1
|
Hafstað V, Søkilde R, Häkkinen J, Larsson M, Vallon-Christersson J, Rovira C, Persson H. Regulatory networks and 5' partner usage of miRNA host gene fusions in breast cancer. Int J Cancer 2022; 151:95-106. [PMID: 35182081 PMCID: PMC9303785 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Genomic rearrangements in cancer cells can create gene fusions where the juxtaposition of two different genes leads to the production of chimeric proteins or altered gene expression through promoter‐swapping. We have previously shown that fusion transcripts involving microRNA (miRNA) host genes contribute to deregulation of miRNA expression regardless of the protein‐coding potential of these transcripts. Many different genes can also be used as 5′ partners by a miRNA host gene in what we named recurrent miRNA‐convergent fusions. Here, we have explored the properties of 5′ partners in fusion transcripts that involve miRNA hosts in breast tumours from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We hypothesised that firstly, 5′ partner genes should belong to pathways and transcriptional programmes that reflect the tumour phenotype and secondly, there should be a selection for fusion events that shape miRNA expression to benefit the tumour cell through the known hallmarks of cancer. We found that the set of 5′ partners in miRNA host fusions is non‐random, with overrepresentation of highly expressed genes in pathways active in cancer including epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition, translational regulation and oestrogen signalling. Furthermore, many miRNAs were upregulated in samples with host gene fusions, including established oncogenic miRNAs such as mir‐21 and the mir‐106b~mir‐93~mir‐25 cluster. To the list of mechanisms for deregulation of miRNA expression, we have added fusion transcripts that change the promoter region. We propose that this adds material for genetic selection and tumour evolution in cancer cells and that miRNA host fusions can act as tumour ‘drivers’.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Völundur Hafstað
- Lund University Cancer Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rolf Søkilde
- Lund University Cancer Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jari Häkkinen
- Lund University Cancer Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology, Lund, Sweden
| | - Malin Larsson
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Johan Vallon-Christersson
- Lund University Cancer Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carlos Rovira
- Lund University Cancer Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology, Lund, Sweden
| | - Helena Persson
- Lund University Cancer Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
González-Espinoza A, Zamora-Fuentes J, Hernández-Lemus E, Espinal-Enríquez J. Gene Co-Expression in Breast Cancer: A Matter of Distance. Front Oncol 2021; 11:726493. [PMID: 34868919 PMCID: PMC8636045 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.726493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory and signaling phenomena are known to be relevant players underlying the establishment of cellular phenotypes. It is also known that such regulatory programs are disrupted in cancer, leading to the onset and development of malignant phenotypes. Gene co-expression matrices have allowed us to compare and analyze complex phenotypes such as breast cancer (BrCa) and their control counterparts. Global co-expression patterns have revealed, for instance, that the highest gene-gene co-expression interactions often occur between genes from the same chromosome (cis-), meanwhile inter-chromosome (trans-) interactions are scarce and have lower correlation values. Furthermore, strength of cis- correlations have been shown to decay with the chromosome distance of gene couples. Despite this loss of long-distance co-expression has been clearly identified, it has been observed only in a small fraction of the whole co-expression landscape, namely the most significant interactions. For that reason, an approach that takes into account the whole interaction set results appealing. In this work, we developed a hybrid method to analyze whole-chromosome Pearson correlation matrices for the four BrCa subtypes (Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2+ and Basal), as well as adjacent normal breast tissue derived matrices. We implemented a systematic method for clustering gene couples, by using eigenvalue spectral decomposition and the k–medoids algorithm, allowing us to determine a number of clusters without removing any interaction. With this method we compared, for each chromosome in the five phenotypes: a) Whether or not the gene-gene co-expression decays with the distance in the breast cancer subtypes b) the chromosome location of cis- clusters of gene couples, and c) whether or not the loss of long-distance co-expression is observed in the whole range of interactions. We found that in the correlation matrix for the control phenotype, positive and negative Pearson correlations deviate from a random null model independently of the distance between couples. Conversely, for all BrCa subtypes, in all chromosomes, positive correlations decay with distance, and negative correlations do not differ from the null model. We also found that BrCa clusters are distance-dependent, meanwhile for the control phenotype, chromosome location does not determine the clustering. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a dependence on distance is reported for gene clusters in breast cancer. Since this method uses the whole cis- interaction geneset, combination with other -omics approaches may provide further evidence to understand in a more integrative fashion, the mechanisms that disrupt gene regulation in cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo González-Espinoza
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jose Zamora-Fuentes
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Enrique Hernández-Lemus
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico.,Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autόnoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jesús Espinal-Enríquez
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico.,Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autόnoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
García-Cortés D, Hernández-Lemus E, Espinal-Enríquez J. Luminal A Breast Cancer Co-expression Network: Structural and Functional Alterations. Front Genet 2021; 12:629475. [PMID: 33959148 PMCID: PMC8096206 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.629475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Luminal A is the most common breast cancer molecular subtype in women worldwide. These tumors have characteristic yet heterogeneous alterations at the genomic and transcriptomic level. Gene co-expression networks (GCNs) have contributed to better characterize the cancerous phenotype. We have previously shown an imbalance in the proportion of intra-chromosomal (cis-) over inter-chromosomal (trans-) interactions when comparing cancer and healthy tissue GCNs. In particular, for breast cancer molecular subtypes (Luminal A included), the majority of high co-expression interactions connect gene-pairs in the same chromosome, a phenomenon that we have called loss of trans- co-expression. Despite this phenomenon has been described, the functional implication of this specific network topology has not been studied yet. To understand the biological role that communities of co-expressed genes may have, we constructed GCNs for healthy and Luminal A phenotypes. Network modules were obtained based on their connectivity patterns and they were classified according to their chromosomal homophily (proportion of cis-/trans- interactions). A functional overrepresentation analysis was performed on communities in both networks to observe the significantly enriched processes for each community. We also investigated possible mechanisms for which the loss of trans- co-expression emerges in cancer GCN. To this end we evaluated transcription factor binding sites, CTCF binding sites, differential gene expression and copy number alterations (CNAs) in the cancer GCN. We found that trans- communities in Luminal A present more significantly enriched categories than cis- ones. Processes, such as angiogenesis, cell proliferation, or cell adhesion were found in trans- modules. The differential expression analysis showed that FOXM1, CENPA, and CIITA transcription factors, exert a major regulatory role on their communities by regulating expression of their target genes in other chromosomes. Finally, identification of CNAs, displayed a high enrichment of deletion peaks in cis- communities. With this approach, we demonstrate that network topology determine, to at certain extent, the function in Luminal A breast cancer network. Furthermore, several mechanisms seem to be acting together to avoid trans- co-expression. Since this phenomenon has been observed in other cancer tissues, a remaining question is whether the loss of long distance co-expression is a novel hallmark of cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana García-Cortés
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico.,Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Enrique Hernández-Lemus
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico.,Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jesús Espinal-Enríquez
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico.,Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
García-Cortés D, de Anda-Jáuregui G, Fresno C, Hernández-Lemus E, Espinal-Enríquez J. Gene Co-expression Is Distance-Dependent in Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1232. [PMID: 32850369 PMCID: PMC7396632 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast carcinomas are characterized by anomalous gene regulatory programs. As is well-known, gene expression programs are able to shape phenotypes. Hence, the understanding of gene co-expression may shed light on the underlying mechanisms behind the transcriptional regulatory programs affecting tumor development and evolution. For instance, in breast cancer, there is a clear loss of inter-chromosomal (trans-) co-expression, compared with healthy tissue. At the same time cis- (intra-chromosomal) interactions are favored in breast tumors. In order to have a deeper understanding of regulatory phenomena in cancer, here, we constructed Gene Co-expression Networks by using TCGA-derived RNA-seq whole-genome samples corresponding to the four breast cancer molecular subtypes, as well as healthy tissue. We quantify the cis-/trans- co-expression imbalance in all phenotypes. Additionally, we measured the association between co-expression and physical distance between genes, and characterized the ratio of intra/inter-cytoband interactions per phenotype. We confirmed loss of trans- co-expression in all molecular subtypes. We also observed that gene cis- co-expression decays abruptly with distance in all tumors in contrast with healthy tissue. We observed co-expressed gene hotspots, that tend to be connected at cytoband regions, and coincide accurately with already known copy number altered regions, such as Chr17q12, or Chr8q24.3 for all subtypes. Our methodology recovered different alterations already reported for specific breast cancer subtypes, showing how co-expression network approaches might help to capture distinct events that modify the cell regulatory program.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana García-Cortés
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Cristóbal Fresno
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Enrique Hernández-Lemus
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jesús Espinal-Enríquez
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Maoz M, Devir M, Inbar M, Inbar-Daniel Z, Sherill-Rofe D, Bloch I, Meir K, Edelman D, Azzam S, Nechushtan H, Maimon O, Uziely B, Kadouri L, Sonnenblick A, Eden A, Peretz T, Zick A. Clinical Implications of Sub-grouping HER2 Positive Tumors by Amplicon Structure and Co-amplified Genes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18795. [PMID: 31827209 PMCID: PMC6906288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55455-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
ERBB2 amplification is a prognostic marker for aggressive tumors and a predictive marker for prolonged survival following treatment with HER2 inhibitors. We attempt to sub-group HER2+ tumors based on amplicon structures and co-amplified genes. We examined five HER2+ cell lines, three HER2+ xenographs and 57 HER2+ tumor tissues. ERBB2 amplification was analyzed using digital droplet PCR and low coverage whole genome sequencing. In some HER2+ tumors PPM1D, that encodes WIP1, is co-amplified. Cell lines were treated with HER2 and WIP1 inhibitors. We find that inverted duplication is the amplicon structure in the majority of HER2+ tumors. In patients suffering from an early stage disease the ERBB2 amplicon is composed of a single segment while in patients suffering from advanced cancer the amplicon is composed of several different segments. We find robust WIP1 inhibition in some HER2+ PPM1D amplified cell lines. Sub-grouping HER2+ tumors using low coverage whole genome sequencing identifies inverted duplications as the main amplicon structure and based on the number of segments, differentiates between local and advanced tumors. In addition, we found that we could determine if a tumor is a recurrent tumor or second primary tumor and identify co-amplified oncogenes that may serve as targets for therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Maoz
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Devir
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Inbar
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ziva Inbar-Daniel
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dana Sherill-Rofe
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Idit Bloch
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Karen Meir
- Department of Pathology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - David Edelman
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Salah Azzam
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hovav Nechushtan
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ofra Maimon
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Beatrice Uziely
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Luna Kadouri
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Amir Sonnenblick
- The Oncology Division, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amir Eden
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tamar Peretz
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Aviad Zick
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hernández-Lemus E, Reyes-Gopar H, Espinal-Enríquez J, Ochoa S. The Many Faces of Gene Regulation in Cancer: A Computational Oncogenomics Outlook. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E865. [PMID: 31671657 PMCID: PMC6896122 DOI: 10.3390/genes10110865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex disease at many different levels. The molecular phenomenology of cancer is also quite rich. The mutational and genomic origins of cancer and their downstream effects on processes such as the reprogramming of the gene regulatory control and the molecular pathways depending on such control have been recognized as central to the characterization of the disease. More important though is the understanding of their causes, prognosis, and therapeutics. There is a multitude of factors associated with anomalous control of gene expression in cancer. Many of these factors are now amenable to be studied comprehensively by means of experiments based on diverse omic technologies. However, characterizing each dimension of the phenomenon individually has proven to fall short in presenting a clear picture of expression regulation as a whole. In this review article, we discuss some of the more relevant factors affecting gene expression control both, under normal conditions and in tumor settings. We describe the different omic approaches that we can use as well as the computational genomic analysis needed to track down these factors. Then we present theoretical and computational frameworks developed to integrate the amount of diverse information provided by such single-omic analyses. We contextualize this within a systems biology-based multi-omic regulation setting, aimed at better understanding the complex interplay of gene expression deregulation in cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Hernández-Lemus
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City 14610, Mexico.
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
| | - Helena Reyes-Gopar
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City 14610, Mexico.
| | - Jesús Espinal-Enríquez
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City 14610, Mexico.
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
| | - Soledad Ochoa
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City 14610, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ben-David U, Amon A. Context is everything: aneuploidy in cancer. Nat Rev Genet 2019; 21:44-62. [DOI: 10.1038/s41576-019-0171-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
8
|
Menghi F, Barthel FP, Yadav V, Tang M, Ji B, Tang Z, Carter GW, Ruan Y, Scully R, Verhaak RGW, Jonkers J, Liu ET. The Tandem Duplicator Phenotype Is a Prevalent Genome-Wide Cancer Configuration Driven by Distinct Gene Mutations. Cancer Cell 2018; 34:197-210.e5. [PMID: 30017478 PMCID: PMC6481635 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The tandem duplicator phenotype (TDP) is a genome-wide instability configuration primarily observed in breast, ovarian, and endometrial carcinomas. Here, we stratify TDP tumors by classifying their tandem duplications (TDs) into three span intervals, with modal values of 11 kb, 231 kb, and 1.7 Mb, respectively. TDPs with ∼11 kb TDs feature loss of TP53 and BRCA1. TDPs with ∼231 kb and ∼1.7 Mb TDs associate with CCNE1 pathway activation and CDK12 disruptions, respectively. We demonstrate that p53 and BRCA1 conjoint abrogation drives TDP induction by generating short-span TDP mammary tumors in genetically modified mice lacking them. Lastly, we show how TDs in TDP tumors disrupt heterogeneous combinations of tumor suppressors and chromatin topologically associating domains while duplicating oncogenes and super-enhancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Menghi
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Floris P Barthel
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Vinod Yadav
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Ming Tang
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bo Ji
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Zhonghui Tang
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | | | - Yijun Ruan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Ralph Scully
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Roel G W Verhaak
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Jos Jonkers
- Oncode Institute and Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam 1066CX, the Netherlands
| | - Edison T Liu
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Rovira C. miRNA-convergent gene fusions. Mol Cell Oncol 2018; 5:e1406433. [PMID: 29404401 DOI: 10.1080/23723556.2017.1406433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In a recent study published in Nature Communications, we showed that intron-encoded microRNA genes (miRNA) are frequent partners of fusion genes in the cancer genome. Analyzed from a functional rather than structural perspective, these rearrangements represent a new class of fusions we called "miRNA-convergent fusions".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Rovira
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Oncology and Pathology and BioCARE, Strategic Cancer Research Program, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Frequent miRNA-convergent fusion gene events in breast cancer. Nat Commun 2017; 8:788. [PMID: 28983113 PMCID: PMC5629207 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01176-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of fusion genes have mainly focused on the formation of fusions that result in the production of hybrid proteins or, alternatively, on promoter-switching events that put a gene under the control of aberrant signals. However, gene fusions may also disrupt the transcriptional control of genes that are encoded in introns downstream of the breakpoint. By ignoring structural constraints of the transcribed fusions, we highlight the importance of a largely unexplored function of fusion genes. Here, we show, using breast cancer as an example, that miRNA host genes are specifically enriched in fusion genes and that many different, low-frequency, 5ʹ partners may deregulate the same miRNA irrespective of the coding potential of the fusion transcript. These results indicate that the concept of recurrence, defined by the rate of functionally important aberrations, needs to be revised to encompass convergent fusions that affect a miRNA independently of transcript structure and protein-coding potential. Fusion gene research traditionally focuses on fusions that result in hybrid proteins or promoter switching events. Here, the authors demonstrate enrichment of fusions in miRNA host genes in breast cancer, highlighting that disparate fusions could have convergent impact on miRNA.
Collapse
|
11
|
Chen Z, Zhou L, Wang L, Kazobinka G, Zhang X, Han X, Li B, Hou T. HBO1 promotes cell proliferation in bladder cancer via activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Mol Carcinog 2017; 57:12-21. [PMID: 28796367 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22715] [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: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Histone acetyltransferase binding to ORC1 (HBO1), a histone acetyltransferase, was recently identified as an oncoprotein; however, its role in bladder cancer remains unknown. In this study, we showed that HBO1 was highly expressed at both the mRNA and the protein levels in bladder cancer. HBO1 expression was associated with the clinical features of human bladder cancer, including tumor size (P = 0.018) and T (P = 0.007) classifications. Patients with higher HBO1 expression had shorter recurrence-free survival time, whereas patients with lower HBO1 expression had better survival time. Moreover, we found that ectopic overexpression of HBO1 promoted, whereas HBO1 silencing inhibited tumor growth in bladder cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. We further demonstrated that upregulation of HBO1 activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and led to nuclear localization of β-catenin and upregulation of downstream targets of of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. These findings suggest that HBO1 plays a key role in the progression of bladder cancer via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of bladder cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohui Chen
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Lijie Zhou
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Longwang Wang
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Gallina Kazobinka
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoping Zhang
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaomin Han
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Teng Hou
- Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Marotta M, Onodera T, Johnson J, Budd GT, Watanabe T, Cui X, Giuliano AE, Niida A, Tanaka H. Palindromic amplification of the ERBB2 oncogene in primary HER2-positive breast tumors. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41921. [PMID: 28211519 PMCID: PMC5314454 DOI: 10.1038/srep41921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogene amplification confers a growth advantage to tumor cells for clonal expansion. There are several, recurrently amplified oncogenes throughout the human genome. However, it remains unclear whether this recurrent amplification is solely a manifestation of increased fitness resulting from random amplification mechanisms, or if a genomic locus-specific amplification mechanism plays a role. Here we show that the ERBB2 oncogene at 17q12 is susceptible to palindromic gene amplification, a mechanism characterized by the inverted (palindromic) duplication of genomic segments, in HER2-positive breast tumors. We applied two genomic approaches to investigate amplification mechanisms: sequencing of DNA libraries enriched with tumor-derived palindromic DNA (Genome-wide Analysis of Palindrome Formation) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). We observed significant enrichment of palindromic DNA within amplified ERBB2 genomic segments. Palindromic DNA was particularly enriched at amplification peaks and at boundaries between amplified and normal copy-number regions. Thus, palindromic gene amplification shaped the amplified ERBB2 locus. The enrichment of palindromic DNA throughout the amplified segments leads us to propose that the ERBB2 locus is amplified through the mechanism that repeatedly generates palindromic DNA, such as Breakage-Fusion-Bridge cycles. The genomic architecture surrounding ERBB2 in the normal genome, such as segmental duplications, could promote the locus-specific mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Marotta
- Lerner Research Institute and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Taku Onodera
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jeffrey Johnson
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, USA
| | - G Thomas Budd
- Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Takaaki Watanabe
- Lerner Research Institute and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, USA
| | - Xiaojiang Cui
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, USA
| | - Armando E Giuliano
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, USA
| | - Atsushi Niida
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hisashi Tanaka
- Lerner Research Institute and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Reply to Watkins et al.: Whole-genome sequencing-based identification of diverse tandem duplicator phenotypes in human cancers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E5259-60. [PMID: 27543335 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610624113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
|
14
|
Willbanks A, Leary M, Greenshields M, Tyminski C, Heerboth S, Lapinska K, Haskins K, Sarkar S. The Evolution of Epigenetics: From Prokaryotes to Humans and Its Biological Consequences. GENETICS & EPIGENETICS 2016; 8:25-36. [PMID: 27512339 PMCID: PMC4973776 DOI: 10.4137/geg.s31863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The evolution process includes genetic alterations that started with prokaryotes and now continues in humans. A distinct difference between prokaryotic chromosomes and eukaryotic chromosomes involves histones. As evolution progressed, genetic alterations accumulated and a mechanism for gene selection developed. It was as if nature was experimenting to optimally utilize the gene pool without changing individual gene sequences. This mechanism is called epigenetics, as it is above the genome. Curiously, the mechanism of epigenetic regulation in prokaryotes is strikingly different from that in eukaryotes, mainly higher eukaryotes, like mammals. In fact, epigenetics plays a significant role in the conserved process of embryogenesis and human development. Malfunction of epigenetic regulation results in many types of undesirable effects, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. This review provides a comparative analysis and new insights into these aspects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amber Willbanks
- Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Meghan Leary
- Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Molly Greenshields
- Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Camila Tyminski
- Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Heerboth
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Karolina Lapinska
- Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn Haskins
- Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sibaji Sarkar
- Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.; Genome Science Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
QuIN: A Web Server for Querying and Visualizing Chromatin Interaction Networks. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1004809. [PMID: 27336171 PMCID: PMC4919057 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies of the human genome have indicated that regulatory elements (e.g. promoters and enhancers) at distal genomic locations can interact with each other via chromatin folding and affect gene expression levels. Genomic technologies for mapping interactions between DNA regions, e.g., ChIA-PET and HiC, can generate genome-wide maps of interactions between regulatory elements. These interaction datasets are important resources to infer distal gene targets of non-coding regulatory elements and to facilitate prioritization of critical loci for important cellular functions. With the increasing diversity and complexity of genomic information and public ontologies, making sense of these datasets demands integrative and easy-to-use software tools. Moreover, network representation of chromatin interaction maps enables effective data visualization, integration, and mining. Currently, there is no software that can take full advantage of network theory approaches for the analysis of chromatin interaction datasets. To fill this gap, we developed a web-based application, QuIN, which enables: 1) building and visualizing chromatin interaction networks, 2) annotating networks with user-provided private and publicly available functional genomics and interaction datasets, 3) querying network components based on gene name or chromosome location, and 4) utilizing network based measures to identify and prioritize critical regulatory targets and their direct and indirect interactions. AVAILABILITY: QuIN’s web server is available at http://quin.jax.org QuIN is developed in Java and JavaScript, utilizing an Apache Tomcat web server and MySQL database and the source code is available under the GPLV3 license available on GitHub: https://github.com/UcarLab/QuIN/.
Collapse
|
16
|
Aprelikova O, Chen K, El Touny LH, Brignatz-Guittard C, Han J, Qiu T, Yang HH, Lee MP, Zhu M, Green JE. The epigenetic modifier JMJD6 is amplified in mammary tumors and cooperates with c-Myc to enhance cellular transformation, tumor progression, and metastasis. Clin Epigenetics 2016; 8:38. [PMID: 27081402 PMCID: PMC4831179 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-016-0205-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Oncogene overexpression in primary cells often triggers the induction of a cellular safeguard response promoting senescence or apoptosis. Secondary cooperating genetic events are generally required for oncogene-induced tumorigenesis to overcome these biologic obstacles. We employed comparative genomic hybridization for eight genetically engineered mouse models of mammary cancer to identify loci that might harbor genes that enhance oncogene-induced tumorigenesis. Results Unlike many other mammary tumor models, the MMTV-Myc tumors displayed few copy number variants except for amplification of distal mouse chromosome 11 in 80 % of the tumors (syntenic to human 17q23-qter often amplified in human breast cancer). Analyses of candidate genes located in this region identified JMJD6 as an epigenetic regulatory gene that cooperates with Myc to enhance tumorigenesis. It suppresses Myc-induced apoptosis under varying stress conditions through inhibition of p19ARF messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein, leading to reduced levels of p53. JMJD6 binds to the p19ARF promoter and exerts its inhibitory function through demethylation of H4R3me2a. JMJD6 overexpression in MMTV-Myc cell lines increases tumor burden, induces EMT, and greatly enhances tumor metastasis. Importantly, we demonstrate that co-expression of high levels of JMJD6 and Myc is associated with poor prognosis for human ER+ breast cancer patients. Conclusions A novel epigenetic mechanism has been identified for how JMJD6 cooperates with Myc during oncogenic transformation. Combined high expression of Myc and JMJD6 confers a more aggressive phenotype in mouse and human tumors. Given the pleiotropic pro-tumorigenic activities of JMJD6, it may be useful as a prognostic factor and a therapeutic target for Myc-driven mammary tumorigenesis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13148-016-0205-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Aprelikova
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Kenny Chen
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Lara H El Touny
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Constance Brignatz-Guittard
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Justin Han
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Tinghu Qiu
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Howard H Yang
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Maxwell P Lee
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Min Zhu
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Jeffrey E Green
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4054, 37 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
The tandem duplicator phenotype as a distinct genomic configuration in cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E2373-82. [PMID: 27071093 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1520010113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing studies have revealed genome-wide structural variation patterns in cancer, such as chromothripsis and chromoplexy, that do not engage a single discernable driver mutation, and whose clinical relevance is unclear. We devised a robust genomic metric able to identify cancers with a chromotype called tandem duplicator phenotype (TDP) characterized by frequent and distributed tandem duplications (TDs). Enriched only in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and in ovarian, endometrial, and liver cancers, TDP tumors conjointly exhibit tumor protein p53 (TP53) mutations, disruption of breast cancer 1 (BRCA1), and increased expression of DNA replication genes pointing at rereplication in a defective checkpoint environment as a plausible causal mechanism. The resultant TDs in TDP augment global oncogene expression and disrupt tumor suppressor genes. Importantly, the TDP strongly correlates with cisplatin sensitivity in both TNBC cell lines and primary patient-derived xenografts. We conclude that the TDP is a common cancer chromotype that coordinately alters oncogene/tumor suppressor expression with potential as a marker for chemotherapeutic response.
Collapse
|
18
|
Sand LGL, Szuhai K, Hogendoorn PCW. Sequencing Overview of Ewing Sarcoma: A Journey across Genomic, Epigenomic and Transcriptomic Landscapes. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:16176-215. [PMID: 26193259 PMCID: PMC4519945 DOI: 10.3390/ijms160716176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive neoplasm occurring predominantly in adolescent Caucasians. At the genome level, a pathognomonic EWSR1-ETS translocation is present. The resulting fusion protein acts as a molecular driver in the tumor development and interferes, amongst others, with endogenous transcription and splicing. The Ewing sarcoma cell shows a poorly differentiated, stem-cell like phenotype. Consequently, the cellular origin of Ewing sarcoma is still a hot discussed topic. To further characterize Ewing sarcoma and to further elucidate the role of EWSR1-ETS fusion protein multiple genome, epigenome and transcriptome level studies were performed. In this review, the data from these studies were combined into a comprehensive overview. Presently, classical morphological predictive markers are used in the clinic and the therapy is dominantly based on systemic chemotherapy in combination with surgical interventions. Using sequencing, novel predictive markers and candidates for immuno- and targeted therapy were identified which were summarized in this review.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laurens G L Sand
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands.
| | - Karoly Szuhai
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands.
| | - Pancras C W Hogendoorn
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Grzeda KR, Royer-Bertrand B, Inaki K, Kim H, Hillmer AM, Liu ET, Chuang JH. Functional chromatin features are associated with structural mutations in cancer. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:1013. [PMID: 25417144 PMCID: PMC4253614 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-1013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural mutations (SMs) play a major role in cancer development. In some cancers, such as breast and ovarian, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) occur more frequently in transcribed regions, while in other cancer types such as prostate, there is a consistent depletion of breakpoints in transcribed regions. Despite such regularity, little is understood about the mechanisms driving these effects. A few works have suggested that protein binding may be relevant, e.g. in studies of androgen receptor binding and active chromatin in specific cell types. We hypothesized that this behavior might be general, i.e. that correlation between protein-DNA binding (and open chromatin) and breakpoint locations is common across divergent cancers. RESULTS We investigated this hypothesis by comprehensively analyzing the relationship among 457 ENCODE protein binding ChIP-seq experiments, 125 DnaseI and 24 FAIRE experiments, and 14,600 SMs from 8 diverse cancer datasets covering 147 samples. In most cancers, including breast and ovarian, we found enrichment of protein binding and open chromatin in the vicinity of SM breakpoints at distances up to 200 kb. Furthermore, for all cancer types we observed an enhanced enrichment in regions distant from genes when compared to regions proximal to genes, suggesting that the SM-induction mechanism is independent from the bias of DSBs to occur near transcribed regions. We also observed a stronger effect for sites with more than one protein bound. CONCLUSIONS Protein binding and open chromatin state are associated with nearby SM breakpoints in many cancer datasets. These observations suggest a consistent mechanism underlying SM locations across different cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof R Grzeda
- />The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, 10 Discovery Drive, Farmington, CT 06030 USA
| | - Beryl Royer-Bertrand
- />The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, 10 Discovery Drive, Farmington, CT 06030 USA
- />Department of Medical Genetics, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Koichiro Inaki
- />The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, 10 Discovery Drive, Farmington, CT 06030 USA
| | - Hyunsoo Kim
- />The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, 10 Discovery Drive, Farmington, CT 06030 USA
| | - Axel M Hillmer
- />Genome Technology and Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, 138672 Singapore
| | - Edison T Liu
- />The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, 10 Discovery Drive, Farmington, CT 06030 USA
- />The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 USA
| | - Jeffrey H Chuang
- />The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, 10 Discovery Drive, Farmington, CT 06030 USA
| |
Collapse
|