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Valdeolivas A, Amberg B, Giroud N, Richardson M, Gálvez EJC, Badillo S, Julien-Laferrière A, Túrós D, Voith von Voithenberg L, Wells I, Pesti B, Lo AA, Yángüez E, Das Thakur M, Bscheider M, Sultan M, Kumpesa N, Jacobsen B, Bergauer T, Saez-Rodriguez J, Rottenberg S, Schwalie PC, Hahn K. Profiling the heterogeneity of colorectal cancer consensus molecular subtypes using spatial transcriptomics. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:10. [PMID: 38200223 PMCID: PMC10781769 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-023-00488-4] [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: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) of colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most widely-used gene expression-based classification and has contributed to a better understanding of disease heterogeneity and prognosis. Nevertheless, CMS intratumoral heterogeneity restricts its clinical application, stressing the necessity of further characterizing the composition and architecture of CRC. Here, we used Spatial Transcriptomics (ST) in combination with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to decipher the spatially resolved cellular and molecular composition of CRC. In addition to mapping the intratumoral heterogeneity of CMS and their microenvironment, we identified cell communication events in the tumor-stroma interface of CMS2 carcinomas. This includes tumor growth-inhibiting as well as -activating signals, such as the potential regulation of the ETV4 transcriptional activity by DCN or the PLAU-PLAUR ligand-receptor interaction. Our study illustrates the potential of ST to resolve CRC molecular heterogeneity and thereby help advance personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Valdeolivas
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Bettina Amberg
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Giroud
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marion Richardson
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eric J C Gálvez
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Solveig Badillo
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alice Julien-Laferrière
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Demeter Túrós
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Isabelle Wells
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Benedek Pesti
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Amy A Lo
- Genentech, Inc, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emilio Yángüez
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Bscheider
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Sultan
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nadine Kumpesa
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Björn Jacobsen
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Bergauer
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julio Saez-Rodriguez
- Faculty of Medicine and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sven Rottenberg
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Bern Center for Precision Medicine (BCPM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Petra C Schwalie
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Hahn
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Zhu Y, Lin X, Zhou X, Prochownik EV, Wang F, Li Y. Posttranslational control of lipogenesis in the tumor microenvironment. J Hematol Oncol 2022; 15:120. [PMID: 36038892 PMCID: PMC9422141 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-022-01340-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment typically occurs in response to increased nutritional, translation and proliferative demands. Altered lipid metabolism is a marker of tumor progression that is frequently observed in aggressive tumors with poor prognosis. Underlying these abnormal metabolic behaviors are posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of lipid metabolism-related enzymes and other factors that can impact their activity and/or subcellular localization. This review focuses on the roles of these PTMs and specifically on how they permit the re-wiring of cancer lipid metabolism, particularly within the context of the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahui Zhu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.,Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.,School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Xingrong Lin
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.,Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.,Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Edward V Prochownik
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Pittsburgh Liver Research Center and The Hillman Cancer Center of UPMC, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, USA
| | - Fubing Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | - Youjun Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China. .,Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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Oncogenic Signalling of PEAK2 Pseudokinase in Colon Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122981. [PMID: 35740644 PMCID: PMC9221080 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Catalytically inactive kinases, also named pseudokinases, play important roles in the regulation of cell growth and adhesion. While frequently deregulated in human cancer, their role in tumour development is partially elucidated. Here, we report an important tumour function for the pseudokinase PEAK2 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and propose that PEAK2 upregulation can affect cancer cell adhesive properties through an ABL-dependent mechanism to enable cancer progression. Therefore, targeting PEAK2 oncogenic activity with small tyrosine kinases (TK) inhibitors may be of therapeutic interest in colorectal cancer (CRC). Abstract The PEAK family pseudokinases are essential components of tyrosine kinase (TK) pathways that regulate cell growth and adhesion; however, their role in human cancer remains unclear. Here, we report an oncogenic activity of the pseudokinase PEAK2 in colorectal cancer (CRC). Notably, high PRAG1 expression, which encodes PEAK2, was associated with a bad prognosis in CRC patients. Functionally, PEAK2 depletion reduced CRC cell growth and invasion in vitro, while its overexpression increased these transforming effects. PEAK2 depletion also reduced CRC development in nude mice. Mechanistically, PEAK2 expression induced cellular protein tyrosine phosphorylation, despite its catalytic inactivity. Phosphoproteomic analysis identified regulators of cell adhesion and F-actin dynamics as PEAK2 targets. Additionally, PEAK2 was identified as a novel ABL TK activator. In line with this, PEAK2 expression localized at focal adhesions of CRC cells and induced ABL-dependent formation of actin-rich plasma membrane protrusions filopodia that function to drive cell invasion. Interestingly, all these PEAK2 transforming activities were regulated by its main phosphorylation site, Tyr413, which implicates the SRC oncogene. Thus, our results uncover a protumoural function of PEAK2 in CRC and suggest that its deregulation affects adhesive properties of CRC cells to enable cancer progression.
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Nunez SK, Young CD, Griffen TL, Ohandjo AQ, McKinney LP, Kopetz S, Lillard JW. Identification of Gene Co-Expression Networks Associated with Consensus Molecular Subtype-1 of Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225824. [PMID: 34830978 PMCID: PMC8616344 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a frequently lethal disease with heterogenous outcomes. Alterations in the Wnt signaling pathways have been shown to promote activation of signaling pathways such as MAPK and PI3K-Akt. Consensus molecular subtyping (CMS) provides a cohesive structure to classify the heterogeneity of CRC using gene expression analysis. CMS is categorized into four subtypes: CMS1, immune; CMS2, canonical; CMS3, metabolic; and CMS4, mesenchymal. Here, we identify co-expressed gene networks associated with CMS1. Our findings distinguish co-expressed gene networks that play a pivotal role in key features specific for CMS1, such as immune infiltration and activation. The co-expressed gene networks for CMS1 were significantly and positively correlated with the TNF, WNT, and ERK1 and ERK2 signaling pathways. This study highlights the relevance of CMS1 gene networks relating to oncogenic signaling cascades, cell activation, and positive regulation of immune responses, promoting CRC progressiveness. Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is driven in part by dysregulated Wnt, Ras-Raf-MAPK, TGF-β, and PI3K-Akt signaling. The progression of CRC is also promoted by molecular alterations and heterogeneous—yet interconnected—gene mutations, chromosomal instability, transcriptomic subtypes, and immune signatures. Genomic alterations of CRC progression lead to changes in RNA expression, which support CRC metastasis. An RNA-based classification system used for CRC, known as consensus molecular subtyping (CMS), has four classes. CMS1 has the lowest survival after relapse of the four CRC CMS phenotypes. Here, we identify gene signatures and associated coding mRNAs that are co-expressed during CMS1 CRC progression. Using RNA-seq data from CRC primary tumor samples, acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we identified co-expression gene networks significantly correlated with CMS1 CRC progression. CXCL13, CXCR5, IL10, PIK3R5, PIK3AP1, CCL19, and other co-expressed genes were identified to be positively correlated with CMS1. The co-expressed eigengene networks for CMS1 were significantly and positively correlated with the TNF, WNT, and ERK1 and ERK2 signaling pathways, which together promote cell proliferation and survival. This network was also aligned with biological characteristics of CMS1 CRC, being positively correlated to right-sided tumors, microsatellite instability, chemokine-mediated signaling pathways, and immune responses. CMS1 also differentially expressed genes involved in PI3K-Akt signaling. Our findings reveal CRC gene networks related to oncogenic signaling cascades, cell activation, and positive regulation of immune responses distinguishing CMS1 from other CRC subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha’Kayla K. Nunez
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA; (S.K.N.); (C.D.Y.); (T.L.G.); (L.P.M.)
| | - Corey D. Young
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA; (S.K.N.); (C.D.Y.); (T.L.G.); (L.P.M.)
| | - Ti’ara L. Griffen
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA; (S.K.N.); (C.D.Y.); (T.L.G.); (L.P.M.)
| | | | - Lawrence P. McKinney
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA; (S.K.N.); (C.D.Y.); (T.L.G.); (L.P.M.)
| | - Scott Kopetz
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - James W. Lillard
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA; (S.K.N.); (C.D.Y.); (T.L.G.); (L.P.M.)
- Correspondence:
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Src Family Tyrosine Kinases in Intestinal Homeostasis, Regeneration and Tumorigenesis. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082014. [PMID: 32717909 PMCID: PMC7464719 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Src, originally identified as an oncogene, is a membrane-anchored tyrosine kinase and the Src family kinase (SFK) prototype. SFKs regulate the signalling induced by a wide range of cell surface receptors leading to epithelial cell growth and adhesion. In the intestine, the SFK members Src, Fyn and Yes regulate epithelial cell proliferation and migration during tissue regeneration and transformation, thus implicating conserved and specific functions. In patients with colon cancer, SFK activity is a marker of poor clinical prognosis and a potent driver of metastasis formation. These tumorigenic activities are linked to SFK capacity to promote the dissemination and tumour-initiating capacities of epithelial tumour cells. However, it is unclear how SFKs promote colon tumour formation and metastatic progression because SFK-encoding genes are unfrequently mutated in human cancer. Here, we review recent findings on SFK signalling during intestinal homeostasis, regeneration and tumorigenesis. We also describe the key nongenetic mechanisms underlying SFK tumour activities in colorectal cancer, and discuss how these mechanisms could be exploited in therapeutic strategies to target SFK signalling in metastatic colon cancer.
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Beaulieu JF. Colorectal Cancer Research: Basic, Preclinical, and Clinical Approaches. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12020416. [PMID: 32053872 PMCID: PMC7072293 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12020416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Beaulieu
- Laboratory of Intestinal Physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada; ; Tel.: +1-819-821-8000 (ext. 75269)
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
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