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Graham MK, Xu B, Davis C, Meeker AK, Heaphy CM, Yegnasubramanian S, Dyer MA, Zeineldin M. The TERT Promoter is Polycomb-Repressed in Neuroblastoma Cells with Long Telomeres. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:1533-1547. [PMID: 38837897 PMCID: PMC11188873 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Acquiring a telomere maintenance mechanism is a hallmark of high-risk neuroblastoma and commonly occurs by expressing telomerase (TERT). Telomerase-negative neuroblastoma has long telomeres and utilizes the telomerase-independent alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism. Conversely, no discernable telomere maintenance mechanism is detected in a fraction of neuroblastoma with long telomeres. Here, we show, unlike most cancers, DNA of the TERT promoter is broadly hypomethylated in neuroblastoma. In telomerase-positive neuroblastoma cells, the hypomethylated DNA promoter is approximately 1.5 kb. The TERT locus shows active chromatin marks with low enrichment for the repressive mark, H3K27me3. MYCN, a commonly amplified oncogene in neuroblstoma, binds to the promoter and induces TERT expression. Strikingly, in neuroblastoma with long telomeres, the hypomethylated region spans the entire TERT locus, including multiple nearby genes with enrichment for the repressive H3K27me3 chromatin mark. Furthermore, subtelomeric regions showed enrichment of repressive chromatin marks in neuroblastomas with long telomeres relative to those with short telomeres. These repressive marks were even more evident at the genic loci, suggesting a telomere position effect (TPE). Inhibiting H3K27 methylation by three different EZH2 inhibitors induced the expression of TERT in cell lines with long telomeres and H3K27me3 marks in the promoter region. EZH2 inhibition facilitated MYCN binding to the TERT promoter in neuroblastoma cells with long telomeres. Taken together, these data suggest that epigenetic regulation of TERT expression differs in neuroblastoma depending on the telomere maintenance status, and H3K27 methylation is important in repressing TERT expression in neuroblastoma with long telomeres. SIGNIFICANCE The epigenetic landscape of the TERT locus is unique in neuroblastoma. The DNA at the TERT locus, unlike other cancer cells and similar to normal cells, are hypomethylated in telomerase-positive neuroblastoma cells. The TERT locus is repressed by polycomb repressive complex-2 complex in neuroblastoma cells that have long telomeres and do not express TERT. Long telomeres in neuroblastoma cells are also associated with repressive chromatin states at the chromosomal termini, suggesting TPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mindy K. Graham
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Urology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Beisi Xu
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Christine Davis
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Alan K. Meeker
- Department of Urology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Christopher M. Heaphy
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael A. Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Maged Zeineldin
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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2
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Waitkus MS, Erman EN, Reitman ZJ, Ashley DM. Mechanisms of telomere maintenance and associated therapeutic vulnerabilities in malignant gliomas. Neuro Oncol 2024; 26:1012-1024. [PMID: 38285162 PMCID: PMC11145458 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noae016] [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: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
A majority of cancers (~85%) activate the enzyme telomerase to maintain telomere length over multiple rounds of cellular division. Telomerase-negative cancers activate a distinct, telomerase-independent mechanism of telomere maintenance termed alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). ALT uses homologous recombination to maintain telomere length and exhibits features of break-induced DNA replication. In malignant gliomas, the activation of either telomerase or ALT is nearly ubiquitous in pediatric and adult tumors, and the frequency with which these distinct telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMMs) is activated varies according to genetically defined glioma subtypes. In this review, we summarize the current state of the field of TMMs and their relevance to glioma biology and therapy. We review the genetic alterations and molecular mechanisms leading to telomerase activation or ALT induction in pediatric and adult gliomas. With this background, we review emerging evidence on strategies for targeting TMMs for glioma therapy. Finally, we comment on critical gaps and issues for moving the field forward to translate our improved understanding of glioma telomere maintenance into better therapeutic strategies for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Waitkus
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Elise N Erman
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zachary J Reitman
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - David M Ashley
- The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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3
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Jiang H, Zhang T, Kaur H, Shi T, Krishnan A, Kwon Y, Sung P, Greenberg RA. BLM helicase unwinds lagging strand substrates to assemble the ALT telomere damage response. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1684-1698.e9. [PMID: 38593805 PMCID: PMC11069441 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.03.011] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
The Bloom syndrome (BLM) helicase is critical for alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), a homology-directed repair (HDR)-mediated telomere maintenance mechanism that is prevalent in cancers of mesenchymal origin. The DNA substrates that BLM engages to direct telomere recombination during ALT remain unknown. Here, we determine that BLM helicase acts on lagging strand telomere intermediates that occur specifically in ALT-positive cells to assemble a replication-associated DNA damage response. Loss of ATRX was permissive for BLM localization to ALT telomeres in S and G2, commensurate with the appearance of telomere C-strand-specific single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). DNA2 nuclease deficiency increased 5'-flap formation in a BLM-dependent manner, while telomere C-strand, but not G-strand, nicks promoted ALT. These findings define the seminal events in the ALT DNA damage response, linking aberrant telomeric lagging strand DNA replication with a BLM-directed HDR mechanism that sustains telomere length in a subset of human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyang Jiang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Penn Center for Genome Integrity, Basser Center for BRCA, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, USA
| | - Tianpeng Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Penn Center for Genome Integrity, Basser Center for BRCA, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, USA
| | - Hardeep Kaur
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology and Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Tao Shi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Penn Center for Genome Integrity, Basser Center for BRCA, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, USA
| | - Aravind Krishnan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Penn Center for Genome Integrity, Basser Center for BRCA, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, USA
| | - Youngho Kwon
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology and Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Patrick Sung
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology and Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Roger A Greenberg
- Department of Cancer Biology, Penn Center for Genome Integrity, Basser Center for BRCA, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, USA.
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4
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Ngoi NYL, Pilié PG, McGrail DJ, Zimmermann M, Schlacher K, Yap TA. Targeting ATR in patients with cancer. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2024; 21:278-293. [PMID: 38378898 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00863-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Pharmacological inhibition of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein serine/threonine kinase (ATR; also known as FRAP-related protein (FRP1)) has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer treatment that exploits synthetic lethal interactions with proteins involved in DNA damage repair, overcomes resistance to other therapies and enhances antitumour immunity. Multiple novel, potent ATR inhibitors are being tested in clinical trials using biomarker-directed approaches and involving patients across a broad range of solid cancer types; some of these inhibitors have now entered phase III trials. Further insight into the complex interactions of ATR with other DNA replication stress response pathway components and with the immune system is necessary in order to optimally harness the potential of ATR inhibitors in the clinic and achieve hypomorphic targeting of the various ATR functions. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of the diverse range of predictive biomarkers of response to ATR inhibitors and of the intraclass differences between these agents could help to refine trial design and patient selection strategies. Key challenges that remain in the clinical development of ATR inhibitors include the optimization of their therapeutic index and the development of rational combinations with these agents. In this Review, we detail the molecular mechanisms regulated by ATR and their clinical relevance, and discuss the challenges that must be addressed to extend the benefit of ATR inhibitors to a broad population of patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Y L Ngoi
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (Phase I Clinical Trials Program), Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Patrick G Pilié
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Daniel J McGrail
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Katharina Schlacher
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Timothy A Yap
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (Phase I Clinical Trials Program), Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Therapeutics Discovery Division, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Khalifa Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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5
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Li M, Wang Z, Tao J, Jiang H, Yang H, Guo D, Zhao H, He X, Luo S, Jiang X, Yuan L, Xiao L, He H, Yu R, Fang J, Liang T, Mao Z, Xu D, Lu Z. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 dephosphorylates and inhibits TERT for tumor suppression. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01597-2. [PMID: 38538923 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01597-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/24/2024]
Abstract
Telomere dysfunction is intricately linked to the aging process and stands out as a prominent cancer hallmark. Here we demonstrate that telomerase activity is differentially regulated in cancer and normal cells depending on the expression status of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1). In FBP1-expressing cells, FBP1 directly interacts with and dephosphorylates telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) at Ser227. Dephosphorylated TERT fails to translocate into the nucleus, leading to the inhibition of telomerase activity, reduction in telomere lengths, enhanced senescence and suppressed tumor cell proliferation and growth in mice. Lipid nanoparticle-mediated delivery of FBP1 mRNA inhibits liver tumor growth. Additionally, FBP1 expression levels inversely correlate with TERT pSer227 levels in renal and hepatocellular carcinoma specimens and with poor prognosis of the patients. These findings demonstrate that FBP1 governs cell immortality through its protein phosphatase activity and uncover a unique telomerase regulation in tumor cells attributed to the downregulation or deficiency of FBP1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Tao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongfei Jiang
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and Qingdao Cancer Institute, Qingdao, China
| | - Huang Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dong Guo
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hong Zhao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuxiao He
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shudi Luo
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoming Jiang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Yuan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liwei Xiao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haiyan He
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rilei Yu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Jing Fang
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and Qingdao Cancer Institute, Qingdao, China
| | - Tingbo Liang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhengwei Mao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Daqian Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Zhimin Lu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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6
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Pinto LM, Pailas A, Bondarchenko M, Sharma AB, Neumann K, Rizzo AJ, Jeanty C, Nicot N, Racca C, Graham MK, Naughton C, Liu Y, Chen CL, Meakin PJ, Gilbert N, Britton S, Meeker AK, Heaphy CM, Larminat F, Van Dyck E. DAXX promotes centromeric stability independently of ATRX by preventing the accumulation of R-loop-induced DNA double-stranded breaks. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:1136-1155. [PMID: 38038252 PMCID: PMC10853780 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Maintaining chromatin integrity at the repetitive non-coding DNA sequences underlying centromeres is crucial to prevent replicative stress, DNA breaks and genomic instability. The concerted action of transcriptional repressors, chromatin remodelling complexes and epigenetic factors controls transcription and chromatin structure in these regions. The histone chaperone complex ATRX/DAXX is involved in the establishment and maintenance of centromeric chromatin through the deposition of the histone variant H3.3. ATRX and DAXX have also evolved mutually-independent functions in transcription and chromatin dynamics. Here, using paediatric glioma and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cell lines, we identify a novel ATRX-independent function for DAXX in promoting genome stability by preventing transcription-associated R-loop accumulation and DNA double-strand break formation at centromeres. This function of DAXX required its interaction with histone H3.3 but was independent of H3.3 deposition and did not reflect a role in the repression of centromeric transcription. DAXX depletion mobilized BRCA1 at centromeres, in line with BRCA1 role in counteracting centromeric R-loop accumulation. Our results provide novel insights into the mechanisms protecting the human genome from chromosomal instability, as well as potential perspectives in the treatment of cancers with DAXX alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia M Pinto
- DNA Repair and Chemoresistance Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- Discovery & Translational Science Department, Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alexandros Pailas
- DNA Repair and Chemoresistance Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Max Bondarchenko
- DNA Repair and Chemoresistance Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Abhishek Bharadwaj Sharma
- DNA Repair and Chemoresistance Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Katrin Neumann
- DNA Repair and Chemoresistance Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Anthony J Rizzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Céline Jeanty
- DNA Repair and Chemoresistance Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Nathalie Nicot
- Translational Medicine Operations Hub, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Carine Racca
- Institut de Pharmacologie et Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), 31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - Mindy K Graham
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Catherine Naughton
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 1QY, UK
| | - Yaqun Liu
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3244, Dynamics of Genetic Information, Sorbonne Université, 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Chun-Long Chen
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3244, Dynamics of Genetic Information, Sorbonne Université, 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Paul J Meakin
- Discovery & Translational Science Department, Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Nick Gilbert
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 1QY, UK
| | - Sébastien Britton
- Institut de Pharmacologie et Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), 31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - Alan K Meeker
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Christopher M Heaphy
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Florence Larminat
- Institut de Pharmacologie et Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), 31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - Eric Van Dyck
- DNA Repair and Chemoresistance Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
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7
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Djos A, Thombare K, Vaid R, Gaarder J, Umapathy G, Reinsbach SE, Georgantzi K, Stenman J, Carén H, Ek T, Mondal T, Kogner P, Martinsson T, Fransson S. Telomere Maintenance Mechanisms in a Cohort of High-Risk Neuroblastoma Tumors and Its Relation to Genomic Variants in the TERT and ATRX Genes. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5732. [PMID: 38136279 PMCID: PMC10741428 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15245732] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells are hallmarked by their capacity to undergo unlimited cell divisions, commonly accomplished either by mechanisms that activate TERT or through the alternative lengthening of telomeres pathway. Neuroblastoma is a heterogeneous pediatric cancer, and the aim of this study was to characterize telomere maintenance mechanisms in a high-risk neuroblastoma cohort. All tumor samples were profiled with SNP microarrays and, when material was available, subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS). Telomere length was estimated from WGS data, samples were assayed for the ALT biomarker c-circles, and selected samples were subjected to methylation array analysis. Samples with ATRX aberration in this study were positive for c-circles, whereas samples with either MYCN amplification or TERT re-arrangement were negative for c-circles. Both ATRX aberrations and TERT re-arrangement were enriched in 11q-deleted samples. An association between older age at diagnosis and 1q-deletion was found in the ALT-positive group. TERT was frequently placed in juxtaposition to a previously established gene in neuroblastoma tumorigenesis or cancer in general. Given the importance of high-risk neuroblastoma, means for mitigating active telomere maintenance must be therapeutically explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Djos
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.D.); (K.T.); (R.V.); (J.G.); (G.U.); (T.M.); (T.M.)
| | - Ketan Thombare
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.D.); (K.T.); (R.V.); (J.G.); (G.U.); (T.M.); (T.M.)
| | - Roshan Vaid
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.D.); (K.T.); (R.V.); (J.G.); (G.U.); (T.M.); (T.M.)
| | - Jennie Gaarder
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.D.); (K.T.); (R.V.); (J.G.); (G.U.); (T.M.); (T.M.)
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ganesh Umapathy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.D.); (K.T.); (R.V.); (J.G.); (G.U.); (T.M.); (T.M.)
| | - Susanne E. Reinsbach
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden;
| | - Kleopatra Georgantzi
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (K.G.); (J.S.); (P.K.)
| | - Jakob Stenman
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (K.G.); (J.S.); (P.K.)
| | - Helena Carén
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden;
| | - Torben Ek
- Children’s Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41650 Gothenburg, Sweden;
| | - Tanmoy Mondal
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.D.); (K.T.); (R.V.); (J.G.); (G.U.); (T.M.); (T.M.)
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Per Kogner
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (K.G.); (J.S.); (P.K.)
| | - Tommy Martinsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.D.); (K.T.); (R.V.); (J.G.); (G.U.); (T.M.); (T.M.)
| | - Susanne Fransson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.D.); (K.T.); (R.V.); (J.G.); (G.U.); (T.M.); (T.M.)
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
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8
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van Gerven MR, Schild L, van Arkel J, Koopmans B, Broeils LA, Meijs LAM, van Oosterhout R, van Noesel MM, Koster J, van Hooff SR, Molenaar JJ, van den Boogaard ML. Two opposing gene expression patterns within ATRX aberrant neuroblastoma. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289084. [PMID: 37540673 PMCID: PMC10403137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. A subgroup of high-risk patients is characterized by aberrations in the chromatin remodeller ATRX that is encoded by 35 exons. In contrast to other pediatric cancer where ATRX point mutations are most frequent, multi-exon deletions (MEDs) are the most frequent type of ATRX aberrations in neuroblastoma. 75% of these MEDs are predicted to produce in-frame fusion proteins, suggesting a potential gain-of-function effect compared to nonsense mutations. For neuroblastoma there are only a few patient-derived ATRX aberrant models. Therefore, we created isogenic ATRX aberrant models using CRISPR-Cas9 in several neuroblastoma cell lines and one tumoroid and performed total RNA-sequencing on these and the patient-derived models. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed decreased expression of genes related to both ribosome biogenesis and several metabolic processes in our isogenic ATRX exon 2-10 MED model systems, the patient-derived MED models and in tumor data containing two patients with an ATRX exon 2-10 MED. In sharp contrast, these same processes showed an increased expression in our isogenic ATRX knock-out and exon 2-13 MED models. Our validations confirmed a role of ATRX in the regulation of ribosome homeostasis. The two distinct molecular expression patterns within ATRX aberrant neuroblastomas that we identified imply that there might be a need for distinct treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R van Gerven
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Linda Schild
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jennemiek van Arkel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bianca Koopmans
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Luuk A Broeils
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Loes A M Meijs
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Romy van Oosterhout
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Max M van Noesel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Cancer and Imaging, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Koster
- Department of Oncogenomics, University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, North-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Sander R van Hooff
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan J Molenaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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9
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Rose AM, Goncalves T, Cunniffe S, Geiller HEB, Kent T, Shepherd S, Ratnaweera M, O’Sullivan R, Gibbons R, Clynes D. Induction of the alternative lengthening of telomeres pathway by trapping of proteins on DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:6509-6527. [PMID: 36940725 PMCID: PMC10359465 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere maintenance is a hallmark of malignant cells and allows cancers to divide indefinitely. In some cancers, this is achieved through the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. Whilst loss of ATRX is a near universal feature of ALT-cancers, it is insufficient in isolation. As such, other cellular events must be necessary - but the exact nature of the secondary events has remained elusive. Here, we report that trapping of proteins (such as TOP1, TOP2A and PARP1) on DNA leads to ALT induction in cells lacking ATRX. We demonstrate that protein-trapping chemotherapeutic agents, such as etoposide, camptothecin and talazoparib, induce ALT markers specifically in ATRX-null cells. Further, we show that treatment with G4-stabilising drugs cause an increase in trapped TOP2A levels which leads to ALT induction in ATRX-null cells. This process is MUS81-endonuclease and break-induced replication dependent, suggesting that protein trapping leads to replication fork stalling, with these forks being aberrantly processed in the absence of ATRX. Finally, we show ALT-positive cells harbour a higher load of genome-wide trapped proteins, such as TOP1, and knockdown of TOP1 reduced ALT activity. Taken together, these findings suggest that protein trapping is a fundamental driving force behind ALT-biology in ATRX-deficient malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Rose
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Tomas Goncalves
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Siobhan Cunniffe
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | | | - Thomas Kent
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Sam Shepherd
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | | | - Roderick J O’Sullivan
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Richard J Gibbons
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - David Clynes
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
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10
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Stundon JL, Ijaz H, Gaonkar KS, Kaufman RS, Jin R, Karras A, Vaksman Z, Kim J, Corbett RJ, Lueder MR, Miller DP, Guo Y, Santi M, Li M, Lopez G, Storm PB, Resnick AC, Waanders AJ, MacFarland SP, Stewart DR, Diskin SJ, Rokita JL, Cole KA. Alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) in pediatric high-grade gliomas can occur without ATRX mutation and is enriched in patients with pathogenic germline mismatch repair (MMR) variants. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:1331-1342. [PMID: 36541551 PMCID: PMC10326481 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac278] [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: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To achieve replicative immortality, most cancers develop a telomere maintenance mechanism, such as reactivation of telomerase or alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). There are limited data on the prevalence and clinical significance of ALT in pediatric brain tumors, and ALT-directed therapy is not available. METHODS We performed C-circle analysis (CCA) on 579 pediatric brain tumors that had corresponding tumor/normal whole genome sequencing through the Open Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas (OpenPBTA). We detected ALT in 6.9% (n = 40/579) of these tumors and completed additional validation by ultrabright telomeric foci in situ on a subset of these tumors. We used CCA to validate TelomereHunter for computational prediction of ALT status and focus subsequent analyses on pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) Finally, we examined whether ALT is associated with recurrent somatic or germline alterations. RESULTS ALT is common in pHGGs (n = 24/63, 38.1%), but occurs infrequently in other pediatric brain tumors (<3%). Somatic ATRX mutations occur in 50% of ALT+ pHGGs and in 30% of ALT- pHGGs. Rare pathogenic germline variants in mismatch repair (MMR) genes are significantly associated with an increased occurrence of ALT. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that ATRX is mutated in only a subset of ALT+ pHGGs, suggesting other mechanisms of ATRX loss of function or alterations in other genes may be associated with the development of ALT in these patients. We show that germline variants in MMR are associated with the development of ALT in patients with pHGG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Stundon
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Heba Ijaz
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Krutika S Gaonkar
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Rebecca S Kaufman
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Run Jin
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Anastasios Karras
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Zalman Vaksman
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Jung Kim
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland,USA
| | - Ryan J Corbett
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Matthew R Lueder
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Daniel P Miller
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Yiran Guo
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Mariarita Santi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Marilyn Li
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Gonzalo Lopez
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Phillip B Storm
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Adam C Resnick
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Angela J Waanders
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, NeuroOncology, and Stem Cell Transplant, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Illinois,USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois,USA
| | - Suzanne P MacFarland
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Douglas R Stewart
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland,USA
| | - Sharon J Diskin
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Jo Lynne Rokita
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
| | - Kristina A Cole
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA
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11
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Umaru B, Sengupta S, Senthil Kumar S, Drissi R. Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres in Pediatric High-Grade Glioma and Therapeutic Implications. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3070. [PMID: 37370681 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123070] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs), including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), are highly aggressive tumors with dismal prognoses despite multimodal therapy including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. To achieve cellular immortality cancer cells must overcome replicative senescence and apoptosis by activating telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMMs) through the reactivation of telomerase activity or using alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT) pathways. Although the ALT phenotype is more prevalent in pHGGs compared to adult HGGs, the molecular pathway and the prognostic significance of ALT activation are not well understood in pHGGs. Here, we report the heterogeneity of TMM in pHGGs and their association with genetic alterations. Additionally, we show that sensitivity to the protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia- and RAD3-related protein (ATR) inhibitor and the ATR downstream target CHK1 is not specific to pHGG ALT-positive cells. Together, these findings underscore the need for novel therapeutic strategies to target ALT in pHGG tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banlanjo Umaru
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Satarupa Sengupta
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Shiva Senthil Kumar
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Rachid Drissi
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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12
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A non-genetic switch triggers alternative telomere lengthening and cellular immortalization in ATRX deficient cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:939. [PMID: 36805596 PMCID: PMC9941109 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36294-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) is an aberrant DNA recombination pathway which grants replicative immortality to approximately 10% of all cancers. Despite this high prevalence of ALT in cancer, the mechanism and genetics by which cells activate this pathway remain incompletely understood. A major challenge in dissecting the events that initiate ALT is the extremely low frequency of ALT induction in human cell systems. Guided by the genetic lesions that have been associated with ALT from cancer sequencing studies, we genetically engineered primary human pluripotent stem cells to deterministically induce ALT upon differentiation. Using this genetically defined system, we demonstrate that disruption of the p53 and Rb pathways in combination with ATRX loss-of-function is sufficient to induce all hallmarks of ALT and results in functional immortalization in a cell type-specific manner. We further demonstrate that ALT can be induced in the presence of telomerase, is neither dependent on telomere shortening nor crisis, but is rather driven by continuous telomere instability triggered by the induction of differentiation in ATRX-deficient stem cells.
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13
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Alzoubi H, Minasi S, Gianno F, Antonelli M, Belardinilli F, Giangaspero F, Jaffrain-Rea ML, Buttarelli FR. Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) and Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Promoter Methylation in Recurrent Adult and Primary Pediatric Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors. Endocr Pathol 2022; 33:494-505. [PMID: 34993885 DOI: 10.1007/s12022-021-09702-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neoplastic cells acquire the ability to proliferate endlessly by maintaining telomeres via telomerase, or alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). The role of telomere maintenance in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) has yet to be thoroughly investigated. We analyzed surgical samples of 24 adult recurrent PitNETs (including onset and relapses for 14 of them) and 12 pediatric primary PitNETs. The presence of ALT was assessed using telomere-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization, methylation of telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERTp) by methylation-specific PCR, and ATRX expression by immunohistochemistry. Among the adult recurrent PitNETs, we identified 3/24 (12.5%) ALT-positive cases. ALT was present from the onset and maintained in subsequent relapses, suggesting that this mechanism occurs early in tumorigenesis and is stable during progression. ATRX loss was only seen in one ALT-positive case. Noteworthy, ALT was observed in 3 out of 5 aggressive PitNETs, including two aggressive corticotroph tumors, eventually leading to patient's death. ALT-negative tumors (87.5%) were classified according to their low (29.2%), medium (50%), and high (8.3%) telomere fluorescence intensity, with no significant differences emerging in their molecular, clinical, or pathological characteristics. TERTp methylation was found in 6/24 cases (25%), with a total concordance in methylation status between onset and recurrences, suggesting that this mechanism remains stable throughout disease progression. TERTp methylation did not influence telomere length. In the pediatric cohort of PitNETs, TERTp methylation was also observed in 4/12 cases (33.3%), but no case of ALT activation was observed. In conclusion, ALT is triggered at onset and maintained during tumor progression in a subset of adult PitNETs, suggesting that it could be used for clinical purposes, as a potential predictor of aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiba Alzoubi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Simone Minasi
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gianno
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Manila Antonelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Felice Giangaspero
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Marie-Lise Jaffrain-Rea
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Francesca Romana Buttarelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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14
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Geiller HEB, Harvey A, Jones RE, Grimstead JW, Cleal K, Hendrickson EA, Baird DM. ATRX modulates the escape from a telomere crisis. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010485. [PMID: 36350851 PMCID: PMC9678338 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase activity is the principal telomere maintenance mechanism in human cancers, however 15% of cancers utilise a recombination-based mechanism referred to as alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) that leads to long and heterogenous telomere length distributions. Loss-of-function mutations in the Alpha Thalassemia/Mental Retardation Syndrome X-Linked (ATRX) gene are frequently found in ALT cancers. Here, we demonstrate that the loss of ATRX, coupled with telomere dysfunction during crisis, is sufficient to initiate activation of the ALT pathway and that it confers replicative immortality in human fibroblasts. Additionally, loss of ATRX combined with a telomere-driven crisis in HCT116 epithelial cancer cells led to the initiation of an ALT-like pathway. In these cells, a rapid and precise telomeric elongation and the induction of C-circles was observed; however, this process was transient and the telomeres ultimately continued to erode such that the cells either died or the escape from crisis was associated with telomerase activation. In both of these instances, telomere sequencing revealed that all alleles, irrespective of whether they were elongated, were enriched in variant repeat types, that appeared to be cell-line specific. Thus, our data show that the loss of ATRX combined with telomere dysfunction during crisis induces the ALT pathway in fibroblasts and enables a transient activation of ALT in epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene E. B. Geiller
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Harvey
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Rhiannon E. Jones
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Julia W. Grimstead
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Kez Cleal
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Eric A. Hendrickson
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Duncan M. Baird
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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15
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Extrachromosomal circular DNA: biogenesis, structure, functions and diseases. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:342. [PMID: 36184613 PMCID: PMC9527254 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01176-8] [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: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA), ranging in size from tens to millions of base pairs, is independent of conventional chromosomes. Recently, eccDNAs have been considered an unanticipated major source of somatic rearrangements, contributing to genomic remodeling through chimeric circularization and reintegration of circular DNA into the linear genome. In addition, the origin of eccDNA is considered to be associated with essential chromatin-related events, including the formation of super-enhancers and DNA repair machineries. Moreover, our understanding of the properties and functions of eccDNA has continuously and greatly expanded. Emerging investigations demonstrate that eccDNAs serve as multifunctional molecules in various organisms during diversified biological processes, such as epigenetic remodeling, telomere trimming, and the regulation of canonical signaling pathways. Importantly, its special distribution potentiates eccDNA as a measurable biomarker in many diseases, especially cancers. The loss of eccDNA homeostasis facilitates tumor initiation, malignant progression, and heterogeneous evolution in many cancers. An in-depth understanding of eccDNA provides novel insights for precision cancer treatment. In this review, we summarized the discovery history of eccDNA, discussed the biogenesis, characteristics, and functions of eccDNA. Moreover, we emphasized the role of eccDNA during tumor pathogenesis and malignant evolution. Therapeutically, we summarized potential clinical applications that target aberrant eccDNA in multiple diseases.
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16
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Gulve N, Su C, Deng Z, Soldan SS, Vladimirova O, Wickramasinghe J, Zheng H, Kossenkov AV, Lieberman PM. DAXX-ATRX regulation of p53 chromatin binding and DNA damage response. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5033. [PMID: 36028493 PMCID: PMC9418176 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32680-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
DAXX and ATRX are tumor suppressor proteins that form a histone H3.3 chaperone complex and are frequently mutated in cancers with the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). Here, we show that DAXX and ATRX knock-out (KO) U87-T cells that have acquired ALT-like features have defects in p53 chromatin binding and DNA damage response. RNA-seq analysis revealed that p53 pathway is among the most perturbed. ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq revealed a genome-wide reduction in p53 DNA-binding and corresponding loss of chromatin accessibility at many p53 response elements across the genome. Both DAXX and ATRX null cells showed a depletion of histone H3.3 and accumulation of γH2AX at many p53 sites, including subtelomeres. These findings indicate that loss of DAXX or ATRX can compromise p53 chromatin binding and p53 DNA damage response in ALT-like cells, providing a link between histone composition, chromatin accessibility and tumor suppressor function of p53.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitish Gulve
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Chenhe Su
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Zhong Deng
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | | | | | | | - Hongwu Zheng
- Weill School of Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
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17
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Sun C, Estrella JS, Whitley EM, Chau GP, Lozano G, Wasylishen AR. Mouse modeling provides insights into Daxx and Atrx tumor suppressive mechanisms in the endocrine pancreas. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:276356. [PMID: 35976056 PMCID: PMC9438929 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome sequencing has revealed the importance of epigenetic regulators in tumorigenesis. The genes encoding the chromatin remodeling complex DAXX:ATRX are frequently mutated in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs); however, the underlying mechanisms of how mutations contribute to tumorigenesis are only partially understood, in part because of the lack of relevant pre-clinical models. Here we used genetically engineered mouse models combined with environmental stress to evaluate the tumor suppressor functions of Daxx and Atrx in the mouse pancreas. Daxx or Atrx loss, alone or in combination with Men1 loss, do not drive nor accelerate pancreatic neuroendocrine tumorigenesis. Moreover, Daxx loss does not cooperate with environmental stresses (ionizing radiation or pancreatitis) or with the loss of other tumor suppressors (Pten or p53) to promote pancreatic neuroendocrine tumorigenesis. However, due to promiscuity of the Cre promoter used, hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and osteosarcomas were observed in some instances. Overall, our findings suggest that Daxx and Atrx are not robust tumor suppressors in the endocrine pancreas of mice and indicate the context of a human genome is essential for tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Sun
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Genetics and Epigenetics Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jeannelyn S Estrella
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Whitley
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Gilda P Chau
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Guillermina Lozano
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Genetics and Epigenetics Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Amanda R Wasylishen
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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18
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de Nonneville A, Salas S, Bertucci F, Sobinoff AP, Adélaïde J, Guille A, Finetti P, Noble JR, Churikov D, Chaffanet M, Lavit E, Pickett HA, Bouvier C, Birnbaum D, Reddel RR, Géli V. TOP3A amplification and ATRX inactivation are mutually exclusive events in pediatric osteosarcomas using ALT. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e15859. [PMID: 35920001 PMCID: PMC9549729 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202215859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In some types of cancer, telomere length is maintained by the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism. In many ALT cancers, the α-thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) gene is mutated leading to the conclusion that the ATRX complex represses ALT. Here, we report that most high-grade pediatric osteosarcomas maintain their telomeres by ALT, and that the majority of these ALT tumors are ATRX wild-type (wt) and instead carry an amplified 17p11.2 chromosomal region containing TOP3A. We found that TOP3A was overexpressed in the ALT-positive ATRX-wt tumors consistent with its amplification. We demonstrated the functional significance of these results by showing that TOP3A overexpression in ALT cancer cells countered ATRX-mediated ALT inhibition and that TOP3A knockdown disrupted the ALT phenotype in ATRX-wt cells. Moreover, we report that TOP3A is required for proper BLM localization and promotes ALT DNA synthesis in ALT cell lines. Collectively, our results identify TOP3A as a major ALT player and potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre de Nonneville
- Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐Calmettes, Team « Telomere and Chromatin ». Equipe labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre Le CancerAix‐Marseille UnivMarseilleFrance,Cancer Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research InstituteUniversity of SydneyWestmeadNSWAustralia,Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesAix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance,Department of Medical Oncology, CRCM, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesAix‐Marseille UnivMarseilleFrance
| | - Sébastien Salas
- Department of Medical OncologyAssistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille ‐ Timone HospitalMarseilleFrance
| | - François Bertucci
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesAix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance,Department of Medical Oncology, CRCM, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesAix‐Marseille UnivMarseilleFrance
| | - Alexander P Sobinoff
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research InstituteUniversity of SydneyWestmeadNSWAustralia
| | - José Adélaïde
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesAix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Arnaud Guille
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesAix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Pascal Finetti
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesAix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Jane R Noble
- Cancer Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research InstituteUniversity of SydneyWestmeadNSWAustralia
| | - Dimitri Churikov
- Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐Calmettes, Team « Telomere and Chromatin ». Equipe labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre Le CancerAix‐Marseille UnivMarseilleFrance
| | - Max Chaffanet
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesAix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Elise Lavit
- Department of Medical OncologyAssistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille ‐ Timone HospitalMarseilleFrance
| | - Hilda A Pickett
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research InstituteUniversity of SydneyWestmeadNSWAustralia
| | - Corinne Bouvier
- Department of PathologyAssistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille ‐ Timone HospitalMarseilleFrance
| | - Daniel Birnbaum
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesAix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Roger R Reddel
- Cancer Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research InstituteUniversity of SydneyWestmeadNSWAustralia
| | - Vincent Géli
- Marseille Cancer Research Centre (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR7258, Institut Paoli‐Calmettes, Team « Telomere and Chromatin ». Equipe labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre Le CancerAix‐Marseille UnivMarseilleFrance
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Yuan M, Eberhart CG, Pratilas CA, Blakeley JO, Davis C, Stojanova M, Reilly K, Meeker AK, Heaphy CM, Rodriguez FJ. Therapeutic Vulnerability to ATR Inhibition in Concurrent NF1 and ATRX-Deficient/ALT-Positive High-Grade Solid Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14123015. [PMID: 35740680 PMCID: PMC9221513 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14123015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tumors of the brain and nerves develop frequently in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. Many are benign growths, such as pilocytic astrocytomas in the brain and neurofibromas in the nerves. However, in some patients, the tumors become malignant and may cause local damage, disseminate to distant sites and result in death. We studied changes in the levels of chromatin proteins and changes in telomeres, in cells obtained from mouse gliomas that are deficient in neurofibromin as well as excess brain and nerve tumor tissue from patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 or sporadic tumors lacking neurofibromin expression. A decrease in the levels of these proteins in experimental cell lines resulted in susceptibility to a class of specific drugs knowns as ATR inhibitors, which may represent a specific vulnerability of these tumor subgroups. We expect our data to provide the required rationale for the development of more accurate animal models to study neurofibromatosis, as well as specific molecularly based drugs for treatment as alternatives to the current, often devastating approaches of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Abstract Subsets of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)-associated solid tumors have been shown to display high frequencies of ATRX mutations and the presence of alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). We studied the phenotype of combined NF1 and ATRX deficiency in malignant solid tumors. Cell lines derived from NF1-deficient sporadic glioblastomas (U251, SF188), an NF1-associated ATRX mutant glioblastoma cell line (JHH-NF1-GBM1), an NF1-derived sarcoma cell line (JHH-CRC65), and two NF1-deficient MPNST cell lines (ST88-14, NF90.8) were utilized. Cancer cells were treated with ATR inhibitors, with or without a MEK inhibitor or temozolomide. In contrast to the glioma cell line SF188, combined ATRX knockout (KO) and TERC KO led to ALT-like properties and sensitized U251 glioma cells to ATR inhibition in vitro and in vivo. In addition, ATR inhibitors sensitized U251 cells to temozolomide, but not MEK inhibition, irrespective of ATRX level manipulation; whereas, the JHH-NF1-GBM1 cell line demonstrated sensitivity to ATR inhibition, but not temozolomide. Similar effects were noted using the MPNST cell line NF90.8 after combined ATRX knockdown and TERC KO; however, not in ST88-14. Taken together, our study supports the feasibility of targeting the ATR pathway in subsets of NF1-deficient and associated tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yuan
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Charles G. Eberhart
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Christine A. Pratilas
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jaishri O. Blakeley
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Christine Davis
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Marija Stojanova
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | | | - Alan K. Meeker
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
| | - Christopher M. Heaphy
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Correspondence: (C.M.H.); (F.J.R.)
| | - Fausto J. Rodriguez
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), 10833 Le Conte Avenue, CHS Bldg., Suite 18-170B, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Correspondence: (C.M.H.); (F.J.R.)
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20
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Pladevall-Morera D, Castejón-Griñán M, Aguilera P, Gaardahl K, Ingham A, Brosnan-Cashman JA, Meeker AK, Lopez-Contreras AJ. ATRX-Deficient High-Grade Glioma Cells Exhibit Increased Sensitivity to RTK and PDGFR Inhibitors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071790. [PMID: 35406561 PMCID: PMC8997088 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071790] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
High-grade glioma, including anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma (GBM) patients, have a poor prognosis due to the lack of effective treatments. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic strategies to treat these gliomas is urgently required. Given that high-grade gliomas frequently harbor mutations in the SNF2 family chromatin remodeler ATRX, we performed a screen to identify FDA-approved drugs that are toxic to ATRX-deficient cells. Our findings reveal that multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) inhibitors cause higher cellular toxicity in high-grade glioma ATRX-deficient cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a combinatorial treatment of RTKi with temozolomide (TMZ)-the current standard of care treatment for GBM patients-causes pronounced toxicity in ATRX-deficient high-grade glioma cells. Our findings suggest that combinatorial treatments with TMZ and RTKi may increase the therapeutic window of opportunity in patients who suffer high-grade gliomas with ATRX mutations. Thus, we recommend incorporating the ATRX status into the analyses of clinical trials with RTKi and PDGFRi.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Pladevall-Morera
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, DNRF Center for Chromosome Stability and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (D.P.-M.); (M.C.-G.); (P.A.); (K.G.); (A.I.)
| | - María Castejón-Griñán
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, DNRF Center for Chromosome Stability and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (D.P.-M.); (M.C.-G.); (P.A.); (K.G.); (A.I.)
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Paula Aguilera
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, DNRF Center for Chromosome Stability and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (D.P.-M.); (M.C.-G.); (P.A.); (K.G.); (A.I.)
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Karina Gaardahl
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, DNRF Center for Chromosome Stability and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (D.P.-M.); (M.C.-G.); (P.A.); (K.G.); (A.I.)
| | - Andreas Ingham
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, DNRF Center for Chromosome Stability and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (D.P.-M.); (M.C.-G.); (P.A.); (K.G.); (A.I.)
| | - Jacqueline A. Brosnan-Cashman
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; (J.A.B.-C.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Alan K. Meeker
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; (J.A.B.-C.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Andres J. Lopez-Contreras
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, DNRF Center for Chromosome Stability and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (D.P.-M.); (M.C.-G.); (P.A.); (K.G.); (A.I.)
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
- Correspondence:
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21
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Jalasutram A, Caniglia JL, Velpula KK, Guda MR, Bach SE, Tsung AJ. TERT expression increases with tumor grade in a cohort of IDH-mutant gliomas. Am J Transl Res 2022; 14:295-303. [PMID: 35173846 PMCID: PMC8829640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying progression from astrocytoma to secondary glioblastoma are poorly understood. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), a gene encoding for the catalytic subunit of telomerase, is upregulated in various cancers. Upregulation of TERT is a likely mechanism by which malignant cells delay senescence and evade cell death. TERT activity is also the primary mechanism by which malignant cells replenish telomeres, with the other means of telomere replacement being the alternative lengthening of the telomeres (ALT) system. The ALT system is known to be upregulated in tumors harboring loss of function mutations in ATRX. This study analyzed aggregate data on TERT and ATRX expression in astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, and secondary glioblastoma and then supplemented the data with our findings. In data obtained from Oncomine, significantly higher TERT expression is seen in astrocytomas and secondary glioblastomas compared to normal brain tissue. Additionally, The Cancer Genome Atlas data shows that TERT expression is a significant predictor of overall survival in low-grade gliomas. However, studies comparing the expression of TERT across all grades of astrocytomas had not been performed to date. Using immunohistochemical staining, we showed that controlling for ATRX and IDH mutational status, TERT expression increased with tumor grade in a cohort of patient-derived astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, and secondary glioblastoma samples. These findings indicate that TERT expression increases as astrocytomas become more aggressive tumors, and probably plays a role in their progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anvesh Jalasutram
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaIL, USA
| | - John L Caniglia
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaIL, USA
| | - Kiran K Velpula
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaIL, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaIL, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaIL, USA
| | - Maheedhara R Guda
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaIL, USA
| | - Sarah E Bach
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaIL, USA
| | - Andrew J Tsung
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaIL, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaIL, USA
- Illinois Neurological InstitutePeoria, IL, USA
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22
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Qin T, Mullan B, Ravindran R, Messinger D, Siada R, Cummings JR, Harris M, Muruganand A, Pyaram K, Miklja Z, Reiber M, Garcia T, Tran D, Danussi C, Brosnan-Cashman J, Pratt D, Zhao X, Rehemtulla A, Sartor MA, Venneti S, Meeker AK, Huse JT, Morgan MA, Lowenstein PR, Castro MG, Yadav VN, Koschmann C. ATRX loss in glioma results in dysregulation of cell-cycle phase transition and ATM inhibitor radio-sensitization. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110216. [PMID: 35021084 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ATRX, a chromatin remodeler protein, is recurrently mutated in H3F3A-mutant pediatric glioblastoma (GBM) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant grade 2/3 adult glioma. Previous work has shown that ATRX-deficient GBM cells show enhanced sensitivity to irradiation, but the etiology remains unclear. We find that ATRX binds the regulatory elements of cell-cycle phase transition genes in GBM cells, and there is a marked reduction in Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHEK1) expression with ATRX loss, leading to the early release of G2/M entry after irradiation. ATRX-deficient cells exhibit enhanced activation of master cell-cycle regulator ATM with irradiation. Addition of the ATM inhibitor AZD0156 doubles median survival in mice intracranially implanted with ATRX-deficient GBM cells, which is not seen in ATRX-wild-type controls. This study demonstrates that ATRX-deficient high-grade gliomas (HGGs) display Chk1-mediated dysregulation of cell-cycle phase transitions, which opens a window for therapies targeting this phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Qin
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Brendan Mullan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ramya Ravindran
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dana Messinger
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ruby Siada
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jessica R Cummings
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Micah Harris
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ashwath Muruganand
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kalyani Pyaram
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Zachary Miklja
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mary Reiber
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Taylor Garcia
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dustin Tran
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Carla Danussi
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Drew Pratt
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xinyi Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alnawaz Rehemtulla
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Maureen A Sartor
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sriram Venneti
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alan K Meeker
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Jason T Huse
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Meredith A Morgan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Pedro R Lowenstein
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Maria G Castro
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Viveka Nand Yadav
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Carl Koschmann
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3520D MSRB 1, 1150 W Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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23
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Telomeres and Cancer. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11121405. [PMID: 34947936 PMCID: PMC8704776 DOI: 10.3390/life11121405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres cap the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and are indispensable chromatin structures for genome protection and replication. Telomere length maintenance has been attributed to several functional modulators, including telomerase, the shelterin complex, and the CST complex, synergizing with DNA replication, repair, and the RNA metabolism pathway components. As dysfunctional telomere maintenance and telomerase activation are associated with several human diseases, including cancer, the molecular mechanisms behind telomere length regulation and protection need particular emphasis. Cancer cells exhibit telomerase activation, enabling replicative immortality. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) activation is involved in cancer development through diverse activities other than mediating telomere elongation. This review describes the telomere functions, the role of functional modulators, the implications in cancer development, and the future therapeutic opportunities.
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24
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Mangosh TL, Grabowska MM, Taylor DJ. SLX4IP N-terminus dictates telomeric localization in ALT-like castration-resistant prostate cancer cell lines. Prostate 2021; 81:1235-1251. [PMID: 34492133 PMCID: PMC8460604 DOI: 10.1002/pros.24225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To ensure replicative immortality in cancer, telomeres must be maintained through activation of telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMMs) that are dependent on telomerase or the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. Although TMM pathways have traditionally been considered to be mutually exclusive, ALT hallmarks have been identified in cancers defined as being telomerase-positive, supporting TMM coexistence. In castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), in vitro models were thought to be universally dependent on telomerase as the primary TMM; however, CRPC models with androgen receptor (AR) loss demonstrate ALT hallmarks with limited telomerase activity and require ALT-associated PML bodies (APBs) for sustained telomere maintenance. The TMM coexistence in AR-negative CRPC is reliant on the ALT regulator protein, SLX4IP. METHODS To identify the regions of SLX4IP responsible for the induction of APBs and telomere preservation in CRPC models, five 3xFLAG-tagged SLX4IP constructs were designed and stably introduced into parental C4-2B, DU145, and PC-3 cells. Once generated, these cell lines were interrogated for APB abundance and SLX4IP construct localization via immunofluorescence-fluorescence in situ hybridization (IF-FISH) and coimmunoprecipitation experiments for telomeric localization. Similarly, PC-3 cells with endogenous SLX4IP knockdown and SLX4IP construct introduction were interrogated for APB abundance, telomere length preservation, and senescent rescue. RESULTS Here, we define the N-terminus of SLX4IP as being responsible for the promotion of the ALT-like phenotype of AR-negative CRPC models. Specifically, the N-terminus of SLX4IP was sufficient for promoting APB formation to a similar degree as full-length SLX4IP across CRPC cell lines. Additionally, APB promotion by the N-terminus of SLX4IP rescued telomere shortening and senescent induction triggered by SLX4IP knockdown in AR-negative CRPC cells. Moreover, APB formation and telomere maintenance were dependent on the ability of the N-terminus to direct SLX4IP localization at telomeres and APBs. CONCLUSIONS These findings identify the role of the uncharacterized ALT regulator SLX4IP in the promotion of TMM coexistence to perpetuate replicative immortality in CRPC in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tawna L. Mangosh
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Magdalena M. Grabowska
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Derek J. Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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25
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Kent T, Clynes D. Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres: Lessons to Be Learned from Telomeric DNA Double-Strand Break Repair. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1734. [PMID: 34828344 PMCID: PMC8619803 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111734] [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: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of the molecular pathways underlying cancer has given us important insights into how breaks in our DNA are repaired and the dire consequences that can occur when these processes are perturbed. Extensive research over the past 20 years has shown that the key molecular event underpinning a subset of cancers involves the deregulated repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at telomeres, which in turn leads to telomere lengthening and the potential for replicative immortality. Here we discuss, in-depth, recent major breakthroughs in our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning this pathway known as the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). We explore how this gives us important insights into how DSB repair at telomeres is regulated, with relevance to the cell-cycle-dependent regulation of repair, repair of stalled replication forks and the spatial regulation of DSB repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kent
- Molecular Haematology Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, The MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK;
| | - David Clynes
- Department of Oncology, The MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
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26
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Hu K, Ghandi M, Huang FW. Integrated evaluation of telomerase activation and telomere maintenance across cancer cell lines. eLife 2021; 10:e66198. [PMID: 34486523 PMCID: PMC8530513 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In cancer, telomere maintenance is critical for the development of replicative immortality. Using genome sequences from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia and Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer Project, we calculated telomere content across 1299 cancer cell lines. We find that telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression correlates with telomere content in lung, central nervous system, and leukemia cell lines. Using CRISPR/Cas9 screening data, we show that lower telomeric content is associated with dependency of CST telomere maintenance genes. Increased dependencies of shelterin members are associated with wild-type TP53 status. Investigating the epigenetic regulation of TERT, we find widespread allele-specific expression in promoter-wildtype contexts. TERT promoter-mutant cell lines exhibit hypomethylation at PRC2-repressed regions, suggesting a cooperative global epigenetic state in the reactivation of telomerase. By incorporating telomere content with genomic features across comprehensively characterized cell lines, we provide further insights into the role of telomere regulation in cancer immortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Hu
- Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine; Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute; Institute for Human Genetics; University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer CenterSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Mahmoud Ghandi
- Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Franklin W Huang
- Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine; Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute; Institute for Human Genetics; University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer CenterSan FranciscoUnited States
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27
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Zhan D, Ma D, Wei S, Lal B, Fu Y, Eberhart C, Laterra J, Ying M, Li Y, Meeker A, Lopez-Bertoni H, Xia S. Monoallelic IDH1 R132H Mutation Mediates Glioma Cell Response to Anticancer Therapies via Induction of Senescence. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 19:1878-1888. [PMID: 34348994 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Heterozygous isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) R132H mutation (IDH1R132H/WT) is an early event during gliomagenesis. Clinically, patients with glioma carrying mutant IDH1 respond better to antitumor therapies. However, the mechanism by which IDH1 mutations contribute to gliomagenesis and therapeutic response remains elusive. Here we report that senescence is involved in the improved therapeutic responses of mutant IDH1 glioma cells. Knocking-in IDH1R132H/WT in glioma cells significantly enhanced gliomas cell senescence in response to temozolomide and radiation via a DNA-damage mediated mechanism. We further asked if senescence plays a role in IDH1R132H/WT-induced gliomagenesis. Together with ATRX knockout and p53/RB loss, IDH1R132H/WT transformed nonneoplastic human astroglial cells to form tumors in mouse brains. In-depth characterization revealed that a subset of these precancerous cells underwent senescence-like phenotypic changes, including flat and enlarged-cell morphology, increased senescence marker expression, decreased cell proliferation, and cell-cycle arrest at the G2-M phase. Mechanistic studies indicated that the combination of glioma driver genes (p53/RB/IDH1/ATRX) dramatically increased DNA damage and activated DNAdamage response (DDR) pathways ATR/ATR and Chk1/Chk2 in senescent cells. To determine how senescent cells drive tumor formation, we investigated non-cell-autonomous mechanisms such as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), a panel of proinflammatory and tissue-remodeling factors implicated in a tumor-permissive microenvironment. We found that astroglial cells carrying p53/RB/ATRX loss and IDH1R132H/WT upregulated key factors in SASP via an epigenetic-mediated mechanism. Our work suggests that drugs that specifically eliminate senescent cells could help kill precancerous cells and senescent tumor cells following antitumor therapies. IMPLICATIONS: The mechanisms by which IDH1 mutations contribute to gliomagenesis and therapeutic responses remain incompletely characterized; this work reveals senescence as a novel mechanism of IDH-mutant-mediated biological impact and describes new therapeutic opportunities concerning IDH1-mutant gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daqian Zhan
- Neurology, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ding Ma
- Neurology, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Blood and Cell Therapy Institute, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Shuang Wei
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bachchu Lal
- Neurology, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yi Fu
- Neurology, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Charles Eberhart
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - John Laterra
- Neurology, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mingyao Ying
- Neurology, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yunqing Li
- Neurology, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Alan Meeker
- Departments of Oncology, Pathology, Urology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Hernando Lopez-Bertoni
- Neurology, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Shuli Xia
- Neurology, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Garbarino J, Eckroate J, Sundaram RK, Jensen RB, Bindra RS. Loss of ATRX confers DNA repair defects and PARP inhibitor sensitivity. Transl Oncol 2021; 14:101147. [PMID: 34118569 PMCID: PMC8203843 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug screen shows that ATRX KO leads to PARP inhibitor sensitivity in glioma cells. PARPi leads to greater levels of replication stress in ATRX KO cells than WT. IDH1 R132H and ATRX KO have similar levels of PARP inhibitor sensitivity. ATRi and PARPi have greater synergy in ATRX KO cells.
Alpha Thalassemia/Mental Retardation Syndrome X-Linked (ATRX) is mutated frequently in gliomas and represents a potential target for cancer therapies. ATRX is known to function as a histone chaperone that helps incorporate histone variant, H3.3, into the genome. Studies have implicated ATRX in key DNA damage response (DDR) pathways but a distinct role in DNA repair has yet to be fully elucidated. To further investigate the function of ATRX in the DDR, we created isogenic wild-type (WT) and ATRX knockout (KO) model cell lines using CRISPR-based gene targeting. These studies revealed that loss of ATRX confers sensitivity to poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, which was linked to an increase in replication stress, as detected by increased activation of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) signaling axis. ATRX mutations frequently co-occur with mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 and -2 (IDH1/2), and the latter mutations also induce HR defects and PARP inhibitor sensitivity. We found that the magnitude of PARP inhibitor sensitivity was equal in the context of each mutation alone, although no further sensitization was observed in combination, suggesting an epistatic interaction. Finally, we observed enhanced synergistic tumor cell killing in ATRX KO cells with ATR and PARP inhibition, which is commonly seen in HR-defective cells. Taken together, these data reveal that ATRX may be used as a molecular marker for DDR defects and PARP inhibitor sensitivity, independent of IDH1/2 mutations. These data highlight the important role of common glioma-associated mutations in the regulation of DDR, and novel avenues for molecularly guided therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Garbarino
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Jillian Eckroate
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Ranjini K Sundaram
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Ryan B Jensen
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| | - Ranjit S Bindra
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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29
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MacKenzie D, Watters AK, To JT, Young MW, Muratori J, Wilkoff MH, Abraham RG, Plummer MM, Zhang D. ALT Positivity in Human Cancers: Prevalence and Clinical Insights. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2384. [PMID: 34069193 PMCID: PMC8156225 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many exciting advances in cancer-related telomere biology have been made in the past decade. Of these recent advances, great progress has also been made with respect to the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway. Along with a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of this unique telomere maintenance pathway, many studies have also evaluated ALT activity in various cancer subtypes. We first briefly review and assess a variety of commonly used ALT biomarkers. Then, we provide both an update on ALT-positive (ALT+) tumor prevalence as well as a systematic clinical assessment of the presently studied ALT+ malignancies. Additionally, we discuss the pathogenetic alterations in ALT+ cancers, for example, the mutation status of ATRX and DAXX, and their correlations with the activation of the ALT pathway. Finally, we highlight important ALT+ clinical associations within each cancer subtype and subdivisions within, as well as their prognoses. We hope this alternative perspective will allow scientists, clinicians, and drug developers to have greater insight into the ALT cancers so that together, we may develop more efficacious treatments and improved management strategies to meet the urgent needs of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Maria M. Plummer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA; (D.M.J.); (A.K.W.); (J.T.T.); (M.W.Y.); (J.M.); (M.H.W.); (R.G.A.)
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA; (D.M.J.); (A.K.W.); (J.T.T.); (M.W.Y.); (J.M.); (M.H.W.); (R.G.A.)
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30
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Imran SAM, Yazid MD, Idrus RBH, Maarof M, Nordin A, Razali RA, Lokanathan Y. Is There an Interconnection between Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and Telomere Shortening in Aging? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083888. [PMID: 33918710 PMCID: PMC8070110 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) was first discovered during the transition of cells from the primitive streak during embryogenesis in chicks. It was later discovered that EMT holds greater potential in areas other than the early development of cells and tissues since it also plays a vital role in wound healing and cancer development. EMT can be classified into three types based on physiological functions. EMT type 3, which involves neoplastic development and metastasis, has been the most thoroughly explored. As EMT is often found in cancer stem cells, most research has focused on its association with other factors involving cancer progression, including telomeres. However, as telomeres are also mainly involved in aging, any possible interaction between the two would be worth noting, especially as telomere dysfunction also contributes to cancer and other age-related diseases. Ascertaining the balance between degeneration and cancer development is crucial in cell biology, in which telomeres function as a key regulator between the two extremes. The essential roles that EMT and telomere protection have in aging reveal a potential mutual interaction that has not yet been explored, and which could be used in disease therapy. In this review, the known functions of EMT and telomeres in aging are discussed and their potential interaction in age-related diseases is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siti A. M. Imran
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.A.M.I.); (M.D.Y.); (R.B.H.I.); (M.M.); (A.N.); (R.A.R.)
| | - Muhammad Dain Yazid
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.A.M.I.); (M.D.Y.); (R.B.H.I.); (M.M.); (A.N.); (R.A.R.)
| | - Ruszymah Bt Hj Idrus
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.A.M.I.); (M.D.Y.); (R.B.H.I.); (M.M.); (A.N.); (R.A.R.)
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Manira Maarof
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.A.M.I.); (M.D.Y.); (R.B.H.I.); (M.M.); (A.N.); (R.A.R.)
| | - Abid Nordin
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.A.M.I.); (M.D.Y.); (R.B.H.I.); (M.M.); (A.N.); (R.A.R.)
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Rabiatul Adawiyah Razali
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.A.M.I.); (M.D.Y.); (R.B.H.I.); (M.M.); (A.N.); (R.A.R.)
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Yogeswaran Lokanathan
- Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.A.M.I.); (M.D.Y.); (R.B.H.I.); (M.M.); (A.N.); (R.A.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +60-391457704
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31
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de Nonneville A, Reddel RR. Alternative lengthening of telomeres is not synonymous with mutations in ATRX/DAXX. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1552. [PMID: 33692341 PMCID: PMC7946928 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21794-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre de Nonneville
- Cancer Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia. .,Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Marseille, France.
| | - Roger R Reddel
- Cancer Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
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32
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Minasi S, Baldi C, Gianno F, Antonelli M, Buccoliero AM, Pietsch T, Massimino M, Buttarelli FR. Alternative lengthening of telomeres in molecular subgroups of paediatric high-grade glioma. Childs Nerv Syst 2021; 37:809-818. [PMID: 33128602 PMCID: PMC7875853 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-020-04933-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The maintenance of telomere length prevents cancer cell senescence and occurs via two mutually exclusive mechanisms: (a) reactivation of telomerase expression and (b) activation of alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). ALT is frequently related to alterations on ATRX, a chromatin-remodelling protein. Recent data have identified different molecular subgroups of paediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) with mutations of H3F3A, TERTp and ATRX; however, differences in telomere length among these molecular subgroups were not thoroughly examined. METHODS We investigated which genetic alterations trigger the ALT mechanism in 52 IDH-wildtype, 1p/19q-wildtype pHGG. Samples were analysed for telomere length using Tel-FISH. ATRX nuclear loss of expression was assessed by IHC, H3F3A and TERTp mutations by DNA sequencing, and TERTp methylation by MS-PCR. RESULTS Mutant H3.3 was found in 21 cases (40.3%): 19.2% with K27M mutation and 21.1% with G34R mutation. All H3.3G34R-mutated cases showed the ALT phenotype (100%); on the opposite, only 40% of the H3.3K27M-mutated showed ALT activation. ATRX nuclear loss was seen in 16 cases (30.7%), associated sometimes with the G34R mutation, and never with the K27M mutation. ATRX nuclear loss was always related to telomere elongation. TERTp C250T mutations were rare (5.4%) and were not associated with high intensity Tel-FISH signals, as TERTp hyper-methylation detected in 21% of the cases. H3.3/ATRX/TERTp-wildtype pHGG revealed all basal levels of telomere length. CONCLUSION Our results show a strong association between H3.3 mutations and ALT, and highlight the different telomeric profiles in histone-defined subgroups: H3.3-G34R mutants always trigger ALT to maintain telomere length, irrespective of ATRX status, whereas only some H3.3-K27M tumours activate ALT. These findings suggest that acquiring the gly34 mutation on H3.3 might suffice to trigger the ALT mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Minasi
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Baldi
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gianno
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Manila Antonelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Torsten Pietsch
- Institute of Neuropathology, DGNN Brain Tumour Reference Centre, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maura Massimino
- Paediatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Romana Buttarelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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33
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Mangosh TL, Awadallah WN, Grabowska MM, Taylor DJ. SLX4IP Promotes Telomere Maintenance in Androgen Receptor-Independent Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer through ALT-like Telomeric PML Localization. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 19:301-316. [PMID: 33188147 PMCID: PMC8086381 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-20-0314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In advanced prostate cancer, resistance to androgen deprivation therapy is achieved through numerous mechanisms, including loss of the androgen receptor (AR) allowing for AR-independent growth. Therapeutic options are limited for AR-independent castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and defining mechanisms critical for survival is of utmost importance for targeting this lethal disease. Our studies focus on identifying telomere maintenance mechanism (TMM) hallmarks adopted by CRPC to promote survival. TMMs are responsible for telomere elongation to instill replicative immortality and prevent senescence, with the two TMM pathways available being telomerase and alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). Here, we show that AR-independent CRPC demonstrates an atypical ALT-like phenotype with variable telomerase expression and activity, whereas AR-dependent models lack discernible ALT hallmarks. In addition, AR-independent CRPC cells exhibited elevated levels of SLX4IP, a protein implicated in promoting ALT. SLX4IP overexpression in AR-dependent C4-2B cells promoted an ALT-like phenotype and telomere maintenance. SLX4IP knockdown in AR-independent DU145 and PC-3 cells led to ALT-like hallmark reduction, telomere shortening, and induction of senescence. In PC-3 xenografts, this effect translated to reduced tumor volume. Using an in vitro model of AR-independent progression, loss of AR in AR-dependent C4-2B cells promoted an atypical ALT-like phenotype in an SLX4IP-dependent manner. Insufficient SLX4IP expression diminished ALT-like hallmarks and resulted in accelerated telomere loss and senescence. IMPLICATIONS: This study demonstrates a unique reliance of AR-independent CRPC on SLX4IP-mediated ALT-like hallmarks and loss of these hallmarks induces telomere shortening and senescence, thereby impairing replicative immortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tawna L Mangosh
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Wisam N Awadallah
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Magdalena M Grabowska
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Derek J Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
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34
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Phillips RE, Soshnev AA, Allis CD. Epigenomic Reprogramming as a Driver of Malignant Glioma. Cancer Cell 2020; 38:647-660. [PMID: 32916125 PMCID: PMC8248764 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Malignant gliomas are central nervous system tumors and remain among the most treatment-resistant cancers. Exome sequencing has revealed significant heterogeneity and important insights into the molecular pathogenesis of gliomas. Mutations in chromatin modifiers-proteins that shape the epigenomic landscape through remodeling and regulation of post-translational modifications on chromatin-are very frequent and often define specific glioma subtypes. This suggests that epigenomic reprogramming may be a fundamental driver of glioma. Here, we describe the key chromatin regulatory pathways disrupted in gliomas, delineating their physiological function and our current understanding of how their dysregulation may contribute to gliomagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Phillips
- Department of Neurology and Brain Tumor Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Alexey A Soshnev
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - C David Allis
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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35
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Yan Y, Guo G, Huang J, Gao M, Zhu Q, Zeng S, Gong Z, Xu Z. Current understanding of extrachromosomal circular DNA in cancer pathogenesis and therapeutic resistance. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:124. [PMID: 32928268 PMCID: PMC7491193 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-00960-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Extrachromosomal circular DNA was recently found to be particularly abundant in multiple human cancer cells, although its frequency varies among different tumor types. Elevated levels of extrachromosomal circular DNA have been considered an effective biomarker of cancer pathogenesis. Multiple reports have demonstrated that the amplification of oncogenes and therapeutic resistance genes located on extrachromosomal DNA is a frequent event that drives intratumoral genetic heterogeneity and provides a potential evolutionary advantage. This review highlights the current understanding of the extrachromosomal circular DNA present in the tissues and circulation of patients with advanced cancers and provides a detailed discussion of their substantial roles in tumor regulation. Confirming the presence of cancer-related extrachromosomal circular DNA would provide a putative testing strategy for the precision diagnosis and treatment of human malignancies in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanliang Yan
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.,Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Guijie Guo
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jinzhou Huang
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Ming Gao
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Qian Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Shuangshuang Zeng
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Zhicheng Gong
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Zhijie Xu
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
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36
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Joseph SA, Taglialatela A, Leuzzi G, Huang JW, Cuella-Martin R, Ciccia A. Time for remodeling: SNF2-family DNA translocases in replication fork metabolism and human disease. DNA Repair (Amst) 2020; 95:102943. [PMID: 32971328 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2020.102943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Over the course of DNA replication, DNA lesions, transcriptional intermediates and protein-DNA complexes can impair the progression of replication forks, thus resulting in replication stress. Failure to maintain replication fork integrity in response to replication stress leads to genomic instability and predisposes to the development of cancer and other genetic disorders. Multiple DNA damage and repair pathways have evolved to allow completion of DNA replication following replication stress, thus preserving genomic integrity. One of the processes commonly induced in response to replication stress is fork reversal, which consists in the remodeling of stalled replication forks into four-way DNA junctions. In normal conditions, fork reversal slows down replication fork progression to ensure accurate repair of DNA lesions and facilitates replication fork restart once the DNA lesions have been removed. However, in certain pathological situations, such as the deficiency of DNA repair factors that protect regressed forks from nuclease-mediated degradation, fork reversal can cause genomic instability. In this review, we describe the complex molecular mechanisms regulating fork reversal, with a focus on the role of the SNF2-family fork remodelers SMARCAL1, ZRANB3 and HLTF, and highlight the implications of fork reversal for tumorigenesis and cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Joseph
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angelo Taglialatela
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Giuseppe Leuzzi
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jen-Wei Huang
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Raquel Cuella-Martin
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alberto Ciccia
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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37
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TCGA Pan-Cancer Genomic Analysis of Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) Related Genes. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11070834. [PMID: 32708340 PMCID: PMC7397314 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMM) are used by cancer cells to avoid apoptosis, 85–90% reactivate telomerase, while 10–15% use the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). Due to anti-telomerase-based treatments, some tumors switch from a telomerase-dependent mechanism to ALT; in fact, the co-existence between both mechanisms has been observed in some cancers. Although different elements in the ALT pathway are uncovered, some molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. Therefore, with the aim to identify potential molecular markers for the study of ALT, we combined in silico approaches in a 411 telomere maintenance gene set. As a consequence, we conducted a genomic analysis of these genes in 31 Pan-Cancer Atlas studies from The Cancer Genome Atlas and found 325,936 genomic alterations; from which, we identified 20 genes highly mutated in the cancer studies. Finally, we made a protein-protein interaction network and enrichment analysis to observe the main pathways of these genes and discuss their role in ALT-related processes, like homologous recombination and homology directed repair. Overall, due to the lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms of ALT cancers, we proposed a group of genes, which after ex vivo validations, could represent new potential therapeutic markers in the study of ALT.
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38
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George SL, Parmar V, Lorenzi F, Marshall LV, Jamin Y, Poon E, Angelini P, Chesler L. Novel therapeutic strategies targeting telomere maintenance mechanisms in high-risk neuroblastoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020; 39:78. [PMID: 32375866 PMCID: PMC7201617 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01582-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of high-risk neuroblastomas can be divided into three distinct molecular subgroups defined by the presence of MYCN amplification, upstream TERT rearrangements or alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). The common defining feature of all three subgroups is altered telomere maintenance; MYCN amplification and upstream TERT rearrangements drive high levels of telomerase expression whereas ALT is a telomerase independent telomere maintenance mechanism. As all three telomere maintenance mechanisms are independently associated with poor outcomes, the development of strategies to selectively target either telomerase expressing or ALT cells holds great promise as a therapeutic approach that is applicable to the majority of children with aggressive disease.Here we summarise the biology of telomere maintenance and the molecular drivers of aggressive neuroblastoma before describing the most promising therapeutic strategies to target both telomerase expressing and ALT cancers. For telomerase-expressing neuroblastoma the most promising targeted agent to date is 6-thio-2'-deoxyguanosine, however clinical development of this agent is required. In osteosarcoma cell lines with ALT, selective sensitivity to ATR inhibition has been reported. However, we present data showing that in fact ALT neuroblastoma cells are more resistant to the clinical ATR inhibitor AZD6738 compared to other neuroblastoma subtypes. More recently a number of additional candidate compounds have been shown to show selectivity for ALT cancers, such as Tetra-Pt (bpy), a compound targeting the telomeric G-quadruplex and pifithrin-α, a putative p53 inhibitor. Further pre-clinical evaluation of these compounds in neuroblastoma models is warranted.In summary, telomere maintenance targeting strategies offer a significant opportunity to develop effective new therapies, applicable to a large proportion of children with high-risk neuroblastoma. In parallel to clinical development, more pre-clinical research specifically for neuroblastoma is urgently needed, if we are to improve survival for this common poor outcome tumour of childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L George
- Paediatric Tumour Biology, Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
- Children and Young People's Unit, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - V Parmar
- Children and Young People's Unit, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - F Lorenzi
- Paediatric Tumour Biology, Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - L V Marshall
- Paediatric Tumour Biology, Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- Children and Young People's Unit, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Y Jamin
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - E Poon
- Paediatric Tumour Biology, Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - P Angelini
- Children and Young People's Unit, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - L Chesler
- Paediatric Tumour Biology, Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- Children and Young People's Unit, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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39
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Li X, Qian X, Wang B, Xia Y, Zheng Y, Du L, Xu D, Xing D, DePinho RA, Lu Z. Programmable base editing of mutated TERT promoter inhibits brain tumour growth. Nat Cell Biol 2020; 22:282-288. [PMID: 32066906 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-020-0471-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), CRISPR interference and programmable base editing have transformed the manipulation of eukaryotic genomes for potential therapeutic applications1-4. Here, we exploited CRISPR interference and programmable base editing to determine their potential in editing a TERT gene promoter-activating mutation, which occurs in many diverse cancer types, particularly glioblastoma5-8. Correction of the -124C>T TERT promoter mutation to -124C was achieved using a single guide RNA (sgRNA)-guided and catalytically impaired Campylobacter jejuni CRISPR-associated protein 9-fused adenine base editor (CjABE). This modification blocked the binding of members of the E26 transcription factor family to the TERT promoter, reduced TERT transcription and TERT protein expression, and induced cancer-cell senescence and proliferative arrest. Local injection of adeno-associated viruses expressing sgRNA-guided CjABE inhibited the growth of gliomas harbouring TERT-promoter mutations. These preclinical proof-of-concept studies establish the feasibility of gene editing as a therapeutic approach for cancer and validate activated TERT-promoter mutations as a cancer-specific therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjian Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Xu Qian
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Institute for Brain Tumors, Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Xia
- Brain Tumor Center, Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yanhua Zheng
- Brain Tumor Center, Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Linyong Du
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Daqian Xu
- Brain Tumor Center, Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dongming Xing
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and Qingdao Cancer Institute, Qingdao, China
| | - Ronald A DePinho
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhimin Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease of The First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
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40
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Zeineldin M, Federico S, Chen X, Fan Y, Xu B, Stewart E, Zhou X, Jeon J, Griffiths L, Nguyen R, Norrie J, Easton J, Mulder H, Yergeau D, Liu Y, Wu J, Van Ryn C, Naranjo A, Hogarty MD, Kamiński MM, Valentine M, Pruett-Miller SM, Pappo A, Zhang J, Clay MR, Bahrami A, Vogel P, Lee S, Shelat A, Sarthy JF, Meers MP, George RE, Mardis ER, Wilson RK, Henikoff S, Downing JR, Dyer MA. MYCN amplification and ATRX mutations are incompatible in neuroblastoma. Nat Commun 2020; 11:913. [PMID: 32060267 PMCID: PMC7021759 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14682-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive cancers often have activating mutations in growth-controlling oncogenes and inactivating mutations in tumor-suppressor genes. In neuroblastoma, amplification of the MYCN oncogene and inactivation of the ATRX tumor-suppressor gene correlate with high-risk disease and poor prognosis. Here we show that ATRX mutations and MYCN amplification are mutually exclusive across all ages and stages in neuroblastoma. Using human cell lines and mouse models, we found that elevated MYCN expression and ATRX mutations are incompatible. Elevated MYCN levels promote metabolic reprogramming, mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive-oxygen species generation, and DNA-replicative stress. The combination of replicative stress caused by defects in the ATRX-histone chaperone complex, and that induced by MYCN-mediated metabolic reprogramming, leads to synthetic lethality. Therefore, ATRX and MYCN represent an unusual example, where inactivation of a tumor-suppressor gene and activation of an oncogene are incompatible. This synthetic lethality may eventually be exploited to improve outcomes for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maged Zeineldin
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Sara Federico
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital-Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yiping Fan
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Beisi Xu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Elizabeth Stewart
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jongrye Jeon
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Lyra Griffiths
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Rosa Nguyen
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jackie Norrie
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - John Easton
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Heather Mulder
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Donald Yergeau
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Yanling Liu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jianrong Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Collin Van Ryn
- Children's Oncology Group Statistics and Data Center, Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FlL, 32607, USA
| | - Arlene Naranjo
- Children's Oncology Group Statistics and Data Center, Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FlL, 32607, USA
| | - Michael D Hogarty
- Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Marcin M Kamiński
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Marc Valentine
- Cytogenetics Shared Resource, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Alberto Pappo
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jinghui Zhang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Michael R Clay
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Armita Bahrami
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Peter Vogel
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Seungjae Lee
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Anang Shelat
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jay F Sarthy
- Basic Science Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Michael P Meers
- Basic Science Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Rani E George
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Elaine R Mardis
- The Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Richard K Wilson
- The Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Basic Science Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - James R Downing
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Michael A Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital-Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA.
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41
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Kent T, Gracias D, Shepherd S, Clynes D. Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres in Pediatric Cancer: Mechanisms to Therapies. Front Oncol 2020; 9:1518. [PMID: 32039009 PMCID: PMC6985284 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Achieving replicative immortality is a crucial step in tumorigenesis and requires both bypassing cell cycle checkpoints and the extension of telomeres, sequences that protect the distal ends of chromosomes during replication. In the majority of cancers this is achieved through the enzyme telomerase, however a subset of cancers instead utilize a telomerase-independent mechanism of telomere elongation-the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway. Recent work has aimed to decipher the exact mechanism that underlies this pathway. To this end, this pathway has now been shown to extend telomeres through exploitation of DNA repair machinery in a unique process that may present a number of druggable targets. The identification of such targets, and the subsequent development or repurposing of therapies to these targets may be crucial to improving the prognosis for many ALT-positive cancers, wherein mean survival is lower than non-ALT counterparts and the cancers themselves are particularly unresponsive to standard of care therapies. In this review we summarize the recent identification of many aspects of the ALT pathway, and the therapies that may be employed to exploit these new targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kent
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Deanne Gracias
- Department of Oncology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Shepherd
- Department of Oncology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David Clynes
- Department of Oncology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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42
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Lovejoy CA, Takai K, Huh MS, Picketts DJ, de Lange T. ATRX affects the repair of telomeric DSBs by promoting cohesion and a DAXX-dependent activity. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000594. [PMID: 31895940 PMCID: PMC6959610 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked chromatin remodeler (ATRX), a DAXX (death domain-associated protein) interacting protein, is often lost in cells using the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway, but it is not known how ATRX loss leads to ALT. We report that ATRX deletion from mouse cells altered the repair of telomeric double-strand breaks (DSBs) and induced ALT-like phenotypes, including ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies (APBs), telomere sister chromatid exchanges (T-SCEs), and extrachromosomal telomeric signals (ECTSs). Mechanistically, we show that ATRX affects telomeric DSB repair by promoting cohesion of sister telomeres and that loss of ATRX in ALT cells results in diminished telomere cohesion. In addition, we document a role for DAXX in the repair of telomeric DSBs. Removal of telomeric cohesion in combination with DAXX deficiency recapitulates all telomeric DSB repair phenotypes associated with ATRX loss. The data reveal that ATRX has an effect on telomeric DSB repair and that this role involves both telomere cohesion and a DAXX-dependent pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney A. Lovejoy
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Kaori Takai
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Michael S. Huh
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David J. Picketts
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Titia de Lange
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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43
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Giangaspero F, Minasi S, Gianno F, Alzoubi H, Antonelli M, Buttarelli F. Mechanisms of telomere maintenance in pediatric brain tumors: Promising targets for therapy – A narrative review. GLIOMA 2020. [DOI: 10.4103/glioma.glioma_20_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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44
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Graham MK, Kim J, Da J, Brosnan-Cashman JA, Rizzo A, Baena Del Valle JA, Chia L, Rubenstein M, Davis C, Zheng Q, Cope L, Considine M, Haffner MC, De Marzo AM, Meeker AK, Heaphy CM. Functional Loss of ATRX and TERC Activates Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) in LAPC4 Prostate Cancer Cells. Mol Cancer Res 2019; 17:2480-2491. [PMID: 31611308 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-19-0654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
A key hallmark of cancer, unlimited replication, requires cancer cells to evade both replicative senescence and potentially lethal chromosomal instability induced by telomere dysfunction. The majority of cancers overcome these critical barriers by upregulating telomerase, a telomere-specific reverse transcriptase. However, a subset of cancers maintains telomere lengths by the telomerase-independent Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway. The presence of ALT is strongly associated with recurrent cancer-specific somatic inactivating mutations in the ATRX-DAXX chromatin-remodeling complex. Here, we generate an ALT-positive adenocarcinoma cell line following functional inactivation of ATRX and telomerase in a telomerase-positive adenocarcinoma cell line. Inactivating mutations in ATRX were introduced using CRISPR-cas9 nickase into two prostate cancer cell lines, LAPC-4 (derived from a lymph node metastasis) and CWR22Rv1 (sourced from a xenograft established from a primary prostate cancer). In LAPC-4, but not CWR22Rv1, abolishing ATRX was sufficient to induce multiple ALT-associated hallmarks, including the presence of ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia bodies (APB), extrachromosomal telomere C-circles, and dramatic telomere length heterogeneity. However, telomerase activity was still present in these ATRXKO cells. Telomerase activity was subsequently crippled in these LAPC-4 ATRXKO cells by introducing mutations in the TERC locus, the essential RNA component of telomerase. These LAPC-4 ATRXKO TERCmut cells continued to proliferate long-term and retained ALT-associated hallmarks, thereby demonstrating their reliance on the ALT mechanism for telomere maintenance. IMPLICATIONS: These prostate cancer cell line models provide a unique system to explore the distinct molecular alterations that occur upon induction of ALT, and may be useful tools to screen for ALT-specific therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mindy K Graham
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jiyoung Kim
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joseph Da
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Anthony Rizzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Lionel Chia
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael Rubenstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Christine Davis
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Qizhi Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Leslie Cope
- Department of Oncology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael Considine
- Department of Oncology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael C Haffner
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Angelo M De Marzo
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Oncology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Alan K Meeker
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Oncology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Christopher M Heaphy
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. .,Department of Oncology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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