient survival. These findings illuminate the process of cancer initiation at single cell resolution, thus identifying candidate targets for early cancer detection and prevention.

Direct reprogramming of oral epithelial progenitor cells to cancer stem cells at single cell resolution in vivo

Tumor initiation represents the initial step in tumorigenesis during which normal progenitor cells undergo cell fate transition to cancer. Most studies investigating cancer-driving mechanisms in solid tumors rely on analyses of established malignant lesions, and thus cannot directly capture processes underlying the reprogramming of normal progenitor cells into cancer cells. Here, using spatiotemporally controlled oncogene expression in a genetically engineered system we demonstrate that concomitant YAP activation and HPV E6-E7 -mediated inhibition of tumor suppressive pathways is sufficient to rapidly reprogram oral epithelial progenitor cells (OEPCs) into cancer stem cells (CSCs). Single cell analyses of these nascent CSCs revealed hallmark transcriptional programs driving tumor initiation. Importantly, these CSC-enriched expression signatures distinguish normal tissue from malignant head and neck tumors and are associated with poor patient survival. Elucidating mechanisms underlying OEPC to CSC reprogramming may offer new insights to halt the conversion of premalignant cells into invasive carcinoma.

HIGHLIGHTS

YAP and HPV E6-E7 reprogram oral epithelial progenitor cells into cancer stem cells. Single cell analyses reveal the transcriptional architecture of tumor initiation.CSC transcriptional programs distinguish normal tissue from carcinoma.CSC signatures are associated with poor head and neck cancer survival.

Abstract Figure

TEAD4 predicts poor prognosis and transcriptionally targets PLAGL2 in serous ovarian cancer

The oncogenic function of TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) has been confirmed in multiple human malignancies, while its potential role and regulatory mechanism in serous ovarian cancer progression are left unknown. By the gene expression analyses from Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database, TEAD4 expression is shown to be up-regulated in serous ovarian cancer samples. Here, we confirmed the high expression of TEAD4 in clinical serous ovarian cancer specimens. In the following functional experiments, we found that TEAD4 overexpression promoted serous ovarian cancer malignant phenotypes, including proliferation, migration and invasion in serous ovarian cancer SK-OV-3 and OVCAR-3 cells, while TEAD4 knockout exerted the opposite function. The tumor growth inhibition of TEAD4 depletion was also affirmed by a Xenograft model in mice. In addition, this phenotypic deterioration induced by TEAD4 overexpression was diminished by PLAG1 like zinc finger 2 (PLAGL2) silencing. More importantly, combined with the results of the dual-luciferase assay, the transcriptional regulation of TEAD4 on PLAGL2 promoter was evidenced. Our results showed that the cancer-promoting gene TEAD4 was involved in serous ovarian cancer progression via targeting PLAGL2 at the transcriptional level.

Leveraging Hot Spots of TEAD-Coregulator Interactions in the Design of Direct Small Molecule Protein-Protein Interaction Disruptors Targeting Hippo Pathway Signaling

The Hippo signaling pathway is a highly conserved pathway that plays important roles in the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Transcription factors TEAD1-4 and transcriptional coregulators YAP/TAZ are the downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway and can modulate Hippo biology. Dysregulation of this pathway is implicated in tumorigenesis and acquired resistance to therapies. The emerging importance of YAP/TAZ-TEAD interaction in cancer development makes it a potential therapeutic target. In the past decade, disrupting YAP/TAZ-TEAD interaction as an effective approach for cancer treatment has achieved great progress. This approach followed a trajectory wherein peptidomimetic YAP-TEAD protein-protein interaction disruptors (PPIDs) were first designed, followed by the discovery of allosteric small molecule PPIDs, and currently, the development of direct small molecule PPIDs. YAP and TEAD form three interaction interfaces. Interfaces 2 and 3 are amenable for direct PPID design. One direct YAP-TEAD PPID (IAG933) that targets interface 3 has entered a clinical trial in 2021. However, in general, strategically designing effective small molecules PPIDs targeting TEAD interfaces 2 and 3 has been challenging compared with allosteric inhibitor development. This review focuses on the development of direct surface disruptors and discusses the challenges and opportunities for developing potent YAP/TAZ-TEAD inhibitors for the treatment of cancer.

Gene Silencing of Transcription Factor TEAD4 Inhibits Esophageal Cancer Cells by Regulating TCF7

Background: The procancer effect of TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) has been gradually discovered. However, its expression in esophageal cancer (EC) cells and its effect on proliferation and apoptosis have not been reported. In this study, we investigated the possible role of TEAD4 in EC cells. Materials and Methods: TEAD4 messenger RNA and protein expression were assessed in EC cell lines by real-time quantitative-PCR and Western blot. Gene silencing approach was employed to investigate the potential role of TEAD4 in cellular growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion in EC cells. The interaction between TEAD4 and transcription factor 7 (TCF7) was verified by co-immunoprecipitation reaction. The cell apoptosis rates of KYSE-30 cells were detected by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in KYSE-30 cells was detected by Western blot analysis. Results: TEAD4 was significantly increased in EC cell lines, interference of TEAD4 inhibited EC cell viability, invasion, and migration, and promotes apoptosis. TCF7 was found when using STRING website to interact with TEAD4 proteins and TCF7 was significantly increased in EC and knockdown expression of TEAD4 hindered biological function of KYSE-30 cells and this effect was reversed by overexpression of TCF7. Conclusions: The findings concluded that TEAD4 is highly expressed in EC cells and gene silencing of TEAD4 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of EC cells by regulating TCF7. These findings suggested that TEAD4 might be a novel therapeutic target for the prevention of EC.

Therapeutic targeting of TEAD transcription factors in cancer

The Hippo signaling pathway inhibits the activity of the oncogenic YAP (Yes-associated protein)/TAZ (transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif)-TEAD (TEA/ATTS domain) transcriptional complex. In cancers, inactivating mutations in upstream Hippo components and/or enhanced activity of YAP/TAZ and TEAD have been observed. The activity of this transcriptional complex can be effectively inhibited by targeting the TEAD family of transcription factors. The development of TEAD inhibitors has been driven by the discovery that TEAD has druggable hydrophobic pockets, and is currently at the clinical development stage. Three small molecule TEAD inhibitors are currently being tested in Phase I clinical trials. In this review, we highlight the role of TEADs in cancer, discuss various avenues through which TEAD activity can be inhibited, and outline the opportunities for the administration of TEAD inhibitors.

Advances in understanding of role and mechanism of Hippo signaling pathway in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, and most patients have a poor prognosis. Many studies have shown that the Hippo signaling pathway plays a key role in the occurrence and development of CRC by regulating CRC cell proliferation and apoptosis, tumor invasion and metastasis, autophagy, metabolic reprogramming, drug resistance, and other processes. This article reviews the latest progress in research of the expression of key molecules of the Hippo signaling pathway in CRC as well as the understanding of the mechanism by which this pathway regulates the occurrence and development of CRC.

Differential expression analysis of genes and long non-coding RNAs associated with KRAS mutation in colorectal cancer cells

KRAS mutation is responsible for 40–50% of colorectal cancers (CRCs). RNA-seq data and bioinformatics methods were used to analyze the transcriptional profiles of KRAS mutant (mtKRAS) in comparison with the wild-type (wtKRAS) cell lines, followed by in-silico and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) validations. Gene set enrichment analysis showed overrepresentation of KRAS signaling as an oncogenic signature in mtKRAS. Gene ontology and pathway analyses on 600 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) indicated their major involvement in the cancer-associated signal transduction pathways. Significant hub genes were identified through analyzing PPI network, with the highest node degree for PTPRC. The evaluation of the interaction between co-expressed DEGs and lncRNAs revealed 12 differentially-expressed lncRNAs which potentially regulate the genes majorly enriched in Rap1 and RAS signaling pathways. The results of the qPCR showed the overexpression of PPARG and PTGS2, and downregulation of PTPRC in mtKRAS cells compared to the wtKRAS one, which confirming the outputs of RNA-seq analysis. Further, significant upregualtion of miR-23b was observed in wtKRAS cells. The comparison between the expression level of hub genes and TFs with expression data of CRC tissue samples deposited in TCGA databank confirmed them as distinct biomarkers for the discrimination of normal and tumor patient samples. Survival analysis revealed the significant prognostic value for some of the hub genes, TFs, and lncRNAs. The results of the present study can extend the vision on the molecular mechanisms involved in KRAS-driven CRC pathogenesis.

TEAD4 as an Oncogene and a Mitochondrial Modulator

TEAD4 (TEA Domain Transcription Factor 4) is well recognized as the DNA-anchor protein of YAP transcription complex, which is modulated by Hippo, a highly conserved pathway in Metazoa that controls organ size through regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. To acquire full transcriptional activity, TEAD4 requires co-activator, YAP (Yes-associated protein) or its homolog TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif) the signaling hub that relays the extracellular stimuli to the transcription of target genes. Growing evidence suggests that TEAD4 also exerts its function in a YAP-independent manner through other signal pathways. Although TEAD4 plays an essential role in determining that differentiation fate of the blastocyst, it also promotes tumorigenesis by enhancing metastasis, cancer stemness, and drug resistance. Upregulation of TEAD4 has been reported in several cancers, including colon cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer and serves as a valuable prognostic marker. Recent studies show that TEAD4, but not other members of the TEAD family, engages in regulating mitochondrial dynamics and cell metabolism by modulating the expression of mitochondrial- and nuclear-encoded electron transport chain genes. TEAD4’s functions including oncogenic activities are tightly controlled by its subcellular localization. As a predominantly nuclear protein, its cytoplasmic translocation is triggered by several signals, such as osmotic stress, cell confluency, and arginine availability. Intriguingly, TEAD4 is also localized in mitochondria, although the translocation mechanism remains unclear. In this report, we describe the current understanding of TEAD4 as an oncogene, epigenetic regulator and mitochondrial modulator. The contributing mechanisms will be discussed.

The transcription factor TEAD4 enhances lung adenocarcinoma progression through enhancing PKM2 mediated glycolysis

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a deadly disease with a hallmark of aberrant metabolism. TEA domain 4 (TEAD4) is involved in the progression of several forms of cancer including LUAD. However, the role of TEAD4 in LUAD glucose metabolism is rarely reported as well as its potential mechanisms. Pyruvate kinase isozymes M2 (PKM2), the key regulatory enzymes in glycolysis, was predicted to be a target for TEAD4 by bioinformatics analysis. Thus, we aimed to explore whether TEAD4/PKM2 axis was related to LUAD glucose metabolism and malignant phenotype. The expression level of TEAD4 and PKM2 was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot. Luciferase reporter assay were employed to verify the effect of TEAD4 on PKM2 promoter as well as TEAD4/PKM2 axis on reporter activity of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Glycolysis was investigated according to glucose consumption, lactate production and the extracellular acidification rate. The present study indicated that TEAD4 and PKM2 were upregulated in LUAD and closely related to prognosis. Mechanistic investigations identified that TEAD4 played a key role as a transcription factor and promoted PKM2 transcription and expression, which further altered the reporter activity of HIF-1α and upregulated HIF-1α-targeted glycolytic genes glucose transporter-1 and hexokinase II. Functional assays revealed that TEAD4 and PKM2 affected glycolytic and 2-DG blocked the positive function of TEAD4 and PKM2 on glycolytic. Besides, TEAD4/PKM2 axis affects LUAD cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Together, these data provided evidence that both TEAD4 and PKM2 were poor prognosticator. Targeting TEAD4/PKM2 axis might be an effective therapeutic strategy for LUAD.

Transcriptional Enhancer Factor Domain Family member 4 Exerts an Oncogenic Role in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Hippo-Independent Regulation of Heat Shock Protein 70 Family Members

Transcriptional enhancer factor domain family member 4 (TEAD4) is a downstream effector of the conserved Hippo signaling pathway, regulating the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation. It is up-regulated in several cancer types and is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unexplored. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we found that TEAD4 was overexpressed in HCC and was associated with aggressive HCC features and worse outcome. Overexpression of TEAD4 significantly increased proliferation and migration rates in HCC cells in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, RNA sequencing analysis of TEAD4-overexpressing HCC cells demonstrated that TEAD4 overexpression was associated with the up-regulation of genes involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, proliferation, and protein-folding pathways. Among the most up-regulated genes following TEAD4 overexpression were the 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) family members HSPA6 and HSPA1A. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction experiments demonstrated that TEAD4 regulates HSPA6 and HSPA1A expression by directly binding to their promoter and enhancer regions. The pharmacologic inhibition of HSP70 expression in TEAD4-overexpressing cells reduced the effect of TEAD4 on cell proliferation. Finally, by overexpressing TEAD4 in yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ)-knockdown HCC cells, we showed that the effect of TEAD4 on cell proliferation and its regulation of HSP70 expression does not require YAP and TAZ, the main effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway. Conclusion: A novel Hippo-independent mechanism for TEAD4 promotes cell proliferation and tumor growth in HCC by directly regulating HSP70 family members.

BART Cancer: a web resource for transcriptional regulators in cancer genomes

Dysregulation of gene expression plays an important role in cancer development. Identifying transcriptional regulators, including transcription factors and chromatin regulators, that drive the oncogenic gene expression program is a critical task in cancer research. Genomic profiles of active transcriptional regulators from primary cancer samples are limited in the public domain. Here we present BART Cancer (bartcancer.org), an interactive web resource database to display the putative transcriptional regulators that are responsible for differentially regulated genes in 15 different cancer types in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). BART Cancer integrates over 10000 gene expression profiling RNA-seq datasets from TCGA with over 7000 ChIP-seq datasets from the Cistrome Data Browser database and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). BART Cancer uses Binding Analysis for Regulation of Transcription (BART) for predicting the transcriptional regulators from the differentially expressed genes in cancer samples compared to normal samples. BART Cancer also displays the activities of over 900 transcriptional regulators across cancer types, by integrating computational prediction results from BART and the Cistrome Cancer database. Focusing on transcriptional regulator activities in human cancers, BART Cancer can provide unique insights into epigenetics and transcriptional regulation in cancer, and is a useful data resource for genomics and cancer research communities.

TEAD4 as a Prognostic Marker Promotes Cell Migration and Invasion of Urinary Bladder Cancer via EMT

Purpose

As a member of TEA Domain Transcription Factors (TEADs), TEAD4 was found to be upregulated in urinary bladder cancer (UBC). This study focused on investigating the clinical value and potential functions of TEAD4 in UBC.

Materials and Methods

Patients' samples, TCGA-BLCA and multiple GEO datasets were applied to explore the expression pattern of TEAD4 in UBC. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were carried out to evaluate the prognostic significance of TEAD4 in UBC. Wound healing and transwell assays were performed to explore the biological functions of TEAD4 in UBC cells.

Results

The results of TCGA-BLCA, GEO datasets, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry staining (IHC) indicated that TEAD4 was strikingly elevated in UBC tissues as compared to their normal counterparts, and upregulation of TEAD4 was significantly correlated with clinical stage, pathological grade and poor clinical outcome. Functional studies demonstrated that TEAD4 knockdown suppressed cell migration and invasion by reducing the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related markers and transcription regulators.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that TEAD4 may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and a promising therapeutic target for UBC, and act as a pro-tumorigenic gene to promote cell migration and invasion by inducing EMT.

The interaction of TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) and Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) promoted the malignant process mediated by serum/glucocorticoid regulated kinase 1 (SGK1)

TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) has been investigated to be implicated in the progression of various cancers, and it plays a role in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The study was designed to investigate how TEAD4 affected the progression of ESCC through Hippo signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. The interaction of TEAD4 and Yes-associated protein (YAP) was detected though immunoprecipitation assay (IP). Following the treatment of TED-347, which was able to suppress the interaction of TEAD4 and YAP1, the malignant behaviors of cells including proliferation, invasion, and migration were assessed by EDU staining, wound healing, and transwell assay in vitro, while tumor growth was measured. Luciferase reporter plasmids containing the enhancer and promoter region of serum/glucocorticoid regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) were constructed to analyze how TEAD4 affected the transcription of SGK1. The above cell behaviors were further analyzed after the silencing of SGK1. Results showed that TED-347 hindered the promoting effect of TEAD4 overexpression on the malignant behaviors of ESCC cells, and this effect was related to the suppression of the TEAD4/YAP1 complex. Moreover, the promoter activity of SGK1 was obviously inhibited by TED-347. Decreased expression of SGK1 suppressed the above behaviors of cells and destroyed the effects of increased expression of TEAD4. Collectively, TEAD4/YAP promotes the malignant process of ESCC cells, which was inhibited by the interference of SGK1. Targeting TEAD4/YAP1 complex or SGK1 could find application in the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Association of subcellular localization of TEAD transcription factors with outcome and progression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Transcriptional enhanced associated domain (TEAD) transcription factors are nuclear effectors of several oncogenic signalling pathways including Hippo, WNT, TGF-ß and EGFR pathways that interact with various cancer genes. The subcellular localization of TEAD regulates the functional output of these pathways affecting tumour progression and patient outcome. However, the impact of the TEAD family on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and its clinical progression remain elusive.

METHODS

A cohort of 81 PDAC patients who had undergone surgery was established. Cytoplasmic and nuclear localization of TEAD1, TEAD2, TEAD3 and TEAD4 was evaluated with the immunoreactive score (IRS) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using paraffin-embedded tissue. Results were correlated with clinicopathological data, disease-free and overall survival.

RESULTS

Nuclear staining of all four TEADs was increased in pancreatic cancer tissue. Patients suffering from metastatic disease at time of surgery showed a strong nuclear staining of TEAD2 and TEAD3 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a nuclear > cytoplasmic ratio of TEAD2 and TEAD3 was associated with a shorter overall survival and TEAD2 emerged as an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival.

CONCLUSION

Our study underlines the importance of TEAD transcription factors in PDAC as a nuclear localization was found to be associated with metastatic disease and an unfavourable prognosis after surgical resection.

YAP/TAZ Signalling in Colorectal Cancer: Lessons from Consensus Molecular Subtypes

Simple Summary

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease that can be divided into 4 consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) according to molecular profiling. The CMS classification is now considered as a reference framework for understanding the heterogeneity of CRC and for the implementation of precision medicine. Although the contribution of YAP/TAZ signalling to CRC has been intensively studied, there is little information on its role within each CMS subtype. This article aims to provide an overview of our knowledge of YAP/TAZ in CRC through the lens of the CMS classification.

Abstract

Recent advance in the characterization of the heterogeneity of colorectal cancer has led to the definition of a consensus molecular classification within four CMS subgroups, each associated with specific molecular and clinical features. Investigating the signalling pathways that drive colorectal cancer progression in relation to the CMS classification may help design therapeutic strategies tailored for each CMS subtype. The two main effectors of the Hippo pathway YAP and its paralogue TAZ have been intensively scrutinized for their contribution to colon carcinogenesis. Here, we review the knowledge of YAP/TAZ implication in colorectal cancer from the perspective of the CMS framework. We identify gaps in our current understanding and delineate research avenues for future work.

Identification of Prognostic Markers in Cholangiocarcinoma Using Altered DNA Methylation and Gene Expression Profiles

Background

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare disease, but it is amongst the most lethal cancers with a median survival under 1 year. Variations in DNA methylation and gene expression have been extensively studied in other cancers for their role in pathogenesis and disease prognosis, but these studies are very limited in CCA. This study focusses on the identification of DNA methylation and gene expression prognostic biomarkers using multi-omics data of CCA tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Method

We have conducted a genome-wide analysis of differential DNA methylation and gene/miRNA expression using data from 36 CCA tumor and 9 normal samples from TCGA. The impact of DNA methylation in promoters and long-range distal enhancers on the regulation and expression of CCA-associated genes was examined using linear regression. Next, we conducted network analyses on genes which are regulated by DNA methylation as well as by miRNA. Finally, we performed Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses in order to identify the role of selected methylation sites and specific genes and miRNAs in patient survival. We also performed real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to confirm the change in gene expression in CCA patients’ tumor and adjacent normal samples.

Results

Altered DNA methylation was observed on 12,259 CpGs across all chromosomes, of which 78% were hypermethylated. We observed a strong negative relationship between promoter hypermethylation and corresponding gene expression in 92% of the CpGs. Differential expression analyses revealed altered expression patterns in 3,305 genes and 101 miRNAs. Finally, we identified 17 differentially methylated promoter CpGs, 72 differentially expressed genes, and two miRNAs that are likely associated with patient survival. Pathway analysis suggested that cell division, bile secretion, amino acid metabolism, PPAR signaling, hippo signaling were highly affected by gene expression and DNA methylation alterations. The qPCR analysis further confirmed that MDK, HNF1B, PACS1, and GLUD1 are differentially expressed in CCA.

Conclusion

Based on the survival analysis, we conclude that DEPDC1, FUT4, MDK, PACS1, PIWIL4 genes, miR-22, miR-551b microRNAs, and cg27362525 and cg26597242 CpGs can strongly support their use as prognostic markers of CCA.

LASP1 induces colorectal cancer proliferation and invasiveness through Hippo signaling and Nanog mediated EMT

The role of LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP1) in colorectal cancer (CRC) has been described in multiple studies, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remained inclusive. In the present study, we performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for LASP1 and found that LASP1 expression was higher in CRC tissue of advanced stage. Over-expressed (OE) LASP1 promoted proliferation, tumorigenesis and migration of CRC cell lines SW480 and SW620. Using the TCGA database, we identified Yes-associated protein (YAP1) was positively correlated with LASP1 expression in CRC patients. Introducing a novel YAP1 inhibitor CA3, we found that CA3 treatment inhibited LAPS1 OE SW480 and SW620 cells proliferation, colony number formation, invasion and migration. Further mechanistic experiments showed that Nanog, a stem cell marker, was up-regulated in LASP1 OE cells but suppressed by CA3 treatment. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) and luciferase reporter assay revealed that YAP1 can directly target the promoter region of Nanog and enhance its activity. LASP1 accelerated CRC migration through targeting YAP1-mediated vimentin and E-cadherin expression. Finally, by developing murine CRC model, we found the primary tumor size was almost abolished and the survival rate was greatly improved by chemotherapy and CA3 combined treatment compared with negative control or chemotherapy treated alone. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that LASP1 could induce CRC tumor cells proliferation and migration through activating hippo signaling pathway component YAP1 and further enhancing Nanog expression.

Zinc finger protein 91 loss induces cardiac hypertrophy through adenosine A1 receptor down-regulation under pressure overload status

The function of zfp91 is mainly studied in vitro, but there is no study in vivo. Accumulative data suggest that zfp91 may be an important gene to regulate all aspects of human response. However, there are no data to date about the function of zfp91 on cardiac homeostasis. Thus, we aimed to observe the role of zfp91 gene in mouse cardiomyocytes on myocardial homeostasis and related mechanisms under pressure overload. In the study, zfp91 mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced in TAC-operated WT mice as compared with controls. Genetic ablation of zfp91 dramatically led to pathological cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophy after transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Adenosine A1 receptor (Adora1) mRNA and protein expressions were significantly down-regulated in the heart of zfp91-deletion mice with TAC. Zfp91 overexpression reversed isoproterenol-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, which was abolished by selective Adora1 antagonist. Dual-luciferase reporter and ChIP-qPCR assays indicated that zfp91 acted on Adora1 promoter through its binding site. Last, Adora1 agonist rescued heart dysfunction and cardiac hypertrophy in zfp91 loss mice after TAC. Zfp91 may transcriptionally regulate Adora1 expression in the heart, which mainly maintained cardiac homeostasis under pressure overload status. It will provide a new approach to treat cardiac hypertrophy.

Hypomethylation Causes MIR21 Overexpression in Tumors

miR-21 is an oncogenic microRNA (miRNA) that is upregulated in many solid tumors. However, the effect of MIR21 hypomethylation on miR-21 expression in tumors and the mechanism of miR-21 DNA demethylation remain unclear. In this study, we confirmed that the expression of miR-21 was significantly increased in multiple tumors. We analyzed eight types of cancer, including breast cancer (BRCA), lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), renal and renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA), hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), lung squamous cell cancer (LUSC), renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP), and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). MIR21 DNA methylation levels were elevated in these cancers. CpG loci located approximately 200 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site strongly affect MIR21 expression. We also confirmed MIR21 hypomethylation by pyrosequencing of fresh clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) samples. Demethylating agent was proved to increase hsa-miR-21-5p level in HEK293T cells, while knockdown of DNA demethylases TET3 and TDG decreased MIR21 expression. In addition, we showed that the cg02515217 CpG locus in MIR21 promoter was a conserved binding site of transcription factors CEBPB, MEIS3, and TEAD4, which were co-expressed with miR-21 in tumors. These observations identified that gene hypomethylation regulated the expression of MIR21 in tumors.

Transcription Factors in Cancer: When Alternative Splicing Determines Opposite Cell Fates

Alternative splicing (AS) is a finely regulated mechanism for transcriptome and proteome diversification in eukaryotic cells. Correct balance between AS isoforms takes part in molecular mechanisms that properly define spatiotemporal and tissue specific transcriptional programs in physiological conditions. However, several diseases are associated to or even caused by AS alterations. In particular, multiple AS changes occur in cancer cells and sustain the oncogenic transcriptional program. Transcription factors (TFs) represent a key class of proteins that control gene expression by direct binding to DNA regulatory elements. AS events can generate cancer-associated TF isoforms with altered activity, leading to sustained proliferative signaling, differentiation block and apoptosis resistance, all well-known hallmarks of cancer. In this review, we focus on how AS can produce TFs isoforms with opposite transcriptional activities or antagonistic functions that severely impact on cancer biology. This summary points the attention to the relevance of the analysis of TFs splice variants in cancer, which can allow patients stratification despite the presence of interindividual genetic heterogeneity. Recurrent TFs variants that give advantage to specific cancer types not only open the opportunity to use AS transcripts as clinical biomarkers but also guide the development of new anti-cancer strategies in personalized medicine.

Discovery and biological evaluation of vinylsulfonamide derivatives as highly potent, covalent TEAD autopalmitoylation inhibitors

Transcriptional enhancer associated domain family members (TEADs) are the most important downstream effectors that play the pivotal role in the development, regeneration and tissue homeostasis. Recent biochemical studies have demonstrated that TEADs could undergo autopalmitoylation that is indispensable for its function making the lipid-binding pocket an attractive target for chemical intervention. Herein, through structure-based virtual screen and rational medicinal chemistry optimization, we identified DC-TEADin02 as the most potent, selective, covalent TEAD autopalmitoylation inhibitor with the IC₅₀ value of 197 ± 19 nM while it showed minimal effect on TEAD-YAP interaction. Further biochemical counter-screens demonstrate the specific thiol reactivity and selectivity of DC-TEADin02 over the kinase family, lipid-binding proteins and epigenetic targets. Notably, DC-TEADin02 inhibited TEADs transcription activity leading to downregulation of YAP-related downstream gene expression. Taken together, our findings proved the validity of modulating transcriptional output in the Hippo signaling pathway through irreversible chemical interventions of TEADs autopalmitoylation activity, which may serve as a qualified chemical tool for TEADs palmitoylation-related studies in the future.

Integrated genomic and methylation profile analysis to identify candidate tumor marker genes in patients with colorectal cancer

Aberrant genomic expression and methylation serve important roles in cancer development. Integrated analysis of genetic and methylation profiles may identify potential tumor marker genes for colorectal cancer (CRC) prediction. In the current study, DNA methylation and mRNA expression profiles associated with CRC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Differentially expressed mRNAs and methylated genes between tumor samples and adjacent healthy tissues were identified. Candidate tumor marker genes and prognostic clinical factors were screened according to univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis. A total of 218 DEGs with aberrant methylation levels were screened from tumor samples. A risk prediction model was constructed based on identified genes and clinical factors. Randomization tests were used to evaluate the performance of the prediction model, including area under the curve (AUC) calculation and cross-validation. Cox regression analysis revealed that eight genes and six prognostic clinical factors were significantly associated with survival outcomes. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the eight genes were mainly involved in ‘cell adhesion’, ‘fatty acid metabolism’ and ‘cytokine receptor interaction’ pathways. After combining six clinical factors with eight genes, the accuracy of risk prediction model has been increased intensively. The P-values representing the association between risk grouping and prognosis decreased from 0.009 to 0.001 and the AUC increased from 0.992 to 0.999, indicating that the comprehensive risk prediction model exhibited a good performance for disease prognosis prediction. The current study integrated genomic and methylation profiles and identified eight tumor marker genes in CRC. These candidate genes may improve the prediction accuracy of CRC prognosis.

TEAD4 overexpression promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and associates with aggressiveness and adverse prognosis in head neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background

Deregulated Hippo signaling has been uncovered to be intricately involved in tumorigenesis. Transcriptional factor TEADs serve as key mediators of Hippo signaling and have been increasingly appreciated as putative oncogenes driving cancer initiation and progression. However, its expression pattern and oncogenic role of TEAD4 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain largely unexplored.

Methods

TEAD4 mRNA expression in HNSCC was determined by data mining and analyses from TCGA dataset and four independent cohorts with transcriptional profiling data publically available. The protein abundance of TEAD4 was measured by immunohistochemistry in 105 primary HNSCC samples and associations between its expression and clinicopathological parameters and patient survival were evaluated. The oncogenic roles of TEAD4 was further determined by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO)-induced animal model, both knockdown/overexpression assay and TGF-β1-induced epithelia-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro.

Results

Both mRNA and protein abundance of TEAD4 were significantly increased in HNSCC as compared to its non-tumor counterparts. Overexpression of TEAD4 significantly associated with high pathological grade, cervical node metastasis, advanced clinical stage and reduced overall and disease-free survival. In the 4NQO-induced HNSCC mouse model, increased TEAD4 immunostaining was found associated with disease progression. TEAD4 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis in HNSCC cells, while its overexpression resulted in opposite effects and EMT. Moreover, TEAD4 was critically involved in TGF-β1-induced EMT in HNSCC cells.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal that TEAD4 serves as a novel prognostic biomarker and putative oncogene for HNSCC by promoting cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and EMT.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12935-018-0675-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Overexpression of TEAD4 correlates with poor prognosis of glioma and promotes cell invasion

This study aimed to reveal the correlation of increased TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) expression and disease prognosis in glioma. The expression data of TEAD4 mRNA in glioma were collected from GEO database (GSE4290), and the expression of TEAD4 protein in glioma was confirmed using western blot and Immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test was used to reveal the correlation of TEAD4 expression level and patients' survival. The effects of TEAD4 on migration and invasion were separately examined by Transwell assay and Boyden assay. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to predict the possible biological function of TEAD4 in glioma. The results showed that TEAD4 mRNA and protein expression were upregulated in glioma tissues compared to normal brain tissues. Furthermore, overexpression of TEAD4 correlated with poor prognosis in glioma patients. Knockdown of TEAD4 markedly inhibited glioma cells migration and invasion in vitro. Consistent with the result that TEAD4 was associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) closely by GESA, knockdown of TEAD4 resulted in N-cadherin, vimentin and Slug downregulated but E-cadherin upregulated. Our study indicated that overexpression of TEAD4 may represent as a potential unfavorable marker for poor survival and prognosis in glioma. Knockdown of TEAD4 led to suppressed glioma migration and invasion.

TEAD4 exerts pro-metastatic effects and is negatively regulated by miR6839-3p in lung adenocarcinoma progression

Several studies have shown the tumorigenesis role of transcriptional enhancer associate domain (TEAD) proteins; here, we initially explored expression, function and signalling mechanisms of TEAD4 in lung adenocarcinoma (LAD). Both the mRNA and protein levels of TEAD4 were increased in LAD tissues than those in adjacent nontumourous tissues. Besides, database search indicated a poorer clinical outcome in LAD patients with higher TEAD4 expression, revealing its potential tumour-promoting role. Therefore, we conducted cellular experiments to further investigate its effect on tumour phenotypes. Accordingly, TEAD4 showed little impact on LAD cell cycle, proliferation, or apoptosis. However, silencing TEAD4 remarkably attenuated cell migration and invasion capacities. Consistently, several important epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers such as E-cadherin and Slug were consequently altered by silencing TEAD4. Furthermore, we identified a novel TEAD4-targeted microRNA, namely miR6839-3p, and confirmed its function in suppressing TEAD4 expression. Finally, the impact of overexpressing miR6839-3p mimics on LAD progression was validated, which showed a similar pattern with TEAD4 knockdown cells. Taken together, our data not only revealed the significant role of TEAD4 in promoting LAD progression and predicting clinical outcome but also distinguished miR6839-3p mimics as a promising therapeutic direction.