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Liu N, Wang A, Xue M, Zhu X, Liu Y, Chen M. FOXA1 and FOXA2: the regulatory mechanisms and therapeutic implications in cancer. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:172. [PMID: 38605023 PMCID: PMC11009302 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01936-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
FOXA1 (Forkhead Box A1) and FOXA2 (Forkhead Box A2) serve as pioneering transcription factors that build gene expression capacity and play a central role in biological processes, including organogenesis and differentiation, glycolipid metabolism, proliferation, migration and invasion, and drug resistance. Notably, FOXA1 and FOXA2 may exert antagonistic, synergistic, or complementary effects in the aforementioned biological processes. This article focuses on the molecular mechanisms and clinical relevance of FOXA1 and FOXA2 in steroid hormone-induced malignancies and highlights potential strategies for targeting FOXA1 and FOXA2 for cancer therapy. Furthermore, the article describes the prospect of targeting upstream regulators of FOXA1/FOXA2 to regulate its expression for cancer therapy because of the drug untargetability of FOXA1/FOXA2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Liu
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China.
| | - Anran Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Suzhou, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mengen Xue
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Suzhou, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiaoren Zhu
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Minbin Chen
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Suzhou, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China.
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Hernández-Banqué C, Jové-Juncà T, Crespo-Piazuelo D, González-Rodríguez O, Ramayo-Caldas Y, Esteve-Codina A, Mercat MJ, Bink MCAM, Quintanilla R, Ballester M. Mutations on a conserved distal enhancer in the porcine C-reactive protein gene impair its expression in liver. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1250942. [PMID: 37781386 PMCID: PMC10539928 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1250942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) is an evolutionary highly conserved protein. Like humans, CRP acts as a major acute phase protein in pigs. While CRP regulatory mechanisms have been extensively studied in humans, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that control pig CRP gene expression. The main goal of the present work was to study the regulatory mechanisms and identify functional genetic variants regulating CRP gene expression and CRP blood levels in pigs. The characterization of the porcine CRP proximal promoter region revealed a high level of conservation with both cow and human promoters, sharing binding sites for transcription factors required for CRP expression. Through genome-wide association studies and fine mapping, the most associated variants with both mRNA and protein CRP levels were localized in a genomic region 39.3 kb upstream of CRP. Further study of the region revealed a highly conserved putative enhancer that contains binding sites for several transcriptional regulators such as STAT3, NF-kB or C/EBP-β. Luciferase reporter assays showed the necessity of this enhancer-promoter interaction for the acute phase induction of CRP expression in liver, where differences in the enhancer sequences significantly modified CRP activity. The associated polymorphisms disrupted the putative binding sites for HNF4α and FOXA2 transcription factors. The high correlation between HNF4α and CRP expression levels suggest the participation of HNF4α in the regulatory mechanism of porcine CRP expression through the modification of its binding site in liver. Our findings determine, for the first time, the relevance of a distal regulatory element essential for the acute phase induction of porcine CRP in liver and identify functional polymorphisms that can be included in pig breeding programs to improve immunocompetence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Hernández-Banqué
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, Spain
| | - Teodor Jové-Juncà
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, Spain
| | - Daniel Crespo-Piazuelo
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, Spain
| | - Olga González-Rodríguez
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, Spain
| | - Yuliaxis Ramayo-Caldas
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, Spain
| | - Anna Esteve-Codina
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Raquel Quintanilla
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, Spain
| | - Maria Ballester
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, Spain
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Yu C, Li X, Zhao Y, Hu Y. The role of FOXA family transcription factors in glucolipid metabolism and NAFLD. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1081500. [PMID: 36798663 PMCID: PMC9927216 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1081500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism are common pathological processes in many metabolic diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Many studies have shown that the forkhead box (FOX) protein subfamily FOXA has a role in regulating glucolipid metabolism and is closely related to hepatic steatosis and NAFLD. FOXA exhibits a wide range of functions ranging from the initiation steps of metabolism such as the development of the corresponding metabolic organs and the differentiation of cells, to multiple pathways of glucolipid metabolism, to end-of-life problems of metabolism such as age-related obesity. The purpose of this article is to review and discuss the currently known targets and signal transduction pathways of FOXA in glucolipid metabolism. To provide more experimental evidence and basis for further research and clinical application of FOXA in the regulation of glucolipid metabolism and the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuchu Yu
- Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Institute of Liver Diseases, Shuguang Hospital Affifiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Institute of Liver Diseases, Shuguang Hospital Affifiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Institute of Liver Diseases, Shuguang Hospital Affifiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Zhao, ; Yiyang Hu,
| | - Yiyang Hu
- Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Institute of Liver Diseases, Shuguang Hospital Affifiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Shuguang Hospital Affifiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Zhao, ; Yiyang Hu,
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Heslop JA, Pournasr B, Liu JT, Duncan SA. GATA6 defines endoderm fate by controlling chromatin accessibility during differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109145. [PMID: 34010638 PMCID: PMC8202205 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to driving specific gene expression profiles, transcriptional regulators are becoming increasingly recognized for their capacity to modulate chromatin structure. GATA6 is essential for the formation of definitive endoderm; however, the molecular basis defining the importance of GATA6 to endoderm commitment is poorly understood. The members of the GATA family of transcription factors have the capacity to bind and alter the accessibility of chromatin. Using pluripotent stem cells as a model of human development, we reveal that GATA6 is integral to the establishment of the endoderm enhancer network via the induction of chromatin accessibility and histone modifications. We additionally identify the chromatin-modifying complexes that interact with GATA6, defining the putative mechanisms by which GATA6 modulates chromatin architecture. The identified GATA6-dependent processes further our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that underpin cell-fate decisions during formative development.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Heslop
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Behshad Pournasr
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jui-Tung Liu
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Stephen A Duncan
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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Forkhead Transcription Factors in Health and Disease. Trends Genet 2021; 37:460-475. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Bermúdez-Guzmán L, Veitia RA. Insights into the pathogenicity of missense variants in the forkhead domain of FOX proteins underlying Mendelian disorders. Hum Genet 2021; 140:999-1010. [PMID: 33638707 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02267-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are members of a conserved family of transcription factors. Pathogenic variants in FOX genes have been shown to be responsible for several human genetic diseases. Here, we have studied the molecular and structural features of germline pathogenic variants in seven FOX proteins involved in Mendelian disorders and compared them with those of variants present in the general population (gnomAD). Our study shows that the DNA-binding domain of FOX proteins is particularly sensitive to damaging variation, although some family members show greater mutational tolerance than others. Next, we set to demonstrate that this tolerance depends on the inheritance mode of FOX-linked disorders. Accordingly, genes whose variants underlie recessive conditions are supposed to have a greater tolerance to variation. This is what we found. As expected, variants responsible for disorders with a dominant inheritance pattern show a higher degree of pathogenicity compared to those segregating in the general population. Moreover, we show that pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants tend to affect mutually exclusive sites with respect to those reported in gnomAD. The former also tend to affect sites with lower solvent exposure and a higher degree of conservation. Our results show the value of using publicly available databases and bioinformatics to gain insights into the molecular and structural bases of disease-causing genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Bermúdez-Guzmán
- Section of Genetics and Biotechnology, School of Biology, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Reiner A Veitia
- Université de Paris, 75006, Paris, France. .,CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Université de Paris, 75006, Paris, France. .,Institut de Biologie F. Jacob, Commissariat À L'Energie Atomique, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay aux Roses, France.
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Li N, Li Y, Gao H, Li J, Ma X, Liu X, Gong P, Cui X, Li Y. Forkhead-box A3 (FOXA3) represses cancer stemness and partially potentiates chemosensitivity by targeting metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) signaling pathway in colorectal cancer cells. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2020; 21:CCDT-EPUB-112119. [PMID: 33292133 DOI: 10.2174/1568009620666201207150632] [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: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The major challenge to the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) is persistent occurrence of chemoresistance. One of the established etiologies is the existence of cancerstem-like cells (CSCs) using which tumors resist to external therapeutic challenges. OBJECTIVE The forkhead-box A3 (FOXA3) is a potent transcription factor that potentiates the acquisition and maintenance of stemness fate in many physiological systems. However, its effect on cancer stemness, particularly treatment, has not been explored in CRC, forming the basis of the current study. METHODS FOXA3 expression in oxaliplatin-resistant CRC tissues and cells was evaluated using RT-qPCR. Effects of FOXA3 manipulation on sensitivity to oxaliplatin were assessed using WST-1, apoptotic ELISA, colony formation and xenograft model. Effects of FOXA3 alteration on CSCs were determined using tumor sphere assay and CD44 staining. Transcriptional regulation of MACC1 by FOXA3 was studied using ChIP, Co-IP and luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS FOXA3 expression was significantly reduced in tumor samples from oxaliplatin-non-responsive patients compared with that in tumor samples from oxaliplatin-sensitive patients. This downregulation of FOXA3 expression predicted a poor post-chemotherapy overall- or disease-free survival in our 117-patient cohort. FOXA3 down-regulation significantly enhanced cell survival and stem-like properties, thus rendering the CRC cells unresponsiveness to oxaliplatin-induced cell death. Mechanistically, the anti-neoplasic effect of FOXA3 was mediated mainly through transcriptional repression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) in oxaliplatin-resistant CRC cells. CONCLUSION Our findings establish FOXA3 as a potent tumor suppressor in CRC, which may disrupt the maintenance of stemness and modulate sensitivity to oxaliplatin by inhibiting the transcription of MACC1 within CRC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Li
- Cancer center of Suining Central Hospital, Suining 629000. China
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. China
| | - Hongbo Gao
- Radionuclide Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Beijing Nuclear Industry Hospital, Beijing 100045. China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. China
| | - Xiaoping Ma
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. China
| | - Xiaomei Liu
- Cancer center of Suining Central Hospital, Suining 629000. China
| | - Ping Gong
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. China
| | - Xiaobin Cui
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Radiology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining 629000. China
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