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Mahnoor S, Molnar C, Velázquez D, Reina J, Llamazares S, Heinen JP, Mora J, Gonzalez C. Human EWS-FLI protein levels and neomorphic functions show a complex, function-specific dose-response relationship in Drosophila. Open Biol 2024; 14:240043. [PMID: 39013417 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.240043] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a cancer that arises in the bones and soft tissues, typically driven by the Ewing's sarcoma breakpoint region 1-Friend leukemia virus integration 1 (EWS-FLI) oncogene. Implementation of genetically modified animal models of EwS has proved difficult largely owing to EWS-FLI's high toxicity. The EWS-FLI1FS frameshift variant that circumvents toxicity but is still able to perform key oncogenic functions provided the first study model in Drosophila. However, the quest for Drosophila lines expressing full-length, unmodified EWS-FLI remained open. Here, we show that EWS-FLI1FS's lower toxicity is owed to reduced protein levels caused by its frameshifted C-terminal peptide, and report new strategies through which we have generated Drosophila lines that express full-length, unmodified EWS-FLI. Using these lines, we have found that the upregulation of transcription from GGAA-microsatellites (GGAAμSats) presents a positive linear correlation within a wide range of EWS-FLI protein concentrations. In contrast, rather counterintuitively, GGAAμSats-independent transcriptomic dysregulation presents relatively minor differences across the same range, suggesting that GGAAμSat-dependent and -independent transcriptional upregulation present different kinetics of response with regards to changing EWS-FLI protein concentration. Our results underpin the functional relevance of varying EWS-FLI expression levels and provide experimental tools to investigate, in Drosophila, the effect of the EWS-FLI 'high' and 'low' states that have been reported and are suspected to be important for EwS in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Mahnoor
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Molnar
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Velázquez
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Reina
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salud Llamazares
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jan Peter Heinen
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaume Mora
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cayetano Gonzalez
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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2
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Yu L, Deng Y, Wang X, Santos C, Davis IJ, Earp HS, Liu P. Co-targeting JAK1/STAT6/GAS6/TAM signaling improves chemotherapy efficacy in Ewing sarcoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5292. [PMID: 38906855 PMCID: PMC11192891 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49667-2] [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: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a pediatric bone and soft tissue tumor treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Despite intensive multimodality therapy, ~50% patients eventually relapse and die of the disease due to chemoresistance. Here, using phospho-profiling, we find Ewing sarcoma cells treated with chemotherapeutic agents activate TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MERTK) kinases to augment Akt and ERK signaling facilitating chemoresistance. Mechanistically, chemotherapy-induced JAK1-SQ phosphorylation releases JAK1 pseudokinase domain inhibition allowing for JAK1 activation. This alternative JAK1 activation mechanism leads to STAT6 nuclear translocation triggering transcription and secretion of the TAM kinase ligand GAS6 with autocrine/paracrine consequences. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of either JAK1 by filgotinib or TAM kinases by UNC2025 sensitizes Ewing sarcoma to chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo. Excitingly, the TAM kinase inhibitor MRX-2843 currently in human clinical trials to treat AML and advanced solid tumors, enhances chemotherapy efficacy to further suppress Ewing sarcoma tumor growth in vivo. Our findings reveal an Ewing sarcoma chemoresistance mechanism with an immediate translational value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Yu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Yu Deng
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Charlene Santos
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Ian J Davis
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - H Shelton Earp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Pengda Liu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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3
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ETV6 dependency in Ewing sarcoma by antagonism of EWS-FLI1-mediated enhancer activation. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:298-308. [PMID: 36658219 PMCID: PMC10101761 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-01060-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The EWS-FLI1 fusion oncoprotein deregulates transcription to initiate the paediatric cancer Ewing sarcoma. Here we used a domain-focused CRISPR screen to implicate the transcriptional repressor ETV6 as a unique dependency in this tumour. Using biochemical assays and epigenomics, we show that ETV6 competes with EWS-FLI1 for binding to select DNA elements enriched for short GGAA repeat sequences. Upon inactivating ETV6, EWS-FLI1 overtakes and hyper-activates these cis-elements to promote mesenchymal differentiation, with SOX11 being a key downstream target. We show that squelching of ETV6 with a dominant-interfering peptide phenocopies these effects and suppresses Ewing sarcoma growth in vivo. These findings reveal targeting of ETV6 as a strategy for neutralizing the EWS-FLI1 oncoprotein by reprogramming of genomic occupancy.
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4
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Vital T, Wali A, Butler KV, Xiong Y, Foster JP, Marcel SS, McFadden AW, Nguyen VU, Bailey BM, Lamb KN, James LI, Frye SV, Mosely AL, Jin J, Pattenden SG, Davis IJ. MS0621, a novel small-molecule modulator of Ewing sarcoma chromatin accessibility, interacts with an RNA-associated macromolecular complex and influences RNA splicing. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1099550. [PMID: 36793594 PMCID: PMC9924231 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1099550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a cancer of children and young adults characterized by the critical translocation-associated fusion oncoprotein EWSR1::FLI1. EWSR1::FLI1 targets characteristic genetic loci where it mediates aberrant chromatin and the establishment of de novo enhancers. Ewing sarcoma thus provides a model to interrogate mechanisms underlying chromatin dysregulation in tumorigenesis. Previously, we developed a high-throughput chromatin-based screening platform based on the de novo enhancers and demonstrated its utility in identifying small molecules capable of altering chromatin accessibility. Here, we report the identification of MS0621, a molecule with previously uncharacterized mechanism of action, as a small molecule modulator of chromatin state at sites of aberrant chromatin accessibility at EWSR1::FLI1-bound loci. MS0621 suppresses cellular proliferation of Ewing sarcoma cell lines by cell cycle arrest. Proteomic studies demonstrate that MS0621 associates with EWSR1::FLI1, RNA binding and splicing proteins, as well as chromatin regulatory proteins. Surprisingly, interactions with chromatin and many RNA-binding proteins, including EWSR1::FLI1 and its known interactors, were RNA-independent. Our findings suggest that MS0621 affects EWSR1::FLI1-mediated chromatin activity by interacting with and altering the activity of RNA splicing machinery and chromatin modulating factors. Genetic modulation of these proteins similarly inhibits proliferation and alters chromatin in Ewing sarcoma cells. The use of an oncogene-associated chromatin signature as a target allows for a direct approach to screen for unrecognized modulators of epigenetic machinery and provides a framework for using chromatin-based assays for future therapeutic discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Vital
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Aminah Wali
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Kyle V. Butler
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Neuroscience, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Yan Xiong
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Neuroscience, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joseph P. Foster
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Shelsa S. Marcel
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Andrew W. McFadden
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Valerie U. Nguyen
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Benton M. Bailey
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Kelsey N. Lamb
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Lindsey I. James
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Stephen V. Frye
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Amber L. Mosely
- Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Jian Jin
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Neuroscience, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Samantha G. Pattenden
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Ian J. Davis
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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5
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Regulation of EWSR1-FLI1 Function by Post-Transcriptional and Post-Translational Modifications. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020382. [PMID: 36672331 PMCID: PMC9857208 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is the second most common bone tumor in childhood and adolescence. Currently, first-line therapy includes multidrug chemotherapy with surgery and/or radiation. Although most patients initially respond to chemotherapy, recurrent tumors become treatment refractory. Pathologically, Ewing sarcoma consists of small round basophilic cells with prominent nuclei marked by expression of surface protein CD99. Genetically, Ewing sarcoma is driven by a fusion oncoprotein that results from one of a small number of chromosomal translocations composed of a FET gene and a gene encoding an ETS family transcription factor, with ~85% of tumors expressing the EWSR1::FLI1 fusion. EWSR1::FLI1 regulates transcription, splicing, genome instability and other cellular functions. Although a tumor-specific target, EWSR1::FLI1-targeted therapy has yet to be developed, largely due to insufficient understanding of EWSR1::FLI1 upstream and downstream signaling, and the challenges in targeting transcription factors with small molecules. In this review, we summarize the contemporary molecular understanding of Ewing sarcoma, and the post-transcriptional and post-translational regulatory mechanisms that control EWSR1::FLI1 function.
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6
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Orth MF, Surdez D, Faehling T, Ehlers AC, Marchetto A, Grossetête S, Volckmann R, Zwijnenburg DA, Gerke JS, Zaidi S, Alonso J, Sastre A, Baulande S, Sill M, Cidre-Aranaz F, Ohmura S, Kirchner T, Hauck SM, Reischl E, Gymrek M, Pfister SM, Strauch K, Koster J, Delattre O, Grünewald TGP. Systematic multi-omics cell line profiling uncovers principles of Ewing sarcoma fusion oncogene-mediated gene regulation. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111761. [PMID: 36476851 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is characterized by EWSR1-ETS fusion transcription factors converting polymorphic GGAA microsatellites (mSats) into potent neo-enhancers. Although the paucity of additional mutations makes EwS a genuine model to study principles of cooperation between dominant fusion oncogenes and neo-enhancers, this is impeded by the limited number of well-characterized models. Here we present the Ewing Sarcoma Cell Line Atlas (ESCLA), comprising whole-genome, DNA methylation, transcriptome, proteome, and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data of 18 cell lines with inducible EWSR1-ETS knockdown. The ESCLA shows hundreds of EWSR1-ETS-targets, the nature of EWSR1-ETS-preferred GGAA mSats, and putative indirect modes of EWSR1-ETS-mediated gene regulation, converging in the duality of a specific but plastic EwS signature. We identify heterogeneously regulated EWSR1-ETS-targets as potential prognostic EwS biomarkers. Our freely available ESCLA (http://r2platform.com/escla/) is a rich resource for EwS research and highlights the power of comprehensive datasets to unravel principles of heterogeneous gene regulation by chimeric transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin F Orth
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Didier Surdez
- INSERM Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancers," Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France; Balgrist University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Faehling
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna C Ehlers
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Aruna Marchetto
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Sandrine Grossetête
- INSERM Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancers," Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Richard Volckmann
- Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), 1105 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Danny A Zwijnenburg
- Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), 1105 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Julia S Gerke
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Sakina Zaidi
- INSERM Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancers," Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Javier Alonso
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CB06/07/1009, CIBERER-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Sastre
- Unidad Hemato-oncología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil Universitario La Paz, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sylvain Baulande
- Institut Curie Genomics of Excellence (ICGex) Platform, Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Martin Sill
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florencia Cidre-Aranaz
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shunya Ohmura
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kirchner
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie M Hauck
- Research Unit Protein Science and Metabolomics and Proteomics Core, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Eva Reischl
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Melissa Gymrek
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Stefan M Pfister
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Konstantin Strauch
- Institute of Medical Biometry, Epidemiology, and Informatics (IMBEI), University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Koster
- Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), 1105 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Olivier Delattre
- INSERM Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancers," Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Thomas G P Grünewald
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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7
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Apfelbaum AA, Wu F, Hawkins AG, Magnuson B, Jiménez JA, Taylor SD, Wrenn ED, Waltner O, Pfaltzgraff ER, Song JY, Hall C, Wellik DM, Ljungman M, Furlan SN, Ryan RJ, Sarthy JF, Lawlor ER. EWS::FLI1 and HOXD13 Control Tumor Cell Plasticity in Ewing Sarcoma. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:4466-4478. [PMID: 35653119 PMCID: PMC9588607 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Propagation of Ewing sarcoma requires precise regulation of EWS::FLI1 transcriptional activity. Determining the mechanisms of fusion regulation will advance our understanding of tumor progression. Here we investigated whether HOXD13, a developmental transcription factor that promotes Ewing sarcoma metastatic phenotypes, influences EWS::FLI1 transcriptional activity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Existing tumor and cell line datasets were used to define EWS::FLI1 binding sites and transcriptional targets. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and CRISPR interference were employed to identify enhancers. CUT&RUN and RNA sequencing defined binding sites and transcriptional targets of HOXD13. Transcriptional states were investigated using bulk and single-cell transcriptomic data from cell lines, patient-derived xenografts, and patient tumors. Mesenchymal phenotypes were assessed by gene set enrichment, flow cytometry, and migration assays. RESULTS We found that EWS::FLI1 creates a de novo GGAA microsatellite enhancer in a developmentally conserved regulatory region of the HOXD locus. Knockdown of HOXD13 led to widespread changes in expression of developmental gene programs and EWS::FLI1 targets. HOXD13 binding was enriched at established EWS::FLI1 binding sites where it influenced expression of EWS::FLI1-activated genes. More strikingly, HOXD13 bound and activated EWS::FLI1-repressed genes, leading to adoption of mesenchymal and migratory cell states that are normally suppressed by the fusion. Single-cell analysis confirmed that direct transcriptional antagonism between HOXD13-mediated gene activation and EWS::FLI1-dependent gene repression defines the state of Ewing sarcoma cells along a mesenchymal axis. CONCLUSIONS Ewing sarcoma tumors are comprised of tumor cells that exist along a mesenchymal transcriptional continuum. The identity of cells along this continuum is, in large part, determined by the competing activities of EWS::FLI1 and HOXD13. See related commentary by Weiss and Bailey, p. 4360.
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Affiliation(s)
- April A. Apfelbaum
- Cancer Biology PhD Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA,Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Feinan Wu
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Allegra G. Hawkins
- Childhood Cancer Data Lab Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian Magnuson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Jiménez
- Cancer Biology PhD Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sean D. Taylor
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Emma D. Wrenn
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Olivia Waltner
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | | | - Jane Y. Song
- Immunology Discovery, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Cody Hall
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Deneen M. Wellik
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53705
| | - Mats Ljungman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Scott N. Furlan
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Russell J.H. Ryan
- Immunology Discovery, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Jay F. Sarthy
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Lawlor
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.,Correspondence: Elizabeth R. Lawlor MD, PhD, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Olive Lab, 1100 Olive Way, Suite 100 Seattle, WA 98101,
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8
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Neomorphic DNA-binding enables tumor-specific therapeutic gene expression in fusion-addicted childhood sarcoma. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:199. [PMID: 36229873 PMCID: PMC9558418 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01641-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric fusion transcription factors are oncogenic hallmarks of several devastating cancer entities including pediatric sarcomas, such as Ewing sarcoma (EwS) and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS). Despite their exquisite specificity, these driver oncogenes have been considered largely undruggable due to their lack of enzymatic activity. Here, we show in the EwS model that – capitalizing on neomorphic DNA-binding preferences – the addiction to the respective fusion transcription factor EWSR1-FLI1 can be leveraged to express therapeutic genes. We genetically engineered a de novo enhancer-based, synthetic and highly potent expression cassette that can elicit EWSR1-FLI1-dependent expression of a therapeutic payload as evidenced by episomal and CRISPR-edited genomic reporter assays. Combining in silico screens and immunohistochemistry, we identified GPR64 as a highly specific cell surface antigen for targeted transduction strategies in EwS. Functional experiments demonstrated that anti-GPR64-pseudotyped lentivirus harboring our expression cassette can specifically transduce EwS cells to promote the expression of viral thymidine kinase sensitizing EwS for treatment to otherwise relatively non-toxic (Val)ganciclovir and leading to strong anti-tumorigenic, but no adverse effects in vivo. Further, we prove that similar vector designs can be applied in PAX3-FOXO1-driven ARMS, and to express immunomodulatory cytokines, such as IL-15 and XCL1, in tumor entities typically considered to be immunologically ‘cold’. Collectively, these results generated in pediatric sarcomas indicate that exploiting, rather than suppressing, the neomorphic functions of chimeric transcription factors may open inroads to innovative and personalized therapies, and that our highly versatile approach may be translatable to other cancers addicted to oncogenic transcription factors with unique DNA-binding properties.
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9
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Molnar C, Reina J, Herrero A, Heinen JP, Méndiz V, Bonnal S, Irimia M, Sánchez-Jiménez M, Sánchez-Molina S, Mora J, Gonzalez C. Human EWS-FLI protein recapitulates in Drosophila the neomorphic functions that induce Ewing sarcoma tumorigenesis. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac222. [PMID: 36714878 PMCID: PMC9802468 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a human malignant tumor typically driven by the Ewing sarcoma-Friend leukemia integration (EWS-FLI) fusion protein. A paucity of genetically modified animal models, partially owed to the high toxicity of EWS-FLI, hinders research on EwS. Here, we report a spontaneous mutant variant, EWS-FLI1FS, that circumvents the toxicity issue in Drosophila. Through proteomic and genomic analyses, we show that human EWS-FLI1FS interacts with the Drosophila homologues of EWS-FLI human protein partners, including core subunits of chromatin remodeling complexes, the transcription machinery, and the spliceosome; brings about a massive dysregulation of transcription that affects a significant fraction of known targets of EWS-FLI in human cells; and modulates splicing. We also show that EWS-FLI1FS performs in Drosophila the two major neomorphic activities that it is known to have in human cells: activation of transcription from GGAA microsatellites and out competition of ETS transcription factors. We conclude that EWS-FLI1FS reproduces in Drosophila the known oncogenic activities of EWS-FLI that drive EwS tumorigenesis in humans. These results open up an unprecedented opportunity to investigate EWS-FLI's oncogenic pathways in vivo in a genetically tractable organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Molnar
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Reina
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anastasia Herrero
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jan Peter Heinen
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victoria Méndiz
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sophie Bonnal
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain,Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Sánchez-Jiménez
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat 08950 Barcelona, Spain,Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Sánchez-Molina
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat 08950 Barcelona, Spain,Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaume Mora
- To whom correspondence should be addressed:
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10
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Marcel SS, Quimby AL, Noel MP, Jaimes OC, Mehrab-Mohseni M, Ashur SA, Velasco B, Tsuruta JK, Kasoji SK, Santos CM, Dayton PA, Parker JS, Davis IJ, Pattenden SG. Genome-wide cancer-specific chromatin accessibility patterns derived from archival processed xenograft tumors. Genome Res 2021; 31:2327-2339. [PMID: 34815311 PMCID: PMC8647830 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275219.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin accessibility states that influence gene expression and other nuclear processes can be altered in disease. The constellation of transcription factors and chromatin regulatory complexes in cells results in characteristic patterns of chromatin accessibility. The study of these patterns in tissues has been limited because existing chromatin accessibility assays are ineffective for archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. We have developed a method to efficiently extract intact chromatin from archival tissue via enhanced cavitation with a nanodroplet reagent consisting of a lipid shell with a liquid perfluorocarbon core. Inclusion of nanodroplets during the extraction of chromatin from FFPE tissues enhances the recovery of intact accessible and nucleosome-bound chromatin. We show that the addition of nanodroplets to the chromatin accessibility assay formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE), does not affect the accessible chromatin signal. Applying the technique to FFPE human tumor xenografts, we identified tumor-relevant regions of accessible chromatin shared with those identified in primary tumors. Further, we deconvoluted non-tumor signal to identify cellular components of the tumor microenvironment. Incorporation of this method of enhanced cavitation into FAIRE offers the potential for extending chromatin accessibility to clinical diagnosis and personalized medicine, while also enabling the exploration of gene regulatory mechanisms in archival samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelsa S Marcel
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Austin L Quimby
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Melodie P Noel
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Oscar C Jaimes
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Marjan Mehrab-Mohseni
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Suud A Ashur
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Brian Velasco
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - James K Tsuruta
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Sandeep K Kasoji
- Triangle Biotechnology, Incorporated, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517, USA
| | - Charlene M Santos
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Paul A Dayton
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Joel S Parker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Ian J Davis
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Samantha G Pattenden
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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11
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Flores G, Grohar PJ. One oncogene, several vulnerabilities: EWS/FLI targeted therapies for Ewing sarcoma. J Bone Oncol 2021; 31:100404. [PMID: 34976713 PMCID: PMC8686064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbo.2021.100404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
EWS/FLI is the defining mutation of Ewing sarcoma. This oncogene drives malignant transformation and progression and occurs in a genetic background characterized by few other recurrent cooperating mutations. In addition, the tumor is absolutely dependent on the continued expression of EWS/FLI to maintain the malignant phenotype. However, EWS/FLI is a transcription factor and therefore a challenging drug target. The difficulty of directly targeting EWS/FLI stems from unique features of this fusion protein as well as the network of interacting proteins required to execute the transcriptional program. This network includes interacting proteins as well as upstream and downstream effectors that together reprogram the epigenome and transcriptome. While the vast number of proteins involved in this process challenge the development of a highly specific inhibitors, they also yield numerous therapeutic opportunities. In this report, we will review how this vast EWS-FLI transcriptional network has been exploited over the last two decades to identify compounds that directly target EWS/FLI and/or associated vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Flores
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, USA
| | - Patrick J Grohar
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, 3501 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, USA
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12
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Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) are essential mediators of epigenetic regulation and modifiers of penetrance. Studies from the past decades have revealed a sub-class of TF that is capable of remodeling closed chromatin states through targeting nucleosomal motifs. This pioneer factor (PF) class of chromatin remodeler is ATP independent in its roles in epigenetic initiation, with nucleosome-motif recognition and association with repressive chromatin regions. Increasing evidence suggests that the fundamental properties of PFs can be coopted in human cancers. We explore the role of PFs in the larger context of tissue-specific epigenetic regulation. Moreover, we highlight an emerging class of chimeric PF derived from translocation partners in human disease and PFs associated with rare tumors. In the age of site-directed genome editing and targeted protein degradation, increasing our understanding of PFs will provide access to next-generation therapy for human disease driven from altered transcriptional circuitry.
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13
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Chen M, Foster JP, Lock IC, Leisenring NH, Daniel AR, Floyd W, Xu E, Davis IJ, Kirsch DG. Radiation-induced phosphorylation of a prion-like domain regulates transformation by FUS-CHOP. Cancer Res 2021; 81:4939-4948. [PMID: 34385184 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chromosomal translocations generate oncogenic fusion proteins in approximately one-third of sarcomas, but how these proteins promote tumorigenesis is not well understood. Interestingly, some translocation-driven cancers exhibit dramatic clinical responses to therapy, such as radiotherapy, though the precise mechanism has not been elucidated. Here we reveal a molecular mechanism by which the fusion oncoprotein FUS-CHOP promotes tumor maintenance that also explains the remarkable sensitivity of myxoid liposarcomas to radiation therapy. FUS-CHOP interacted with chromatin remodeling complexes to regulate sarcoma cell proliferation. One of these chromatin remodelers, SNF2H, co-localized with FUS-CHOP genome-wide at active enhancers. Following ionizing radiation, DNA damage response kinases phosphorylated the prion-like domain of FUS-CHOP to impede these protein-protein interactions, which are required for transformation. Therefore, the DNA damage response after irradiation disrupted oncogenic targeting of chromatin remodelers required for FUS-CHOP-driven sarcomagenesis. This mechanism of disruption links phosphorylation of the prion-like domain of an oncogenic fusion protein to DNA damage after ionizing radiation and reveals that a dependence on oncogenic chromatin remodeling underlies sensitivity to radiation therapy in myxoid liposarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Chen
- Radiation Oncology, Duke Medical Center
| | | | | | | | | | - Warren Floyd
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine
| | - Eric Xu
- Radiation Oncology, Duke Medical Center
| | - Ian J Davis
- Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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14
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Heisey DAR, Jacob S, Lochmann TL, Kurupi R, Ghotra MS, Calbert ML, Shende M, Maves YK, Koblinski JE, Dozmorov MG, Boikos SA, Benes CH, Faber AC. Pharmaceutical Interference of the EWS-FLI1-driven Transcriptome By Cotargeting H3K27ac and RNA Polymerase Activity in Ewing Sarcoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:1868-1879. [PMID: 34315769 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The EWSR1-FLI1 t(11;22)(q24;q12) translocation is the hallmark genomic alteration of Ewing sarcoma, a malignancy of the bone and surrounding tissue, predominantly affecting children and adolescents. Although significant progress has been made for the treatment of localized disease, patients with metastasis or who relapse after chemotherapy have less than a 30% five-year survival rate. EWS-FLI1 is currently not clinically druggable, driving the need for more effective targeted therapies. Treatment with the H3K27 demethylase inhibitor, GSK-J4, leads to an increase in H3K27me and a decrease in H3K27ac, a significant event in Ewing sarcoma because H3K27ac associates strongly with EWS-FLI1 binding at enhancers and promoters and subsequent activity of EWS-FLI1 target genes. We were able to identify targets of EWS-FLI1 tumorigenesis directly inhibited by GSK-J4. GSK-J4 disruption of EWS-FLI1-driven transcription was toxic to Ewing sarcoma cells and slowed tumor growth in patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of Ewing sarcoma. Responses were markedly exacerbated by cotreatment with a disruptor of RNA polymerase II activity, the CDK7 inhibitor THZ1. This combination together suppressed EWS-FLI1 target genes and viability of ex vivo PDX Ewing sarcoma cells in a synergistic manner. In PDX models of Ewing Sarcoma, the combination shrank tumors. We present a new therapeutic strategy to treat Ewing sarcoma by decreasing H3K27ac at EWS-FLI1-driven transcripts, exacerbated by blocking phosphorylation of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II to further hinder the EWS-FLI1-driven transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A R Heisey
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Sheeba Jacob
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Timothy L Lochmann
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Richard Kurupi
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Maninderjit S Ghotra
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Marissa L Calbert
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Mayuri Shende
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | | | | | - Mikhail G Dozmorov
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Sosipatros A Boikos
- Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, School of Medicine and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
| | - Cyril H Benes
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Anthony C Faber
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia.
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15
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Su S, Chen J, Jiang Y, Wang Y, Vital T, Zhang J, Laggner C, Nguyen KT, Zhu Z, Prevatte AW, Barker NK, Herring LE, Davis IJ, Liu P. SPOP and OTUD7A Control EWS-FLI1 Protein Stability to Govern Ewing Sarcoma Growth. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:e2004846. [PMID: 34060252 PMCID: PMC8292909 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202004846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomal translocation results in development of an Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1-Friend leukemia integration 1 (EWS-FLI1) fusion oncogene in the majority of Ewing sarcoma. The persistent dependence of the tumor for this oncoprotein points to EWS-FLI1 as an ideal drug target. Although EWS-FLI1 transcriptional targets and binding partners are evaluated, the mechanisms regulating EWS-FLI1 protein stability remain elusive. Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) and OTU domain-containing protein 7A (OTUD7A) are identified as the bona fide E3 ligase and deubiquitinase, respectively, that control EWS-FLI1 protein turnover in Ewing sarcoma. Casein kinase 1-mediated phosphorylation of the VTSSS degron in the FLI1 domain enhances SPOP activity to degrade EWS-FLI1. Opposing this process, OTUD7A deubiquitinates and stabilizes EWS-FLI1. Depletion of OTUD7A in Ewing sarcoma cell lines reduces EWS-FLI1 protein abundance and impedes Ewing sarcoma growth in vitro and in mice. Performing an artificial-intelligence-based virtual drug screen of a 4-million small molecule library, 7Ai is identified as a potential OTUD7A catalytic inhibitor. 7Ai reduces EWS-FLI1 protein levels and decreases Ewing sarcoma growth in vitro and in a xenograft mouse model. This study supports the therapeutic targeting of OTUD7A as a novel strategy for Ewing sarcoma bearing EWS-FLI1 and related fusions, and may also be applicable to other cancers dependent on aberrant FLI1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Su
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsSchool of MedicineThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Jianfeng Chen
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsSchool of MedicineThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Yao Jiang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Present address:
Cancer CenterUnion HospitalTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430022China
| | - Ying Wang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsSchool of MedicineThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Tamara Vital
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Department of GeneticsThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Department of PediatricsThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC 27599USA
| | - Jiaming Zhang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Present address:
Department of Oral Medicine, Infection, and ImmunityHarvard School of Dental MedicineBostonMA02215USA
| | | | | | - Zhichuan Zhu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsSchool of MedicineThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Alex W. Prevatte
- UNC Proteomics Core FacilityDepartment of PharmacologyThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Natalie K. Barker
- UNC Proteomics Core FacilityDepartment of PharmacologyThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Laura E. Herring
- UNC Proteomics Core FacilityDepartment of PharmacologyThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
| | - Ian J. Davis
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Department of GeneticsThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Department of PediatricsThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC 27599USA
| | - Pengda Liu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsSchool of MedicineThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNC27599USA
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16
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Reverse Engineering of Ewing Sarcoma Regulatory Network Uncovers PAX7 and RUNX3 as Master Regulators Associated with Good Prognosis. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081860. [PMID: 33924679 PMCID: PMC8070584 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing Sarcoma (ES) is a rare malignant tumor occurring most frequently in adolescents and young adults. The ES hallmark is a chromosomal translocation between the chromosomes 11 and 22 that results in an aberrant transcription factor (TF) through the fusion of genes from the FET and ETS families, commonly EWSR1 and FLI1. The regulatory mechanisms behind the ES transcriptional alterations remain poorly understood. Here, we reconstruct the ES regulatory network using public available transcriptional data. Seven TFs were identified as potential MRs and clustered into two groups: one composed by PAX7 and RUNX3, and another composed by ARNT2, CREB3L1, GLI3, MEF2C, and PBX3. The MRs within each cluster act as reciprocal agonists regarding the regulation of shared genes, regulon activity, and implications in clinical outcome, while the clusters counteract each other. The regulons of all the seven MRs were differentially methylated. PAX7 and RUNX3 regulon activity were associated with good prognosis while ARNT2, CREB3L1, GLI3, and PBX3 were associated with bad prognosis. PAX7 and RUNX3 appear as highly expressed in ES biopsies and ES cell lines. This work contributes to the understanding of the ES regulome, identifying candidate MRs, analyzing their methilome and pointing to potential prognostic factors.
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17
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Sánchez-Molina S, Figuerola-Bou E, Blanco E, Sánchez-Jiménez M, Táboas P, Gómez S, Ballaré C, García-Domínguez DJ, Prada E, Hontecillas-Prieto L, M Carcaboso Á, Tirado ÓM, Hernández-Muñoz I, de Álava E, Lavarino C, Di Croce L, Mora J. RING1B recruits EWSR1-FLI1 and cooperates in the remodeling of chromatin necessary for Ewing sarcoma tumorigenesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/43/eaba3058. [PMID: 33097530 PMCID: PMC7608835 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba3058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is an aggressive tumor that affects adolescents and young adults. EwS is defined by a chromosomal translocation, EWSR1-FLI1 being the most common, that causes genome reprogramming through remodeling of enhancers. Here, we describe an unexpected function of RING1B, which is highly expressed in EwS. While retaining its repressive activity at Polycomb developmental regulated genes, RING1B colocalizes with EWSR1-FLI1 at active enhancers. We demonstrate that RING1B is necessary for the expression of key EWSR1-FLI1 targets by facilitating oncogene recruitment to their enhancers. Knockdown of RING1B impairs growth of tumor xenografts and expression of genes regulated by EWSR1-FLI1 bound enhancers. Pharmacological inhibition of AURKB with AZD1152 increases H2Aub levels causing down-regulation of RING1B/EWSR1-FLI1 common targets. Our findings demonstrate that RING1B is a critical modulator of EWSR1-FLI1-induced chromatin remodeling, and its inhibition is a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sánchez-Molina
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Elisabet Figuerola-Bou
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enrique Blanco
- Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Sánchez-Jiménez
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Táboas
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Soledad Gómez
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cecilia Ballaré
- Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel J García-Domínguez
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla-CIBERONC, Department of Pathology, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Estela Prada
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lourdes Hontecillas-Prieto
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla-CIBERONC, Department of Pathology, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Ángel M Carcaboso
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Óscar M Tirado
- Sarcoma Research Group, Laboratori d'Oncologia Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL)-CIBERONC, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Hernández-Muñoz
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (FIMIM), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enrique de Álava
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla-CIBERONC, Department of Pathology, 41013 Seville, Spain
- Department of Normal and Pathological Cytology and Histology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Cinzia Lavarino
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luciano Di Croce
- Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
- Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaume Mora
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain.
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Oncogenic hijacking of a developmental transcription factor evokes vulnerability toward oxidative stress in Ewing sarcoma. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2423. [PMID: 32415069 PMCID: PMC7228971 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16244-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is an aggressive childhood cancer likely originating from mesenchymal stem cells or osteo-chondrogenic progenitors. It is characterized by fusion oncoproteins involving EWSR1 and variable members of the ETS-family of transcription factors (in 85% FLI1). EWSR1-FLI1 can induce target genes by using GGAA-microsatellites as enhancers. Here, we show that EWSR1-FLI1 hijacks the developmental transcription factor SOX6 – a physiological driver of proliferation of osteo-chondrogenic progenitors – by binding to an intronic GGAA-microsatellite, which promotes EwS growth in vitro and in vivo. Through integration of transcriptome-profiling, published drug-screening data, and functional in vitro and in vivo experiments including 3D and PDX models, we discover that constitutively high SOX6 expression promotes elevated levels of oxidative stress that create a therapeutic vulnerability toward the oxidative stress-inducing drug Elesclomol. Collectively, our results exemplify how aberrant activation of a developmental transcription factor by a dominant oncogene can promote malignancy, but provide opportunities for targeted therapy. Ewing sarcoma is characterized by the fusion of EWSR1 and FLI1. Here, the authors show that EWSR1-FLI1 increases the activity of the developmental transcription factor SOX6, which promotes tumor growth but also increases sensitivity to oxidative stress.
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19
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Issaq SH, Mendoza A, Kidner R, Rosales TI, Duveau DY, Heske CM, Rohde JM, Boxer MB, Thomas CJ, DeBerardinis RJ, Helman LJ. EWS-FLI1-regulated Serine Synthesis and Exogenous Serine are Necessary for Ewing Sarcoma Cellular Proliferation and Tumor Growth. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 19:1520-1529. [PMID: 32371575 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite a growing body of knowledge about the genomic landscape of Ewing sarcoma, translation of basic discoveries into targeted therapies and significant clinical gains has remained elusive. Recent insights have revealed that the oncogenic transcription factor EWS-FLI1 can impact Ewing sarcoma cellular metabolism, regulating expression of 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), the first enzyme in de novo serine synthesis. Here, we have examined the importance of serine metabolism in Ewing sarcoma tumorigenesis and evaluated the therapeutic potential of targeting serine metabolism in preclinical models of Ewing sarcoma. We show that PHGDH knockdown resulted in decreased Ewing sarcoma cell proliferation, especially under serine limitation, and significantly inhibited xenograft tumorigenesis in preclinical orthotopic models of Ewing sarcoma. In addition, the PHGDH inhibitor NCT-503 caused a dose-dependent decrease in cellular proliferation. Moreover, we report a novel drug combination in which nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) inhibition, which blocks production of the PHGDH substrate NAD+, synergized with NCT-503 to abolish Ewing sarcoma cell proliferation and tumor growth. Furthermore, we show that serine deprivation inhibited Ewing sarcoma cell proliferation and tumorigenesis, indicating that Ewing sarcoma cells depend on exogenous serine in addition to de novo serine synthesis. Our findings suggest that serine metabolism is critical for Ewing sarcoma tumorigenesis, and that targeting metabolic dependencies should be further investigated as a potential therapeutic strategy for Ewing sarcoma. In addition, the combination strategy presented herein may have broader clinical applications in other PHGDH-overexpressing cancers as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer H Issaq
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | | | - Ria Kidner
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tracy I Rosales
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Damien Y Duveau
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | | | - Jason M Rohde
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Matthew B Boxer
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Craig J Thomas
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Ralph J DeBerardinis
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Lee J Helman
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
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20
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Precision medicine in Ewing sarcoma: a translational point of view. Clin Transl Oncol 2020; 22:1440-1454. [PMID: 32026343 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-020-02298-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a rare tumor that arises in bones of children and teenagers but, in 15% of the patients it is presented as a primary soft tissue tumor. Balanced reciprocal chimeric translocation t(11;22)(q24;q12), which encodes an oncogenic protein fusion (EWSR1/FLI1), is the most generalized and characteristic molecular event. Using conventional treatments, (chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy) long-term overall survival rate is 30% for patients with disseminated disease and 65-75% for patients with localized tumors. Urgent new effective drug development is a challenge. This review summarizes the preclinical and clinical investigational knowledge about prognostic and targetable biomarkers in Ewing sarcoma, finally suggesting a workflow for precision medicine committees.
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21
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Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a rare tumor developed in bone and soft tissues of children and teenagers. This entity is biologically led by a chromosomal translocation, typically including EWS and FLI1 genes. Little is known about Ewing sarcoma predisposition, although the role of environmental factors, ethnicity and certain polymorphisms on Ewing sarcoma susceptibility has been studied during the last few years. Its prevalence among cancer predisposition syndromes has also been thoroughly examined. This review summarizes the available evidence on predisposing factors involved in Ewing sarcoma susceptibility. On the basis of these data, an integrated approach of the most influential factors on Ewing sarcoma predisposition is proposed.
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22
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Musa J, Cidre-Aranaz F, Aynaud MM, Orth MF, Knott MML, Mirabeau O, Mazor G, Varon M, Hölting TLB, Grossetête S, Gartlgruber M, Surdez D, Gerke JS, Ohmura S, Marchetto A, Dallmayer M, Baldauf MC, Stein S, Sannino G, Li J, Romero-Pérez L, Westermann F, Hartmann W, Dirksen U, Gymrek M, Anderson ND, Shlien A, Rotblat B, Kirchner T, Delattre O, Grünewald TGP. Cooperation of cancer drivers with regulatory germline variants shapes clinical outcomes. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4128. [PMID: 31511524 PMCID: PMC6739408 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12071-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric malignancies including Ewing sarcoma (EwS) feature a paucity of somatic alterations except for pathognomonic driver-mutations that cannot explain overt variations in clinical outcome. Here, we demonstrate in EwS how cooperation of dominant oncogenes and regulatory germline variants determine tumor growth, patient survival and drug response. Binding of the oncogenic EWSR1-FLI1 fusion transcription factor to a polymorphic enhancer-like DNA element controls expression of the transcription factor MYBL2 mediating these phenotypes. Whole-genome and RNA sequencing reveals that variability at this locus is inherited via the germline and is associated with variable inter-tumoral MYBL2 expression. High MYBL2 levels sensitize EwS cells for inhibition of its upstream activating kinase CDK2 in vitro and in vivo, suggesting MYBL2 as a putative biomarker for anti-CDK2-therapy. Collectively, we establish cooperation of somatic mutations and regulatory germline variants as a major determinant of tumor progression and highlight the importance of integrating the regulatory genome in precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Musa
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Florencia Cidre-Aranaz
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marie-Ming Aynaud
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC Genetics and Biology of Pediatric Cancers, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Martin F Orth
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian M L Knott
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Olivier Mirabeau
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC Genetics and Biology of Pediatric Cancers, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Gal Mazor
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Mor Varon
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Tilman L B Hölting
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sandrine Grossetête
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC Genetics and Biology of Pediatric Cancers, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Moritz Gartlgruber
- Neuroblastoma Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Didier Surdez
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC Genetics and Biology of Pediatric Cancers, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Julia S Gerke
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Shunya Ohmura
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Aruna Marchetto
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlene Dallmayer
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michaela C Baldauf
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Stein
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Giuseppina Sannino
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jing Li
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Romero-Pérez
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Frank Westermann
- Neuroblastoma Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hartmann
- Division of Translational Pathology, Gerhard-Domagk Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Uta Dirksen
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Melissa Gymrek
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nathaniel D Anderson
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Adam Shlien
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Barak Rotblat
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Thomas Kirchner
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Olivier Delattre
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC Genetics and Biology of Pediatric Cancers, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Thomas G P Grünewald
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner site Munich, Munich, Germany.
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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23
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EWSR1-FLI1 Activation of the Cancer/Testis Antigen FATE1 Promotes Ewing Sarcoma Survival. Mol Cell Biol 2019; 39:MCB.00138-19. [PMID: 31036566 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00138-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is characterized by a pathognomonic chromosomal translocation that generates the EWSR1-FLI1 chimeric transcription factor. The transcriptional targets of EWSR1-FLI1 that are essential for tumorigenicity are incompletely defined. Here, we found that EWSR1-FLI1 modulates the expression of cancer/testis (CT) antigen genes, whose expression is biased to the testes but is also activated in cancer. Among these CT antigens, fetal and adult testis expressed 1 (FATE1) is most robustly induced. EWSR1-FLI1 associates with the GGAA repeats in the proximal promoter of FATE1, which exhibits accessible chromatin exclusively in mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) and Ewing sarcoma cells. Expression of EWSR1-FLI1 in non-Ewing sarcoma cells and in MPCs enhances FATE1 mRNA and protein expression. Conversely, depletion of EWSR1-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma cells leads to a loss of FATE1 expression. Importantly, we found that FATE1 is required for survival and anchorage-independent growth in Ewing sarcoma cells via attenuating the accumulation of BNIP3L, a BH3-only protein that is toxic when stabilized. This action appears to be mediated by the E3 ligase RNF183. We propose that engaging FATE1 function can permit the bypass of cell death mechanisms that would otherwise inhibit tumor progression.
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24
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Theisen ER, Miller KR, Showpnil IA, Taslim C, Pishas KI, Lessnick SL. Transcriptomic analysis functionally maps the intrinsically disordered domain of EWS/FLI and reveals novel transcriptional dependencies for oncogenesis. Genes Cancer 2019; 10:21-38. [PMID: 30899417 PMCID: PMC6420793 DOI: 10.18632/genesandcancer.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
EWS/FLI is the pathognomic fusion oncoprotein that drives Ewing sarcoma. The amino-terminal EWS portion coordinates transcriptional regulation and the carboxy-terminal FLI portion contains an ETS DNA-binding domain. EWS/FLI acts as an aberrant transcription factor, orchestrating a complex mix of gene activation and repression, from both high affinity ETS motifs and repetitive GGAA-microsatellites. Our overarching hypothesis is that executing multi-faceted transcriptional regulation requires EWS/FLI to use distinct molecular mechanisms at different loci. Many attempts have been made to map distinct functions to specific features of the EWS domain, but described deletion mutants are either fully active or completely "dead" and other approaches have been limited by the repetitive and disordered nature of the EWS domain. Here, we use transcriptomic approaches to show an EWS/FLI mutant, called DAF, previously thought to be nonfunctional, displays context-dependent and partial transcriptional activity but lacks transforming capacity. Using transcriptomic and phenotypic anchorage-independent growth profiles of other EWS/FLI mutants coupled with reported EWS/FLI localization data, we have mapped the critical structure-function requirements of the EWS domain for EWS/FLI-mediated oncogenesis. This approach defined unique classes of EWS/FLI response elements and revealed novel structure-function relationships required for EWS/FLI activation at these response elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Theisen
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kyle R Miller
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Iftekhar A Showpnil
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Cenny Taslim
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kathleen I Pishas
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Stephen L Lessnick
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.,Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Blood & Marrow Transplant, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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25
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Nagai N, Ohguchi H, Nakaki R, Matsumura Y, Kanki Y, Sakai J, Aburatani H, Minami T. Downregulation of ERG and FLI1 expression in endothelial cells triggers endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007826. [PMID: 30500808 PMCID: PMC6291168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Endothelial cell (EC) plasticity in pathological settings has recently been recognized as a driver of disease progression. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), in which ECs acquire mesenchymal properties, has been described for a wide range of pathologies, including cancer. However, the mechanism regulating EndMT in the tumor microenvironment and the contribution of EndMT in tumor progression are not fully understood. Here, we found that combined knockdown of two ETS family transcription factors, ERG and FLI1, induces EndMT coupled with dynamic epigenetic changes in ECs. Genome-wide analyses revealed that ERG and FLI1 are critical transcriptional activators for EC-specific genes, among which microRNA-126 partially contributes to blocking the induction of EndMT. Moreover, we demonstrated that ERG and FLI1 expression is downregulated in ECs within tumors by soluble factors enriched in the tumor microenvironment. These data provide new insight into the mechanism of EndMT, functions of ERG and FLI1 in ECs, and EC behavior in pathological conditions. Differentiated cells possess unique characteristics to maintain vital activities. However, cells occasionally show abnormal behavior in pathological settings due to dysregulated gene expression. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a phenomenon in which endothelial cells lose their characteristics and acquire mesenchymal-like properties. Although EndMT is observed in various diseases including cancer, and augments fibrosis and vascular defects, the mechanism of EndMT induction is not fully understood. Here, we show that EndMT is triggered via reduced expression of ERG and FLI1, which have recently been recognized as pivotal transcription factors in endothelial cells (ECs). Mechanistically, ERG and FLI1 activate EC-specific genes and repress mesenchymal-like genes via epigenetic regulation to prevent EndMT. Furthermore, we demonstrate that microRNA-126, which is specifically expressed in ECs, is the key downstream target of ERG/FLI1 for regulating EndMT. Finally, we show that ERG and FLI1 expression is decreased in ECs within tumors, suggesting that EndMT is induced in the tumor microenvironment. Collectively, these findings indicate that loss of ERG and FLI1 leads to the aberrant behavior of ECs in pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nao Nagai
- Division of Molecular and Vascular Biology, IRDA, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroto Ohguchi
- Division of Disease Epigenetics, IRDA, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Ryo Nakaki
- Division of Genome Sciences, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Matsumura
- Division of Metabolic Medicine, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuharu Kanki
- Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Juro Sakai
- Division of Metabolic Medicine, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Aburatani
- Division of Genome Sciences, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Minami
- Division of Molecular and Vascular Biology, IRDA, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- * E-mail:
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26
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Heisey DAR, Lochmann TL, Floros KV, Coon CM, Powell KM, Jacob S, Calbert ML, Ghotra MS, Stein GT, Maves YK, Smith SC, Benes CH, Leverson JD, Souers AJ, Boikos SA, Faber AC. The Ewing Family of Tumors Relies on BCL-2 and BCL-X L to Escape PARP Inhibitor Toxicity. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 25:1664-1675. [PMID: 30348635 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-0277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE It was recently demonstrated that the EWSR1-FLI1 t(11;22)(q24;12) translocation contributes to the hypersensitivity of Ewing sarcoma to PARP inhibitors, prompting clinical evaluation of olaparib in a cohort of heavily pretreated Ewing sarcoma tumors. Unfortunately, olaparib activity was disappointing, suggesting an underappreciated resistance mechanism to PARP inhibition in patients with Ewing sarcoma. We sought to elucidate the resistance factors to PARP inhibitor therapy in Ewing sarcoma and identify a rational drug combination capable of rescuing PARP inhibitor activity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We employed a pair of cell lines derived from the same patient with Ewing sarcoma prior to and following chemotherapy, a panel of Ewing sarcoma cell lines, and several patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and cell line xenograft models. RESULTS We found olaparib sensitivity was diminished following chemotherapy. The matched cell line pair revealed increased expression of the antiapoptotic protein BCL-2 in the chemotherapy-resistant cells, conferring apoptotic resistance to olaparib. Resistance to olaparib was maintained in this chemotherapy-resistant model in vivo, whereas the addition of the BCL-2/XL inhibitor navitoclax led to tumor growth inhibition. In 2 PDXs, olaparib and navitoclax were minimally effective as monotherapy, yet induced dramatic tumor growth inhibition when dosed in combination. We found that EWS-FLI1 increases BCL-2 expression; however, inhibition of BCL-2 alone by venetoclax is insufficient to sensitize Ewing sarcoma cells to olaparib, revealing a dual necessity for BCL-2 and BCL-XL in Ewing sarcoma survival. CONCLUSIONS These data reveal BCL-2 and BCL-XL act together to drive olaparib resistance in Ewing sarcoma and reveal a novel, rational combination therapy that may be put forward for clinical trial testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A R Heisey
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Timothy L Lochmann
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Konstantinos V Floros
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Colin M Coon
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Krista M Powell
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Sheeba Jacob
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Marissa L Calbert
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Maninderjit S Ghotra
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia
| | - Giovanna T Stein
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Steven C Smith
- Division of Anatomic Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Cyril H Benes
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Sosipatros A Boikos
- Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, School of Medicine and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Anthony C Faber
- VCU Philips Institute, School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center; Richmond, Virginia.
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27
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Parrish JK, McCann TS, Sechler M, Sobral LM, Ren W, Jones KL, Tan AC, Jedlicka P. The Jumonji-domain histone demethylase inhibitor JIB-04 deregulates oncogenic programs and increases DNA damage in Ewing Sarcoma, resulting in impaired cell proliferation and survival, and reduced tumor growth. Oncotarget 2018; 9:33110-33123. [PMID: 30237855 PMCID: PMC6145692 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing Sarcoma is an aggressive malignant neoplasm affecting children and young adults. Ewing Sarcoma is driven by transcription factor fusion oncoproteins, most commonly EWS/Fli1. While some patients can be cured with high-dose, multi-agent, chemotherapy, those that cannot currently have few options. Targeting of the driver oncofusion remains a logical therapeutic approach, but has proven difficult. Recent work has pointed to epigenetic mechanisms as key players, and potential new therapeutic targets, in Ewing Sarcoma. In this study we examined the activity of the pan-JHDM pharmacologic inhibitor JIB-04 in this disease. We show that JIB-04 potently inhibits the growth and viability of Ewing Sarcoma cells, and also impairs tumor xenograft growth. Effects on histone methylation at growth-inhibitory doses vary among cell lines, with most cell lines exhibiting increased total H3K27me3 levels, and some increased H3K4me3 and H3K9me3. JIB-04 treatment widely alters expression of oncogenic and tumor suppressive pathways, including downregulation of known oncogenic members of the Homeobox B and D clusters. JIB-04 also disrupts the EWS/Fli1 expression signature, including downregulation of pro-proliferative pathways normally under positive oncofusion control. Interestingly, these changes are accompanied by increased levels of the EWS/Fli1 oncofusion, suggesting that the drug could be uncoupling EWS/Fli1 from its oncogenic program. All Ewing Sarcoma cell lines examined also manifest increased DNA damage upon JIB-04 treatment. Together, the findings suggest that JIB-04 acts via multiple mechanisms to compromise Ewing Sarcoma cell growth and viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet K Parrish
- Department of Pathology, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Tyler S McCann
- Department of Pathology, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Marybeth Sechler
- Cancer Biology Graduate Training Program, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Lays M Sobral
- Department of Pathology, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Wenhua Ren
- Department of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kenneth L Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Aik Choon Tan
- Cancer Biology Graduate Training Program, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Department of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Paul Jedlicka
- Department of Pathology, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Cancer Biology Graduate Training Program, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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28
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Grünewald TGP, Cidre-Aranaz F, Surdez D, Tomazou EM, de Álava E, Kovar H, Sorensen PH, Delattre O, Dirksen U. Ewing sarcoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2018; 4:5. [PMID: 29977059 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-018-0003-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 419] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is the second most frequent bone tumour of childhood and adolescence that can also arise in soft tissue. Ewing sarcoma is a highly aggressive cancer, with a survival of 70-80% for patients with standard-risk and localized disease and ~30% for those with metastatic disease. Treatment comprises local surgery, radiotherapy and polychemotherapy, which are associated with acute and chronic adverse effects that may compromise quality of life in survivors. Histologically, Ewing sarcomas are composed of small round cells expressing high levels of CD99. Genetically, they are characterized by balanced chromosomal translocations in which a member of the FET gene family is fused with an ETS transcription factor, with the most common fusion being EWSR1-FLI1 (85% of cases). Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 protein (EWSR1)-Friend leukaemia integration 1 transcription factor (FLI1) is a tumour-specific chimeric transcription factor (EWSR1-FLI1) with neomorphic effects that massively rewires the transcriptome. Additionally, EWSR1-FLI1 reprogrammes the epigenome by inducing de novo enhancers at GGAA microsatellites and by altering the state of gene regulatory elements, creating a unique epigenetic signature. Additional mutations at diagnosis are rare and mainly involve STAG2, TP53 and CDKN2A deletions. Emerging studies on the molecular mechanisms of Ewing sarcoma hold promise for improvements in early detection, disease monitoring, lower treatment-related toxicity, overall survival and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G P Grünewald
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany. .,Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany. .,German Cancer Consortium, partner site Munich, Munich, Germany. .,German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Florencia Cidre-Aranaz
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany. .,Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany. .,German Cancer Consortium, partner site Munich, Munich, Germany. .,German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Didier Surdez
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisé LNCC, PSL Université, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Eleni M Tomazou
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Enrique de Álava
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital/CSIC/University of Seville/CIBERONC, Seville, Spain
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Pediatrics, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Poul H Sorensen
- British Columbia Cancer Research Centre and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Olivier Delattre
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisé LNCC, PSL Université, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Uta Dirksen
- German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,Cooperative Ewing Sarcoma Study group, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium, partner site Essen, Essen, Germany
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29
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McBride MJ, Kadoch C. Disruption of mammalian SWI/SNF and polycomb complexes in human sarcomas: mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. J Pathol 2018; 244:638-649. [PMID: 29359803 DOI: 10.1002/path.5042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Soft-tissue sarcomas are increasingly characterized and subclassified by genetic abnormalities that represent underlying drivers of their pathology. Hallmark tumor suppressor gene mutations and pathognomonic gene fusions collectively account for approximately one-third of all sarcomas. These genetic abnormalities most often result in global transcriptional misregulation via disruption of protein regulatory complexes which govern chromatin architecture. Specifically, alterations to mammalian SWI/SNF (mSWI/SNF or BAF) ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes and polycomb repressive complexes cause disease-specific changes in chromatin architecture and gene expression across a number of sarcoma subtypes. Understanding the functions of chromatin regulatory complexes and the mechanisms underpinning their roles in oncogenesis will be required for the design and development of new therapeutic strategies in sarcomas. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J McBride
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Chemical Biology Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cigall Kadoch
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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30
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Tumorigenicity of Ewing sarcoma is critically dependent on the trithorax proteins MLL1 and menin. Oncotarget 2018; 8:458-471. [PMID: 27888797 PMCID: PMC5352134 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental transcription programs are epigenetically regulated by the competing actions of polycomb and trithorax (TrxG) protein complexes, which repress and activate genes, respectively. Ewing sarcoma is a developmental tumor that is associated with widespread de-regulation of developmental transcription programs, including HOX programs. Posterior HOXD genes are abnormally over-expressed by Ewing sarcoma and HOXD13, in particular, contributes to the tumorigenic phenotype. In MLL1 fusion-driven leukemia, aberrant activation of HOXA genes is epigenetically mediated by the TrxG complex and HOXA gene expression and leukemogenesis are critically dependent on the protein-protein interaction between the TrxG proteins MLL1 and menin. Based on these data, we investigated whether posterior HOXD gene activation and Ewing sarcoma tumorigenicity are similarly mediated by and dependent on MLL1 and/or menin. Our findings demonstrate that Ewing sarcomas express high levels of both MLL1 and menin and that continued expression of both proteins is required for maintenance of tumorigenicity. In addition, exposure of Ewing sarcoma cells to MI-503, an inhibitor of the MLL1-menin protein-protein interaction developed for MLL1-fusion driven leukemia, leads to loss of tumorigenicity and down-regulated expression of the posterior HOXD gene cluster. Together these data demonstrate an essential role for MLL1 and menin in mediating tumor maintenance and posterior HOXD gene activation in Ewing sarcoma. A critical dependency of these tumors on the MLL1-menin interaction presents a potentially novel therapeutic target.
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31
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Hernandez-Muñoz I, Figuerola E, Sanchez-Molina S, Rodriguez E, Fernández-Mariño AI, Pardo-Pastor C, Bahamonde MI, Fernández-Fernández JM, García-Domínguez DJ, Hontecillas-Prieto L, Lavarino C, Carcaboso AM, de Torres C, Tirado OM, de Alava E, Mora J. RING1B contributes to Ewing sarcoma development by repressing the NaV1.6 sodium channel and the NF-κB pathway, independently of the fusion oncoprotein. Oncotarget 2018; 7:46283-46300. [PMID: 27317769 PMCID: PMC5216798 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive tumor defined by EWSR1 gene fusions that behave as an oncogene. Here we demonstrate that RING1B is highly expressed in primary ES tumors, and its expression is independent of the fusion oncogene. RING1B-depleted ES cells display an expression profile enriched in genes functionally involved in hematological development but RING1B depletion does not induce cellular differentiation. In ES cells, RING1B directly binds the SCN8A sodium channel promoter and its depletion results in enhanced Nav1.6 expression and function. The signaling pathway most significantly modulated by RING1B is NF-κB. RING1B depletion results in enhanced p105/p50 expression, which sensitizes ES cells to apoptosis by FGFR/SHP2/STAT3 blockade. Reduced NaV1.6 function protects ES cells from apoptotic cell death by maintaining low NF-κB levels. Our findings identify RING1B as a trait of the cell-of-origin and provide a potential targetable vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisabeth Figuerola
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Sanchez-Molina
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Rodriguez
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Fernández-Mariño
- Laboratori de Fisiologia Molecular, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003-Barcelona, Spain.,Present Affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison-53705, USA
| | - Carlos Pardo-Pastor
- Laboratori de Fisiologia Molecular, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003-Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Isabel Bahamonde
- Laboratori de Fisiologia Molecular, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003-Barcelona, Spain
| | - José M Fernández-Fernández
- Laboratori de Fisiologia Molecular, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel J García-Domínguez
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013-Seville, Spain
| | - Lourdes Hontecillas-Prieto
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013-Seville, Spain
| | - Cinzia Lavarino
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Angel M Carcaboso
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen de Torres
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oscar M Tirado
- Sarcoma Research Group, Laboratori d'Oncología Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enrique de Alava
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013-Seville, Spain
| | - Jaume Mora
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950-Barcelona, Spain
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32
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Kedage V, Selvaraj N, Nicholas TR, Budka JA, Plotnik JP, Jerde TJ, Hollenhorst PC. An Interaction with Ewing's Sarcoma Breakpoint Protein EWS Defines a Specific Oncogenic Mechanism of ETS Factors Rearranged in Prostate Cancer. Cell Rep 2017; 17:1289-1301. [PMID: 27783944 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 50% of prostate tumors have a chromosomal rearrangement resulting in aberrant expression of an oncogenic ETS family transcription factor. However, mechanisms that differentiate the function of oncogenic ETS factors expressed in prostate tumors from non-oncogenic ETS factors expressed in normal prostate are unknown. Here, we find that four oncogenic ETS (ERG, ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5), and no other ETS, interact with the Ewing's sarcoma breakpoint protein, EWS. This EWS interaction was necessary and sufficient for oncogenic ETS functions including gene activation, cell migration, clonogenic survival, and transformation. Significantly, the EWS interacting region of ERG has no homology with that of ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5. Therefore, this finding may explain how divergent ETS factors have a common oncogenic function. Strikingly, EWS is fused to various ETS factors by the chromosome translocations that cause Ewing's sarcoma. Therefore, these findings link oncogenic ETS function in both prostate cancer and Ewing's sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivekananda Kedage
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | | | - Taylor R Nicholas
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Justin A Budka
- Medical Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Joshua P Plotnik
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Travis J Jerde
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Peter C Hollenhorst
- Medical Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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33
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Luo W, Xu C, Ayello J, Dela Cruz F, Rosenblum JM, Lessnick SL, Cairo MS. Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 1A in ewing sarcoma tumorigenesis and metastasis. Oncogene 2017; 37:798-809. [PMID: 29059150 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein phosphatase inhibitors are often considered as tumor promoters. Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 1A (PPP1R1A) is a potent protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) inhibitor; however, its role in tumor development is largely undefined. Here we characterize, for the first time, the functions of PPP1R1A in Ewing sarcoma (ES) pathogenesis. We found that PPP1R1A is one of the top ranked target genes of EWS/FLI, the master regulator of ES, and is upregulated by EWS/FLI via a GGAA microsatellite enhancer element. Depletion of PPP1R1A resulted in a significant decrease in oncogenic transformation and cell migration in vitro as well as xenograft tumor growth and metastasis in an orthotopic mouse model. RNA-sequencing and functional annotation analyses revealed that PPP1R1A regulates genes associated with various cellular functions including cell junction, adhesion and neurogenesis. Interestingly, we found a significant overlap of PPP1R1A-regulated gene set with that of ZEB2 and EWS, which regulates metastasis and neuronal differentiation in ES, respectively. Further studies for characterization of the molecular mechanisms revealed that activation of PPP1R1A by PKA phosphorylation at Thr35, and subsequent PP1 binding and inhibition, was required for PPP1R1A-mediated tumorigenesis and metastasis, likely by increasing the phosphorylation levels of various PP1 substrates. Furthermore, we found that a PKA inhibitor impaired ES cell proliferation, tumor growth and metastasis, which was rescued by the constitutively active PPP1R1A. Together, these results offered new insights into the role and mechanism of PPP1R1A in tumor development and identified an important kinase and phosphatase pathway, PKA/PPP1R1A/PP1, in ES pathogenesis. Our findings strongly suggest a potential therapeutic value of inhibition of the PKA/PPP1R1A/PP1 pathway in the treatment of primary and metastatic ES.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Luo
- Departments of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.,Departments of Pathology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - C Xu
- James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - J Ayello
- Departments of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - F Dela Cruz
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - J M Rosenblum
- Departments of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - S L Lessnick
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - M S Cairo
- Departments of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.,Departments of Pathology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.,Departments of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.,Departments of Immunology and Microbiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.,Departments of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
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34
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Role for the EWS domain of EWS/FLI in binding GGAA-microsatellites required for Ewing sarcoma anchorage independent growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:9870-9875. [PMID: 28847958 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701872114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma usually expresses the EWS/FLI fusion transcription factor oncoprotein. EWS/FLI regulates myriad genes required for Ewing sarcoma development. EWS/FLI binds GGAA-microsatellite sequences in vivo and in vitro. These sequences provide EWS/FLI-mediated activation to reporter constructs, suggesting that they function as EWS/FLI-response elements. We now demonstrate the critical role of an EWS/FLI-bound GGAA-microsatellite in regulation of the NR0B1 gene as well as for Ewing sarcoma proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. Clinically, genomic GGAA-microsatellites are highly variable and polymorphic. Current data suggest that there is an optimal "sweet-spot" GGAA-microsatellite length (of 18-26 GGAA repeats) that confers maximal EWS/FLI-responsiveness to target genes, but the mechanistic basis for this remains unknown. Our biochemical studies, using recombinant Δ22 (a version of EWS/FLI containing only the FLI portion), demonstrate a stoichiometry of one Δ22-monomer binding to every two consecutive GGAA-repeats on shorter microsatellite sequences. Surprisingly, the affinity for Δ22 binding to GGAA-microsatellites significantly decreased, and ultimately became unmeasureable, when the size of the microsatellite was increased to the sweet-spot length. In contrast, a fully functional EWS/FLI mutant (Mut9, which retains approximately half of the EWS portion of the fusion) showed low affinity for smaller GGAA-microsatellites but instead significantly increased its affinity at sweet-spot microsatellite lengths. Single-gene ChIP and genome-wide ChIP-sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA-seq studies extended these findings to the in vivo setting. Together, these data demonstrate the critical requirement of GGAA-microsatellites as EWS/FLI activating response elements in vivo and reveal an unexpected role for the EWS portion of the EWS/FLI fusion in binding to sweet-spot GGAA-microsatellites.
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35
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Boulay G, Sandoval GJ, Riggi N, Iyer S, Buisson R, Naigles B, Awad ME, Rengarajan S, Volorio A, McBride MJ, Broye LC, Zou L, Stamenkovic I, Kadoch C, Rivera MN. Cancer-Specific Retargeting of BAF Complexes by a Prion-like Domain. Cell 2017; 171:163-178.e19. [PMID: 28844694 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 295] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in transcriptional regulators can orchestrate oncogenic gene expression programs in cancer. Here, we show that the BRG1/BRM-associated factor (BAF) chromatin remodeling complex, which is mutated in over 20% of human tumors, interacts with EWSR1, a member of a family of proteins with prion-like domains (PrLD) that are frequent partners in oncogenic fusions with transcription factors. In Ewing sarcoma, we find that the BAF complex is recruited by the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein to tumor-specific enhancers and contributes to target gene activation. This process is a neomorphic property of EWS-FLI1 compared to wild-type FLI1 and depends on tyrosine residues that are necessary for phase transitions of the EWSR1 prion-like domain. Furthermore, fusion of short fragments of EWSR1 to FLI1 is sufficient to recapitulate BAF complex retargeting and EWS-FLI1 activities. Our studies thus demonstrate that the physical properties of prion-like domains can retarget critical chromatin regulatory complexes to establish and maintain oncogenic gene expression programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaylor Boulay
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Gabriel J Sandoval
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nicolo Riggi
- Institute of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sowmya Iyer
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Rémi Buisson
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Beverly Naigles
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Mary E Awad
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Shruthi Rengarajan
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Angela Volorio
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Institute of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Matthew J McBride
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Liliane C Broye
- Institute of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lee Zou
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ivan Stamenkovic
- Institute of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cigall Kadoch
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Miguel N Rivera
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
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36
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Baldauf MC, Orth MF, Dallmayer M, Marchetto A, Gerke JS, Rubio RA, Kiran MM, Musa J, Knott MML, Ohmura S, Li J, Akpolat N, Akatli AN, Özen Ö, Dirksen U, Hartmann W, de Alava E, Baumhoer D, Sannino G, Kirchner T, Grünewald TGP. Robust diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma by immunohistochemical detection of super-enhancer-driven EWSR1-ETS targets. Oncotarget 2017; 9:1587-1601. [PMID: 29416716 PMCID: PMC5788584 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is an undifferentiated small-round-cell sarcoma. Although molecular detection of pathognomonic EWSR1-ETS fusions such as EWSR1-FLI1 enables definitive diagnosis, substantial confusion can arise if molecular diagnostics are unavailable. Diagnosis based on the conventional immunohistochemical marker CD99 is unreliable due to its abundant expression in morphological mimics. To identify novel diagnostic immunohistochemical markers for Ewing sarcoma, we performed comparative expression analyses in 768 tumors representing 21 entities including Ewing-like sarcomas, which confirmed that CIC-DUX4-, BCOR-CCNB3-, EWSR1-NFATc2-, and EWSR1-ETS-translocated sarcomas are distinct entities, and revealed that ATP1A1, BCL11B, and GLG1 constitute specific markers for Ewing sarcoma. Their high expression was validated by immunohistochemistry and proved to depend on EWSR1-FLI1-binding to highly active proximal super-enhancers. Automated cut-off-finding and combination-testing in a tissue-microarray comprising 174 samples demonstrated that detection of high BCL11B and/or GLG1 expression is sufficient to reach 96% specificity for Ewing sarcoma. While 88% of tested Ewing-like sarcomas displayed strong CD99-immunoreactivity, none displayed combined strong BCL11B- and GLG1-immunoreactivity. Collectively, we show that ATP1A1, BCL11B, and GLG1 are EWSR1-FLI1 targets, of which BCL11B and GLG1 offer a fast, simple, and cost-efficient way to diagnose Ewing sarcoma by immunohistochemistry. These markers may significantly reduce the number of misdiagnosed patients, and thus improve patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela C Baldauf
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin F Orth
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlene Dallmayer
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Aruna Marchetto
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia S Gerke
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rebeca Alba Rubio
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Merve M Kiran
- Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Julian Musa
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian M L Knott
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Shunya Ohmura
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jing Li
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nusret Akpolat
- Department of Pathology, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Ayse N Akatli
- Department of Pathology, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Özlem Özen
- Department of Pathology, Başkent University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Uta Dirksen
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hartmann
- Gerhard-Domagk-Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Münster, Westfalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
| | - Enrique de Alava
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, CIBERONC, Seville, Spain
| | - Daniel Baumhoer
- Bone Tumour Reference Center, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppina Sannino
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Kirchner
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas G P Grünewald
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Sechler M, Parrish JK, Birks DK, Jedlicka P. The histone demethylase KDM3A, and its downstream target MCAM, promote Ewing Sarcoma cell migration and metastasis. Oncogene 2017; 36:4150-4160. [PMID: 28319067 PMCID: PMC5519422 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ewing Sarcoma is the second most common solid pediatric malignant neoplasm of bone and soft tissue. Driven by EWS/Ets, or rarely variant, oncogenic fusions, Ewing Sarcoma is a biologically and clinically aggressive disease with a high propensity for metastasis. However, the mechanisms underpinning Ewing Sarcoma metastasis are currently not well understood. In the present study, we identify and characterize a novel metastasis-promotional pathway in Ewing Sarcoma, involving the histone demethylase KDM3A, previously identified by our laboratory as a new cancer-promoting gene in this disease. Using global gene expression profiling, we show that KDM3A positively regulates genes and pathways implicated in cell migration and metastasis, and demonstrate, using functional assays, that KDM3A promotes migration in vitro and experimental, post-intravasation, metastasis in vivo. We further identify the melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) as a novel KDM3A target gene in Ewing Sarcoma, and an important effector of KDM3A pro-metastatic action. Specifically, we demonstrate that MCAM depletion, like KDM3A depletion, inhibits cell migration in vitro and experimental metastasis in vivo, and that MCAM partially rescues impaired migration due to KDM3A knock-down. Mechanistically, we show that KDM3A regulates MCAM expression both through a direct mechanism, involving modulation of H3K9 methylation at the MCAM promoter, and an indirect mechanism, via the Ets1 transcription factor. Finally, we identify an association between high MCAM levels in patient tumors and poor survival, in two different Ewing Sarcoma clinical cohorts. Taken together, our studies uncover a new metastasis-promoting pathway in Ewing Sarcoma, with therapeutically targetable components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marybeth Sechler
- Cancer Biology Graduate Training Program
- University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO
| | - Janet K. Parrish
- Department of Pathology
- University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO
| | - Diane K. Birks
- Department of Neurosurgery
- University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO
| | - Paul Jedlicka
- Cancer Biology Graduate Training Program
- Department of Pathology
- University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO
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38
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Sannino G, Orth MF, Grünewald TGP. Next steps in Ewing sarcoma (epi-)genomics. Future Oncol 2017; 13:1207-1211. [DOI: 10.2217/fon-2017-0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Sannino
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Martin F Orth
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas GP Grünewald
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, LMU Munich, Germany
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39
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Theisen ER, Pishas KI, Saund RS, Lessnick SL. Therapeutic opportunities in Ewing sarcoma: EWS-FLI inhibition via LSD1 targeting. Oncotarget 2017; 7:17616-30. [PMID: 26848860 PMCID: PMC4951237 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive primary pediatric bone tumor, often diagnosed in adolescents and young adults. A pathognomonic reciprocal chromosomal translocation results in a fusion gene coding for a protein which derives its N-terminus from a FUS/EWS/TAF15 (FET) protein family member, commonly EWS, and C-terminus containing the DNA-binding domain of an ETS transcription factor, commonly FLI1. Nearly 85% of cases express the EWS-FLI protein which functions as a transcription factor and drives oncogenesis. As the primary genomic lesion and a protein which is not expressed in normal cells, disrupting EWS-FLI function is an attractive therapeutic strategy for Ewing sarcoma. However, transcription factors are notoriously difficult targets for the development of small molecules. Improved understanding of the oncogenic mechanisms employed by EWS-FLI to hijack normal cellular programming has uncovered potential novel approaches to pharmacologically block EWS-FLI function. In this review we examine targeting the chromatin regulatory enzymes recruited to conspire in oncogenesis with a focus on the histone lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1). LSD1 inhibitors are being aggressively investigated in acute myeloid leukemia and the results of early clinical trials will help inform the future use of LSD1 inhibitors in sarcoma. High LSD1 expression is observed in Ewing sarcoma patient samples and mechanistic and preclinical data suggest LSD1 inhibition globally disrupts the function of EWS-ETS proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Theisen
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Kathleen I Pishas
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, Centre for Personalized Cancer Medicine, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ranajeet S Saund
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Stephen L Lessnick
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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40
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Sox17 drives functional engraftment of endothelium converted from non-vascular cells. Nat Commun 2017; 8:13963. [PMID: 28091527 PMCID: PMC5260855 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transplanting vascular endothelial cells (ECs) to support metabolism and express regenerative paracrine factors is a strategy to treat vasculopathies and to promote tissue regeneration. However, transplantation strategies have been challenging to develop, because ECs are difficult to culture and little is known about how to direct them to stably integrate into vasculature. Here we show that only amniotic cells could convert to cells that maintain EC gene expression. Even so, these converted cells perform sub-optimally in transplantation studies. Constitutive Akt signalling increases expression of EC morphogenesis genes, including Sox17, shifts the genomic targeting of Fli1 to favour nearby Sox consensus sites and enhances the vascular function of converted cells. Enforced expression of Sox17 increases expression of morphogenesis genes and promotes integration of transplanted converted cells into injured vessels. Thus, Ets transcription factors specify non-vascular, amniotic cells to EC-like cells, whereas Sox17 expression is required to confer EC function.
Endothelial cells (ECs) are promising strategies to treat vasculopathies but little is known about the factors that sustain EC identity and govern functional integration into vasculature after transplantation. Here the authors show that Ets factors and Sox17 convert nonvascular cells to vascular cells with stable EC identity and function.
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41
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Gomez NC, Hepperla AJ, Dumitru R, Simon JM, Fang F, Davis IJ. Widespread Chromatin Accessibility at Repetitive Elements Links Stem Cells with Human Cancer. Cell Rep 2016; 17:1607-1620. [PMID: 27806299 PMCID: PMC5267842 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin regulation is critical for differentiation and disease. However, features linking the chromatin environment of stem cells with disease remain largely unknown. We explored chromatin accessibility in embryonic and multipotent stem cells and unexpectedly identified widespread chromatin accessibility at repetitive elements. Integrating genomic and biochemical approaches, we demonstrate that these sites of increased accessibility are associated with well-positioned nucleosomes marked by distinct histone modifications. Differentiation is accompanied by chromatin remodeling at repetitive elements associated with altered expression of genes in relevant developmental pathways. Remarkably, we found that the chromatin environment of Ewing sarcoma, a mesenchymally derived tumor, is shared with primary mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Accessibility at repetitive elements in MSCs offers a permissive environment that is exploited by the critical oncogene responsible for this cancer. Our data demonstrate that stem cells harbor a unique chromatin landscape characterized by accessibility at repetitive elements, a feature associated with differentiation and oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C Gomez
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Austin J Hepperla
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Raluca Dumitru
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jeremy M Simon
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Fang Fang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Ian J Davis
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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42
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He T, Surdez D, Rantala JK, Haapa-Paananen S, Ban J, Kauer M, Tomazou E, Fey V, Alonso J, Kovar H, Delattre O, Iljin K. High-throughput RNAi screen in Ewing sarcoma cells identifies leucine rich repeats and WD repeat domain containing 1 (LRWD1) as a regulator of EWS-FLI1 driven cell viability. Gene 2016; 596:137-146. [PMID: 27760381 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A translocation leading to the formation of an oncogenic EWS-ETS fusion protein defines Ewing sarcoma. The most frequent gene fusion, present in 85 percent of Ewing sarcomas, is EWS-FLI1. Here, a high-throughput RNA interference screen was performed to identify genes whose function is critical for EWS-FLI1 driven cell viability. In total, 6781 genes were targeted by siRNA molecules and the screen was performed both in presence and absence of doxycycline-inducible expression of the EWS-FLI1 shRNA in A673/TR/shEF Ewing sarcoma cells. The Leucine rich repeats and WD repeat Domain containing 1 (LRWD1) targeting siRNA pool was the strongest hit reducing cell viability only in EWS-FLI1 expressing Ewing sarcoma cells. LRWD1 had been previously described as a testis specific gene with only limited information on its function. Analysis of LRWD1 mRNA levels in patient samples indicated that high expression associated with poor overall survival in Ewing sarcoma. Gene ontology analysis of LRWD1 co-expressed genes in Ewing tumors revealed association with DNA replication and analysis of differentially expressed genes in LRWD1 depleted Ewing sarcoma cells indicated a role in connective tissue development and cellular morphogenesis. Moreover, EWS-FLI1 repressed genes with repressive H3K27me3 chromatin marks were highly enriched among LRWD1 target genes in A673/TR/shEF Ewing sarcoma cells, suggesting that LRWD1 contributes to EWS-FLI1 driven transcriptional regulation. Taken together, we have identified LRWD1 as a novel regulator of EWS-FLI1 driven cell viability in A673/TR/shEF Ewing sarcoma cells, shown association between high LRWD1 mRNA expression and aggressive disease and identified processes by which LRWD1 may promote oncogenesis in Ewing sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao He
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Turku, Finland
| | - Didier Surdez
- Institut Curie, Unité de génétique somatique, Paris, France; Genetics and Biology of Cancers Unit, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France; INSERM U830, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Jozef Ban
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian Kauer
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eleni Tomazou
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vidal Fey
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Turku, Finland
| | - Javier Alonso
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Área de Genética Humana, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria; Department of Pediatrics, Medical University, Vienna, Austria
| | - Olivier Delattre
- Institut Curie, Unité de génétique somatique, Paris, France; Genetics and Biology of Cancers Unit, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France; INSERM U830, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France; Institut Curie Genomics of Excellence (ICGex) Platform, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
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43
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Harlow ML, Maloney N, Roland J, Guillen Navarro MJ, Easton MK, Kitchen-Goosen SM, Boguslawski EA, Madaj ZB, Johnson BK, Bowman MJ, D'Incalci M, Winn ME, Turner L, Hostetter G, Galmarini CM, Aviles PM, Grohar PJ. Lurbinectedin Inactivates the Ewing Sarcoma Oncoprotein EWS-FLI1 by Redistributing It within the Nucleus. Cancer Res 2016; 76:6657-6668. [PMID: 27697767 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-0568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
There is a great need to develop novel approaches to target oncogenic transcription factors with small molecules. Ewing sarcoma is emblematic of this need, as it depends on the continued activity of the EWS-FLI1 transcription factor to maintain the malignant phenotype. We have previously shown that the small molecule trabectedin interferes with EWS-FLI1. Here, we report important mechanistic advances and a second-generation inhibitor to provide insight into the therapeutic targeting of EWS-FLI1. We discovered that trabectedin functionally inactivated EWS-FLI1 by redistributing the protein within the nucleus to the nucleolus. This effect was rooted in the wild-type functions of the EWSR1, compromising the N-terminal half of the chimeric oncoprotein, which is known to be similarly redistributed within the nucleus in the presence of UV light damage. A second-generation trabectedin analogue lurbinectedin (PM01183) caused the same nuclear redistribution of EWS-FLI1, leading to a loss of activity at the promoter, mRNA, and protein levels of expression. Tumor xenograft studies confirmed this effect, and it was increased in combination with irinotecan, leading to tumor regression and replacement of Ewing sarcoma cells with benign fat cells. The net result of combined lurbinectedin and irinotecan treatment was a complete reversal of EWS-FLI1 activity and elimination of established tumors in 30% to 70% of mice after only 11 days of therapy. Our results illustrate the preclinical safety and efficacy of a disease-specific therapy targeting the central oncogenic driver in Ewing sarcoma. Cancer Res; 76(22); 6657-68. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt L Harlow
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Nichole Maloney
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Joseph Roland
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ben K Johnson
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | | | | | - Mary E Winn
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Lisa Turner
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | | | | | | | - Patrick J Grohar
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. .,Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan.,Helen De Vos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan.,Department of Pediatrics, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan
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44
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Willis RE. Targeted Cancer Therapy: Vital Oncogenes and a New Molecular Genetic Paradigm for Cancer Initiation Progression and Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17091552. [PMID: 27649156 PMCID: PMC5037825 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17091552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been declared repeatedly that cancer is a result of molecular genetic abnormalities. However, there has been no working model describing the specific functional consequences of the deranged genomic processes that result in the initiation and propagation of the cancer process during carcinogenesis. We no longer need to question whether or not cancer arises as a result of a molecular genetic defect within the cancer cell. The legitimate questions are: how and why? This article reviews the preeminent data on cancer molecular genetics and subsequently proposes that the sentinel event in cancer initiation is the aberrant production of fused transcription activators with new molecular properties within normal tissue stem cells. This results in the production of vital oncogenes with dysfunctional gene activation transcription properties, which leads to dysfunctional gene regulation, the aberrant activation of transduction pathways, chromosomal breakage, activation of driver oncogenes, reactivation of stem cell transduction pathways and the activation of genes that result in the hallmarks of cancer. Furthermore, a novel holistic molecular genetic model of cancer initiation and progression is presented along with a new paradigm for the approach to personalized targeted cancer therapy, clinical monitoring and cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolph E Willis
- OncoStem Biotherapeutics LLC, 423 W 127th St., New York, NY 10027, USA.
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45
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Abstract
Since its foundation by remarkably talented and insightful individuals, prominently including Pepper Dehner, pediatric soft tissue tumor pathology has developed at an immense rate. The morphologic classification of tumoral entities has extensively been corroborated, but has also evolved with refinement or realignment of these classifications, through accruing molecular data, with many derivative ancillary diagnostic assays now already well-established. Tumors of unclear histogenesis, classically morphologically undifferentiated, are prominent amongst pediatric sarcomas, however, the classes of undifferentiated round- or spindle-cell-tumors-not-otherwise-specified are being dismantled gradually with the identification of their molecular underpinnings. Within recent years, for example, numerous subcategories of 'Ewing-like' round cell sarcoma have emerged. Such advances have provided the basis for novel diagnostic and prognostic sub-classifications. Efforts at defining cell- or lineage-of-origin for several tumor types have produced interesting insights especially for rhabdomyosarcoma. The remarkably early onset of pediatric sarcomas defies the theory necessitating stochastic accumulation of several somatic mutations for cancer development and indeed, these tumors may be remarkably genomically stable, often belying their aggressive nature. Much is coming to light recently regarding the role of epigenetic modifications in the evolution of these sarcomas. Indeed the morphologic features of embryonal tumors generally (not just sarcomas) may be highly reminiscent of arrested differentiation, and given the tight epigenetic regulation of cell fate determination and cell identity maintenance, a theory of epigenetically-driven oncogenesis sits easily with these tumors. The age-delimited distinct biologies of 'pediatric' and adult GIST are intriguing, particularly, the SDH-deficient 'pediatric' form, driven by a metabolic defect, but resulting in epigenetic dysregulation with genome-wide DNA methylation changes. There is little doubt that many of the gaps in our understanding of pediatric sarcoma biology will be filled by a deeper appreciation of the role of dysregulated epigenetics including chromatin biology, perhaps best exemplified in malignant rhabdoid tumor. The field of pediatric soft tissue tumor pathology grows ever more interesting. Importantly though, it must be emphasized, that none of this progress could have occurred, or indeed continue, without the initial step of accurate diagnosis, founded solidly on morphology - thank you Pepper for your unparalleled contributions to this field! The opportunity to be your apprentice for five years has been a bigger and more positive influence than words can express.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen O'Sullivan
- National Children's Research Centre, Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland; Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
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46
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Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive, poorly differentiated neoplasm of solid bone that disproportionally afflicts the young. Despite intensive multi-modal therapy and valiant efforts, 70% of patients with relapsed and metastatic Ewing sarcoma will succumb to their disease. The persistent failure to improve overall survival for this subset of patients highlights the urgent need for rapid translation of novel therapeutic strategies. As Ewing sarcoma is associated with a paucity of mutations in readily targetable signal transduction pathways, targeting the key genetic aberration and master regulator of Ewing sarcoma, the EWS/ETS fusion, remains an important goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen I Pishas
- Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, Center for Personalized Cancer Medicine, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Stephen L Lessnick
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA; Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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47
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Osgood CL, Maloney N, Kidd CG, Kitchen-Goosen S, Segars L, Gebregiorgis M, Woldemichael GM, He M, Sankar S, Lessnick SL, Kang M, Smith M, Turner L, Madaj ZB, Winn ME, Núñez LE, González-Sabín J, Helman LJ, Morís F, Grohar PJ. Identification of Mithramycin Analogues with Improved Targeting of the EWS-FLI1 Transcription Factor. Clin Cancer Res 2016; 22:4105-18. [PMID: 26979396 PMCID: PMC4987166 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-15-2624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The goal of this study was to identify second-generation mithramycin analogues that better target the EWS-FLI1 transcription factor for Ewing sarcoma. We previously established mithramycin as an EWS-FLI1 inhibitor, but the compound's toxicity prevented its use at effective concentrations in patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We screened a panel of mithralogs to establish their ability to inhibit EWS-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma. We compared the IC50 with the MTD established in mice to determine the relationship between efficacy and toxicity. We confirmed the suppression of EWS-FLI1 at the promoter, mRNA, gene signature, and protein levels. We established an improved therapeutic window by using time-lapse microscopy to model the effects on cellular proliferation in Ewing sarcoma cells relative to HepG2 control cells. Finally, we established an improved therapeutic window using a xenograft model of Ewing sarcoma. RESULTS EC-8105 was found to be the most potent analogue and was able to suppress EWS-FLI1 activity at concentrations nontoxic to other cell types. EC-8042 was substantially less toxic than mithramycin in multiple species but maintained suppression of EWS-FLI1 at similar concentrations. Both compounds markedly suppressed Ewing sarcoma xenograft growth and inhibited EWS-FLI1 in vivo CONCLUSIONS These results provide a basis for the continued development of EC-8042 and EC-8105 as EWS-FLI1 inhibitors for the clinic. Clin Cancer Res; 22(16); 4105-18. ©2016 AACR.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/pharmacology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Disease Models, Animal
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Humans
- Mice
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/antagonists & inhibitors
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/metabolism
- Plicamycin/pharmacology
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1/metabolism
- RNA-Binding Protein EWS/antagonists & inhibitors
- RNA-Binding Protein EWS/metabolism
- Sarcoma, Ewing/drug therapy
- Sarcoma, Ewing/genetics
- Sarcoma, Ewing/metabolism
- Sarcoma, Ewing/mortality
- Transcription Factors
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy L Osgood
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Nichole Maloney
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Christopher G Kidd
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | | | - Laura Segars
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Meti Gebregiorgis
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Girma M Woldemichael
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research Laboratory, Inc., Molecular Targets Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Min He
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Savita Sankar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Stephen L Lessnick
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Min Kang
- Texas Tech University Health Science Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, Texas
| | - Malcolm Smith
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland. Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lisa Turner
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | | | - Mary E Winn
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | | | | | - Lee J Helman
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Patrick J Grohar
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Helen De Vos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Department of Pediatrics, Michigan State University School of Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan.
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48
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Functional, chemical genomic, and super-enhancer screening identify sensitivity to cyclin D1/CDK4 pathway inhibition in Ewing sarcoma. Oncotarget 2016; 6:30178-93. [PMID: 26337082 PMCID: PMC4745789 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive bone and soft tissue tumor in children and adolescents, with treatment remaining a clinical challenge. This disease is mediated by somatic chromosomal translocations of the EWS gene and a gene encoding an ETS transcription factor, most commonly, FLI1. While direct targeting of aberrant transcription factors remains a pharmacological challenge, identification of dependencies incurred by EWS/FLI1 expression would offer a new therapeutic avenue. We used a combination of super-enhancer profiling, near-whole genome shRNA-based and small-molecule screening to identify cyclin D1 and CDK4 as Ewing sarcoma-selective dependencies. We revealed that super-enhancers mark Ewing sarcoma specific expression signatures and EWS/FLI1 target genes in human Ewing sarcoma cell lines. Particularly, a super-enhancer regulates cyclin D1 and promotes its expression in Ewing sarcoma. We demonstrated that Ewing sarcoma cells require CDK4 and cyclin D1 for survival and anchorage-independent growth. Additionally, pharmacologic inhibition of CDK4 with selective CDK4/6 inhibitors led to cytostasis and cell death of Ewing sarcoma cell lines in vitro and growth delay in an in vivo Ewing sarcoma xenograft model. These results demonstrated a dependency in Ewing sarcoma on CDK4 and cyclin D1 and support exploration of CDK4/6 inhibitors as a therapeutic approach for patients with this disease.
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49
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Lawlor ER, Sorensen PH. Twenty Years on: What Do We Really Know about Ewing Sarcoma and What Is the Path Forward? Crit Rev Oncog 2016; 20:155-71. [PMID: 26349414 DOI: 10.1615/critrevoncog.2015013553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a highly aggressive bone and soft-tissue tumor with peak incidence among adolescents and young adults. Despite advances in local control and systemic chemotherapy, metastatic relapse after an initial clinical remission remains a significant clinical problem. In addition, metastasis at the time of presentation or at relapse continues to be the leading cause of death for patients diagnosed with ES. Since the discovery of the pathognomonic EWS-FLI1 fusion gene more than 20 years ago, much about the molecular and cellular biology of ES pathogenesis has been learned. In addition, more recent exploitation of advances in stem cell and developmental biology has provided key insights into the cellular origins of ES and the role of epigenetic deregulation in tumor initiation and maintenance. Nevertheless, the mechanisms that drive tumor relapse and metastasis remain largely unknown. These gaps in our knowledge continue to hamper the development of novel therapeutic strategies that may improve outcomes for patients with relapsed and metastatic disease. In this article we review the current status of ES biology research, highlighting areas of investigation that we consider to have the greatest potential to yield findings that will translate into clinically significant advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Lawlor
- Department of Pediatrics & Communicable Diseases and Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Poul H Sorensen
- Department of Molecular Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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50
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High-throughput small molecule screen identifies inhibitors of aberrant chromatin accessibility. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:3018-23. [PMID: 26929321 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1521827113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in chromatin-modifying proteins and transcription factors are commonly associated with a wide variety of cancers. Through gain- or loss-of-function, these mutations may result in characteristic alterations of accessible chromatin, indicative of shifts in the landscape of regulatory elements genome-wide. The identification of compounds that reverse a specific chromatin signature could lead to chemical probes or potential therapies. To explore whether chromatin accessibility could serve as a platform for small molecule screening, we adapted formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE), a chemical method to enrich for nucleosome-depleted genomic regions, as a high-throughput, automated assay. After demonstrating the validity and robustness of this approach, we applied this method to screen an epigenetically targeted small molecule library by evaluating regions of aberrant nucleosome depletion mediated by EWSR1-FLI1, the chimeric transcription factor critical for the bone and soft tissue tumor Ewing sarcoma. As a class, histone deacetylase inhibitors were greatly overrepresented among active compounds. These compounds resulted in diminished accessibility at targeted sites by disrupting transcription of EWSR1-FLI1. Capitalizing on precise differences in chromatin accessibility for drug discovery efforts offers significant advantages because it does not depend on the a priori selection of a single molecular target and may detect novel biologically relevant pathways.
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