1
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Chia L, Wang B, Kim JH, Luo LZ, Shuai S, Herrera I, Chen SY, Li L, Xian L, Huso T, Heydarian M, Reddy K, Sung WJ, Ishiyama S, Guo G, Jaffee E, Zheng L, Cope LM, Gabrielson K, Wood L, Resar L. HMGA1 induces FGF19 to drive pancreatic carcinogenesis and stroma formation. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:151601. [PMID: 36919699 PMCID: PMC10014113 DOI: 10.1172/jci151601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
High mobility group A1 (HMGA1) chromatin regulators are upregulated in diverse tumors where they portend adverse outcomes, although how they function in cancer remains unclear. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) are highly lethal tumors characterized by dense desmoplastic stroma composed predominantly of cancer-associated fibroblasts and fibrotic tissue. Here, we uncover an epigenetic program whereby HMGA1 upregulates FGF19 during tumor progression and stroma formation. HMGA1 deficiency disrupts oncogenic properties in vitro while impairing tumor inception and progression in KPC mice and subcutaneous or orthotopic models of PDAC. RNA sequencing revealed HMGA1 transcriptional networks governing proliferation and tumor-stroma interactions, including the FGF19 gene. HMGA1 directly induces FGF19 expression and increases its protein secretion by recruiting active histone marks (H3K4me3, H3K27Ac). Surprisingly, disrupting FGF19 via gene silencing or the FGFR4 inhibitor BLU9931 recapitulates most phenotypes observed with HMGA1 deficiency, decreasing tumor growth and formation of a desmoplastic stroma in mouse models of PDAC. In human PDAC, overexpression of HMGA1 and FGF19 defines a subset of tumors with extremely poor outcomes. Our results reveal what we believe is a new paradigm whereby HMGA1 and FGF19 drive tumor progression and stroma formation, thus illuminating FGF19 as a rational therapeutic target for a molecularly defined PDAC subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Chia
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, Department of Pathology and.,Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Bowen Wang
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jung-Hyun Kim
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Li Z Luo
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shuai Shuai
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Iliana Herrera
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Liping Li
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lingling Xian
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tait Huso
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Woo Jung Sung
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shun Ishiyama
- Department of Pathology.,Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology
| | - Gongbo Guo
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Leslie M Cope
- Department of Oncology, and.,Division of Biostatistics, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Laura Wood
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, Department of Pathology and.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Oncology, and
| | - Linda Resar
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, Department of Pathology and.,Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Oncology, and
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2
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Li L, Kim JH, Lu W, Williams DM, Kim J, Cope L, Rampal RK, Koche RP, Xian L, Luo LZ, Vasiljevic M, Matson DR, Zhao ZJ, Rogers O, Stubbs MC, Reddy K, Romero AR, Psaila B, Spivak JL, Moliterno AR, Resar LMS. HMGA1 chromatin regulators induce transcriptional networks involved in GATA2 and proliferation during MPN progression. Blood 2022; 139:2797-2815. [PMID: 35286385 PMCID: PMC9074401 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021013925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) transform to myelofibrosis (MF) and highly lethal acute myeloid leukemia (AML), although the actionable mechanisms driving progression remain elusive. Here, we elucidate the role of the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) chromatin regulator as a novel driver of MPN progression. HMGA1 is upregulated in MPN, with highest levels after transformation to MF or AML. To define HMGA1 function, we disrupted gene expression via CRISPR/Cas9, short hairpin RNA, or genetic deletion in MPN models. HMGA1 depletion in JAK2V617F AML cell lines disrupts proliferation, clonogenicity, and leukemic engraftment. Surprisingly, loss of just a single Hmga1 allele prevents progression to MF in JAK2V617F mice, decreasing erythrocytosis, thrombocytosis, megakaryocyte hyperplasia, and expansion of stem and progenitors, while preventing splenomegaly and fibrosis within the spleen and BM. RNA-sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing revealed HMGA1 transcriptional networks and chromatin occupancy at genes that govern proliferation (E2F, G2M, mitotic spindle) and cell fate, including the GATA2 master regulatory gene. Silencing GATA2 recapitulates most phenotypes observed with HMGA1 depletion, whereas GATA2 re-expression partially rescues leukemogenesis. HMGA1 transactivates GATA2 through sequences near the developmental enhancer (+9.5), increasing chromatin accessibility and recruiting active histone marks. Further, HMGA1 transcriptional networks, including proliferation pathways and GATA2, are activated in human MF and MPN leukemic transformation. Importantly, HMGA1 depletion enhances responses to the JAK2 inhibitor, ruxolitinib, preventing MF and prolonging survival in murine models of JAK2V617F AML. These findings illuminate HMGA1 as a key epigenetic switch involved in MPN transformation and a promising therapeutic target to treat or prevent disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Li
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, and
| | | | - Wenyan Lu
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, and
| | | | - Joseph Kim
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Leslie Cope
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Raajit K Rampal
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Leukemia Service, Department of Medicine, Center for Epigenetics Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, New York, NY
| | - Richard P Koche
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Leukemia Service, Department of Medicine, Center for Epigenetics Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, New York, NY
| | | | - Li Z Luo
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, and
| | | | - Daniel R Matson
- Blood Cancer Research Institute, Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, UW Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison, WI
| | - Zhizhuang Joe Zhao
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
| | | | | | - Karen Reddy
- Department of Biologic Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Antonio-Rodriguez Romero
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and National Institutes of Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; and
| | - Bethan Psaila
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and National Institutes of Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; and
| | - Jerry L Spivak
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, and
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Linda M S Resar
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, and
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program and
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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3
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Pujals M, Resar L, Villanueva J. HMGA1, Moonlighting Protein Function, and Cellular Real Estate: Location, Location, Location! Biomolecules 2021; 11:1334. [PMID: 34572547 PMCID: PMC8468999 DOI: 10.3390/biom11091334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene encoding the High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) chromatin remodeling protein is upregulated in diverse cancers where high levels portend adverse clinical outcomes. Until recently, HMGA1 was assumed to be a nuclear protein exerting its role in cancer by transcriptionally modulating gene expression and downstream signaling pathways. However, the discovery of an extracellular HMGA1-RAGE autocrine loop in invasive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines implicates HMGA1 as a "moonlighting protein" with different functions depending upon cellular location. Here, we review the role of HMGA1, not only as a chromatin regulator in cancer and stem cells, but also as a potential secreted factor that drives tumor progression. Prior work found that HMGA1 is secreted from TNBC cell lines where it signals through the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) to foster phenotypes involved in tumor invasion and metastatic progression. Studies in primary TNBC tumors also suggest that HMGA1 secretion associates with distant metastasis in TNBC. Given the therapeutic potential to target extracellular proteins, further work to confirm this role in other contexts is warranted. Indeed, crosstalk between nuclear and secreted HMGA1 could change our understanding of tumor development and reveal novel therapeutic opportunities relevant to diverse human cancers overexpressing HMGA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Pujals
- Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Linda Resar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Departments of Medicine (Hematology), Oncology, Pathology and Institute of Cellular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Pathobiology, Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Human Genetics Graduate Programs, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Josep Villanueva
- Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), 08035 Barcelona, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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4
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Meireles Da Costa N, Palumbo A, De Martino M, Fusco A, Ribeiro Pinto LF, Nasciutti LE. Interplay between HMGA and TP53 in cell cycle control along tumor progression. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:817-831. [PMID: 32920697 PMCID: PMC11071717 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03634-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins are found to be aberrantly expressed in several tumors. Studies (in vitro and in vivo) have shown that HMGA protein overexpression has a causative role in carcinogenesis process. HMGA proteins regulate cell cycle progression through distinct mechanisms which strongly influence its normal dynamics along malignant transformation. Tumor protein p53 (TP53) is the most frequently altered gene in cancer. The loss of its activity is recognized as the fall of a barrier that enables neoplastic transformation. Among the different functions, TP53 signaling pathway is tightly involved in control of cell cycle, with cell cycle arrest being the main biological outcome observed upon p53 activation, which prevents accumulation of damaged DNA, as well as genomic instability. Therefore, the interaction and opposing effects of HMGA and p53 proteins on regulation of cell cycle in normal and tumor cells are discussed in this review. HMGA proteins and p53 may reciprocally regulate the expression and/or activity of each other, leading to the counteraction of their regulation mechanisms at different stages of the cell cycle. The existence of a functional crosstalk between these proteins in the control of cell cycle could open the possibility of targeting HMGA and p53 in combination with other therapeutic strategies, particularly those that target cell cycle regulation, to improve the management and prognosis of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Meireles Da Costa
- Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer-INCA, Rua André Cavalcanti, 37-6th floor-Centro, 20231-050, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Antonio Palumbo
- Laboratório de Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Prédio de Ciências da Saúde-Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, A. Carlos Chagas, 373-Bloco F, Sala 26, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marco De Martino
- Istituto di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale-CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Alfredo Fusco
- Istituto di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale-CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Luis Felipe Ribeiro Pinto
- Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer-INCA, Rua André Cavalcanti, 37-6th floor-Centro, 20231-050, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luiz Eurico Nasciutti
- Laboratório de Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Prédio de Ciências da Saúde-Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, A. Carlos Chagas, 373-Bloco F, Sala 26, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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5
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Expression profiles of HMGB1 on B-CLL related leukocytes contribute to prediction of relapse. Immunobiology 2020; 226:152048. [PMID: 33485134 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2020.152048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein that is frequently overexpressed in hematologic diseases and might be of relevance in immunogenic cancer control thus correlating with patients' (pts.) prognosis in diseases such as acute myeloid, acute lymphatic and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Expression profiles of blasts from AML (n = 21), ALL (n = 16) and of B-lymphocytes of CLL (n = 9) pts. were analyzed for surface expression of HMGB1 using flow cytometry. Expression was quantified and correlated with clinically and prognostically relevant markers. RESULTS Expression profiling of HMGB1 in blasts of AML and ALL subtypes did not show differences between primary vs. secondary disease development and gender related differences. In ALL pts. however, age groups at initial diagnosis between ≥20 vs. <20 years were compared and showed significant differences (≥20 vs. <20 years; 89% vs. 49%, p <0.05) with higher expression in higher age. In AML and CLL these differences were not visible. To evaluate the prognostic significance of HMGB1 expression, expression quantity was correlated with established and prognostic classification systems (in AML ELN, in ALL GMALL) and probability to relapse. No significant correlation was seen in these entities. However, when AML pts. were analyzed for remission rates after first anthracycline based induction therapy, in those who did not experience a complete remission significantly enhanced HMGB1 surface expression was seen (98 vs. 94%; p < 0.05; n = 20). Furthermore, for CLL it was shown that higher HMGB1 expression was found in pretreated patients with relapsed or/and refractory disease (1 vs. more relapses; 94 vs. 98%; p <0.05; n = 9). CONCLUSION HMGB1 is frequently expressed in hematologic malignancies. In this study it was shown that HMGB1 surface expression on AML blasts can be used as predictors for treatment response. In CLL it may be a marker for advanced disease. In order to implement this marker in FACS routine it could be a useful and practical tool for prognostic assessment and treatment planning.
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6
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Minervini A, Coccaro N, Anelli L, Zagaria A, Specchia G, Albano F. HMGA Proteins in Hematological Malignancies. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061456. [PMID: 32503270 PMCID: PMC7353061 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The high mobility group AT-Hook (HMGA) proteins are a family of nonhistone chromatin remodeling proteins known as "architectural transcriptional factors". By binding the minor groove of AT-rich DNA sequences, they interact with the transcription apparatus, altering the chromatin modeling and regulating gene expression by either enhancing or suppressing the binding of the more usual transcriptional activators and repressors, although they do not themselves have any transcriptional activity. Their involvement in both benign and malignant neoplasias is well-known and supported by a large volume of studies. In this review, we focus on the role of the HMGA proteins in hematological malignancies, exploring the mechanisms through which they enhance neoplastic transformation and how this knowledge could be exploited to devise tailored therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Francesco Albano
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-(0)80-5478031; Fax: +39-(0)80-5508369
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7
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HMGA1-pseudogene7 transgenic mice develop B cell lymphomas. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7057. [PMID: 32341372 PMCID: PMC7184748 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62974-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We have recently identified and characterized two pseudogenes (HMGA1P6 and HMGA1P7) of the HMGA1 gene, which has a critical role in malignant cell transformation and cancer progression. HMGA1P6 and HMGAP17 act as microRNA decoy for HMGA1 and other cancer-related genes upregulating their protein levels. We have previously shown that they are upregulated in several human carcinomas, and their expression positively correlates with a poor prognosis and an advanced cancer stage. To evaluate in vivo oncogenic activity of HMGA1 pseudogenes, we have generated a HMGA1P7 transgenic mouse line overexpressing this pseudogene. By a mean age of 12 months, about 50% of the transgenic mice developed splenomegaly and accumulation of lymphoid cells in several body compartments. For these mice FACS and immunohistochemical analyses suggested the diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma that was further supported by clonality analyses and RNA expression profile of the pathological tissues of the HMGA1P7 transgenic tissues. Therefore, these results clearly demonstrate the oncogenic activity of HMGA1 pseudogenes in vivo.
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8
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HMGA Genes and Proteins in Development and Evolution. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020654. [PMID: 31963852 PMCID: PMC7013770 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
HMGA (high mobility group A) (HMGA1 and HMGA2) are small non-histone proteins that can bind DNA and modify chromatin state, thus modulating the accessibility of regulatory factors to the DNA and contributing to the overall panorama of gene expression tuning. In general, they are abundantly expressed during embryogenesis, but are downregulated in the adult differentiated tissues. In the present review, we summarize some aspects of their role during development, also dealing with relevant studies that have shed light on their functioning in cell biology and with emerging possible involvement of HMGA1 and HMGA2 in evolutionary biology.
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9
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Gorbounov M, Carleton NM, Asch-Kendrick RJ, Xian L, Rooper L, Chia L, Cimino-Mathews A, Cope L, Meeker A, Stearns V, Veltri RW, Bae YK, Resar LMS. High mobility group A1 (HMGA1) protein and gene expression correlate with ER-negativity and poor outcomes in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2019; 179:25-35. [DOI: 10.1007/s10549-019-05419-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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10
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Shabani P, Izadpanah S, Aghebati-Maleki A, Baghbani E, Baghbanzadeh A, Fotouhi A, Bakhshinejad B, Aghebati-Maleki L, Baradaran B. Role of miR-142 in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma and its potential as therapeutic approach. J Cell Biochem 2018; 120:4783-4793. [PMID: 30450580 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the bone with a strong tendency to early metastasis, and occurs in growing bones more commonly in children and adolescents. Considering the limited therapeutic methods and lack of 100% success of these methods, developing innovative therapies with high efficacy and lower side effects is needed. Meanwhile, miRNAs and the studies indicating the involvement of miRNAs in OS development have attracted attentions as a result of the frequent abnormalities in expression of miRNAs in cancer. miRNAs are noncoding short sequences with lengths ranging from 18 to 25 nucleotides that play a very important role in cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. MiRNAs can have either oncogenic or tumor suppressive role based on cellular function and targets. This review aimed to have overview on miR-142 as a tumor suppressor in OS. Moreover, the genes involved in the disease, such as RAC1, HMAG1, MMP9, MMP2, and E-cadherin, which have irregularities as a result of change in miR-142 expression, and, thereby, result in increasing the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of the cells in the tissues and OS cells will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parastoo Shabani
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Sama Izadpanah
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Aghebati-Maleki
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Elham Baghbani
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Amir Baghbanzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Fotouhi
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Babak Bakhshinejad
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Leili Aghebati-Maleki
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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11
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Ohe K, Miyajima S, Abe I, Tanaka T, Hamaguchi Y, Harada Y, Horita Y, Beppu Y, Ito F, Yamasaki T, Terai H, Mori M, Murata Y, Tanabe M, Ashida K, Kobayashi K, Enjoji M, Yanase T, Harada N, Utsumi T, Mayeda A. HMGA1a induces alternative splicing of estrogen receptor alpha in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 182:21-26. [PMID: 29678492 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The high-mobility group A protein 1a (HMGA1a) protein is known as an oncogene whose expression level in cancer tissue correlates with the malignant potential, and known as a component of senescence-related structures connecting it to tumor suppressor networks in fibroblasts. HMGA1 protein binds to DNA, but recent studies have shown it exerts novel functions through RNA-binding. Our previous studies have shown that sequence-specific RNA-binding of HMGA1a induces exon-skipping of Presenilin-2 exon 5 in sporadic Alzheimer disease. Here we show that HMGA1a induced exon-skipping of the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) gene and increased ERα46 mRNA expression in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. An RNA-decoy of HMGA1a efficiently blocked this event and reduced ERα46 protein expression. Blockage of HMGA1a RNA-binding property consequently induced cell growth through reduced ERα46 expression in MCF-7 cells and increased sensitivity to tamoxifen in the tamoxifen-resistant cell line, MCF-7/TAMR1. Stable expression of an HMGA1a RNA-decoy in MCF-7 cells exhibited decreased ERα46 protein expression and increased estrogen-dependent tumor growth when these cells were implanted in nude mice. These results show HMGA1a is involved in alternative splicing of the ERα gene and related to estrogen-related growth as well as tamoxifen sensitivity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Ohe
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan.
| | - Shinsuke Miyajima
- Department of Breast Surgery, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Ichiro Abe
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, Chikushino city, 818-8502, Japan
| | - Tomoko Tanaka
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Yuriko Hamaguchi
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Harada
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Yuta Horita
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Yuki Beppu
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Ito
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Takafumi Yamasaki
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Hiroki Terai
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Mori
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Yusuke Murata
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Makito Tanabe
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Kenji Ashida
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kunihisa Kobayashi
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, Chikushino city, 818-8502, Japan
| | - Munechika Enjoji
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Yanase
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-180, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Harada
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Utsumi
- Department of Breast Surgery, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Akila Mayeda
- Division of Gene Expression Mechanism, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science (ICMS), Fujita Health University, Aichi, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
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12
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Fu F, Wang T, Wu Z, Feng Y, Wang W, Zhou S, Ma X, Wang S. HMGA1 exacerbates tumor growth through regulating the cell cycle and accelerates migration/invasion via targeting miR-221/222 in cervical cancer. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:594. [PMID: 29789601 PMCID: PMC5964147 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-0683-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
High-mobility group AT-hook1 (HMGA1, formerly HMG-I/Y), an architectural transcription factor, participates in a number of tumor biological processes. However, its effect on cervical cancer remains largely indistinct. In this study, we found that HMGA1 was generally overexpressed in cervical cancer tissues and was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and advanced clinical stage. Via exogenously increasing or decreasing the expression of HMGA1, we showed that HMGA1 affected the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells in vitro. Rescue experiments suggested that miR-221/222 could partly reverse HMGA1-mediated migration and invasion processes. Mechanistically, we discovered that HMGA1 accelerated the G1/S phase transition by regulating the expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1, which was consistent with the results of the in vivo experiment. Furthermore, we found that HMGA1 regulated the expression of the miR-221/222 cluster at the transcriptional level and that miR-221/222 targeted the 3'UTR of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3(TIMP3). We propose a fresh perspective that HMGA1 participates in the migration and invasion process via the miR-221/222-TIMP3-MMP2/MMP9 axis in cervical cancer. In summary, our study identified a critical role played by HMGA1 in the progression of cervical cancer and the potential mechanisms by which exerts its effects, suggesting that targeting HMGA1-related pathways could be conducive to the therapies for cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Fu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Tian Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhangying Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, 55000, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Yourong Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wenwen Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Su Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiangyi Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Shixuan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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13
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Resar L, Chia L, Xian L. Lessons from the Crypt: HMGA1-Amping up Wnt for Stem Cells and Tumor Progression. Cancer Res 2018; 78:1890-1897. [PMID: 29618461 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-3045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
High mobility group A1 (HMGA1) chromatin remodeling proteins are enriched in aggressive cancers and stem cells, although their common function in these settings has remained elusive until now. Recent work in murine intestinal stem cells (ISC) revealed a novel role for Hmga1 in enhancing self-renewal by amplifying Wnt signaling, both by inducing genes expressing Wnt agonist receptors and Wnt effectors. Surprisingly, Hmga1 also "builds" a stem cell niche by upregulating Sox9, a factor required for differentiation to Paneth cells; these cells constitute an epithelial niche by secreting Wnt and other factors to support ISCs. HMGA1 is also highly upregulated in colon cancer compared with nonmalignant epithelium and SOX9 becomes overexpressed during colon carcinogenesis. Intriguingly, HMGA1 is overexpressed in diverse cancers with poor outcomes, where it regulates developmental genes. Similarly, HMGA1 induces genes responsible for pluripotency and self-renewal in embryonic stem cells. These findings demonstrate that HMGA1 maintains Wnt and other developmental transcriptional networks and suggest that HMGA1 overexpression fosters carcinogenesis and tumor progression through dysregulation of these pathways. Studies are now needed to determine more precisely how HMGA1 modulates chromatin structure to amplify developmental genes and how to disrupt this process in cancer therapy. Cancer Res; 78(8); 1890-7. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Resar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. .,Departments of Oncology, Pathology and Institute of Cellular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Pathobiology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lionel Chia
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lingling Xian
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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14
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Binding of high mobility group A proteins to the mammalian genome occurs as a function of AT-content. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007102. [PMID: 29267285 PMCID: PMC5756049 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic location can inform on potential function and recruitment signals for chromatin-associated proteins. High mobility group (Hmg) proteins are of similar size as histones with Hmga1 and Hmga2 being particularly abundant in replicating normal tissues and in cancerous cells. While several roles for Hmga proteins have been proposed we lack a comprehensive description of their genomic location as a function of chromatin, DNA sequence and functional domains. Here we report such a characterization in mouse embryonic stem cells in which we introduce biotin-tagged constructs of wild-type and DNA-binding domain mutants. Comparative analysis of the genome-wide distribution of Hmga proteins reveals pervasive binding, a feature that critically depends on a functional DNA-binding domain and which is shared by both Hmga proteins. Assessment of the underlying queues instructive for this binding modality identifies AT richness, defined as high frequency of A or T bases, as the major criterion for local binding. Additionally, we show that other chromatin states such as those linked to cis-regulatory regions have little impact on Hmga binding both in stem and differentiated cells. As a consequence, Hmga proteins are preferentially found at AT-rich regions such as constitutively heterochromatic regions but are absent from enhancers and promoters arguing for a limited role in regulating individual genes. In line with this model, we show that genetic deletion of Hmga proteins in stem cells causes limited transcriptional effects and that binding is conserved in neuronal progenitors. Overall our comparative study describing the in vivo binding modality of Hmga1 and Hmga2 identifies the proteins’ preference for AT-rich DNA genome-wide and argues against a suggested function of Hmga at regulatory regions. Instead we discover pervasive binding with enrichment at regions of higher AT content irrespective of local variation in chromatin modifications. We investigated the chromosomal location of a group of highly abundant nuclear proteins. Our genome-wide results for Hmga1 and Hmga2 reveal a unique binding modality indicating preference for DNA rich in A or T bases in vivo. Importantly this preferential binding to AT-rich sequences occurs throughout the genome irrespectively of other local chromatin features. Genomic location and loss of function experiments challenge the view that Hmga proteins act as local modulators of transcriptional regulation but rather argue for a role as structural components of chromatin.
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15
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De Martino M, Forzati F, Arra C, Fusco A, Esposito F. HMGA1-pseudogenes and cancer. Oncotarget 2017; 7:28724-35. [PMID: 26895108 PMCID: PMC5053758 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudogenes are DNA sequences with high homology to the corresponding functional gene, but, because of the accumulation of various mutations, they have lost their initial functions to code for proteins. Consequently, pseudogenes have been considered until few years ago dysfunctional relatives of the corresponding ancestral genes, and then useless in the course of genome evolution. However, several studies have recently established that pseudogenes are owners of key biological functions. Indeed, some pseudogenes control the expression of functional genes by competitively binding to the miRNAs, some of them generate small interference RNAs to negatively modulate the expression of functional genes, and some of them even encode functional mutated proteins. Here, we concentrate our attention on the pseudogenes of the HMGA1 gene, that codes for the HMGA1a and HMGA1b proteins having a critical role in development and cancer progression. In this review, we analyze the family of HMGA1 pseudogenes through three aspects: classification, characterization, and their possible function and involvement in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco De Martino
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Floriana Forzati
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Claudio Arra
- Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | - Alfredo Fusco
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Esposito
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
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16
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Conte A, Paladino S, Bianco G, Fasano D, Gerlini R, Tornincasa M, Renna M, Fusco A, Tramontano D, Pierantoni GM. High mobility group A1 protein modulates autophagy in cancer cells. Cell Death Differ 2017; 24:1948-1962. [PMID: 28777374 PMCID: PMC5635219 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2017.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) is an architectural chromatin protein whose overexpression is a feature of malignant neoplasias with a causal role in cancer initiation and progression. HMGA1 promotes tumor growth by several mechanisms, including increase of cell proliferation and survival, impairment of DNA repair and induction of chromosome instability. Autophagy is a self-degradative process that, by providing energy sources and removing damaged organelles and misfolded proteins, allows cell survival under stress conditions. On the other hand, hyper-activated autophagy can lead to non-apoptotic programmed cell death. Autophagy deregulation is a common feature of cancer cells in which has a complex role, showing either an oncogenic or tumor suppressor activity, depending on cellular context and tumor stage. Here, we report that depletion of HMGA1 perturbs autophagy by different mechanisms. HMGA1-knockdown increases autophagosome formation by constraining the activity of the mTOR pathway, a major regulator of autophagy, and transcriptionally upregulating the autophagy-initiating kinase Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1). Consistently, functional experiments demonstrate that HMGA1 binds ULK1 promoter region and negatively regulates its transcription. On the other hand, the increase in autophagosomes is not associated to a proportionate increase in their maturation. Overall, the effects of HMGA1 depletion on autophagy are associated to a decrease in cell proliferation and ultimately impact on cancer cells viability. Importantly, silencing of ULK1 prevents the effects of HMGA1-knockdown on cellular proliferation, viability and autophagic activity, highlighting how these effects are, at least in part, mediated by ULK1. Interestingly, this phenomenon is not restricted to skin cancer cells, as similar results have been observed also in HeLa cells silenced for HMGA1. Taken together, these results clearly indicate HMGA1 as a key regulator of the autophagic pathway in cancer cells, thus suggesting a novel mechanism through which HMGA1 can contribute to cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Conte
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples 'Federico II' and Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) of CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Paladino
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples 'Federico II' and Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) of CNR, Naples, Italy.,CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy
| | - Gaia Bianco
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples 'Federico II' and Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) of CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Dominga Fasano
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples 'Federico II' and Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) of CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaele Gerlini
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples 'Federico II' and Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) of CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Mara Tornincasa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples 'Federico II' and Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) of CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Maurizio Renna
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alfredo Fusco
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples 'Federico II' and Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) of CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Donatella Tramontano
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples 'Federico II' and Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) of CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna Maria Pierantoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples 'Federico II' and Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale (IEOS) of CNR, Naples, Italy
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17
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Xian L, Georgess D, Huso T, Cope L, Belton A, Chang YT, Kuang W, Gu Q, Zhang X, Senger S, Fasano A, Huso DL, Ewald AJ, Resar LMS. HMGA1 amplifies Wnt signalling and expands the intestinal stem cell compartment and Paneth cell niche. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15008. [PMID: 28452345 PMCID: PMC5414379 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
High-mobility group A1 (Hmga1) chromatin remodelling proteins are enriched in intestinal stem cells (ISCs), although their function in this setting was unknown. Prior studies showed that Hmga1 drives hyperproliferation, aberrant crypt formation and polyposis in transgenic mice. Here we demonstrate that Hmga1 amplifies Wnt/β-catenin signalling to enhance self-renewal and expand the ISC compartment. Hmga1 upregulates genes encoding both Wnt agonist receptors and downstream Wnt effectors. Hmga1 also helps to 'build' an ISC niche by expanding the Paneth cell compartment and directly inducing Sox9, which is required for Paneth cell differentiation. In human intestine, HMGA1 and SOX9 are positively correlated, and both become upregulated in colorectal cancer. Our results define a unique role for Hmga1 in intestinal homeostasis by maintaining the stem cell pool and fostering terminal differentiation to establish an epithelial stem cell niche. This work also suggests that deregulated Hmga1 perturbs this equilibrium during intestinal carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Xian
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Research Building, Room 1025, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Dan Georgess
- Department of Cell Biology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Tait Huso
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Research Building, Room 1025, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Leslie Cope
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 550 North Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Amy Belton
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Research Building, Room 1025, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Yu-Ting Chang
- Department of Pathology, Pathobiology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Research Building, Room 1025, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Wenyong Kuang
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Research Building, Room 1025, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Qihua Gu
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Research Building, Room 1025, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Research Building, Room 1025, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Stefania Senger
- Department of Pediatrics, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital East, 16th Street, Building 114, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Alessio Fasano
- Department of Pediatrics, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital East, 16th Street, Building 114, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - David L Huso
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Andrew J Ewald
- Department of Cell Biology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.,Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Linda M S Resar
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Research Building, Room 1025, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.,Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.,Department of Pathology and Institute for Cellular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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18
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Critical role of HMGA proteins in cancer cell chemoresistance. JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE (BERLIN, GERMANY) 2017. [PMID: 28293697 DOI: 10.1007/s00109‐017‐1520‐x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The high-mobility group A (HMGA) proteins are frequently overexpressed in human malignancies and correlate with the presence of metastases and reduced patient survival. Here, we highlight the main studies evidencing a critical role of HMGA in chemoresistance, mainly by activating Akt signaling, impairing p53 activity, and regulating the expression of microRNAs that target genes involved in the susceptibility of cancer cells to antineoplastic agents. Therefore, these studies account for the association of HMGA overexpression with patient poor outcome, indicating the impairment of HMGA as a fascinating perspective for effectively improving cancer therapy.
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19
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D’Angelo D, Mussnich P, Arra C, Battista S, Fusco A. Critical role of HMGA proteins in cancer cell chemoresistance. J Mol Med (Berl) 2017; 95:353-360. [DOI: 10.1007/s00109-017-1520-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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20
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Walls GV, Stevenson M, Lines KE, Newey PJ, Reed AAC, Bowl MR, Jeyabalan J, Harding B, Bradley KJ, Manek S, Chen J, Wang P, Williams BO, Teh BT, Thakker RV. Mice deleted for cell division cycle 73 gene develop parathyroid and uterine tumours: model for the hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumour syndrome. Oncogene 2017; 36:4025-4036. [PMID: 28288139 PMCID: PMC5472200 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumour (HPT-JT) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by occurrence of parathyroid tumours, often atypical adenomas and carcinomas, ossifying jaw fibromas, renal tumours and uterine benign and malignant neoplasms. HPT-JT is caused by mutations of the cell division cycle 73 (CDC73) gene, located on chromosome 1q31.2 and encodes a 531 amino acid protein, parafibromin. To facilitate in vivo studies of Cdc73 in tumourigenesis we generated conventional (Cdc73+/-) and conditional parathyroid-specific (Cdc73+/L/PTH-Cre and Cdc73L/L/PTH-Cre) mouse models. Mice were aged to 18-21 months and studied for survival, tumour development and proliferation, and serum biochemistry, and compared to age-matched wild-type (Cdc73+/+ and Cdc73+/+/PTH-Cre) littermates. Survival of Cdc73+/- mice, when compared to Cdc73+/+ mice was reduced (Cdc73+/-=80%; Cdc73+/+=90% at 18 months of age, P<0.05). Cdc73+/-, Cdc73+/L/PTH-Cre and Cdc73L/L/PTH-Cre mice developed parathyroid tumours, which had nuclear pleomorphism, fibrous septation and increased galectin-3 expression, consistent with atypical parathyroid adenomas, from 9 months of age. Parathyroid tumours in Cdc73+/-, Cdc73+/L/PTH-Cre and Cdc73L/L/PTH-Cre mice had significantly increased proliferation, with rates >fourfold higher than that in parathyroid glands of wild-type littermates (P<0.0001). Cdc73+/-, Cdc73+/L/PTH-Cre and Cdc73L/L/PTH-Cre mice had higher mean serum calcium concentrations than wild-type littermates, and Cdc73+/- mice also had increased mean serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations. Parathyroid tumour development, and elevations in serum calcium and PTH, were similar in males and females. Cdc73+/- mice did not develop bone or renal tumours but female Cdc73+/- mice, at 18 months of age, had uterine neoplasms comprising squamous metaplasia, adenofibroma and adenomyoma. Uterine neoplasms, myometria and jaw bones of Cdc73+/- mice had increased proliferation rates that were 2-fold higher than in Cdc73+/+ mice (P<0.05). Thus, our studies, which have established mouse models for parathyroid tumours and uterine neoplasms that develop in the HPT-JT syndrome, provide in vivo models for future studies of these tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- G V Walls
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - M Stevenson
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - K E Lines
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - P J Newey
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - A A C Reed
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - M R Bowl
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - J Jeyabalan
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - B Harding
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - K J Bradley
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - S Manek
- Department of Pathology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford, UK
| | - J Chen
- Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - P Wang
- Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - B O Williams
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - B T Teh
- Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - R V Thakker
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
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21
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Association of high mobility group BOX-1 and receptor for advanced glycation endproducts with clinicopathological features of haematological malignancies: a systematic review. Contemp Oncol (Pozn) 2017; 20:425-429. [PMID: 28239277 PMCID: PMC5320453 DOI: 10.5114/wo.2016.65600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a versatile protein with nuclear and extracellular functions. In the extracellular milieu, HMGB1 binds to several receptors, notably the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE). The expressions of HMGB1 and RAGE have been described in a variety of cancers. However, the clinical values of HMGB1 and RAGE in haematological malignancies have yet to be evaluated. A systematic search through PubMed and the Web of Science for articles discussing the role of HMGB1 and RAGE in haematological malignancies produced 15 articles. Overexpression of HMGB1 was reported to be associated with malignancy and, in certain studies, poor prognosis and tumour aggressiveness. Only one included study investigated the clinical value of RAGE, in which no significant difference was found between expression of RAGE in CLL neoplastic cells and nonmalignant controls. The discussed associations of HMGB1 and RAGE with clinicopathological characteristics of patients with haematological malignancies warrants further investigation into the prognostic and diagnostic value of both of these molecules.
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22
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Sumter TF, Xian L, Huso T, Koo M, Chang YT, Almasri TN, Chia L, Inglis C, Reid D, Resar LMS. The High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) Transcriptome in Cancer and Development. Curr Mol Med 2016; 16:353-93. [PMID: 26980699 DOI: 10.2174/1566524016666160316152147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Chromatin structure is the single most important feature that distinguishes a cancer cell from a normal cell histologically. Chromatin remodeling proteins regulate chromatin structure and high mobility group A (HMGA1) proteins are among the most abundant, nonhistone chromatin remodeling proteins found in cancer cells. These proteins include HMGA1a/HMGA1b isoforms, which result from alternatively spliced mRNA. The HMGA1 gene is overexpressed in cancer and high levels portend a poor prognosis in diverse tumors. HMGA1 is also highly expressed during embryogenesis and postnatally in adult stem cells. Overexpression of HMGA1 drives neoplastic transformation in cultured cells, while inhibiting HMGA1 blocks oncogenic and cancer stem cell properties. Hmga1 transgenic mice succumb to aggressive tumors, demonstrating that dysregulated expression of HMGA1 causes cancer in vivo. HMGA1 is also required for reprogramming somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells. HMGA1 proteins function as ancillary transcription factors that bend chromatin and recruit other transcription factors to DNA. They induce oncogenic transformation by activating or repressing specific genes involved in this process and an HMGA1 "transcriptome" is emerging. Although prior studies reveal potent oncogenic properties of HMGA1, we are only beginning to understand the molecular mechanisms through which HMGA1 functions. In this review, we summarize the list of putative downstream transcriptional targets regulated by HMGA1. We also briefly discuss studies linking HMGA1 to Alzheimer's disease and type-2 diabetes. CONCLUSION Further elucidation of HMGA1 function should lead to novel therapeutic strategies for cancer and possibly for other diseases associated with aberrant HMGA1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - L M S Resar
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Research Building, Room 1025, Baltimore, MD 21205-2109, USA.
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23
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Lopez-Bertoni H, Lal B, Michelson N, Guerrero-Cázares H, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Li Y, Laterra J. Epigenetic modulation of a miR-296-5p:HMGA1 axis regulates Sox2 expression and glioblastoma stem cells. Oncogene 2016; 35:4903-13. [PMID: 26898758 PMCID: PMC6151872 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Solid malignancies contain subsets of multipotent cells that grow as spheres and efficiently propagate tumors in xenograft models, reflecting a stem-like, self-renewing and tumor-propagating phenotype. These cancer 'stem cells (SCs)' have been shown to maintain tumor growth, contribute to resistance and drive tumor recurrence. Cancer cell stemness is dynamically influenced by epigenetic mechanisms and differentially regulated coding and noncoding RNAs. How these mechanisms specifically contribute to the generation and/or maintenance of cancer SCs remains unclear. This study identifies a novel epigenetically regulated circuit that integrates microRNA, chromatin remodeling and the reprogramming transcription factor Sox2 to regulate glioblastoma (GBM)-propagating SCs. We show that miR-296-5p expression is repressed in a DNA methylation-dependent manner under conditions that promote GBM cell stemness and that miR-296-5p inhibits GBM cell stemness and their capacity to self-renew as spheres and propagate glioma xenografts in vivo. We show that the chromatin remodeling protein HMGA1 functions as a downstream effector of these biological responses to miR-296-5p and regulates Sox2 expression, a master driver of cell stemness, by modifying chromatin architecture at the Sox2 promoter. These results show for the first time that miR-296-5p inhibits transcriptional mechanisms that support GBM SCs and identify a miR-296-5p:HMGA1:Sox2 axis as a novel regulator of GBM SCs and candidate pathway for targeting therapies directed at depleting tumors of their tumor-propagating stem cell subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Lopez-Bertoni
- Hugo W Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - B Lal
- Hugo W Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - N Michelson
- Hugo W Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - H Guerrero-Cázares
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - A Quiñones-Hinojosa
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Y Li
- Hugo W Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - J Laterra
- Hugo W Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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24
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Deregulation of HMGA1 expression induces chromosome instability through regulation of spindle assembly checkpoint genes. Oncotarget 2016; 6:17342-53. [PMID: 26009897 PMCID: PMC4627312 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is an essential control system of the cell cycle that contributes to mantain the genomic stability of eukaryotic cells. SAC genes expression is often deregulated in cancer cells, leading to checkpoint impairment and chromosome instability. The mechanisms responsible for the transcriptional regulation and deregulation of these genes are still largely unknown. Herein we identify the nonhistone architectural nuclear proteins High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1), whose overexpression is a feature of several human malignancies and has a key role in cancer progression, as transcriptional regulators of SAC genes expression. In particular, we show that HMGA1 proteins are able to increase the expression of the SAC genes Ttk, Mad2l1, Bub1 and Bub1b, binding to their promoter regions. Consistently, HMGA1-depletion induces SAC genes downregulation associated to several mitotic defects. In particular, we observed a high number of unaligned chromosomes in metaphase, a reduction of prometaphase time, a delay of anaphase, a higher cytokinesis time and a higher percentage of cytokinesis failure by using live-cell microscopy. Finally, a significant direct correlation between HMGA1 and SAC genes expression was detected in human colon carcinomas indicating a novel mechanism by which HMGA1 contributes to cancer progression.
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25
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Jiang X, Hu C, Arnovitz S, Bugno J, Yu M, Zuo Z, Chen P, Huang H, Ulrich B, Gurbuxani S, Weng H, Strong J, Wang Y, Li Y, Salat J, Li S, Elkahloun AG, Yang Y, Neilly MB, Larson RA, Le Beau MM, Herold T, Bohlander SK, Liu PP, Zhang J, Li Z, He C, Jin J, Hong S, Chen J. miR-22 has a potent anti-tumour role with therapeutic potential in acute myeloid leukaemia. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11452. [PMID: 27116251 PMCID: PMC5477496 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are subject to precise regulation and have key roles in tumorigenesis. In contrast to the oncogenic role of miR-22 reported in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and breast cancer, here we show that miR-22 is an essential anti-tumour gatekeeper in de novo acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) where it is significantly downregulated. Forced expression of miR-22 significantly suppresses leukaemic cell viability and growth in vitro, and substantially inhibits leukaemia development and maintenance in vivo. Mechanistically, miR-22 targets multiple oncogenes, including CRTC1, FLT3 and MYCBP, and thus represses the CREB and MYC pathways. The downregulation of miR-22 in AML is caused by TET1/GFI1/EZH2/SIN3A-mediated epigenetic repression and/or DNA copy-number loss. Furthermore, nanoparticles carrying miR-22 oligos significantly inhibit leukaemia progression in vivo. Together, our study uncovers a TET1/GFI1/EZH2/SIN3A/miR-22/CREB-MYC signalling circuit and thereby provides insights into epigenetic/genetic mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of AML, and also highlights the clinical potential of miR-22-based AML therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Jiang
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219, USA.,Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Chao Hu
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219, USA.,Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.,Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003 Zhejiang, China
| | - Stephen Arnovitz
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Jason Bugno
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences College of Pharmacy, The University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA
| | - Miao Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Zhixiang Zuo
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219, USA.,Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 510060 Guangzhou, China
| | - Ping Chen
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Hao Huang
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Bryan Ulrich
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Sandeep Gurbuxani
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Hengyou Weng
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219, USA.,Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Jennifer Strong
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219, USA
| | - Yungui Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219, USA.,Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.,Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003 Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Justin Salat
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Shenglai Li
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Abdel G Elkahloun
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences College of Pharmacy, The University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA
| | - Mary Beth Neilly
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Richard A Larson
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Michelle M Le Beau
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Tobias Herold
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan K Bohlander
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Paul P Liu
- Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Jiwang Zhang
- Oncology Institute, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois 60153, USA
| | - Zejuan Li
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.,Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Jie Jin
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003 Zhejiang, China
| | - Seungpyo Hong
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences College of Pharmacy, The University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.,Integrated Science and Engineering Division, Underwood International College, Yonsei University, Incheon 406-840, Korea
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219, USA.,Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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26
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Hillion J, Roy S, Heydarian M, Cope L, Xian L, Koo M, Luo LZ, Kellyn K, Ronnett BM, Huso T, Armstrong D, Reddy K, Huso DL, Resar LMS. The High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) gene is highly overexpressed in human uterine serous carcinomas and carcinosarcomas and drives Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in a subset of tumors. Gynecol Oncol 2016; 141:580-587. [PMID: 27001612 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2016.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2015] [Revised: 03/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although uterine cancer is the fourth most common cause for cancer death in women worldwide, the molecular underpinnings of tumor progression remain poorly understood. The High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) gene is overexpressed in aggressive cancers and high levels portend adverse outcomes in diverse tumors. We previously reported that Hmga1a transgenic mice develop uterine tumors with complete penetrance. Because HMGA1 drives tumor progression by inducing MatrixMetalloproteinase (MMP) and other genes involved in invasion, we explored the HMGA1-MMP-2 pathway in uterine cancer. METHODS To investigate MMP-2 in uterine tumors driven by HMGA1, we used a genetic approach with mouse models. Next, we assessed HMGA1 and MMP-2 expression in primary human uterine tumors, including low-grade carcinomas (endometrial endometrioid) and more aggressive tumors (endometrial serous carcinomas, uterine carcinosarcomas/malignant mesodermal mixed tumors). RESULTS Here, we report for the first time that uterine tumor growth is impaired in Hmga1a transgenic mice crossed on to an Mmp-2 deficient background. In human tumors, we discovered that HMGA1 is highest in aggressive carcinosarcomas and serous carcinomas, with lower levels in the more indolent endometrioid carcinomas. Moreover, HMGA1 and MMP-2 were positively correlated, but only in a subset of carcinosarcomas. HMGA1 also occupies the MMP-2 promoter in human carcinosarcoma cells. CONCLUSIONS Together, our studies define a novel HMGA1-MMP-2 pathway involved in a subset of human carcinosarcomas and tumor progression in murine models. Our work also suggests that targeting HMGA1 could be effective adjuvant therapy for more aggressive uterine cancers and provides compelling data for further preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joelle Hillion
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sujayita Roy
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Mohammad Heydarian
- Department of Biologic Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Leslie Cope
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Lingling Xian
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Michael Koo
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Li Z Luo
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kathleen Kellyn
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Brigitte M Ronnett
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Tait Huso
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Deborah Armstrong
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Karen Reddy
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Biologic Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - David L Huso
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - L M S Resar
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Pathobiology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Institute for Cellular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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27
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Belton A, Xian L, Huso T, Koo M, Luo LZ, Turkson J, Page BDG, Gunning PT, Liu G, Huso DL, Resar LMS. STAT3 inhibitor has potent antitumor activity in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells overexpressing the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1)-STAT3 pathway. Leuk Lymphoma 2016; 57:2681-4. [PMID: 26952843 DOI: 10.3109/10428194.2016.1153089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy Belton
- a Hematology Division, Department of Medicine , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Lingling Xian
- a Hematology Division, Department of Medicine , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Tait Huso
- a Hematology Division, Department of Medicine , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Michael Koo
- a Hematology Division, Department of Medicine , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Li Z Luo
- a Hematology Division, Department of Medicine , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - James Turkson
- b Cell and Molecular Biology Department , John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii , Honolulu , HI , USA
| | - Brent D G Page
- c Department of Chemistry , University of Toronto , Ontario , Canada
| | - Patrick T Gunning
- c Department of Chemistry , University of Toronto , Ontario , Canada
| | - Guosheng Liu
- d Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - David L Huso
- d Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA ;,e Department of Oncology, Institute for Cellular Engineering , the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Linda M S Resar
- a Hematology Division, Department of Medicine , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA ;,e Department of Oncology, Institute for Cellular Engineering , the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
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28
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Kao CY, Yang PM, Wu MH, Huang CC, Lee YC, Lee KH. Heat shock protein 90 is involved in the regulation of HMGA2-driven growth and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of colorectal cancer cells. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1683. [PMID: 26893968 PMCID: PMC4756735 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
High Mobility Group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) is a nonhistone chromatin-binding protein which acts as a transcriptional regulating factor involved in gene transcription. In particular, overexpression of HMGA2 has been demonstrated to associate with neoplastic transformation and tumor progression in Colorectal Cancer (CRC). Thus, HMGA2 is a potential therapeutic target in cancer therapy. Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) is a chaperone protein required for the stability and function for a number of proteins that promote the growth, mobility, and survival of cancer cells. Moreover, it has shown strong positive connections were observed between Hsp90 inhibitors and CRC, which indicated their potential for use in CRC treatment by using combination of data mining and experimental designs. However, little is known about the effect of Hsp90 inhibition on HMGA2 protein expression in CRC. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Hsp90 may regulate HMGA2 expression and investigated the relationship between Hsp90 and HMGA2 signaling. The use of the second-generation Hsp90 inhibitor, NVP-AUY922, considerably knocked down HMGA2 expression, and the effects of Hsp90 and HMGA2 knockdown were similar. In addition, Hsp90 knockdown abrogates colocalization of Hsp90 and HMGA2 in CRC cells. Moreover, the suppression of HMGA2 protein expression in response to NVP-AUY922 treatment resulted in ubiquitination and subsequent proteasome-dependant degradation of HMGA2. Furthermore, RNAi-mediated silencing of HMGA2 reduced the survival of CRC cells and increased the sensitivity of these cells to chemotherapy. Finally, we found that the NVP-AUY922-dependent mitigation of HMGA2 signaling occurred also through indirect reactivation of the tumor suppressor microRNA (miRNA), let-7a, or the inhibition of ERK-regulated HMGA2 involved in regulating the growth of CRC cells. Collectively, our studies identify the crucial role for the Hsp90-HMGA2 interaction in maintaining CRC cell survival and migration. These findings have significant implications for inhibition HMGA2-dependent tumorigenesis by clinically available Hsp90 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yu Kao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ming Yang
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Heng Wu
- Graduate Institute of Translational Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chen Huang
- Graduate Institute of Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chao Lee
- Graduate Institute of Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuen-Haur Lee
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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29
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Esposito F, De Martino M, Petti MG, Forzati F, Tornincasa M, Federico A, Arra C, Pierantoni GM, Fusco A. HMGA1 pseudogenes as candidate proto-oncogenic competitive endogenous RNAs. Oncotarget 2015; 5:8341-54. [PMID: 25268743 PMCID: PMC4226687 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The High Mobility Group A (HMGA) are nuclear proteins that participate in the organization of nucleoprotein complexes involved in chromatin structure, replication and gene transcription. HMGA overexpression is a feature of human cancer and plays a causal role in cell transformation. Since non-coding RNAs and pseudogenes are now recognized to be important in physiology and disease, we investigated HMGA1 pseudogenes in cancer settings using bioinformatics analysis. Here we report the identification and characterization of two HMGA1 non-coding pseudogenes, HMGA1P6 and HMGA1P7. We show that their overexpression increases the levels of HMGA1 and other cancer-related proteins by inhibiting the suppression of their synthesis mediated by microRNAs. Consistently, embryonic fibroblasts from HMGA1P7-overexpressing transgenic mice displayed a higher growth rate and reduced susceptibility to senescence. Moreover, HMGA1P6 and HMGA1P7 were overexpressed in human anaplastic thyroid carcinomas, which are highly aggressive, but not in differentiated papillary carcinomas, which are less aggressive. Lastly, the expression of the HMGA1 pseudogenes was significantly correlated with HMGA1 protein levels thereby implicating HMGA1P overexpression in cancer progression. In conclusion, HMGA1P6 and HMGA1P7 are potential proto-oncogenic competitive endogenous RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Esposito
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Marco De Martino
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Petti
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Floriana Forzati
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Mara Tornincasa
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Federico
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Claudio Arra
- Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna Maria Pierantoni
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Alfredo Fusco
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
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30
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Liu K, Zhang C, Li T, Ding Y, Tu T, Zhou F, Qi W, Chen H, Sun X. Let-7a inhibits growth and migration of breast cancer cells by targeting HMGA1. Int J Oncol 2015; 46:2526-34. [PMID: 25846193 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2015.2949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Let-7 is one of the earliest discovered microRNAs (miRNAs) and has been reported to regulate self renewal and tumorigenicity of breast cancer cells. Let-7a is a member of this family and its function has not been fully characterized in breast cancer. First, total RNAs of breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7), breast cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues were extracted and used to detect let-7a expression by qRT-PCR. Secondly, the effects of let-7a on proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells were assessed by in vitro cell culture experiments. Finally, western blotting was performed to demonstrate how let-7a regulated HMGA1 expression. We found that let-7a expression was significantly lower in breast cancer cells and breast cancer tissues compared to corresponding adjacent normal tissues. Cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion were decreased after overexpression of let-7a in breast cancer cells and vice versa. Furthermore, we identified the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) as a potential target gene of let-7a. Protein expression of the target gene was significantly downregulated in let-7a mimic transfected breast cancer cells and significantly upregulated in let-7a inhibitor transfected breast cancer cells. Our data suggest that let-7a plays an important role as a tumor suppressor gene by targeting HMGA1, which may open novel perspectives for clinical treatments against breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Liu
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Chunfu Zhang
- The Second People's Hospital of Kunshan, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215300, P.R. China
| | - Tao Li
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Yanling Ding
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Tao Tu
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Fangfang Zhou
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Wenkai Qi
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Huabiao Chen
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Xiaochun Sun
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
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Pallante P, Sepe R, Puca F, Fusco A. High mobility group a proteins as tumor markers. Front Med (Lausanne) 2015; 2:15. [PMID: 25859543 PMCID: PMC4373383 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2015.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Almost 30 years ago, overexpression of HMGA proteins was associated with malignant phenotype of rat thyroid cells transformed with murine retroviruses. Thereafter, several studies have analyzed HMGA expression in a wide range of human neoplasias. Here, we summarize all these results that, in the large majority of the cases, confirm the association of HMGA overexpression with high malignant phenotype as outlined by chemoresistance, spreading of metastases, and a global poor survival. Even though HMGA proteins’ overexpression indicates a poor prognosis in almost all malignancies, their detection may be particularly useful in determining the prognosis of breast, lung, and colon carcinomas, suggesting for the treatment a more aggressive therapy. In particular, the expression of HMGA2 in lung carcinomas is frequently associated with the presence of metastases. Moreover, recent data revealed that often the cause for the high HMGA proteins levels detected in human malignancies is a deregulated expression of non-coding RNA. Therefore, the HMGA proteins represent tumor markers whose detection can be a valid tool for the diagnosis and prognosis of neoplastic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierlorenzo Pallante
- Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Naples , Italy
| | - Romina Sepe
- Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Naples , Italy
| | - Francesca Puca
- Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Naples , Italy
| | - Alfredo Fusco
- Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Naples , Italy ; Instituto Nacional de Câncer , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
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Yanagisawa BL, Resar LMS. Hitting the bull's eye: targeting HMGA1 in cancer stem cells. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2014; 14:23-30. [PMID: 24410339 DOI: 10.1586/14737140.2013.859988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that when cancer cells hijack normal stem cell properties, they acquire the ability to invade, metastasize to distant sites and evade therapy. Thus, eliminating cancer cells with stem cell properties, or cancer stem cells, is of prime importance for the successful treatment of cancer, regardless of the tissue of origin. Previous efforts to target cancer stem cells (CSCs), however, have been largely unsuccessful. Recent studies led to the discovery of a novel role for the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) protein as a master regulator in both CSCs and normal embryonic stem cells. Here, we present exciting new work unveiling HMGA1 as a promising target for therapies directed at eradicating CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breann L Yanagisawa
- Department of Medicine, Pathobiology Graduate Program, Hematology Division, Oncology, the Institute for Cellular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Huso TH, Resar LMS. The high mobility group A1 molecular switch: turning on cancer - can we turn it off? Expert Opin Ther Targets 2014; 18:541-53. [PMID: 24684280 DOI: 10.1517/14728222.2014.900045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Emerging evidence demonstrates that the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) chromatin remodeling protein is a key molecular switch required by cancer cells for tumor progression and a poorly differentiated, stem-like state. Because the HMGA1 gene and proteins are expressed at high levels in all aggressive tumors studied to date, research is needed to determine how to 'turn off' this master regulatory switch in cancer. AREAS COVERED In this review, we describe prior studies that underscore the central role of HMGA1 in refractory cancers and we discuss approaches to target HMGA1 in cancer therapy. EXPERT OPINION Given the widespread overexpression of HMGA1 in diverse, aggressive tumors, further research to develop technology to target HMGA1 holds immense promise as potent anticancer therapy. Previous work in preclinical models indicates that delivery of short hairpin RNA or interfering RNA molecules to 'switch off' HMGA1 expression dramatically impairs cancer cell growth and tumor progression. The advent of nanoparticle technology to systemically deliver DNA or RNA molecules to tumors brings this approach even closer to clinical applications, although further efforts are needed to translate these advances into therapies for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tait H Huso
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Hematology Division , Ross Research Building, Room 1015, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore MD 21205 , USA
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Overexpression of high mobility group A1 protein in human uveal melanomas: implication for prognosis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68724. [PMID: 23935884 PMCID: PMC3720810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) protein, which functions as a transcriptional master regulator, plays critical roles in tumor progression. We evaluated HMGA1 expression in 89 primary uveal melanomas (UM) by immunohistochemistry to determine the clinicopathological and prognostic value of HMGA1 in UM after adjusting for other prognostic variables. Nuclear expression of HMGA1 was detected in 44% UMs. High expression levels of HMGA1 were more frequent in UMs with high levels of epithelioid cell pattern, mitoses count, and Ki67 labeling index (P = 0.025, P<0.0001, P = 0.0018; respectively), and HMGA1 expression levels were directly correlated with Ki67 labeling indexes and mitoses counts (R = 0.31, P <0.0001; R = 0.27, P<0.0068; respectively). High expression of HMGA1 was also independently associated with an increased risk of distant metastases as determined using the Cox proportional hazards regression model (multivariate hazard ratio: 3.44; 95% confidence interval: 1.56–7.60; log rank P = 0.0022). Moreover, high HMGA1 expression was associated with shorter UM-specific survival (multivariate hazard ratio: 2.41; 95% confidence interval: 1.10–5.53; log rank P = 0.041). These findings suggest that high levels of HMGA1 are associated with adverse clinical outcomes in UM patients and that further evaluation of HMGA1 as a potential therapeutic target in UM is warranted.
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Shah SN, Cope L, Poh W, Belton A, Roy S, Talbot CC, Sukumar S, Huso DL, Resar LMS. HMGA1: a master regulator of tumor progression in triple-negative breast cancer cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63419. [PMID: 23658826 PMCID: PMC3642138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that tumor cells metastasize by co-opting stem cell transcriptional networks, although the molecular underpinnings of this process are poorly understood. Here, we show for the first time that the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) gene drives metastatic progression in triple negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, Hs578T) by reprogramming cancer cells to a stem-like state. Silencing HMGA1 expression in invasive, aggressive breast cancer cells dramatically halts cell growth and results in striking morphologic changes from mesenchymal-like, spindle-shaped cells to cuboidal, epithelial-like cells. Mesenchymal genes (Vimentin, Snail) are repressed, while E-cadherin is induced in the knock-down cells. Silencing HMGA1 also blocks oncogenic properties, including proliferation, migration, invasion, and orthotopic tumorigenesis. Metastatic progression following mammary implantation is almost completely abrogated in the HMGA1 knock-down cells. Moreover, silencing HMGA1 inhibits the stem cell property of three-dimensional mammosphere formation, including primary, secondary, and tertiary spheres. In addition, knock-down of HMGA1 depletes cancer initiator/cancer stem cells and prevents tumorigenesis at limiting dilutions. We also discovered an HMGA1 signature in triple negative breast cancer cells that is highly enriched in embryonic stem cells. Together, these findings indicate that HMGA1 is a master regulator of tumor progression in breast cancer by reprogramming cancer cells through stem cell transcriptional networks. Future studies are needed to determine how to target HMGA1 in therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep N Shah
- Hematology Division, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Roy S, Di Cello F, Kowalski J, Hristov AC, Tsai HL, Bhojwani D, Meyer JA, Carroll WL, Belton A, Resar LMS. HMGA1 overexpression correlates with relapse in childhood B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma 2013; 54:2565-7. [PMID: 23472968 DOI: 10.3109/10428194.2013.782610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sujayita Roy
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD , USA
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Di Cello F, Shin J, Harbom K, Brayton C. Knockdown of HMGA1 inhibits human breast cancer cell growth and metastasis in immunodeficient mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 434:70-4. [PMID: 23545254 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.03.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Accepted: 03/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The high mobility group A1 gene (HMGA1) has been previously implicated in breast carcinogenesis, and is considered an attractive target for therapeutic intervention because its expression is virtually absent in normal adult tissue. Other studies have shown that knockdown of HMGA1 reduces the tumorigenic potential of breast cancer cells in vitro. Therefore, we sought to determine if silencing HMGA1 can affect breast cancer development and metastatic progression in vivo. We silenced HMGA1 expression in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 using an RNA interference vector, and observed a significant reduction in anchorage-independent growth and tumorsphere formation, which respectively indicate loss of tumorigenesis and self-renewal ability. Moreover, silencing HMGA1 significantly impaired xenograft growth in immunodeficient mice, and while control cells metastasized extensively to the lungs and lymph nodes, HMGA1-silenced cells generated only a few small metastases. Thus, our results show that interfering with HMGA1 expression reduces the tumorigenic and metastatic potential of breast cancer cells in vivo, and lend further support to investigations into targeting HMGA1 as a potential treatment for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francescopaolo Di Cello
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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Heath JL, Wechsler DS. High motility group overexpression accelerates T-cell leukemogenesis. Leuk Lymphoma 2013; 54:1577-8. [PMID: 23418894 DOI: 10.3109/10428194.2013.777069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Heath
- Division of Pediatric Hematology – Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Di Cello F, Dhara S, Hristov AC, Kowalski J, Elbahloul O, Hillion J, Roy S, Meijerink JPP, Winter SS, Larson RS, Huso DL, Resar L. Inactivation of the Cdkn2a locus cooperates with HMGA1 to drive T-cell leukemogenesis. Leuk Lymphoma 2013; 54:1762-8. [PMID: 23311322 DOI: 10.3109/10428194.2013.764422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive leukemia with high relapse rates compared to B-lineage ALL. We previously showed that HMGA1a transgenic mice develop aggressive T-ALL, indicating that HMGA1 causes leukemic transformation in vivo. HMGA1 is also highly expressed in embryonic stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells and diverse, refractory human cancers. Disruption of the CDKN2A tumor suppressor locus occurs in most cases of T-ALL and is thought to contribute to leukemic transformation. To determine whether loss of function of CDKN2A cooperates with HMGA1 in T-ALL, we crossed HMGA1a transgenics onto a Cdkn2a null background. We discovered that T-ALL is markedly accelerated in HMGA1a transgenic Cdkn2a null mice. In addition, these mice recapitulate salient clinical and pathologic features of human T-ALL. HMGA1 is also highly overexpressed in human T-ALL. These findings suggest that HMGA1 plays a causative role in T-ALL and could represent a rational therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francescopaolo Di Cello
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Mussnich P, D'Angelo D, Leone V, Croce CM, Fusco A. The High Mobility Group A proteins contribute to thyroid cell transformation by regulating miR-603 and miR-10b expression. Mol Oncol 2013; 7:531-42. [PMID: 23384558 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2013.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2012] [Revised: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The overexpression of the HMGA1 proteins is a feature of human malignant neoplasias and has a causal role in cell transformation. The aim of our study has been to investigate the microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) regulated by the HMGA1 proteins in the process of cell transformation analyzing the miRNA expression profile of v-ras-Ki oncogene-transformed thyroid cells expressing or not HMGA1 proteins. We demonstrate that, among the miRNAs regulated by cell transformation, there are miR-10b, miR-21, miR-125b, miR-221 and miR-222 that are positively and miR-34a and miR-603 that are negatively regulated by HMGA1 expression. Then, we focused our attention on the miR-10b and miR-603 whose expression was dependent on the presence of HMGA1 also in other cell systems. We found that miR-10b is able to target the PTEN gene, whereas miR-603 targets the CCND1 and CCND2 genes coding for the cyclin D1 and cyclin D2 proteins, respectively. Moreover, functional studies showed that miR-10b and miR-603 regulate positively and negatively, respectively, cell proliferation and migration suggesting a role of their dysregulation in thyroid cell transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Mussnich
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, c/o Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia di Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Xi Y, Li YS, Tang HB. High mobility group A1 protein acts as a new target of Notch1 signaling and regulates cell proliferation in T leukemia cells. Mol Cell Biochem 2012; 374:173-80. [PMID: 23229232 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-012-1517-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Active mutations of Notch1 play pivotal roles during leukemogenesis, but the downstream targets and molecular mechanisms of activated Notch1 signaling have not yet been fully clarified. In this study, we detected the overexpression of the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) and activation of Notch1 signaling in mouse thymic lymphomas. A direct regulation of Notch1 on HMGA1 transcription was demonstrated and two Notch1/RBPJ cobinding sites of T/CTCCCACA were found in HMGA1 promoter regions. It was the first time demonstrated that HMGA1 was the downstream target of Notch1 signaling. Moreover, knockdown of HMGA1 resulted in significantly impaired cell growth and decreased expressions of cyclin D and cyclin E in human T leukemia cells. The formation of complexes was also observed between HMGA1 and retinoblastoma (RB) protein indicating a mechanism of cell cycle regulation. These findings suggest that activated HMGA1 regulates cell proliferation through the Notch1 signaling pathway, which represents an important molecular pathway leading to leukemogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xi
- Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
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Shah SN, Kerr C, Cope L, Zambidis E, Liu C, Hillion J, Belton A, Huso DL, Resar LMS. HMGA1 reprograms somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells by inducing stem cell transcriptional networks. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48533. [PMID: 23166588 PMCID: PMC3499526 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although recent studies have identified genes expressed in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) that induce pluripotency, the molecular underpinnings of normal stem cell function remain poorly understood. The high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) gene is highly expressed in hESCs and poorly differentiated, stem-like cancers; however, its role in these settings has been unclear. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We show that HMGA1 is highly expressed in fully reprogrammed iPSCs and hESCs, with intermediate levels in ECCs and low levels in fibroblasts. When hESCs are induced to differentiate, HMGA1 decreases and parallels that of other pluripotency factors. Conversely, forced expression of HMGA1 blocks differentiation of hESCs. We also discovered that HMGA1 enhances cellular reprogramming of somatic cells to iPSCs together with the Yamanaka factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, cMYC - OSKM). HMGA1 increases the number and size of iPSC colonies compared to OSKM controls. Surprisingly, there was normal differentiation in vitro and benign teratoma formation in vivo of the HMGA1-derived iPSCs. During the reprogramming process, HMGA1 induces the expression of pluripotency genes, including SOX2, LIN28, and cMYC, while knockdown of HMGA1 in hESCs results in the repression of these genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation shows that HMGA1 binds to the promoters of these pluripotency genes in vivo. In addition, interfering with HMGA1 function using a short hairpin RNA or a dominant-negative construct blocks cellular reprogramming to a pluripotent state. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate for the first time that HMGA1 enhances cellular reprogramming from a somatic cell to a fully pluripotent stem cell. These findings identify a novel role for HMGA1 as a key regulator of the stem cell state by inducing transcriptional networks that drive pluripotency. Although further studies are needed, these HMGA1 pathways could be exploited in regenerative medicine or as novel therapeutic targets for poorly differentiated, stem-like cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep N. Shah
- Hematology Division, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Candace Kerr
- Obstetrics & Gynecology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Leslie Cope
- Oncology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Biostatistics, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Elias Zambidis
- Oncology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Comparative Molecular & Pathobiology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cyndi Liu
- Obstetrics & Gynecology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Joelle Hillion
- Hematology Division, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Amy Belton
- Hematology Division, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David L. Huso
- Oncology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Comparative Molecular & Pathobiology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Pathology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Linda M. S. Resar
- Hematology Division, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Oncology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Pediatrics, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Bush BM, Brock AT, Deng JA, Nelson RA, Sumter TF. The Wnt/β-catenin/T-cell factor 4 pathway up-regulates high-mobility group A1 expression in colon cancer. Cell Biochem Funct 2012; 31:228-36. [PMID: 22961697 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.2876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2012] [Revised: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
High-mobility group A1 (HMGA1) encodes proteins that act as mediators in viral integration, modification of chromatin structure, neoplastic transformation and metastatic progression. Because HMGA1 is overexpressed in most cancers and has transcriptional relationships with several Wnt-responsive genes, we explored the involvement of HMGA1 in Wnt/β-catenin/TCF-4 signalling. In adenomatous polyposis coli (APC(Min/+)) mice, we observed significant up-regulation of HMGA1 mRNA and protein in intestinal tumours when compared with normal intestinal mucosa. Conversely, restoration of Wnt signalling by the zinc induction of wild-type APC resulted in HMGA1 down-regulation in HT-29 cells. Because APC mutations are associated with mobilization of the β-catenin/TCF-4 transcriptional complex and subsequent activation of downstream oncogenic targets, we analyzed the 5'-flanking sequence of HMGA1 for putative TCF-4 binding elements. We identified two regions that specifically bind the β-catenin/TCF-4 complex in vitro and in vivo, identifying HMGA1 as an immediate target of the β-catenin/TCF-4 signalling pathway in colon cancer. Collectively, these findings strongly implicate Wnt/β-catenin/TCF-4 signalling in regulating HMGA1 to further expand the extensive regulatory network affected by Wnt/β-catenin/TCF-4 signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany M Bush
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Geology, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 29733, USA
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Hillion J, Smail SS, Di Cello F, Belton A, Shah S, Huso T, Schuldenfrei A, Nelson DM, Cope L, Campbell N, Karikari C, Aderinto A, Maitra A, Huso DL, Resar LMS. The HMGA1-COX-2 axis: a key molecular pathway and potential target in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Pancreatology 2012; 12:372-9. [PMID: 22898640 PMCID: PMC3466102 DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2012.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Although pancreatic cancer is a common, highly lethal malignancy, the molecular events that enable precursor lesions to become invasive carcinoma remain unclear. We previously reported that the high-mobility group A1 (HMGA1) protein is overexpressed in >90% of primary pancreatic cancers, with absent or low levels in early precursor lesions. METHODS Here, we investigate the role of HMGA1 in reprogramming pancreatic epithelium into invasive cancer cells. We assessed oncogenic properties induced by HMGA1 in non-transformed pancreatic epithelial cells expressing activated K-RAS. We also explored the HMGA1-cyclooxygenase (COX-2) pathway in human pancreatic cancer cells and the therapeutic effects of COX-2 inhibitors in xenograft tumorigenesis. RESULTS HMGA1 cooperates with activated K-RAS to induce migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent cell growth in a cell line derived from normal human pancreatic epithelium. Moreover, HMGA1 and COX-2 expression are positively correlated in pancreatic cancer cell lines (r(2) = 0.93; p < 0.001). HMGA1 binds directly to the COX-2 promoter at an AT-rich region in vivo in three pancreatic cancer cell lines. In addition, HMGA1 induces COX-2 expression in pancreatic epithelial cells, while knock-down of HMGA1 results in repression of COX-2 in pancreatic cancer cells. Strikingly, we also discovered that Sulindac (a COX-1/COX-2 inhibitor) or Celecoxib (a more specific COX-2 inhibitor) block xenograft tumorigenesis from pancreatic cancer cells expressing high levels of HMGA1. CONCLUSIONS Our studies identify for the first time an important role for the HMGA1-COX-2 pathway in pancreatic cancer and suggest that targeting this pathway could be effective to treat, or even prevent, pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joelle Hillion
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Shamayra S. Smail
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Francescopaolo Di Cello
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Amy Belton
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Sandeep Shah
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Tait Huso
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Andrew Schuldenfrei
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Dwella Moton Nelson
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Leslie Cope
- Oncology Center-Biostatistics/Bioinformatics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Nathaniel Campbell
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Collins Karikari
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Abimbola Aderinto
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - David L. Huso
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Linda M. S. Resar
- Hematology Division, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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Abstract
PURPOSE Although molecular targeted therapy has improved the clinical outcome of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, a complete response is rare and there are various side effects. Identifying novel target molecules is necessary to improve the clinical outcome of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. HMGA1 is over expressed in many types of cancer and it is associated with metastatic potential. It is expressed at low levels or not expressed in normal tissue. We examined HMGA1 expression and function in human renal cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS HMGA1 expression in surgical specimen from patients with renal cell carcinoma was examined by immunoblot. HMGA1 expression in 6 human renal cell carcinoma cell lines was examined by immunoblot and immunofluorescence. The molecular effects of siRNA mediated knockdown of HMGA1 were examined in ACHN and Caki-1 cells. RESULTS Immunoblot using surgical specimen showed that HMGA1 was not expressed in normal kidney tissue but it was expressed in tumor tissue in 1 of 30 nonmetastatic (3%) and 6 of 18 metastatic (33%) cases (p=0.008). Immunoblot and immunofluorescence revealed significant nuclear expression of HMGA1 in ACHN and Caki-1 cells derived from metastatic sites. HMGA1 knockdown remarkably suppressed colony formation and induced significant apoptosis in ACHN and Caki-1 cells. HMGA1 knockdown significantly inhibited invasion and migration in vitro, and induced anoikis associated with P-Akt down-regulation in ACHN cells. CONCLUSIONS HMGA1 is a potential target for novel therapeutic modalities for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
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Massimi I, Guerrieri F, Petroni M, Veschi V, Truffa S, Screpanti I, Frati L, Levrero M, Gulino A, Giannini G. The HMGA1 protoncogene frequently deregulated in cancer is a transcriptional target of E2F1. Mol Carcinog 2012; 52:526-34. [PMID: 22389255 DOI: 10.1002/mc.21887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Revised: 12/05/2011] [Accepted: 01/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Reactivation of the HMGA1 protoncogene is very frequent in human cancer, but still very little is known on the molecular mechanisms leading to this event. Prompted by the finding of putative E2F binding sites in the human HMGA1 promoter and by the frequent deregulation of the RB/E2F1 pathway in human carcinogenesis, we investigated whether E2F1 might contribute to the regulation of HMGA1 gene expression. Here we report that E2F1 induces HMGA1 by interacting with a 193 bp region of the HMGA1 promoter containing an E2F binding site surrounded by three putative Sp1 binding sites. Both gain and loss of function experiments indicate that Sp1 functionally interacts with E2F1 to promote HMGA1 expression. However, while Sp1 constitutively binds HMGA1 promoter, it is the balance between different E2F family members that tunes the levels of HMGA1 expression between quiescence and proliferation. Finally, we found increased HMGA1 expression in pituitary and thyroid tumors developed in Rb(+/-) mice, supporting the hypothesis that E2F1 is a novel important regulator of HMGA1 expression and that deregulation of the RB/E2F1 path might significantly contribute to HMGA1 deregulation in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Massimi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
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Belton A, Gabrovsky A, Bae YK, Reeves R, Iacobuzio-Donahue C, Huso DL, Resar LMS. HMGA1 induces intestinal polyposis in transgenic mice and drives tumor progression and stem cell properties in colon cancer cells. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30034. [PMID: 22276142 PMCID: PMC3262796 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2011] [Accepted: 12/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although metastatic colon cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, the molecular mechanisms that enable colon cancer cells to metastasize remain unclear. Emerging evidence suggests that metastatic cells develop by usurping transcriptional networks from embryonic stem (ES) cells to facilitate an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and metastatic progression. Previous studies identified HMGA1 as a key transcription factor enriched in ES cells, colon cancer, and other aggressive tumors, although its role in these settings is poorly understood. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS To determine how HMGA1 functions in metastatic colon cancer, we manipulated HMGA1 expression in transgenic mice and colon cancer cells. We discovered that HMGA1 drives proliferative changes, aberrant crypt formation, and intestinal polyposis in transgenic mice. In colon cancer cell lines from poorly differentiated, metastatic tumors, knock-down of HMGA1 blocks anchorage-independent cell growth, migration, invasion, xenograft tumorigenesis and three-dimensional colonosphere formation. Inhibiting HMGA1 expression blocks tumorigenesis at limiting dilutions, consistent with depletion of tumor-initiator cells in the knock-down cells. Knock-down of HMGA1 also inhibits metastatic progression to the liver in vivo. In metastatic colon cancer cells, HMGA1 induces expression of Twist1, a gene involved in embryogenesis, EMT, and tumor progression, while HMGA1 represses E-cadherin, a gene that is down-regulated during EMT and metastatic progression. In addition, HMGA1 is among the most enriched genes in colon cancer compared to normal mucosa. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate for the first time that HMGA1 drives proliferative changes and polyp formation in the intestines of transgenic mice and induces metastatic progression and stem-like properties in colon cancer cells. These findings indicate that HMGA1 is a key regulator, both in metastatic progression and in the maintenance of a stem-like state. Our results also suggest that HMGA1 or downstream pathways could be rational therapeutic targets in metastatic, poorly differentiated colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Belton
- Hematology Division, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Alexander Gabrovsky
- Hematology Division, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Young Kyung Bae
- Department of Pathology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Ray Reeves
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Christine Iacobuzio-Donahue
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David L. Huso
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Linda M. S. Resar
- Hematology Division, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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48
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Xi Y, Watanabe S, Hino Y, Sakamoto C, Nakatsu Y, Okada S, Nakao M. Hmga1 is differentially expressed and mediates silencing of the CD4/CD8 loci in T cell lineages and leukemic cells. Cancer Sci 2011; 103:439-47. [PMID: 22106824 DOI: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2011.02159.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
High-mobility group A1 (Hmga1) protein is an architectural chromatin factor, and aberrant Hmga1 expression in mice causes hematopoietic malignancies with defects in cellular differentiation. However, the functional involvement of Hmga1 in hematopoietic development and leukemic cells remains to be elucidated. Using Hmga1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) knock-in mice that endogenously express an Hmga1-GFP fusion protein, we examined Hmga1 expression in undifferentiated and differentiated populations of hematopoietic cells. During early T cell development in the thymus, Hmga1 is highly expressed in CD4/CD8-double negative (DN) cells and is transiently downregulated in CD4/CD8-double positive (DP) cells. Consistently, Hmga1 directly binds to cis-regulatory elements in the CD4/CD8 loci and the heterochromatin foci in DN-stage cells, but not in DP cells. Interestingly, CD4/CD8 expression in DN-stage leukemic cells is induced by inhibition of Hmga1 binding to nuclear DNA or RNA interference-mediated Hmga1 knockdown. In addition, Hmga1-depleted leukemic T cells markedly diminish proliferation, with transcriptional activation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor genes as a direct target of Hmga1. The data in the present study reveal a role of Hmga1 in transcriptional silencing in T cell lineages and leukemic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xi
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, and Global Center of Excellence Cell Fate Regulation Research and Education Unit, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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Schuldenfrei A, Belton A, Kowalski J, Talbot CC, Di Cello F, Poh W, Tsai HL, Shah SN, Huso TH, Huso DL, Resar LMS. HMGA1 drives stem cell, inflammatory pathway, and cell cycle progression genes during lymphoid tumorigenesis. BMC Genomics 2011; 12:549. [PMID: 22053823 PMCID: PMC3245506 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-12-549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Accepted: 11/04/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) gene is widely overexpressed in diverse cancers and portends a poor prognosis in some tumors, the molecular mechanisms that mediate its role in transformation have remained elusive. HMGA1 functions as a potent oncogene in cultured cells and induces aggressive lymphoid tumors in transgenic mice. Because HMGA1 chromatin remodeling proteins regulate transcription, HMGA1 is thought to drive malignant transformation by modulating expression of specific genes. Genome-wide studies to define HMGA1 transcriptional networks during tumorigenesis, however, are lacking. To define the HMGA1 transcriptome, we analyzed gene expression profiles in lymphoid cells from HMGA1a transgenic mice at different stages in tumorigenesis. RESULTS RNA from lymphoid samples at 2 months (before tumors develop) and 12 months (after tumors are well-established) was screened for differential expression of > 20,000 unique genes by microarray analysis (Affymetrix) using a parametric and nonparametric approach. Differential expression was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR in a subset of genes. Differentially expressed genes were analyzed for cellular pathways and functions using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Early in tumorigenesis, HMGA1 induced inflammatory pathways with NFkappaB identified as a major node. In established tumors, HMGA1 induced pathways involved in cell cycle progression, cell-mediated immune response, and cancer. At both stages in tumorigenesis, HMGA1 induced pathways involved in cellular development, hematopoiesis, and hematologic development. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that stem cell and immature T cell genes are enriched in the established tumors. To determine if these results are relevant to human tumors, we knocked-down HMGA1 in human T-cell leukemia cells and identified a subset of genes dysregulated in both the transgenic and human lymphoid tumors. CONCLUSIONS We found that HMGA1 induces inflammatory pathways early in lymphoid tumorigenesis and pathways involved in stem cells, cell cycle progression, and cancer in established tumors. HMGA1 also dyregulates genes and pathways involved in stem cells, cellular development and hematopoiesis at both early and late stages of tumorigenesis. These results provide insight into HMGA1 function during tumor development and point to cellular pathways that could serve as therapeutic targets in lymphoid and other human cancers with aberrant HMGA1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Schuldenfrei
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Amy Belton
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jeanne Kowalski
- Department of Oncology, Division of Oncology Biostatistics, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, 550 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - C Conover Talbot
- Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Francescopaolo Di Cello
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Weijie Poh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Hua-Ling Tsai
- Department of Oncology, Division of Oncology Biostatistics, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, 550 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sandeep N Shah
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Tait H Huso
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - David L Huso
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Linda MS Resar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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50
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Nelson DM, Joseph B, Hillion J, Segal J, Karp JE, Resar LMS. Flavopiridol induces BCL-2 expression and represses oncogenic transcription factors in leukemic blasts from adults with refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma 2011; 52:1999-2006. [PMID: 21728742 PMCID: PMC3214625 DOI: 10.3109/10428194.2011.591012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Flavopiridol is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and clinical responses in selected patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A better understanding of the molecular pathways targeted by flavopiridol is needed to design optimal combinatorial therapy. Here, we report that in vivo administration of flavopiridol induced expression of the BCL-2 anti-apoptotic gene in leukemic blasts from adult patients with refractory AML. Moreover, flavopiridol repressed the expression of genes encoding oncogenic transcription factors (HMGA1, STAT3, E2F1) and the major subunit of RNA Polymerase II. Our results provide mechanistic insight into the cellular pathways targeted by flavopiridol. Although further studies are needed, our findings also suggest that blocking anti-apoptotic pathways could enhance cytotoxicity with flavopiridol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dwella M. Nelson
- Division of Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Biju Joseph
- Division of Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Joelle Hillion
- Division of Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Jodi Segal
- Division of General Internal Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Judith E. Karp
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Division of General Internal Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Linda M. S. Resar
- Division of Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Division of General Internal Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Division of Hematologic Malignancy; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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