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Badia-Ramentol J, Gimeno-Valiente F, Duréndez E, Martínez-Ciarpaglini C, Linares J, Iglesias M, Cervantes A, Calon A, Tarazona N. The prognostic potential of CDX2 in colorectal cancer: Harmonizing biology and clinical practice. Cancer Treat Rev 2023; 121:102643. [PMID: 37871463 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2023.102643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Adjuvant chemotherapy following surgical intervention remains the primary treatment option for patients with localized colorectal cancer (CRC). However, a significant proportion of patients will have an unfavorable outcome after current forms of chemotherapy. While reflecting the increasing complexity of CRC, the clinical application of molecular biomarkers provides information that can be utilized to guide therapeutic strategies. Among these, caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) emerges as a biomarker of both prognosis and relapse after therapy. CDX2 is a key transcription factor that controls intestinal fate. Although rarely mutated in CRC, loss of CDX2 expression has been reported mostly in right-sided, microsatellite-unstable tumors and is associated with aggressive carcinomas. The pathological assessment of CDX2 by immunohistochemistry can thus identify patients with high-risk CRC, but the evaluation of CDX2 expression remains challenging in a substantial proportion of patients. In this review, we discuss the roles of CDX2 in homeostasis and CRC and the alterations that lead to protein expression loss. Furthermore, we review the clinical significance of CDX2 assessment, with a particular focus on its current use as a biomarker for pathological evaluation and clinical decision-making. Finally, we attempt to clarify the molecular implications of CDX2 deficiency, ultimately providing insights for a more precise evaluation of CDX2 protein expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Badia-Ramentol
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco Gimeno-Valiente
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Elena Duréndez
- Department of Medical Oncology, INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, CIBERONC, Spain
| | | | - Jenniffer Linares
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Iglesias
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Pathology, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, CIBERONC, Spain
| | - Andrés Cervantes
- Department of Medical Oncology, INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, CIBERONC, Spain
| | - Alexandre Calon
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Noelia Tarazona
- Department of Medical Oncology, INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, CIBERONC, Spain.
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2
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Song H, Sontz RA, Vance MJ, Morris JM, Sheriff S, Zhu S, Duan S, Zeng J, Koeppe E, Pandey R, Thorne CA, Stoffel EM, Merchant JL. High-fat diet plus HNF1A variant promotes polyps by activating β-catenin in early-onset colorectal cancer. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e167163. [PMID: 37219942 PMCID: PMC10371337 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.167163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC) is rising and is poorly understood. Lifestyle factors and altered genetic background possibly contribute. Here, we performed targeted exon sequencing of archived leukocyte DNA from 158 EO-CRC participants, which identified a missense mutation at p.A98V within the proximal DNA binding domain of Hepatic Nuclear Factor 1 α (HNF1AA98V, rs1800574). The HNF1AA98V exhibited reduced DNA binding. To test function, the HNF1A variant was introduced into the mouse genome by CRISPR/Cas9, and the mice were placed on either a high-fat diet (HFD) or high-sugar diet (HSD). Only 1% of the HNF1A mutant mice developed polyps on normal chow; however, 19% and 3% developed polyps on the HFD and HSD, respectively. RNA-Seq revealed an increase in metabolic, immune, lipid biogenesis genes, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling components in the HNF1A mutant relative to the WT mice. Mouse polyps and colon cancers from participants carrying the HNF1AA98V variant exhibited reduced CDX2 and elevated β-catenin proteins. We further demonstrated decreased occupancy of HNF1AA98V at the Cdx2 locus and reduced Cdx2 promoter activity compared with WT HNF1A. Collectively, our study shows that the HNF1AA98V variant plus a HFD promotes the formation of colonic polyps by activating β-catenin via decreasing Cdx2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heyu Song
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
| | - Ricky A. Sontz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
| | - Matthew J. Vance
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
| | - Julia M. Morris
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Sulaiman Sheriff
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
| | - Songli Zhu
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Suzann Duan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
| | - Jiping Zeng
- Department of Urology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Ritu Pandey
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Curtis A. Thorne
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Elena M. Stoffel
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Juanita L. Merchant
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
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Scott P, Wang S, Onyeaghala G, Pankratz N, Starr T, Prizment AE. Lower Expression of CFTR Is Associated with Higher Mortality in a Meta-Analysis of Individuals with Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:989. [PMID: 36765944 PMCID: PMC9913301 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF), caused by biallelic germline mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), have higher risk and earlier onset of colorectal cancer (CRC). A subset of CRC patients in the non-CF population expresses low levels of tumoral CFTR mRNA which may also cause decreased CFTR activity. To determine the consequences of reduced CFTR expression in this population, we investigated association of tumoral CFTR expression with overall and disease-specific mortality in CRC patients. CFTR mRNA expression, clinical factors and survival data from 1177 CRC patients reported in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus studies GSE39582 and GSE17538 were included. Log-transformed and z-normalized [mean = 0, standard deviation (SD) = 1] CFTR expression values were modeled as quartiles or dichotomized at the median. Univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall and disease-specific mortality in individual studies and meta-analyses. Analyses of each of the three individual datasets showed a robust association of decreased CFTR expression with increased mortality. In meta-analyses adjusted for stage at diagnosis, age and sex, CFTR expression was inversely associated with risk of overall death [pooled HR (95% CI): 0.70 (0.57-0.86)] and disease-specific death [pooled HR (95% CI): 0.68 (0.47-0.99)]. Associations did not differ by stage at diagnosis, age, or sex. Meta-analysis of overall death stratified by microsatellite instable (MSI) versus microsatellite stable (MSS) status indicated potential interaction between MSI/MSS status and CFTR expression, (p-interaction: 0.06). The findings from these three datasets support the hypothesis that low CFTR expression is associated with increased CRC mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Scott
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Shuo Wang
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Guillaume Onyeaghala
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Nathan Pankratz
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Timothy Starr
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Anna E. Prizment
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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CDX2 as a Predictive Biomarker Involved in Immunotherapy Response Suppresses Metastasis through EMT in Colorectal Cancer. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:9025668. [PMID: 36277982 PMCID: PMC9582897 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9025668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Studies have confirmed that Caudal Type Homeobox 2 (CDX2) plays a tumor suppressor role in colorectal cancer (CRC) and as a prognostic and predictive marker for colorectal cancer. The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a transdifferentiation process, providing migratory and invasive properties to cancer cells during tumor progression. However, the role of CDX2 during the activation of EMT in CRC maintains controversial. Aim To investigate whether CDX2 is associated with EMT in CRC. Methods Forty-six CRC patients were included in the study. Expressions of CDX2, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in all CRC patients were detected by IHC. ROC assays were applied to detect cut-off points for IHC scores to distinguish high and low expressions of CDX2 in 46 CRC samples. The prognostic value of CDX2 was statistically analyzed. MTT, Western blot, invasion, and migration assays in vitro were employed to explore the function of CDX2. Results We observed that high expressions of CDX2 and E-cadherin as well as low expressions of N-cadherin were significantly correlated with favorable prognosis. The levels of CDX2 protein exhibited a positive associated with E-cadherin while negative correlation with N-cadherin. Then, the low expression of CDX2 and high expression of CA199 in combination are positively related with poor prognosis. Overexpression of CDX2 reduced expression of MMP-2 and diminished cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, while knockdown CDX2 enhanced MMP-2 expression and increased cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in HCT-116 cells. CDX2 was correlated with expression of EMT markers. Overexpression of CDX2 suppressed the EMT markers indicating that CDX2 suppresses CRC cell viability, invasion, and metastasis through inhibiting EMT. Finally, we found that the expression of CDX2 was negatively associated with Th1 cells, macrophages, Th2 cells, cytotoxic cells, T cells, and T helper cells. Conclusions These results indicated CDX2 as prognostic biomarkers involved in immunotherapy response for CRC. CDX2 loss promotes metastasis in CRC through a CDX2-dependent mechanism.
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Choi HB, Pyo JS, Son S, Kim K, Kang G. Diagnostic and Prognostic Roles of CDX2 Immunohistochemical Expression in Colorectal Cancers. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12030757. [PMID: 35328309 PMCID: PMC8947721 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12030757] [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: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The study is aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of the immunohistochemical expression of the Caudal-type homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) in colorectal cancers (CRCs) through a meta-analysis. By searching relevant databases, 38 articles were eligible to be included in this study. We extracted the information for CDX2 expression rates and the correlation between CDX2 expression and clinicopathological characteristics. The estimated rates of CDX2 expression were 0.882 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.774−0.861] and 0.893 (95% CI 0.820−0.938) in primary and metastatic CRCs, respectively. Furthermore, based on their histologic subtype, CDX2 expression rates of adenocarcinoma and medullary carcinoma were 0.886 (95% CI 0.837−0.923) and 0.436 (95% CI 0.269−0.618), respectively. There was a significant difference in CDX2 expression rates between adenocarcinoma and medullary carcinoma in the meta-regression test (p < 0.001). In addition, CDX2 expression was significantly lower in CRCs with the BRAFV600E mutation than in CRCs without mutation. Patients with CDX2 expression had better overall and cancer-specific survival rates than those without CDX2 expression. Thus, CDX2 is a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker CRCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Bae Choi
- Department of Surgery, Daehang Hospital, Seoul 06699, Korea
| | - Jung-Soo Pyo
- Department of Pathology, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Uijeongbu-si 11759, Korea
| | - Soomin Son
- Division of Molecular Life and Chemical Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Ewha Woman's University, Seoul 03760, Korea
| | | | - Guhyun Kang
- Department of Pathology, Daehang Hospital, Seoul 06699, Korea
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Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020852. [PMID: 35055034 PMCID: PMC8776048 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is still a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Less than half of cases are diagnosed when the cancer is locally advanced. CRC is a heterogenous disease associated with a number of genetic or somatic mutations. Diagnostic markers are used for risk stratification and early detection, which might prolong overall survival. Nowadays, the widespread use of semi-invasive endoscopic methods and feacal blood tests characterised by suboptimal accuracy of diagnostic results has led to the detection of cases at later stages. New molecular noninvasive tests based on the detection of CRC alterations seem to be more sensitive and specific then the current methods. Therefore, research aiming at identifying molecular markers, such as DNA, RNA and proteins, would improve survival rates and contribute to the development of personalized medicine. The identification of “ideal” diagnostic biomarkers, having high sensitivity and specificity, being safe, cheap and easy to measure, remains a challenge. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent advances in novel diagnostic biomarkers for tumor tissue, blood and stool samples in CRC patients.
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7
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Hou Y, Chen K, Liao R, Li Y, Yang H, Gong J. LINC01419-mediated epigenetic silencing of ZIC1 promotes metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. J Transl Med 2021; 101:570-587. [PMID: 33772101 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-021-00539-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rapidly growing tumor characterized by a high potential for vascular invasion and metastasis. The purpose of our study is to explore the regulation mechanism of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) LINC01419 on cell-cycle distribution and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by regulating zinc finger of the cerebellum (ZIC1) through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to analyze LINC01419 and related genes in HCC, and their expression in HCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were determined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot. Then, HCC cell lines were subjected to the construction of LINC01419/ZIC1 overexpression/knockdown cells utilizing lentiviral vectors. RIP and ChIP assays were applied to identify the LINC01419-binding protein. BSP and MSP assays were used to determine gene methylation. According to the results, LINC01419 was highly expressed in HCC tissues and cells, while ZIC1 was poorly expressed. LINC01419 targeted and downregulated ZIC1 expression. Furthermore, LINC01419 increased the methylation of ZIC1 promoter and repressed ZIC1 expression. PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was activated by LINC01419 overexpression and ZIC1 knockdown, under which conditions, the HCC cell self-renewal and proliferation were promoted while cell apoptosis was attenuated, accompanied by accelerated formation and metastasis of xenografted tumors in mice. In conclusion, LINC01419 enhances the methylation of ZIC1 promoter, inhibits ZIC1 expression, and activates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, thereby enhancing the malignant phenotypes of HCC cells in vitro as well as tumor formation and metastasis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifu Hou
- Organ Transplant Center and Third Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Kai Chen
- Organ Transplant Center and Third Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Rui Liao
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, PR China
| | - Youzan Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, PR China
| | - Hongji Yang
- Organ Transplant Center and Third Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China.
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, PR China.
| | - Jun Gong
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Sichuan Translational Medicine Research Hospital, Chengdu, PR China.
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China.
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8
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Zhu L, Li X, Yuan Y, Dong C, Yang M. APC Promoter Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:653222. [PMID: 33968756 PMCID: PMC8103321 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.653222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene, known as tumor suppressor gene, has the two promoters 1A and 1B. Researches on APC have usually focused on its loss-of-function variants causing familial adenomatous polyposis. Hypermethylation, however, which is one of the key epigenetic alterations of the APC CpG sequence, is also associated with carcinogenesis in various cancers. Accumulating studies have successively explored the role of APC hypermethylation in gastrointestinal (GI) tumors, such as in esophageal, colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and hepatic cancer. In sporadic colorectal cancer, the hypermethylation of CpG island in APC is even considered as one of the primary causative factors. In this review, we systematically summarized the distribution of APC gene methylation in various GI tumors, and attempted to provide an improved general understanding of DNA methylation in GI tumors. In addition, we included a robust overview of demethylating agents available for both basic and clinical researches. Finally, we elaborated our findings and perspectives on the overall situation of APC gene methylation in GI tumors, aiming to explore the potential research directions and clinical values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lila Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Yuan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Caixia Dong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mengyuan Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Bayatiani MR, Ahmadi A, Aghabozorgi R, Seif F. Concomitant Up-Regulation of Hsa- Mir-374 and Down-Regulation of Its Targets, GSK-3β and APC, in Tissue Samples of Colorectal Cancer. Rep Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 9:408-416. [PMID: 33969134 PMCID: PMC8068448 DOI: 10.52547/rbmb.9.4.408] [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: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The WNT-pathway is involved in several cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Many cell signaling components and pathways are controlled by microRNAs. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression of hsa-miR-374, and its two target genes of the Wnt-pathway in CRC clinical samples. METHODS In this study, we predicted the miRNAs targeting key genes of WNT-pathway using bioinformatics algorithms. The expression levels of hsa-miR-374, APC and GSK-3β on 48 pairs of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) CRC tumors and marginal-tumors were evaluated using real time-PCR. Additionally, the hsa-miR-374a-5p precursor sequence was amplified by whole-blood DNA as a template. This amplicon was cloned into pEGFP-c1 expression vector and transfected into SW742 cells. Aside from this, MTT assay was performed to evaluate the effect of miR-374 on cell viability. RESULTS The bioinformatics analysis indicated that hsa-miR-374 binds to the regulatory region the key components of WNT-pathway, including APC and GSK-3β considering the recognition elements and mirSVR scores. Our results revealed significant down-regulation of GSK-3β (0.94 times, p= 0.0098) and APC (0.96 times, p= 0.03) and up-regulation of miR-374 (1.22 times, p= 0.0071) on tumor samples compared with their normal pairs. Meanwhile, the results of the over-expression of miR-374 showed down-regulation of APC and GSK-3β. MTT-assay also indicated that the miR-374 increased cell survival. CONCLUSION The results of our study indicated a concomitant change in the expression of miR-374 and its two related target genes, in clinical samples of CRC. Hsa-miR-374 might be as a helpful biomarker or therapeutic target in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Bayatiani
- Department of Radiotherapy and Medical Physics, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
| | - Azam Ahmadi
- Infectious Diseases Research Center (IDRC), Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
| | - Reza Aghabozorgi
- Khansari Hospital and Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Seif
- Department of Radiotherapy and Medical Physics, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
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10
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Zhang X, Zhao H, Shi X, Jia X, Yang Y. Identification and validation of an immune-related gene signature predictive of overall survival in colon cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:26095-26120. [PMID: 33401247 PMCID: PMC7803520 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The heterogeneity and complexity of tumor-immune microenvironments lead to diverse immunotherapy effects among colon cancer patients. It is crucial to identify immune microenvironment-related biomarkers and construct prognostic risk models. In this study, the immune and stromal scores of 415 cases from TCGA were calculated using the ESTIMATE algorithm. AXIN2, CCL22, CLEC10A, CRIP2, RUNX3, and TRPM5 were screened and established a prognostic immune-related gene (IRG) signature using by univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression models. The predicted performance of IRG signature was external validated by GSE39582 (n=519). Stratified survival analysis showed IRG signature was an effective predictor of survival in patients with different clinical characteristics. The protein expression level of six genes was validated by immunohistochemistry analysis. Difference analysis indicated the mutation rate, immune cell of resting NK cells and regulatory T cells infiltration and four immune checkpoints of PD-1, PD-L1, LAG3 and VSIR expression levels in the high-risk group were significantly higher than those in the low-risk group. A nomogram incorporating the gene signatures and clinical factors was demonstrated had a good accuracy (1-, 3-, and 5-year AUC= 0.799, 0.791, 0.738). Our study identified a novel IRG signature, which may provide some references for the clinical precision immunotherapy of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuening Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Hao Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Xuezhong Shi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Xiaocan Jia
- Zhengzhou University Library, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Yongli Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
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11
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Rees WD, Tandun R, Yau E, Zachos NC, Steiner TS. Regenerative Intestinal Stem Cells Induced by Acute and Chronic Injury: The Saving Grace of the Epithelium? Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:583919. [PMID: 33282867 PMCID: PMC7688923 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.583919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The intestinal epithelium is replenished every 3-4 days through an orderly process that maintains important secretory and absorptive functions while preserving a continuous mucosal barrier. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) derive from a stable population of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) that reside in the basal crypts. When intestinal injury reaches the crypts and damages IECs, a mechanism to replace them is needed. Recent research has highlighted the existence of distinct populations of acute and chronic damage-associated ISCs and their roles in maintaining homeostasis in several intestinal perturbation models. What remains unknown is how the damage-associated regenerative ISC population functions in the setting of chronic inflammation, as opposed to acute injury. What long-term consequences result from persistent inflammation and other cellular insults to the ISC niche? What particular "regenerative" cell types provide the most efficacious restorative properties? Which differentiated IECs maintain the ability to de-differentiate and restore the ISC niche? This review will cover the latest research on damage-associated regenerative ISCs and epigenetic factors that determine ISC fate, as well as provide opinions on future studies that need to be undertaken to understand the repercussions of the emergence of these cells, their contribution to relapses in inflammatory bowel disease, and their potential use in therapeutics for chronic intestinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Rees
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rene Tandun
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Enoch Yau
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nicholas C Zachos
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Theodore S Steiner
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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12
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Tumour suppressor 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase induces differentiation in colon cancer via GLI1 inhibition. Oncogenesis 2020; 9:74. [PMID: 32814764 PMCID: PMC7438320 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-020-00256-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer. We and others have shown that colorectal cancer patients with elevated cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 2 (CysLT2R) and 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) levels exhibit good prognoses. However, both CysLT2R and 15-PGDH, which act as tumour suppressors, are often suppressed in colorectal cancer. We previously reported that leukotriene C4 (LTC4)-induced differentiation in colon cancer via CysLT2R signalling. Here, we investigated the involvement of Hedgehog (Hh)-GLI1 signalling, which is often hyperactivated in colorectal cancer. We found that the majority of colorectal cancer patients had high-GLI1 expression, which was negatively correlated with CysLT2R, 15-PGDH, and Mucin-2 and overall survival compared with the low-GLI1 group. LTC4-induced 15-PGDH downregulated both the mRNA and protein expression of GLI1 in a protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent manner. Interestingly, the LTC4-induced increase in differentiation markers and reduction in Wnt targets remained unaltered in GLI1-knockdown cells. The restoration of GLI1 in 15-PGDH-knockdown cells did not ameliorate the LTC4-induced effects, indicating the importance of both 15-PGDH and GLI1. LTC4-mediated reduction in the DCLK1 and LGR5 stemness markers in colonospheres was abolished in cells lacking 15-PGDH or GLI1. Both DCLK1 and LGR5 were highly increased in tumour tissue compared with the matched controls. Reduced Mucin-2 levels were observed both in zebrafish xenografts with GLI1-knockdown cells and in the cysltr2-/- colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC) mouse model. Furthermore, GLI1 expression was positively correlated with stemness and negatively correlated with differentiation in CRC patients when comparing tumour and mucosal tissues. In conclusion, restoring 15-PGDH expression via CysLT2R activation might benefit colorectal cancer patients.
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13
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Wu CC, Hsu TW, Yeh CC, Huang HB. The role of transcription factor caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 in colorectal cancer. Tzu Chi Med J 2020; 32:305-311. [PMID: 33163374 PMCID: PMC7605288 DOI: 10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_49_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most malignant tumors in humans and causes mass mortality. In the age of precise medicine, more and more subtypes of CRC were classified. The caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) is an intestine-specific transcription factor which is implicated in differentiation, proliferation, cell-adhesion, and migration. The loss of CDX2 in immunohistochemical stain was reported to be a prognostic factor of colon cancer, but the clinical application remained controversial. Most of the CRCs expressed or over-expressed CDX2. Homeobox genes can display either an oncogenic or a tumor-suppressing activity. CDX2 regulates the developing intestinal epithelium and CRC by different pathways. The complex regulation of CDX2 and its complex targets cause the difficulties of application for CDX2 in the prediction of prognosis. However, CDX2 is a potential biomarker applied in the precise classification of CRC for personalized medicine. This review partially clarifies the role of CDX2 in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Chia Wu
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.,School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Ta-Wen Hsu
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Chou Yeh
- School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.,Department of Chinese Medicine, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Bing Huang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
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14
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Davidsen J, Jessen SB, Watt SK, Larsen S, Dahlgaard K, Kirkegaard T, Gögenur I, Troelsen JT. CDX2 expression and perioperative patient serum affects the adhesion properties of cultured colon cancer cells. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:426. [PMID: 32408894 PMCID: PMC7227097 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-06941-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Colon cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer with surgical resection of the tumor being the primary choice of treatment. However, the surgical stress response induced during treatment may be related to a higher risk of recurrence. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of surgery on adhesion of cultured colon cancer cells with or without expression of the tumour suppressor CDX2. Method We enrolled 30 patients undergoing elective, curatively intended laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer in this study. Blood samples were drawn 1 day prior to surgery and 24 h after surgery. The samples of pre- and postoperative serum was applied to wild type colon cancer LS174T cells and CDX2 inducible LS174T cells and adhesion was measured with Real-Time Cell-Analysis iCELLigence using electrical impedance as a readout to monitor changes in the cellular adhesion. Results Adhesion abilities of wild type LS174T cells seeded in postoperative serum was significantly increased compared to cells seeded in preoperative serum. When seeding the CDX2 inducible LS174T cells without CDX2 expression in pre- and postoperative serum, no significant difference in adhesion was found. However, when inducing CDX2 expression in these cells, the adhesion abilities in pre- and postoperative serum resembled those of the LS174T wild type cell line. Conclusions We found that the adhesion of colon cancer cells was significantly increased in postoperative versus preoperative serum, and that CDX2 expression affected the adhesive ability of cancer cells. The results of this study may help to elucidate the pro-metastatic mechanisms in the perioperative phase and the role of CDX2 in colon cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Davidsen
- Department of Science and Environment, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.,Center for Surgical Science, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Department of Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Lykkebækvej 1, 4600, Køge, Denmark
| | - Stine Bull Jessen
- Department of Science and Environment, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.,Center for Surgical Science, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Department of Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Lykkebækvej 1, 4600, Køge, Denmark
| | - Sara Kehlet Watt
- Center for Surgical Science, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Department of Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Lykkebækvej 1, 4600, Køge, Denmark
| | - Sylvester Larsen
- Department of Science and Environment, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Naestved Hospital, Ringstedgade 77B, 4700, Naestved, Denmark
| | - Katja Dahlgaard
- Department of Science and Environment, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Tove Kirkegaard
- Center for Surgical Science, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Department of Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Lykkebækvej 1, 4600, Køge, Denmark
| | - Ismail Gögenur
- Center for Surgical Science, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Department of Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Lykkebækvej 1, 4600, Køge, Denmark
| | - Jesper T Troelsen
- Department of Science and Environment, Enhanced Perioperative Oncology (EPeOnc) Consortium, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
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15
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Geiger J, Doelker R, Salö S, Roitsch T, Dalgaard LT. Physiological phenotyping of mammalian cell lines by enzymatic activity fingerprinting of key carbohydrate metabolic enzymes: a pilot and feasibility study. BMC Res Notes 2019; 12:682. [PMID: 31640766 PMCID: PMC6805439 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4697-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Enzymatic fingerprinting of key enzymes of glucose metabolism is a valuable analysis tool in cell physiological phenotyping of plant samples. Yet, a similar approach for mammalian cell line samples is missing. In this study, we applied semi-high throughput enzyme activity assays that were originally designed for plant samples and tested their feasibility in extracts of six frequently used mammalian cell lines (Caco2, HaCaT, C2C12, HEK293, HepG2 and INS-1E). Results Enzyme activities for aldolase, hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglucoisomerase, phosphoglucomutase, phosphofructokinase could be detected in samples of one or more mammalian cell lines. We characterized effects of sample dilution, assay temperature and repeated freeze–thaw cycles causing potential biases. After careful selection of experimental parameters, the presented semi-high throughput methods could be established as useful tool for physiological phenotyping of cultured mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Geiger
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rebecca Doelker
- Section for Crop Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Højbakkegårds Allé 13, 2630, Taastrup, Denmark
| | - Sofia Salö
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Thomas Roitsch
- Section for Crop Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Højbakkegårds Allé 13, 2630, Taastrup, Denmark.,Global Change Research Institute CAS, Drásov, Czech Republic
| | - Louise T Dalgaard
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
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16
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CDX2 Protein Expression in Colorectal Cancer and ItsCorrelation with Clinical and Pathological Characteristics, Prognosis, and Survival Rate of Patients. J Gastrointest Cancer 2019; 51:844-849. [DOI: 10.1007/s12029-019-00314-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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17
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Wu F, Xing T, Gao X, Liu F. miR‑501‑3p promotes colorectal cancer progression via activation of Wnt/β‑catenin signaling. Int J Oncol 2019; 55:671-683. [PMID: 31364752 PMCID: PMC6685591 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2019.4852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is observed in >90% of colorectal cancer cases. microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the expression of key genes in Wnt/β-catenin signaling. As a result, abnormal expression of miRNAs regulates the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in several types of cancer. In the current study, it was demonstrated that miR-501-3p was overexpressed in colorectal tumor tissues compared to the adjacent normal tissues. Downregulation of miR-501-3p inhibited cell proliferation and sphere formation, while it induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase in colorectal cancer cells. Bioinformatics analysis results predicted that adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), a negative regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, was a potential target gene of miR-501-3p. Inhibition of miR-501-3p increased APC expression in colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, β-catenin was destabilized following miR-501-3p inhibition; immunofluorescence analysis revealed that β-catenin translocated from nucleus to cytoplasm. In addition, cyclin D1 and c-Myc, two well-characterized target genes of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, were downregulated following miR-501-3p inhibition. Transfection of APC small interfering RNA re-activated β-catenin and stimulated the expression of cyclin D1 and c-Myc. Furthermore, silencing of APC reversed the miR-501-3p inhibitor-induced cell cycle disruption, and the inhibition of cell proliferation and sphere formation in colorectal cancer cells. In conclusion, the present study identified miR-501-3p as a novel regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in colorectal cancer cells via targeting APC, suggesting that miR-501-3p may act as a novel oncogenic miRNA in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangxiong Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical College, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710077, P.R. China
| | - Tongchao Xing
- General Surgery, The Fourth People's Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaopeng Gao
- Second Department of General Surgery, Xi'an Central Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710003, P.R. China
| | - Fengrui Liu
- Emergency Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical College, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710077, P.R. China
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18
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Nie X, Chen Y, Tan J, Dai Y, Mao W, Qin G, Ye S, Sun J, Yang Z, Chen J. MicroRNA-221-3p promotes pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells proliferation by targeting AXIN2 during pulmonary arterial hypertension. Vascul Pharmacol 2019; 116:24-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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19
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The H2A.Z histone variant integrates Wnt signaling in intestinal epithelial homeostasis. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1827. [PMID: 31015444 PMCID: PMC6478875 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09899-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The Tip60/p400 chromatin-modifying complex, which is involved in the incorporation and post-translational modification of the H2A.Z histone variant, regulates cell proliferation and important signaling pathways, such as Wnt. Here, we study the involvement of H2A.Z in intestinal epithelial homeostasis, which is dependent on the finely-tuned equilibrium between stem cells renewal and differentiation, under the control of such pathway. We use cell models and inducible knock-out mice to study the impact of H2A.Z depletion on intestinal homeostasis. We show that H2A.Z is essential for the proliferation of human cancer and normal intestinal crypt cells and negatively controls the expression of a subset of differentiation markers, in cultured cells and mice. H2A.Z impairs the recruitment of the intestine-specific transcription factor CDX2 to chromatin, is itself a target of the Wnt pathway and thus, acts as an integrator for Wnt signaling in the control of intestinal epithelial cell fate and homeostasis. The histone variant, H2A.Z is known to regulate gene expression and cell proliferation. Here the authors show that H2A.Z has a central role in the control of intestinal epithelial homeostasis in mice, by preventing terminal differentiation of intestinal progenitors.
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20
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Identification and Functional Analysis of Gene Regulatory Sequences Interacting with Colorectal Tumor Suppressors. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1765:57-77. [PMID: 29589301 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7765-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Several tumor suppressors possess gene regulatory activity. Here, we describe how promoter and promoter/enhancer reporter assays can be used to characterize a colorectal tumor suppressor proteins' gene regulatory activity of possible target genes. In the first part, a bioinformatic approach to identify relevant gene regulatory regions of potential target genes is presented. In the second part, it is demonstrated how to prepare and carry out the functional assay.We explain how to clone the bioinformatically identified gene regulatory regions into luciferase reporter plasmids by the use of the quick and efficient In-Fusion cloning method, and how to carry out transient transfections of Caco-2 colon cancer cells with the produced luciferase reporter plasmids using polyethyleneimine (PEI). A plan describing how to set up and carry out the luciferase expression assay is presented. The luciferase/β-galactosidase (Dual Light) assay presented is a highly sensitive assay that can monitor small changes in the promoter/enhancer activity and includes an internal control monitoring transfection efficiency.
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21
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CDX2 inhibits the proliferation and tumor formation of colon cancer cells by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling via transactivation of GSK-3β and Axin2 expression. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:26. [PMID: 30631044 PMCID: PMC6328578 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-1263-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2), an intestine-specific nuclear transcription factor, has been strongly implicated in the tumourigenesis of various human cancers. However, the functional role of CDX2 in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well known. In this study, CDX2 knockdown in colon cancer cells promoted cell proliferation in vitro, accelerated tumor formation in vivo, and induced a cell cycle transition from G0/G1 to S phase, whereas CDX2 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation. TOP/FOP-Flash reporter assay showed that CDX2 knockdown or CDX2 overexpression significantly increased or decreased Wnt signaling activity. Western blot assay showed that downstream targets of Wnt signaling, including β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-myc, were up-regulated or down-regulated in CDX2-knockdown or CDX2-overexpressing colon cancer cells. In addition, suppression of Wnt signaling by XAV-939 led to a marked suppression of the cell proliferation enhanced by CDX2 knockdown, whereas activation of this signaling by CHIR-99021 significantly enhanced the cell proliferation inhibited by CDX2 overexpression. Dual-luciferase reporter and quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation (qChIP) assays further confirmed that CDX2 transcriptionally activates glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and axis inhibition protein 2 (Axin2) expression by directly binding to the promoter of GSK-3β and the upstream enhancer of Axin2. In conclusion, these results indicated that CDX2 inhibits the proliferation and tumor formation of colon cancer cells by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
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22
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Wang HB, Wei H, Wang JS, Li L, Chen AY, Li ZG. Down-regulated expression of LINC00518 prevents epithelial cell growth and metastasis in breast cancer through the inhibition of CDX2 methylation and the Wnt signaling pathway. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2019; 1865:708-723. [PMID: 30611858 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC)-related mortality is associated with the potential metastatic properties of the primary breast tumors. The following study was conducted with the main focus on the effect of LINC00518 on the growth and metastasis of BC epithelial cells via the Wnt signaling pathway through regulation of the methylation of CDX2 gene. Initially, differentially expressed long intergenic non-protein coding RNAs (lincRNAs) related to BC were screened out in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, after which we detected the LINC00518 expression and localization in BC tissues and cells. Then the CDX2 positive expression and methylation level were identified. The targeting relationship of LINC00518 and CDX2, and binding methyltransferase in the promoter region were examined. BC epithelial cell proliferation, colony formation ability, invasion, migration and apoptosis were further evaluated. The lincRNA expression data related to BC downloaded from the TCGA database revealed that there was a high expression of LINC00518 in BC, and a negative correlation between LINC00518 and CDX2. In addition, LINC00518 promotes CDX2 methylation by recruiting DNA methyltransferase through activating the Wnt signaling pathway. The down-regulation of LINC00518 inhibited proliferation, invasion, migration, and EMT of BC epithelial cells while enhancing apoptosis. The inhibitory effects of LINC00518 down-regulation was reversed by CDX2 down-regulation. In conclusion, our findings revealed that down-regulation of LINC00518 might have the ability to suppress BC progression by up-regulating CDX2 expression through the reduction of methylation and blockade of the Wnt signaling pathway, resulting in the inhibition of proliferation and promotion of apoptosis of BC epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Bin Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery (No. 2 Sickroom), Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Hong Wei
- Department of In-Patient Ultrasound, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Jin-Song Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery (No. 2 Sickroom), Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Breast Surgery (No. 2 Sickroom), Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - An-Yue Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery (No. 2 Sickroom), Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Zhi-Gao Li
- Department of Breast Surgery (No. 2 Sickroom), Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, PR China.
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23
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Prognostic impact of CDX2 in stage II colon cancer: results from two nationwide cohorts. Br J Cancer 2018; 119:1367-1373. [PMID: 30425348 PMCID: PMC6265279 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-018-0285-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of the present study was to validate the prognostic impact of CDX2 in patients with stage II colon cancer. Methods Two unbiased population-based cohorts representing all patients operated for stage II colon cancer in Denmark in 2002 and 2003. The CDX2 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on whole tumour sections. Patients were classified into three groups, CDX2-positive, -moderate, and -negative, for comparison with the clinical data. Results A total of 1157 patients were included. We found a significant relationship between loss of CDX2 expression and poor disease-free survival in both cohorts, p = 0.0267 and 0.0118, respectively. Five-year disease-free survival rates were 66%, 72% and 74% in the first cohort and 62%, 65%, and 75% in the second cohort for the negative, moderate, and positive CDX2 expression groups, respectively. Multiple Cox regression analysis performed on the combined cohorts confirmed an independent prognostic impact of CDX2 on disease-free survival, hazard ratio 1.543 (95% confidence interval 1.129–2.108), p = 0.0065. Conclusions This retrospective study provides validation regarding the prognostic impact of CDX2 in patients with stage II colon cancer. The results justify prospective validation clarifying its clinical impact.
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24
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Danielsen ET, Olsen AK, Coskun M, Nonboe AW, Larsen S, Dahlgaard K, Bennett EP, Mitchelmore C, Vogel LK, Troelsen JT. Intestinal regulation of suppression of tumorigenicity 14 (ST14) and serine peptidase inhibitor, Kunitz type -1 (SPINT1) by transcription factor CDX2. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11813. [PMID: 30087389 PMCID: PMC6081401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30216-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The type II membrane-anchored serine protease, matriptase, encoded by suppression of tumorgenicity-14 (ST14) regulates the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier in concert with its inhibitor, HAI-1 encoded by serine peptidase inhibitor, Kunitz type -1 (SPINT1). The balance of the protease/inhibitor gene expression ratio is vital in preventing the oncogenic potential of matriptase. The intestinal cell lineage is regulated by a transcriptional regulatory network where the tumor suppressor, Caudal homeobox 2 (CDX2) is considered to be an intestinal master transcription factor. In this study, we show that CDX2 has a dual function in regulating both ST14 and SPINT1, gene expression in intestinal cells. We find that CDX2 is not required for the basal ST14 and SPINT1 gene expression; however changes in CDX2 expression affects the ST14/SPINT1 mRNA ratio. Exploring CDX2 ChIP-seq data from intestinal cell lines, we identified genomic CDX2-enriched enhancer elements for both ST14 and SPINT1, which regulate their corresponding gene promoter activity. We show that CDX2 displays both repressive and enhancing regulatory abilities in a cell specific manner. Together, these data reveal new insight into transcriptional mechanisms controlling the intestinal matriptase/inhibitor balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Thomas Danielsen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark.,Institute of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, the Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Krüger Olsen
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, the Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mehmet Coskun
- Department of Gastroenterology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2730, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Annika W Nonboe
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, the Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sylvester Larsen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Naestved Hospital, Naestved, Region Zealand, Denmark
| | - Katja Dahlgaard
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Eric Paul Bennett
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Cathy Mitchelmore
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Lotte Katrine Vogel
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, the Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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25
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Darvishi M, Mashati P, Khosravi A. The clinical significance of CDX2 in leukemia: A new perspective for leukemia research. Leuk Res 2018; 72:45-51. [PMID: 30096576 DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2018.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
CDX2 gene encodes a transcription factor involved in primary embryogenesis and hematopoietic development; however, the expression of CDX2 in adults is restricted to intestine and is not observed in blood tissues. The ectopic expression of CDX2 has been frequently observed in acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemia which in most cases is concomitant with poor prognosis. Induction of CDX2 in mice leads to hematologic complications, showing the leukemogenic origin of this gene. CDX2 plays significant role in the most critical pathways as the regulator of important transcription factors targeting cell proliferation, multi-drug resistance and survival. On the whole, the results indicate that CDX2 has the potential to be suggested as the diagnostic marker in hematologic malignancies. This review discusses the role of aberrant expression of CDX2 in the prognosis and the response to treatment in patients with different leukemia in clinical reports in the recent decades. The improvement in this regard could be of high importance in diagnosis and treatment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Darvishi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Bank, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pargol Mashati
- Department of Hematology and Blood Bank, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Khosravi
- Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Davidsen J, Larsen S, Coskun M, Gögenur I, Dahlgaard K, Bennett EP, Troelsen JT. The VTI1A-TCF4 colon cancer fusion protein is a dominant negative regulator of Wnt signaling and is transcriptionally regulated by intestinal homeodomain factor CDX2. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200215. [PMID: 29975781 PMCID: PMC6033461 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sequencing of primary colorectal tumors has identified a gene fusion in approximately 3% of colorectal cancer patients of the VTI1A and TCF7L2 genes, encoding a VTI1A-TCF4 fusion protein containing a truncated TCF4. As dysregulation of the Wnt signaling pathway is associated with colorectal cancer development and progression, the functional properties and transcriptional regulation of the VTI1A-TCF4 fusion protein may also play a role in these processes. Functional characteristics of the VTI1A-TCF4 fusion protein in Wnt signaling were analyzed in NCI-H508 and LS174T colon cancer cell lines. The NCI-H508 cell line, containing the VTI1A-TCF7L2 fusion gene, showed no active Wnt signaling, and overexpression of the VTI1A-TCF4 fusion protein in LS174T cells along with a Wnt signaling luciferase reporter plasmid showed inhibition of activity. The transcriptional regulation of the VTI1A-TCF4 fusion gene was investigated in LS174T cells where the activity of the VTI1A promoter was compared to that of the TCF7L2 promoter, and the transcription factor CDX2 was analyzed for gene regulatory activity of the VTI1A promoter through luciferase reporter gene assay using colon cancer cell lines as a model. Transfection of LS174T cells showed that the VTI1A promoter is highly active compared to the TCF7L2 promoter, and that CDX2 activates transcription of VTI1A. These results suggest that the VTI1A-TCF4 fusion protein is a dominant negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway, and that transcription of VTI1A is activated by CDX2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Davidsen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Sylvester Larsen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Naestved Hospital, Naestved, Denmark
| | - Mehmet Coskun
- Department of Gastroenterology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Ismail Gögenur
- Department of Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Katja Dahlgaard
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Eric Paul Bennett
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Melnik S, Dvornikov D, Müller-Decker K, Depner S, Stannek P, Meister M, Warth A, Thomas M, Muley T, Risch A, Plass C, Klingmüller U, Niehrs C, Glinka A. Cancer cell specific inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by forced intracellular acidification. Cell Discov 2018; 4:37. [PMID: 29977599 PMCID: PMC6028397 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-018-0033-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Use of the diabetes type II drug Metformin is associated with a moderately lowered risk of cancer incidence in numerous tumor entities. Studying the molecular changes associated with the tumor-suppressive action of Metformin we found that the oncogene SOX4, which is upregulated in solid tumors and associated with poor prognosis, was induced by Wnt/β-catenin signaling and blocked by Metformin. Wnt signaling inhibition by Metformin was surprisingly specific for cancer cells. Unraveling the underlying specificity, we identified Metformin and other Mitochondrial Complex I (MCI) inhibitors as inducers of intracellular acidification in cancer cells. We demonstrated that acidification triggers the unfolded protein response to induce the global transcriptional repressor DDIT3, known to block Wnt signaling. Moreover, our results suggest that intracellular acidification universally inhibits Wnt signaling. Based on these findings, we combined MCI inhibitors with H+ ionophores, to escalate cancer cells into intracellular hyper-acidification and ATP depletion. This treatment lowered intracellular pH both in vitro and in a mouse xenograft tumor model, depleted cellular ATP, blocked Wnt signaling, downregulated SOX4, and strongly decreased stemness and viability of cancer cells. Importantly, the inhibition of Wnt signaling occurred downstream of β-catenin, encouraging applications in treatment of cancers caused by APC and β-catenin mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svitlana Melnik
- 1Division of Epigenetics and Cancer Risks Factors, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany.,2DNA vectors, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany
| | - Dmytro Dvornikov
- 3Division of Systems Biology and Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany.,4Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karin Müller-Decker
- 5Tumor Models Unit, Center for Preclinical Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany
| | - Sofia Depner
- 3Division of Systems Biology and Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany
| | - Peter Stannek
- Division of Molecular Embryology, DKFZ-ZMBH Allianz, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany
| | - Michael Meister
- 4Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,7Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, D-69126 Germany
| | - Arne Warth
- 4Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,8Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany
| | - Michael Thomas
- 4Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,7Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, D-69126 Germany
| | - Tomas Muley
- 4Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,7Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, D-69126 Germany
| | - Angela Risch
- 1Division of Epigenetics and Cancer Risks Factors, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany.,4Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,9Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, 5020 Austria.,Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Salzburg, 5020 Austria
| | - Christoph Plass
- 1Division of Epigenetics and Cancer Risks Factors, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany.,4Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ursula Klingmüller
- 3Division of Systems Biology and Signal Transduction, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany.,4Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christof Niehrs
- Division of Molecular Embryology, DKFZ-ZMBH Allianz, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany.,11Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, 55128 Germany
| | - Andrey Glinka
- Division of Molecular Embryology, DKFZ-ZMBH Allianz, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany
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28
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Tóth C, Sükösd F, Valicsek E, Herpel E, Schirmacher P, Tiszlavicz L. Loss of CDX2 gene expression is associated with DNA repair proteins and is a crucial member of the Wnt signaling pathway in liver metastasis of colorectal cancer. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:3586-3593. [PMID: 29467879 PMCID: PMC5796384 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.7756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) has been well-established as a diagnostic marker for colorectal cancer (CRC); however, less is known about its regulation, particularly its potential interactions with the DNA repair proteins, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and β-catenin, in a non-transcriptional manner. In the present study, the protein expression of CDX2 was analyzed, depending on the expression of the DNA repair proteins, mismatch repair (MMR), O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and excision repair cross-complementing 1 (ERCC1), and its importance in Wnt signaling was also determined. A total of 101 liver metastases were punched into tissue microarray (TMA) blocks and serial sections were cut for immunohistochemistry. For each protein, an immunoreactive score was generated according to literature data and the scores were fitted to TMA. Subsequently, statistical analysis was performed to compare the levels of expression with each other and with clinical data. CDX2 loss of expression was observed in 38.5% of the CRC liver metastasis cases. A statistically significant association between CDX2 and each of the investigated MMRs was observed: MutL Homolog 1 (P<0.01), MutS protein Homolog (MSH) 2 (P<0.01), MSH6 (P<0.01), and postmeiotic segregation increased 2 (P=0.040). Furthermore, loss of MGMT and ERCC1 was also associated with CDX2 loss (P=0.039 and P<0.01, respectively). In addition, CDX2 and ERCC1 were inversely associated with metastatic tumor size (P=0.038 and P=0.027, respectively). Sustained CDX2 expression was associated with a higher expression of cytoplasmic/membranous β-catenin and with nuclear APC expression (P=0.042 and P<0.01, respectively). In conclusion, CDX2 loss of expression was not a rare event in liver metastasis of CRC and the results suggested that CDX2 may be involved in mechanisms resulting in the loss of DNA repair protein expression, and in turn methylation; however, its exact function in this context remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Tóth
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Farkas Sükösd
- Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Erzsébet Valicsek
- Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Esther Herpel
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Tissue Bank of The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Schirmacher
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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29
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Homeobox protein CDX2 as a prognostic biomarker in solid malignancies: a meta-analysis. Oncotarget 2017; 8:89160-89172. [PMID: 29179508 PMCID: PMC5687678 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background CDX2 is a caudal-homeobox gene and its expression is abnormal in numerous tumour cell types. Nevertheless, its prognostic value for solid tumours requires further investigation. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the significance of CDX2 as a prognostic biomarker in solid malignancies systematically. Materials and Methods We performed a systematic literature search in PUBMED and EMBASE up to May 2017. Retrospective studies comparing the prognostic value of different CDX2 levels in human malignancies were included. Data extractions and methodological assessments were performed separately by two investigators using a standard procedure. The statistical procedures were performed using Review Manager 5.3 and STATA/MP 14.0. Results A total of 26 retrospective studies met the inclusion criteria and comprised 5008 participants. Patients with CDX2 overexpression had significantly better 3-year, 5-year, 10-year and disease-free survival outcomes in solid malignancies, regardless of the cancer type, mean age, and source region. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the patients from Europe. The expression level of CDX2 was not statistically associated with cancer relapse. Moreover, our analysis showed that CDX2 overexpression is correlated to better responses to chemotherapy in patients with TNM IV stage cancers. The stability of the pooled outcomes was verified by sensitivity analysis. The funnel plots, Egger's test and Begg's test jointly confirmed that there was no publication bias. Conclusions Overexpression of CDX2 is a reliable biomarker of a better prognosis in solid malignancies.
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30
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Haraldsson S, Klarskov L, Nilbert M, Bernstein I, Bonde J, Holck S. Differential expression of CK20, β-catenin, and MUC2/5AC/6 in Lynch syndrome and familial colorectal cancer type X. BMC Clin Pathol 2017; 17:11. [PMID: 28824332 PMCID: PMC5559789 DOI: 10.1186/s12907-017-0052-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer comprises Lynch syndrome and familial colorectal cancer type X (FCCTX). Differences in genetics, demographics and histopathology have been extensively studied. The purpose of this study is to characterize their immunoprofile of markers other than MMR proteins. METHODS We compared the expression patterns of cytokeratins (CK7 and CK20), mucins (MUC2/5 AC/6), CDX2 and β-catenin in Lynch syndrome and FCCTX. RESULTS Differences were identified for CK20 and nuclear β-catenin, which were significantly more often expressed in FCCTX than in Lynch syndrome (p < 0.001), whereas MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC6 were overexpressed in Lynch syndrome tumors compared with FCCTX tumors (p = 0.001, < 0.01, and < 0.001, respectively). We observed no differences in the expression patterns of CK7 and CDX2. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we identified significant differences in the immunoprofiles of colorectal cancers linked to FCCTX and Lynch syndrome with a more sporadic-like profile in the former group and a more distinct profile with frequent MUC6 positivity in the latter group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Haraldsson
- Department of Gastroenterology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Kettegaard Alle 29, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Louise Klarskov
- Department of Pathology, Herlev-Gentofte Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Mef Nilbert
- Clinical Research Centre, HNPCC register, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Division of Oncology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Inge Bernstein
- HNPCC register, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Jesper Bonde
- Department of Pathology and Clinical Research Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Susanne Holck
- Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
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31
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Zheng J, He S, Qi J, Wang X, Yu J, Wu Y, Gao Q, Wang K, Sun X. Targeted CDX2 expression inhibits aggressive phenotypes of colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Int J Oncol 2017. [PMID: 28627695 PMCID: PMC5505129 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2017.4040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) is associated with the development of human colorectal cancer, while human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) frequently occurs in variety of human cancers. We investigated the effects of restoration of CDX2 expression using a hypoxia-inducible hTERT promoter-driven vector (pLVX-5HRE-hTERTp-CDX2-3FLAG) on colon cancer cell viability, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, colony formation, invasion ability and xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. CDX2 overexpression significantly inhibited viability, colony formation, and the invasion and migration ability of LoVo cells, and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro, especially under hypoxic culture conditions. Overexpression of CDX2 under normoxic conditions significantly suppressed the expression of TGF-β, cyclin D1, uPA, MMP-9, MMP-2, and Bcl-2, and stimulated the expression of collagen IV, laminin-1, and Bax. Overexpression of CDX2 reduced colon cancer xenograft tumor formation in nude mice which was associated with downregulation of Ki-67. In conclusion, overexpression of CDX2 using a hypoxia-inducible hTERT promoter-driven vector suppressed malignant progression of colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest that pLVX-5HRE-hTERTp-CDX2-3FLAG gene therapy may be a promising novel approach to treat colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbao Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Sai He
- Department of Breast Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial Tumor Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Jie Qi
- Second Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710068, P.R. China
| | - Xiaolong Wang
- Department of Tumor Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Junhui Yu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Yunhua Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Qi Gao
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Xuejun Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
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32
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Alldredge A, Fuhrmann S. Loss of Axin2 Causes Ocular Defects During Mouse Eye Development. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017; 57:5253-5262. [PMID: 27701636 PMCID: PMC5054732 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.15-18599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The scaffold protein Axin2 is an antagonist and universal target of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Disruption of Axin2 may lead to developmental eye defects; however, this has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Axin2 during ocular and extraocular development in mouse. Methods Animals heterozygous and homozygous for a Axin2lacZ knock-in allele were analyzed at different developmental stages for reporter expression, morphology as well as for the presence of ocular and extraocular markers using histologic and immunohistochemical techniques. Results During early eye development, the Axin2lacZ reporter was expressed in the periocular mesenchyme, RPE, and optic stalk. In the developing retina, Axin2lacZ reporter expression was initiated in ganglion cells at late embryonic stages and robustly expressed in subpopulations of amacrine and horizontal cells postnatally. Activation of the Axin2lacZ reporter overlapped with labeling of POU4F1, PAX6, and Calbindin. Germline deletion of Axin2 led to variable ocular phenotypes ranging from normal to severely defective eyes exhibiting microphthalmia, coloboma, lens defects, and expanded ciliary margin. These defects were correlated with abnormal tissue patterning in individual affected tissues, such as the optic fissure margins in the ventral optic cup and in the expanded ciliary margin. Conclusions Our results reveal a critical role for Axin2 during ocular development, likely by restricting the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Alldredge
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Sabine Fuhrmann
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
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33
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Du Q, Wang Y, Liu C, Wang H, Fan H, Li Y, Wang J, Zhang X, Lu J, Ji H, Hu R. Chemopreventive activity of GEN-27, a genistein derivative, in colitis-associated cancer is mediated by p65-CDX2-β-catenin axis. Oncotarget 2017; 7:17870-84. [PMID: 26910375 PMCID: PMC4951256 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonresolving inflammation in the intestine predisposes individuals to colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC), which leads to high morbidity and mortality. Here we show that genistein-27 (GEN-27), a derivative of genistein, inhibited proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells through inhibiting β-catenin activity. Our results showed that GEN-27 increased expressions of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and axis inhibition protein 2 (AXIN2), and reduced β-catenin nuclear localization, which resulted from the inhibition of NF-κB/p65 nuclear localization and up-regulation of caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2). Furthermore, GEN-27 decreased binding of p65 to the silencer region of CDX2 and increased binding of CDX2 to the promoter regions of APC and AXIN2, thus inhibiting the activation of β-catenin induced by TNF-α. Importantly, GEN-27 protected mice from azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colon carcinogenesis, with reduced mortality, tumor number and tumor volume. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry revealed that dietary GEN-27 significantly decreased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and macrophage infiltration. Moreover, GEN-27 inhibited AOM/DSS-induced p65 and β-catenin nuclear translocation, while promoted the expression of CDX2, APC, and AXIN2. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the anti-proliferation effect of GEN-27 in vitro and the prevention of CAC in vivo is mediated by p65-CDX2-β-catenin axis via inhibiting β-catenin target genes. Our results imply that GEN-27 could be a promising candidate for the chemoprevention of CAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianming Du
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Yajing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Hong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Huimin Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Chronic Communicable Disease, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R.China
| | - Jianing Wang
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Jiangsu Center for Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R.China
| | - Xu Zhang
- College of Clinical Medicine, Chengdu University of TCM, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Jinrong Lu
- Department of Organic Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Hui Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Rong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, P.R. China
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Shang Y, Pan Q, Chen L, Ye J, Zhong X, Li X, Meng L, Guo J, Tian Y, He Y, Chen W, Peng Z, Wang R. Achaete scute-like 2 suppresses CDX2 expression and inhibits intestinal neoplastic epithelial cell differentiation. Oncotarget 2016; 6:30993-1006. [PMID: 26307678 PMCID: PMC4741583 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.5206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of Achaete scute-like 2 (Ascl2) in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell differentiation is unknown. LS174T, HT-29 and Caco-2 cells have high Ascl2 expression, while Lovo and SW480 cells have low Ascl2 expression. LS174T and HT-29 cells with Ascl2 knockdown were transfected with caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) promoter constructs and used for luciferase assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Ascl2 knockdown promoted differentiation of CRC cells into a goblet cell phenotype, as determined by increased expression of MUC2, TFF3, and CDX2. Ascl2 knockdown activated CDX2 expression through a transcriptional mechanism via direct binding of Ascl2 to the proximal E-box of the CDX2 promoter. Ascl2 over-expression in Lovo and SW480 cells inhibited a goblet cell phenotype, as determined by reduced CDX2 and MUC2 expression. Inverse correlations between Ascl2 and CDX2, and Ascl2 and MUC2 mRNA levels, as well as Ascl2 and CDX2 protein levels were observed in CRC cancerous samples. This study demonstrates CDX2 repression by Ascl2 and highlights a role for Ascl2 in CRC cell differentiation. These findings suggest that the Ascl2/CDX2 axis may serve as a potential therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Shang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Qiong Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Jun Ye
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoli Zhong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohuan Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Linkuan Meng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Jin Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Yin Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Yonghong He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Wensheng Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Zhihong Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Rongquan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
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35
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Coskun M, Soendergaard C, Joergensen S, Dahlgaard K, Riis LB, Nielsen OH, Sandelin A, Troelsen JT. Regulation of Laminin γ2 Expression by CDX2 in Colonic Epithelial Cells Is Impaired During Active Inflammation. J Cell Biochem 2016; 118:298-307. [DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Coskun
- Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Section; Herlev Hospital; University of Copenhagen; Herlev DK-2730 Denmark
- The Bioinformatics Centre; Department of Biology and Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC); University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen DK-2200 Denmark
| | - Christoffer Soendergaard
- Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Section; Herlev Hospital; University of Copenhagen; Herlev DK-2730 Denmark
| | - Steffen Joergensen
- Department of Science, Systems and Models; Roskilde University; Roskilde DK-4000 Denmark
| | - Katja Dahlgaard
- Department of Science, Systems and Models; Roskilde University; Roskilde DK-4000 Denmark
| | - Lene Buhl Riis
- Department of Pathology; Herlev Hospital; University of Copenhagen; Herlev DK-2730 Denmark
| | - Ole Haagen Nielsen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Section; Herlev Hospital; University of Copenhagen; Herlev DK-2730 Denmark
| | - Albin Sandelin
- The Bioinformatics Centre; Department of Biology and Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC); University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen DK-2200 Denmark
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Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) excess in acromegaly is associated with increased precancerous colon polyps and soft tissue adenomas, whereas short-stature humans harboring an inactivating GH receptor mutation do not develop cancer. We show that locally expressed colon GH is abundant in conditions predisposing to colon cancer and in colon adenocarcinoma-associated stromal fibroblasts. Administration of a GH receptor (GHR) blocker in acromegaly patients induced colon p53 and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), reversing progrowth GH signals. p53 was also induced in skin fibroblasts derived from short-statured humans with mutant GHR. GH-deficient prophet of pituitary-specific positive transcription factor 1 (Prop1)(-/-) mice exhibited induced colon p53 levels, and cross-breeding them with Apc(min+/-) mice that normally develop intestinal and colon tumors resulted in GH-deficient double mutants with markedly decreased tumor number and size. We also demonstrate that GH suppresses p53 and reduces apoptosis in human colon cell lines as well as in induced human pluripotent stem cell-derived intestinal organoids, and confirm in vivo that GH suppresses colon mucosal p53/p21. GH excess leads to decreased colon cell phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), increased cell survival with down-regulated APC, nuclear β-catenin accumulation, and increased epithelial-mesenchymal transition factors and colon cell motility. We propose that GH is a molecular component of the "field change" milieu permissive for neoplastic colon growth.
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Olsen J, Eiholm S, Kirkeby LT, Espersen MLM, Jess P, Gögenür I, Olsen J, Troelsen JT. CDX2 downregulation is associated with poor differentiation and MMR deficiency in colon cancer. Exp Mol Pathol 2015; 100:59-66. [PMID: 26551082 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Homeobox genes are often deregulated in cancer and can have both oncogenic and tumor-suppressing potential. The Caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) is an intestine-specific transcription factor. CDX2 has been implicated in differentiation, proliferation, cell adhesion, and migration. In this study, we investigated CDX2 mRNA and protein expression in relation to the clinicopathological characteristics of colon cancer, including mismatch repair status and recurrence risk. METHODS Tumor samples were obtained from colon cancer patients. Biopsies from tumor tissue and normal adjacent tissue were fixed in liquid nitrogen for RNA extraction or in formalin and paraffin embedded (FFPE) for immunohistochemical staining. CDX2 mRNA expression was evaluated by RT-qPCR. FFPE sections were stained for MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, and CDX2. RESULTS A total of 191 patient samples were included in the study and analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Of these samples, 97 were further evaluated by RT-qPCR. There was no significant difference in CDX2 mRNA expression between tumor and normal tissues. CDX2 mRNA expression was significantly lower in right-sided tumors (p<0.05), poorly differentiated tumors (p<0.05), and MMR-deficient tumors (p<0.05). Similarly, CDX2 protein expression was more often low or absent in right-sided tumors (p<0.01), poorly differentiated tumors (p<0.001), and MMR-deficient tumors (p<0.001). Low CDX2 protein or mRNA expression was not associated with recurrence risk. CONCLUSION We found that CDX2 downregulation is associated with MMR deficiency, right-sided tumors, and poor differentiation at both the mRNA and protein level. Whether CDX2 plays an active role in tumor progression in MSI/MMR-deficient tumors remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Olsen
- Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark; Department of Surgery, Koege-Roskilde University Hospital, Køgevej 7-13, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - S Eiholm
- Department of Pathology, Roskilde University Hospital, Køgevej 7-13, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - L T Kirkeby
- Department of Surgery, Koege-Roskilde University Hospital, Køgevej 7-13, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - M L M Espersen
- Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark; The Molecular Unit, Department of Pathology, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev Ringvej 75, DK-2730, Herlev, Denmark.
| | - P Jess
- Department of Surgery, Koege-Roskilde University Hospital, Køgevej 7-13, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - I Gögenür
- Department of Surgery, Koege-Roskilde University Hospital, Køgevej 7-13, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - J Olsen
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - J T Troelsen
- Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
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He S, Sun XJ, Zheng JB, Qi J, Chen NZ, Wang W, Wei GB, Liu D, Yu JH, Lu SY, Wang H. Recombinant lentivirus with enhanced expression of caudal-related homeobox protein 2 inhibits human colorectal cancer cell proliferation in vitro. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:1838-44. [PMID: 25847407 PMCID: PMC4464164 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Caudal-related homeobox protein 2 (CDX2), a tumor suppressor in the adult colon, is overexpressed under a non-cancer specific cytomegalovirus promoter in certain tumor cells; furthermore, non-specific expression of CDX2 may result in aberrant side effects in normal cells. The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter is active in the majority of cancer cells but not in normal cells. Hypoxia is a key feature of solid tumors, and targeted genes may be significantly upregulated by five copies of hypoxia-response elements (HREs) under hypoxic conditions. However, the effect of CDX2 overexpression, as controlled by five copies of HREs and the hTERT promoter, on human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell proliferation in vitro remains to be fully elucidated. In the current study, a recombinant lentivirus containing the CDX2 gene under the control of five HREs and the hTERT promoter was generated. An immunofluorescence assay was used to detect CDX2 expression by the 5HhC lentivirus, whereas an MTT assay was used to detect the effects of CoCl2 on the viability of LoVo cells. Western blot analysis was conducted in order to determine the relative ratios of recombinant CDX2 protein to the internal control β-actin, following 5HhC/LoVo cell culture under normoxic and hypoxic conditions (100, 200, 300, 400 or 500 µmol/l CoCl2) for 24 h, then for 12, 24 or 36 h with the optimal concentration (300 µmol/l) of CoCl2. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to determine the transcription of recombinant CDX2 mRNA following culture of 5HhC/LoVo cells under normoxic or hypoxic conditions. Finally, a cloning assay was used to detect the proliferative ability of 5HhC/LoVo and 5Hh cells. High CDX2 expression was observed in hTERT-positive LoVo cells under hypoxic conditions, an effect which was mimicked by treatment with CoCl2 to inhibit LoVo cell proliferation in vitro. High expression of CDX2 therefore provides a promising strategy for the development of novel targeted treatments and gene therapy for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai He
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Xue-Jun Sun
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Jian-Bao Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Jie Qi
- Second Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710068, P.R. China
| | - Nan-Zheng Chen
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Guang-Bing Wei
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Dong Liu
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Hui Yu
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Shao-Ying Lu
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710068, P.R. China
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Olsen J, Espersen MLM, Jess P, Kirkeby LT, Troelsen JT. The clinical perspectives of CDX2 expression in colorectal cancer: a qualitative systematic review. Surg Oncol 2014; 23:167-76. [PMID: 25126956 DOI: 10.1016/j.suronc.2014.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Homeobox genes are often deregulated in cancer. They can have both oncogenic and tumor-suppressing potential. The Caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) is an intestine-specific transcription factor. It is implicated in differentiation, proliferation, cell-adhesion, and migration. CDX2 has been proposed as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer but its role is still controversial. This systematic review were undertaken in order to clarify CDX2s role in colorectal cancer. METHODS A literature search was performed in the MEDLINE database from 1966 to February 2014. Only studies in which all or a part of the experimental design were performed on human colorectal cancer tissue were included. Thus, studies solely performed in cell-lines or animal models were excluded. RESULTS Fifty-two articles of relevance were identified. CDX2 expression was rarely lost in colorectal cancers, however the expression pattern may often be heterogeneous within the tumor and can be selectively down regulated at the invasive front and in tumor buddings. Loss of CDX2 expression is probably correlated to tumor grade, stage, right-sided tumor location, MMR-deficiency, CIMP, and BRAF mutations. The CDX2 gene is rarely mutated but the locus harboring the gene is often amplified and may suggest CDX2 as a linage-survival oncogene. CDX2 might be implicated in cell proliferation and migration through cross-talk with the Wnt-signaling pathway, tumor-stroma proteins, and inflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSION A clear role for CDX2 expression in colorectal cancer remains to be elucidated, and it might differ in relation to the underlying molecular pathways leading to the cancer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Olsen
- Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Department of Surgery, Roskilde University Hospital, Roskilde Sygehus, Køgevej 7-13, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - M L M Espersen
- Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; The Molecular Unit, Department of Pathology, Herlev University Hospital, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark.
| | - P Jess
- Department of Surgery, Roskilde University Hospital, Roskilde Sygehus, Køgevej 7-13, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - L T Kirkeby
- Department of Surgery, Roskilde University Hospital, Roskilde Sygehus, Køgevej 7-13, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - J T Troelsen
- Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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Coskun M, Olsen AK, Bzorek M, Holck S, Engel UH, Nielsen OH, Troelsen JT. Involvement of CDX2 in the cross talk between TNF-α and Wnt signaling pathway in the colon cancer cell line Caco-2. Carcinogenesis 2014; 35:1185-92. [PMID: 24501326 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgu037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is highly upregulated in inflammation and reduces the expression of the intestinal transcription factor, Caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2). Wnt/β-catenin signaling is critical for intestinal cell proliferation, but a decreased CDX2 expression has influence on the Wnt signaling-related genes and progression of colorectal cancer. Although several inflammatory signaling pathways, including TNF-α, have been reported to promote Wnt/β-catenin activity and development of cancer, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The aim was to investigate the signaling pathways involved in the TNF-α-mediated downregulation of CDX2, and its influence on Wnt/β-catenin signaling components in colon cancer cells. The expression of TNF-α and CDX2 at the invasive front were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining and showed reduced CDX2-positive cells in tumor buddings in areas with TNF-α expression in the surrounding inflammatory cells. In vitro studies revealed that TNF-α treatment showed a dose-dependent decrease of CDX2 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression in Caco-2 cells. Inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB or p38 pathways showed that these are involved in the TNF-α-dependent downregulation of CDX2. Furthermore, TNF-α-mediated downregulation of CDX2 was found to significantly decrease the mRNA levels of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), axis inhibition protein 2 (AXIN2) and glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β), whereas the mRNA levels of Wnt targets were significantly elevated in TNF-α-treated Caco-2 cells. These findings were associated with reduced binding of CDX2 to promoter or enhancer regions of APC, AXIN2 and GSK3β. In conclusion, it was found that TNF-α induces the expression of Wnt signaling components through a downregulation of the CDX2 expression that might have a tumor-promoting effect on colon cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Coskun
- Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Section, Herlev Hospital, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark
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Fox SA, Richards AK, Kusumah I, Perumal V, Bolitho EM, Mutsaers SE, Dharmarajan AM. Expression profile and function of Wnt signaling mechanisms in malignant mesothelioma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 440:82-7. [PMID: 24041698 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an uncommon and particularly aggressive cancer associated with asbestos exposure, which currently presents an intractable clinical challenge. Wnt signaling has been reported to play a role in the neoplastic properties of mesothelioma cells but has not been investigated in detail in this cancer. We surveyed expression of Wnts, their receptors, and other key molecules in this pathway in well established in vitro mesothelioma models in comparison with primary mesothelial cultures. We also tested the biological response of MM cell lines to exogenous Wnt and secreted regulators, as well as targeting β-catenin. We detected frequent expression of Wnt3 and Wnt5a, as well as Fzd 2, 4 and 6. The mRNA of Wnt4, Fzd3, sFRP4, APC and axin2 were downregulated in MM relative to mesothelial cells while LEF1 was overexpressed in MM. Functionally, we observed that Wnt3a stimulated MM proliferation while sFRP4 was inhibitory. Furthermore, directly targeting β-catenin expression could sensitise MM cells to cytotoxic drugs. These results provide evidence for altered expression of a number of Wnt/Fzd signaling molecules in MM. Modulation of Wnt signaling in MM may prove a means of targeting proliferation and drug resistance in this cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon A Fox
- Molecular Pharmacology Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.
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