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Szigeti K, Ihnatovych I, Notari E, Dorn RP, Maly I, He M, Birkaya B, Prasad S, Byrne RS, Indurthi DC, Nimmer E, Heo Y, Retfalvi K, Chaves L, Sule N, Hofmann WA, Auerbach A, Wilding G, Bae Y, Reynolds J. CHRFAM7A diversifies human immune adaption through Ca 2+ signalling and actin cytoskeleton reorganization. EBioMedicine 2024; 103:105093. [PMID: 38569318 PMCID: PMC10999709 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105093] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human restricted genes contribute to human specific traits in the immune system. CHRFAM7A, a uniquely human fusion gene, is a negative regulator of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR), the highest Ca2+ conductor of the ACh receptors implicated in innate immunity. Understanding the mechanism of how CHRFAM7A affects the immune system remains unexplored. METHODS Two model systems are used, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and human primary monocytes, to characterize α7 nAChR function, Ca2+ dynamics and decoders to elucidate the pathway from receptor to phenotype. FINDINGS CHRFAM7A/α7 nAChR is identified as a hypomorphic receptor with mitigated Ca2+ influx and prolonged channel closed state. This shifts the Ca2+ reservoir from the extracellular space to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) leading to Ca2+ dynamic changes. Ca2+ decoder small GTPase Rac1 is then activated, reorganizing the actin cytoskeleton. Observed actin mediated phenotypes include cellular adhesion, motility, phagocytosis and tissue mechanosensation. INTERPRETATION CHRFAM7A introduces an additional, human specific, layer to Ca2+ regulation leading to an innate immune gain of function. Through the actin cytoskeleton it drives adaptation to the mechanical properties of the tissue environment leading to an ability to invade previously immune restricted niches. Human genetic diversity predicts profound translational significance as its understanding builds the foundation for successful treatments for infectious diseases, sepsis, and cancer metastasis. FUNDING This work is supported in part by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (Kinga Szigeti) and in part by NIH grant R01HL163168 (Yongho Bae).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Szigeti
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
| | - Ivanna Ihnatovych
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Emily Notari
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Ryu P Dorn
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Ivan Maly
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Muye He
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Barbara Birkaya
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Shreyas Prasad
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Robin Schwartz Byrne
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Dinesh C Indurthi
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Erik Nimmer
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Yuna Heo
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Kolos Retfalvi
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Lee Chaves
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Norbert Sule
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, 665 Elm St, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Wilma A Hofmann
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Anthony Auerbach
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Gregory Wilding
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Yongho Bae
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Jessica Reynolds
- State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
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Bele T, Turk T, Križaj I. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in cancer: Limitations and prospects. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:166875. [PMID: 37673358 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have long been considered to solely mediate neurotransmission. However, their widespread distribution in the human body suggests a more diverse physiological role. Additionally, the expression of nAChRs is increased in certain cancers, such as lung cancer, and has been associated with cell proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal cell transition, angiogenesis and apoptosis prevention. Several compounds that interact with these receptors have been identified as potential therapeutic agents. They have been tested as drugs for treating nicotine addiction, alcoholism, depression, pain and Alzheimer's disease. This review focuses on nAChR-mediated signalling in cancer, presenting opportunities for the development of innovative nAChR-based anticancer drugs. It displays the differences in expression of each nAChR subunit between normal and cancer cells for selected cancer types, highlighting their possible involvement in specific cases. Antagonists of nAChRs that could complement existing cancer therapies are summarised and critically discussed. We hope that this review will stimulate further research on the role of nAChRs in cancer potentially leading to innovative cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Bele
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - T Turk
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - I Križaj
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Karapetyan L, Gooding W, Li A, Yang X, Knight A, Abushukair HM, Vargas De Stefano D, Sander C, Karunamurthy A, Panelli M, Storkus WJ, Tarhini AA, Kirkwood JM. Sentinel Lymph Node Gene Expression Signature Predicts Recurrence-Free Survival in Cutaneous Melanoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14204973. [PMID: 36291758 PMCID: PMC9599365 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14204973] [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: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We sought to develop a sentinel lymph node gene expression signature score predictive of disease recurrence in patients with cutaneous melanoma. Gene expression profiling was performed on SLN biopsies using U133A 2.0 Affymetrix gene chips. The top 25 genes associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) were selected and a penalized regression function was used to select 12 genes with a non-zero coefficient. A proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate the association between clinical covariates, gene signature score, and RFS. Among the 45 patients evaluated, 23 (51%) had a positive SLN. Twenty-one (46.7%) patients developed disease recurrence. For the top 25 differentially expressed genes (DEG), 12 non-zero penalized coefficients were estimated (CLGN, C1QTNF3, ADORA3, ARHGAP8, DCTN1, ASPSCR1, CHRFAM7A, ZNF223, PDE6G, CXCL3, HEXIM1, HLA-DRB). This 12-gene signature score was significantly associated with RFS (p < 0.0001) and produced a bootstrap C index of 0.888. In univariate analysis, Breslow thickness, presence of primary tumor ulceration, SLN positivity were each significantly associated with RFS. After simultaneously adjusting for these prognostic factors in relation to the gene signature, the 12-gene score remained a significant independent predictor for RFS (p < 0.0001). This SLN 12-gene signature risk score is associated with melanoma recurrence regardless of SLN status and may be used as a prognostic factor for RFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilit Karapetyan
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - William Gooding
- Hillman Cancer Center, Biostatistics Facility, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Aofei Li
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Xi Yang
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andrew Knight
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Hassan M. Abushukair
- Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan
| | - Danielle Vargas De Stefano
- Department of Pathology, Division of Pediatric Pathology, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Cindy Sander
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Arivarasan Karunamurthy
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Departments of Dermatology and Pathology, Divisions of Dermatopathology and Molecular Genetic Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | | | - Walter J. Storkus
- Departments of Dermatology, Immunology, Pathology and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Ahmad A. Tarhini
- Departments of Cutaneous Oncology and Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Correspondence: (A.A.T.); (J.M.K.)
| | - John M. Kirkwood
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Correspondence: (A.A.T.); (J.M.K.)
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Di Lascio S, Fornasari D, Benfante R. The Human-Restricted Isoform of the α7 nAChR, CHRFAM7A: A Double-Edged Sword in Neurological and Inflammatory Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073463. [PMID: 35408823 PMCID: PMC8998457 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CHRFAM7A is a relatively recent and exclusively human gene arising from the partial duplication of exons 5 to 10 of the α7 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit (α7 nAChR) encoding gene, CHRNA7. CHRNA7 is related to several disorders that involve cognitive deficits, including neuropsychiatric, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory disorders. In extra-neuronal tissues, α7nAChR plays an important role in proliferation, differentiation, migration, adhesion, cell contact, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and tumor progression, as well as in the modulation of the inflammatory response through the “cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway”. CHRFAM7A translates the dupα7 protein in a multitude of cell lines and heterologous systems, while maintaining processing and trafficking that are very similar to the full-length form. It does not form functional ion channel receptors alone. In the presence of CHRNA7 gene products, dupα7 can assemble and form heteromeric receptors that, in order to be functional, should include at least two α7 subunits to form the agonist binding site. When incorporated into the receptor, in vitro and in vivo data showed that dupα7 negatively modulated α7 activity, probably due to a reduction in the number of ACh binding sites. Very recent data in the literature report that the presence of the duplicated gene may be responsible for the translational gap in several human diseases. Here, we will review the studies that have been conducted on CHRFAM7A in different pathologies, with the intent of providing evidence regarding when and how the expression of this duplicated gene may be beneficial or detrimental in the pathogenesis, and eventually in the therapeutic response, to CHRNA7-related neurological and non-neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Di Lascio
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), Università degli Studi di Milano, 20129 Milan, Italy; (S.D.L.); (D.F.)
| | - Diego Fornasari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), Università degli Studi di Milano, 20129 Milan, Italy; (S.D.L.); (D.F.)
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience, 20845 Vedano al Lambro, Italy
| | - Roberta Benfante
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), Università degli Studi di Milano, 20129 Milan, Italy; (S.D.L.); (D.F.)
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience, 20845 Vedano al Lambro, Italy
- NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
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