G protein-coupled receptors in stem cell maintenance and somatic reprogramming to pluripotent or cancer stem cells

Development of bioengineered 3D patient derived breast cancer organoid model focusing dynamic fibroblast-stem cell reciprocity

Three-dimensional (3D) models, such as tumor spheroids and organoids, are increasingly developed by integrating tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and personalized therapy strategies. These advanced 3Din-vitromodels are not merely endpoint-driven but also offer the flexibility to be customized or modulated according to specific disease parameters. Unlike traditional 2D monolayer cultures, which inadequately capture the complexities of solid tumors, 3D co-culture systems provide a more accurate representation of the tumor microenvironment. This includes critical interactions with mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which significantly modulate cancer cell behavior and therapeutic responses. Most of the findings from the co-culture of Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 breast cancer cells and MSC showed the formation of monolayers. Although changes in the plasticity of MSCs and iPSCs caused by other cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) have been extensively researched, the effect of MSCs on cancer stem cell (CSC) aggressiveness is still controversial and contradictory among different research communities. Some researchers have argued that CSCs proliferate more, while others have proposed that cancer spread occurs through dormancy. This highlights the need for further investigation into how these interactions shape cancer aggressiveness. The objective of this review is to explore changes in cancer cell behavior within a 3D microenvironment enriched with MSCs, iPSCs, and ECM components. By describing various MSC and iPSC-derived 3D breast cancer models that replicate tumor biology, we aim to elucidate potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer. A particular focus of this review is the Transwell system, which facilitates understanding how MSCs and iPSCs affect critical processes such as migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. The gradient formed between the two chambers is based on diffusion, as seen in the human body. Once optimized, this Transwell model can serve as a high-throughput screening platform for evaluating various anticancer agents. In the future, primary cell-based and patient-derived 3D organoid models hold promise for advancing personalized medicine and accelerating drug development processes.

The Orphan GPR50 Receptor Regulates the Aggressiveness of Breast Cancer Stem-like Cells via Targeting the NF-kB Signaling Pathway

The expression of GPR50 in CSLC and several breast cancer cell lines was assessed by RT-PCR and online platform (UALCAN, GEPIA, and R2 gene analysis). The role of GPR50 in driving CSLC, sphere formation, cell proliferation, and migration was performed using shGPR50 gene knockdown, and the role of GPR50-regulated signaling pathways was examined by Western blotting and Luciferase Assay. Herein, we confirmed that the expression of G protein-coupled receptor 50 (GPR50) in cancer stem-like cells (CSLC) is higher than that in other cancer cells. We examined that the knockdown of GPR50 in CSLC led to decreased cancer properties, such as sphere formation, cell proliferation, migration, and stemness. GPR50 silencing downregulates NF-kB signaling, which is involved in sphere formation and aggressiveness of CSLC. In addition, we demonstrated that GPR50 also regulates ADAM-17 activity by activating NOTCH signaling pathways through the AKT/SP1 axis in CSLC. Overall, we demonstrated a novel GPR50-mediated regulation of the NF-κB-Notch signaling pathway, which can provide insights into CSLC progression and prognosis, and NF-κB-NOTCH-based CSLC treatment strategies.

Essential Role of Adhesion GPCR, GPR123, for Human Pluripotent Stem Cells and Reprogramming towards Pluripotency

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface receptors. They modulate key physiological functions and are required in diverse developmental processes including embryogenesis, but their role in pluripotency maintenance and acquisition during the reprogramming towards hiPSCs draws little attention. Meanwhile, it is known that more than 106 GPCRs are overexpressed in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Previously, to identify novel effectors of reprogramming, we performed a high-throughput RNA interference (RNAi) screening assay and identified adhesion GPCR, GPR123, as a potential reprogramming effector. Its role has not been explored before. Herein, by employing GPR123 RNAi we addressed the role of GPR123 for hPSCs. The suppression of GPR123 in hPSCs leads to the loss of pluripotency and differentiation, impacted colony morphology, accumulation of cells at the G2 phase of the cell cycle, and absence of the scratch closure. Application of the GPR123 RNAi at the initiation stage of reprogramming leads to a decrease in the percentage of the "true" hiPSC colonies, a drop in E-cadherin expression, a decrease in the percentage of NANOG+ nuclei, and the absence of actin cytoskeleton remodeling. Together this leads to the absence of the alkaline-phosphatase-positive hiPSCs colonies on the 18th day of the reprogramming process. Overall, these data indicate for the first time the essential role of GPR123 in the maintenance and acquisition of pluripotency.

RNF43 induces the turnover of protease-activated receptor 2 in colon cancer

Post-translational modification of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) plays a central role in tissue hemostasis and cancer. The molecular mechanism of post-translational regulation of protease-activated receptors (PARs), a subgroup of GPCRs is yet understudied. Here we show that the cell-surface transmembrane E3 ubiquitin ligase ring finger 43 (RNF43) is a negative feedback regulator of PAR₂ , impacting PAR₂ -induced signaling and colon cancer growth. RNF43 co-associates with PAR₂ , promoting its membrane elimination and degradation as shown by reduced cell surface biotinylated PAR₂ levels and polyubiquitination. PAR₂ degradation is rescued by R-spondin2 in the presence of leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor5 (LGR5). In fact, PAR₂ acts jointly with LGR5, as recapitulated by increased β-catenin levels, transcriptional activity, phospho-LRP6, and anchorage-independent colony growth in agar. Animal models of the chemically induced AOM/DSS colon cancer of wt versus Par2/f2rl1 KO mice as also the 'spleen-liver' colon cancer metastasis, allocated a central role for PAR₂ in colon cancer growth and development. RNF43 is abundantly expressed in the Par2/f2rl1 KO-treated AOM/DSS colon tissues while its level is very low to nearly null in colon cancer adenocarcinomas of the wt mice. The same result is obtained in the 'spleen-liver' model of spleen-inoculated cells, metastasized to the liver. High RNF43 expression is observed in the liver upon shRNA -Par2 silencing. "Limited-dilution-assay" performed in mice in-vivo, assigned PAR₂ as a member of the cancer stem cell niche compartment. Collectively, we elucidate an original regulation of PAR₂ oncogene, a member of cancer stem cells, by RNF43 ubiquitin ligase. It impacts β-catenin signaling and colon cancer growth.

Characterization and expression profiling of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Spodoptera litura is a highly destructive omnivorous pest, and they caused serious damage to various crops. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate dozens of physiological processes including reproduction, development, life span and behaviors, but the information of these receptors has been lacking in S. litura. Here, we methodically identified 122 GPCRs in S. litura and made an assay of their expression patterns in different tissues. Comparing the identified GPCRs with homologous genes of other insects, it is obvious that the subfamily A2 (biogenic amine receptors) and the subfamily A3 (neuropeptide and protein hormone receptors) of S. litura have expanded to a certain extent, which may be related to the omnivorous nature and drought environment resistance of S. litura. Besides, the large Methuselah (Mth)/Methuselah-like (Mthl) subfamily of S. litura may be involved in many physiological functions such as longevity and stress response. Apart from duplicate receptors, the loss of parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHR) and the bride of sevenless (Boss) receptor in the lepidopteran insects may imply a new pattern of wing formation and energy metabolism in lepidopteran insects. In addition, the high expression level of GPCRs in different tissues reflects the functional diversity of GPCRs regulating. Systemic identification and initial characterization of GPCRs in S. litura provide a basis for further studies to reveal the functions of these receptors in regulating physiology and behavior.

Regulation of Tumor and Metastasis Initiation by Chemokine Receptors

Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) are a rare sub-population of cells within the bulk of a tumor that are major contributors to tumor initiation, metastasis, and chemoresistance. TICs have a stem-cell-like phenotype that is dictated by the expression of master regulator transcription factors, including OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2. These transcription factors are expressed via activation of multiple signaling pathways that drive cancer initiation and progression. Importantly, these same signaling pathways can be activated by select chemokine receptors. Chemokine receptors are increasingly being revealed as major drivers of the TIC phenotype, as their signaling can lead to activation of stemness-controlling transcription factors. Additionally, the cell surface expression of chemokine receptors provides a unique therapeutic target to disrupt signaling pathways that control the expression of master regulator transcription factors and the TIC phenotype. This review summarizes the master regulator transcription factors known to dictate the TIC phenotype, along with the complex signaling pathways that can mediate their expression and the chemokine receptors that are most upstream of this phenotype.

PH-Binding Motif in PAR4 Oncogene: From Molecular Mechanism to Drug Design

While the role of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) in cancer is acknowledged, their underlying signaling pathways are understudied. Protease-activated receptors (PAR), a subgroup of GPCRs, form a family of four members (PAR1-4) centrally involved in epithelial malignancies. PAR4 emerges as a potent oncogene, capable of inducing tumor generation. Here, we demonstrate identification of a pleckstrin-homology (PH)-binding motif within PAR4, critical for colon cancer growth. In addition to PH-Akt/PKB association, other PH-containing signal proteins such as Gab1 and Sos1 also associate with PAR4. Point mutations are in the C-tail of PAR4 PH-binding domain; F347 L and D349A, but not E346A, abrogate these associations. Pc(4-4), a lead backbone cyclic peptide, was selected out of a mini-library, directed toward PAR2&4 PH-binding motifs. It effectively attenuates PAR2&4-Akt/PKB associations; PAR4 instigated Matrigel invasion and migration in vitro and tumor development in vivo. EGFR/erbB is among the most prominent cancer targets. AYPGKF peptide ligand activation of PAR4 induces EGF receptor (EGFR) Tyr-phosphorylation, effectively inhibited by Pc(4-4). The presence of PAR2 and PAR4 in biopsies of aggressive breast and colon cancer tissue specimens is demonstrated. We propose that Pc(4-4) may serve as a powerful drug not only toward PAR-expressing tumors but also for treating EGFR/erbB-expressing tumors in cases of resistance to traditional therapies. Overall, our studies are expected to allocate new targets for cancer therapy. Pc(4-4) may become a promising candidate for future therapeutic cancer treatment.

Blocking Gi/o-Coupled Signaling Eradicates Cancer Stem Cells and Sensitizes Breast Tumors to HER2-Targeted Therapies to Inhibit Tumor Relapse

Simple Summary

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are associated with therapeutic resistance and tumor relapse but effective approaches for eliminating CSCs are still lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the role of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in regulating CSCs in breast cancer. We showed that a subgroup of GPCRs that coupled to Gi/o proteins (Gi/o-GPCRs) was required for maintaining the tumor-forming capability of CSCs in HER2+ breast cancer. Targeting Gi/o-GPCRs or their downstream PI3K/AKT and Src pathways was able to enhance HER2-targeted elimination of CSCs and therapeutic efficacy. These findings suggest that targeting Gi/o-GPCR signaling is an effective strategy for eradicating CSCs, enhancing HER2+ targeted therapy and blocking tumor recurrence.

Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of cells within tumors that are resistant to anti-tumor therapies, making them a likely origin of tumor relapse after treatment. In many cancers including breast cancer, CSC function is regulated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), making GPCR signaling an attractive target for new therapies designed to eradicate CSCs. Yet, CSCs overexpress multiple GPCRs that are redundant in maintaining CSC function, so it is unclear how to target all the various GPCRs to prevent relapse. Here, in a model of HER2+ breast cancer (i.e., transgenic MMTV-Neu mice), we were able to block the tumorsphere- and tumor-forming capability of CSCs by targeting GPCRs coupled to Gi/o proteins (Gi/o-GPCRs). Similarly, in HER2+ breast cancer cells, blocking signaling downstream of Gi/o-GPCRs in the PI3K/AKT and Src pathways also enhanced HER2-targeted elimination of CSCs. In a proof-of-concept study, when CSCs were selectively ablated (via a suicide gene construct), loss of CSCs from HER2+ breast cancer cell populations mimicked the effect of targeting Gi/o-GPCR signaling, suppressing their capacity for tumor initiation and progression and enhancing HER2-targeted therapy. Thus, targeting Gi/o-GPCR signaling in HER2+ breast cancer is a promising approach for eradicating CSCs, enhancing HER2+ targeted therapy and blocking tumor reemergence.

Identification, semantic annotation and comparison of combinations of functional elements in multiple biological conditions

MOTIVATION

Approaches such as chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) represent the standard for the identification of binding sites of DNA-associated proteins, including transcription factors and histone marks. Public repositories of omics data contain a huge number of experimental ChIP-seq data, but their reuse and integrative analysis across multiple conditions remain a daunting task.

RESULTS

We present the Combinatorial and Semantic Analysis of Functional Elements (CombSAFE), an efficient computational method able to integrate and take advantage of the valuable and numerous, but heterogeneous, ChIP-seq data publicly available in big data repositories. Leveraging natural language processing techniques, it integrates omics data samples with semantic annotations from selected biomedical ontologies; then, using hidden Markov models, it identifies combinations of static and dynamic functional elements throughout the genome for the corresponding samples. CombSAFE allows analyzing the whole genome, by clustering patterns of regions with similar functional elements and through enrichment analyses to discover ontological terms significantly associated with them. Moreover, it allows comparing functional states of a specific genomic region to analyze their different behavior throughout the various semantic annotations. Such findings can provide novel insights by identifying unexpected combinations of functional elements in different biological conditions.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The Python implementation of the CombSAFE pipeline is freely available for non-commercial use at: https://github.com/DEIB-GECO/CombSAFE.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Integrated Analysis of Genomic and Immunological Features in Lung Adenocarcinoma With Micropapillary Component

Background

Micropapillary adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive histologic subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma (LADC), and even a minor proportion of micropapillary component (MPC) within the LADC could contribute to poor prognosis. Comprehensive analysis of genetic and immunological features of LADC with different percentages of MPC would help better understand cancer biology of this LADC subtype and direct future treatments.

Methods

We performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) for a discovery cohort of 43 LADC patients whose tumors were micro-dissected to separate MPC and non-MPC lesions and a reference cohort of 113 LADC patients. MPC-enriched genetic alterations that were detected in the discovery cohort were then confirmed using a validation cohort of 183 LADC patients. Immunological staining was also conducted on the MPC-containing samples in the discovery cohort.

Results

Tumors with a higher percentage of MPC tended to harbor more tumor mutation burdens (TMBs) and chromosome instability (CIN). Some rare genetic events may serve as the genetic landscape to drive micropapillary tumor progression. Specifically, alterations in transcription termination factor 1 (TTF1), brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 3 (BAI3), mammalian target of rapamycin (MTOR), and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) were cross-validated to be enriched in MPC-contained LADC. Additionally, tumors with a higher percentage of MPC were associated with a higher percentage of CD4+, CD8+, and PD-L1+ staining, and some genetic changes that were enriched in MPC, including MET amplification and MTOR mutation, were correlated with increased PD-L1 expression.

Conclusion

We identified multiple novel MPC-enriched genetic changes that could help us understand the nature of this aggressive cancer subtype. High MPC tumors tended to have elevated levels of TMBs, T cell infiltration, and immunosuppression than low MPC tumors, implying the potential link between MPC content and sensitivity to immunotherapy.

The Impact of Spaceflight and Microgravity on the Human Islet-1+ Cardiovascular Progenitor Cell Transcriptome

Understanding the transcriptomic impact of microgravity and the spaceflight environment is relevant for future missions in space and microgravity-based applications designed to benefit life on Earth. Here, we investigated the transcriptome of adult and neonatal cardiovascular progenitors following culture aboard the International Space Station for 30 days and compared it to the transcriptome of clonally identical cells cultured on Earth. Cardiovascular progenitors acquire a gene expression profile representative of an early-stage, dedifferentiated, stem-like state, regardless of age. Signaling pathways that support cell proliferation and survival were induced by spaceflight along with transcripts related to cell cycle re-entry, cardiovascular development, and oxidative stress. These findings contribute new insight into the multifaceted influence of reduced gravitational environments.

Biological and therapeutic implications of a unique subtype of NPM1 mutated AML

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), molecular heterogeneity across patients constitutes a major challenge for prognosis and therapy. AML with NPM1 mutation is a distinct genetic entity in the revised World Health Organization classification. However, differing patterns of co-mutation and response to therapy within this group necessitate further stratification. Here we report two distinct subtypes within NPM1 mutated AML patients, which we label as primitive and committed based on the respective presence or absence of a stem cell signature. Using gene expression (RNA-seq), epigenomic (ATAC-seq) and immunophenotyping (CyToF) analysis, we associate each subtype with specific molecular characteristics, disease differentiation state and patient survival. Using ex vivo drug sensitivity profiling, we show a differential drug response of the subtypes to specific kinase inhibitors, irrespective of the FLT3-ITD status. Differential drug responses of the primitive and committed subtype are validated in an independent AML cohort. Our results highlight heterogeneity among NPM1 mutated AML patient samples based on stemness and suggest that the addition of kinase inhibitors to the treatment of cases with the primitive signature, lacking FLT3-ITD, could have therapeutic benefit.

pH variation impacts molecular pathways associated with somatic cell reprogramming and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells

RATIONALE

The study of somatic cell reprogramming and cell differentiation is essential for the application of recent techniques in regenerative medicine. It is, specifically, necessary to determine the appropriate conditions required for the induction of reprogramming and cell differentiation.

METHODS

Based on a comprehensive literature review, the effects of pH fluctuation on alternative splicing, mitochondria, plasma membrane, and phase separation, in several cell types are discussed. Additionally, the associated molecular pathways important for the induction of differentiation and reprogramming are reviewed.

RESULTS

While cells change their state, several factors such as cytokines and physical parameters affect cellular reprogramming and differentiation. As the extracellular and intracellular pH affects biophysical phenomena in a cell, the effects of pH fluctuation can ultimately decide the cell fate through molecular pathways. Though few studies have reported on the direct effects of culture pH on cell state, there is substantial information on the pathways related to stem cell differentiation and somatic cell reprogramming that can be stimulated by environmental pH.

CONCLUSION

Environmental pH fluctuations may decide cell fate through the molecular pathways associated with somatic cell reprogramming and cell differentiation.

Targeting DNA Methylation Depletes Uterine Leiomyoma Stem Cell-enriched Population by Stimulating Their Differentiation

Uterine leiomyoma (LM) is the most common tumor in women and can cause severe morbidity. Leiomyoma growth requires the maintenance and proliferation of a stem cell population. Dysregulated deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation has been reported in LM, but its role in LM stem cell regulation remains unclear. Here, we fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-sorted cells from human LM tissues into 3 populations: LM stem cell-like cells (LSC, 5%), LM intermediate cells (LIC, 7%), and differentiated LM cells (LDC, 88%), and we analyzed the transcriptome and epigenetic landscape of LM cells at different differentiation stages. Leiomyoma stem cell-like cells harbored a unique methylome, with 8862 differentially methylated regions compared to LIC and 9444 compared to LDC, most of which were hypermethylated. Consistent with global hypermethylation, transcript levels of TET1 and TET3 methylcytosine dioxygenases were lower in LSC. Integrative analyses revealed an inverse relationship between methylation and gene expression changes during LSC differentiation. In LSC, hypermethylation suppressed the genes important for myometrium- and LM-associated functions, including muscle contraction and hormone action, to maintain stemness. The hypomethylating drug, 5'-Aza, stimulated LSC differentiation, depleting the stem cell population and inhibiting tumor initiation. Our data suggest that DNA methylation maintains the pool of LSC, which is critical for the regeneration of LM tumors.

The lysophospholipase D enzyme Gdpd3 is required to maintain chronic myelogenous leukaemia stem cells

Although advanced lipidomics technology facilitates quantitation of intracellular lipid components, little is known about the regulation of lipid metabolism in cancer cells. Here, we show that disruption of the Gdpd3 gene encoding a lysophospholipase D enzyme significantly decreased self-renewal capacity in murine chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) stem cells in vivo. Sophisticated lipidomics analyses revealed that Gdpd3 deficiency reduced levels of certain lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) and lipid mediators in CML cells. Loss of Gdpd3 also activated AKT/mTORC1 signalling and cell cycle progression while suppressing Foxo3a/β-catenin interaction within CML stem cell nuclei. Strikingly, CML stem cells carrying a hypomorphic mutation of Lgr4/Gpr48, which encodes a leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-containing G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) acting downstream of Gdpd3, displayed inadequate disease-initiating capacity in vivo. Our data showing that lysophospholipid metabolism is required for CML stem cell maintenance in vivo establish a new, biologically significant mechanism of cancer recurrence that is independent of oncogene addiction.

How lipid metabolism can affect cancer recurrence is still unclear. Here, the authors show that the lysophospholipase D Gdpd3 maintains self-renewal capacity of CML stem cells by regulating the quiescence, and AKT/mTORC1 and Foxo3a/β-catenin signalling in an oncogene-independent manner.

GPR50 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via the Notch Signaling Pathway through Direct Interaction with ADAM17

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and it is thus critical to identify novel molecular biomarkers of HCC prognosis and elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC progression. Here, we show that G-protein-coupled receptor 50 (GPR50) in HCC is overexpressed and that GPR50 knockdown may downregulate cancer cell progression through attenuation of the Notch signaling pathway. GPR50 knockdown was found to reduce HCC progression by inactivating Notch signaling in a ligand-independent manner through a disintegrin and metalloproteinase metallopeptidase domain 17 (ADAM17), a proteolytic enzyme that cleaves the Notch receptor, which was corroborated by GPR50 overexpression in hepatocytes. GPR50 silencing also downregulated transcription and translation of ADAM17 through the AKT/specificity protein-1 (SP1) signaling axis. Notably, GPR50 was found to directly interact with ADAM17. Overall, we demonstrate a novel GPR50-mediated regulation of the ADAM17-Notch signaling pathway, which can provide insights into HCC progression and prognosis and development of Notch-based HCC treatment strategies.

Stemness regulation of the adrenal mixed corticomedullary tumorigenesis-a case-control study

Mixed corticomedullary tumor is an adrenal tumor intermixed with cortical and medullary cells. It is extremely rare with unclear tumorigenesis. We reported a 32-year-old female, manifested with typical Cushing’s syndrome and hypertension, to be diagnosed with right huge adrenal mixed corticomedullary tumor (8.8 cm). Right adrenalectomy was done to document the tumor intimately admixed with adrenal cortical adenoma and pheochromocytoma by biochemistry and immunohistochemistry. A case-control study was designed to explore the tumorigenesis of mixed corticomedullary tumor by whole exome sequencing. Expression of the stemness markers was controlled by a tissue array of 80 adrenal tumors. Overall, 1559 identical variants coexisted in parts of adrenal cortical adenoma and pheochromocytoma, which mainly (85.8%) originated from germline mutations. These enriched mutations were engaged in stemness control, coherent with substantial expression of the stemness markers (SOX2, CD44 and OCT4) in both parts. The differential stemness expressions were demonstrated in other adrenal tumors as well. The germline mutations were also enriched in signaling involving cancer proliferation, hypoxia inducible factor-1, focal adhesion and extracellular matrix receptor interaction. Somatic mutations affecting mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, glycolysis and the citrate cycle were found in some tumor elements. This is the first study to verify the rare mixed corticomedullary tumor by molecular and genetic evidence to link with its phenotype. Germline mutations involving the stemness regulation and cancer proliferative signaling may drive intermixed tumor formation. Somatic mutations related to glycolysis and the citrate cycle may contribute to greater tumor outgrowth.

Targeting RGS4 Ablates Glioblastoma Proliferation

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common type of adult primary brain tumor with a median survival rate of less than 15 months, regardless of the current standard of care. Cellular heterogeneity, self-renewal ability and tumorigenic glioma cancer stem cell (GSC) populations contribute to the difficulty in treating GBM. G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest group of membrane proteins and mediate many cellular responses. Regulators of G-protein signaling 4 (RGS4) are negative regulators of G-protein signaling, and elevated levels of RGS4 are reportedly linked with several human diseases, including cancer. This study investigates the effect of silencing RGS4, resulting in inhibition of GSC growth, invasion and migration. Data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) demonstrated poor patient survival with high expression of RGS4. Immunohistochemistry and immunoblot analysis conducted on GBM patient biopsy specimens demonstrated increased RGS4 expression correlative with the TCGA data. RNA sequencing confirmed a significant decrease in the expression of markers involved in GSC invasion and migration, particularly matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) in knockout of RGS4 using CRISPR plasmid (ko-RGS4)-treated samples compared to parental controls. Gelatin zymography confirmed the reduced activity of MMP2 in ko-RGS4-treated samples. Silencing RGS4 further reduced the invasive and migratory abilities and induction of apoptosis of GSCs as evidenced by Matrigel plug assay, wound healing assay and human apoptosis array. Collectively, our results showed that the silencing of RGS4 plays an important role in regulating multiple cellular functions, and is an important therapeutic target in GBM.

Characterization of upregulated adhesion GPCRs in acute myeloid leukemia

The role of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) in cancer has become increasingly evident in recent years. Yet, data supporting the contribution of this family of genes to hematological malignancies, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are limited. Here, we use publicly available genomic data to characterize the expression of the 33 aGPCRs in patients with AML and examine whether upregulation of these genes is associated with the clinical and molecular characteristics of patients. Upregulation in one or more of eight aGPCR genes (ADGRB1, ADGRC2, ADGRD1, ADGRE1, ADGRE2, ADGRE5, ADGRG1, and/or ADGRG3) was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) (median OS: 11.8 vs 55.4 months; P < 0.0001). This was also significant in multivariate survival analysis (hazard ratio: 1.73; 95% confidence interval 1.11-2.69; P = 0.015) after adjusting for age, molecular risk status, and transplant status. High expression of the eight aGPCRs was significantly associated with older age (≥60; P = 0.011). Patients with high aGPCRs expression were more frequently classified in the poor molecular risk status group and less in the good risk status group compared with patients with low aGPCRs expression (31% vs 17% P = 0.049 and 14% vs 28% P = 0.027, respectively). Via Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, we identified the interleukin-8 signaling pathway among the most activated pathways in patients with high aGPCRs expression. Overall, our data suggest that particular aGPCRs are frequently upregulated in AML and associated with poor clinical outcome. Future functional and mechanistic analyses are needed to address the role of aGPCRs in AML.

Endothelial Differentiation G Protein-Coupled Receptor 5 Plays an Important Role in Induction and Maintenance of Pluripotency

Direct reprogramming of human somatic cells toward induced pluripotent stem cells holds great promise for regenerative medicine and basic biology. We used a high-throughput small interfering RNA screening assay in the initiation phase of reprogramming for 784 genes belonging to kinase and phosphatase families and identified 68 repressors and 22 effectors. Six new candidates belonging to the family of the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) were identified, suggesting an important role for this key signaling pathway during somatic cell-induced reprogramming. Downregulation of one of the key GPCR effectors, endothelial differentiation GPCR5 (EDG5), impacted the maintenance of pluripotency, actin cytoskeleton organization, colony integrity, and focal adhesions in human embryonic stem cells, which were associated with the alteration in the RhoA-ROCK-Cofilin-PAXILLIN-actin signaling pathway. Similarly, downregulation of EDG5 during the initiation stage of somatic cell-induced reprogramming resulted in alteration of cytoskeleton, loss of human-induced pluripotent stem cell colony integrity, and a significant reduction in partially and fully reprogrammed cells as well as the number of alkaline phosphatase positive colonies at the end of the reprogramming process. Together, these data point to an important role of EDG5 in the maintenance and acquisition of pluripotency. Stem Cells 2019;37:318-331.

PASNet: pathway-associated sparse deep neural network for prognosis prediction from high-throughput data

Background

Predicting prognosis in patients from large-scale genomic data is a fundamentally challenging problem in genomic medicine. However, the prognosis still remains poor in many diseases. The poor prognosis may be caused by high complexity of biological systems, where multiple biological components and their hierarchical relationships are involved. Moreover, it is challenging to develop robust computational solutions with high-dimension, low-sample size data.

Results

In this study, we propose a Pathway-Associated Sparse Deep Neural Network (PASNet) that not only predicts patients’ prognoses but also describes complex biological processes regarding biological pathways for prognosis. PASNet models a multilayered, hierarchical biological system of genes and pathways to predict clinical outcomes by leveraging deep learning. The sparse solution of PASNet provides the capability of model interpretability that most conventional fully-connected neural networks lack. We applied PASNet for long-term survival prediction in Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), which is a primary brain cancer that shows poor prognostic performance. The predictive performance of PASNet was evaluated with multiple cross-validation experiments. PASNet showed a higher Area Under the Curve (AUC) and F1-score than previous long-term survival prediction classifiers, and the significance of PASNet’s performance was assessed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Furthermore, the biological pathways, found in PASNet, were referred to as significant pathways in GBM in previous biology and medicine research.

Conclusions

PASNet can describe the different biological systems of clinical outcomes for prognostic prediction as well as predicting prognosis more accurately than the current state-of-the-art methods. PASNet is the first pathway-based deep neural network that represents hierarchical representations of genes and pathways and their nonlinear effects, to the best of our knowledge. Additionally, PASNet would be promising due to its flexible model representation and interpretability, embodying the strengths of deep learning. The open-source code of PASNet is available at https://github.com/DataX-JieHao/PASNet.

CXCL2/CXCR2 axis induces cancer stem cell characteristics in CPT-11-resistant LoVo colon cancer cells via Gαi-2 and Gαq/11

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) exist in colon cancer and exhibit characteristics of stem cells which are due to lineages of tissues where they arise. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-undergoing cancer cells display CSC properties and therapeutic resistance. Cancer and stromal cells comprise of a tumor microenvironment. One way the two populations communicate with each other is to secret CXC ligands (CXCLs). CXCLs are capable of causing chemotaxis of specific types of stromal cells and control angiogenesis. Double immunofluorescence, western blot analysis, and colony-formation assay were carried out to compare parental and CPT-11-resistant LoVo cells. CPT-11-R LoVo colon cancer cells showed increased expression of CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, and CXCL8. They displayed significantly increased intracellular protein levels of CXCL2 and CXCR2. CPT-11-R LoVo cells showed significantly elevated expression in aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24), cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). CXCL2 knockdown by short hairpin RNA resulted in reduced expression of CSC proteins, cyclins, EMT markers, G proteins, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Finally, Gαi-2 was found to promote expression of CSC genes and tumorigenesis which were more apparent in the resistant cells. In addition, Gαq/11 showed a similar pattern with exceptions of EpCAM and MMP9. Therefore, CXCL2-CXCR2 axis mediates through Gαi-2 and Gαq/11 to promote tumorigenesis and contributes to CSC properties of CPT-11-R LoVo cells.

Plasticity of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells and Regulation of Angiogenesis

Adipose tissue is recognized as an important organ with metabolic, regulatory, and plastic roles. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) with self-renewal properties localize in the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) being present in a vascular niche, thereby, contributing to local regulation of angiogenesis and vessel remodeling. In the past decades, ASCs have attracted much attention from biologists and bioengineers, particularly, because of their multilineage differentiation potential, strong proliferation, and migration abilities in vitro and high resistance to oxidative stress and senescence. Current data suggest that the SVF serves as an important source of endothelial progenitors, endothelial cells, and pericytes, thereby, contributing to vessel remodeling and growth. In addition, ASCs demonstrate intriguing metabolic and interlineage plasticity, which makes them good candidates for creating regenerative therapeutic protocols, in vitro tissue models and microphysiological systems, and tissue-on-chip devices for diagnostic and regeneration-supporting purposes. This review covers recent achievements in understanding the metabolic activity within the SVF niches (lactate and NAD+ metabolism), which is critical for maintaining the pool of ASCs, and discloses their pro-angiogenic potential, particularly, in the complex therapy of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Transcriptional Landscape of PARs in Epithelial Malignancies

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest family of cell receptors, act as important regulators of diverse signaling pathways. Our understanding of the impact of GPCRs in tumors is emerging, yet there is no therapeutic platform based on GPCR driver genes. As cancer progresses, it disrupts normal epithelial organization and maintains the cells outside their normal niche. The dynamic and flexible microenvironment of a tumor contains both soluble and matrix-immobilized proteases that contribute to the process of cancer advancement. An example is the activation of cell surface protease-activated receptors (PARs). Mammalian PARs are a subgroup of GPCRs that form a family of four members, PAR_1–4, which are uniquely activated by proteases found in the microenvironment. PAR₁ and PAR₂ play central roles in tumor biology, and PAR₃ acts as a coreceptor. The significance of PAR₄ in neoplasia is just beginning to emerge. PAR₁ has been shown to be overexpressed in malignant epithelia, in direct correlation with tumor aggressiveness, but there is no expression in normal epithelium. In this review, the involvement of key transcription factors such as Egr1, p53, Twist, AP2, and Sp1 that control PAR₁ expression levels specifically, as well as hormone transcriptional regulation by both estrogen receptors (ER) and androgen receptors (AR) are discussed. The cloning of the human protease-activated receptor 2; Par2 (hPar2) promoter region and transcriptional regulation of estrogen (E₂) via binding of the E₂–ER complex to estrogen response elements (ERE) are shown. In addition, evidence that TEA domain 4 (TEAD₄) motifs are present within the hPar2 promoter is presented since the YAP oncogene, which plays a central part in tumor etiology, acts via the TEAD₄ transcription factor. As of now, no information is available on regulation of the hPar3 promoter. With regard to hPar4, only data showing CpG methylation promoter regulation is available. Characterization of the PAR transcriptional landscape may identify powerful targets for cancer therapies.

Kahweol inhibits lipid accumulation and induces Glucose-uptake through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)

Weight loss ≥ 5 percent is sufficient to significantly reduce health risks for obese people; therefore, development of novel weight loss compounds with reduced toxicity is urgently required. After screening of natural compounds with anti-adipogenesis properties in 3T3-L1 cells, we determined that kahweol, a coffee-specific diterpene, inhibited adipogenesis. Kahweol reduced lipid accumulation and expression levels of adipogenesis and lipid accumulation-related factors. Levels of phosphorylated AKT and phosphorylated JAK2, that induce lipid accumulation, decreased in kahweol-treated cells. Particularly, kahweol treatment significantly increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. We revealed that depletion of AMPK alleviated reduction in lipid accumulation from kahweol treatment, suggesting that inhibition of lipid accumulation by kahweol is dependent on AMPK activation. We detected more rapid reduction in blood glucose levels in mice administrated kahweol than in control mice. We suggest that kahweol has anti-obesity effects and should be studied further for possible therapeutic applications.

The G protein-coupled receptor GPR34 - The past 20 years of a grownup

Research on GPR34, which was discovered in 1999 as an orphan G protein-coupled receptor of the rhodopsin-like class, disclosed its physiologic relevance only piece by piece. Being present in all recent vertebrate genomes analyzed so far it seems to improve the fitness of species although it is not essential for life and reproduction as GPR34-deficient mice demonstrate. However, closer inspection of macrophages and microglia, where it is mainly expressed, revealed its relevance in immune cell function. Recent data clearly demonstrate that GPR34 function is required to arrest microglia in the M0 homeostatic non-phagocytic phenotype. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge on its evolution, genomic and structural organization, physiology, pharmacology and relevance in human diseases including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, which accumulated over the last 20 years.

Blood-brain barrier-supported neurogenesis in healthy and diseased brain

Adult neurogenesis is one of the most important mechanisms contributing to brain development, learning, and memory. Alterations in neurogenesis underlie a wide spectrum of brain diseases. Neurogenesis takes place in highly specialized neurogenic niches. The concept of neurogenic niches is becoming widely accepted due to growing evidence of the important role of the microenvironment established in the close vicinity to stem cells in order to provide adequate control of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Neurogenic niches represent the platform for tight integration of neurogenesis and angiogenesis supported by specific properties of cerebral microvessel endothelial cells contributing to establishment of partially compromised blood-brain barrier (BBB) for the adjustment of local conditions to the current metabolic needs of stem and progenitor cells. Here, we review up-to-date data on microvascular dynamics in activity-dependent neurogenesis, specific properties of BBB in neurogenic niches, endothelial-driven mechanisms of clonogenic activity, and future perspectives for reconstructing the neurogenic niches in vitro.

Global phenotypic characterisation of human platelet lysate expanded MSCs by high-throughput flow cytometry

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a promising cell source to develop cell therapy for many diseases. Human platelet lysate (PLT) is increasingly used as an alternative to foetal calf serum (FCS) for clinical-scale MSC production. To date, the global surface protein expression of PLT-expended MSCs (MSC-PLT) is not known. To investigate this, paired MSC-PLT and MSC-FCS were analysed in parallel using high-throughput flow cytometry for the expression of 356 cell surface proteins. MSC-PLT showed differential surface protein expression compared to their MSC-FCS counterpart. Higher percentage of positive cells was observed in MSC-PLT for 48 surface proteins, of which 13 were significantly enriched on MSC-PLT. This finding was validated using multiparameter flow cytometry and further confirmed by quantitative staining intensity analysis. The enriched surface proteins are relevant to increased proliferation and migration capacity, as well as enhanced chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation properties. In silico network analysis revealed that these enriched surface proteins are involved in three distinct networks that are associated with inflammatory responses, carbohydrate metabolism and cellular motility. This is the first study reporting differential cell surface protein expression between MSC-PLT and MSC-FSC. Further studies are required to uncover the impact of those enriched proteins on biological functions of MSC-PLT.

The Metabolic Microenvironment Steers Bone Tissue Regeneration

Over the past years, basic findings in cancer research have revealed metabolic symbiosis between different cell types to cope with high energy demands under limited nutrient availability. Although this also applies to regenerating tissues with disrupted physiological nutrient and oxygen supply, the impact of this metabolic cooperation and metabolic reprogramming on cellular development, fate, and function during tissue regeneration has widely been neglected so far. With this review, we aim to provide a schematic overview on metabolic links that have a high potential to drive tissue regeneration. As bone is, aside from liver, the only tissue that can regenerate without excessive scar tissue formation, we will use bone healing as an exemplarily model system.

An investigation into the potential role of brain angiogenesis inhibitor protein 3 (BAI3) in the tumorigenesis of small-cell carcinoma: a review of the surrounding literature

Brain angiogenesis inhibitor protein 3 (BAI3) is from the adhesion group of seven-transmembrane spanning G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and has been identified via gene expression profiling as being upregulated in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) tumors. It has subsequently been validated as a sensitive and specific immunohistochemical marker for SCLC, helping to differentiate these tumors from morphologically similar large-cell neuroendocrine (LCNEC) malignancies. It is, however, still unclear as to the role BAI3 proteins might play in SCLC and indeed how they might contribute to tumorigenesis. Interestingly, the pattern of staining observed on immunohistochemistry was in fact nuclear as opposed to the membranous staining pattern expected of transmembrane-bound molecules. This fact has lead the authors to believe that the protein receptor is structurally altered in SCLC and that this modification may confer different behavioral properties that contribute toward tumorigenesis. Nuclear localization is not unique to BAI3 and has been reported in a number of GPCRs and frequently correlates with survival outcomes. BAI3 has the potential to act as target for pharmaceutical intervention inline with developing trends in molecular pathology aiming to provide personalized, treatment regimes based on tumor-specific mutation profiles. The adhesion group of the GPCR superfamily is still poorly understood. We present a review of the existing literature regarding the role they play in both physiological and disease states and the mechanisms by which they influence a range of cellular processes.

Thromboxane Governs the Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells Toward Endothelial Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

RATIONALE

Autologous adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) offer great promise as angiogenic cell therapy for ischemic diseases. Because of their limited self-renewal capacity and pluripotentiality, the therapeutic efficacy of ASCs is still relatively low. Thromboxane has been shown to play an important role in the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. However, little is known about the effects of thromboxane on ASC-mediated angiogenesis.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the role of the thromboxane-prostanoid receptor (TP) in mediating the angiogenic capacity of ASCs in vivo.

METHODS AND RESULTS

ASCs were prepared from mouse epididymal fat pads and induced to differentiate into endothelial cells (ECs) by vascular endothelial growth factor. Cyclooxygenase-2 expression, thromboxane production, and TP expression were upregulated in ASCs on vascular endothelial growth factor treatment. Genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of TP in mouse or human ASCs accelerated EC differentiation and increased tube formation in vitro, enhanced angiogenesis in in vivo Matrigel plugs and ischemic mouse hindlimbs. TP deficiency resulted in a significant cellular accumulation of β-catenin by suppression of calpain-mediated degradation in ASCs. Knockdown of β-catenin completely abrogated the enhanced EC differentiation of TP-deficient ASCs, whereas inhibition of calpain reversed the suppressed angiogenic capacity of TP re-expressed ASCs. Moreover, TP was coupled with Gαq to induce calpain-mediated suppression of β-catenin signaling through calcium influx in ASCs.

CONCLUSION

Thromboxane restrained EC differentiation of ASCs through TP-mediated repression of the calpain-dependent β-catenin signaling pathway. These results indicate that TP inhibition could be a promising strategy for therapy utilizing ASCs in the treatment of ischemic diseases.