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Li H, Liu J, Lai J, Su X, Wang X, Cao J, Mao S, Zhang T, Gu Q. The HHEX-ABI2/SLC17A9 axis induces cancer stem cell-like properties and tumorigenesis in HCC. J Transl Med 2024; 22:537. [PMID: 38844969 PMCID: PMC11155165 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05324-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicated that HHEX participated in the initiation and development of several cancers, but the potential roles and mechanisms of HHEX in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were largely unclear. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for cancer progression owing to their stemness characteristics. We reported that HHEX was a novel CSCs target for HCC. We found that HHEX was overexpressed in HCC tissues and high expression of HHEX was associated with poor survival. Subsequently, we found that HHEX promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis and experiments verified that HHEX promoted stem cell-like properties in HCC. Mechanistically, ABI2 serving as a co-activator of transcriptional factor HHEX upregulated SLC17A9 to promote HCC cancer stem cell-like properties and tumorigenesis. Collectively, the HHEX-mediated ABI2/SLC17A9 axis contributes to HCC growth and metastasis by maintaining the CSC population, suggesting that HHEX serves as a promising therapeutic target for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huizi Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China.
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, The, USA
| | - Jie Lai
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xinyao Su
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xiaofeng Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiaqing Cao
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Shengxun Mao
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China.
| | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, The Third Actuated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510000, Guangdong, China.
- Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Organ Transplantation Clinical Medical Center of Xiamen University, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China.
- Department of Organ Transplantation, School of Medicine, Organ Transplantation Clinical Medical Center of Xiamen University, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, Fujian, China.
| | - Qiuping Gu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ganzhou People's Hospital, No. 16, Meiguan Avenue, Zhanggong District, Ganzhou City, 341000, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China.
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2
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Zheng W, Shen P, Yu C, Tang Y, Qian C, Yang C, Gao M, Wu Y, Yu S, Tang W, Wan G, Wang A, Lu Y, Zhao Y. Ginsenoside Rh1, a novel casein kinase II subunit alpha (CK2α) inhibitor, retards metastasis via disrupting HHEX/CCL20 signaling cascade involved in tumor cell extravasation across endothelial barrier. Pharmacol Res 2023; 198:106986. [PMID: 37944834 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Tumor cell extravasation across endothelial barrier has been recognized as a pivotal event in orchestrating metastasis formation. This event is initiated by the interactions of extravasating tumor cells with endothelial cells (ECs). Therefore, targeting the crosstalk between tumor cells and ECs might be a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent metastasis. In this study, we demonstrated that Rh1, one of the main ingredients of ginseng, hindered the invasion of breast cancer (BC) cells as well as diminished the permeability of ECs both in vitro and in vivo, which was responsible for the attenuated tumor cell extravasation across endothelium. Noteworthily, we showed that ECs were capable of inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invadopodia of BC cells that are essential for tumor cell migration and invasion through limiting the nuclear translocation of hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX). The decreased nuclear HHEX paved the way for initiating the CCL20/CCR6 signaling axis, which in turn contributed to damaged endothelial junctions, uncovering a new crosstalk mode between tumor cells and ECs. Intriguingly, Rh1 inhibited the kinase activity of casein kinase II subunit alpha (CK2α) and further promoted the nuclear translocation of HHEX in the BC cells, which resulted in the disrupted crosstalk between chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 20 (CCL20) in the BC cells and chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 6 (CCR6) in the ECs. The prohibited CCL20-CCR6 axis by Rh1 enhanced vascular integrity and diminished tumor cell motility. Taken together, our data suggest that Rh1 serves as an effective natural CK2α inhibitor that can be further optimized to be a therapeutic agent for reducing tumor cell extravasation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Zheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Peiliang Shen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chang Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yu Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Cheng Qian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chunmei Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mingliang Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Suyun Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Guiping Wan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - Aiyun Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Yin Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Yang Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
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3
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Xu Z, Feng Y, Yan Y, Jin H, Chen Y, Han Y, Huang S, Feng F, Fu H, Yin Y, Huang Y, Wang H, Cheng W. HHEX suppresses advanced thyroid cancer by interacting with TLE3. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023; 574:111988. [PMID: 37302518 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.111988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Haematopoietically Expressed Homeobox (HHEX) gene is highly expressed in the thyroid gland and plays critical roles in the development and differentiation of the thyroid gland. While it has been indicated to be downregulated in thyroid cancer, its function and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. Herein, we observed low expression and aberrant cytoplasmic localization of HHEX in thyroid cancer cell lines. Knockdown of HHEX significantly enhanced cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while overexpression of HHEX showed the opposite effects in vitro and in vivo. These data provide evidence that HHEX is a tumor suppressor in thyroid cancer. Additionally, our results showed that HHEX overexpression upregulated the expression of sodium iodine symporter (NIS) mRNA and also enhanced NIS promoter activity, suggesting a favorable effect of HHEX in promoting thyroid cancer differentiation. Mechanistically, HHEX exerted a regulatory effect on the expression of transducin-like enhancer of split 3 (TLE3) protein, which inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Nuclear localized HHEX bound to and upregulated TLE3 expression by preventing TLE3 protein from being distributed to the cytoplasm and being ubiquitinated. In conclusion, our study suggested that restoring HHEX expression has the potential to be a new strategy in the treatment of advanced thyroid cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyun Xu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Yiyuan Feng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Yeqing Yan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Hongfu Jin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Institute for Developmental and Regenerative Cardiovascular Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Yali Han
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China; Shanghai Center of Thyroid Diseases, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Shuo Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Fang Feng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Hongliang Fu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Yafu Yin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Yueye Huang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China; Shanghai Center of Thyroid Diseases, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
| | - Weiwei Cheng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Institute for Developmental and Regenerative Cardiovascular Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
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4
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Chen X, An Y, Tan M, Xie D, Liu L, Xu B. Biological functions and research progress of eIF4E. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1076855. [PMID: 37601696 PMCID: PMC10435865 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1076855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E can specifically bind to the cap structure of an mRNA 5' end, mainly regulating translation initiation and preferentially enhancing the translation of carcinogenesis related mRNAs. The expression of eIF4E is closely related to a variety of malignant tumors. In tumor cells, eIF4E activity is abnormally increased, which stimulates cell growth, metastasis and translation of related proteins. The main factors affecting eIF4E activity include intranuclear regulation, phosphorylation of 4EBPs, and phosphorylation and sumoylation of eIF4E. In this review, we summarize the biological functions and the research progress of eIF4E, the main influencing factors of eIF4E activity, and the recent progress of drugs targeting eIF4E, in the hope of providing new insights for the treatment of multiple malignancies and development of targeted drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocong Chen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Fenyang College of Shanxi Medical University, Fenyang, China
| | - Yang An
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Fenyang College of Shanxi Medical University, Fenyang, China
| | - Mengsi Tan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Fenyang College of Shanxi Medical University, Fenyang, China
| | - Dongrui Xie
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Fenyang College of Shanxi Medical University, Fenyang, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Fenyang College of Shanxi Medical University, Fenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Lvliang for Clinical Molecular Diagnostics, Fenyang, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fenyang Hospital of Shanxi Province, Fenyang, China
| | - Benjin Xu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Fenyang College of Shanxi Medical University, Fenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Lvliang for Clinical Molecular Diagnostics, Fenyang, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fenyang Hospital of Shanxi Province, Fenyang, China
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Özden-Yılmaz G, Savas B, Bursalı A, Eray A, Arıbaş A, Senturk S, Karaca E, Karakülah G, Erkek-Ozhan S. Differential Occupancy and Regulatory Interactions of KDM6A in Bladder Cell Lines. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060836. [PMID: 36980177 PMCID: PMC10047809 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060836] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic deregulation is a critical theme which needs further investigation in bladder cancer research. One of the most highly mutated genes in bladder cancer is KDM6A, which functions as an H3K27 demethylase and is one of the MLL3/4 complexes. To decipher the role of KDM6A in normal versus tumor settings, we identified the genomic landscape of KDM6A in normal, immortalized, and cancerous bladder cells. Our results showed differential KDM6A occupancy in the genes involved in cell differentiation, chromatin organization, and Notch signaling depending on the cell type and the mutation status of KDM6A. Transcription factor motif analysis revealed HES1 to be enriched at KDM6A peaks identified in the T24 bladder cancer cell line; moreover, it has a truncating mutation in KDM6A and lacks a demethylase domain. Our co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed TLE co-repressors and HES1 as potential truncated and wild-type KDM6A interactors. With the aid of structural modeling, we explored how truncated KDM6A could interact with TLE and HES1, as well as RUNX and HHEX transcription factors. These structures provide a solid means of studying the functions of KDM6A independently of its demethylase activity. Collectively, our work provides important contributions to the understanding of KDM6A malfunction in bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Busra Savas
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylül University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Bursalı
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Aleyna Eray
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylül University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Alirıza Arıbaş
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Serif Senturk
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylül University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ezgi Karaca
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylül University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Gökhan Karakülah
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylül University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
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PANAGOPOULOS IOANNIS, ANDERSEN KRISTIN, GORUNOVA LUDMILA, HOGNESTAD HANNEREGINE, PEDERSEN THOMASDAHL, LOBMAIER INGVILD, MICCI FRANCESCA, HEIM SVERRE. Chromosome Translocation t(10;19)(q26;q13) in a CIC-sarcoma. In Vivo 2023; 37:57-69. [PMID: 36593014 PMCID: PMC9843759 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.13054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM CIC-sarcomas are characterized by rearrangements of the capicua transcriptional repressor (CIC) gene on chromosome subband 19q13.2, generating chimeras in which CIC is the 5'-end partner. Most reported CIC-sarcomas have been detected using PCR amplifications together with Sanger sequencing, high throughput sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Only a few CIC-rearranged tumors have been characterized cytogenetically. Here, we describe the cytogenetic and molecular genetic features of a CIC-sarcoma carrying a t(10;19)(q26;q13), a chromosomal rearrangement not previously detected in such neoplasms. MATERIALS AND METHODS A round cell sarcoma removed from the right thigh of a 57-year-old man was investigated by G-banding cytogenetics, FISH, PCR and Sanger sequencing. RESULTS The tumor cells had three cytogenetically related clones with the translocations t(9;18)(q22;q21) and t(10;19)(q26;q13) common to all of them. FISH with a BAC probe containing the CIC gene hybridized to the normal chromosome 19, to der(10)t(10;19), and to der(19)t(10;19). PCR using tumor cDNA as template together with Sanger sequencing detected two CIC::DUX4 fusion transcripts which both had a stop TAG codon immediately after the fusion point. Both transcripts are predicted to encode truncated CIC polypeptides lacking the carboxy terminal part of the native protein. This missing part is crucial for CIC's DNA binding capacity and interaction with other proteins. CONCLUSION In addition to demonstrating that CIC rearrangement in sarcomas can occur via the microscopically visible translocation t(10;19)(q26;q13), the findings in the present case provide evidence that the missing part in CIC-truncated proteins has important functions whose loss may be important in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- IOANNIS PANAGOPOULOS
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - KRISTIN ANDERSEN
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - LUDMILA GORUNOVA
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | | | - FRANCESCA MICCI
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - SVERRE HEIM
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Guo Y, Zhu Z, Huang Z, Cui L, Yu W, Hong W, Zhou Z, Du P, Liu CY. CK2-induced cooperation of HHEX with the YAP-TEAD4 complex promotes colorectal tumorigenesis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4995. [PMID: 36008411 PMCID: PMC9411202 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32674-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of Hippo pathway leads to hyperactivation of YAP-TEAD transcriptional complex in various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we observed that HHEX (Hematopoietically expressed homeobox) may enhance transcription activity of the YAP-TEAD complex. HHEX associates with and stabilizes the YAP-TEAD complex on the regulatory genomic loci to coregulate the expression of a group of YAP/TEAD target genes. Also, HHEX may indirectly regulate these target genes by controlling YAP/TAZ expression. Importantly, HHEX is required for the pro-tumorigenic effects of YAP during CRC progression. In response to serum stimulation, CK2 (Casein Kinase 2) phosphorylates HHEX and enhances its interaction with TEAD4. A CK2 inhibitor CX-4945 diminishes the interaction between HHEX and TEAD4, leading to decreased expression of YAP/TEAD target genes. CX-4945 synergizes the antitumor activity of YAP-TEAD inhibitors verteporfin and Super-TDU. Elevated expression of HHEX is correlated with hyperactivation of YAP/TEAD and associated with poor prognosis of CRC patients. Overall, our study identifies HHEX as a positive modulator of YAP/TEAD to promote colorectal tumorigenesis, providing a new therapeutic strategy for targeting YAP/TEAD in CRC. Hippo signalling is often deregulated in cancers. Here the authors show that CK2 enhances the cooperation of HHEX with YAP-TEAD complex to promote colorectal tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuegui Guo
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.,Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Zhehui Zhu
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.,Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, 200092, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Zhenyu Huang
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.,Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Long Cui
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.,Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Wei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Wanjin Hong
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61, Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Zhaocai Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Peng Du
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China. .,Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Chen-Ying Liu
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China. .,Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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8
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Yaglova NV, Obernikhin SS, Nazimova SV, Timokhina EP, Tsomartova DA, Yaglov VV. Development and Function of the Adrenal Zona Reticularis in Rats Prenatally and Postnatally Exposed to the Endocrine Disruptor DDT. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022030177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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9
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Fukuchi T, Ueno T, Yamamoto T, Noguchi T, Shiojiri N. Liver progenitor cells may construct cysts having heterogeneous gene expression of liver-enriched transcription factors in mice with conditional knockout of the Hhex gene. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 602:49-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.02.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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Yang X, Cao N, Chen L, Liu L, Zhang M, Cao Y. Suppression of Cell Tumorigenicity by Non-neural Pro-differentiation Factors via Inhibition of Neural Property in Tumorigenic Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:714383. [PMID: 34595169 PMCID: PMC8476888 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.714383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Our studies have demonstrated that cell tumorigenicity and pluripotent differentiation potential stem from neural stemness or a neural ground state, which is defined by a regulatory network of higher levels of machineries for basic cell physiological functions, including cell cycle, ribosome biogenesis, protein translation, spliceosome, epigenetic modification factors, reprogramming factors, etc., in addition to the neural stemness specific factors. These machineries and neural stemness factors mostly play cancer-promoting roles. It can be deduced that differentiation requires the repression of neural ground state and causes the reduction or loss of neural ground state and thus tumorigenicity in tumorigenic cells. Formerly, we showed that neuronal differentiation led to reduced tumorigenicity in tumorigenic cells. In the present study, we show that non-neural pro-differentiation factors, such as GATA3, HNF4A, HHEX, and FOXA3 that specify mesodermal or/and endodermal tissues during vertebrate embryogenesis, suppress tumorigenicity via repression of neural stemness and promotion of non-neural property in tumorigenic cells. Mechanistically, these transcription factors repress the transcription of neural enriched genes and meanwhile activate genes that specify non-neural properties via direct binding to the promoters of these genes. We also show that combined expression of HHEX and FOXA3 suppresses tumorigenesis effectively in the AOM/DSS model of colitis-associated cancer. We suggest that targeting the property of neural stemness could be an effective strategy for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Yang
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ning Cao
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Cao
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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11
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Li X, Ma G, Guo W, Mu N, Wang Y, Liu X, Su L. Hhex inhibits cell migration via regulating RHOA/CDC42-CFL1 axis in human lung cancer cells. Cell Commun Signal 2021; 19:80. [PMID: 34321041 PMCID: PMC8320060 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-021-00763-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hhex(human hematopoietically expressed homeobox), also known as PRH, is originally considered as a transcription factor to regulate gene expression due to its homebox domain. Increasing studies show that Hhex plays a significant role in development, including anterior–posterior axis formation, vascular development and HSCs self-renewal etc. Hhex is linked to many diseases such as cancers, leukemia, and type-2 diabetes. Although Hhex is reported to inhibit cell migration and invasion of breast and prostate epithelial cells by upregulating Endoglin expression, the effect and molecular mechanism for lung cancer cell motility regulation remains elusive. Methods Human non-small cell lung cancer cells and HEK293FT cells were used to investigate the molecular mechanism of Hhex regulating lung cancer cell migration by using Western blot, immunoprecipitation, wound-healing scratch assay, laser confocal. Results Our data indicated that Hhex could inhibit cell migration and cell protrusion formation in lung cancer cells. In addition, Hhex inhibited CFL1 phosphorylation to keep its F-actin-severing activity. RHOGDIA was involved in Hhex-induced CFL1 phosphorylation regulation. Hhex enhanced RHOGDIA interaction with RHOA/CDC42, thus maintaining RHOA/CDC42 at an inactive form. Conclusion Collectively, these data indicate that Hhex inhibited the activation of RHOA/CDC42 by enhancing interaction of RHOGDIA with RHOA/CDC42, and then RHOA/ CDC42-p-CFL1 signaling pathway was blocked. Consequently, the formation of Filopodium and Lamellipodium on the cell surface was suppressed, and thus the ability of lung cancer cells to migrate was decreased accordingly. Our findings show Hhex plays an important role in regulating migration of lung cancer cells and may provide a potential target for lung cancer therapy. Video abstract
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12964-021-00763-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Room N8-110, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Guilin Ma
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Room N8-110, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Wenjie Guo
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Room N8-110, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Ning Mu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Room N8-110, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Yingying Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Room N8-110, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Xiangguo Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Room N8-110, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China.,Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Ling Su
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Room N8-110, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China. .,Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
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12
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Comparative Gene Signature of (-)-Oleocanthal Formulation Treatments in Heterogeneous Triple Negative Breast Tumor Models: Oncological Therapeutic Target Insights. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13051706. [PMID: 34069906 PMCID: PMC8157589 DOI: 10.3390/nu13051706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) heterogeneity and limited therapeutic options confer its phenotypic aggressiveness. The discovery of anti-TNBC natural products with valid molecular target(s) and defined pharmacodynamic profile would facilitate their therapeutic nutraceutical use by TNBC patients. The extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a key Mediterranean diet ingredient. S-(−)-Oleocanthal (OC) leads the bioactive anti-tumor EVOO phenolic ingredients. A previous study reported the solid dispersion formulated OC with (+)-xylitol (OC-X) suppressed the in vivo progression and recurrence of the TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells. This study investigates the ability of OC-X formulation to suppress the in vivo heterogeneous BC initiation and progression utilizing advanced preclinical transgenic MMTV-PyVT and TNBC PDX mouse models. Furthermore, the clustering of the gene expression profiles in MMTV-PyVT and PDX mouse tumors treated with OC-X acquired by a Clariom S microarray analysis identified the distinctly affected genes. Several affected novel signature genes identified in response to OC-X treatments and proved overlapped in both mouse and human tumor models, shedding some lights toward understanding the OC anticancer molecular mechanism and assisting in predicting prospective clinical outcomes. This study provides molecular and preclinical evidences of OC-X potential as a nutraceutical suppressing heterogeneous TNBC model and offers preliminary gene-level therapeutic mechanistic insights.
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13
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Yaglova NV, Tsomartova DA, Obernikhin SS, Nazimova SV, Ivanova MY, Chereshneva EV, Yaglov VV, Lomanovskaya TA. Transcription factors β-catenin and Hex in postnatal development of the rat adrenal cortex: implication in proliferation control. Heliyon 2021; 7:e05932. [PMID: 33490685 PMCID: PMC7809185 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e05932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation of growth, maturation, and cell turnover in adrenal cortex during postnatal development has been significantly less studied than in embryonic period, while elucidation of factors mediating its normal postnatal morphogenesis could clarify mechanisms of tumorigenesis in adrenal cortex. Expression of transcription factors Hex, β-catenin, and Wnt signaling in the adrenal cortex of male pubertal and postpubertal Wistar rats were examined. Adrenal cortex morphology and hormone production during postnatal development were also studied. Adrenocortical zones demonstrated similar reduction of Ki-67-expressing cells, but different patterns of morphological and functional changes. Age-dependent decrease in percentage of cells with membrane localization of β-catenin and stable rate of cells with nuclear β-catenin, indicative of Wnt signaling activation, were revealed in each cortical zone. Nuclear β-catenin was not observed in immature areas of zona fasciculata. No association between Wnt signaling activation and rates of proliferation as well as changes in secretion of adrenocortical hormones was observed in postnatal development of rat adrenal cortex. Hex, known as antiproliferative factor, showed up-regulation of expression after puberty. Strong inverse correlations between ratio of Hex-positive cells and proliferating cells were found in zona glomerulosa and zona fasciculata. Zona reticularis demonstrated moderate correlation. Thus, these findings suggest a role for Hex in proliferation control during postnatal development of the rat adrenal cortex and possible implication of Hex down-regulation in adrenocortical dysplasia and neoplasia, which requires further study. Evaluation of Hex expression may also be considered a potent tool in assessment of cell proliferation in rat adrenal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya V Yaglova
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, Federal State Budgetary Institution Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dibakhan A Tsomartova
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, Federal State Budgetary Institution Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Histology, Cytology, and Embryology, Federal State Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey S Obernikhin
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, Federal State Budgetary Institution Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Svetlana V Nazimova
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, Federal State Budgetary Institution Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina Y Ivanova
- Department of Histology, Cytology, and Embryology, Federal State Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elizaveta V Chereshneva
- Department of Histology, Cytology, and Embryology, Federal State Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Valentin V Yaglov
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, Federal State Budgetary Institution Research Institute of Human Morphology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana A Lomanovskaya
- Department of Histology, Cytology, and Embryology, Federal State Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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14
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Zhang K, Zhao Q, Li Z, Fu F, Zhang H, Fu J, Zheng M, Zhang S. Clinicopathological Significances of Cancer Stem Cell-Associated HHEX Expression in Breast Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:605744. [PMID: 33425911 PMCID: PMC7785851 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.605744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant expression of the transcription factor hematopoietic ally expressed homeobox/proline-rich homeodomain (HHEX/PRH) is implicated in numerous cancers. However, the association of HHEX with breast cancer (BC) remains unclear. In this study, HHEX mRNA and protein expression were analyzed using the Oncomine, UALCAN, GEPIA, TCGAportal, and HPA databases. We evaluated the effect of HHEX on clinicopathological parameters using Kaplan–Meier plotter, OncoLnc, TCGAportal, PROGgeneV2, and BC-GenExMiner. Western blotting was performed to compare the level of HHEX in breast samples of Tientsin Albino 2 mice, human breast precancerous lesions, benign breast tumors, and BC. The correlation between HHEX and cancer stem cells was investigated using the GEO (GSE52327 and GSE94865) and GEPIA datasets. Networks between HHEX and survival-related gene marker sets and microRNAs were analyzed using GEPIA, StarBase, and Cytoscape. Results of this study showed that HHEX expression in BC was significantly lower than those in breast precancerous lesions and benign breast tumors at both mRNA and protein levels. BC patients with lower HHEX expression had significantly worse overall survival and disease-free survival. Moreover, HHEX significantly affected the clinicopathology of BC. Specifically, low HHEX expression was correlated with the following groups of patients: age ≤51 years, ER-negative or PR-negative patients, HER-2 positive, triple-negative breast cancer, and basal-like BC. Immunohistochemical analysis of the breast samples showed significant differences of HHEX staining index (P < 0.001) among the three groups. To further investigate the mechanism, we determined the intersection of differentially expressed genes related to BC stem cells and those genes after HHEX expression was altered. This led to the identification of four potentially regulated genes-CXL12, BLNK, PAG1, and LPXN. Using StarBase and km-plotter, the negative regulation of HHEX expression and survival trends, including miR-130b, miR-30e, and miR-301b were joined into miRNA-HHEX-mRNA potential regulatory network. The abilities of proliferation, migration and invasion increased in MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 breast cancer cell lines after HHEX down expression and decreased after HHEX overexpression compared them in the control cells. In conclusion, these data suggest that HHEX expression is downregulated in BC and HHEX may regulate the development of BC through the stem cell-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Zhang
- Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zugui Li
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China.,Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Fangmei Fu
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China.,Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China.,Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Junjie Fu
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Minying Zheng
- Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiwu Zhang
- Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
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15
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Liu J, Nie S, Li S, Meng H, Sun R, Yang J, Cheng W. Methylation-driven genes and their prognostic value in cervical squamous cell carcinoma. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:868. [PMID: 32793712 DOI: 10.21037/atm-19-4577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Abnormal gene methylation is crucial for tumor progression. This study explored a cluster of methylation-driven genes involved in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC). Methods The data on RNA expression, methylation and clinical outcomes of CESC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG analyses were performed to identify the biological functions of methylation-driven genes, and univariable and multivariate Cox analyses to screen out the key prognostic genes. A risk signature was established and its predictive value was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier and ROC curves. The key genes were further investigated by Cox regression analyses, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and methylation site analysis. Additionally, "rms" package was used for establishing nomogram and calibrate curve. Results We found 144 differentially expressed methylation-driven genes. A risk model was constructed with three key prognostic genes (ITGA5, HHEX and S1PR4). The risk score was an independent risk factor for CESC prognosis. Lowly-expressed and hypermethylated ITGA5, highly-expressed and hypomethylated HHEX and S1PR4 were associated with better CESC prognosis. The methylation sites and biological functions enriched in ITGA5, HHEX and S1PR4 were uncovered. Additionally, the nomogram also validated the performance of risk model. Conclusions Methylation-driven ITGA5, HHEX and S1PR4 are associated with CESC development. The three genes might serve as potential targets in the treatment of CESC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhui Liu
- Department of Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sipei Nie
- Department of Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Siyue Li
- Department of Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huangyang Meng
- Department of Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenjun Cheng
- Department of Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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16
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Blood platelets stimulate cancer extravasation through TGFβ-mediated downregulation of PRH/HHEX. Oncogenesis 2020; 9:10. [PMID: 32019914 PMCID: PMC7000753 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-020-0189-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells go through a process known as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) during which they acquire the ability to migrate and invade extracellular matrix. Some cells also acquire the ability to move across a layer of endothelial cells to enter and exit the bloodstream; intra- and extravasation, respectively. The transcription factor PRH/HHEX (proline-rich homeodomain/haematopoietically expressed homeobox) controls cell proliferation and cell migration/invasion in a range of cell types. Our previous work showed that PRH activity is downregulated in prostate cancer cells owing to increased inhibitory PRH phosphorylation and that this increases cell proliferation and invasion. PRH inhibits migration and invasion by prostate and breast epithelial cells in part by activating the transcription of Endoglin, a transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) co-receptor. Here we show that depletion of PRH in immortalised prostate epithelial cells results in increased extravasation in vitro. We show that blood platelets stimulate extravasation of cells with depleted PRH and that inhibition of TGFβ signalling blocks the effects of platelets on these cells. Moreover, TGFβ induces changes characteristic of EMT including decreased E-Cadherin expression and increased Snail expression. We show that in prostate cells PRH regulates multiple genes involved in EMT and TGFβ signalling. However, both platelets and TGFβ increase PRH phosphorylation. In addition, TGFβ increases binding of its effector pSMAD3 to the PRH/HHEX promoter and downregulates PRH protein and mRNA levels. Thus, TGFβ signalling downregulates PRH activity by multiple mechanisms and induces an EMT that facilitates extravasation and sensitises cells to TGFβ.
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17
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Kitchen P, Lee KY, Clark D, Lau N, Lertsuwan J, Sawasdichai A, Satayavivad J, Oltean S, Afford S, Gaston K, Jayaraman PS. A Runaway PRH/HHEX-Notch3-Positive Feedback Loop Drives Cholangiocarcinoma and Determines Response to CDK4/6 Inhibition. Cancer Res 2019; 80:757-770. [PMID: 31843982 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-0942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant Notch and Wnt signaling are known drivers of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), but the underlying factors that initiate and maintain these pathways are not known. Here, we show that the proline-rich homeodomain protein/hematopoietically expressed homeobox (PRH/HHEX) transcription factor forms a positive transcriptional feedback loop with Notch3 that is critical in CCA. PRH/HHEX expression is elevated in CCA, and depletion of PRH reduces CCA tumor growth in a xenograft model. Overexpression of PRH in primary human biliary epithelial cells is sufficient to increase cell proliferation and produce an invasive phenotype. Interrogation of the gene networks regulated by PRH and Notch3 reveals that unlike Notch3, PRH directly activates canonical Wnt signaling. These data indicate that hyperactivation of Notch and Wnt signaling is independent of the underlying mutational landscape and has a common origin in dysregulation of PRH. Moreover, they suggest new therapeutic options based on the dependence of specific Wnt, Notch, and CDK4/6 inhibitors on PRH activity. SIGNIFICANCE: The PRH/HHEX transcription factor is an oncogenic driver in cholangiocarcinoma that confers sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Kitchen
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ka Ying Lee
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Danielle Clark
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Nikki Lau
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jomnarong Lertsuwan
- Laboratory of Chemical Carcinogenesis, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Anyaporn Sawasdichai
- Laboratory of Chemical Carcinogenesis, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Sebastian Oltean
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Afford
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Gaston
- Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
| | - Padma-Sheela Jayaraman
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
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18
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Pradhan D, Jour G, Milton D, Vasudevaraja V, Tetzlaff MT, Nagarajan P, Curry JL, Ivan D, Long L, Ding Y, Ezhilarasan R, Sulman EP, Diab A, Hwu WJ, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA, Aung PP. Aberrant DNA Methylation Predicts Melanoma-Specific Survival in Patients with Acral Melanoma. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11122031. [PMID: 31888295 PMCID: PMC6966546 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11122031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acral melanoma (AM) is a rare, aggressive type of cutaneous melanoma (CM) with a distinct genetic profile. We aimed to identify a methylome signature distinguishing primary acral lentiginous melanoma (PALM) from primary non-lentiginous AM (NALM), metastatic ALM (MALM), primary non-acral CM (PCM), and acral nevus (AN). A total of 22 PALM, nine NALM, 10 MALM, nine PCM, and three AN were subjected to genome-wide methylation analysis using the Illumina Infinium Methylation EPIC array interrogating 866,562 CpG sites. A prominent finding was that the methylation profiles of PALM and NALM were distinct. Four of the genes most differentially methylated between PALM and NALM or MALM were HHEX, DIPK2A, NELFB, and TEF. However, when primary AMs (PALM + NALM) were compared with MALM, IFITM1 and SIK3 were the most differentially methylated, highlighting their pivotal role in the metastatic potential of AMs. Patients with NALM had significantly worse disease-specific survival (DSS) than patients with PALM. Aberrant methylation was significantly associated with aggressive clinicopathologic parameters and worse DSS. Our study emphasizes the importance of distinguishing the two epigenetically distinct subtypes of AM. We also identified novel epigenetic prognostic biomarkers that may serve to risk-stratify patients with AM and may be leveraged for the development of targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Pradhan
- Department of Pathology, Section of Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (D.P.); (M.T.T.); (P.N.); (J.L.C.); (D.I.); (V.G.P.)
| | - George Jour
- Department of Pathology and Dermatology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; (G.J.); (V.V.)
| | - Denái Milton
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Varshini Vasudevaraja
- Department of Pathology and Dermatology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; (G.J.); (V.V.)
| | - Michael T. Tetzlaff
- Department of Pathology, Section of Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (D.P.); (M.T.T.); (P.N.); (J.L.C.); (D.I.); (V.G.P.)
- Department of Translational and Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Priyadharsini Nagarajan
- Department of Pathology, Section of Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (D.P.); (M.T.T.); (P.N.); (J.L.C.); (D.I.); (V.G.P.)
| | - Jonathan L. Curry
- Department of Pathology, Section of Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (D.P.); (M.T.T.); (P.N.); (J.L.C.); (D.I.); (V.G.P.)
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Doina Ivan
- Department of Pathology, Section of Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (D.P.); (M.T.T.); (P.N.); (J.L.C.); (D.I.); (V.G.P.)
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lihong Long
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Yingwen Ding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; (Y.D.); (R.E.); (E.P.S.)
| | - Ravesanker Ezhilarasan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; (Y.D.); (R.E.); (E.P.S.)
| | - Erik P. Sulman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; (Y.D.); (R.E.); (E.P.S.)
| | - Adi Diab
- Department of Melanoma Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.D.); (W.-J.H.)
| | - Wen-Jen Hwu
- Department of Melanoma Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.D.); (W.-J.H.)
| | - Victor G. Prieto
- Department of Pathology, Section of Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (D.P.); (M.T.T.); (P.N.); (J.L.C.); (D.I.); (V.G.P.)
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Carlos Antonio Torres-Cabala
- Department of Pathology, Section of Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (D.P.); (M.T.T.); (P.N.); (J.L.C.); (D.I.); (V.G.P.)
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence: (C.A.T.-C.); (P.P.A.); Tel.: +713-752-2351 (C.A.T.-C.); +713-794-4951 (P.P.A.)
| | - Phyu P. Aung
- Department of Pathology, Section of Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (D.P.); (M.T.T.); (P.N.); (J.L.C.); (D.I.); (V.G.P.)
- Correspondence: (C.A.T.-C.); (P.P.A.); Tel.: +713-752-2351 (C.A.T.-C.); +713-794-4951 (P.P.A.)
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19
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Hhex induces promyelocyte self-renewal and cooperates with growth factor independence to cause myeloid leukemia in mice. Blood Adv 2019; 2:347-360. [PMID: 29453249 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2017013243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The hematopoietically expressed homeobox (Hhex) transcription factor is overexpressed in human myeloid leukemias. Conditional knockout models of murine acute myeloid leukemia indicate that Hhex maintains leukemia stem cell self-renewal by enabling Polycomb-mediated epigenetic repression of the Cdkn2a tumor suppressor locus, encoding p16Ink4a and p19Arf However, whether Hhex overexpression also affects hematopoietic differentiation is unknown. To study this, we retrovirally overexpressed Hhex in hematopoietic progenitors. This enabled serial replating of myeloid progenitors, leading to the rapid establishment of interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent promyelocytic cell lines. Use of a Hhex-ERT2 fusion protein demonstrated that continuous nuclear Hhex is required for transformation, and structure function analysis demonstrated a requirement of the DNA-binding and N-terminal-repressive domains of Hhex for promyelocytic transformation. This included the N-terminal promyelocytic leukemia protein (Pml) interaction domain, although deletion of Pml failed to prevent Hhex-induced promyelocyte transformation, implying other critical partners. Furthermore, deletion of p16Ink4a or p19Arf did not promote promyelocyte transformation, indicating that repression of distinct Hhex target genes is required for this process. Indeed, transcriptome analysis showed that Hhex overexpression resulted in repression of several myeloid developmental genes. To test the potential for Hhex overexpression to contribute to leukemic transformation, Hhex-transformed promyelocyte lines were rendered growth factor-independent using a constitutively active IL-3 receptor common β subunit (βcV449E). The resultant cell lines resulted in a rapid promyelocytic leukemia in vivo. Thus, Hhex overexpression can contribute to myeloid leukemia via multiple mechanisms including differentiation blockade and enabling epigenetic repression of the Cdkn2a locus.
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Expression of Transcription Factor PRH/Hhex in Adrenal Chromaffin Cells in the Postnatal Development and Its Role in the Regulation of Proliferative Processes. Bull Exp Biol Med 2018; 165:508-511. [PMID: 30121926 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-018-4205-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factor PRH/Hhex suppresses cell proliferation and contributes to regulation of prenatal and postnatal ontogeny. Neurons of the peripheral nervous system and chromaffin cells were previously considered as non-expressing PRH/Hhex in postnatal development. In our study, the expression of PRH/Hhex in chromaffin cells of rat adrenal glands and association between the decrease of proliferation and activation of PRH/Hhex expression were demonstrated.
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HHEX is a transcriptional regulator of the VEGFC/FLT4/PROX1 signaling axis during vascular development. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2704. [PMID: 30006544 PMCID: PMC6045644 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05039-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of the lymphatic system requires the coordinated expression of several key regulators: vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC), its receptor FLT4, and a key transcriptional effector, PROX1. Yet, how expression of these signaling components is regulated remains poorly understood. Here, using a combination of genetic and molecular approaches, we identify the transcription factor hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX) as an upstream regulator of VEGFC, FLT4, and PROX1 during angiogenic sprouting and lymphatic formation in vertebrates. By analyzing zebrafish mutants, we found that hhex is necessary for sprouting angiogenesis from the posterior cardinal vein, a process required for lymphangiogenesis. Furthermore, studies of mammalian HHEX using tissue-specific genetic deletions in mouse and knockdowns in cultured human endothelial cells reveal its highly conserved function during vascular and lymphatic development. Our findings that HHEX is essential for the regulation of the VEGFC/FLT4/PROX1 axis provide insights into the molecular regulation of lymphangiogenesis. VEGFC, its receptor FLT4, and transcriptional effector PROX1 control formation of the lymphatic system but how is unclear. Here, the authors show that the transcription factor hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX) regulates VEGFC, FLT4 and PROX1 in fish and mammals during angiogenic sprouting and lymphatic formation.
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Wadey KS, Brown BA, Sala-Newby GB, Jayaraman PS, Gaston K, George SJ. Protein kinase CK2 inhibition suppresses neointima formation via a proline-rich homeodomain-dependent mechanism. Vascul Pharmacol 2017; 99:34-44. [PMID: 28927755 PMCID: PMC5718878 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Neointimal hyperplasia is a product of VSMC replication and consequent accumulation within the blood vessel wall. In this study, we determined whether inhibition of protein kinase CK2 and the resultant stabilisation of proline-rich homeodomain (PRH) could suppress VSMC proliferation. Both silencing and pharmacological inhibition of CK2 with K66 antagonised replication of isolated VSMCs. SiRNA-induced knockdown as well as ectopic overexpression of proline-rich homeodomain indicated that PRH disrupts cell cycle progression. Mutation of CK2 phosphorylation sites Ser163 and Ser177 within the PRH homeodomain enabled prolonged cell cycle arrest by PRH. Concomitant knockdown of PRH and inhibition of CK2 with K66 indicated that the anti-proliferative action of K66 required the presence of PRH. Both K66 and adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of S163C:S177C PRH impaired neointima formation in human saphenous vein organ cultures. Importantly, neither intervention had notable effects on cell cycle progression, cell survival or migration in cultured endothelial cells.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Casein Kinase II/antagonists & inhibitors
- Casein Kinase II/genetics
- Casein Kinase II/metabolism
- Cell Cycle Checkpoints/drug effects
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Cells, Cultured
- Homeodomain Proteins/genetics
- Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism
- Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/drug effects
- Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/enzymology
- Humans
- Hyperplasia
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/drug effects
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/enzymology
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/pathology
- Mutation
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/drug effects
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/enzymology
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/pathology
- Neointima
- Phosphorylation
- Proline-Rich Protein Domains
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- RNA Interference
- Rats
- Saphenous Vein/drug effects
- Saphenous Vein/enzymology
- Saphenous Vein/pathology
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Tissue Culture Techniques
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Transfection
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Affiliation(s)
- K S Wadey
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Research Floor Level 7, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol BS2 8HW, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - B A Brown
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Research Floor Level 7, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol BS2 8HW, UK
| | - G B Sala-Newby
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Research Floor Level 7, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol BS2 8HW, UK
| | - P-S Jayaraman
- Division of Immunity and Infection, College of Medicine, University Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - K Gaston
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - S J George
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Research Floor Level 7, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol BS2 8HW, UK.
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Proline-Rich Homeodomain protein (PRH/HHEX) is a suppressor of breast tumour growth. Oncogenesis 2017; 6:e346. [PMID: 28604763 PMCID: PMC5519192 DOI: 10.1038/oncsis.2017.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast tumours progress from hyperplasia to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast carcinoma (IBC). PRH/HHEX (proline-rich homeodomain/haematopoietically expressed homeobox) is a transcription factor that displays both tumour suppressor and oncogenic activity in different disease contexts; however, the role of PRH in breast cancer is poorly understood. Here we show that nuclear localization of the PRH protein is decreased in DCIS and IBC compared with normal breast. Our previous work has shown that PRH phosphorylation by protein kinase CK2 prevents PRH from binding to DNA and regulating the transcription of multiple genes encoding growth factors and growth factor receptors. Here we show that transcriptionally inactive phosphorylated PRH is elevated in DCIS and IBC compared with normal breast. To determine the consequences of PRH loss of function in breast cancer cells, we generated inducible PRH depletion in MCF-7 cells. We show that PRH depletion results in increased MCF-7 cell proliferation in part at least due to increased vascular endothelial growth factor signalling. Moreover, we demonstrate that PRH depletion increases the formation of breast cancer cells with cancer stem cell-like properties. Finally, and in keeping with these findings, we show that PRH overexpression inhibits the growth of mammary tumours in mice. Collectively, these data indicate that PRH plays a tumour suppressive role in the breast and they provide an explanation for the finding that low PRH mRNA levels are associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer.
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