1
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Lin SM, Rue R, Mukhitov AR, Goel A, Basil MC, Obraztsova K, Babu A, Crnkovic S, Ledwell OA, Ferguson LT, Planer JD, Nottingham AN, Vanka KS, Smith CJ, Cantu E, Kwapiszewska G, Morrisey EE, Evans JF, Krymskaya VP. Hyperactive mTORC1 in lung mesenchyme induces endothelial cell dysfunction and pulmonary vascular remodeling. J Clin Invest 2023; 134:e172116. [PMID: 38127441 PMCID: PMC10866655 DOI: 10.1172/jci172116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a progressive cystic lung disease caused by tuberous sclerosis complex 1/2 (TSC1/2) gene mutations in pulmonary mesenchymal cells, resulting in activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). A subset of patients with LAM develop pulmonary vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension. Little, however, is known regarding how LAM cells communicate with endothelial cells (ECs) to trigger vascular remodeling. In end-stage LAM lung explants, we identified EC dysfunction characterized by increased EC proliferation and migration, defective angiogenesis, and dysmorphic endothelial tube network formation. To model LAM disease, we used an mTORC1 gain-of-function mouse model with a Tsc2 KO (Tsc2KO) specific to lung mesenchyme (Tbx4LME-Cre Tsc2fl/fl), similar to the mesenchyme-specific genetic alterations seen in human disease. As early as 8 weeks of age, ECs from mice exhibited marked transcriptomic changes despite an absence of morphological changes to the distal lung microvasculature. In contrast, 1-year-old Tbx4LME-Cre Tsc2fl/fl mice spontaneously developed pulmonary vascular remodeling with increased medial thickness. Single-cell RNA-Seq of 1-year-old mouse lung cells identified paracrine ligands originating from Tsc2KO mesenchyme, which can signal through receptors in arterial ECs. These ECs had transcriptionally altered genes including those in pathways associated with blood vessel remodeling. The proposed pathophysiologic mesenchymal ligand-EC receptor crosstalk highlights the importance of an altered mesenchymal cell/EC axis in LAM and other hyperactive mTORC1-driven diseases. Since ECs in patients with LAM and in Tbx4LME-Cre Tsc2fl/fl mice did not harbor TSC2 mutations, our study demonstrates that constitutively active mTORC1 lung mesenchymal cells orchestrated dysfunctional EC responses that contributed to pulmonary vascular remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M. Lin
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
- Lung Biology Institute, and
| | - Ryan Rue
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Alexander R. Mukhitov
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Akansha Goel
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Maria C. Basil
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
- Lung Biology Institute, and
- Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kseniya Obraztsova
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
| | | | - Slaven Crnkovic
- Division of Physiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Vascular Research, Graz, Austria
- Institute for Lung Health, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Owen A. Ledwell
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Laura T. Ferguson
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
- Lung Biology Institute, and
| | - Joseph D. Planer
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
- Lung Biology Institute, and
| | - Ana N. Nottingham
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
- Lung Biology Institute, and
| | - Kanth Swaroop Vanka
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Carly J. Smith
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Edward Cantu
- Lung Biology Institute, and
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Grazyna Kwapiszewska
- Division of Physiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Vascular Research, Graz, Austria
- Institute for Lung Health, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Edward E. Morrisey
- Lung Biology Institute, and
- Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jillian F. Evans
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Vera P. Krymskaya
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
- Lung Biology Institute, and
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Du Y, Guo M, Wu Y, Wagner A, Perl AK, Wikenheiser-Brokamp K, Yu J, Gupta N, Kopras E, Krymskaya V, Obraztsova K, Tang Y, Kwiatkowski D, Henske EP, McCormack F, Xu Y. Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) Cell Atlas. Thorax 2023; 78:85-87. [PMID: 36599466 PMCID: PMC10280816 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2022-218772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare lung disease of women, causing cystic remodelling of the lung and progressive respiratory failure. The cellular composition, microenvironment and cellular interactions within the LAM lesion remain unclear. To facilitate data sharing and collaborative LAM research, we performed an integrative analysis of single-cell data compiled from lung, uterus and kidney of patients with LAM from three research centres and developed an LAM Cell Atlas (LCA) Web-Portal. The LCA offers a variety of interactive options for investigators to search, visualise and reanalyse comprehensive single-cell multiomics data sets to reveal dysregulated genetic programmes at transcriptomic, epigenomic and cell-cell connectome levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yina Du
- The Perinatal Institute and Section of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Minzhe Guo
- The Perinatal Institute and Section of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Yixin Wu
- The Perinatal Institute and Section of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Andrew Wagner
- The Perinatal Institute and Section of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Anne Karina Perl
- The Perinatal Institute and Section of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kathryn Wikenheiser-Brokamp
- The Perinatal Institute and Section of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jane Yu
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Nishant Gupta
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Elizabeth Kopras
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Vera Krymskaya
- Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kseniya Obraztsova
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Lung Biology Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yan Tang
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David Kwiatkowski
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Henske
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Francis McCormack
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Yan Xu
- The Perinatal Institute and Section of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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3
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Evans JF, Obraztsova K, Lin SM, Krymskaya VP. CrossTORC and WNTegration in Disease: Focus on Lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052233. [PMID: 33668092 PMCID: PMC7956553 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and wingless-related integration site (Wnt) signal transduction networks are evolutionarily conserved mammalian growth and cellular development networks. Most cells express many of the proteins in both pathways, and this review will briefly describe only the key proteins and their intra- and extracellular crosstalk. These complex interactions will be discussed in relation to cancer development, drug resistance, and stem cell exhaustion. This review will also highlight the tumor-suppressive tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) mutated, mTOR-hyperactive lung disease of women, lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). We will summarize recent advances in the targeting of these pathways by monotherapy or combination therapy, as well as future potential treatments.
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4
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Obraztsova K, Basil MC, Rue R, Sivakumar A, Lin SM, Mukhitov AR, Gritsiuta AI, Evans JF, Kopp M, Katzen J, Robichaud A, Atochina-Vasserman EN, Li S, Carl J, Babu A, Morley MP, Cantu E, Beers MF, Frank DB, Morrisey EE, Krymskaya VP. mTORC1 activation in lung mesenchyme drives sex- and age-dependent pulmonary structure and function decline. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5640. [PMID: 33159078 PMCID: PMC7648630 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18979-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare fatal cystic lung disease due to bi-allelic inactivating mutations in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC1/TSC2) genes coding for suppressors of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). The origin of LAM cells is still unknown. Here, we profile a LAM lung compared to an age- and sex-matched healthy control lung as a hypothesis-generating approach to identify cell subtypes that are specific to LAM. Our single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis reveals novel mesenchymal and transitional alveolar epithelial states unique to LAM lung. This analysis identifies a mesenchymal cell hub coordinating the LAM disease phenotype. Mesenchymal-restricted deletion of Tsc2 in the mouse lung produces a mTORC1-driven pulmonary phenotype, with a progressive disruption of alveolar structure, a decline in pulmonary function, increase of rapamycin-sensitive expression of WNT ligands, and profound female-specific changes in mesenchymal and epithelial lung cell gene expression. Genetic inactivation of WNT signaling reverses age-dependent changes of mTORC1-driven lung phenotype, but WNT activation alone in lung mesenchyme is not sufficient for the development of mouse LAM-like phenotype. The alterations in gene expression are driven by distinctive crosstalk between mesenchymal and epithelial subsets of cells observed in mesenchymal Tsc2-deficient lungs. This study identifies sex- and age-specific gene changes in the mTORC1-activated lung mesenchyme and establishes the importance of the WNT signaling pathway in the mTORC1-driven lung phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kseniya Obraztsova
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maria C Basil
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ryan Rue
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Susan M Lin
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alexander R Mukhitov
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrei I Gritsiuta
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jilly F Evans
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Meghan Kopp
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jeremy Katzen
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Elena N Atochina-Vasserman
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shanru Li
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Justine Carl
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Apoorva Babu
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael P Morley
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Edward Cantu
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael F Beers
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David B Frank
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Children Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Edward E Morrisey
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Vera P Krymskaya
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Lung Biology Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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5
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Obraztsova K, Evans J, Krymskaya VP. Syndecan-2: Old Player in a New Field. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2019; 60:611-612. [PMID: 30896971 PMCID: PMC6543750 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2019-0033ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kseniya Obraztsova
- 1 Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jilly Evans
- 1 Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Vera P Krymskaya
- 1 Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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6
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Maisel K, Merrilees MJ, Atochina-Vasserman EN, Lian L, Obraztsova K, Rue R, Vasserman AN, Zuo N, Angel LF, Gow AJ, Kang I, Wight TN, Eruslanov E, Swartz MA, Krymskaya VP. Immune Checkpoint Ligand PD-L1 Is Upregulated in Pulmonary Lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2018; 59:723-732. [PMID: 30095976 PMCID: PMC6293078 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2018-0123oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a slow-progressing metastatic disease that is driven by mutations in the tumor suppressor tuberous sclerosis complex 1/2 (TSC1/2). Rapamycin inhibits LAM cell proliferation and is the only approved treatment, but it cannot cause the regression of existing lesions and can only stabilize the disease. However, in other cancers, immunotherapies such as checkpoint blockade against PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 have shown promise in causing tumor regression and even curing some patients. Thus, we asked whether PD-L1 has a role in LAM progression. In vitro, PD-L1 expression in murine Tsc2-null cells is unaffected by mTOR inhibition with torin but can be upregulated by IFN-γ. Using immunohistochemistry and single-cell flow cytometry, we found increased PD-L1 expression both in human lung tissue from patients with LAM and in Tsc2-null lesions in a murine model of LAM. In this model, PD-L1 is highly expressed in the lung by antigen-presenting and stromal cells, and activated T cells expressing PD-1 infiltrate the affected lung. In vivo treatment with anti-PD-1 antibody significantly prolongs mouse survival in the model of LAM. Together, these data demonstrate that PD-1/PD-L1-mediated immunosuppression may occur in LAM, and suggest new opportunities for therapeutic targeting that may provide benefits beyond those of rapamycin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Maisel
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mervyn J. Merrilees
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Lurong Lian
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, and
| | - Kseniya Obraztsova
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, and
| | - Ryan Rue
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, and
| | | | - Ning Zuo
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Luis F. Angel
- New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Andrew J. Gow
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey; and
| | - Inkyung Kang
- Matrix Biology Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Thomas N. Wight
- Matrix Biology Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Evgeniy Eruslanov
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Melody A. Swartz
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Vera P. Krymskaya
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, and
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7
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Himes BE, Obraztsova K, Lian L, Shumyatcher M, Rue R, Atochina-Vasserman EN, Hur SK, Bartolomei MS, Evans JF, Krymskaya VP. Rapamycin-independent IGF2 expression in Tsc2-null mouse embryo fibroblasts and human lymphangioleiomyomatosis cells. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197105. [PMID: 29758070 PMCID: PMC5951544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, almost exclusively female lung disease linked to inactivating mutations in tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2), a tumor suppressor gene that controls cell metabolic state and growth via regulation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTORC1) signaling. mTORC1 is frequently activated in human cancers and, although the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin has a cytostatic effect, it is, in general, unable to elicit a robust curative effect or tumor regression. Using RNA-Seq, we identified (1) Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF2) as one of the genes with the highest fold-change difference between human TSC2-null and TSC2-expressing angiomyolipoma cells from a patient with LAM, and (2) the mouse IGF2 homolog Igf2, as a top-ranking gene according to fold change between Tsc2-/- and Tsc2+/+ mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs). We extended transcript-level findings to protein level, observing increased Igf2 protein expression and Igf2 secretion by Tsc2-/- MEFs. Increased Igf2 expression was not due to epigenetic imprinting, but was partially mediated through the Stat3 pathway and was completely insensitive to rapamycin treatment. An siRNA-mediated decrease of Igf2 resulted in decreased Stat3 phosphorylation, suggesting presence of an autocrine Igf2/Stat3 amplification cycle in Tsc2-/- MEFs. In human pulmonary LAM lesions and metastatic cell clusters, high levels of IGF2 were associated with mTORC1 activation. In addition, treatment of three primary IGF2-expressing LAM lung cell lines with rapamycin did not result in IGF2 level changes. Thus, targeting of IGF2 signaling may be of therapeutic value to LAM patients, particularly those who are unresponsive to rapamycin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca E. Himes
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kseniya Obraztsova
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology and Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lurong Lian
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology and Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Maya Shumyatcher
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ryan Rue
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology and Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elena N. Atochina-Vasserman
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology and Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Stella K. Hur
- Epigenetics Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Marisa S. Bartolomei
- Epigenetics Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jilly F. Evans
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology and Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Vera P. Krymskaya
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology and Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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8
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Stepanova V, Dergilev KV, Holman KR, Parfyonova YV, Tsokolaeva ZI, Teter M, Atochina-Vasserman EN, Volgina A, Zaitsev SV, Lewis SP, Zabozlaev FG, Obraztsova K, Krymskaya VP, Cines DB. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) is critical for progression of tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2)-deficient tumors. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:20528-20543. [PMID: 28972182 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.799593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a fatal lung disease associated with germline or somatic inactivating mutations in tuberous sclerosis complex genes (TSC1 or TSC2). LAM is characterized by neoplastic growth of smooth muscle-α-actin-positive cells that destroy lung parenchyma and by the formation of benign renal neoplasms called angiolipomas. The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitor rapamycin slows progression of these diseases but is not curative and associated with notable toxicity at clinically effective doses, highlighting the need for better understanding LAM's molecular etiology. We report here that LAM lesions and angiomyolipomas overexpress urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). Tsc1-/- and Tsc2-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts expressed higher uPA levels than their WT counterparts, resulting from the TSC inactivation. Inhibition of uPA expression in Tsc2-null cells reduced the growth and invasiveness and increased susceptibility to apoptosis. However, rapamycin further increased uPA expression in TSC2-null tumor cells and immortalized TSC2-null angiomyolipoma cells, but not in cells with intact TSC. Induction of glucocorticoid receptor signaling or forkhead box (FOXO) 1/3 inhibition abolished the rapamycin-induced uPA expression in TSC-compromised cells. Moreover, rapamycin-enhanced migration of TSC2-null cells was inhibited by the uPA inhibitor UK122, dexamethasone, and a FOXO inhibitor. uPA-knock-out mice developed fewer and smaller TSC2-null lung tumors, and introduction of uPA shRNA in tumor cells or amiloride-induced uPA inhibition reduced tumorigenesis in vivo These findings suggest that interference with the uPA-dependent pathway, when used along with rapamycin, might attenuate LAM progression and potentially other TSC-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Konstantin V Dergilev
- the Angiogenesis Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Cardiology, National Medical Research Center of Cardiology, Moscow 121552, Russia
| | - Kelci R Holman
- the College of Arts and Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, and
| | - Yelena V Parfyonova
- the Angiogenesis Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Cardiology, National Medical Research Center of Cardiology, Moscow 121552, Russia
| | - Zoya I Tsokolaeva
- the Angiogenesis Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Cardiology, National Medical Research Center of Cardiology, Moscow 121552, Russia
| | - Mimi Teter
- the College of Arts and Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, and
| | - Elena N Atochina-Vasserman
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Alla Volgina
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | | | - Shane P Lewis
- the College of Arts and Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, and
| | - Fedor G Zabozlaev
- the Department of Pathology, Federal Research Clinical Center Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, Moscow 115682, Russia
| | - Kseniya Obraztsova
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Vera P Krymskaya
- Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Douglas B Cines
- From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and
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