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Shendy NAM, Zimmerman MW, Abraham BJ, Durbin AD. Intrinsic transcriptional heterogeneity in neuroblastoma guides mechanistic and therapeutic insights. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100632. [PMID: 35584622 PMCID: PMC9133465 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cell state is controlled by master transcription factors (mTFs) that determine the cellular gene expression program. Cancer cells acquire dysregulated gene expression programs by mutational and non-mutational processes. Intratumoral heterogeneity can result from cells displaying distinct mTF-regulated cell states, which co-exist within the tumor. One archetypal tumor associated with transcriptionally regulated heterogeneity is high-risk neuroblastoma (NB). Patients with NB have poor overall survival despite intensive therapies, and relapsed patients are commonly refractory to treatment. The cellular populations that comprise NB are marked by different cohorts of mTFs and differential sensitivity to conventional therapies. Recent studies have highlighted mechanisms by which NB cells dynamically shift the cell state with treatment, revealing new opportunities to control the cellular response to treatment by manipulating cell-state-defining transcriptional programs. Here, we review recent advances in understanding transcriptionally defined cancer heterogeneity. We offer challenges to the field to encourage translation of basic science into clinical benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha A M Shendy
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Mark W Zimmerman
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian J Abraham
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Adam D Durbin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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2
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Zhang B, Liu M, Fong CT, Iqbal MA. MEIS2 (15q14) gene deletions in siblings with mild developmental phenotypes and bifid uvula: documentation of mosaicism in an unaffected parent. Mol Cytogenet 2021; 14:58. [PMID: 34930369 PMCID: PMC8690878 DOI: 10.1186/s13039-021-00570-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
MEIS2 (Meis homeobox 2) encodes a homeobox protein in the three amino acid loop extension (TALE) family of highly conserved homeodomain-containing transcription regulators important for development. MEIS2 deletions/mutations have been associated with cleft lip/palate, dysmorphic facial features, cardiac defects, as well as intellectual disability at a variable severity. Here we report on one familial case that two affected siblings carry the same non-mosaic ~ 423 kb genomic deletion at 15q14 encompassing the entirety of CDIN1 and the last three exons (ex. 10, 11, 12) of the MEIS2 gene, while their unaffected father is mosaic for the same deletion in about 10% lymphocytes. Both siblings presented with mild developmental delay and bifid uvula, while no congenital cardiac abnormalities were identified. The elder sister also showed syncopal episodes and mild speech delay and the father had atrial septal defects. This is the first report showing multiple family members inherit a genomic deletion resulting in a MEIS2 partial truncation from a mosaic parent. Taken all together, this study has important implications for genetic counseling regarding recurrence risk and also points to the importance of offering MEIS2 gene tests covering both point mutations and microdeletions to individuals with milder bifid uvula and developmental delay.
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3
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Saghafinia S, Homicsko K, Di Domenico A, Wullschleger S, Perren A, Marinoni I, Ciriello G, Michael IP, Hanahan D. Cancer Cells Retrace a Stepwise Differentiation Program during Malignant Progression. Cancer Discov 2021; 11:2638-2657. [PMID: 33910926 PMCID: PMC7611766 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-1637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNET) comprise two molecular subtypes, relatively benign islet tumors (IT) and invasive, metastasis-like primary (MLP) tumors. Until now, the origin of aggressive MLP tumors has been obscure. Herein, using multi-omics approaches, we revealed that MLP tumors arise from IT via dedifferentiation following a reverse trajectory along the developmental pathway of islet β cells, which results in the acquisition of a progenitor-like molecular phenotype. Functionally, the miR-181cd cluster induces the IT-to-MLP transition by suppressing expression of the Meis2 transcription factor, leading to upregulation of a developmental transcription factor, Hmgb3. Notably, the IT-to-MLP transition constitutes a distinct step of tumorigenesis and is separable from the classic proliferation-associated hallmark, temporally preceding accelerated proliferation of cancer cells. Furthermore, patients with PanNET with elevated HMGB3 expression and an MLP transcriptional signature are associated with higher-grade tumors and worse survival. Overall, our results unveil a new mechanism that modulates cancer cell plasticity to enable malignant progression. SIGNIFICANCE: Dedifferentiation has long been observed as a histopathologic characteristic of many cancers, albeit inseparable from concurrent increases in cell proliferation. Herein, we demonstrate that dedifferentiation is a mechanistically and temporally separable step in the multistage tumorigenesis of pancreatic islet cells, retracing the developmental lineage of islet β cells.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2355.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadegh Saghafinia
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Krisztian Homicsko
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Stephan Wullschleger
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aurel Perren
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ilaria Marinoni
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Ciriello
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Iacovos P Michael
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Douglas Hanahan
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Dnmt3a deficiency in the skin causes focal, canonical DNA hypomethylation and a cellular proliferation phenotype. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022760118. [PMID: 33846253 PMCID: PMC8072215 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022760118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA hypomethylation is a feature of epidermal cells from aged and sun-exposed skin, but the mechanisms responsible for this methylation loss are not known. Dnmt3a is the dominant de novo DNA methyltransferase in the skin; while epidermal Dnmt3a deficiency creates a premalignant state in which keratinocytes are more easily transformed by topical mutagens, the conditions responsible for this increased susceptibility to transformation are not well understood. Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing, we identified a focal, canonical DNA hypomethylation phenotype in the epidermal cells of Dnmt3a-deficient mice. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed an increased proportion of cells with a proliferative gene expression signature, while other populations in the skin were relatively unchanged. Although total DNMT3A deficiency has not been described in human disease states, rare patients with an overgrowth syndrome associated with behavioral abnormalities and an increased risk of cancer often have heterozygous, germline mutations in DNMT3A that reduce its function (Tatton-Brown Rahman syndrome [TBRS]). We evaluated the DNA methylation phenotype of the skin from a TBRS patient with a germline DNMT3A R882H mutation, which encodes a dominant-negative protein that reduces its methyltransferase function by ∼80%. We detected a focal, canonical hypomethylation phenotype that revealed considerable overlap with hypomethylated regions found in Dnmt3a-deficient mouse skin. Together, these data suggest that DNMT3A loss creates a premalignant epigenetic state associated with a hyperproliferative phenotype in the skin and further suggest that DNMT3A acts as a tumor suppressor in the skin.
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Meng H, Liu J, Qiu J, Nie S, Jiang Y, Wan Y, Cheng W. Identification of Key Genes in Association with Progression and Prognosis in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma. DNA Cell Biol 2020; 39:848-863. [PMID: 32202912 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2019.5202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer remains a primary cause of female death in developing countries, but its prognosis can be greatly improved if patients are diagnosed earlier. In the present study, we screened the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC) from dataset GSE7803, Gene Expression Omnibus, and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. An integrated bioinformatics analysis was performed based on these DEGs for their enrichment in functions and pathways, interaction network, prognostic signature, and candidate molecular drugs. As a result, 164 (114 upregulated and 47 downregulated) DEGs of CESC were identified for further investigation. We then conducted the gene ontology term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway analyses to reveal the underlying functions and pathways of these DEGs. In the protein-protein interaction network, hub module and hub genes were identified. Five genes of significant prognostic value-DSG2, ITM2A, CENPM, RIBC2, and MEIS2-were identified by prognostic signature analysis and used to construct a risk linear model. Further validation and investigation suggested DSG2 might be a key gene in CESC prognosis. We then identified two candidate small molecules (trichostatin A and tanespimycin) against CESC. Further validation and exploration of these hub genes are warranted for future prospect in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huangyang Meng
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinhui Liu
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiangnan Qiu
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sipei Nie
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yicong Wan
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenjun Cheng
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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6
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Nørgaard M, Haldrup C, Bjerre MT, Høyer S, Ulhøi B, Borre M, Sørensen KD. Epigenetic silencing of MEIS2 in prostate cancer recurrence. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:147. [PMID: 31640805 PMCID: PMC6805635 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0742-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Current diagnostic and prognostic tools for prostate cancer (PC) are suboptimal, resulting in overdiagnosis and overtreatment of clinically insignificant tumors. Thus, to improve the management of PC, novel biomarkers are urgently needed. Results In this study, we integrated genome-wide methylome (Illumina 450K DNA methylation array (450K)) and RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data performed in a discovery set of 27 PC and 15 adjacent normal (AN) prostate tissue samples to identify candidate driver genes involved in PC development and/or progression. We found significant enrichment for homeobox genes among the most aberrantly methylated and transcriptionally dysregulated genes in PC. Specifically, homeobox gene MEIS2 (Myeloid Ecotropic viral Insertion Site 2) was significantly hypermethylated (p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney test) and transcriptionally downregulated (p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney test) in PC compared to non-malignant prostate tissue in our discovery sample set, which was also confirmed in an independent validation set including > 500 PC and AN tissue samples in total (TCGA cohort analyzed by 450K and RNAseq). Furthermore, in three independent radical prostatectomy (RP) cohorts (n > 700 patients in total), low MEIS2 transcriptional expression was significantly associated with poor biochemical recurrence (BCR) free survival (p = 0.0084, 0.0001, and 0.0191, respectively; log-rank test). Next, we analyzed another RP cohort consisting of > 200 PC, AN, and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) samples by quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP) and found that MEIS2 was significantly hypermethylated (p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney test) in PC compared to non-malignant prostate tissue samples (AN and BPH) with an AUC > 0.84. Moreover, in this cohort, aberrant MEIS2 hypermethylation was significantly associated with post-operative BCR (p = 0.0068, log-rank test), which was subsequently confirmed (p = 0.0067; log-rank test) in the independent TCGA validation cohort (497 RP patients; 450K data). Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate, demonstrate, and independently validate a prognostic biomarker potential for MEIS2 at the transcriptional expression level and at the DNA methylation level in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maibritt Nørgaard
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Christa Haldrup
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Marianne Trier Bjerre
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren Høyer
- Department of Histopathology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Benedicte Ulhøi
- Department of Histopathology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Michael Borre
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Karina D Sørensen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. .,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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7
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Guan L, Li T, Ai N, Wang W, He B, Bai Y, Yu Z, Li M, Dong S, Zhu Q, Ding XX, Zhang S, Li M, Tang G, Xia X, Zhao J, Lin S, Yao S, Zhang L, Chen G, Liu FE, Li X, Zhang H. MEIS2C and MEIS2D promote tumor progression via Wnt/β-catenin and hippo/YAP signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:417. [PMID: 31623651 PMCID: PMC6796342 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1417-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Background MEIS2 has been identified as one of the key transcription factors in the gene regulatory network in the development and pathogenesis of human cancers. Our study aims to identify the regulatory mechanisms of MEIS2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which could be targeted to develop new therapeutic strategies. Methods The variation of MEIS2 levels were assayed in a cohort of HCC patients. The proliferation, clone-formation, migration, and invasion abilities of HCC cells were measured to analyze the effects of MEIS2C and MEIS2D (MEIS2C/D) knockdown with small hairpin RNAs in vitro and in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was performed to identify MEIS2 binding site. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays were employed to detect proteins regulated by MEIS2. Results The expression of MEIS2C/D was increased in the HCC specimens when compared with the adjacent noncancerous liver (ANL) tissues. Moreover, MEIS2C/D expression negatively correlated with the prognosis of HCC patients. On the other hand, knockdown of MEIS2C/D could inhibit proliferation and diminish migration and invasion of hepatoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, MESI2C activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway in cooperation with Parafibromin (CDC73), while MEIS2D suppressed Hippo pathway by promoting YAP nuclear translocation via miR-1307-3p/LATS1 axis. Notably, CDC73 could directly either interact with MEIS2C/β-catenin or MEIS2D/YAP complex, depending on its tyrosine-phosphorylation status. Conclusions Our studies indicate that MEISC/D promote HCC development via Wnt/β-catenin and Hippo/YAP signaling pathways, highlighting the complex molecular network of MEIS2C/D in HCC pathogenesis. These results suggest that MEISC/D may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Guan
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Nanping Ai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Bing He
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yanxia Bai
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head-Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaocai Yu
- Department of Medical Oncology. Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingyue Li
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 712 Stellar-Chance Laboratories, 422 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Shanshan Dong
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingge Zhu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Xiao Ding
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiming Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Li
- School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangbo Tang
- Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaochun Xia
- Department of Medical Technology, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, 361023, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhao
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Song Lin
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi Yao
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of General Surgery, 967 Hospital of PLA, Dalian, 116041, People's Republic of China
| | - Geng Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang-E Liu
- Medical College, Xi'an Peihua University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyuan Li
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 712 Stellar-Chance Laboratories, 422 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Huqin Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Schulte D, Geerts D. MEIS transcription factors in development and disease. Development 2019; 146:146/16/dev174706. [PMID: 31416930 DOI: 10.1242/dev.174706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
MEIS transcription factors are key regulators of embryonic development and cancer. Research on MEIS genes in the embryo and in stem cell systems has revealed novel and surprising mechanisms by which these proteins control gene expression. This Primer summarizes recent findings about MEIS protein activity and regulation in development, and discusses new insights into the role of MEIS genes in disease, focusing on the pathogenesis of solid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Schulte
- Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute), University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Dirk Geerts
- Department of Medical Biology L2-109, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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9
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Abruzzese MP, Bilotta MT, Fionda C, Zingoni A, Soriani A, Petrucci MT, Ricciardi MR, Molfetta R, Paolini R, Santoni A, Cippitelli M. The homeobox transcription factor MEIS2 is a regulator of cancer cell survival and IMiDs activity in Multiple Myeloma: modulation by Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal (BET) protein inhibitors. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:324. [PMID: 30975979 PMCID: PMC6459881 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1562-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor Myeloid Ecotropic Insertion Site 2 (MEIS2) has been identified as a cellular substrate of the E3-ubiquitin ligase complex CRL4-cereblon (CRL4CRBN) in crystal structure and by biochemical screen. Emerging evidence suggests that IMiDs can block MEIS2 from binding to CRBN facilitating the subsequent activation of a CRL4CRBNIMiD-E3-ubiquitin ligase activity and proteasome-mediated degradation of critical substrates regulators of Multiple Myeloma (MM) cell survival and proliferation. Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal (BET) family of proteins are important epigenetic regulators involved in promoting gene expression of several oncogenes, and many studies have revealed important anticancer activities mediated by BET inhibitors (BETi) in hematologic malignancies including MM. Here, we investigated MEIS2 in MM, the role of this protein as a modulator of IMiDs activity and the ability of BETi to inhibit its expression. Our observations indicate that inhibition of MEIS2 in MM cells by RNA interference correlates with reduced growth, induction of apoptosis and enhanced efficacy of different anti-MM drugs. In addition, MEIS2 regulates the expression of Cyclin E/CCNE1 in MM and induction of apoptosis after treatment with the CDK inhibitor Seliciclib/Roscovitine. Interestingly, modulation of MEIS2 can regulate the expression of NKG2D and DNAM-1 NK cell-activating ligands and, importantly, the activity of IMiDs in MM cells. Finally, BETi have the ability to inhibit the expression of MEIS2 in MM, underscoring a novel anticancer activity mediated by these drugs. Our study provides evidence on the role of MEIS2 in MM cell survival and suggests therapeutic strategies targeting of MEIS2 to enhance IMiDs anti-myeloma activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cinzia Fionda
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Zingoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Soriani
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Petrucci
- Division of Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Ricciardi
- Hematology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Molfetta
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Paolini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Santoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. .,Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Roma, RM, Italy. .,IRCCS, Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.
| | - Marco Cippitelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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10
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Xie R, Chen X, Chen Z, Huang M, Dong W, Gu P, Zhang J, Zhou Q, Dong W, Han J, Wang X, Li H, Huang J, Lin T. Polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 promotes lymphatic metastasis and proliferation of bladder cancer via alternative splicing of MEIS2 and PKM. Cancer Lett 2019; 449:31-44. [PMID: 30742945 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Lymph node (LN) metastasis is the leading cause of bladder cancer-related mortality. Splicing factors facilitate cancer progression by modulating oncogenic variants, but it is unclear whether and how splicing factors regulate bladder cancer LN metastasis. In this study, Polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) expression was found to relate to bladder cancer LN metastasis, and was positively correlated with LN metastasis status, tumor stage, histological grade, and poor patient prognosis. Functional assays demonstrated that PTBP1 promoted bladder cancer cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in vitro, as well as LN metastasis and tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistic investigations revealed that PTBP1 upregulated MEIS2-L variant to promote metastasis and increased expression of PKM2 variant to enhance proliferation by modulating alternative mRNA splicing. Moreover, overexpression of MEIS2-L or PKM2 could rescue the oncogenic abilities of bladder cancer cells and the expression of MMP9 or CCND1 respectively after PTBP1 knockdown. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that PTBP1 induces bladder cancer LN metastasis and proliferation through an alternative splicing mechanism. PTBP1 may serve as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for LN-metastatic bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihui Xie
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Ziyue Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming Huang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen Dong
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Gu
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingtong Zhang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qianghua Zhou
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Dong
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinli Han
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xisheng Wang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Jian Huang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Tianxin Lin
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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