1
|
Nzigou Mombo B, Bijonowski BM, Raab CA, Niland S, Brockhaus K, Müller M, Eble JA, Wegner SV. Reversible photoregulation of cell-cell adhesions with opto-E-cadherin. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6292. [PMID: 37813868 PMCID: PMC10562482 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41932-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
E-cadherin-based cell-cell adhesions are dynamically and locally regulated in many essential processes, including embryogenesis, wound healing and tissue organization, with dysregulation manifesting as tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the lack of tools that would provide control of the high spatiotemporal precision observed with E-cadherin adhesions hampers investigation of the underlying mechanisms. Here, we present an optogenetic tool, opto-E-cadherin, that allows reversible control of E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesions with blue light. With opto-E-cadherin, functionally essential calcium binding is photoregulated such that cells expressing opto-E-cadherin at their surface adhere to each other in the dark but not upon illumination. Consequently, opto-E-cadherin provides remote control over multicellular aggregation, E-cadherin-associated intracellular signalling and F-actin organization in 2D and 3D cell cultures. Opto-E-cadherin also allows switching of multicellular behaviour between single and collective cell migration, as well as of cell invasiveness in vitro and in vivo. Overall, opto-E-cadherin is a powerful optogenetic tool capable of controlling cell-cell adhesions at the molecular, cellular and behavioural level that opens up perspectives for the study of dynamics and spatiotemporal control of E-cadherin in biological processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brice Nzigou Mombo
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Brent M Bijonowski
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Christopher A Raab
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Stephan Niland
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Katrin Brockhaus
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Marc Müller
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Johannes A Eble
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Seraphine V Wegner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstraße 15, 48149, Münster, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zubrzycka A, Migdalska-Sęk M, Jędrzejczyk S, Brzeziańska-Lasota E. Assessment of BMP7, SMAD4, and CDH1 Expression Profile and Regulatory miRNA-542-3p in Eutopic and Ectopic Endometrium of Women with Endometriosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076637. [PMID: 37047609 PMCID: PMC10095043 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the expression of numerous genes and the miRNAs that are recognized as their regulators in the endometrial cells of women with endometriosis may disrupt the intracellular signaling pathways associated with epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). So far, the functional role of BMP7 in endometrial physiology has been confirmed, especially in the context of fertility, but the role of the activation of a specific mechanism operating through the BMP–SMAD–CDH1 axis in the formation of endometrial lesions remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression profile of miR-542-3p and the EMT markers (BMP7, SMAD4, CDH1) in matched eutopic endometrium (EUE) and ectopic endometrium (ECE) samples from women with endometriosis in relation to healthy women. The levels of expression of the studied genes and miRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from women diagnosed with endometriosis and those without the disease were also evaluated. Fifty-four patients (n = 54: with endometriosis—n = 29 and without endometriosis—n = 25) were included in the study. A comparative analysis of the relative mean expression values (RQ) of the studied mRNA and miRNA assessed by RT-qPCR demonstrated downregulation of BMP7, SMAD4, and CDH1 expression in ectopic lesions and upregulation in the eutopic endometrium compared with the control group. In the eutopic tissue of women with endometriosis, miR-542-3p expression was similar to that of the control but significantly lower than in endometrial lesions. We also confirmed a trend towards a negative correlation between miR-542-3p and BMP7 in ectopic tissue, and in PBMC, a significant negative correlation of miR-542-3p with further BMP signaling genes, i.e., SMAD4 and CDH1, was observed. These results indicate that the miRNA selected by us may be a potential negative regulator of BMP7-SMAD4-CDH1 signaling associated with EMT. The different patterns of BMP7, SMAD4, and CDH1 gene expression in ECE, EUE, and the control endometrium observed by us suggests the loss of the endometrial epithelium phenotype in women with endometriosis and demonstrates their involvement in the pathogenesis and pathomechanism of this disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Zubrzycka
- Department of Biomedicine and Genetics, Medical University of Lodz, St. Pomorska 251, C-5, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
| | - Monika Migdalska-Sęk
- Department of Biomedicine and Genetics, Medical University of Lodz, St. Pomorska 251, C-5, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
| | - Sławomir Jędrzejczyk
- Institute of Medical Expertises, St. Aleksandrowska 67/93, 91-205 Lodz, Poland
- Operative and Conservative Gynecology Ward, Dr. K. Jonscher Municipal Medical Centre, St. Milionowa 14, 93-113 Lodz, Poland
| | - Ewa Brzeziańska-Lasota
- Department of Biomedicine and Genetics, Medical University of Lodz, St. Pomorska 251, C-5, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Conrad C, Conway J, Polacheck WJ, Rizvi I, Scarcelli G. Water transport regulates nucleus volume, cell density, Young's modulus, and E-cadherin expression in tumor spheroids. Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151278. [PMID: 36306595 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell volume is maintained by the balance of water and solutes across the cell membrane and plays an important role in mechanics and biochemical signaling in cells. Here, we assess the relationship between cell volume, mechanical properties, and E-cadherin expression in three-dimensional cultures for ovarian cancer. To determine the effect of water transport in multi-cellular tumors, ovarian cancer spheroids were subjected to hypotonic and hypertonic shock using water and sucrose mixtures, respectively. Increased osmolality resulted in decreased nucleus volume, increased Young's modulus, and increased tumor cell density in ovarian cancer spheroids. Next, we looked at the reversibility of mechanics and morphology after 5 min of osmotic shock and found that spheroids had a robust ability to return to their original state. Finally, we quantified the size of E-cadherin clusters at cell-cell junctions and observed a significant increase in aggregate size following 30 min of hypertonic and hypotonic osmotic shocks. Yet, these effects were not apparent after 5 min of osmotic shock, illustrating a temporal difference between E-cadherin regulation and the immediate mechanical and morphology changes. Still, the osmotically induced E-cadherin aggregates which formed at the 30-minute timepoint was reversible when spheroids were replenished with isotonic medium. Altogether, this work demonstrated an important role of osmolality in transforming mechanical, morphology, and molecular states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Conrad
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Jessica Conway
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - William J Polacheck
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Imran Rizvi
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhao J, Zhao R, Xiang C, Shao J, Guo L, Han Y. YAP1-MAML2 Fusion as a Diagnostic Biomarker for Metaplastic Thymoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:692283. [PMID: 34354947 PMCID: PMC8329546 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.692283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metaplastic thymoma is a very rare tumor with only a few case reports documented in literature. Hence, its molecular features have not been well explored. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seventeen specimens of metaplastic thymoma were sequenced and retrospectively analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry in the study. In addition, seven cases of micronodular thymoma with lymphoid stroma and nine cases of type A thymoma were also investigated. RESULTS Among these metaplastic thymomas, fifteen cases showed classical histological features, and two cases displayed characteristic micronodular-like growth patterns. DNA and RNA based next-generation sequencing identified and confirmed highly recurrent Yes Associated Protein 1 (YAP1) - Mastermind Like Transcriptional Coactivator 2 (MAML2) translocation (13/17, 76.5%) in metaplastic thymoma but not in micronodular thymoma with lymphoid stroma (0/7, 0%) and type A thymoma (0/9, 0%). In addition, six nonsense mutations were also detected in the metaplastic thymoma. FISH in microdissection specimens indicated that both epithelioid and spindle cell components harbored YAP1-MAML2 gene rearrangements. CONCLUSIONS Our study explored the genetic alterations in epithelioid and spindle cell components in metaplastic thymoma. Furthermore, YAP1-MAML2 gene rearrangements emerged as a potential diagnostic biomarker helpful for distinguishing metaplastic thymoma from type A and micronodular thymoma with lymphoid stroma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Yuchen Han
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Downregulation of E-cadherin in pluripotent stem cells triggers partial EMT. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2048. [PMID: 33479502 PMCID: PMC7820496 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81735-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical cellular process that has been well characterized during embryonic development and cancer metastasis and it also is implicated in several physiological and pathological events including embryonic stem cell differentiation. During early stages of differentiation, human embryonic stem cells pass through EMT where deeper morphological, molecular and biochemical changes occur. Though initially considered as a decision between two states, EMT process is now regarded as a fluid transition where cells exist on a spectrum of intermediate states. In this work, using a CRISPR interference system in human embryonic stem cells, we describe a molecular characterization of the effects of downregulation of E-cadherin, one of the main initiation events of EMT, as a unique start signal. Our results suggest that the decrease and delocalization of E-cadherin causes an incomplete EMT where cells retain their undifferentiated state while expressing several characteristics of a mesenchymal-like phenotype. Namely, we found that E-cadherin downregulation induces SNAI1 and SNAI2 upregulation, promotes MALAT1 and LINC-ROR downregulation, modulates the expression of tight junction occludin 1 and gap junction connexin 43, increases human embryonic stem cells migratory capacity and delocalize β-catenin. Altogether, we believe our results provide a useful tool to model the molecular events of an unstable intermediate state and further identify multiple layers of molecular changes that occur during partial EMT.
Collapse
|
6
|
Lee H, Son YS, Lee MO, Ryu JW, Park K, Kwon O, Jung KB, Kim K, Ryu TY, Baek A, Kim J, Jung CR, Ryu CM, Park YJ, Han TS, Kim DS, Cho HS, Son MY. Low-dose interleukin-2 alleviates dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice by recovering intestinal integrity and inhibiting AKT-dependent pathways. Theranostics 2020; 10:5048-5063. [PMID: 32308767 PMCID: PMC7163458 DOI: 10.7150/thno.41534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Several phase 1/2 clinical trials showed that low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) treatment is a safe and effective strategy for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease, hepatitis C virus-induced vasculitis, and type 1 diabetes. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the colon that lacks satisfactory treatment. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of low-dose IL-2 as a therapeutic for UC on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Methods: Mice with DSS-induced colitis were intraperitoneally injected with low-dose IL-2. Survival, body weight, disease activity index, colon length, histopathological score, myeloperoxidase activity and inflammatory cytokine levels as well as intestinal barrier integrity were examined. Differential gene expression after low-dose IL-2 treatment was analyzed by RNA-sequencing. Results: Low-dose IL-2 significantly improved the symptoms of DSS-induced colitis in mice and attenuated pro-inflammatory cytokine production and immune cell infiltration. The most effective dose range of IL-2 was 16K-32K IU/day. Importantly, low-dose IL-2 was effective in ameliorating the disruption of epithelial barrier integrity in DSS-induced colitis tissues by restoring tight junction proteins and mucin production and suppressing apoptosis. The colon tissue of DSS-induced mice exposed to low-dose IL-2 mimic gene expression patterns in the colons of control mice. Furthermore, we identified the crucial role of the PI3K-AKT pathway in exerting the therapeutic effect of low-dose IL-2. Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that low-dose IL-2 has therapeutic effects on DSS-induced colitis and potential clinical value in treating UC.
Collapse
|
7
|
Santacreu BJ, Pescio LG, Romero DJ, Corradi GR, Sterin-Speziale N, Favale NO. Sphingosine kinase and sphingosine-1-phosphate regulate epithelial cell architecture by the modulation of de novo sphingolipid synthesis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213917. [PMID: 30897151 PMCID: PMC6428330 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids regulate several aspects of cell behavior and it has been demonstrated that cells adjust their sphingolipid metabolism in response to metabolic needs. Particularly, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a final product of sphingolipid metabolism, is a potent bioactive lipid involved in the regulation of various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, cell migration, actin cytoskeletal reorganization and cell adhesion. In previous work in rat renal papillae, we showed that sphingosine kinase (SK) expression and S1P levels are developmentally regulated and control de novo sphingolipid synthesis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the participation of SK/S1P pathway in the triggering of cell differentiation by external hypertonicity. We found that hypertonicity evoked a sharp decrease in SK expression, thus activating the de novo sphingolipid synthesis pathway. Furthermore, the inhibition of SK activity evoked a relaxation of cell-cell adherens junction (AJ) with accumulation of the AJ complex (E-cadherin/β-catenin/α-catenin) in the Golgi complex, preventing the acquisition of the differentiated cell phenotype. This phenotype alteration was a consequence of a sphingolipid misbalance with an increase in ceramide levels. Moreover, we found that SNAI1 and SNAI2 were located in the cell nucleus with impairment of cell differentiation induced by SK inhibition, a fact that is considered a biochemical marker of epithelial to mesenchymal transition. So, we suggest that the expression and activity of SK1, but not SK2, act as a control system, allowing epithelial cells to synchronize the various branches of sphingolipid metabolism for an adequate cell differentiation program.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Jaime Santacreu
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucila Gisele Pescio
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniela Judith Romero
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gerardo Raúl Corradi
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Superior, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Norma Sterin-Speziale
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Laboratorio Nacional de Investigación y Servicios de Péptidos y Proteínas—Espectrometría de Masa (LANAIS PROEM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail: (NOF); (NSS)
| | - Nicolás Octavio Favale
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail: (NOF); (NSS)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Geng YH, Wang ZF, Jia YM, Zheng LY, Chen L, Liu DG, Li XH, Tian XX, Fang WG. Genetic polymorphisms in CDH1 are associated with endometrial carcinoma susceptibility among Chinese Han women. Oncol Lett 2018; 16:6868-6878. [PMID: 30405831 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.9469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cadherin 1 (CDH1) gene plays critical roles in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process, potentially offering us a glimpse into the development of endometrial carcinoma (EC). The present study aimed to identify whether genetic variants in CDH1 affect EC susceptibility in Chinese Han women, using a strategy combining haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) association analysis with fine-scale mapping. A total of 9 htSNPs in CDH1 were genotyped among 516 cases and 706 age-matched cancer-free controls. Logistic regression analyses revealed 3 htSNPs (rs17715799, rs6499199 and rs13689) to be associated with increased EC risk and 3 htSNPs (rs12185157, rs10431923 and rs4783689) with decreased EC risk. Furthermore, 14 newly imputed SNPs of CDH1 were identified to be associated with EC risk (P<0.05) using genotype imputation analysis. Notably, multivariate logistic analysis demonstrated that rs13689, rs10431923 and rs10431924 could affect EC susceptibility independently (P≤0.001). Subsequent Generalized Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction analysis revealed several best fitting models for predicting EC risk, including SNP-SNP interactions among rs7100190, rs12185157, rs10431923, rs7186053, rs6499199, rs4783689, rs13689, rs6499197 and rs10431924, and SNP-environment interactions between related SNPs and number of childbirth. Moreover, functional annotations suggest that the majority of these susceptible variants may carry potential biological functions that affect certain gene regulatory elements. In summary, this study suggested that the genetic polymorphisms of CDH1 were indeed associated with EC susceptibility on several levels. If further additional functional studies could verify these findings, these genetic variants may serve as future personalized markers for the early prediction of endometrial cancer in Chinese Han women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue-Hang Geng
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Zi-Fan Wang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Mian Jia
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Li-Yuan Zheng
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Lan Chen
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
| | - Dong-Ge Liu
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100005, P.R. China
| | - Xiang-Hong Li
- Department of Pathology, Peking University School of Oncology, Beijing Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing 100142, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Xia Tian
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Gang Fang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kaplan N, Ventrella R, Peng H, Pal-Ghosh S, Arvanitis C, Rappoport JZ, Mitchell BJ, Stepp MA, Lavker RM, Getsios S. EphA2/Ephrin-A1 Mediate Corneal Epithelial Cell Compartmentalization via ADAM10 Regulation of EGFR Signaling. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2018; 59:393-406. [PMID: 29351356 PMCID: PMC5774870 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-22941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Progenitor cells of the limbal epithelium reside in a discrete area peripheral to the more differentiated corneal epithelium and maintain tissue homeostasis. What regulates the limbal-corneal epithelial boundary is a major unanswered question. Ephrin-A1 ligand is enriched in the limbal epithelium, whereas EphA2 receptor is concentrated in the corneal epithelium. This reciprocal pattern led us to assess the role of ephrin-A1 and EphA2 in limbal-corneal epithelial boundary organization. Methods EphA2-expressing corneal epithelial cells engineered to express ephrin-A1 were used to study boundary formation in vitro in a manner that mimicked the relative abundance of these juxtamembrane signaling proteins in the limbal and corneal epithelium in vivo. Interaction of these two distinct cell populations following initial seeding into discrete culture compartments was assessed by live cell imaging. Immunofluoresence and immunoblotting was used to evaluate the contribution of downstream growth factor signaling and cell-cell adhesion systems to boundary formation at sites of heterotypic contact between ephrin-A1 and EphA2 expressing cells. Results Ephrin-A1-expressing cells impeded and reversed the migration of EphA2-expressing corneal epithelial cells upon heterotypic contact formation leading to coordinated migration of the two cell populations in the direction of an ephrin-A1-expressing leading front. Genetic silencing and pharmacologic inhibitor studies demonstrated that the ability of ephrin-A1 to direct migration of EphA2-expressing cells depended on an a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway that limited E-cadherin-mediated adhesion at heterotypic boundaries. Conclusions Ephrin-A1/EphA2 signaling complexes play a key role in limbal-corneal epithelial compartmentalization and the response of these tissues to injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nihal Kaplan
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Rosa Ventrella
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Han Peng
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Sonali Pal-Ghosh
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | - Constadina Arvanitis
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Joshua Z Rappoport
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Brian J Mitchell
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Mary Ann Stepp
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | - Robert M Lavker
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Spiro Getsios
- Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Over-activation of AKT signaling leading to 5-Fluorouracil resistance in SNU-C5/5-FU cells. Oncotarget 2018; 9:19911-19928. [PMID: 29731993 PMCID: PMC5929436 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we investigated whether over-activation of AKT pathway is important in the resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in SNU-C5/5-FU cells, 5-FU-resistant human colon cancer cells. When compared to wild type SNU-C5 cells (WT), SNU-C5/5-FU cells showed over-activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, like increased phosphorylation of AKT, mTOR, and GSK-3β, nuclear localization of β-catenin, and decreased E-cadherin. Moreover, E-cadherin level was down-regulated in recurrent colon cancer tissues compared to primary colon cancer tissues. Gene silencing of AKT1 or treatment of LY294002 (PI3 kinase inhibitor) increased E-cadherin, whereas decreased phospho-GSK-3β. LY294002 also reduced protein level of β-catenin with no influence on mRNA level. PTEN level was higher in SNU-C5/WT than SNU-C5/5-FU cells, whereas the loss of PETN in SNU-C5/WT cells induced characteristics of SNU-C5/5-FU cells. In SNU-C5/5-FU cells, NF-κB signaling was activated, along with the overexpression of COX-2 and stabilization of survivin. However, increased COX-2 contributed to the stabilization of survivin, which directly interacts with cytoplasmic procaspase-3, while the inhibition of AKT reduced this cascade. We finally confirmed that combination treatment with 5-FU and LY294002 or Vioxx could induce apoptosis in SNU-C5/5-FU cells. These data suggest that inhibition of AKT activation may overcome 5-FU-resistance in SNU-C5/5-FU cells. These findings provide evidence that over-activation of AKT is crucial for the acquisition of resistance to anticancer drugs and AKT pathway could be a therapeutic target for cancer treatment.
Collapse
|
11
|
Sun D, Shen W, Zhang F, Fan H, Xu C, Li L, Tan J, Miao Y, Zhang H, Yang Y, Cheng H. α-Hederin inhibits interleukin 6-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition associated with disruption of JAK2/STAT3 signaling in colon cancer cells. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 101:107-114. [PMID: 29477470 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.02.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Colon cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed malignancy and has high morbidity worldwide. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been increasingly implicated in colon cancer progression and metastasis. The present study was aimed to evaluate the potential antitumor activity of α-hederin, a monodesmosidic triterpenoid saponin isolated from Hedera helix, in human SW620 colon cancer cells stimulated with interleukin 6 (IL-6) for mimicking the tumor inflammatory microenvironment in vivo. Cell viability assay showed that IL-6 at 6.25 ng/ml significantly enhanced viability of SW620 cells, and thus this concentration was used to stimulate SW620 cells throughout this study. We observed that α-hederin concentration-dependently inhibited cell viability, migration and invasion in IL-6-treated SW620 cells. Moreover, α-hederin significantly restored IL-6-induced decrease in E-cadherin expression and abolished IL-6-induced increase in N-cadherin, vimentin, fibronectin, twist and snail at both mRNA and protein levels in SW620 cells. These data suggested that α-hederin suppressed IL-6-indcued EMT in colon cancer cells. Further molecular examinations showed that α-hederin inhibited phosphorylation of Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3(STAT3), and halted the nuclear translocation of phosphorylated STAT3 in IL-6-treated SW620 cells. In addition, JAK2/STAT3 signaling inhibitor AG490 not only produced similar inhibitory effects on EMT markers as α-hederin, but also synergistically enhanced α-hederin's inhibitory effects on EMT markers in IL-6-treated SW620 cells. Altogether, we demonstrated that α-hederin suppressed IL-6-induced EMT associated with disruption of JAK2/STAT3 signaling in colon cancer cells. Our data strongly suggested α-hederin as a promising candidate for intervention of colon cancer and metastasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Sun
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Famous Doctors' Proved Recipe Evaluation and Transformation Under State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Proved Anticarcinoma Recipe Research and Industrialization Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Weixing Shen
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Famous Doctors' Proved Recipe Evaluation and Transformation Under State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Proved Anticarcinoma Recipe Research and Industrialization Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Feng Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Huisen Fan
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Changliang Xu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Famous Doctors' Proved Recipe Evaluation and Transformation Under State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Proved Anticarcinoma Recipe Research and Industrialization Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Liu Li
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Famous Doctors' Proved Recipe Evaluation and Transformation Under State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Proved Anticarcinoma Recipe Research and Industrialization Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Jiani Tan
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Famous Doctors' Proved Recipe Evaluation and Transformation Under State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Proved Anticarcinoma Recipe Research and Industrialization Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Yunjie Miao
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Famous Doctors' Proved Recipe Evaluation and Transformation Under State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Proved Anticarcinoma Recipe Research and Industrialization Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Haibin Zhang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Ye Yang
- School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Famous Doctors' Proved Recipe Evaluation and Transformation Under State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Proved Anticarcinoma Recipe Research and Industrialization Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
| | - Haibo Cheng
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Famous Doctors' Proved Recipe Evaluation and Transformation Under State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Proved Anticarcinoma Recipe Research and Industrialization Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangsu Province of Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abdalla Z, Walsh T, Thakker N, Ward CM. Loss of epithelial markers is an early event in oral dysplasia and is observed within the safety margin of dysplastic and T1 OSCC biopsies. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187449. [PMID: 29216196 PMCID: PMC5720771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly aggressive cancer that is associated with poor 5-year patient survival. Disease treatment is further compounded by the difficulty in predicting pre-cancerous tissues that will progress to OSCC and the high recurrence rates following surgical resection. Here we have assessed expression of the oral epithelial markers E-cadherin, EMP1 and 5T4 and the pro-invasive N-cadherin proteins using fully characterised antibodies and quantitative immunofluorescence microscopy in normal tissue (NT), fibroepithelial polyp (FEP), low-grade dysplasia (LGD), high-grade dysplasia (HGD), T1 OSCC and T4 OSCC biopsies. Decreased E-cadherin expression was associated with FEP, LGD and HGD biopsies, demonstrating that loss of E-cadherin is an early event within abnormal epithelium and occurs in the absence of an E- to N-cadherin switch, the latter of which was only observed in T4 OSCC. Furthermore, loss of E-cadherin and EMP1 is an indicator of LGD (p = 0.0006) and loss of E-cadherin, EMP1 and 5T4 an indicator of HGD (p = 0.0006). Expression patterns of E-cadherin, EMP1 and N-cadherin could predict abnormal epithelium in LGD, HGD, T1 and T4 OSCC biopsies (z-value = 0 for all disease grades) and allowed classification of LGD (z = 1.47), HGD (z = 2.138), T1 (z = 1.05) and T4 OSCC (z = 1.49) biopsies. Therefore, these markers provide a useful means to predict abnormal epithelium in patient biopsies. Linear regression and coefficient of determination analysis revealed positive correlation with a NT>LGD>HGD disease transition but low correlation with a putative HGD>T1 OSCC>T4 OSCC disease transition. Furthermore, expression of E-cadherin, EMP1, 5T4 and N-cadherin in pathologically normal surgical safety margins of LGD, HGD and T1 OSCC patient biopsies revealed significant differences to NT and the use of safety margins or FEP as ‘normal tissue’ controls introduced Type II errors in all patient cohorts. This work forms the basis for further investigation of the role of E-cadherin loss in abnormal epithelium and in the development of automated analyses for use in cancer diagnostics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Abdalla
- Stem Cell Research Group, Manchester Dental School, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Tanya Walsh
- Stem Cell Research Group, Manchester Dental School, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nalin Thakker
- Department of Histopathology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher M. Ward
- Stem Cell Research Group, Manchester Dental School, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Tatapudy S, Aloisio F, Barber D, Nystul T. Cell fate decisions: emerging roles for metabolic signals and cell morphology. EMBO Rep 2017; 18:2105-2118. [PMID: 29158350 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201744816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how cell fate decisions are regulated is a fundamental goal of developmental and stem cell biology. Most studies on the control of cell fate decisions address the contributions of changes in transcriptional programming, epigenetic modifications, and biochemical differentiation cues. However, recent studies have found that other aspects of cell biology also make important contributions to regulating cell fate decisions. These cues can have a permissive or instructive role and are integrated into the larger network of signaling, functioning both upstream and downstream of developmental signaling pathways. Here, we summarize recent insights into how cell fate decisions are influenced by four aspects of cell biology: metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS), intracellular pH (pHi), and cell morphology. For each topic, we discuss how these cell biological cues interact with each other and with protein-based mechanisms for changing gene transcription. In addition, we highlight several questions that remain unanswered in these exciting and relatively new areas of the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sumitra Tatapudy
- Departments of Anatomy and OB-GYN/RS, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Francesca Aloisio
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Diane Barber
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Todd Nystul
- Departments of Anatomy and OB-GYN/RS, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Nagarajan D, Wang L, Zhao W, Han X. Trichostatin A inhibits radiation-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the alveolar epithelial cells. Oncotarget 2017; 8:101745-101759. [PMID: 29254201 PMCID: PMC5731911 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiation-induced pneumonitis and fibrosis are major complications following thoracic radiotherapy. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in tissue injury leading to organ fibrosis, including lung. Our previous studies have reported that radiation can induce EMT in the type II alveolar epithelial cells in both in vitro and in vivo. HDAC inhibitors are a new family of anti-cancer agents currently being used in several clinical trials. In addition to their intrinsic anti-tumor properties, HDAC inhibition is also important in other human diseases, including fibrosis and radiation-induced damage. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Trichostatin A (TSA), a HDAC inhibitor, on radiation-induced EMT in type II alveolar epithelial cells (RLE-6TN). Pre-treatment of RLE-6TN cells with TSA inhibited radiation-induced EMT-like morphological alterations including elevated protein level of α-SMA and Snail, reduction of E-cadherin expression, enhanced phosphorylation of GSK3β and ERK1/2, increased generation of ROS. Radiation enhanced the protein level of TGF-β1, which was blocked by N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant. Treating cells with SB-431542, TGF-β1 type I receptor inhibitor, diminished radiation-induced alterations in the protein levels of p-GSK-3β, Snail-1 and α-SMA, suggesting a regulatory role of TGF-β1 in EMT. Pre-incubation of cells with TSA showed significant decrease in the level of TGF-β1 compared to radiation control. Collectively, these results demonstrate that i] radiation-induced EMT in RLE-6TN cells is mediated by ROS/MEK/ERK and ROS/TGF-β1 signaling pathways and ii] the inhibitory role of TSA in radiation-induced EMT appears to be due, at least in part, to its action of blocking ROS and TGF-β1 signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Devipriya Nagarajan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,School of Chemical & Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Weiling Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Tangshan People's Hospital, Tangshan, Hebei, China
| | - Xiaochen Han
- Tangshan People's Hospital, Tangshan, Hebei, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Fei BY, He X, Ma J, Zhang M, Chai R. FoxM1 is associated with metastasis in colorectal cancer through induction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:6553-6561. [PMID: 29163688 PMCID: PMC5686434 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.7022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Immunohistochemical assays were performed to detect FoxM1 and epithelial (E-) cadherin protein expression in 92 CRC, 61 colonic adenoma and 32 wild-type colonic tissue samples. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays were performed to determine the expression levels of FoxM1 and E-cadherin mRNAs in 30 CRC and adjacent normal mucosal tissues. RNA interference was used to knock down endogenous FoxM1 expression in CRC cell lines, and the migratory and invasive capacity of the CRC cells was analyzed. The expression of FoxM1, E-cadherin and neuronal (N-) cadherin in the CRC cell lines was evaluated using qPCR and Western blot analysis. The relative expression levels of FoxM1 mRNA and protein were significantly increased in the CRC tissues compared with those in the colonic adenoma and wild-type mucosal tissue samples (P<0.01). In contrast, the relative expression levels of E-cadherin mRNA and protein were significantly decreased in the CRC tissues compared with in the colonic adenoma and normal mucosal tissues (P<0.01). FoxM1 overexpression and decreased E-cadherin expression were significantly associated with poor colonic tissue differentiation, lymph node metastasis and an advanced tumor-node-metastasis stage. Additionally, the increased expression of FoxM1 was associated with a decrease in E-cadherin expression (P<0.01). Furthermore, RNA interference-mediated FoxM1 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of CRC cells. Downregulation of FoxM1 expression significantly increased E-cadherin expression and decreased N-cadherin expression. The results of the present study suggest that FoxM1 overexpression in tumor tissues is significantly associated with metastasis in CRC through the induction of EMT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bao-Ying Fei
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, P.R. China
| | - Xujun He
- Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology of Zhejiang, Zhejiang Province People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Province People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China
| | - Mei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Province People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China
| | - Rui Chai
- Department of Anorectal Surgery, Zhejiang Province People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Schumann-Gillett A, Mark AE, Deplazes E, O'Mara ML. A potential new, stable state of the E-cadherin strand-swapped dimer in solution. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2017. [PMID: 28620741 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-017-1229-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
E-cadherin is a transmembrane glycoprotein that facilitates inter-cellular adhesion in the epithelium. The ectodomain of the native structure is comprised of five repeated immunoglobulin-like domains. All E-cadherin crystal structures show the protein in one of three alternative conformations: a monomer, a strand-swapped trans homodimer and the so-called X-dimer, which is proposed to be a kinetic intermediate to forming the strand-swapped trans homodimer. However, previous studies have indicated that even once the trans strand-swapped dimer is formed, the complex is highly dynamic and the E-cadherin monomers may reorient relative to each other. Here, molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate the stability and conformational flexibility of the human E-cadherin trans strand-swapped dimer. In four independent, 100 ns simulations, the dimer moved away from the starting structure and converged to a previously unreported structure, which we call the Y-dimer. The Y-dimer was present for over 90% of the combined simulation time, suggesting that it represents a stable conformation of the E-cadherin dimer in solution. The Y-dimer conformation is stabilised by interactions present in both the trans strand-swapped dimer and X-dimer crystal structures, as well as additional interactions not found in any E-cadherin dimer crystal structures. The Y-dimer represents a previously unreported, stable conformation of the human E-cadherin trans strand-swapped dimer and suggests that the available crystal structures do not fully capture the conformations that the human E-cadherin trans homodimer adopts in solution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Schumann-Gillett
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (SCMB), University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Research School of Chemistry (RSC), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2061, Australia
| | - Alan E Mark
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (SCMB), University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- The Institute for Molecular Biosciences (IMB), University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Evelyne Deplazes
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (SCMB), University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Research School of Chemistry (RSC), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2061, Australia.
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
| | - Megan L O'Mara
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (SCMB), University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. megan.o'
- Research School of Chemistry (RSC), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2061, Australia. megan.o'
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Vimentin is a potential prognostic factor for tongue squamous cell carcinoma among five epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178581. [PMID: 28570699 PMCID: PMC5453552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to investigate the association of the expression levels of five epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins (Snail, Twist, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin) with tumorigenesis, pathologic parameters and prognosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) patients by immunohistochemistry of tissue microarray. The expression levels of Snail, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin were significantly different between the tumor adjacent normal and tumor tissues. In tumor tissues, lower E-cadherin and higher N-cadherin levels were associated with a higher grade of cell differentiation, advanced stage of disease, and lymph node metastasis. However, higher Vimentin expression was associated with poor cell differentiation and lymph node metastasis. Patients with low E-cadherin expression had poor disease-specific survival (DSS). Conversely, positive N-cadherin and higher Vimentin expression levels were associated with poor DSS and disease-free survival. Notably, our multivariate Cox regression model indicated that high Vimentin expression was an adverse prognostic factor for DSS in TSCC patients, even after the adjustment for cell differentiation, pathological stage, and expression levels of Snail, Twist, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin. Snail, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin were associated with tumorigenesis and pathological outcomes. Among the five EMT-related proteins, Vimentin was a potential prognostic factor for TSCC patients.
Collapse
|
18
|
Wang Z, Zhang J, Zeng Y, Sun S, Zhang J, Zhang B, Zhu M, Ouyang R, Ma B, Ye M, An X, Liu J. Knockout of 4.1B triggers malignant transformation in SV40T-immortalized mouse embryo fibroblast cells. Mol Carcinog 2016; 56:538-549. [DOI: 10.1002/mc.22515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zi Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences; Central South University; Changsha China
| | - Jingxin Zhang
- College of Life Sciences; Zhengzhou University; Zhengzhou China
| | - Yayue Zeng
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences; Central South University; Changsha China
| | - Shuming Sun
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences; Central South University; Changsha China
| | - Ji Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences; Central South University; Changsha China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology; Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University; Changsha China
| | - Min Zhu
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences; Central South University; Changsha China
| | - Ruoyun Ouyang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Respiratory Disease Research Institute; Second XiangYa Hospital of Central South University; Changsha China
| | - Bianyin Ma
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences; Central South University; Changsha China
| | - Mao Ye
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University; Changsha China
| | - Xiuli An
- College of Life Sciences; Zhengzhou University; Zhengzhou China
- Laboratory of Membrane Biology; New York Blood Center; New York New York
| | - Jing Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Sciences; Central South University; Changsha China
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Focal exposure of limited lung volumes to high-dose irradiation down-regulated organ development-related functions and up-regulated the immune response in mouse pulmonary tissues. BMC Genet 2016; 17:29. [PMID: 26818610 PMCID: PMC4729165 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-016-0338-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the emergence of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for treatment of medically inoperable early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer patients, the molecular effects of focal exposure of limited lung volumes to high-dose radiation have not been fully characterized. This study was designed to identify molecular changes induced by focal high-dose irradiation using a mouse model of SBRT. Results Central areas of the mouse left lung were focally-irradiated (3 mm in diameter) with a single high-dose of radiation (90 Gy). Temporal changes in gene expression in the irradiated and non-irradiated neighboring lung regions were analyzed by microarray. For comparison, the long-term effect (12 months) of 20 Gy radiation on a diffuse region of lung was also measured. The majority of genes were down-regulated in the focally-irradiated lung areas at 2 to 3 weeks after irradiation. This pattern of gene expression was clearly different than gene expression in the diffuse region of lungs exposed to low-dose radiation. Ontological and pathway analyses indicated these down-regulated genes were mainly associated with organ development. Although the number was small, genes that were up-regulated after focal irradiation were associated with immune-related functions. The temporal patterns of gene expression and the associated biological functions were also similar in non-irradiated neighboring lung regions, although statistical significance was greatly reduced when compared with those from focally-irradiated areas of the lung. From network analysis of temporally regulated genes, we identified inter-related modules associated with diverse functions, including organ development and the immune response, in both the focally-irradiated regions and non-irradiated neighboring lung regions. Conclusions Focal exposure of lung tissue to high-dose radiation induced expression of genes associated with organ development and the immune response. This pattern of gene expression was also observed in non-irradiated neighboring areas of lung tissue, indicating a global lung response to focal high-dose irradiation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12863-016-0338-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
|
20
|
Kang JI, Hong JY, Lee HJ, Bae SY, Jung C, Park HJ, Lee SK. Anti-Tumor Activity of Yuanhuacine by Regulating AMPK/mTOR Signaling Pathway and Actin Cytoskeleton Organization in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144368. [PMID: 26656173 PMCID: PMC4676678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Yuanhuacine (YC), a daphnane diterpenoid from the flowers of Daphne genkwa, exhibited a potential growth inhibitory activity against human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. YC also suppressed the invasion and migration of lung cancer cells. However, the precise molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we report that YC significantly activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway and suppressed mTORC2-mediated downstream signaling pathway in H1993 human NSCLC cells. AMPK plays an important role in energy metabolism and cancer biology. Therefore, activators of AMPK signaling pathways can be applicable to the treatment of cancer. YC enhanced the expression of p-AMPKα. The co-treatment of YC and compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) or metformin (an AMPK activator) also confirmed that YC increases p-AMPKα. YC also suppressed the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) expression, a downstream target of AMPK. Further study revealed that YC modulates mTORC2-associated downstream signaling pathways with a decreased expressions of p-Akt, p-protein kinase C alpha (PKCα), p-ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) and filamentous actin (F-actin) that are known to activate cell growth and organize actin cytoskeleton. In addition, YC inhibited the tumor growth in H1993 cell-implanted xenograft nude mouse model. These data suggest the YC could be a potential candidate for cancer chemotherapeutic agents derived from natural products by regulating AMPK/mTORC2 signaling pathway and actin cytoskeleton organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji In Kang
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151–742, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Young Hong
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151–742, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Jung Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151–742, Republic of Korea
| | - Song Yi Bae
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151–742, Republic of Korea
| | - Cholomi Jung
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151–742, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyen Joo Park
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151–742, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Kook Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151–742, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zeira E, Abramovitch R, Meir K, Ram SE, Gil Y, Bulvik B, Bromberg Z, Levkovitch O, Nahmansson N, Adar R, Reubinoff B, Galun E, Gropp M. The knockdown of H19lncRNA reveals its regulatory role in pluripotency and tumorigenesis of human embryonic carcinoma cells. Oncotarget 2015; 6:34691-703. [PMID: 26415227 PMCID: PMC4741483 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.5787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of imprinted H19 long non-coding RNA is still controversial. It is highly expressed in early embryogenesis and decreases after birth and re-expressed in cancer. To study the role of H19 in oncogenesis and pluripotency, we down-regulated H19 expression in vitro and in vivo in pluripotent human embryonic carcinoma (hEC) and embryonic stem (hES) cells. H19 knockdown resulted in a decrease in the expression of the pluripotency markers Oct4, Nanog, TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81, and in the up-regulation of SSEA1; it further attenuated cell proliferation, decreased cell-matrix attachment, and up-regulated E-Cadherin expression. SCID-Beige mice transplanted with H19 down-regulated hEC cells exhibited slower kinetics of tumor formation, resulting in an increased animal survival. Tumors derived from H19 down-regulated cells showed a decrease in the expression of pluripotency markers and up-regulation of SSEA-1 and E-cadherin. Our results suggest that H19 oncogenicity in hEC cells is mediated through the regulation of the pluripotency state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Zeira
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rinat Abramovitch
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Karen Meir
- The Department of Pathology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sharona Even Ram
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Sydney and Judy Swartz Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yaniv Gil
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Sydney and Judy Swartz Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Baruch Bulvik
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Zohar Bromberg
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Or Levkovitch
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nathalie Nahmansson
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Revital Adar
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin Reubinoff
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Sydney and Judy Swartz Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eithan Galun
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Gropp
- The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Sydney and Judy Swartz Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Nguyen AH, Wang Y, White DE, Platt MO, McDevitt TC. MMP-mediated mesenchymal morphogenesis of pluripotent stem cell aggregates stimulated by gelatin methacrylate microparticle incorporation. Biomaterials 2015; 76:66-75. [PMID: 26519649 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) remodel the extracellular matrix (ECM) to facilitate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) and promote cell specification during embryonic development. In this study, we hypothesized that introducing degradable ECM-based biomaterials to pluripotent stem cell (PSC) aggregates would modulate endogenous proteolytic activity and consequently enhance the differentiation and morphogenesis within 3D PSC aggregates. Gelatin methacrylate (GMA) microparticles (MPs) of low (∼20%) or high (∼90%) cross-linking densities were incorporated into mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) aggregates, and the effects on MMP activity and cell differentiation were examined with or without MMP inhibition. ESC aggregates containing GMA MPs expressed significantly higher levels of total MMP and MMP-2 than aggregates without MPs. GMA MP incorporation increased expression of EMT markers and enhanced mesenchymal morphogenesis of PSC aggregates. MMP inhibition completely abrogated these effects, and GMA MP-induced MMP activation within ESC aggregates was partially reduced by pSMAD 1/5/8 inhibition. These results suggest that GMA particles activate MMPs by protease-substrate interactions to promote EMT and mesenchymal morphogenesis of ESC aggregates in an MMP-dependent manner. We speculate that controlling protease activity via the introduction of ECM-based materials may offer a novel route to engineer the ECM microenvironment to modulate stem cell differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anh H Nguyen
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yun Wang
- The Gladstone Institute for Cardiovascular Disease, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Douglas E White
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Manu O Platt
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; The Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Todd C McDevitt
- The Gladstone Institute for Cardiovascular Disease, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Novel therapeutic strategy targeting the Hedgehog signalling and mTOR pathways in biliary tract cancer. Br J Cancer 2015; 112:1042-51. [PMID: 25742482 PMCID: PMC4366884 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2014.625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 11/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Activation of the PI3K/mTOR and Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathways occurs frequently in biliary tract cancer (BTC). Crosstalk between these pathways occurs in other gastrointestinal cancers. The respective signalling inhibitors rapamycin and vismodegib may inhibit BTC synergistically and suppress cancer stem cells (CSCs). Methods: Gene expression profiling for p70S6k and Gli1 was performed with BTC cell lines. Tumour and pathway inhibitory effects of rapamycin and vismodegib were investigated in BTC preclinical models and CSCs. Results: Rapamycin and vismodegib synergistically reduced BTC cell viability and proliferation. This drug combination arrested BTC Mz-ChA-1 cells in the G1 phase but had no significant effect on the cell cycle of BTC Sk-ChA-1 cells. Combined treatment inhibited the proliferation of CSCs and ALDH-positive cells. Nanog and Oct-4 expression in CSCs was decreased by the combination treatment. Western blotting results showed the p-p70S6K, p-Gli1, p-mTOR, and p-AKT protein expression were inhibited by the combination treatment in BTC cells. In an Mz-ChA-1 xenograft model, combination treatment resulted in 80% inhibition of tumour growth and prolonged tumour doubling time. In 4 of 10 human BTC specimens, tumour p-p70S6K and Gli1 protein expression levels were decreased with the combination treatment. Conclusions: Targeted inhibition of the PI3K/mTOR and Hhpathways indicates a new avenue for BTC treatment with combination therapy.
Collapse
|
24
|
Telford BJ, Chen A, Beetham H, Frick J, Brew TP, Gould CM, Single A, Godwin T, Simpson KJ, Guilford P. Synthetic Lethal Screens Identify Vulnerabilities in GPCR Signaling and Cytoskeletal Organization in E-Cadherin–Deficient Cells. Mol Cancer Ther 2015; 14:1213-23. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-14-1092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
25
|
Kim YS, Hwang KA, Hyun SH, Nam KH, Lee CK, Choi KC. Bisphenol A and Nonylphenol Have the Potential to Stimulate the Migration of Ovarian Cancer Cells by Inducing Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition via an Estrogen Receptor Dependent Pathway. Chem Res Toxicol 2015; 28:662-71. [DOI: 10.1021/tx500443p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ki-Hoan Nam
- Laboratory Animal Resource
Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 30
Yeongudanji-ro, Ochang-eup, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Kyu Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Major,
and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Gao H, Wu X, Simon L, Fossett N. Antioxidants maintain E-cadherin levels to limit Drosophila prohemocyte differentiation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107768. [PMID: 25226030 PMCID: PMC4167200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulate a variety of biological processes by networking with signal transduction pathways to maintain homeostasis and support adaptation to stress. In this capacity, ROS have been shown to promote the differentiation of progenitor cells, including mammalian embryonic and hematopoietic stem cells and Drosophila hematopoietic progenitors (prohemocytes). However, many questions remain about how ROS alter the regulatory machinery to promote progenitor differentiation. Here, we provide evidence for the hypothesis that ROS reduce E-cadherin levels to promote Drosophila prohemocyte differentiation. Specifically, we show that knockdown of the antioxidants, Superoxide dismutatase 2 and Catalase reduce E-cadherin protein levels prior to the loss of Odd-skipped-expressing prohemocytes. Additionally, over-expression of E-cadherin limits prohemocyte differentiation resulting from paraquat-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, two established targets of ROS, Enhancer of Polycomb and FOS, control the level of E-cadherin protein expression. Finally, we show that knockdown of either Superoxide dismutatase 2 or Catalase leads to an increase in the E-cadherin repressor, Serpent. As a result, antioxidants and targets of ROS can control E-cadherin protein levels, and over-expression of E-cadherin can ameliorate the prohemocyte response to oxidative stress. Collectively, these data strongly suggest that ROS promote differentiation by reducing E-cadherin levels. In mammalian systems, ROS promote embryonic stem cell differentiation, whereas E-cadherin blocks differentiation. However, it is not known if elevated ROS reduce E-cadherin to promote embryonic stem cell differentiation. Thus, our findings may have identified an important mechanism by which ROS promote stem/progenitor cell differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongjuan Gao
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Xiaorong Wu
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - LaTonya Simon
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Nancy Fossett
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Alizadeh AM, Shiri S, Farsinejad S. Metastasis review: from bench to bedside. Tumour Biol 2014; 35:8483-523. [PMID: 25104089 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-014-2421-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the final result of uninhibited cell growth that involves an enormous group of associated diseases. One major aspect of cancer is when cells attack adjacent components of the body and spread to other organs, named metastasis, which is the major cause of cancer-related mortality. In developing this process, metastatic cells must successfully negotiate a series of complex steps, including dissociation, invasion, intravasation, extravasation, and dormancy regulated by various signaling pathways. In this review, we will focus on the recent studies and collect a comprehensive encyclopedia in molecular basis of metastasis, and then we will discuss some new potential therapeutics which target the metastasis pathways. Understanding the new aspects on molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways controlling tumor cell metastasis is critical for the development of therapeutic strategies for cancer patients that would be valuable for researchers in both fields of molecular and clinical oncology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mohammad Alizadeh
- Cancer Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1419733141, Iran,
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Kim YS, Yi BR, Kim NH, Choi KC. Role of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and its effects on embryonic stem cells. Exp Mol Med 2014; 46:e108. [PMID: 25081188 PMCID: PMC4150931 DOI: 10.1038/emm.2014.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is important for embryonic development and the formation of various tissues or organs. However, EMT dysfunction in normal cells leads to diseases, such as cancer or fibrosis. During the EMT, epithelial cells are converted into more invasive and active mesenchymal cells. E-box-binding proteins, including Snail, ZEB and helix–loop–helix family members, serve as EMT-activating transcription factors. These transcription factors repress the expression of epithelial markers, for example, E-cadherin, rearrange the cytoskeleton and promote the expression of mesenchymal markers, such as vimentin, fibronectin and other EMT-activating transcription factors. Signaling pathways that induce EMT, including transforming growth factor-β, Wnt/glycogen synthase kinase-3β, Notch and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways, interact with each other for the regulation of this process. Although the mechanism(s) underlying EMT in cancer or embryonic development have been identified, the mechanism(s) in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) remain unclear. In this review, we describe the underlying mechanisms of important EMT factors, indicating a precise role for EMT in ESCs, and characterize the relationship between EMT and ESCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Seul Kim
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo-Rim Yi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam-Hyung Kim
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Chul Choi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Chen A, Beetham H, Black MA, Priya R, Telford BJ, Guest J, Wiggins GAR, Godwin TD, Yap AS, Guilford PJ. E-cadherin loss alters cytoskeletal organization and adhesion in non-malignant breast cells but is insufficient to induce an epithelial-mesenchymal transition. BMC Cancer 2014. [PMID: 25079037 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-552%2010.1186/1471-2407-14-552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND E-cadherin is an adherens junction protein that forms homophilic intercellular contacts in epithelial cells while also interacting with the intracellular cytoskeletal networks. It has roles including establishment and maintenance of cell polarity, differentiation, migration and signalling in cell proliferation pathways. Its downregulation is commonly observed in epithelial tumours and is a hallmark of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). METHODS To improve our understanding of how E-cadherin loss contributes to tumorigenicity, we investigated the impact of its elimination from the non-tumorigenic breast cell line MCF10A. We performed cell-based assays and whole genome RNAseq to characterize an isogenic MCF10A cell line that is devoid of CDH1 expression due to an engineered homozygous 4 bp deletion in CDH1 exon 11. RESULTS The E-cadherin-deficient line, MCF10A CDH1-/- showed subtle morphological changes, weaker cell-substrate adhesion, delayed migration, but retained cell-cell contact, contact growth inhibition and anchorage-dependent growth. Within the cytoskeleton, the apical microtubule network in the CDH1-deficient cells lacked the radial pattern of organization present in the MCF10A cells and F-actin formed thicker, more numerous stress fibres in the basal part of the cell. Whole genome RNAseq identified compensatory changes in the genes involved in cell-cell adhesion while genes involved in cell-substrate adhesion, notably ITGA1, COL8A1, COL4A2 and COL12A1, were significantly downregulated. Key EMT markers including CDH2, FN1, VIM and VTN were not upregulated although increased expression of proteolytic matrix metalloprotease and kallikrein genes was observed. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results demonstrated that E-cadherin loss alone was insufficient to induce an EMT or enhance transforming potential in the non-tumorigenic MCF10A cells but was associated with broad transcriptional changes associated with tissue remodelling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Parry J Guilford
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Chen A, Beetham H, Black MA, Priya R, Telford BJ, Guest J, Wiggins GAR, Godwin TD, Yap AS, Guilford PJ. E-cadherin loss alters cytoskeletal organization and adhesion in non-malignant breast cells but is insufficient to induce an epithelial-mesenchymal transition. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:552. [PMID: 25079037 PMCID: PMC4131020 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background E-cadherin is an adherens junction protein that forms homophilic intercellular contacts in epithelial cells while also interacting with the intracellular cytoskeletal networks. It has roles including establishment and maintenance of cell polarity, differentiation, migration and signalling in cell proliferation pathways. Its downregulation is commonly observed in epithelial tumours and is a hallmark of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Methods To improve our understanding of how E-cadherin loss contributes to tumorigenicity, we investigated the impact of its elimination from the non-tumorigenic breast cell line MCF10A. We performed cell-based assays and whole genome RNAseq to characterize an isogenic MCF10A cell line that is devoid of CDH1 expression due to an engineered homozygous 4 bp deletion in CDH1 exon 11. Results The E-cadherin-deficient line, MCF10A CDH1-/- showed subtle morphological changes, weaker cell-substrate adhesion, delayed migration, but retained cell-cell contact, contact growth inhibition and anchorage-dependent growth. Within the cytoskeleton, the apical microtubule network in the CDH1-deficient cells lacked the radial pattern of organization present in the MCF10A cells and F-actin formed thicker, more numerous stress fibres in the basal part of the cell. Whole genome RNAseq identified compensatory changes in the genes involved in cell-cell adhesion while genes involved in cell-substrate adhesion, notably ITGA1, COL8A1, COL4A2 and COL12A1, were significantly downregulated. Key EMT markers including CDH2, FN1, VIM and VTN were not upregulated although increased expression of proteolytic matrix metalloprotease and kallikrein genes was observed. Conclusions Overall, our results demonstrated that E-cadherin loss alone was insufficient to induce an EMT or enhance transforming potential in the non-tumorigenic MCF10A cells but was associated with broad transcriptional changes associated with tissue remodelling. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2407-14-552) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Parry J Guilford
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Chen A, Beetham H, Black MA, Priya R, Telford BJ, Guest J, Wiggins GAR, Godwin TD, Yap AS, Guilford PJ. E-cadherin loss alters cytoskeletal organization and adhesion in non-malignant breast cells but is insufficient to induce an epithelial-mesenchymal transition. BMC Cancer 2014. [PMID: 25079037 PMCID: PMC4131020 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-552 10.1186/1471-2407-14-552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND E-cadherin is an adherens junction protein that forms homophilic intercellular contacts in epithelial cells while also interacting with the intracellular cytoskeletal networks. It has roles including establishment and maintenance of cell polarity, differentiation, migration and signalling in cell proliferation pathways. Its downregulation is commonly observed in epithelial tumours and is a hallmark of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). METHODS To improve our understanding of how E-cadherin loss contributes to tumorigenicity, we investigated the impact of its elimination from the non-tumorigenic breast cell line MCF10A. We performed cell-based assays and whole genome RNAseq to characterize an isogenic MCF10A cell line that is devoid of CDH1 expression due to an engineered homozygous 4 bp deletion in CDH1 exon 11. RESULTS The E-cadherin-deficient line, MCF10A CDH1-/- showed subtle morphological changes, weaker cell-substrate adhesion, delayed migration, but retained cell-cell contact, contact growth inhibition and anchorage-dependent growth. Within the cytoskeleton, the apical microtubule network in the CDH1-deficient cells lacked the radial pattern of organization present in the MCF10A cells and F-actin formed thicker, more numerous stress fibres in the basal part of the cell. Whole genome RNAseq identified compensatory changes in the genes involved in cell-cell adhesion while genes involved in cell-substrate adhesion, notably ITGA1, COL8A1, COL4A2 and COL12A1, were significantly downregulated. Key EMT markers including CDH2, FN1, VIM and VTN were not upregulated although increased expression of proteolytic matrix metalloprotease and kallikrein genes was observed. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results demonstrated that E-cadherin loss alone was insufficient to induce an EMT or enhance transforming potential in the non-tumorigenic MCF10A cells but was associated with broad transcriptional changes associated with tissue remodelling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Augustine Chen
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Henry Beetham
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Michael A Black
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Rashmi Priya
- Division of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane 4072 Australia
| | - Bryony J Telford
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Joanne Guest
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - George A R Wiggins
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Tanis D Godwin
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Alpha S Yap
- Division of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane 4072 Australia
| | - Parry J Guilford
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Xu W, Hu X, Chen Z, Zheng X, Zhang C, Wang G, Chen Y, Zhou X, Tang X, Luo L, Xu X, Pan W. Normal fibroblasts induce E-cadherin loss and increase lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97306. [PMID: 24845259 PMCID: PMC4028202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A tumor is considered a heterogeneous complex in a three-dimensional environment that is flush with pathophysiological and biomechanical signals. Cell-stroma interactions guide the development and generation of tumors. Here, we evaluate the contributions of normal fibroblasts to gastric cancer. Methodology/Principal Findings By coculturing normal fibroblasts in monolayers of BGC-823 gastric cancer cells, tumor cells sporadically developed short, spindle-like morphological characteristics and demonstrated enhanced proliferation and invasive potential. Furthermore, the transformed tumor cells demonstrated decreased tumor formation and increased lymphomatic and intestinal metastatic potential. Non-transformed BGC-823 cells, in contrast, demonstrated primary tumor formation and delayed intestinal and lymph node invasion. We also observed E-cadherin loss and the upregulation of vimentin expression in the transformed tumor cells, which suggested that the increase in metastasis was induced by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Conclusion Collectively, our data indicated that normal fibroblasts sufficiently induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in cancer cells, thereby leading to metastasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinlei Hu
- Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital (Binjiang Branch) of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongting Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Qujiang People’s Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Chenjing Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Experimental Animal Research Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinglu Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Tang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Laisheng Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, Second Affiliated Hospital (Binjiang Branch) of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wensheng Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital (Binjiang Branch) of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ding NH, Li JJ, Sun LQ. Molecular mechanisms and treatment of radiation-induced lung fibrosis. Curr Drug Targets 2013; 14:1347-56. [PMID: 23909719 PMCID: PMC4156316 DOI: 10.2174/13894501113149990198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2013] [Revised: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF) is a severe side effect of radiotherapy in lung cancer patients that presents as a progressive pulmonary injury combined with chronic inflammation and exaggerated organ repair. RILF is a major barrier to improving the cure rate and well-being of lung cancer patients because it limits the radiation dose that is required to effectively kill tumor cells and diminishes normal lung function. Although the exact mechanism is unclear, accumulating evidence suggests that various cells, cytokines and regulatory molecules are involved in the tissue reorganization and immune response modulation that occur in RILF. In this review, we will summarize the general symptoms, diagnostics, and current understanding of the cells and molecular factors that are linked to the signaling networks implicated in RILF. Potential approaches for the treatment of RILF will also be discussed. Elucidating the key molecular mediators that initiate and control the extent of RILF in response to therapeutic radiation may reveal additional targets for RILF treatment to significantly improve the efficacy of radiotherapy for lung cancer patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nian-Hua Ding
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
| | - Jian Jian Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Lun-Quan Sun
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ivanov AI, Naydenov NG. Dynamics and regulation of epithelial adherens junctions: recent discoveries and controversies. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2013; 303:27-99. [PMID: 23445808 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-407697-6.00002-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Adherens junctions (AJs) are evolutionarily conserved plasma-membrane structures that mediate cell-cell adhesions in multicellular organisms. They are organized by several types of adhesive integral membrane proteins, most notably cadherins and nectins that are clustered and stabilized by a number of cytoplasmic scaffolds. AJs are key regulators of tissue architecture and dynamics via control of cell proliferation, polarity, shape, motility, and survival. They are absolutely critical for normal tissue morphogenesis and their disruption results in pathological abnormalities in different tissues. Although the field of adherens-junction research dramatically progressed in recent years, a number of important questions remain controversial and poorly understood. This review outlines basic principles that regulate organization of AJs in mammalian epithelia and discusses recent advances and standing controversies in the field. A special attention is paid to the regulation of AJs by vesicle trafficking and the intracellular cytoskeleton as well as roles and mechanisms of adherens-junction disruption during tumor progression and tissue inflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrei I Ivanov
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Gao H, Wu X, Fossett N. Drosophila E-cadherin functions in hematopoietic progenitors to maintain multipotency and block differentiation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74684. [PMID: 24040319 PMCID: PMC3764055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question in stem cell biology concerns the regulatory strategies that control the choice between multipotency and differentiation. Drosophila blood progenitors or prohemocytes exhibit key stem cell characteristics, including multipotency, quiescence, and niche dependence. As a result, studies of Drosophila hematopoiesis have provided important insights into the molecular mechanisms that control these processes. Here, we show that E-cadherin is an important regulator of prohemocyte fate choice, maintaining prohemocyte multipotency and blocking differentiation. These functions are reminiscent of the role of E-cadherin in mammalian embryonic stem cells. We also show that mis-expression of E-cadherin in differentiating hemocytes disrupts the boundary between these cells and undifferentiated prohemocytes. Additionally, upregulation of E-cadherin in differentiating hemocytes increases the number of intermediate cell types expressing the prohemocyte marker, Patched. Furthermore, our studies indicate that the Drosophila GATA transcriptional co-factor, U-shaped, is required for E-cadherin expression. Consequently, E-cadherin is a downstream target of U-shaped in the maintenance of prohemocyte multipotency. In contrast, we showed that forced expression of the U-shaped GATA-binding partner, Serpent, repressed E-cadherin expression and promoted lamellocyte differentiation. Thus, U-shaped may maintain E-cadherin expression by blocking the inhibitory activity of Serpent. Collectively, these observations suggest that GATA:FOG complex formation regulates E-cadherin levels and, thereby, the choice between multipotency and differentiation. The work presented in this report further defines the molecular basis of prohemocyte cell fate choice, which will provide important insights into the mechanisms that govern stem cell biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongjuan Gao
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xiaorong Wu
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nancy Fossett
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Lu XJ, Gu GL, Wei XM, Ren L, Ning SB, Li DC. Expression of key members of classical Wnt signal pathway in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2013; 21:655-660. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v21.i8.655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To detect the expression of E-cadherin (E-Cad), β-catenin (β-Cat), matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), c-Myc and Cyclin D1 proteins in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS).
METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of E-Cad, β-Cat, MMP-7, C-Myc and Cyclin D1 in 40 cases of PJS, 20 cases of colorectal cancer and 20 cases of normal colorectal mucosa. The clinical data for the included patients were analyzed retrospectively.
RESULTS: The positive rates of E-Cad and β-Cat expression on the membrane, β-Cat expression in the nucleus, and MMP-7, c-Myc and Cyclin D1 expression differed significantly among the normal mucosa group, PJS group and colorectal cancer group. In the PJS group, the expression of E-Cad and β-Cat on the membrane increased with the increase in patient age or polyp size, and the expression of β-Cat in the nucleus and the expression of MMP-7, c-Myc and Cyclin D1 increased with the increase in polyp size. The expression of E-Cad and β-Cat on the membrane had a negative correlation with that of β-Cat in the nucleus and the expression of MMP-7, c-Myc and Cyclin D1 in PJS.
CONCLUSION: The aberrant activation of classical Wnt pathway and the epithelial- mesenchymal transition mediated by Wnt signalling may play an important role in the tumorigenesis and development of PJS. This may correlate with the crosstalk with the LKB1/mTOR pathway.
Collapse
|
37
|
Di Fiore R, Guercio A, Puleio R, Di Marco P, Drago-Ferrante R, D'Anneo A, De Blasio A, Carlisi D, Di Bella S, Pentimalli F, Forte IM, Giordano A, Tesoriere G, Vento R. Modeling human osteosarcoma in mice through 3AB-OS cancer stem cell xenografts. J Cell Biochem 2013; 113:3380-92. [PMID: 22688921 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.24214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for children and young adults. In this study, we have subcutaneously injected-with and without matrigel-athymic mice (Fox1nu/nu) with human osteosarcoma 3AB-OS pluripotent cancer stem cells (CSCs), which we previously isolated from human osteosarcoma MG63 cells. Engrafted 3AB-OS cells were highly tumorigenic and matrigel greatly accelerated both tumor engraftment and growth rate. 3AB-OS CSC xenografts lacked crucial regulators of beta-catenin levels (E-cadherin, APC, and GSK-3beta), and crucial factors to restrain proliferation, resulting therefore in a strong proliferation potential. During the first weeks of engraftment 3AB-OS-derived tumors expressed high levels of pAKT, beta1-integrin and pFAK, nuclear beta-catenin, c-Myc, cyclin D2, along with high levels of hyperphosphorylated-inactive pRb and anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and XIAP, and matrigel increased the expression of proliferative markers. Thereafter 3AB-OS tumor xenografts obtained with matrigel co-injection showed decreased proliferative potential and AKT levels, and undetectable hyperphosphorylated pRb, whereas beta1-integrin and pFAK levels still increased. Engrafted tumor cells also showed multilineage commitment with matrigel particularly favoring the mesenchymal lineage. Concomitantly, many blood vessels and muscle fibers appeared in the tumor mass. Our findings suggest that matrigel might regulate 3AB-OS cell behavior providing adequate cues for transducing proliferation and differentiation signals triggered by pAKT, beta1-integrin, and pFAK and addressed by pRb protein. Our results provide for the first time a mouse model that recapitulates in vivo crucial features of human osteosarcoma CSCs that could be used to test and predict the efficacy in vivo of novel therapeutic treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Di Fiore
- Section of Biochemical Sciences, Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, Polyclinic, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Xu J, Lim SBH, Ng MY, Ali SM, Kausalya JP, Limviphuvadh V, Maurer-Stroh S, Hunziker W. ZO-1 regulates Erk, Smad1/5/8, Smad2, and RhoA activities to modulate self-renewal and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells 2013; 30:1885-900. [PMID: 22782886 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
ZO-1/Tjp1 is a cytosolic adaptor that links tight junction (TJ) transmembrane proteins to the actin cytoskeleton and has also been implicated in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation by interacting with transcriptional regulators and signaling proteins. To explore possible roles for ZO-1 in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), we inactivated the ZO-1 locus by homologous recombination. The lack of ZO-1 was found to affect mESC self-renewal and differentiation in the presence of leukemia-inhibiting factor (LIF) and Bmp4 or following removal of the growth factors. Our data suggest that ZO-1 suppresses Stat3 and Smad1/5/8 activities and sustains extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (Erk) activity to promote mESC differentiation. Interestingly, Smad2, critical for human but not mESC self-renewal, was hyperactivated in ZO-1(-/-) mESCs and RhoA protein levels were concomitantly enhanced, suggesting attenuation of the noncanonical transforming growth factor β (Tgfβ)/Activin/Nodal pathway that mediates ubiquitination and degradation of RhoA via the TJ proteins Occludin, Par6, and Smurf1 and activation of the canonical Smad2-dependent pathway. Furthermore, Bmp4-induced differentiation of mESCs in the absence of LIF was suppressed in ZO-1(-/-) mESCs, but differentiation down the neural or cardiac lineages was not disturbed. These findings reveal novel roles for ZO-1 in mESC self-renewal, pluripotency, and differentiation by influencing several signaling networks that regulate these processes. Possible implications for the differing relevance of Smad2 in mESC and human ESC self-renewal and how ZO-1 may connect to the different pathways are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianliang Xu
- Epithelial Cell Biology Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Milla Sanabria L, Rodríguez ME, Cogno IS, Rumie Vittar NB, Pansa MF, Lamberti MJ, Rivarola VA. Direct and indirect photodynamic therapy effects on the cellular and molecular components of the tumor microenvironment. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2012; 1835:36-45. [PMID: 23046998 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2012.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2012] [Revised: 09/28/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel cancer treatment. It involves the activation of a photosensitizer (PS) with light of specific wavelength, which interacts with molecular oxygen to generate singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) that lead to tumor cell death. When a tumor is treated with PDT, in addition to affect cancer cells, the extracellular matrix and the other cellular components of the microenvironment are altered and finally this had effects on the tumor cells survival. Furthermore, the heterogeneity in the availability of nutrients and oxygen in the different regions of a tridimensional tumor has a strong impact on the sensitivity of cells to PDT. In this review, we summarize how PDT affects indirectly to the tumor cells, by the alterations on the extracellular matrix, the cell adhesion and the effects over the immune response. Also, we describe direct PDT effects on cancer cells, considering the intratumoral role that autophagy mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) has on the efficiency of the treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Milla Sanabria
- Department of Molecular Biology, National University of Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto (5800), Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Antagonistic regulation of apoptosis and differentiation by the Cut transcription factor represents a tumor-suppressing mechanism in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002582. [PMID: 22438831 PMCID: PMC3305397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 01/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis is essential to prevent oncogenic transformation by triggering self-destruction of harmful cells, including those unable to differentiate. However, the mechanisms linking impaired cell differentiation and apoptosis during development and disease are not well understood. Here we report that the Drosophila transcription factor Cut coordinately controls differentiation and repression of apoptosis via direct regulation of the pro-apoptotic gene reaper. We also demonstrate that this regulatory circuit acts in diverse cell lineages to remove uncommitted precursor cells in status nascendi and thereby interferes with their potential to develop into cancer cells. Consistent with the role of Cut homologues in controlling cell death in vertebrates, we find repression of apoptosis regulators by Cux1 in human cancer cells. Finally, we present evidence that suggests that other lineage-restricted specification factors employ a similar mechanism to put the brakes on the oncogenic process. Apoptosis is a highly conserved cellular function to remove excessive or unstable cells in diverse developmental processes and disease-responses. An important example is the elimination of cells unable to differentiate, which have the potential to generate tumors. Despite the significance of this process, the mechanisms coupling loss of differentiation and apoptosis have remained elusive. Using cell-type specification in Drosophila as a model, we now identify a conserved regulatory logic that underlies cell-type specific removal of uncommitted cells by apoptosis. We find that the transcription factor Cut activates differentiation, while it simultaneously represses cell death via the direct regulation of a pro-apoptotic gene. We show that this regulatory interaction occurs in many diverse cell types and is essential for normal development. Using in vivo Drosophila cancer models, we demonstrate that apoptosis activation in differentiation-compromised cells is an immediate-early cancer prevention mechanism. Importantly, we show that this type of regulatory wiring is also found in vertebrates and that other cell-type specification factors might employ a similar mechanism for tumor suppression. Thus, our findings suggest that the coupling of differentiation and apoptosis by individual transcription factors is a widely used and evolutionarily conserved cancer prevention module, which is hard-wired into the developmental program.
Collapse
|
41
|
Nagarajan D, Melo T, Deng Z, Almeida C, Zhao W. ERK/GSK3β/Snail signaling mediates radiation-induced alveolar epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Free Radic Biol Med 2012; 52:983-92. [PMID: 22198183 PMCID: PMC3288246 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2011] [Revised: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Radiotherapy is one of the major treatment regimes for thoracic malignancies, but can lead to severe lung complications including pneumonitis and fibrosis. Recent studies suggest that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in tissue injury leading to organ fibrosis. To investigate whether radiation can induce EMT in lung epithelial cells and also to understand the potential mechanism(s) associated with this change, rat alveolar type II lung epithelial RLE-6TN cells were irradiated with 8 Gy of (137)Cs γ-rays. Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses revealed a time-dependent decrease in E-cadherin with a concomitant increase in α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and vimentin after radiation, suggesting that the epithelial cells acquired a mesenchymal-like morphology. Protein levels and nuclear translocation of Snail, the key inducer of EMT, were significantly elevated in the irradiated cells. Radiation also induced a time-dependent inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), an endogenous inhibitor of Snail. A marked increase in phosphorylation of ERK1/2, but not JNK or p38, was observed in irradiated RLE-6TN cells. Silencing ERK1/2 using siRNAs and the MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 attenuated the radiation-induced phosphorylation of GSK3β and altered the protein levels of Snail, α-SMA, and E-cadherin in RLE-6TN cells. Preincubating RLE-6TN cells with N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant, abolished the radiation-induced phosphorylation of ERK and altered protein levels of Snail, E-cadherin, and α-SMA. These findings reveal, for the first time, that radiation-induced EMT in alveolar type II epithelial cells is mediated by the ERK/GSK3β/Snail pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Devipriya Nagarajan
- Departments of Radiation Oncology Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
- Brain Tumor Center of Excellence, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Tahira Melo
- Departments of Radiation Oncology Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
- Brain Tumor Center of Excellence, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Zhiyong Deng
- Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Celine Almeida
- Departments of Radiation Oncology Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
- Brain Tumor Center of Excellence, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Weiling Zhao
- Departments of Radiation Oncology Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
- Brain Tumor Center of Excellence, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Weiling Zhao, Department of Radiation Oncology Wake Forest School of Medicine Medical Center Boulevard Winston-Salem, NC 27157. Tel. 336-713-7633 Fax 336-713-7639
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Liu B, Rao Q, Zhu Y, Yu B, Zhu HY, Zhou XJ. Metaplastic thymoma of the mediastinum. A clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and genetic analysis. Am J Clin Pathol 2012; 137:261-9. [PMID: 22261452 DOI: 10.1309/ajcp0t1jfylmphmi] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Metaplastic thymoma is a rare primary thymic epithelial tumor, and its biologic behavior is uncertain. We report 7 cases of metaplastic thymoma. The spindle components of the tumor seemed to be undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which is characterized by the loss of E-cadherin expression. Epstein-Barr virus seemed not to have an etiologic role in metaplastic thymoma. No gross genetic alterations were found by using comparative genomic hybridization. The patients were alive and well in follow-up ranging from 11 to 172 months (mean, 81.7 months). The findings suggest that metaplastic thymoma has a benign clinical course. Unless the histomorphologic findings show malignant features, surgical excision alone is recommended.
Collapse
|
43
|
Soncin F, Mohamet L, Ritson S, Hawkins K, Bobola N, Zeef L, Merry CLR, Ward CM. E-cadherin acts as a regulator of transcripts associated with a wide range of cellular processes in mouse embryonic stem cells. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21463. [PMID: 21779327 PMCID: PMC3136471 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2010] [Accepted: 06/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We have recently shown that expression of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin is required for LIF-dependent pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Methodology In this study, we have assessed global transcript expression in E-cadherin null (Ecad-/-) ES cells cultured in either the presence or absence of LIF and compared these to the parental cell line wtD3. Results We show that LIF has little effect on the transcript profile of Ecad-/- ES cells, with statistically significant transcript alterations observed only for Sp8 and Stat3. Comparison of Ecad-/- and wtD3 ES cells cultured in LIF demonstrated significant alterations in the transcript profile, with effects not only confined to cell adhesion and motility but also affecting, for example, primary metabolic processes, catabolism and genes associated with apoptosis. Ecad-/- ES cells share similar, although not identical, gene expression profiles to epiblast-derived pluripotent stem cells, suggesting that E-cadherin expression may inhibit inner cell mass to epiblast transition. We further show that Ecad-/- ES cells maintain a functional β-catenin pool that is able to induce β-catenin/TCF-mediated transactivation but, contrary to previous findings, do not display endogenous β-catenin/TCF-mediated transactivation. We conclude that loss of E-cadherin in mouse ES cells leads to significant transcript alterations independently of β-catenin/TCF transactivation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Soncin
- Core Technology Facility, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Materials Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Mohamet
- Core Technology Facility, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Ritson
- Core Technology Facility, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Hawkins
- Core Technology Facility, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nicoletta Bobola
- Core Technology Facility, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Leo Zeef
- Microarray Facility, Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Christopher M. Ward
- Core Technology Facility, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|