Mutant clones in normal epithelium outcompete and eliminate emerging tumours

Human epithelial tissues accumulate cancer-driver mutations with age1-9, yet tumour formation remains rare. The positive selection of these mutations suggests that they alter the behaviour and fitness of proliferating cells10-12. Thus, normal adult tissues become a patchwork of mutant clones competing for space and survival, with the fittest clones expanding by eliminating their less competitive neighbours11-14. However, little is known about how such dynamic competition in normal epithelia influences early tumorigenesis. Here we show that the majority of newly formed oesophageal tumours are eliminated through competition with mutant clones in the adjacent normal epithelium. We followed the fate of nascent, microscopic, pre-malignant tumours in a mouse model of oesophageal carcinogenesis and found that most were rapidly lost with no indication of tumour cell death, decreased proliferation or an anti-tumour immune response. However, deep sequencing of ten-day-old and one-year-old tumours showed evidence of selection on the surviving neoplasms. Induction of highly competitive clones in transgenic mice increased early tumour removal, whereas pharmacological inhibition of clonal competition reduced tumour loss. These results support a model in which survival of early neoplasms depends on their competitive fitness relative to that of mutant clones in the surrounding normal tissue. Mutant clones in normal epithelium have an unexpected anti-tumorigenic role in purging early tumours through cell competition, thereby preserving tissue integrity.

Responses of mitochondrial biogenesis and function to maternal diabetes in rat embryo during the placentation period

Mitochondria are cellular organelles that have been reported to be altered in diabetes, being closely related to its associated complications. Moreover, mitochondrial biogenesis and function are essential for proper embryo development throughout the placentation period, occurring during organogenesis, when a great rate of congenital malformations have been associated with diabetic pregnancy. Thus, the aim of the current work was to investigate the effect of the diabetic environment on mitochondrial function and biogenesis during the placentation period. For this purpose, we studied the oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) enzymatic activities as well as the expression of genes involved in the coordinated regulation of both mitochondrial and nuclear genome (PGC-1alpha, NRF-1, NRF-2alpha, mtSSB, and TFAM) and mitochondrial function (COX-IV, COX-I, and beta-ATPase) in rat embryos from control and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mothers. Our results reflected that diabetic pregnancy retarded and altered embryo growth. The embryos from diabetic mothers showing normal morphology presented a reduced content of proteins regulated through the PGC-1alpha mitochondriogenic pathway on gestational day 12. This fact was accompanied by several responses that entailed the activation of OXPHOS activities on the same day and the recovery of the content of the studied proteins to control levels on day 13. As a result, the mitochondria of these embryos would reach a situation close to control on day 13 that could allow them to follow the normal mitochondriogenic schedule throughout a gestational period in which the mitochondrial differentiation process is critical. Nevertheless, malformed embryos from diabetic mothers seemed to show a lower adaptation capability, which could exacerbate their maldevelopment.

Mitochondrial differentiation and oxidative phosphorylation system capacity in rat embryo during placentation period

Mitochondrial biogenesis and function are essential for proper embryo development; however, these processes have not been further studied during the placentation period, when important oxidative metabolism activation is taking place. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) enzymatic activities as well as the expression of genes involved in the coordinated regulation of both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α, nuclear respiratory factors 1 and 2, mitochondrial single-strand DNA-binding protein, mitochondrial transcription factor A), and mitochondrial function (cytochromecoxidase subunit IV, cytochromecoxidase subunit I and β-ATP phosphohydrolase) in rat embryo throughout the placentation period (gestational days 11, 12 and 13). Our results reflect that embryo mitochondria were enhancing their OXPHOS potential capacities, pointing out that embryo mitochondria become more differentiated during the placentation period. Besides, the current findings show that the mRNAs of the nuclear genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis were downregulated, whereas their protein content together with the mitochondrial DNA expression were upregulated throughout the period studied. These data indicate that the molecular regulation of the mitochondrial differentiation process during placentation involves a post-transcriptional activation of the nuclear-encoded genes that would lead to an increase in both the nuclear- and mitochondrial-encoded proteins responsible for the mitochondrial biogenic process. As a result, embryo mitochondria would reach a more differentiated stage with a more efficient oxidative metabolism that would facilitate the important embryo growth during the second half of the pregnancy.

Morphofunctional changes in the mitochondrial subpopulations of conceptus tissues during the placentation process

To establish the role of mitochondrial subpopulations in the mitochondrial maturation process, we studied morphological and functional changes in the mitochondria of different mammalian conceptus tissues during the organogenic and the placentation processes. Mitochondrial subpopulations of three different conceptus tissues, embryo and visceral yolk sac placenta on gestational days 11, 12 and 13 and placenta on days 12 and 13, were examined morphologically by transmission electron microscopy. Cytochrome oxidase activity and protein levels were also measured in each mitochondrial subpopulation. The results indicate two different mitochondrial subpopulation profiles: a homogeneous one, which corresponds to immature mitochondria, and a heterogeneous one, which represents the mature mitochondria. The three tissues studied show different morphologic and metabolic patterns of mitochondrial maturation during the placentation process, rendering them suitable as experimental models to establish the possible relationship between mitochondrial maturation and the mitochondrial subpopulations.