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Ding J, Yang YY, Li PT, Ma Y, Zhang L, Zhou Y, Jin C, Li HY, Zhu YF, Liu XP, Liu ZJ, Jia HL, Liu PG, Wu J. TGF-β1/SMAD3-driven GLI2 isoform expression contributes to aggressive phenotypes of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216768. [PMID: 38453045 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Hedgehog signaling is activated in response to liver injury, and modulates organogenesis. However, the role of non-canonical hedgehog activation via TGF-β1/SMAD3 in hepatic carcinogenesis is poorly understood. TGF-β1/SMAD3-mediated non-canonical activation was found in approximately half of GLI2-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and two new GLI2 isoforms with transactivating activity were identified. Phospho-SMAD3 interacted with active GLI2 isoforms to transactivate downstream genes in modulation of stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, chemo-resistance and metastasis in poorly-differentiated hepatoma cells. Non-canonical activation of hedgehog signaling was confirmed in a transgenic HBV-associated HCC mouse model. Inhibition of TGF-β/SMAD3 signaling reduced lung metastasis in a mouse in situ hepatic xenograft model. In another cohort of 55 HCC patients, subjects with high GLI2 expression had a shorter disease-free survival than those with low expression. Moreover, co-positivity of GLI2 with SMAD3 was observed in 87.5% of relapsed HCC patients with high GLI2 expression, indicating an increased risk of post-resection recurrence of HCC. The findings underscore that suppressing the non-canonical hedgehog signaling pathway may confer a potential strategy in the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jing'an District Central Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
| | - Yong-Yu Yang
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Peng-Tao Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, The National Key Clinical Specialty, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, China
| | - Yue Ma
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Cheng Jin
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Hui-Yan Li
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuan-Fei Zhu
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiu-Ping Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zheng-Jin Liu
- Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, China
| | - Hu-Liang Jia
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200041, China
| | - Ping-Guo Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, The National Key Clinical Specialty, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, China.
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China; Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China; Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Lee C, Yi J, Park J, Ahn B, Won YW, Jeon J, Lee BJ, Cho WJ, Park JW. Hedgehog signalling is involved in acquired resistance to KRAS G12C inhibitors in lung cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:56. [PMID: 38225225 PMCID: PMC10789740 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06436-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Although KRASG12C inhibitors have shown promising activity in lung adenocarcinomas harbouring KRASG12C, acquired resistance to these therapies eventually occurs in most patients. Re-expression of KRAS is thought to be one of the main causes of acquired resistance. However, the mechanism through which cancer cells re-express KRAS is not fully understood. Here, we report that the Hedgehog signal is induced by KRASG12C inhibitors and mediates KRAS re-expression in cancer cells treated with a KRASG12C inhibitor. Further, KRASG12C inhibitors induced the formation of primary cilia and activated the Hedgehog-GLI-1 pathway. GLI-1 binds to the KRAS promoter region, enhancing KRAS promoter activity and KRAS expression. Inhibition of GLI using siRNA or the smoothened (Smo) inhibitor suppressed re-expression of KRAS in cells treated with a KRASG12C inhibitor. In addition, we demonstrate that KRASG12C inhibitors decreased Aurora kinase A (AURKA) levels in cancer cells, and inhibition of AURKA using siRNA or inhibitors led to increased expression levels of GLI-1 and KRAS even in the absence of KRAS inhibitor. Ectopic expression of AURKA attenuated the effect of KRASG12C inhibitors on the expression of GLI-1 and re-expression of KRAS. Together, these findings demonstrate the important role of AURKA, primary cilia, and Hedgehog signals in the re-expression of KRAS and therefore the induction of acquired resistance to KRASG12C inhibitors, and provide a rationale for targeting Hedgehog signalling to overcome acquired resistance to KRASG12C inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaeyoung Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Jawoon Yi
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Jihwan Park
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Byungyong Ahn
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
- Basic-Clinical Convergence Research Institute, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Young-Wook Won
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Texas, USA
- RopheLBio, B102, Seoul Forest M Tower, Seoul, Korea
| | - JiHeung Jeon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Byung Ju Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
- Basic-Clinical Convergence Research Institute, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea
| | - Wha Ja Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea.
| | - Jeong Woo Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea.
- Basic-Clinical Convergence Research Institute, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea.
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Iwaya C, Suzuki A, Iwata J. Loss of Sc5d results in micrognathia due to a failure in osteoblast differentiation. J Adv Res 2023:S2090-1232(23)00395-8. [PMID: 38086515 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/01/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mutations in genes related to cholesterol metabolism, or maternal diet and health status, affect craniofacial bone formation. However, the precise role of intracellular cholesterol metabolism in craniofacial bone development remains unclear. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to determine how cholesterol metabolism aberrations affect craniofacial bone development. METHODS Mice with a deficiency in Sc5d, which encodes an enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis, were analyzed with histology, micro computed tomography (microCT), and cellular and molecular biological methods. RESULTS Sc5d null mice exhibited mandible hypoplasia resulting from defects in osteoblast differentiation. The activation of the hedgehog and WNT/β-catenin signaling pathways, which induce expression of osteogenic genes Col1a1 and Spp1, was compromised in the mandible of Sc5d null mice due to a failure in the formation of the primary cilium, a cell surface structure that senses extracellular cues. Treatments with an inducer of hedgehog or WNT/β-catenin signaling or with simvastatin, a drug that restores abnormal cholesterol production, partially rescued the defects in osteoblast differentiation seen in Sc5d mutant cells. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that loss of Sc5d results in mandibular hypoplasia through defective primary cilia-mediated hedgehog and WNT/β-catenin signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Iwaya
- Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Dentistry, Houston, TX 77054, USA; Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Dentistry, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Akiko Suzuki
- Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Dentistry, Houston, TX 77054, USA; Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Dentistry, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Junichi Iwata
- Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Dentistry, Houston, TX 77054, USA; Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Dentistry, Houston, TX 77054, USA; MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Zhang R, Peng X, Du JX, Boohaker R, Estevao IL, Grajeda BI, Cox MB, Almeida IC, Lu W. Oncogenic KRASG12D Reprograms Lipid Metabolism by Upregulating SLC25A1 to Drive Pancreatic Tumorigenesis. Cancer Res 2023; 83:3739-3752. [PMID: 37695315 PMCID: PMC10840918 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal disease with obesity as one of the risk factors. Oncogenic KRAS mutations are prevalent in pancreatic cancer and can rewire lipid metabolism by altering fatty acid (FA) uptake, FA oxidation (FAO), and lipogenesis. Identification of the underlying mechanisms could lead to improved therapeutic strategies for treating KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer. Here, we observed that KRASG12D upregulated the expression of SLC25A1, a citrate transporter that is a key metabolic switch to mediate FAO, fatty acid synthesis, glycolysis, and gluconeogenesis. In genetically engineered mouse models and human pancreatic cancer cells, KRASG12D induced SLC25A1 upregulation via GLI1, which directly stimulated SLC25A1 transcription by binding its promoter. The enhanced expression of SLC25A1 increased levels of cytosolic citrate, FAs, and key enzymes in lipid metabolism. In addition, a high-fat diet (HFD) further stimulated the KRASG12D-GLI1-SLC25A1 axis and the associated increase in citrate and FAs. Pharmacologic inhibition of SLC25A1 and upstream GLI1 significantly suppressed pancreatic tumorigenesis in KrasG12D/+ mice on a HFD. These results reveal a KRASG12D-GLI1-SLC25A1 regulatory axis, with SLC25A1 as an important node that regulates lipid metabolism during pancreatic tumorigenesis, thus indicating an intervention strategy for oncogenic KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer. SIGNIFICANCE Upregulation of SLC25A1 induced by KRASG12D-GLI1 signaling rewires lipid metabolism and is exacerbated by HFD to drive the development of pancreatic cancer, representing a targetable metabolic axis to suppress pancreatic tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruowen Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Xiaogang Peng
- Depart of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - James Xianxing Du
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Depart of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Rebecca Boohaker
- Oncology Department, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Igor L Estevao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Brian I Grajeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Marc B Cox
- Depart of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Igor C Almeida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Weiqin Lu
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Depart of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
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Zhao C, Liu X, Liu L, Li J, Liu X, Tao W, Wang D, Wei J. Smoothened mediates medaka spermatogonia proliferation via Gli1-Rgcc-Cdk1 axis†. Biol Reprod 2023; 109:772-784. [PMID: 37552059 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The proliferation of spermatogonia directly affects spermatogenesis and male fertility, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, Smoothened (Smo), the central transducer of Hedgehog signaling pathway, was characterized in medaka (Oryzias latipes), and its role and underlying mechanisms in the proliferation of spermatogonia were investigated. Smo was highly expressed in spermatogonia. In ex vivo testicular organ culture and a spermatogonial cell line (SG3) derived from medaka mature testis, Smo activation promoted spermatogonia proliferation, while its inhibition induced apoptosis. The expression of glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (gli1) and regulator of cell cycle (rgcc) was significantly upregulated in SG3 after Smo activation. Furthermore, Gli1 transcriptionally upregulated the expression of rgcc, and Rgcc overexpression rescued cell apoptosis caused by Smo or Gli1 inhibition. Co-immunoprecipitation assay indicated that Rgcc could interact with cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) to regulate the cell cycle of spermatogonia. Collectively, our study firstly reveals that Smo mediates the proliferation of spermatogonia through Gli1-Rgcc-Cdk1 axis. In addition, Smo and Gli1 are necessary of the survival of spermatogonia. This study deepens our understanding of spermatogonia proliferation and survival at the molecular level, and provides insights into male fertility control and reproductive disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changle Zhao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianeng Li
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xingyong Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenjing Tao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Wei
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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6
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Hong SP, Kim KW, Ahn SK. Inhibition of GLI Transcriptional Activity and Prostate Cancer Cell Growth and Proliferation by DAX1. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:5347-5361. [PMID: 37504255 PMCID: PMC10378570 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45070339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays an essential role in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer. This is mediated by transcriptional factors belonging to the GLI (glioma-associated oncogene) family, which regulate downstream targets to drive prostate cancer progression. The activity of GLI proteins is tightly controlled by a range of mechanisms, including molecular interactions and post-translational modifications. In particular, mitogenic and oncogenic signaling pathways have been shown to regulate GLI protein activity independently of upstream Hh pathway signaling. Identifying GLI protein regulators is critical for the development of targeted therapies that can improve patient outcomes. This study aimed to identify a novel protein that directly regulates the activity of GLI transcription factors in prostate cancer. We performed gene expression, cellular analyses, and reporter assays to demonstrate that DAX1 (dosage-sensitive sex reversal adrenal hypoplasia congenital critical region on X chromosome, gene 1) interacts with GLI1 and GLI2, the master regulators of Hh signaling. Interestingly, DAX1 overexpression significantly inhibited Hh signaling by reducing GLI1 and GLI2 activity, prostate cancer cell proliferation, and viability. Our results shed light on a novel regulatory mechanism of Hh signaling in prostate cancer cells. The interaction between DAX1 and GLI transcription factors provides insight into the complex regulation of Hh signaling in prostate cancer. Given the importance of Hh signaling in prostate cancer progression, targeting DAX1-GLI interactions may represent a promising therapeutic approach against prostate cancer. Overall, this study provides new insights into the regulation of the Hh pathway and its role in prostate cancer progression. The findings suggest that DAX1 could serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Pyo Hong
- Institute for New Drug Development, Division of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Kil Won Kim
- Institute for New Drug Development, Division of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon Kil Ahn
- Institute for New Drug Development, Division of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
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7
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Li Y, Yang C, Wang H, Zhao L, Kong Q, Cang Y, Zhao S, Lv L, Li Y, Mao B, Ma P. Sequential stabilization of RNF220 by RLIM and ZC4H2 during cerebellum development and Shh-group medulloblastoma progression. J Mol Cell Biol 2022; 14:6510822. [PMID: 35040952 PMCID: PMC8982406 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling is essential for the proliferation of cerebellar granule neuron progenitors (CGNPs), and its misregulation is linked to various disorders, including cerebellar cancer medulloblastoma (MB). During vertebrate neural development, RNF220, a ubiquitin E3 ligase, is involved in spinal cord patterning by modulating the subcellular location of glioma-associated oncogene homologs (Glis) through ubiquitination. RNF220 is also required for full activation of Shh signaling during cerebellum development in an epigenetic manner through targeting embryonic ectoderm development. ZC4H2 was reported to be involved in spinal cord patterning by acting as an RNF220 stabilizer. Here, we provided evidence to show that ZC4H2 is also required for full activation of Shh signaling in CGNP and MB progression by stabilizing RNF220. In addition, we found that the ubiquitin E3 ligase RING finger LIM domain-binding protein (RLIM) is responsible for ZC4H2 stabilization via direct ubiquitination, through which RNF220 is also thus stabilized. RLIM is a direct target of Shh signaling and is also required for full activation of Shh signaling in CGNP and MB cell proliferation. We further provided clinical evidence to show that the RLIM‒ZC4H2‒RNF220 cascade is involved in Shh-group MB progression. Disease-causative human RLIM and ZC4H2 mutations affect their interaction and regulation. Therefore, our study sheds light on the regulation of Shh signaling during cerebellar development and MB progression and provides insights into neural disorders caused by RLIM or ZC4H2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650203, China
| | - Chencheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650203, China
| | - Huishan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650203, China
| | - Ling Zhao
- Experimental Animal Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Qinghua Kong
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Yu Cang
- Department of Urology, the Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming 650021, China
| | - Shuhua Zhao
- First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Longbao Lv
- Experimental Animal Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Yan Li
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Bingyu Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Pengcheng Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
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8
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Tusa I, Gagliardi S, Tubita A, Pandolfi S, Menconi A, Lulli M, Dello Sbarba P, Stecca B, Rovida E. The Hedgehog-GLI Pathway Regulates MEK5-ERK5 Expression and Activation in Melanoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11259. [PMID: 34681917 PMCID: PMC8538987 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer, with a poor prognosis in advanced stages. We recently showed that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5), encoded by the MAPK7 gene, plays a pivotal role in melanoma by regulating cell functions necessary for tumour development, such as proliferation. Hedgehog-GLI signalling is constitutively active in melanoma and is required for proliferation. However, no data are available in literature about a possible interplay between Hedgehog-GLI and ERK5 pathways. Here, we show that hyperactivation of the Hedgehog-GLI pathway by genetic inhibition of the negative regulator Patched 1 increases the amount of ERK5 mRNA and protein. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that GLI1, the major downstream effector of Hedgehog-GLI signalling, binds to a functional non-canonical GLI consensus sequence at the MAPK7 promoter. Furthermore, we found that ERK5 is required for Hedgehog-GLI-dependent melanoma cell proliferation, and that the combination of GLI and ERK5 inhibitors is more effective than single treatments in reducing cell viability and colony formation ability in melanoma cells. Together, these findings led to the identification of a novel Hedgehog-GLI-ERK5 axis that regulates melanoma cell growth, and shed light on new functions of ERK5, paving the way for new therapeutic options in melanoma and other neoplasms with active Hedgehog-GLI and ERK5 pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignazia Tusa
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.T.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (M.L.); (P.D.S.)
| | - Sinforosa Gagliardi
- Core Research Laboratory-Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), 50134 Florence, Italy; (S.G.); (S.P.)
| | - Alessandro Tubita
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.T.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (M.L.); (P.D.S.)
| | - Silvia Pandolfi
- Core Research Laboratory-Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), 50134 Florence, Italy; (S.G.); (S.P.)
| | - Alessio Menconi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.T.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (M.L.); (P.D.S.)
| | - Matteo Lulli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.T.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (M.L.); (P.D.S.)
| | - Persio Dello Sbarba
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.T.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (M.L.); (P.D.S.)
| | - Barbara Stecca
- Core Research Laboratory-Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention (ISPRO), 50134 Florence, Italy; (S.G.); (S.P.)
| | - Elisabetta Rovida
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.T.); (A.T.); (A.M.); (M.L.); (P.D.S.)
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9
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Huang Y, Zheng XD, Li H. Protective role of SIRT1-mediated Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway in the preeclampsia rat models. J Assist Reprod Genet 2021; 38:1843-1851. [PMID: 33772412 PMCID: PMC8324598 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-021-02158-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the role of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1)-mediated Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway in reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) model of preeclampsia (PE) in rats. METHODS The pregnant rats were divided into sham, RUPP, RUPP + rSIRT1 (recombinant SIRT1 protein), RUPP + rSHH (recombinant SHH protein), and RUPP + rSIRT1+ Cy (cyclopamine, an SHH pathway inhibitor) groups, followed by the determination of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pregnancy outcome. The gene or protein expression was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), or Western blotting. RESULTS RUPP rats showed increases MAP with the lower levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nitrite and nitrate (NOx), as well as the higher levels of soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 in maternal plasma, which was attenuated after rSIRT1 or rSHH treatment. Besides, the improvement in the pregnancy outcome was seen in the rats from the RUPP + rSIRT1/rSHH groups as compared with the RUPP group. However, the therapeutic effect of rSIRT1 was reversed by cyclopamine. Placenta tissues of RUPP rats manifested the down-regulations of SIRT1, Patched-1 (PTCH1), and GLI family zinc finger 2 (GLI2), which were up-regulated in the RUPP + rSIRT1 group. CONCLUSION SIRT1 was down-regulated while SHH pathway was inhibited in the placental tissue of PE rats. SIRT1 improved the blood pressure, angiogenic imbalance, inflammation, and pregnancy outcome in PE rats via SHH pathway, supporting its potential use for the treatment of PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Jingzhou, City, 434020, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Dan Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Jingzhou, City, 434020, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jingzhou Central Hospital, Jingzhou, City, 434020, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Avery JT, Zhang R, Boohaker RJ. GLI1: A Therapeutic Target for Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:673154. [PMID: 34113570 PMCID: PMC8186314 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.673154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
GLI1 is a transcriptional effector at the terminal end of the Hedgehog signaling (Hh) pathway and is tightly regulated during embryonic development and tissue patterning/differentiation. GLI1 has low-level expression in differentiated tissues, however, in certain cancers, aberrant activation of GLI1 has been linked to the promotion of numerous hallmarks of cancer, such as proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, metastasis, metabolic rewiring, and chemotherapeutic resistance. All of these are driven, in part, by GLI1’s role in regulating cell cycle, DNA replication and DNA damage repair processes. The consequences of GLI1 oncogenic activity, specifically the activity surrounding DNA damage repair proteins, such as NBS1, and cell cycle proteins, such as CDK1, can be linked to tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanisms driving GLI1 dysregulation can provide prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers to identify a patient population that would derive therapeutic benefit from either direct inhibition of GLI1 or targeted therapy towards proteins downstream of GLI1 regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T Avery
- Oncology Department, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Ruowen Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Rebecca J Boohaker
- Oncology Department, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, United States
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11
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GLI1/GLI2 functional interplay is required to control Hedgehog/GLI targets gene expression. Biochem J 2021; 477:3131-3145. [PMID: 32766732 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The Hedgehog-regulated transcription factors GLI1 and GLI2 play overlapping roles in development and disease; however, the mechanisms underlying their interplay remain elusive. We report for the first time that GLI1 and GLI2 physically and functionally interact in cancer cells. GLI1 and GLI2 were shown to co-immunoprecipitate in PANC1 pancreatic cancer cells and RMS13 rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Mapping analysis demonstrated that the zinc finger domains of both proteins are required for their heteromerization. RNAi knockdown of either GLI1 or GLI2 inhibited expression of many well-characterized GLI target genes (BCL2, MYCN, PTCH2, IL7 and CCND1) in PANC1 cells, whereas PTCH1 expression was only inhibited by GLI1 depletion. qPCR screening of a large set of putative canonical and non-canonical Hedgehog/GLI targets identified further genes (e.g. E2F1, BMP1, CDK2) strongly down-regulated by GLI1 and/or GLI2 depletion in PANC1 cells, and demonstrated that ANO1, AQP1 and SOCS1 are up-regulated by knockdown of either GLI1 or GLI2. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that GLI1 and GLI2 occupied the same regions at the BCL2, MYCN and CCND1 promoters. Furthermore, depletion of GLI1 inhibited GLI2 occupancy at these promoters, suggesting that GLI1/GLI2 interaction is required for the recruitment of GLI2 to these sites. Together, these findings indicate that GLI1 and GLI2 co-ordinately regulate the transcription of some genes, and provide mechanistic insight into the roles of GLI proteins in carcinogenesis.
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12
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Dusek CO, Hadden MK. Targeting the GLI family of transcription factors for the development of anti-cancer drugs. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 16:289-302. [PMID: 33006903 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1832078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION GLI1 is a transcription factor that has been identified as a downstream effector for multiple tumorigenic signaling pathways. These include the Hedgehog, RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK, and PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathways, which have all been separately validated as individual anti-cancer drug targets. The identification of GLI1 as a key transcriptional regulator for each of these pathways highlights its promise as a therapeutic target. Small molecule GLI1 inhibitors are potentially efficacious against human malignancies arising from multiple oncogenic mechanisms. AREAS COVERED This review provides an overview of the key oncogenic cellular pathways that regulate GLI1 transcriptional activity. It also provides a detailed account of small molecule GLI1 inhibitors that are currently under development as potential anti-cancer chemotherapeutics. EXPERT OPINION Interest in developing inhibitors of GLI1-mediated transcription has significantly increased as its role in multiple oncogenic signaling pathways has been elucidated. To date, it has proven difficult to directly target GLI1 with small molecules, and the majority of compounds that inhibit GLI1 activity function through indirect mechanisms. To date, no direct-acting GLI1 inhibitor has entered clinical trials. The identification and development of new scaffolds that can bind and directly inhibit GLI1 are essential to further advance this class of chemotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher O Dusek
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - M Kyle Hadden
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
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13
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Doheny D, Manore SG, Wong GL, Lo HW. Hedgehog Signaling and Truncated GLI1 in Cancer. Cells 2020; 9:cells9092114. [PMID: 32957513 PMCID: PMC7565963 DOI: 10.3390/cells9092114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway regulates normal cell growth and differentiation. As a consequence of improper control, aberrant HH signaling results in tumorigenesis and supports aggressive phenotypes of human cancers, such as neoplastic transformation, tumor progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. Canonical activation of HH signaling occurs through binding of HH ligands to the transmembrane receptor Patched 1 (PTCH1), which derepresses the transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor Smoothened (SMO). Consequently, the glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1) zinc-finger transcription factors, the terminal effectors of the HH pathway, are released from suppressor of fused (SUFU)-mediated cytoplasmic sequestration, permitting nuclear translocation and activation of target genes. Aberrant activation of this pathway has been implicated in several cancer types, including medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, basal cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, and cancers of lung, colon, stomach, pancreas, ovarian, and breast. Therefore, several components of the HH pathway are under investigation for targeted cancer therapy, particularly GLI1 and SMO. GLI1 transcripts are reported to undergo alternative splicing to produce truncated variants: loss-of-function GLI1ΔN and gain-of-function truncated GLI1 (tGLI1). This review covers the biochemical steps necessary for propagation of the HH activating signal and the involvement of aberrant HH signaling in human cancers, with a highlight on the tumor-specific gain-of-function tGLI1 isoform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Doheny
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA; (D.D.); (S.G.M.); (G.L.W.)
| | - Sara G. Manore
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA; (D.D.); (S.G.M.); (G.L.W.)
| | - Grace L. Wong
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA; (D.D.); (S.G.M.); (G.L.W.)
| | - Hui-Wen Lo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA; (D.D.); (S.G.M.); (G.L.W.)
- Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-336-716-0695
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14
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Strapcova S, Takacova M, Csaderova L, Martinelli P, Lukacikova L, Gal V, Kopacek J, Svastova E. Clinical and Pre-Clinical Evidence of Carbonic Anhydrase IX in Pancreatic Cancer and Its High Expression in Pre-Cancerous Lesions. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2005. [PMID: 32707920 PMCID: PMC7464147 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a common phenomenon that occurs in most solid tumors. Regardless of tumor origin, the evolution of a hypoxia-adapted phenotype is critical for invasive cancer development. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is also characterized by hypoxia, desmoplasia, and the presence of necrosis, predicting poor outcome. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is one of the most strict hypoxia regulated genes which plays a key role in the adaptation of cancer cells to hypoxia and acidosis. Here, we summarize clinical data showing that CAIX expression is associated with tumor necrosis, vascularization, expression of Frizzled-1, mucins, or proteins involved in glycolysis, and inevitably, poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. We also describe the transcriptional regulation of CAIX in relation to signaling pathways activated in pancreatic cancers. A large part deals with the preclinical evidence supporting the relevance of CAIX in processes leading to the aggressive behavior of pancreatic tumors. Furthermore, we focus on CAIX occurrence in pre-cancerous lesions, and for the first time, we describe CAIX expression within intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia. Our review concludes with a detailed account of clinical trials implicating that treatment consisting of conventionally used therapies combined with CAIX targeting could result in an improved anti-cancer response in pancreatic cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Strapcova
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (M.T.); (L.C.); (L.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Martina Takacova
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (M.T.); (L.C.); (L.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Lucia Csaderova
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (M.T.); (L.C.); (L.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Paola Martinelli
- Institute of Cancer Research, Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- Cancer Cell Signaling, Boehringer-Ingelheim RCV Vienna, A-1121 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lubomira Lukacikova
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (M.T.); (L.C.); (L.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Viliam Gal
- Alpha Medical Pathology, Ruzinovska 6, 82606 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Juraj Kopacek
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (M.T.); (L.C.); (L.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Eliska Svastova
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (M.T.); (L.C.); (L.L.); (J.K.)
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15
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Zhou XT, Ding J, Li HY, Zuo JL, Ge SY, Jia HL, Wu J. Hedgehog signalling mediates drug resistance through targeting TAP1 in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cell Mol Med 2020; 24:4298-4311. [PMID: 32108992 PMCID: PMC7171417 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.15090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug resistance is one of the reasons for low survival of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our previous studies indicate that the hedgehog signalling is involved in hepatic carcinogenesis, metastasis and chemo‐resistance. The present study aims to uncover molecular mechanisms underlying hepatoma chemo‐resistance. TAP1 and GLI1/2 gene expression was assessed in both poorly differentiated hepatoma cells and HCC specimens. Potential GLI‐binding site in the TAP1 promoter sequence was validated by molecular assays. Approximately 75% HCC specimens exhibited an elevated expression of hedgehog GLI1 transcription factor compared with adjacent liver tissue. Both GLI1/2 and TAP1 protein levels were significantly elevated in poorly differentiated hepatoma cells. Both Huh‐7‐trans and Huh‐7‐DN displayed more karyotypic abnormalities and differential gene expression profiles than their native Huh‐7 cells. Sensitivity to Sorafenib, doxorubicin and cisplatin was remarkably improved after either GLI1 or TAP1 gene was inhibited by an RNAi approach or by a specific GLI1/2 inhibitor, GANT61. Further experiments confirmed that hedgehog transcription factor GLI1/2 binds to the TAP1 promoter, indicating that TAP1 is one of GLI1/2 target genes. In conclusion, TAP1 is under direct transcriptional control of the hedgehog signalling. Targeting hedgehog signalling confers a novel insight into alleviating drug resistance in the treatment of refractory HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Tian Zhou
- MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jing'an District Central Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui-Yan Li
- MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie-Liang Zuo
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng-Yang Ge
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hu-Liang Jia
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Wu
- MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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16
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Disruption of Dhcr7 and Insig1/2 in cholesterol metabolism causes defects in bone formation and homeostasis through primary cilium formation. Bone Res 2020; 8:1. [PMID: 31934493 PMCID: PMC6946666 DOI: 10.1038/s41413-019-0078-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human linkage studies suggest that craniofacial deformities result from either genetic mutations related to cholesterol metabolism or high-cholesterol maternal diets. However, little is known about the precise roles of intracellular cholesterol metabolism in the development of craniofacial bones, the majority of which are formed through intramembranous ossification. Here, we show that an altered cholesterol metabolic status results in abnormal osteogenesis through dysregulation of primary cilium formation during bone formation. We found that cholesterol metabolic aberrations, induced through disruption of either Dhcr7 (which encodes an enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis) or Insig1 and Insig2 (which provide a negative feedback mechanism for cholesterol biosynthesis), result in osteoblast differentiation abnormalities. Notably, the primary cilia responsible for sensing extracellular cues were altered in number and length through dysregulated ciliary vesicle fusion in Dhcr7 and Insig1/2 mutant osteoblasts. As a consequence, WNT/β-catenin and hedgehog signaling activities were altered through dysregulated primary cilium formation. Strikingly, the normalization of defective cholesterol metabolism by simvastatin, a drug used in the treatment of cholesterol metabolic aberrations, rescued the abnormalities in both ciliogenesis and osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Thus, our results indicate that proper intracellular cholesterol status is crucial for primary cilium formation during skull formation and homeostasis.
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17
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Wuelling M, Schneider S, Schröther VA, Waterkamp C, Hoffmann D, Vortkamp A. Wnt5a is a transcriptional target of Gli3 and Trps1 at the onset of chondrocyte hypertrophy. Dev Biol 2020; 457:104-118. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Maier J, Elmenofi S, Taschauer A, Anton M, Sami H, Ogris M. Luminescent and fluorescent triple reporter plasmid constructs for Wnt, Hedgehog and Notch pathway. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226570. [PMID: 31860685 PMCID: PMC6924688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tracking the activity of signalling pathways is a fundamental method for basic science, as well as in cancer- and pharmaceutical research. The developmental pathways Wnt, Hedgehog and Notch are frequently deregulated in cancers and represent a valuable target for the discovery of novel anticancer compounds. Here we present reporter systems for tracking activity of these pathways by using specific promoter elements driving the expression of either sensitive luciferases or fluorescent proteins. A high level of sensitivity was obtained using the luciferase reporter genes for firefly (FLuc), secreted Gaussia (GLuc) and synthetic NanoLuc (NLuc). As fluorescent reporter proteins, mTurqouise2, tdTomato and iRFP720 were chosen. Specificity of pathway activity was validated by co-transfection with pathway activating genes, showing significant response to induction. In addition, multi-gene plasmids were cloned, allowing the detection of all three pathways by one vector. By using the multi-gene vector 3P-Luc (wnt-NLuc, hedgehog-FLuc, Notch-GLuc), we could unambiguously demonstrate the crosstalk between pathways, while excluding cross reactivity of luciferase substrates. First studies with synthetic compounds confirmed the applicability of the system for future drug screening approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Maier
- Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Salma Elmenofi
- Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Taschauer
- Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Anton
- Institutes of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Haider Sami
- Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail: (MO); (HS)
| | - Manfred Ogris
- Laboratory of MacroMolecular Cancer Therapeutics (MMCT), Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail: (MO); (HS)
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19
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Xiao WF, Li YS, Deng A, Yang YT, He M. Functional role of hedgehog pathway in osteoarthritis. Cell Biochem Funct 2019; 38:122-129. [PMID: 31833076 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The hedgehog signalling pathway is one of the key regulators of metazoan development, and it plays an important role in the regulation of a variety of developmental and physiological processes. But it is aberrantly activated in many human diseases, including osteoarthritis (OA). In this study, we have reviewed the association of hedgehog signalling pathway in the development and progression of OA and evaluated the efforts to target this pathway for the prevention of OA. Usually in OA, activation of hedgehog induces up-regulation of the expression of hypertrophic markers, including type X collagen, increases production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2, several matrix-degrading enzymes including matrix metalloproteinase and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs in human knee joint cartilage leading to cartilage degeneration, and thus contributes in OA. Targeting hedgehog signalling might be a viable strategy to prevent or treat OA. Chemical inhibitors of hedgehog signalling is promising, but they cause severe side effects. Knockdown of HH gene is not an option for OA treatment in humans because it is not possible to delete HH in larger animals. Efficient knockdown of HH achieved by local delivery of small interfering RNA in future studies utilizing large animal OA models might be a more efficient approach for the prevention of OA. However, it remains a major problem to develop one single scaffold due to the different physiological functions of cartilage and subchondral bones possess. More studies are necessary to identify selective inhibitors for efficiently targeting the hedgehog pathway in clinical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Feng Xiao
- Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yu-Sheng Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ang Deng
- Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yun-Tao Yang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Miao He
- Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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20
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Piirsoo A, Pink A, Kasak L, Kala M, Kasvandik S, Ustav M, Piirsoo M. Differential phosphorylation determines the repressor and activator potencies of GLI1 proteins and their efficiency in modulating the HPV life cycle. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225775. [PMID: 31770404 PMCID: PMC6879148 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signalling pathway plays multiple roles during embryonic development and under pathological conditions. Although the core components of the Shh pathway are conserved, the regulation of signal transduction varies significantly among species and cell types. Protein kinases Ulk3 and Pka are involved in the Shh pathway as modulators of the activities of Gli transcription factors, which are the nuclear mediators of the signal. Here, we investigate the regulation and activities of two GLI1 isoforms, full-length GLI1 (GLI1FL) and GLI1ΔN. The latter protein lacks the first 128 amino acids including the conserved phosphorylation cluster and the binding motif for SUFU, the key regulator of GLI activity. Both GLI1 isoforms are co-expressed in all human cell lines analysed and possess similar DNA binding activity. ULK3 potentiates the transcriptional activity of both GLI1 proteins, whereas PKA inhibits the activity of GLI1ΔN, but not GLI1FL. In addition to its well-established role as a transcriptional activator, GLI1FL acts as a repressor by inhibiting transcription from the early promoters of human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV18). Additionally, compared to GLI1ΔN, GLI1FL is a more potent suppressor of replication of several HPV types. Altogether, our data show that the N-terminal part of GLI1FL is crucial for the realization of its full potential as a transcriptional regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla Piirsoo
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Anne Pink
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Lagle Kasak
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Martin Kala
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sergo Kasvandik
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mart Ustav
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marko Piirsoo
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- * E-mail:
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21
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Ding L, Vezzani B, Khan N, Su J, Xu L, Yan G, Liu Y, Li R, Gaur A, Diao Z, Hu Y, Yang Z, Hardy WR, James AW, Sun H, Péault B. CD10 expression identifies a subset of human perivascular progenitor cells with high proliferation and calcification potentials. Stem Cells 2019; 38:261-275. [PMID: 31721342 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The tunica adventitia ensheathes arteries and veins and contains presumptive mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) involved in vascular remodeling. We show here that a subset of human adventitial cells express the CD10/CALLA cell surface metalloprotease. Both CD10+ and CD10- adventitial cells displayed phenotypic features of MSCs when expanded in culture. However, CD10+ adventitial cells exhibited higher proliferation, clonogenic and osteogenic potentials in comparison to their CD10- counterparts. CD10+ adventitial cells increased expression of the cell cycle protein CCND2 via ERK1/2 signaling and osteoblastogenic gene expression via NF-κB signaling. CD10 expression was upregulated in adventitial cells through sonic hedgehog-mediated GLI1 signaling. These results suggest that CD10, which marks rapidly dividing cells in other normal and malignant cell lineages, plays a role in perivascular MSC function and cell fate specification. These findings also point to a role for CD10+ perivascular cells in vascular remodeling and calcification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Ding
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.,MRC Center for Regenerative Medicine and Center for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.,Clinical Center for Stem Cell Research, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Bianca Vezzani
- MRC Center for Regenerative Medicine and Center for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.,Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of General Pathology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Nusrat Khan
- MRC Center for Regenerative Medicine and Center for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Jing Su
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Xu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Guijun Yan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Liu
- Department of Experimental Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruotian Li
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Anushri Gaur
- MRC Center for Regenerative Medicine and Center for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Zhenyu Diao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yali Hu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongzhou Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animal for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing Biomedical Research Institute, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - W Reef Hardy
- Orthopedic Hospital Research Center and Broad Stem Cell Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Aaron W James
- Orthopedic Hospital Research Center and Broad Stem Cell Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Massachusetts
| | - Haixiang Sun
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Bruno Péault
- MRC Center for Regenerative Medicine and Center for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.,Orthopedic Hospital Research Center and Broad Stem Cell Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
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22
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Pietrobono S, Gagliardi S, Stecca B. Non-canonical Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Cancer: Activation of GLI Transcription Factors Beyond Smoothened. Front Genet 2019; 10:556. [PMID: 31244888 PMCID: PMC6581679 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hedgehog-GLI (HH-GLI) pathway is a highly conserved signaling that plays a critical role in controlling cell specification, cell–cell interaction and tissue patterning during embryonic development. Canonical activation of HH-GLI signaling occurs through binding of HH ligands to the twelve-pass transmembrane receptor Patched 1 (PTCH1), which derepresses the seven-pass transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor Smoothened (SMO). Thus, active SMO initiates a complex intracellular cascade that leads to the activation of the three GLI transcription factors, the final effectors of the HH-GLI pathway. Aberrant activation of this signaling has been implicated in a wide variety of tumors, such as those of the brain, skin, breast, gastrointestinal, lung, pancreas, prostate and ovary. In several of these cases, activation of HH-GLI signaling is mediated by overproduction of HH ligands (e.g., prostate cancer), loss-of-function mutations in PTCH1 or gain-of-function mutations in SMO, which occur in the majority of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), SHH-subtype medulloblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. Besides the classical canonical ligand-PTCH1-SMO route, mounting evidence points toward additional, non-canonical ways of GLI activation in cancer. By non-canonical we refer to all those mechanisms of activation of the GLI transcription factors occurring independently of SMO. Often, in a given cancer type canonical and non-canonical activation of HH-GLI signaling co-exist, and in some cancer types, more than one mechanism of non-canonical activation may occur. Tumors harboring non-canonical HH-GLI signaling are less sensitive to SMO inhibition, posing a threat for therapeutic efficacy of these antagonists. Here we will review the most recent findings on the involvement of alternative signaling pathways in inducing GLI activity in cancer and stem cells. We will also discuss the rationale of targeting these oncogenic pathways in combination with HH-GLI inhibitors as a promising anti-cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pietrobono
- Tumor Cell Biology Unit - Core Research Laboratory, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), Florence, Italy
| | - Sinforosa Gagliardi
- Tumor Cell Biology Unit - Core Research Laboratory, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), Florence, Italy
| | - Barbara Stecca
- Tumor Cell Biology Unit - Core Research Laboratory, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), Florence, Italy
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23
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Takai H, Kondoh E, Mogami H, Kawasaki K, Chigusa Y, Sato M, Kawamura Y, Murakami R, Matsumura N, Konishi I, Mandai M. Placental sonic hedgehog pathway regulates foetal growth via insulin-like growth factor axis in preeclampsia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019; 104:4239-4252. [PMID: 31120491 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2019-00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Placental dysfunction is the underlying cause of common major disorders of pregnancy, such as foetal growth restriction (FGR) and preeclampsia. However, the mechanisms of placental dysfunction are not entirely elucidated. We previously reported 10 reliable preeclampsia pathways based on multiple microarray data sets, among which was the sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway. Here we describe the significant role of SHH signalling involved in placental development and foetal growth. METHODS The placental expression levels of surrogate markers of the SHH pathway, patched homolog 1 (PTCH1) and glioma-associated oncogene homolog 2 (GLI2), were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. We investigated the underlying mechanisms of the SHH pathway in trophoblast syncytialization, a critical process for placental development and maturation, using primary cytotrophoblasts. Moreover, the potential roles of placental SHH signalling in the regulation of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis were explored by pathway analysis of microarray data. Finally, the influence of SHH signalling on foetal growth was examined by placental administration of cyclopamine, an SHH pathway inhibitor, to pregnant mice. RESULTS The SHH pathway was downregulated in preeclampsia placentas and its activation was highly correlated with birth weight. Trophoblast syncytialization was modulated by non-canonical SHH-adenylate cyclase (ADCY) signalling rather than canonical SHH-GLI signalling. The IGF1R pathway was regulated by both non-canonical SHH-ADCY signalling and canonical SHH-GLI signalling. Inhibition of placental SHH signalling significantly reduced foetal weight in mice. CONCLUSION Placental development and foetal growth were regulated through the SHH pathway via the IGF axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Takai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Eiji Kondoh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Haruta Mogami
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kaoru Kawasaki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Mai Sato
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kawamura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Murakami
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Noriomi Matsumura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ikuo Konishi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masaki Mandai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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24
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Montagnani V, Stecca B. Role of Protein Kinases in Hedgehog Pathway Control and Implications for Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11040449. [PMID: 30934935 PMCID: PMC6520855 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11040449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hedgehog (HH) signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that is crucial for growth and tissue patterning during embryonic development. It is mostly quiescent in the adult, where it regulates tissue homeostasis and stem cell behavior. Aberrant reactivation of HH signaling has been associated to several types of cancer, including those in the skin, brain, prostate, breast and hematological malignancies. Activation of the canonical HH signaling is triggered by binding of HH ligand to the twelve-transmembrane protein PATCHED. The binding releases the inhibition of the seven-transmembrane protein SMOOTHENED (SMO), leading to its phosphorylation and activation. Hence, SMO activates the transcriptional effectors of the HH signaling, that belong to the GLI family of transcription factors, acting through a not completely elucidated intracellular signaling cascade. Work from the last few years has shown that protein kinases phosphorylate several core components of the HH signaling, including SMO and the three GLI proteins, acting as powerful regulatory mechanisms to fine tune HH signaling activities. In this review, we will focus on the mechanistic influence of protein kinases on HH signaling transduction. We will also discuss the functional consequences of this regulation and the possible implications for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Montagnani
- Core Research Laboratory⁻Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy.
| | - Barbara Stecca
- Core Research Laboratory⁻Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy.
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25
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Shen L, Ma G, Shi Y, Ruan Y, Yang X, Wu X, Xiong Y, Wan C, Yang C, Cai L, Xiong L, Gong X, He L, Qin S. p.E95K mutation in Indian hedgehog causing brachydactyly type A1 impairs IHH/Gli1 downstream transcriptional regulation. BMC Genet 2019; 20:10. [PMID: 30651074 PMCID: PMC6335781 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-018-0697-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Brachydactyly type A1 (BDA1, OMIM 112500) is a rare inherited malformation characterized primarily by shortness or absence of middle bones of fingers and toes. It is the first recorded disorder of the autosomal dominant Mendelian trait. Indian hedgehog (IHH) gene is closely associated with BDA1, which was firstly mapped and identified in Chinese families in 2000. Previous studies have demonstrated that BDA1-related mutant IHH proteins affected interactions with its receptors and impaired IHH signaling. However, how the altered signaling pathway affects downstream transcriptional regulation remains unclear. Results Based on the mouse C3H10T1/2 cell model for IHH signaling activation, two recombinant human IHH-N proteins, including a wild type protein (WT, amino acid residues 28–202) and a mutant protein (MT, p.E95k), were analyzed. We identified 347, 47 and 4 Gli1 binding sites in the corresponding WT, MT and control group by chromatin immunoprecipitation and the overlapping of these three sets was poor. The putative cis regulated genes in WT group were enriched in sensory perception and G-protein coupled receptor-signaling pathway. On the other hand, putative cis regulated genes were enriched in Runx2-related pathways in MT group. Differentially expressed genes in WT and MT groups indicated that the alteration of mutant IHH signaling involved cell-cell signaling and cellular migration. Cellular assay of migration and proliferation validated that the mutant IHH signaling impaired these two cellular functions. Conclusions In this study, we performed integrated genome-wide analyses to characterize differences of IHH/Gli1 downstream regulation between wild type IHH signaling and the E95K mutant signaling. Based on the cell model, our results demonstrated that the E95K mutant signaling altered Gli1-DNA binding pattern, impaired downstream gene expressions, and leaded to weakened cellular proliferation and migration. This study may help to deepen the understanding of pathogenesis of BDA1 and the role of IHH signaling in chondrogenesis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12863-018-0697-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Shen
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Ma
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Shi
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunfeng Ruan
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuhan Yang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Wu
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China.,School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuyu Xiong
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunling Wan
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Yang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Cai
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Likuan Xiong
- Center Laboratory, Baoan Maternal and Children Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research, Shenzhen, China.,Birth Defects Prevention Research and Transformation Team, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xueli Gong
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin He
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China. .,Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China. .,Shanghai Center for Women and Children's Health, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shengying Qin
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 209 Little White House, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China. .,The Third Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, People's Republic of China.
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26
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Pietrobono S, Stecca B. Targeting the Oncoprotein Smoothened by Small Molecules: Focus on Novel Acylguanidine Derivatives as Potent Smoothened Inhibitors. Cells 2018; 7:cells7120272. [PMID: 30558232 PMCID: PMC6316656 DOI: 10.3390/cells7120272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hedgehog-GLI (HH) signaling was originally identified as a critical morphogenetic pathway in embryonic development. Since its discovery, a multitude of studies have reported that HH signaling also plays key roles in a variety of cancer types and in maintaining tumor-initiating cells. Smoothened (SMO) is the main transducer of HH signaling, and in the last few years, it has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for anticancer therapy. Although vismodegib and sonidegib have demonstrated effectiveness for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), their clinical use has been hampered by severe side effects, low selectivity against cancer stem cells, and the onset of mutation-driven drug resistance. Moreover, SMO antagonists are not effective in cancers where HH activation is due to mutations of pathway components downstream of SMO, or in the case of noncanonical, SMO-independent activation of the GLI transcription factors, the final mediators of HH signaling. Here, we review the current and rapidly expanding field of SMO small-molecule inhibitors in experimental and clinical settings, focusing on a class of acylguanidine derivatives. We also discuss various aspects of SMO, including mechanisms of resistance to SMO antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pietrobono
- Tumor Cell Biology Unit⁻Core Research Laboratory, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy.
| | - Barbara Stecca
- Tumor Cell Biology Unit⁻Core Research Laboratory, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy.
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27
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Sternberg C, Gruber W, Eberl M, Tesanovic S, Stadler M, Elmer DP, Schlederer M, Grund S, Roos S, Wolff F, Kaur S, Mangelberger D, Lehrach H, Hache H, Wierling C, Laimer J, Lackner P, Wiederstein M, Kasper M, Risch A, Petzelbauer P, Moriggl R, Kenner L, Aberger F. Synergistic cross-talk of hedgehog and interleukin-6 signaling drives growth of basal cell carcinoma. Int J Cancer 2018; 143:2943-2954. [PMID: 29987839 PMCID: PMC6282712 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.31724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Persistent activation of hedgehog (HH)/GLI signaling accounts for the development of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), a very frequent nonmelanoma skin cancer with rising incidence. Targeting HH/GLI signaling by approved pathway inhibitors can provide significant therapeutic benefit to BCC patients. However, limited response rates, development of drug resistance, and severe side effects of HH pathway inhibitors call for improved treatment strategies such as rational combination therapies simultaneously inhibiting HH/GLI and cooperative signals promoting the oncogenic activity of HH/GLI. In this study, we identified the interleukin‐6 (IL6) pathway as a novel synergistic signal promoting oncogenic HH/GLI via STAT3 activation. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that signal integration of IL6 and HH/GLI occurs at the level of cis‐regulatory sequences by co‐binding of GLI and STAT3 to common HH‐IL6 target gene promoters. Genetic inactivation of Il6 signaling in a mouse model of BCC significantly reduced in vivo tumor growth by interfering with HH/GLI‐driven BCC proliferation. Our genetic and pharmacologic data suggest that combinatorial HH‐IL6 pathway blockade is a promising approach to efficiently arrest cancer growth in BCC patients. What's new? Persistent activation of hedgehog (HH)/GLI signaling represents the main driver signal for the development of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), a common non‐melanoma skin cancer with rising incidence. Small molecule hedgehog pathway inhibitors are successfully used for the treatment of hedgehog‐driven BCC, but frequent drug resistance calls for improved strategies. Here, the authors identified the interleukin‐6 pathway as a novel synergistic signal promoting oncogenic HH/GLI via STAT3 activation. The synergistic interaction was required for the in vivo growth of hedgehog‐driven BCC. The study thus provides a rationale for effective combination treatments simultaneously targeting oncogenic hedgehog and interleukin‐6 signaling in BCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Sternberg
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Gruber
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Markus Eberl
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Suzana Tesanovic
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Manuela Stadler
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Dominik P Elmer
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Michaela Schlederer
- Clinical Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandra Grund
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Simone Roos
- Unit Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Wolff
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Supreet Kaur
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Doris Mangelberger
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.,CytoSwitch, Munich, Germany
| | - Hans Lehrach
- Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.,Alacris Theranostics GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hendrik Hache
- Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.,Alacris Theranostics GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Wierling
- Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.,Alacris Theranostics GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef Laimer
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Peter Lackner
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Markus Wiederstein
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Maria Kasper
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition and Center for Innovative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Angela Risch
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Peter Petzelbauer
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Moriggl
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Kenner
- Clinical Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Unit Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fritz Aberger
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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28
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Sabol M, Trnski D, Musani V, Ozretić P, Levanat S. Role of GLI Transcription Factors in Pathogenesis and Their Potential as New Therapeutic Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E2562. [PMID: 30158435 PMCID: PMC6163343 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
GLI transcription factors have important roles in intracellular signaling cascade, acting as the main mediators of the HH-GLI signaling pathway. This is one of the major developmental pathways, regulated both canonically and non-canonically. Deregulation of the pathway during development leads to a number of developmental malformations, depending on the deregulated pathway component. The HH-GLI pathway is mostly inactive in the adult organism but retains its function in stem cells. Aberrant activation in adult cells leads to carcinogenesis through overactivation of several tightly regulated cellular processes such as proliferation, angiogenesis, EMT. Targeting GLI transcription factors has recently become a major focus of potential therapeutic protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Sabol
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Diana Trnski
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Vesna Musani
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Petar Ozretić
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Sonja Levanat
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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29
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Li N, Truong S, Nouri M, Moore J, Al Nakouzi N, Lubik AA, Buttyan R. Non-canonical activation of hedgehog in prostate cancer cells mediated by the interaction of transcriptionally active androgen receptor proteins with Gli3. Oncogene 2018; 37:2313-2325. [PMID: 29429990 PMCID: PMC5916917 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-017-0098-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hedgehog (Hh) is an oncogenic signaling pathway that regulates the activity of Gli transcription factors. Canonical Hh is a Smoothened- (Smo-) driven process that alters the post-translational processing of Gli2/Gli3 proteins. Though evidence supports a role for Gli action in prostate cancer (PCa) cell growth and progression, there is little indication that Smo is involved. Here we describe a non-canonical means for activation of Gli transcription in PCa cells mediated by the binding of transcriptionally-active androgen receptors (ARs) to Gli3. Androgens stimulated reporter expression from a Gli-dependent promoter in a variety of AR + PCa cells and this activity was suppressed by an anti-androgen, Enz, or by AR knockdown. Androgens also upregulated expression of endogenous Gli-dependent genes. This activity was associated with increased intranuclear binding of Gli3 to AR that was antagonized by Enz. Fine mapping of the AR binding domain on Gli2 showed that AR recognizes the Gli protein processing domain (PPD) in the C-terminus. Mutations in the arginine-/serine repeat elements of the Gli2 PPD involved in phosphorylation and ubiquitinylation blocked the binding to AR. β-TrCP, a ubiquitin ligase that recognizes the Gli PPD, competed with AR for binding to this site. AR binding to Gli3 suppressed its proteolytic processing to the Gli3 repressor form (Gli3R) whereas AR knockdown increased Gli3R. Both full-length and truncated ARs were able to activate Gli transcription. Finally, we found that an ARbinding decoy polypeptide derived from the Gli2 C-terminus can compete with Gli3 for binding to AR. Exogenous overexpression of this decoy suppressed Gli transcriptional activity in PCa cells. Collectively, this work identifies a novel pathway for non-canonical activation of Hh signaling in PCa cells and identifies a means for interference that may have clinical relevance for PCa patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Li
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sarah Truong
- The Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, Canada.,The Interdisciplinary Oncology Program of The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mannan Nouri
- The Interdisciplinary Oncology Program of The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Ralph Buttyan
- The Interdisciplinary Oncology Program of The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. .,Urologic Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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Zhang R, Wu J, Ferrandon S, Glowacki KJ, Houghton JA. Targeting GLI by GANT61 involves mechanisms dependent on inhibition of both transcription and DNA licensing. Oncotarget 2018; 7:80190-80207. [PMID: 27863397 PMCID: PMC5348313 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The GLI genes are transcription factors and in cancers are oncogenes, aberrantly and constitutively activated. GANT61, a specific GLI inhibitor, has induced extensive cytotoxicity in human models of colon cancer. The FOXM1 promoter was determined to be a transcriptional target of GLI1. In HT29 cells, inhibition of GLI1 binding at the GLI consensus sequence by GANT61 led to inhibited binding of Pol II, the pause-release factors DSIF, NELF and p-TEFb. The formation of R-loops (RNA:DNA hybrids, ssDNA), were reduced by GANT61 at the FOXM1 promoter. Pretreatment of HT29 cells with α-amanitin reduced GANT61-induced γH2AX foci. Co-localization of GLI1 and BrdU foci, inhibited by GANT61, indicated GLI1 and DNA replication to be linked. By co-immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy, GLI1 co-localized with the DNA licensing factors ORC4, CDT1, and MCM2. Significant co-localization of GLI1 and ORC4 was inhibited by GANT61, and enrichment of ORC4 occurred at the GLI binding site in the FOXM1 promoter. CDT1 was found to be a transcription target of GLI1. Overexpression of CDT1 in HT29 and SW480 cells reduced GANT61-induced cell death, gH2AX foci, and cleavage of caspase-3. Data demonstrate involvement of transcription and of DNA replication licensing factors by non-transcriptional and transcriptional mechanisms in the GLI-dependent mechanism of action of GANT61.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruowen Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Division of Drug Discovery, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jiahui Wu
- Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Katie J Glowacki
- Department of Oncology, Division of Drug Discovery, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Janet A Houghton
- Department of Oncology, Division of Drug Discovery, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, USA
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Abstract
The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays an essential role in the growth, development, and homeostatis of many tissues in vertebrates and invertebrates. Much of what is known about Hh signaling is in the context of embryonic development and tumor formation. However, a growing body of evidence is emerging indicating that Hh signaling is also involved in postnatal processes such as tissue repair and adult immune responses. To that extent, Hh signaling has also been shown to be a target for some pathogens that presumably utilize the pathway to control the local infected environment. In this review, we discuss what is currently known regarding pathogenic interactions with Hh signaling and speculate on the reasons for this pathway being a target. We also hope to shed light on the possibility of using small molecule modulators of Hh signaling as effective therapies for a wider range of human diseases beyond their current use in a limited number of cancers.
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Zuo Z, Roy B, Chang YK, Granas D, Stormo GD. Measuring quantitative effects of methylation on transcription factor-DNA binding affinity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:eaao1799. [PMID: 29159284 PMCID: PMC5694663 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao1799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Methylation of CpG (cytosine-phosphate-guanine) dinucleotides is a common epigenetic mark that influences gene expression. The effects of methylation on transcription factor (TF) binding are unknown for most TFs and, even when known, such knowledge is often only qualitative. In reality, methylation sensitivity is a quantitative effect, just as changes to the DNA sequence have quantitative effects on TF binding affinity. We describe Methyl-Spec-seq, an easy-to-use method that measures the effects of CpG methylation (mCPG) on binding affinity for hundreds to thousands of variants in parallel, allowing one to quantitatively assess the effects at every position in a binding site. We demonstrate its use on several important DNA binding proteins. We calibrate the accuracy of Methyl-Spec-seq using a novel two-color competitive fluorescence anisotropy method that can accurately determine the relative affinities of two sequences in solution. We also present software that extends standard methods for representing, visualizing, and searching for matches to binding site motifs to include the effects of methylation. These tools facilitate the study of the consequences for gene regulation of epigenetic marks on DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zuo
- Corresponding author. (G.D.S.); (Z.Z.)
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Wessler S, Krisch LM, Elmer DP, Aberger F. From inflammation to gastric cancer - the importance of Hedgehog/GLI signaling in Helicobacter pylori-induced chronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Cell Commun Signal 2017; 15:15. [PMID: 28427431 PMCID: PMC5397778 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-017-0171-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections with the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are closely associated with the development of inflammatory disorders and neoplastic transformation of the gastric epithelium. Drastic changes in the micromilieu involve a complex network of H. pylori-regulated signal transduction pathways leading to the release of proinflammatory cytokines, gut hormones and a wide range of signaling molecules. Besides controlling embryonic development, the Hedgehog/GLI signaling pathway also plays important roles in epithelial proliferation, differentiation, and regeneration of the gastric physiology, but also in the induction and progression of inflammation and neoplastic transformation in H. pylori infections. Here, we summarize recent findings of H. pylori-associated Hedgehog/GLI signaling in gastric homeostasis, malignant development and the modulation of the gastric tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silja Wessler
- Division of Microbiology, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Department of Molecular Biology, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Billroth Strasse 11, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Linda M Krisch
- Division of Microbiology, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Department of Molecular Biology, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Billroth Strasse 11, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Dominik P Elmer
- Division of Molecular Tumor Biology, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Department of Molecular Biology, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Fritz Aberger
- Division of Molecular Tumor Biology, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Department of Molecular Biology, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria.
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Konstantinou D, Bertaux-Skeirik N, Zavros Y. Hedgehog signaling in the stomach. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2016; 31:76-82. [PMID: 27750091 PMCID: PMC5154826 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway not only plays a key part in controlling embryonic development, but in the adult stomach governs important cellular events such as epithelial cell differentiation, proliferation, gastric disease, and regeneration. In particular, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling has been well studied for its role in gastric physiology and pathophysiology. Shh is secreted from the gastric parietal cells and contributes to the regeneration of the epithelium in response to injury, or the development of gastritis during Helicobacter pylori infection. Dysregulation of the Shh signaling pathway leads to the disruption of gastric differentiation, loss of gastric acid secretion and the development of cancer. In this chapter, we will review the most recent findings that reveal the role of Shh as a regulator of gastric physiology, regeneration, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Konstantinou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Nina Bertaux-Skeirik
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yana Zavros
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Gurdziel K, Vogt KR, Schneider G, Richards N, Gumucio DL. Computational prediction and experimental validation of novel Hedgehog-responsive enhancers linked to genes of the Hedgehog pathway. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 16:4. [PMID: 26912062 PMCID: PMC4765071 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-016-0106-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, acting through three homologous transcription factors (GLI1, GLI2, GLI3) in vertebrates, plays multiple roles in embryonic organ development and adult tissue homeostasis. At the level of the genome, GLI factors bind to specific motifs in enhancers, some of which are hundreds of kilobases removed from the gene promoter. These enhancers integrate the Hh signal in a context-specific manner to control the spatiotemporal pattern of target gene expression. Importantly, a number of genes that encode Hh pathway molecules are themselves targets of Hh signaling, allowing pathway regulation by an intricate balance of feed-back activation and inhibition. However, surprisingly few of the critical enhancer elements that control these pathway target genes have been identified despite the fact that such elements are central determinants of Hh signaling activity. Recently, ChIP studies have been carried out in multiple tissue contexts using mouse models carrying FLAG-tagged GLI proteins (GLI(FLAG)). Using these datasets, we tested whether a meta-analysis of GLI binding sites, coupled with a machine learning approach, could reveal genomic features that could be used to empirically identify Hh-regulated enhancers linked to loci of the Hh signaling pathway. RESULTS A meta-analysis of four existing GLI(FLAG) datasets revealed a library of GLI binding motifs that was substantially more restricted than the potential sites predicted by previous in vitro binding studies. A machine learning method (kmer-SVM) was then applied to these datasets and enriched k-mers were identified that, when applied to the mouse genome, predicted as many as 37,000 potential Hh enhancers. For functional analysis, we selected nine regions which were annotated to putative Hh pathway molecules and found that seven exhibited GLI-dependent activity, indicating that they are directly regulated by Hh signaling (78% success rate). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that Hh enhancer regions share common sequence features. The kmer-SVM machine learning approach identifies those features and can successfully predict functional Hh regulatory regions in genomic DNA surrounding Hh pathway molecules and likely, other Hh targets. Additionally, the library of enriched GLI binding motifs that we have identified may allow improved identification of functional GLI binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Gurdziel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Kyle R Vogt
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Gary Schneider
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Neil Richards
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Deborah L Gumucio
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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Vlčková K, Ondrušová L, Vachtenheim J, Réda J, Dundr P, Zadinová M, Žáková P, Poučková P. Survivin, a novel target of the Hedgehog/GLI signaling pathway in human tumor cells. Cell Death Dis 2016; 7:e2048. [PMID: 26775700 PMCID: PMC4816174 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2015.389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Survivin, an important antiapoptotic protein, is expressed in tumors, whereas in normal tissues the expression of this protein is extremely low, defining a role for survivin as a cancer gene. Survivin exhibits multifunctional activity in tumor cells. However, why survivin expression is sharply and invariably restricted to tumor tissue remains unclear. Here, we identified 11 putative consensus binding sites for GLI transcription factors in the survivin promoter and characterized the promoter activity. Inhibitors of the Hedgehog/GLI pathway, cyclopamine and GANT61, decreased the promoter activity in reporter assays. ΔNGLI2 (which lacks the repressor domain) was the most potent vector in activating the survivin promoter–reporter. Moreover, GANT61, a GLI1/2 inhibitor, repressed endogenous survivin protein and mRNA expression in most cells across a large panel of tumor cell lines. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed GLI2 binding to the survivin promoter. The ectopic GLI2-evoked expression of endogenous survivin was observed in normal human fibroblasts. GANT61 decreased survivin level in nude mice tumors, mimicking the activity of GANT61 in cultured cells. The immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence of human tumors revealed a correlation between the tissue regions showing high GLI2 and survivin positivity. Thus, these results demonstrated that survivin is a classical transcriptional target of GLI2, a Hedgehog pathway signaling effector. This potentially reflects the high expression of survivin in human tumor cells. As the Hedgehog pathway is upregulated in virtually all types of cancer cells, these findings substantially contribute to the explanation of uniform survivin expression in tumors as a potential target for the development of a more effective treatment of cancers through the inhibition of GLI2 to restrain survivin activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Vlčková
- Laboratory of Transcription and Cell Signaling, Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - L Ondrušová
- Laboratory of Transcription and Cell Signaling, Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - J Vachtenheim
- Laboratory of Transcription and Cell Signaling, Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - J Réda
- Laboratory of Transcription and Cell Signaling, Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Dundr
- Institute of Pathology, Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - M Zadinová
- Institute of Biophysics and Informatics, Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Žáková
- Laboratory of Transcription and Cell Signaling, Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Poučková
- Institute of Biophysics and Informatics, Charles University in Prague, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
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Gurdziel K, Lorberbaum DS, Udager AM, Song JY, Richards N, Parker DS, Johnson LA, Allen BL, Barolo S, Gumucio DL. Identification and Validation of Novel Hedgehog-Responsive Enhancers Predicted by Computational Analysis of Ci/Gli Binding Site Density. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145225. [PMID: 26710299 PMCID: PMC4692483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway directs a multitude of cellular responses during embryogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. Stimulation of the pathway results in activation of Hh target genes by the transcription factor Ci/Gli, which binds to specific motifs in genomic enhancers. In Drosophila, only a few enhancers (patched, decapentaplegic, wingless, stripe, knot, hairy, orthodenticle) have been shown by in vivo functional assays to depend on direct Ci/Gli regulation. All but one (orthodenticle) contain more than one Ci/Gli site, prompting us to directly test whether homotypic clustering of Ci/Gli binding sites is sufficient to define a Hh-regulated enhancer. We therefore developed a computational algorithm to identify Ci/Gli clusters that are enriched over random expectation, within a given region of the genome. Candidate genomic regions containing Ci/Gli clusters were functionally tested in chicken neural tube electroporation assays and in transgenic flies. Of the 22 Ci/Gli clusters tested, seven novel enhancers (and the previously known patched enhancer) were identified as Hh-responsive and Ci/Gli-dependent in one or both of these assays, including: Cuticular protein 100A (Cpr100A); invected (inv), which encodes an engrailed-related transcription factor expressed at the anterior/posterior wing disc boundary; roadkill (rdx), the fly homolog of vertebrate Spop; the segment polarity gene gooseberry (gsb); and two previously untested regions of the Hh receptor-encoding patched (ptc) gene. We conclude that homotypic Ci/Gli clustering is not sufficient information to ensure Hh-responsiveness; however, it can provide a clue for enhancer recognition within putative Hedgehog target gene loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Gurdziel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - David S. Lorberbaum
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Aaron M. Udager
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Jane Y. Song
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Neil Richards
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - David S. Parker
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Lisa A. Johnson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Benjamin L. Allen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DLG); (SB); (BLA)
| | - Scott Barolo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DLG); (SB); (BLA)
| | - Deborah L. Gumucio
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DLG); (SB); (BLA)
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Xu X, Liu H, Zhang H, Dai W, Guo C, Xie C, Wei S, He S, Xu X. Sonic Hedgehog-GLI Family Zinc Finger 1 Signaling Pathway Promotes the Growth and Migration of Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Regulating the Transcription of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A2. Pancreas 2015; 44:1252-8. [PMID: 26465952 DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0000000000000532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Hh (hedgehog) signaling pathway is still waiting for further studies because its downstream molecular mechanism remains elusive. Because EIF5A2 (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A2) gene was up-regulated upon Gli1 (GLI family zinc finger 1) in pancreatic cancer (PC) cells, we speculated that this pathway might promote tumor progression through regulating EIF5A2. METHODS We investigated regulation effect of Hh signaling pathway to EIF5A2 gene transcription by Gli1 knockdown or overexpression in PC cell lines first. Then, the regulation mechanism of Gli1 to EIF5A2 gene was studied at transcription level. Finally, we studied cancer-promoting effects of Gli1-dependent EIF5A2 in PC cells. RESULTS The data showed that Gli1 up-regulated expression of EIF5A2 by promoting transcription via cis-acting elements in PC cells. Moreover, vimentin gene was up-regulated significantly by sonic hedgehog (SHh)/Gli1 expression increasing, and E-cadherin was significantly reduced. The EIF5A2 knockdown partially reversed cell proliferation and migration induced by artificial SHh overexpression and inhibited epithelial mesenchymal transition process in PC cells with SHh overexpression (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our data establish a novel transcription mechanism of Gli1 to EIF5A2 gene in cis-regulatory manner in PC cells. Thus, EIF5A2 oncogene effect could be incorporated into cancer-promoting molecular network upon Hh signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanfu Xu
- From the *Department of Gastroenterology, The Tenth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Tongji University, Shanghai; Departments of †Pathology and ‡Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province; and §Department of Hepato-Biliary and Pancreatic Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Minhang Branch, Shanghai, China
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Boyd PJ, Cunliffe VT, Roy S, Wood JD. Sonic hedgehog functions upstream of disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (disc1): implications for mental illness. Biol Open 2015; 4:1336-43. [PMID: 26405049 PMCID: PMC4610215 DOI: 10.1242/bio.012005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
DISRUPTED-IN-SCHIZOPHRENIA (DISC1) has been one of the most intensively studied genetic risk factors for mental illness since it was discovered through positional mapping of a translocation breakpoint in a large Scottish family where a balanced chromosomal translocation was found to segregate with schizophrenia and affective disorders. While the evidence for it being central to disease pathogenesis in the original Scottish family is compelling, recent genome-wide association studies have not found evidence for common variants at the DISC1 locus being associated with schizophrenia in the wider population. It may therefore be the case that DISC1 provides an indication of biological pathways that are central to mental health issues and functional studies have shown that it functions in multiple signalling pathways. However, there is little information regarding factors that function upstream of DISC1 to regulate its expression and function. We herein demonstrate that Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signalling promotes expression of disc1 in the zebrafish brain. Expression of disc1 is lost in smoothened mutants that have a complete loss of Shh signal transduction, and elevated in patched mutants which have constitutive activation of Shh signalling. We previously demonstrated that disc1 knockdown has a dramatic effect on the specification of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC) in the hindbrain and Shh signalling is known to be essential for the specification of these cells. We show that disc1 is prominently expressed in olig2-positive midline progenitor cells that are absent in smo mutants, while cyclopamine treatment blocks disc1 expression in these cells and mimics the effect of disc1 knock down on OPC specification. Various features of a number of psychiatric conditions could potentially arise through aberrant Hedgehog signalling. We therefore suggest that altered Shh signalling may be an important neurodevelopmental factor in the pathobiology of mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope J Boyd
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385a Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive, 138673, Singapore Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Vincent T Cunliffe
- Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Sudipto Roy
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive, 138673, Singapore Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, 119288, Singapore
| | - Jonathan D Wood
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385a Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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40
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HEDGEHOG/GLI-E2F1 axis modulates iASPP expression and function and regulates melanoma cell growth. Cell Death Differ 2015; 22:2006-19. [PMID: 26024388 PMCID: PMC4816112 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2015.56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Revised: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
HEDGEHOG (HH) signaling is a key regulator of tissue development and its aberrant activation is involved in several cancer types, including melanoma. We and others have shown a reciprocal cross talk between HH signaling and p53, whose function is often impaired in melanoma. Here we present evidence that both GLI1 and GLI2, the final effectors of HH signaling, regulate the transcription factor E2F1 in melanoma cells, by binding to a functional non-canonical GLI consensus sequence. Consistently, we find a significant correlation between E2F1 and PATCHED1 (PTCH1), GLI1 and GLI2 expression in human melanomas. Functionally, we find that E2F1 is a crucial mediator of HH signaling and it is required for melanoma cell proliferation and xenograft growth induced by activation of the HH pathway. Interestingly, we present evidence that the HH/GLI-E2F1 axis positively modulates the inhibitor of apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (iASPP) at multiple levels. HH activation induces iASPP expression through E2F1, which directly binds to iASPP promoter. HH pathway also contributes to iASPP function, by the induction of Cyclin B1 and by the E2F1-dependent regulation of CDK1, which are both involved in iASPP activation. Our data show that activation of HH signaling enhances proliferation in presence of E2F1 and promotes apoptosis in its absence or upon CDK1 inhibition, suggesting that E2F1/iASPP dictates the outcome of HH signaling in melanoma. Together, these findings identify a novel HH/GLI-E2F1-iASPP axis that regulates melanoma cell growth and survival, providing an additional mechanism through which HH signaling restrains p53 proapoptotic function.
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Cooperative integration between HEDGEHOG-GLI signalling and other oncogenic pathways: implications for cancer therapy. Expert Rev Mol Med 2015; 17:e5. [PMID: 25660620 PMCID: PMC4836208 DOI: 10.1017/erm.2015.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The HEDGEHOG-GLI (HH-GLI) signalling is a key pathway critical in embryonic development, stem cell biology and tissue homeostasis. In recent years, aberrant activation of HH-GLI signalling has been linked to several types of cancer, including those of the skin, brain, lungs, prostate, gastrointestinal tract and blood. HH-GLI signalling is initiated by binding of HH ligands to the transmembrane receptor PATCHED and is mediated by transcriptional effectors that belong to the GLI family, whose activity is finely tuned by a number of molecular interactions and post-translation modifications. Several reports suggest that the activity of the GLI proteins is regulated by several proliferative and oncogenic inputs, in addition or independent of upstream HH signalling. The identification of this complex crosstalk and the understanding of how the major oncogenic signalling pathways interact in cancer is a crucial step towards the establishment of efficient targeted combinatorial treatments. Here we review recent findings on the cooperative integration of HH-GLI signalling with the major oncogenic inputs and we discuss how these cues modulate the activity of the GLI proteins in cancer. We then summarise the latest advances on SMO and GLI inhibitors and alternative approaches to attenuate HH signalling through rational combinatorial therapies.
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Aberger F, Ruiz i Altaba A. Context-dependent signal integration by the GLI code: the oncogenic load, pathways, modifiers and implications for cancer therapy. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2014; 33:93-104. [PMID: 24852887 PMCID: PMC4151135 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2014.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Canonical Hedgehog (HH) signaling leads to the regulation of the GLI code: the sum of all positive and negative functions of all GLI proteins. In humans, the three GLI factors encode context-dependent activities with GLI1 being mostly an activator and GLI3 often a repressor. Modulation of GLI activity occurs at multiple levels, including by co-factors and by direct modification of GLI structure. Surprisingly, the GLI proteins, and thus the GLI code, is also regulated by multiple inputs beyond HH signaling. In normal development and homeostasis these include a multitude of signaling pathways that regulate proto-oncogenes, which boost positive GLI function, as well as tumor suppressors, which restrict positive GLI activity. In cancer, the acquisition of oncogenic mutations and the loss of tumor suppressors - the oncogenic load - regulates the GLI code toward progressively more activating states. The fine and reversible balance of GLI activating GLI(A) and GLI repressing GLI(R) states is lost in cancer. Here, the acquisition of GLI(A) levels above a given threshold is predicted to lead to advanced malignant stages. In this review we highlight the concepts of the GLI code, the oncogenic load, the context-dependency of GLI action, and different modes of signaling integration such as that of HH and EGF. Targeting the GLI code directly or indirectly promises therapeutic benefits beyond the direct blockade of individual pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fritz Aberger
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Strasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Ariel Ruiz i Altaba
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, 8242 CMU, 1 rue Michel Servet, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
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Wang Y, Lei R, Zhuang X, Zhang N, Pan H, Li G, Hu J, Pan X, Tao Q, Fu D, Xiao J, Chin YE, Kang Y, Yang Q, Hu G. DLC1-dependent parathyroid hormone-like hormone inhibition suppresses breast cancer bone metastasis. J Clin Invest 2014; 124:1646-59. [PMID: 24590291 DOI: 10.1172/jci71812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone metastasis is a frequent complication of breast cancer that is often accelerated by TGF-β signaling; however, little is known about how the TGF-β pathway is regulated during bone metastasis. Here we report that deleted in liver cancer 1 (DLC1) is an important regulator of TGF-β responses and osteolytic metastasis of breast cancer cells. In murine models, breast cancer cells lacking DLC1 expression exhibited enhanced capabilities of bone metastasis. Knockdown of DLC1 in cancer cells promoted bone metastasis, leading to manifested osteolysis and accelerated death in mice, while DLC1 overexpression suppressed bone metastasis. Activation of Rho-ROCK signaling in the absence of DLC1 mediated SMAD3 linker region phosphorylation and TGF-β-induced expression of parathyroid hormone-like hormone (PTHLH), leading to osteoclast maturation for osteolytic colonization. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of Rho-ROCK effectively reduced PTHLH production and breast cancer bone metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Evaluation of clinical breast tumor samples revealed that reduced DLC1 expression was linked to elevated PTHLH expression and organ-specific metastasis to bone. Overall, our findings define a stroma-dependent paradigm of Rho signaling in cancer and implicate Rho-TGF-β crosstalk in osteolytic bone metastasis.
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Piirsoo A, Kasak L, Kauts ML, Loog M, Tints K, Uusen P, Neuman T, Piirsoo M. Protein kinase inhibitor SU6668 attenuates positive regulation of Gli proteins in cancer and multipotent progenitor cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2014; 1843:703-14. [PMID: 24418624 PMCID: PMC3946003 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2014.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Observations that Glioma-associated transcription factors Gli1 and Gli2 (Gli1/2), executers of the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway and targets of the Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF-β) signaling axis, are involved in numerous developmental and pathological processes unveil them as attractive pharmaceutical targets. Unc-51-like serine/threonine kinase Ulk3 has been suggested to play kinase activity dependent and independent roles in the control of Gli proteins in the context of the Shh signaling pathway. This study aimed at investigating whether the mechanism of generation of Gli1/2 transcriptional activators has similarities regardless of the signaling cascade evoking their activation. We also elucidate further the role of Ulk3 kinase in regulation of Gli1/2 proteins and examine SU6668 as an inhibitor of Ulk3 catalytic activity and a compound targeting Gli1/2 proteins in different cell-based experimental models. Here we demonstrate that Ulk3 is required not only for maintenance of basal levels of Gli1/2 proteins but also for TGF-β or Shh dependent activation of endogenous Gli1/2 proteins in human adipose tissue derived multipotent stromal cells (ASCs) and mouse immortalized progenitor cells, respectively. We show that cultured ASCs possess the functional Shh signaling axis and differentiate towards osteoblasts in response to Shh. Also, we demonstrate that similarly to Ulk3 RNAi, SU6668 prevents de novo expression of Gli1/2 proteins and antagonizes the Gli-dependent activation of the gene expression programs induced by either Shh or TGF-β. Our data suggest SU6668 as an efficient inhibitor of Ulk3 kinase allowing manipulation of the Gli-dependent transcriptional outcome. Ulk3 is involved in the maintenance of Gli1/2 expression. SU6668 prevents de novo expression of Gli1/2 proteins induced by Shh or TGF-β. SU6668 inhibits up-regulation of Gli1/2 proteins via Ulk3. Human ASCs differentiate towards osteoblasts in response to Shh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla Piirsoo
- Protobios LLC, Mäealuse 4, Tallinn 12618, Estonia; Cellin Technologies LLC, Mäealuse 4, Tallinn 12618, Estonia.
| | - Lagle Kasak
- Protobios LLC, Mäealuse 4, Tallinn 12618, Estonia; Department of Gene Technology, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
| | | | - Mart Loog
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kairit Tints
- Cellin Technologies LLC, Mäealuse 4, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
| | - Piia Uusen
- Cellin Technologies LLC, Mäealuse 4, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
| | | | - Marko Piirsoo
- Department of Gene Technology, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
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Sankar S, Tanner JM, Bell R, Chaturvedi A, Randall RL, Beckerle MC, Lessnick SL. A novel role for keratin 17 in coordinating oncogenic transformation and cellular adhesion in Ewing sarcoma. Mol Cell Biol 2013; 33:4448-60. [PMID: 24043308 PMCID: PMC3838177 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00241-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic transformation in Ewing sarcoma is caused by EWS/FLI, an aberrant transcription factor fusion oncogene. Glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1) is a critical target gene activated by EWS/FLI, but the mechanism by which GLI1 contributes to the transformed phenotype of Ewing sarcoma was unknown. In this work, we identify keratin 17 (KRT17) as a direct downstream target gene upregulated by GLI1. We demonstrate that KRT17 regulates cellular adhesion by activating AKT/PKB (protein kinase B) signaling. In addition, KRT17 is necessary for oncogenic transformation in Ewing sarcoma and accounts for much of the GLI1-mediated transformation function but via a mechanism independent of AKT signaling. Taken together, our data reveal previously unknown molecular functions for a cytoplasmic intermediate filament protein, KRT17, in coordinating EWS/FLI- and GLI1-mediated oncogenic transformation and cellular adhesion in Ewing sarcoma.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Bone Neoplasms/genetics
- Bone Neoplasms/metabolism
- Bone Neoplasms/pathology
- Cell Adhesion
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/pathology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Keratin-17/genetics
- Keratin-17/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Nude
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism
- RNA-Binding Protein EWS/genetics
- RNA-Binding Protein EWS/metabolism
- Sarcoma, Ewing/genetics
- Sarcoma, Ewing/metabolism
- Sarcoma, Ewing/pathology
- Signal Transduction
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Zinc Finger Protein GLI1
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Affiliation(s)
- Savita Sankar
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, University of Utah
| | - Jason M. Tanner
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, University of Utah
| | - Russell Bell
- Center for Children's Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
| | - Aashi Chaturvedi
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, University of Utah
| | - R. Lor Randall
- Center for Children's Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
- Department of Orthopedics, Sarcoma Services, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
| | - Mary C. Beckerle
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, University of Utah
- Department of Biology, University of Utah
| | - Stephen L. Lessnick
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, University of Utah
- Center for Children's Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Laner-Plamberger S, Wolff F, Kaser-Eichberger A, Swierczynski S, Hauser-Kronberger C, Frischauf AM, Eichberger T. Hedgehog/GLI signaling activates suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) in epidermal and neural tumor cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e75317. [PMID: 24058673 PMCID: PMC3769249 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustained hedgehog (Hh) signaling mediated by the GLI transcription factors is implicated in many types of cancer. Identification of Hh/GLI target genes modulating the activity of other pathways involved in tumor development promise to open new ways for better understanding of tumor development and maintenance. Here we show that SOCS1 is a direct target of Hh/GLI signaling in human keratinocytes and medulloblastoma cells. SOCS1 is a potent inhibitor of interferon gamma (IFN-y)/STAT1 signaling. IFN-у/STAT1 signaling can induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and anti-tumor immunity. The transcription factors GLI1 and GLI2 activate the SOCS1 promoter, which contains five putative GLI binding sites, and GLI2 binding to the promoter was shown by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Consistent with a role of GLI in SOCS1 regulation, STAT1 phosphorylation is reduced in cells with active Hh/GLI signaling and IFN-у/STAT1 target gene activation is decreased. Furthermore, IFN-у signaling is restored by shRNA mediated knock down of SOCS1. Here, we identify SOCS1 as a novel Hh/GLI target gene, indicating a negative role of Hh/GLI pathway in IFN-y/STAT1 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Laner-Plamberger
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury & Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Salzburg, Austria
- * E-mail:
| | - Florian Wolff
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Alexandra Kaser-Eichberger
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stefan Swierczynski
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Cornelia Hauser-Kronberger
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Thomas Eichberger
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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Milla LA, Arros A, Espinoza N, Remke M, Kool M, Taylor MD, Pfister SM, Wainwright BJ, Palma V. Neogenin1 is a Sonic Hedgehog target in medulloblastoma and is necessary for cell cycle progression. Int J Cancer 2013; 134:21-31. [PMID: 23775842 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The canonical Sonic Hedgehog (Shh)/Gli pathway plays multiples roles during central nervous system (CNS) development. To elucidate the molecular repertoire of Shh mediators, we have recently described novel transcriptional targets in response to Shh pathway modulation. Among them, we were able to identify Neogenin1 (Neo1), a death dependence receptor, as a new direct Shh downstream regulator in neural precursor proliferation. As appropriate Shh signaling is required for cerebellar growth and alterations cause Shh-driven medulloblastoma (MB), here we have addressed the role of the Shh/Neogenin1 interaction in the context of cerebellar development and cancer. We demonstrate that the Shh pathway regulates Neogenin1 expression in mouse models that recapitulate the Shh MB subtype. We show that the canonical Shh pathway directly regulates the Neo1 gene acting through an upstream sequence in its promoter both in vitro and in vivo in granule neuron precursor cells. We also identified and characterized a functional Gli-binding site in the first intron of the human NEO1 gene. Gene expression profiling of more than 300 MB shows that NEO1 is indeed upregulated in SHH tumors compared to the other MB subgroups. Finally, we provide evidence that NEO1 is necessary for cell cycle progression in a human MB cell line, because a loss of function of NEO1 arrests cells in the G2/M phase. Taken together, these results highlight Neogenin1 as a novel downstream effector of the Shh pathway in MB and a possible therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Milla
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile; FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago, Chile
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48
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Pimentel A, Velez M, Barahona LJ, Swords R, Lekakis L. New prospects for drug development: the hedgehog pathway revealed. Focus on hematologic malignancies. Future Oncol 2013; 9:681-97. [PMID: 23647297 DOI: 10.2217/fon.13.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The hedgehog (Hh) pathway is a critical regulator of vertebrate embryonic development and is involved in the function of processes such as stem cell maintenance and differentiation, tissue polarity and cell proliferation. Given how critical these functions are, it is not surprising that mutations in Hh pathway components are often implicated in the tumorigenesis of a variety of human cancers. Promotion of tumor growth has recently been shown by activated Hh signaling in the tumor itself, as well as by pathway activation within surrounding cells comprising the tumor microenvironment. Targeted disruption of various Hh pathway proteins has been successfully employed as an anticancer strategy with several synthetic Hh antagonists now available. Here, the molecular basis of Hh signaling, the therapeutic rationales for targeting this pathway and the current status of Hh pathway inhibitors in the clinic are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Pimentel
- Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Miami, 1475 North West 12th Avenue, Suite 3300, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Michel Velez
- Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Miami, 1475 North West 12th Avenue, Suite 3300, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Luz J Barahona
- University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, 1611 North West 12th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Ronan Swords
- Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Miami, 1475 North West 12th Avenue, Suite 3300, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Lazaros Lekakis
- Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Miami, 1475 North West 12th Avenue, Suite 3300, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
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Atwood SX, Li M, Lee A, Tang JY, Oro AE. GLI activation by atypical protein kinase C ι/λ regulates the growth of basal cell carcinomas. Nature 2013; 494:484-8. [PMID: 23446420 PMCID: PMC3761364 DOI: 10.1038/nature11889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) growth requires high levels of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling through the transcription factor Gli1. While inhibitors of membrane protein Smoothened (Smo) effectively suppress Hh signaling, early tumor resistance illustrates the need for additional downstream targets for therapy1–6. Here we identify atypical Protein Kinase C iota/lambda (aPKC) as a novel Gli regulator. aPKC and its polarity signaling partners7 colocalize at the centrosome and form a complex with Missing-in-Metastasis (MIM), a scaffolding protein that potentiates Hh signaling8,9. Genetic or pharmacological loss of aPKC function blocks Hh signaling and proliferation of BCC cells. aPKC is a Hh target gene that forms a positive feedback loop with Gli and exhibits elevated levels in BCCs. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling shows that aPKC and Smo control the expression of similar genes in tumor cells. aPKC functions downstream of Smo to phosphorylate and activate Gli1, resulting in maximal DNA binding and transcriptional activation. Activated aPKC is upregulated in Smo-inhibitor resistant tumors and targeting aPKC suppresses signaling and growth of resistant BCC cell lines. These results demonstrate aPKC is critical for Hh-dependent processes and implicates aPKC as a new, tumor-selective therapeutic target for the treatment of Smo-inhibitor resistant cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott X Atwood
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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50
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Kasaai B, Gaumond MH, Moffatt P. Regulation of the bone-restricted IFITM-like (Bril) gene transcription by Sp and Gli family members and CpG methylation. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:13278-94. [PMID: 23530031 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.457010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND BRIL is a bone-specific membrane protein that is involved in osteogenesis imperfecta type V. RESULTS Bril transcription is activated by Sp1, Sp3, OSX, and GLI2 and by CpG demethylation. CONCLUSION Regulation of Bril involves trans-acting factors integrating at conserved promoter elements and epigenetic modifications. SIGNIFICANCE Identification of the mechanisms governing Bril transcription is important to understand its role in skeletal biology. Bril encodes a small membrane protein present in osteoblasts. In humans, a single recurrent mutation in the 5'-UTR of BRIL causes osteogenesis imperfecta type V. The exact function of BRIL and the mechanism by which it contributes to disease are still unknown. The goal of the current study was to characterize the mechanisms governing Bril transcription in humans, rats, and mice. In the three species, as detected by luciferase reporter assays in UMR106 cells, we found that most of the base-line regulatory activity was localized within ∼250 bp upstream of the coding ATG. Co-transfection experiments indicated that Sp1 and Sp3 were potent inducers of the promoter activity, through the binding of several GC-rich boxes. Osterix was a weak activator but acted cooperatively with Sp1 and GLI2 to synergistically induce the BRIL promoter. GLI2, a mediator of hedgehog signaling pathway, was also a potent activator of BRIL through a single GLI binding site. Correspondingly, agonists of the hedgehog pathway (purmorphamine and Indian hedgehog) in MC3T3 osteoblasts led to increased BRIL levels. The BRIL promoter activity was also found to be negatively modulated through two different mechanisms. First, the ZFP354C zinc finger protein repressed basal and Sp1-induced activity. Second, CpG methylation of the promoter region correlated with an inactive state and prevented Sp1 activation. The data provide the very first analyses of the cis- and trans-acting factors regulating Bril transcription. They revealed key roles for the Sp members and GLI2 that possibly cooperate to activate Bril when the promoter becomes demethylated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Kasaai
- Shriners Hospital for Children, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A6, Canada
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