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Zhang Q, Zhu F, Tong Y, Shi D, Zhang J. CHD4 R975H mutant activates tumorigenic pathways and promotes stemness and M2-like macrophage polarization in endometrial cancer. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18617. [PMID: 39127769 PMCID: PMC11316823 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69233-6] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC), one of the most prevalent carcinomas in females, is associated with increasing mortality. We identified the CHD4 R975H mutation as a high-frequency occurrence in EC patients through a comprehensive survey of EC databases. Computational predictions suggest that this mutation profoundly impacts the structural and functional integrity of CHD4. Functional assays revealed that the CHD4 R975H mutation enhances EC cell invasion, proliferation, and colony formation, promoting a cancer stem cell (CSC)-like phenotype. RNA-seq analysis of cells expressing CHD4 R975H mutant revealed a transcriptomic landscape marked by the activation of several cancer-promoting signaling pathways, including TNF-α signaling via NF-κB, KRAS, P53, mTOR, TGF-β, EGFR, Myc and growth factor signaling. Validation assays confirmed the activation of these pathways, further demonstrating that CHD4 R975H mutation induces stemness in EC cells and M2-like polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Our study elucidated the oncogenic role of CHD4 R975H mutation, highlighting its dual impact on facilitating cancer stemness and transforming TAMs into an immunosuppressive subtype. These findings contribute valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms driving EC progression and open avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinglin Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Fengzhi Zhu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Yin Tong
- Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Diwen Shi
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiangwen Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Li S, Hu G, Chen Y, Sang Y, Tang Q, Liu R. TERT upstream promoter methylation regulates TERT expression and acts as a therapeutic target in TERT promoter mutation-negative thyroid cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:271. [PMID: 39097722 PMCID: PMC11297792 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03459-2] [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: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA hypermethylation and hotspot mutations were frequently observed in the upstream and core promoter of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), respectively, and they were associated with increased TERT expression and adverse clinical outcomes in thyroid cancer. In TERT promoter mutant cancer cells, the hypomethylated TERT mutant allele was active and the hypermethylated TERT wild-type allele was silenced. However, whether and how the upstream promoter methylation regulates TERT expression in TERT mutation-negative cells were largely unknown. METHODS DNA demethylating agents 5-azacytidine and decitabine and a genomic locus-specific demethylation system based on dCas9-TET1 were used to assess the effects of TERT upstream promoter methylation on TERT expression, cell growth and apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells. Regulatory proteins binding to TERT promoter were identified by CRISPR affinity purification in situ of regulatory elements (CAPTURE) combined with mass spectrometry. The enrichments of selected regulatory proteins and histone modifications were evaluated by chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS The level of DNA methylation at TERT upstream promoter and expression of TERT were significantly decreased after treatment with 5-azacytidine or decitabine in TERT promoter wild-type thyroid cancer cells. Genomic locus-specific demethylation of TERT upstream promoter induced TERT downregulation, along with cell apoptosis and growth inhibition. Consistently, demethylating agents sharply inhibited the growth of thyroid cancer cells harboring hypermethylated TERT but had little effect on cells with TERT hypomethylation. Moreover, we identified that the chromatin remodeling protein CHD4 binds to methylated TERT upstream promoter and promotes its transcription by suppressing the enrichment of H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 at TERT promoter. CONCLUSIONS This study uncovered the mechanism of promoter methylation mediated TERT activation in TERT promoter mutation-negative thyroid cancer cells and indicated TERT upstream promoter methylation as a therapeutic target for thyroid cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyong Li
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Guanghui Hu
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Yulu Chen
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Ye Sang
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Qin Tang
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Rengyun Liu
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.
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Xiao G, Lu W, Yuan J, Liu Z, Wang P, Fan H. Fbxw7 suppresses carcinogenesis and stemness in triple-negative breast cancer through CHD4 degradation and Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibition. J Transl Med 2024; 22:99. [PMID: 38268032 PMCID: PMC10809768 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04897-2] [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: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small population of cells in tumor tissues that can drive tumor initiation and promote tumor progression. A small number of previous studies indirectly mentioned the role of F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBXW7) as a tumor suppressor in Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, few studies have focused on the function of FBXW7 in cancer stemness in TNBC and the related mechanism. METHODS We detected FBXW7 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 80 TNBC patients. FBXW7 knockdown and overexpression in MD-MBA-231 and HCC1937 cell models were constructed. The effect of FBXW7 on malignant phenotype and stemness was assessed by colony assays, flow cytometry, transwell assays, western blot, and sphere formation assays. Immunoprecipitation-Mass Spectrometry (IP-MS) and ubiquitination experiments were used to find and verify potential downstream substrate proteins of FBXW7. Animal experiments were constructed to examine the effect of FBXW7 on tumorigenic potential and cancer stemness of TNBC cells in vivo. RESULTS The results showed that FBXW7 was expressed at low levels in TNBC tissues and positively correlated with prognosis of TNBC patients. In vitro, FBXW7 significantly inhibited colony formation, cell cycle progression, cell migration, EMT process, cancer stemness and promotes apoptosis. Further experiments confirmed that chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4) is a novel downstream target of FBXW7 and is downregulated by FBXW7 via proteasomal degradation. Moreover, CHD4 could promote the nuclear translocation of β-catenin and reverse the inhibitory effect of FBXW7 on β-catenin, and ultimately activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Rescue experiments confirmed that the FBXW7-CHD4-Wnt/β-catenin axis was involved in regulating the maintenance of CSC in TNBC cells. In animal experiments, FBXW7 reduced CSC marker expression and suppressed TNBC cell tumorigenesis in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results highlight that FBXW7 degrades CHD4 protein through ubiquitination, thereby blocking the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to inhibit the stemness of TNBC cells. Thus, targeting FBXW7 may be a promising strategy for therapeutic intervention against TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Xiao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Jianshe Dong Road, ErQi District, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Weiping Lu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Jianshe Dong Road, ErQi District, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Jianshe Dong Road, ErQi District, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Zuyue Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Jianshe Dong Road, ErQi District, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Peili Wang
- Breast Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, No 127 Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Huijie Fan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Jianshe Dong Road, ErQi District, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
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Wang J, Zhong F, Li J, Yue H, Li W, Lu X. The epigenetic factor CHD4 contributes to metastasis by regulating the EZH2/β-catenin axis and acts as a therapeutic target in ovarian cancer. J Transl Med 2023; 21:38. [PMID: 36681835 PMCID: PMC9862813 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03854-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The overall survival rate of patients with advanced ovarian cancer (OC) has remained static for several decades. Advanced ovarian cancer is known for its poor prognosis due to extensive metastasis. Epigenetic alterations contribute to tumour progression and therefore are of interest for potential therapeutic strategies. METHODS Following our previous study, we identified that CHD4, a chromatin remodelling factor, plays a strong role in ovarian cancer cell metastasis. We investigated the clinical significance of CHD4 through TCGA and GEO database analyses and explored the effect of CHD4 expression modulation and romidepsin treatment on the biological behaviour of ovarian cancer through CCK-8 and transwell assays. Bioluminescence imaging of tumours in xenografted mice was applied to determine the therapeutic effect of romidepsin. GSEA and western blotting were used to screen the regulatory mechanism of CHD4. RESULTS In ovarian cancer patient specimens, high CHD4 expression was associated with a poor prognosis. Loss of function of CHD4 in ovarian cancer cells induced suppression of migration and invasion. Mechanistically, CHD4 knockdown suppressed the expression of EZH2 and the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin. CHD4 also suppressed the metastasis of ovarian cancer cells and prevented disease progression in a mouse model. To inhibit the functions of CHD4 that are mediated by histone deacetylase, we evaluated the effect of the HDAC1/2 selective inhibitor romidepsin. Our findings indicated that treatment with romidepsin suppressed the progression of metastases in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results uncovered an oncogenic function of CHD4 in ovarian cancer and provide a rationale for clinical trials of romidepsin in ovarian cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieyu Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200090, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Disease, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Fangfang Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Huiran Yue
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Wenzhi Li
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200090, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Disease, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200090, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Disease, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200090, China.
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Zhang J, Lv X, Wei B, Gong X, Chen L. CHD4 mediates SOX2 transcription through TRPS1 in luminal breast cancer. Cell Signal 2022; 100:110464. [PMID: 36075559 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 4 (CHD4), as a core component of the nucleosome remodeling and deactetylase (NuRD) complex, participated in the inititation and development of myriad cancers. However, little is known about the linkage between CHD4 and breast cancer stemness. Here, we found that CHD4 repress the expression of SOX2, a key regulator of cancer stem cells (CSCs), to suppress cancer stemness in breast cancer. Mechanistically, CHD4 binds to the promoter of SOX2 depend on TRPS1. And CHD4 transcriptional activation of SOX2 was abolished by TRPS1. These findings identify CHD4 as a regulator of SOX2 linked to breast cancer stemness and provide detailed mechanistic of CHD4 in CSC functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiang Lv
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bo Wei
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xue Gong
- Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Institute, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Liming Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.
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Wang Y, Huang X, Wang P, Zeng Y, Zhou G. The hsa_circ_0007396-miR-767-3p-CHD4 axis is involved in the progression and carcinogenesis of gastric cancer. J Gastrointest Oncol 2022; 13:2885-2902. [PMID: 36636050 PMCID: PMC9830344 DOI: 10.21037/jgo-22-1218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been linked to numerous human cancers, including gastric cancer (GC), in numerous recent investigations. The expression of circRNA and the mechanisms involved in GC are still unknown. Methods In this work, Gene Expression Omnibus 2R (GEO2R) online tool was first used to screen 6 candidates of differentially expressed circRNAs in 2 datasets, GSE83521 and GSE89143. Then, using Cancer-Specific CircRNA Database (CSCD), the structural loop diagrams of these circRNAs were generated. After combining the Circular RNA Interactome (CRI) and CSCD databases for miRNA co-prediction, a candidate circRNA-miRNA sub-network was successfully created. The expression of these miRNAs was further examined using Cytoscape software, and 2 miRNAs, miR-767-5p and miR-767-3p. Results We used GEO2R to analyze the differential expression of GSE83521 and GSE89143 datasets in GEO database. Through the construction of the structural ring diagram of CSCD database, we found that hsa_circRNA_100571, hsa_circRNA_103102, hsa_circRNA_100754, hsa_circRNA_100737, hsa_circRNA_100269, hsa_circRNA_102476, hsa_circRNA_101287 is the final candidate circRNA in GC. MiR-767-5p and miR-767-3p were found to be important miRNAs in GC. The miRNet database indicated their downstream target genes. In various studies, namely central gene screening, correlation analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI), we detected chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 4 (CHD4) as a key potential candidate of hsa-mir-767-3p. Next, we conducted validation of clinical data. We included the clinical data of 100 patients with GC, and found that patients with low CHD4 expression had significantly higher OS and PFS than those with high CHD4 expression (P<0.001, P=0.005). Cox regression analysis showed that low CHD4 expression was an independent risk factor for tumor progression (P=0.001). At the same time, tumor differentiation and chemotherapy also had a certain impact on the progression of GC (all P<0.05). Therefore, CHD4 may provide a promising therapeutic target for the future treatment of GC. Conclusions We identified an important hsa_circ_0007396-miR-767-3p-CHD4 axis, which is associated with GC proliferation and carcinogenesis, and may represent a promising therapeutic target for the future cure of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yantao Wang
- Guangzhou Weimi Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuan Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Panpan Wang
- Guangzhou Weimi Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zeng
- Guangzhou Weimi Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Guozhi Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Non-coding RNAs in EMT regulation: Association with tumor progression and therapy response. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 932:175212. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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