1
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Grant B, Sundaram Buitrago PA, Mercado BC, Yajima M. Characterization of p53/p63/p73 and Myc expressions during embryogenesis of the sea urchin. Dev Dyn 2024; 253:333-350. [PMID: 37698352 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some marine invertebrate organisms are considered not to develop tumors due to unknown mechanisms. To gain an initial insight into how tumor-related genes may be expressed and function during marine invertebrate development, we here leverage sea urchin embryos as a model system and characterize the expressions of Myc and p53/p63/p73 which are reported to function synergistically in mammalian models as an oncogene and tumor suppressor, respectively. RESULTS During sea urchin embryogenesis, a combo gene of p53/p63/p73 is found to be maternally loaded and decrease after fertilization both in transcript and protein, while Myc transcript and protein are zygotically expressed. p53/p63/p73 and Myc proteins are observed in the cytoplasm and nucleus of every blastomere, respectively, throughout embryogenesis. Both p53/p63/p73 and Myc overexpression results in compromised development with increased DNA damage after the blastula stage. p53/p63/p73 increases the expression of parp1, a DNA repair/cell death marker gene, and suppresses endomesoderm gene expressions. In contrast, Myc does not alter the expression of specification genes or oncogenes yet induces disorganized morphology. CONCLUSIONS p53/p63/p73 appears to be important for controlling cell differentiation, while Myc induces disorganized morphology yet not through conventional oncogene regulations or apoptotic pathways during embryogenesis of the sea urchin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaine Grant
- Department of Molecular Biology Cell Biology Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | | | - Beatriz C Mercado
- Department of Molecular Biology Cell Biology Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Mamiko Yajima
- Department of Molecular Biology Cell Biology Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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2
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Jha RK, Kouzine F, Levens D. MYC function and regulation in physiological perspective. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1268275. [PMID: 37941901 PMCID: PMC10627926 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1268275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
MYC, a key member of the Myc-proto-oncogene family, is a universal transcription amplifier that regulates almost every physiological process in a cell including cell cycle, proliferation, metabolism, differentiation, and apoptosis. MYC interacts with several cofactors, chromatin modifiers, and regulators to direct gene expression. MYC levels are tightly regulated, and deregulation of MYC has been associated with numerous diseases including cancer. Understanding the comprehensive biology of MYC under physiological conditions is an utmost necessity to demark biological functions of MYC from its pathological functions. Here we review the recent advances in biological mechanisms, functions, and regulation of MYC. We also emphasize the role of MYC as a global transcription amplifier.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David Levens
- Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD, United States
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3
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González-Arzola K, Díaz-Quintana A. Mitochondrial Factors in the Cell Nucleus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13656. [PMID: 37686461 PMCID: PMC10563088 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of eukaryotic organisms involved the integration of mitochondria into the ancestor cell, with a massive gene transfer from the original proteobacterium to the host nucleus. Thus, mitochondrial performance relies on a mosaic of nuclear gene products from a variety of genomes. The concerted regulation of their synthesis is necessary for metabolic housekeeping and stress response. This governance involves crosstalk between mitochondrial, cytoplasmic, and nuclear factors. While anterograde and retrograde regulation preserve mitochondrial homeostasis, the mitochondria can modulate a wide set of nuclear genes in response to an extensive variety of conditions, whose response mechanisms often merge. In this review, we summarise how mitochondrial metabolites and proteins-encoded either in the nucleus or in the organelle-target the cell nucleus and exert different actions modulating gene expression and the chromatin state, or even causing DNA fragmentation in response to common stress conditions, such as hypoxia, oxidative stress, unfolded protein stress, and DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katiuska González-Arzola
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa—CABIMER, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas—Universidad de Sevilla—Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41092 Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Antonio Díaz-Quintana
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012 Seville, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas—cicCartuja, Universidad de Sevilla—C.S.I.C, 41092 Seville, Spain
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4
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Thomas GE, Egan G, García-Prat L, Botham A, Voisin V, Patel PS, Hoff FW, Chin J, Nachmias B, Kaufmann KB, Khan DH, Hurren R, Wang X, Gronda M, MacLean N, O'Brien C, Singh RP, Jones CL, Harding SM, Raught B, Arruda A, Minden MD, Bader GD, Hakem R, Kornblau S, Dick JE, Schimmer AD. The metabolic enzyme hexokinase 2 localizes to the nucleus in AML and normal haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to maintain stemness. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:872-884. [PMID: 35668135 PMCID: PMC9203277 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00925-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial metabolites regulate leukaemic and normal stem cells by affecting epigenetic marks. How mitochondrial enzymes localize to the nucleus to control stem cell function is less understood. We discovered that the mitochondrial metabolic enzyme hexokinase 2 (HK2) localizes to the nucleus in leukaemic and normal haematopoietic stem cells. Overexpression of nuclear HK2 increases leukaemic stem cell properties and decreases differentiation, whereas selective nuclear HK2 knockdown promotes differentiation and decreases stem cell function. Nuclear HK2 localization is phosphorylation-dependent, requires active import and export, and regulates differentiation independently of its enzymatic activity. HK2 interacts with nuclear proteins regulating chromatin openness, increasing chromatin accessibilities at leukaemic stem cell-positive signature and DNA-repair sites. Nuclear HK2 overexpression decreases double-strand breaks and confers chemoresistance, which may contribute to the mechanism by which leukaemic stem cells resist DNA-damaging agents. Thus, we describe a non-canonical mechanism by which mitochondrial enzymes influence stem cell function independently of their metabolic function. Thomas, Egan et al. report that hexokinase 2 localizes to the nucleus of leukaemic and normal haematopoietic cells to maintain stemness by interacting with nuclear proteins and modulating chromatin accessibility independently of its kinase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geethu Emily Thomas
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Grace Egan
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laura García-Prat
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron Botham
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Veronique Voisin
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomedical Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Parasvi S Patel
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fieke W Hoff
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jordan Chin
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Boaz Nachmias
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kerstin B Kaufmann
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dilshad H Khan
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rose Hurren
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiaoming Wang
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marcela Gronda
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Neil MacLean
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cristiana O'Brien
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rashim P Singh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Courtney L Jones
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shane M Harding
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian Raught
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Arruda
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark D Minden
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gary D Bader
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomedical Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Razq Hakem
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steve Kornblau
- Section of Molecular Hematology and Therapy, Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John E Dick
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron D Schimmer
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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5
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Sun Z, Zhang Z, Wang QQ, Liu JL. Combined Inactivation of CTPS1 and ATR Is Synthetically Lethal to MYC-Overexpressing Cancer Cells. Cancer Res 2022; 82:1013-1024. [PMID: 35022212 PMCID: PMC9359733 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-1707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The "undruggable" oncogene MYC supports cancer cell proliferation and survival through parallel induction of multiple anabolic processes. Here we find that inhibiting CTP synthase (CTPS) selectively decreases cell viability and induces DNA replication stress in MYC-overexpressing cells. MYC-driven rRNA synthesis caused the selective DNA replication stress upon CTPS inhibition. Combined inhibition of CTPS and ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) is synthetically lethal in MYC-overexpressing cells, promoting cell death in vitro and decreasing tumor growth in vivo. Unexpectedly, interfering with CTPS1 but not CTPS2 is required to induce replication stress in MYC-deregulated cancer cells and consequent cell death in the presence of an ATR inhibitor. These results highlight a specific and key role of CTPS1 in MYC-driven cancer, suggesting that selectively inhibiting CTPS1 in combination with ATR could be a promising strategy to combat disease progression. SIGNIFICANCE Inhibition of CTPS in MYC-overexpressing cells blocks pyrimidine synthesis while maintaining ribosome synthesis activity to create an anabolic imbalance that induces replication stress, providing a new approach to selectively target MYC-driven cancer. See related commentary by Chabanon and Postel-Vinay, p. 969.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziheng Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiao-Qi Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji-Long Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,Corresponding Author: Ji-Long Liu, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201210, China. Phone: 8618-2176-28315; E-mail:
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6
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Xie G, Peng Z, Liang J, Larabee SM, Drachenberg CB, Yfantis H, Raufman JP. Zinc finger protein 277 is an intestinal transit-amplifying cell marker and colon cancer oncogene. JCI Insight 2022; 7:150894. [PMID: 35015732 PMCID: PMC8876557 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.150894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustained proliferative signaling and resisting cell death are hallmarks of cancer. Zinc finger protein 277 (ZNF277; murine Zfp277), a transcription factor regulating cellular senescence, is overexpressed in colon cancer, but its actions in intestinal homeostasis and neoplasia are unclear. Using human and murine intestine, human colon cancer cells, and ApcMin/+ mice with dysregulated β-catenin signaling and exuberant intestinal neoplasia, we explored the actions of ZNF277/Zfp277 and defined the underlying mechanisms. In normal human and murine intestine, ZNF277/Zfp277 was expressed uniquely in early stem cell progenitors, undifferentiated transit-amplifying cells (TACs). Zfp277 was overexpressed in the ApcMin/+ mouse colon, implicating ZNF277/Zfp277 as a transcriptional target of β-catenin signaling. We confirmed this by showing β-catenin knockdown reduced ZNF277 expression and, using chromatin IP, identified 2 β-catenin binding sites in the ZNF277 promoter. Zfp277 deficiency attenuated intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and tumor formation, and it strikingly prolonged ApcMin/+ mouse survival. RNA-Seq and PCR analyses revealed that Zfp277 modulates expression of genes in key cancer pathways, including β-catenin signaling, the HOXD family that regulates development, and p21WAF1, a cell cycle inhibitor and tumor suppressor. In both human colon cancer cells and the murine colon, ZNF277/Zfp277 deficiency induced p21WAF1 expression and promoted senescence. Our findings identify ZNF277/Zfp277 as both a TAC marker and colon cancer oncogene that regulates cellular proliferation and senescence, in part by repressing p21WAF1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guofeng Xie
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States of America
| | - Zhongsheng Peng
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States of America
| | - Jinqing Liang
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States of America
| | - Shannon M Larabee
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States of America
| | - Cinthia B Drachenberg
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States of America
| | - Harris Yfantis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, United States of America
| | - Jean-Pierre Raufman
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States of America
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7
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Schafer JM, Lehmann BD, Gonzalez-Ericsson PI, Marshall CB, Beeler JS, Redman LN, Jin H, Sanchez V, Stubbs MC, Scherle P, Johnson KN, Sheng Q, Roland JT, Bauer JA, Shyr Y, Chakravarthy B, Mobley BC, Hiebert SW, Balko JM, Sanders ME, Liu PCC, Pietenpol JA. Targeting MYCN-expressing triple-negative breast cancer with BET and MEK inhibitors. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/534/eaaw8275. [PMID: 32161105 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaw8275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer that does not respond to endocrine therapy or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapies. Individuals with TNBC experience higher rates of relapse and shorter overall survival compared to patients with receptor-positive breast cancer subtypes. Preclinical discoveries are needed to identify, develop, and advance new drug targets to improve outcomes for patients with TNBC. Here, we report that MYCN, an oncogene typically overexpressed in tumors of the nervous system or with neuroendocrine features, is heterogeneously expressed within a substantial fraction of primary and recurrent TNBC and is expressed in an even higher fraction of TNBCs that do not display a pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We performed high-throughput chemical screens on TNBC cell lines with varying amounts of MYCN expression and determined that cells with higher expression of MYCN were more sensitive to bromodomain and extraterminal motif (BET) inhibitors. Combined BET and MEK inhibition resulted in a synergistic decrease in viability, both in vitro and in vivo, using cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Our preclinical data provide a rationale to advance a combination of BET and MEK inhibitors to clinical investigation for patients with advanced MYCN-expressing TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna M Schafer
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Brian D Lehmann
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | | | - Clayton B Marshall
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - J Scott Beeler
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Lindsay N Redman
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Hailing Jin
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Violeta Sanchez
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | | | | | - Kimberly N Johnson
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Quanhu Sheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Joseph T Roland
- Section of Surgical Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Joshua A Bauer
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Yu Shyr
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Bapsi Chakravarthy
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Bret C Mobley
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Scott W Hiebert
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Justin M Balko
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Melinda E Sanders
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | | | - Jennifer A Pietenpol
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. .,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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8
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Pinter S, Knodel F, Choudalakis M, Schnee P, Kroll C, Fuchs M, Broehm A, Weirich S, Roth M, Eisler SA, Zuber J, Jeltsch A, Rathert P. A functional LSD1 coregulator screen reveals a novel transcriptional regulatory cascade connecting R-loop homeostasis with epigenetic regulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:4350-4370. [PMID: 33823549 PMCID: PMC8096265 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) plays a pivotal role in cellular differentiation by regulating the expression of key developmental genes in concert with different coregulatory proteins. This process is impaired in different cancer types and incompletely understood. To comprehensively identify functional coregulators of LSD1, we established a novel tractable fluorescent reporter system to monitor LSD1 activity in living cells. Combining this reporter system with a state-of-the-art multiplexed RNAi screen, we identify the DEAD-box helicase 19A (DDX19A) as a novel coregulator and demonstrate that suppression of Ddx19a results in an increase of R-loops and reduced LSD1-mediated gene silencing. We further show that DDX19A binds to tri-methylated lysine 27 of histone 3 (H3K27me3) and it regulates gene expression through the removal of transcription promoting R-loops. Our results uncover a novel transcriptional regulatory cascade where the downregulation of genes is dependent on the LSD1 mediated demethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4). This allows the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to methylate H3K27, which serves as a binding site for DDX19A. Finally, the binding of DDX19A leads to the efficient removal of R-loops at active promoters, which further de-represses LSD1 and PRC2, establishing a positive feedback loop leading to a robust repression of the target gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Pinter
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Franziska Knodel
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Michel Choudalakis
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Philipp Schnee
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Carolin Kroll
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Marina Fuchs
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Alexander Broehm
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Sara Weirich
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Mareike Roth
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephan A Eisler
- Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology (SRCSB), University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Johannes Zuber
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Albert Jeltsch
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Philipp Rathert
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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9
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Transcription Factor AP4 Mediates Cell Fate Decisions: To Divide, Age, or Die. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040676. [PMID: 33567514 PMCID: PMC7914591 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040676] [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: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Here, we review the literature on Activating Enhancer-Binding Protein 4 (AP4)/transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) function and regulation and its role in cancer. Elevated expression of AP4 was detected in tumors of various organs and is associated with poor patient survival. AP4 is encoded by a Myc target gene and mediates cell fate decisions by regulating multiple processes, such as cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness, apoptosis, and cellular senescence. Thereby, AP4 may be critical for tumor initiation and progression. In this review article, we summarize published evidence showing how AP4 functions as a transcriptional activator and repressor of a plethora of direct target genes in various physiological and pathological conditions. We also highlight the complex interactions of AP4 with c-Myc, N-Myc, p53, lncRNAs, and miRNAs in feed-back loops, which control AP4 levels and mediate AP4 functions. In the future, a better understanding of AP4 may contribute to improved prognosis and therapy of cancer. Abstract Activating Enhancer-Binding Protein 4 (AP4)/transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) is a basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine-zipper transcription factor that was first identified as a protein bound to SV40 promoters more than 30 years ago. Almost 15 years later, AP4 was characterized as a target of the c-Myc transcription factor, which is the product of a prototypic oncogene that is activated in the majority of tumors. Interestingly, AP4 seems to represent a central hub downstream of c-Myc and N-Myc that mediates some of their functions, such as proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Elevated AP4 expression is associated with progression of cancer and poor patient prognosis in multiple tumor types. Deletion of AP4 in mice points to roles of AP4 in the control of stemness, tumor initiation and adaptive immunity. Interestingly, ex vivo AP4 inactivation results in increased DNA damage, senescence, and apoptosis, which may be caused by defective cell cycle progression. Here, we will summarize the roles of AP4 as a transcriptional repressor and activator of target genes and the contribution of protein and non-coding RNAs encoded by these genes, in regulating the above mentioned processes. In addition, proteins interacting with or regulating AP4 and the cellular signaling pathways altered after AP4 dysregulation in tumor cells will be discussed.
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10
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Peleli M, Moustakas A, Papapetropoulos A. Endothelial-Tumor Cell Interaction in Brain and CNS Malignancies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7371. [PMID: 33036204 PMCID: PMC7582718 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma and other brain or CNS malignancies (like neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma) are difficult to treat and are characterized by excessive vascularization that favors further tumor growth. Since the mean overall survival of these types of diseases is low, the finding of new therapeutic approaches is imperative. In this review, we discuss the importance of the interaction between the endothelium and the tumor cells in brain and CNS malignancies. The different mechanisms of formation of new vessels that supply the tumor with nutrients are discussed. We also describe how the tumor cells (TC) alter the endothelial cell (EC) physiology in a way that favors tumorigenesis. In particular, mechanisms of EC-TC interaction are described such as (a) communication using secreted growth factors (i.e., VEGF, TGF-β), (b) intercellular communication through gap junctions (i.e., Cx43), and (c) indirect interaction via intermediate cell types (pericytes, astrocytes, neurons, and immune cells). At the signaling level, we outline the role of important mediators, like the gasotransmitter nitric oxide and different types of reactive oxygen species and the systems producing them. Finally, we briefly discuss the current antiangiogenic therapies used against brain and CNS tumors and the potential of new pharmacological interventions that target the EC-TC interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Peleli
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece;
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 71 Athens, Greece
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Andreas Papapetropoulos
- Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece;
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 71 Athens, Greece
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11
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Evolutionary-driven C-MYC gene expression in mammalian fibroblasts. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11056. [PMID: 32632086 PMCID: PMC7338511 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67391-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent to which mammalian cells share similar transcriptomes remains unclear. Notwithstanding, such cross-species gene expression inquiries have been scarce for defined cell types and most lack the dissection of gene regulatory landscapes. Therefore, the work was aimed to determine C-MYC relative expression across mammalian fibroblasts (Ovis aries and Bos taurus) via cross-species RT-qPCR and comprehensively explore its regulatory landscape by in silico tools. The prediction of transcription factor binding sites in C-MYC and its 2.5 kb upstream sequence revealed substantial variation, thus indicating evolutionary-driven re-wiring of cis-regulatory elements. C-MYC and its downstream target TBX3 were up-regulated in Bos taurus fibroblasts. The relative expression of C-MYC regulators [RONIN (also known as THAP11), RXRβ, and TCF3] and the C-MYC-associated transcript elongation factor CDK9 did not differ between species. Additional in silico analyses suggested Bos taurus-specific C-MYC exonization, alternative splicing, and binding sites for non-coding RNAs. C-MYC protein orthologs were highly conserved, while variation was in the transactivation domain and the leucine zipper motif. Altogether, mammalian fibroblasts display evolutionary-driven C-MYC relative expression that should be instructive for understanding cellular physiology, cellular reprogramming, and C-MYC-related diseases.
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12
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Schafer JM, Pietenpol JA. Tyramide Signal-Amplified Immunofluorescence of MYCN and MYC in Human Tissue Specimens and Cell Line Cultures. Bio Protoc 2020; 10:e3677. [PMID: 33659347 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
MYC family members, MYC, MYCN, and MYCL, are oncogenic transcription factors that regulate the expression of genes involved in normal development, cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, and survival. While MYC is amplified and/or overexpressed across a variety of tissue types, MYCN is often overexpressed in tumors of the nervous system (neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma) or with neuroendocrine features (neuroendocrine prostate cancer). Given recent reports that MYCN expression is also deregulated in a variety of non-neuronal tissue types, we investigated whether MYCN was also deregulated in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In contrast to previous individual immuno-fluorescence (IF) stains against higher expressing MYC family isoform protein, we developed an IF stain to simultaneously detect both MYCN- and MYC-expressing cells within the same tumor cell population. Our methodology allows for the detection of low level MYCN and MYC expression and can be multiplexed with additional protein probes. Herein, using tyramide signal amplification (TSA), we present two protocols for the IF detection of MYCN and MYC on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor sections and in cell lines fixed in situ after growth as adherent cultures on chambered microscope slides.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer A Pietenpol
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
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13
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Boschen KE, Ptacek TS, Simon JM, Parnell SE. Transcriptome-Wide Regulation of Key Developmental Pathways in the Mouse Neural Tube by Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1540-1550. [PMID: 32557641 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early gestational alcohol exposure is associated with severe craniofacial and CNS dysmorphologies and behavioral abnormalities during adolescence and adulthood. Alcohol exposure during the formation of the neural tube (gestational day [GD] 8 to 10 in mice; equivalent to4th week of human pregnancy) disrupts development of ventral midline brain structures such as the pituitary, septum, and ventricles. This study identifies transcriptomic changes in the rostroventral neural tube (RVNT), the region of the neural tube that gives rise to the midline structures sensitive to alcohol exposure during neurulation. METHODS Female C57BL/6J mice were administered 2 doses of alcohol (2.9 g/kg) or vehicle 4 hours apart on GD 9.0. The RVNTs of embryos were collected 6 or 24 hours after the first dose and processed for RNA-seq. RESULTS Six hours following GD 9.0 alcohol exposure (GD 9.25), over 2,300 genes in the RVNT were determined to be differentially regulated by alcohol. Enrichment analysis determined that PAE affected pathways related to cell proliferation, p53 signaling, ribosome biogenesis, and immune activation. In addition, over 100 genes involved in primary cilia formation and function and regulation of morphogenic pathways were altered 6 hours after alcohol exposure. The changes to gene expression were largely transient, as only 91 genes identified as differentially regulated by prenatal alcohol at GD 10 (24 hours postexposure). Functionally, the differentially regulated genes at GD 10 were related to organogenesis and cell migration. CONCLUSIONS These data give a comprehensive view of the changing landscape of the embryonic transcriptome networks in regions of the neural tube that give rise to brain structures impacted by a neurulation-stage alcohol exposure. Identification of gene networks dysregulated by alcohol will help elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of alcohol's actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Boschen
- From the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Travis S Ptacek
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeremy M Simon
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Genetics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Scott E Parnell
- From the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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14
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Yoshida GJ. Beyond the Warburg Effect: N-Myc Contributes to Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer Cells. Front Oncol 2020; 10:791. [PMID: 32547946 PMCID: PMC7269178 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells generate large amounts of lactate derived from glucose regardless of the available oxygen level. Cancer cells finely control ATP synthesis by modulating the uptake of substrates and the activity of enzymes involved in aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect), which enables them to adapt to the tumor microenvironment. However, increasing evidence suggests that mitochondrial metabolism, including the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and glutaminolysis, is paradoxically activated in MYCN-amplified malignancies. Unlike non-amplified cells, MYCN-amplified cancer cells significantly promote OXPHOS-dependent ATP synthesis. Furthermore, tumor cells are differentially dependent on fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) according to N-Myc status. Therefore, upregulation of FAO-associated enzymes is positively correlated with both N-Myc expression level and poor clinical outcome. This review explores therapeutic strategies targeting cancer stem-like cells for the treatment of tumors associated with MYCN amplification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Go J Yoshida
- Department of Pathology and Oncology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Immunological Diagnosis, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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15
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Dhanasekaran R, Baylot V, Kim M, Kuruvilla S, Bellovin DI, Adeniji N, Rajan Kd A, Lai I, Gabay M, Tong L, Krishnan M, Park J, Hu T, Barbhuiya MA, Gentles AJ, Kannan K, Tran PT, Felsher DW. MYC and Twist1 cooperate to drive metastasis by eliciting crosstalk between cancer and innate immunity. eLife 2020; 9:50731. [PMID: 31933479 PMCID: PMC6959993 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is a major cause of cancer mortality. We generated an autochthonous transgenic mouse model whereby conditional expression of MYC and Twist1 enables hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to metastasize in >90% of mice. MYC and Twist1 cooperate and their sustained expression is required to elicit a transcriptional program associated with the activation of innate immunity, through secretion of a cytokinome that elicits recruitment and polarization of tumor associated macrophages (TAMs). Systemic treatment with Ccl2 and Il13 induced MYC-HCCs to metastasize; whereas, blockade of Ccl2 and Il13 abrogated MYC/Twist1-HCC metastasis. Further, in 33 human cancers (n = 9502) MYC and TWIST1 predict poor survival (p=4.3×10−10), CCL2/IL13 expression (p<10−109) and TAM infiltration (p<10−96). Finally, in the plasma of patients with HCC (n = 25) but not cirrhosis (n = 10), CCL2 and IL13 were increased and IL13 predicted invasive tumors. Therefore, MYC and TWIST1 generally appear to cooperate in human cancer to elicit a cytokinome that enables metastasis through crosstalk between cancer and immune microenvironment. Cancer develops when cells in the body gain mutations that allow them to grow and divide rapidly and uncontrollably. As the disease progresses these cancer cells develop the ability to spread around the body. This process of spreading, called metastasis, is responsible for most cancer-related deaths in humans, but no current treatments target it. Mutations that increase the levels of two proteins known as MYC and TWIST1 in cells cause many human cancers. In healthy adult cells, normal levels of MYC and TWIST1 act as key regulators that switch thousands of genes on or off. TWIST1 is known to control the movement and spread of cells in the embryo. However, it is not known how MYC and TWIST1 work together to promote the metastasis of cancer cells. To address this question, Dhanasekaran, Baylot et al. used mice to investigate the roles of MYC and TWIST1 in the metastasis of cancer cells. The experiments showed that these two proteins work together to reprogram mouse cancer cells to release signal molecules known as cytokines. These molecules convert immune cells known as macrophages to a tumor-friendly state that allows cancers cells to spread around the body. Inhibiting two cytokines known as CCL2 and IL13 prevented the cancer cells from moving. Further experiments analyzed tumor samples from around 10,000 human patients with 33 different cancers. This revealed that patients that had higher levels of MYC and TWIST1 proteins in their tumors also had increased levels of CCL2 and IL13, more activated macrophages and were less likely to recover from their cancer. The findings of Dhanasekaran, Baylot et al. suggest that MYC and TWIST1 may instigate metastasis in many human cancers, and therapies targeting specific cytokines may prevent these cancers from spreading around the body. Furthermore, screening blood for the levels of cytokines may help to identify the cancer patients who would benefit from such therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renumathy Dhanasekaran
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Virginie Baylot
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Minsoon Kim
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Sibu Kuruvilla
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - David I Bellovin
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Nia Adeniji
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Anand Rajan Kd
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, United States
| | - Ian Lai
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Meital Gabay
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Ling Tong
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Maya Krishnan
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Jangho Park
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Theodore Hu
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Mustafa A Barbhuiya
- Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Andrew J Gentles
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Informatics), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States.,Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Kasthuri Kannan
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, United States.,Genome Technology Center, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Phuoc T Tran
- Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Dean W Felsher
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Division of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
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16
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Long C, Xiao Y, Li S, Tang X, Yuan Z, Bai Y. Involvement of proliferative and apoptotic factors in the development of hindgut in rat fetuses with ethylenethiourea-induced anorectal malformations. Acta Histochem 2020; 122:151466. [PMID: 31787253 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2019.151466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anorectal malformations (ARMs) are common congenital malformations of the terminal digestive tract, but little is known regarding their pathogenesis. Aberrant cell proliferation/apoptosis are believed to be involved in ARMs. However, there are no studies on proliferation/apoptosis-related genes. PURPOSE We aimed to investigate the spatiotemporal expression patterns of two proliferation/apoptosis-related genes (MYC proto-oncogene and tumor protein p53) and explore their potential functions in the hindguts of ethylene thiourea-induced ARMs rat fetuses. METHODS MYC and p53 expression was evaluated using immunohistochemical staining, western blotting, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and p53 costaining were performed to assay the colocalization of apoptotic and p53-expressing cells. RESULTS Rat fetuses with ARMs displayed fusion failure of the urogenital septum and cloacal membrane. In the control group, MYC was persistently expressed from gestational day (GD)14 to GD16 and distributed throughout the hindgut, while p53 was weakly detected in the terminal segment of the urethra and hindgut; in the ARMs group, MYC expression was obviously reduced, while p53 was widely and highly expressed in the urethra and hindgut. Western blotting and RT-qPCR confirmed the decrease in MYC and increase in p53 expression in ARMs. TUNEL and p53 co-staining revealed considerable overlap between apoptotic and p53-expressing cells. CONCLUSION The expression patterns of c-myc and p53 were disrupted in ARMs rat embryos, and the downregulation of c-myc and upregulation of p53 might be related to the development of ARMs at the key time points of ARMs morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiyun Long
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, PR China
| | - Yunxia Xiao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, PR China
| | - Siying Li
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, PR China
| | - Xiaobing Tang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, PR China
| | - Zhengwei Yuan
- The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, PR China
| | - Yuzuo Bai
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, PR China.
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17
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Transcription Factors That Govern Development and Disease: An Achilles Heel in Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10100794. [PMID: 31614829 PMCID: PMC6826716 DOI: 10.3390/genes10100794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Development requires the careful orchestration of several biological events in order to create any structure and, eventually, to build an entire organism. On the other hand, the fate transformation of terminally differentiated cells is a consequence of erroneous development, and ultimately leads to cancer. In this review, we elaborate how development and cancer share several biological processes, including molecular controls. Transcription factors (TF) are at the helm of both these processes, among many others, and are evolutionarily conserved, ranging from yeast to humans. Here, we discuss four families of TFs that play a pivotal role and have been studied extensively in both embryonic development and cancer—high mobility group box (HMG), GATA, paired box (PAX) and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) in the context of their role in development, cancer, and their conservation across several species. Finally, we review TFs as possible therapeutic targets for cancer and reflect on the importance of natural resistance against cancer in certain organisms, yielding knowledge regarding TF function and cancer biology.
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18
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Venkateswaran N, Lafita-Navarro MC, Hao YH, Kilgore JA, Perez-Castro L, Braverman J, Borenstein-Auerbach N, Kim M, Lesner NP, Mishra P, Brabletz T, Shay JW, DeBerardinis RJ, Williams NS, Yilmaz OH, Conacci-Sorrell M. MYC promotes tryptophan uptake and metabolism by the kynurenine pathway in colon cancer. Genes Dev 2019; 33:1236-1251. [PMID: 31416966 PMCID: PMC6719621 DOI: 10.1101/gad.327056.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Tumors display increased uptake and processing of nutrients to fulfill the demands of rapidly proliferating cancer cells. Seminal studies have shown that the proto-oncogene MYC promotes metabolic reprogramming by altering glutamine uptake and metabolism in cancer cells. How MYC regulates the metabolism of other amino acids in cancer is not fully understood. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we found that MYC increased intracellular levels of tryptophan and tryptophan metabolites in the kynurenine pathway. MYC induced the expression of the tryptophan transporters SLC7A5 and SLC1A5 and the enzyme arylformamidase (AFMID), involved in the conversion of tryptophan into kynurenine. SLC7A5, SLC1A5, and AFMID were elevated in colon cancer cells and tissues, and kynurenine was significantly greater in tumor samples than in the respective adjacent normal tissue from patients with colon cancer. Compared with normal human colonic epithelial cells, colon cancer cells were more sensitive to the depletion of tryptophan. Blocking enzymes in the kynurenine pathway caused preferential death of established colon cancer cells and transformed colonic organoids. We found that only kynurenine and no other tryptophan metabolite promotes the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Blocking the interaction between AHR and kynurenine with CH223191 reduced the proliferation of colon cancer cells. Therefore, we propose that limiting cellular kynurenine or its downstream targets could present a new strategy to reduce the proliferation of MYC-dependent cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niranjan Venkateswaran
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - M Carmen Lafita-Navarro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Yi-Heng Hao
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Jessica A Kilgore
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Lizbeth Perez-Castro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Jonathan Braverman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Nofit Borenstein-Auerbach
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Min Kim
- Lydia Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Nicholas P Lesner
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Prashant Mishra
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Thomas Brabletz
- Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center for Molecular Medicine, University Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Jerry W Shay
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA.,Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Ralph J DeBerardinis
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Noelle S Williams
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Omer H Yilmaz
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Maralice Conacci-Sorrell
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA.,Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
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19
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Yoshida GJ. Emerging roles of Myc in stem cell biology and novel tumor therapies. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2018; 37:173. [PMID: 30053872 PMCID: PMC6062976 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-018-0835-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiological roles and the therapeutic potentials of Myc family are reviewed in this article. The physiological functions and molecular machineries in stem cells, including embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, are clearly described. The c-Myc/Max complex inhibits the ectopic differentiation of both types of artificial stem cells. Whereas c-Myc plays a fundamental role as a "double-edged sword" promoting both iPS cells generation and malignant transformation, L-Myc contributes to the nuclear reprogramming with the significant down-regulation of differentiation-associated genetic expression. Furthermore, given the therapeutic resistance of neuroendocrine tumors such as small-cell lung cancer and neuroblastoma, the roles of N-Myc in difficult-to-treat tumors are discussed. N-Myc and p53 exhibit the co-localization in the nucleus and alter p53-dependent transcriptional responses which are necessary for DNA repair, anti-apoptosis, and lipid metabolic reprogramming. NCYM protein stabilizes N-Myc, resulting in the stimulation of Oct4 expression, while Oct4 induces both N-Myc and NCYM via direct transcriptional activation of N-Myc, [corrected] thereby leading to the enhanced metastatic potential. Importantly enough, accumulating evidence strongly suggests that c-Myc can be a promising therapeutic target molecule among Myc family in terms of the biological characteristics of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). The presence of CSCs leads to the intra-tumoral heterogeneity, which is mainly responsible for the therapeutic resistance. Mechanistically, it has been shown that Myc-induced epigenetic reprogramming enhances the CSC phenotypes. In this review article, the author describes two major therapeutic strategies of CSCs by targeting c-Myc; Firstly, Myc-dependent metabolic reprogramming is closely related to CD44 variant-dependent redox stress regulation in CSCs. It has been shown that c-Myc increases NADPH production via enhanced glutaminolysis with a finely-regulated mechanism. Secondly, the dormancy of CSCs due to FBW7-depedent c-Myc degradation pathway is also responsible for the therapeutic resistance to the conventional anti-tumor agents, the action points of which are largely dependent on the operation of the cell cycle. That is why the loss-of-functional mutations of FBW7 gene are expected to trigger "awakening" of dormant CSCs in the niche with c-Myc up-regulation. Collectively, although the further research is warranted to develop the effective anti-tumor therapeutic strategy targeting Myc family, we cancer researchers should always catch up with the current advances in the complex functions of Myc family in highly-malignant and heterogeneous tumor cells to realize the precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Go J Yoshida
- Department of Pathological Cell Biology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
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20
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Balak C, Belnap N, Ramsey K, Joss S, Devriendt K, Naymik M, Jepsen W, Siniard AL, Szelinger S, Parker ME, Richholt R, Izatt T, LaFleur M, Terraf P, Llaci L, De Both M, Piras IS, Rangasamy S, Schrauwen I, Craig DW, Huentelman M, Narayanan V. A novel
FBXO28
frameshift mutation in a child with developmental delay, dysmorphic features, and intractable epilepsy: A second gene that may contribute to the 1q41‐q42 deletion phenotype. Am J Med Genet A 2018; 176:1549-1558. [DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Balak
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Newell Belnap
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Keri Ramsey
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Shelagh Joss
- West of Scotland Genetics ServiceQueen Elizabeth University HospitalGlasgow United Kingdom
| | - Koen Devriendt
- Center for Human Genetics (Centrum Menselijke Erfelijkheid)University of LeuvenLeuven Belgium
| | - Marcus Naymik
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Wayne Jepsen
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Ashley L. Siniard
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Szabolcs Szelinger
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
- UCLA Pathology & Laboratory MedicineUCLA Center for the Health SciencesLos Angeles California
| | - Mary E. Parker
- Department of Physical TherapyTexas State UniversitySan Marcos Texas
- U.R. Our Hope, Undiagnosed and Rare Disorder OrganizationAustin Texas
| | - Ryan Richholt
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Tyler Izatt
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Madison LaFleur
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Panieh Terraf
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Lorida Llaci
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Matt De Both
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Ignazio S. Piras
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Sampathkumar Rangasamy
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Isabelle Schrauwen
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Center for Statistical GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHouston Texas
| | - David W. Craig
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
- Department of Translational GenomicsKeck School of Medicine of USCLos Angeles California
| | - Matt Huentelman
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
| | - Vinodh Narayanan
- Neurogenomics Division, Center for Rare Childhood Disorders (C4RCD)Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenix Arizona
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21
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Abstract
Members of the MYC family of proto-oncogenes are the most commonly deregulated genes in all human cancers. MYC proteins drive an increase in cellular proliferation and facilitate multiple aspects of tumor initiation and progression, thereby controlling all hallmarks of cancer. MYC's ability to drive metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells leading to biomass accumulation and cellular proliferation is the most studied function of these oncogenes. MYC also regulates tumor progression and is often implicated in resistance to chemotherapy and in metastasis. While most oncogenic functions of MYC are attributed to its role as a transcription factor, more recently, new roles of MYC as a pro-survival factor in the cytoplasm suggest a previously unappreciated diversity in MYC's roles in cancer progression. This review will focus on the role of MYC in invasion and will discuss the canonical functions of MYC in Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and the cytoplasmic functions of MYC-nick in collective migration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maralice Conacci-Sorrell
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.,Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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22
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Abstract
Tissue growth and regeneration are autonomous, stem-cell-mediated processes in which stem cells within the organ self-renew and differentiate to create new cells, leading to new tissue. The processes of growth and regeneration require communication and interplay between neighboring cells. In particular, cell competition, which is a process in which viable cells are actively eliminated by more competitive cells, has been increasingly implicated to play an important role. Here, we discuss the existing literature regarding the current landscape of cell competition, including classical pathways and models, fitness fingerprint mechanisms, and immune system mechanisms of cell competition. We further discuss the clinical relevance of cell competition in the physiological processes of tissue growth and regeneration, highlighting studies in clinically important disease models, including oncological, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajan Gogna
- Institut für Zellbiologie, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland; .,Department of Radiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03766
| | - Kevin Shee
- Department of Radiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03766
| | - Eduardo Moreno
- Institut für Zellbiologie, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland;
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23
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Booth
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-3200, USA
| | - Nicole King
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-3200, USA
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24
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Petroni M, Sardina F, Heil C, Sahún-Roncero M, Colicchia V, Veschi V, Albini S, Fruci D, Ricci B, Soriani A, Di Marcotullio L, Screpanti I, Gulino A, Giannini G. The MRN complex is transcriptionally regulated by MYCN during neural cell proliferation to control replication stress. Cell Death Differ 2016; 23:197-206. [PMID: 26068589 PMCID: PMC4716299 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2015.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 04/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 (MRN) complex is a major sensor of DNA double strand breaks, whose role in controlling faithful DNA replication and preventing replication stress is also emerging. Inactivation of the MRN complex invariably leads to developmental and/or degenerative neuronal defects, the pathogenesis of which still remains poorly understood. In particular, NBS1 gene mutations are associated with microcephaly and strongly impaired cerebellar development, both in humans and in the mouse model. These phenotypes strikingly overlap those induced by inactivation of MYCN, an essential promoter of the expansion of neuronal stem and progenitor cells, suggesting that MYCN and the MRN complex might be connected on a unique pathway essential for the safe expansion of neuronal cells. Here, we show that MYCN transcriptionally controls the expression of each component of the MRN complex. By genetic and pharmacological inhibition of the MRN complex in a MYCN overexpression model and in the more physiological context of the Hedgehog-dependent expansion of primary cerebellar granule progenitor cells, we also show that the MRN complex is required for MYCN-dependent proliferation. Indeed, its inhibition resulted in DNA damage, activation of a DNA damage response, and cell death in a MYCN- and replication-dependent manner. Our data indicate the MRN complex is essential to restrain MYCN-induced replication stress during neural cell proliferation and support the hypothesis that replication-born DNA damage is responsible for the neuronal defects associated with MRN dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Petroni
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - F Sardina
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - C Heil
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - M Sahún-Roncero
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - V Colicchia
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - V Veschi
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - S Albini
- Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Department, IRCCS, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - D Fruci
- Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Department, IRCCS, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - B Ricci
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - A Soriani
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - L Di Marcotullio
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - I Screpanti
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - A Gulino
- Department Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - G Giannini
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Deptartment of Molecular Medicine, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
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25
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Abstract
MYC is a master regulator of stem cell state, embryogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and aging. As in health, in disease MYC figures prominently. Decades of biological research have identified a central role for MYC in the pathophysiology of cancer, inflammation, and heart disease. The centrality of MYC to such a vast breadth of disease biology has attracted significant attention to the historic challenge of developing inhibitors of MYC. This review will discuss therapeutic strategies toward the development of inhibitors of MYC-dependent transcriptional signaling, efforts to modulate MYC stability, and the elusive goal of developing potent, direct-acting inhibitors of MYC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R McKeown
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - James E Bradner
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215 Center for the Science of Therapeutics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141 Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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26
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Villa Del Campo C, Clavería C, Sierra R, Torres M. Cell competition promotes phenotypically silent cardiomyocyte replacement in the mammalian heart. Cell Rep 2014; 8:1741-1751. [PMID: 25199831 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneous anabolic capacity in cell populations can trigger a phenomenon known as cell competition, through which less active cells are eliminated. Cell competition has been induced experimentally in stem/precursor cell populations in insects and mammals and takes place endogenously in early mouse embryonic cells. Here, we show that cell competition can be efficiently induced in mouse cardiomyocytes by mosaic overexpression of Myc during both gestation and adult life. The expansion of the Myc-overexpressing cardiomyocyte population is driven by the elimination of wild-type cardiomyocytes. Importantly, this cardiomyocyte replacement is phenotypically silent and does not affect heart anatomy or function. These results show that the capacity for cell competition in mammals is not restricted to stem cell populations and suggest that stimulated cell competition has potential as a cardiomyocyte-replacement strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Villa Del Campo
- Departamento de Desarrollo y Reparación Cardiovascular, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), c/ Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3, E-28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Clavería
- Departamento de Desarrollo y Reparación Cardiovascular, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), c/ Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3, E-28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío Sierra
- Departamento de Desarrollo y Reparación Cardiovascular, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), c/ Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3, E-28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Torres
- Departamento de Desarrollo y Reparación Cardiovascular, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), c/ Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3, E-28029 Madrid, Spain.
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27
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Link JM, Hurlin PJ. The activities of MYC, MNT and the MAX-interactome in lymphocyte proliferation and oncogenesis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2014; 1849:554-62. [PMID: 24731854 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The MYC family of proteins plays essential roles in embryonic development and in oncogenesis. Efforts over the past 30 years to define the transcriptional activities of MYC and how MYC functions to promote proliferation have produced evolving models of MYC function. One picture that has emerged of MYC and its partner protein MAX is of a transcription factor complex with a seemingly unique ability to stimulate the transcription of genes that are epigenetically poised for transcription and to amplify the transcription of actively transcribed genes. During lymphocyte activation, MYC is upregulated and stimulates a pro-proliferative program in part through the upregulation of a wide variety of metabolic effector genes that facilitate cell growth and cell cycle progression. MYC upregulation simultaneously sensitizes cells to apoptosis and activated lymphocytes and lymphoma cells have pro-survival attributes that allow MYC-driven proliferation to prevail. For example, the MAX-interacting protein MNT is upregulated in activated lymphocytes and was found to protect lymphocytes from MYC-dependent apoptosis. Here we review the activities of MYC, MNT and other MAX interacting proteins in the setting of T and B cell activation and oncogenesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Myc proteins in cell biology and pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Link
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Portland, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
| | - Peter J Hurlin
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Portland, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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28
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Abstract
MYC dysregulation initiates a dynamic process of genomic instability that is linked to tumor initiation. Early studies using MYC-carrying retroviruses showed that these viruses were potent transforming agents. Cell culture models followed that addressed the role of MYC in transformation. With the advent of MYC transgenic mice, it became obvious that MYC deregulation alone was sufficient to initiate B-cell neoplasia in mice. More than 70% of all tumors have some form of c-MYC gene dysregulation, which affects gene regulation, microRNA expression profiles, large genomic amplifications, and the overall organization of the nucleus. These changes set the stage for the dynamic genomic rearrangements that are associated with cellular transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Kuzyk
- Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, University of Manitoba, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0V9, Canada
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29
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Iavarone
- Departments of Neurology and Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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30
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Cermelli S, Jang IS, Bernard B, Grandori C. Synthetic lethal screens as a means to understand and treat MYC-driven cancers. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2014; 4:4/3/a014209. [PMID: 24591535 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a014209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Although therapeutics against MYC could potentially be used against a wide range of human cancers, MYC-targeted therapies have proven difficult to develop. The convergence of breakthroughs in human genomics and in gene silencing using RNA interference (RNAi) have recently allowed functional interrogation of the genome and systematic identification of synthetic lethal interactions with hyperactive MYC. Here, we focus on the pathways that have emerged through RNAi screens and present evidence that a subset of genes showing synthetic lethality with MYC are significantly interconnected and linked to chromatin and transcriptional processes, as well as to DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoints. Other synthetic lethal interactions with MYC point to novel pathways and potentially broaden the repertoire of targeted therapies. The elucidation of MYC synthetic lethal interactions is still in its infancy, and how these interactions may be influenced by tissue-specific programs and by concurrent genetic change will require further investigation. Nevertheless, we predict that these studies may lead the way to novel therapeutic approaches and new insights into the role of MYC in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Cermelli
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109
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31
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Abstract
Since its discovery as an oncogene carried by the avian acute leukemia virus MC29 in myelocytomatosis (Roussel et al. 1979) and its cloning (Vennstrom et al. 1982), c-MYC (MYC), as well as its paralogs MYCN and MYCL1, has been shown to play essential roles in cycling progenitor cells born from proliferating zones during embryonic development, and in all proliferating cells after birth. MYC deletion induces cell-cycle exit or cell death, depending on the cell type and milieu, whereas MYC and MYCN amplification or overexpression promotes cell proliferation and occurs in many cancers. Here, we review the relationship of MYC family proteins to the four molecularly distinct medulloblastoma subgroups, discuss the possible roles MYC plays in each of these subgroups and in the developing cells of the posterior fossa, and speculate on possible therapeutic strategies targeting MYC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine F Roussel
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105
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