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Ozyerli-Goknar E, Kala EY, Aksu AC, Bulut I, Cingöz A, Nizamuddin S, Biniossek M, Seker-Polat F, Morova T, Aztekin C, Kung SHY, Syed H, Tuncbag N, Gönen M, Philpott M, Cribbs AP, Acilan C, Lack NA, Onder TT, Timmers HTM, Bagci-Onder T. Epigenetic-focused CRISPR/Cas9 screen identifies (absent, small, or homeotic)2-like protein (ASH2L) as a regulator of glioblastoma cell survival. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:328. [PMID: 37974198 PMCID: PMC10652464 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01335-6] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor with extremely poor prognosis, highlighting an urgent need for developing novel treatment options. Identifying epigenetic vulnerabilities of cancer cells can provide excellent therapeutic intervention points for various types of cancers. METHOD In this study, we investigated epigenetic regulators of glioblastoma cell survival through CRISPR/Cas9 based genetic ablation screens using a customized sgRNA library EpiDoKOL, which targets critical functional domains of chromatin modifiers. RESULTS Screens conducted in multiple cell lines revealed ASH2L, a histone lysine methyltransferase complex subunit, as a major regulator of glioblastoma cell viability. ASH2L depletion led to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. RNA sequencing and greenCUT&RUN together identified a set of cell cycle regulatory genes, such as TRA2B, BARD1, KIF20B, ARID4A and SMARCC1 that were downregulated upon ASH2L depletion. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed the interaction partners of ASH2L in glioblastoma cell lines as SET1/MLL family members including SETD1A, SETD1B, MLL1 and MLL2. We further showed that glioblastoma cells had a differential dependency on expression of SET1/MLL family members for survival. The growth of ASH2L-depleted glioblastoma cells was markedly slower than controls in orthotopic in vivo models. TCGA analysis showed high ASH2L expression in glioblastoma compared to low grade gliomas and immunohistochemical analysis revealed significant ASH2L expression in glioblastoma tissues, attesting to its clinical relevance. Therefore, high throughput, robust and affordable screens with focused libraries, such as EpiDoKOL, holds great promise to enable rapid discovery of novel epigenetic regulators of cancer cell survival, such as ASH2L. CONCLUSION Together, we suggest that targeting ASH2L could serve as a new therapeutic opportunity for glioblastoma. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezgi Ozyerli-Goknar
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Freiburg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Urology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ezgi Yagmur Kala
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
| | - Ali Cenk Aksu
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
| | - Ipek Bulut
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
| | - Ahmet Cingöz
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
| | - Sheikh Nizamuddin
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Freiburg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Urology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martin Biniossek
- Institute for Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Fidan Seker-Polat
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
| | - Tunc Morova
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Can Aztekin
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Sonia H Y Kung
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hamzah Syed
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Data Management Lab, KUTTAM, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Nurcan Tuncbag
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Mehmet Gönen
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Martin Philpott
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adam P Cribbs
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ceyda Acilan
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Nathan A Lack
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tamer T Onder
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - H T Marc Timmers
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Freiburg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Urology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tugba Bagci-Onder
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye.
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.
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2
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Sevinç K, Sevinç GG, Cavga AD, Philpott M, Kelekçi S, Can H, Cribbs AP, Yıldız AB, Yılmaz A, Ayar ES, Arabacı DH, Dunford JE, Ata D, Sigua LH, Qi J, Oppermann U, Onder TT. BRD9-containing non-canonical BAF complex maintains somatic cell transcriptome and acts as a barrier to human reprogramming. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:2629-2642. [PMID: 36332631 PMCID: PMC9768578 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic reprogramming to pluripotency requires extensive remodeling of chromatin landscapes to silence existing cell-type-specific genes and activate pluripotency genes. ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes are important regulators of chromatin structure and gene expression; however, the role of recently identified Bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9) and the associated non-canonical BRG1-associated factors (ncBAF) complex in reprogramming remains unknown. Here, we show that genetic or chemical inhibition of BRD9, as well as ncBAF complex subunit GLTSCR1, but not the closely related BRD7, increase human somatic cell reprogramming efficiency and can replace KLF4 and c-MYC. We find that BRD9 is dispensable for human induced pluripotent stem cells under primed but not under naive conditions. Mechanistically, BRD9 inhibition downregulates fibroblast-related genes and decreases chromatin accessibility at somatic enhancers. BRD9 maintains the expression of transcriptional regulators MN1 and ZBTB38, both of which impede reprogramming. Collectively, these results establish BRD9 as an important safeguarding factor for somatic cell identity whose inhibition lowers chromatin-based barriers to reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenan Sevinç
- School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Ayşe Derya Cavga
- School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey; Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Data Management Core, KUTTAM, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Martin Philpott
- Botnar Research Centre, Oxford NIHR BRU, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Simge Kelekçi
- School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hazal Can
- School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Adam P Cribbs
- Botnar Research Centre, Oxford NIHR BRU, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - James E Dunford
- Botnar Research Centre, Oxford NIHR BRU, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Deniz Ata
- School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Logan H Sigua
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Udo Oppermann
- Botnar Research Centre, Oxford NIHR BRU, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Centre for Medicine Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Translational Myeloma Research, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Tamer T Onder
- School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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3
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Yedier-Bayram O, Gokbayrak B, Kayabolen A, Aksu AC, Cavga AD, Cingöz A, Kala EY, Karabiyik G, Günsay R, Esin B, Morova T, Uyulur F, Syed H, Philpott M, Cribbs AP, Kung SHY, Lack NA, Onder TT, Bagci-Onder T. EPIKOL, a chromatin-focused CRISPR/Cas9-based screening platform, to identify cancer-specific epigenetic vulnerabilities. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:710. [PMID: 35973998 PMCID: PMC9381743 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05146-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the epigenome due to alterations in chromatin modifier proteins commonly contribute to malignant transformation. To interrogate the roles of epigenetic modifiers in cancer cells, we generated an epigenome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout library (EPIKOL) that targets a wide-range of epigenetic modifiers and their cofactors. We conducted eight screens in two different cancer types and showed that EPIKOL performs with high efficiency in terms of sgRNA distribution and depletion of essential genes. We discovered novel epigenetic modifiers that regulate triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and prostate cancer cell fitness. We confirmed the growth-regulatory functions of individual candidates, including SS18L2 and members of the NSL complex (KANSL2, KANSL3, KAT8) in TNBC cells. Overall, we show that EPIKOL, a focused sgRNA library targeting ~800 genes, can reveal epigenetic modifiers that are essential for cancer cell fitness under in vitro and in vivo conditions and enable the identification of novel anti-cancer targets. Due to its comprehensive epigenome-wide targets and relatively high number of sgRNAs per gene, EPIKOL will facilitate studies examining functional roles of epigenetic modifiers in a wide range of contexts, such as screens in primary cells, patient-derived xenografts as well as in vivo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozlem Yedier-Bayram
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Bengul Gokbayrak
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Alisan Kayabolen
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Ali Cenk Aksu
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Ayse Derya Cavga
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
- Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Data Management Core, KUTTAM, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Ahmet Cingöz
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Ezgi Yagmur Kala
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Goktug Karabiyik
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Rauf Günsay
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Beril Esin
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Tunc Morova
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Fırat Uyulur
- Koç University Department of Computational Biology, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Hamzah Syed
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
- Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Data Management Core, KUTTAM, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Martin Philpott
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adam P Cribbs
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sonia H Y Kung
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nathan A Lack
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tamer T Onder
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye.
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.
| | - Tugba Bagci-Onder
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye.
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.
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4
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Zhu J, Adli M, Zou JY, Verstappen G, Coyne M, Zhang X, Durham T, Miri M, Deshpande V, De Jager PL, Bennett DA, Houmard JA, Muoio DM, Onder TT, Camahort R, Cowan CA, Meissner A, Epstein CB, Shoresh N, Bernstein BE. Genome-wide chromatin state transitions associated with developmental and environmental cues. Cell 2013; 152:642-54. [PMID: 23333102 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 391] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2011] [Revised: 08/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Differences in chromatin organization are key to the multiplicity of cell states that arise from a single genetic background, yet the landscapes of in vivo tissues remain largely uncharted. Here, we mapped chromatin genome-wide in a large and diverse collection of human tissues and stem cells. The maps yield unprecedented annotations of functional genomic elements and their regulation across developmental stages, lineages, and cellular environments. They also reveal global features of the epigenome, related to nuclear architecture, that also vary across cellular phenotypes. Specifically, developmental specification is accompanied by progressive chromatin restriction as the default state transitions from dynamic remodeling to generalized compaction. Exposure to serum in vitro triggers a distinct transition that involves de novo establishment of domains with features of constitutive heterochromatin. We describe how these global chromatin state transitions relate to chromosome and nuclear architecture, and discuss their implications for lineage fidelity, cellular senescence, and reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Zhu
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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5
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Onder TT, Daley GQ. New lessons learned from disease modeling with induced pluripotent stem cells. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2012; 22:500-8. [PMID: 22749051 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2012.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2012] [Revised: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/19/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cellular reprogramming and generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from adult cell types have enabled the creation of patient-specific stem cells for use in disease modeling. To date, many iPSC lines have been generated from a variety of disorders, which have then been differentiated into disease-relevant cell types. When a disease-specific phenotype is detectable in such differentiated cells, the reprogramming technology provides a new opportunity to identify aberrant disease-associated pathways and drugs that can block them. Here, we highlight recent progress as well as limitations in the use of iPSCs to recapitulate disease phenotypes and to screen for therapeutics in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamer T Onder
- Stem Cell Transplantation Program, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Children's Hospital Boston and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
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6
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Onder TT, Kara N, Cherry A, Sinha AU, Zhu N, Bernt KM, Cahan P, Marcarci BO, Unternaehrer J, Gupta PB, Lander ES, Armstrong SA, Daley GQ. Chromatin-modifying enzymes as modulators of reprogramming. Nature 2012; 483:598-602. [PMID: 22388813 PMCID: PMC3501145 DOI: 10.1038/nature10953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 488] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2011] [Accepted: 02/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by somatic cell reprogramming involves global epigenetic remodeling1. While several proteins are known to regulate chromatin marks associated with the distinct epigenetic states of cells before and after reprogramming2,3, the role of specific chromatin modifying enzymes in reprogramming remains to be determined. To address how chromatin-modifying proteins influence reprogramming, we used shRNAs to target genes in DNA and histone methylation pathways, and have identified positive and negative modulators of iPSC generation. While inhibition of the core components of the polycomb repressive complex 1 and 2, including the histone 3 lysine 27 methyltransferase Ezh2, reduced reprogramming efficiency, suppression of SUV39H1, YY1, and Dot1L enhanced reprogramming. Specifically, inhibition of the H3K79 histone methyltransferase Dot1L by shRNA or a small molecule accelerated reprogramming, significantly increased the yield of iPSC colonies, and substituted for Klf4 and c-Myc. Inhibition of Dot1L early in the reprogramming process is associated with a marked increase in two alternative factors, Nanog and Lin28, which play essential functional roles in the enhancement of reprogramming. Genome-wide analysis of H3K79me2 distribution revealed that fibroblast-specific genes associated with the epithelial to mesenchymal transition lose H3K79me2 in the initial phases of reprogramming. Dot1L inhibition facilitates the loss of this mark from genes that are fated to be repressed in the pluripotent state. These findings implicate specific chromatin-modifying enzymes as barriers to or facilitators of reprogramming, and demonstrate how modulation of chromatin-modifying enzymes can be exploited to more efficiently generate iPSCs with fewer exogenous transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamer T Onder
- Stem Cell Transplantation Program, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Children's Hospital Boston and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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7
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Kuo TC, Chen CT, Baron D, Onder TT, Loewer S, Almeida S, Weismann CM, Xu P, Houghton JM, Gao FB, Daley GQ, Doxsey S. Midbody accumulation through evasion of autophagy contributes to cellular reprogramming and tumorigenicity. Nat Cell Biol 2011; 13:1214-23. [PMID: 21909099 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2010] [Accepted: 08/03/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The midbody is a singular organelle formed between daughter cells during cytokinesis and required for their final separation. Midbodies persist in cells long after division as midbody derivatives (MB(d)s), but their fate is unclear. Here we show that MB(d)s are inherited asymmetrically by the daughter cell with the older centrosome. They selectively accumulate in stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and potential cancer 'stem cells' in vivo and in vitro. MB(d) loss accompanies stem-cell differentiation, and involves autophagic degradation mediated by binding of the autophagic receptor NBR1 to the midbody protein CEP55. Differentiating cells and normal dividing cells do not accumulate MB(d)s and possess high autophagic activity. Stem cells and cancer cells accumulate MB(d)s by evading autophagosome encapsulation and exhibit low autophagic activity. MB(d) enrichment enhances reprogramming to induced pluripotent stem cells and increases the in vitro tumorigenicity of cancer cells. These results indicate unexpected roles for MB(d)s in stem cells and cancer 'stem cells'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tse-Chun Kuo
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
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8
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Abstract
Embryonic stem cell specific microRNAs (miRNAs) have previously been shown to enhance the efficiency of transcription-factor-based reprogramming. However, whether reprogramming could be achieved entirely by miRNAs remained unclear. A recent report shows that the expression of the miR-302/367 cluster of miRNAs can directly reprogram somatic cells without the use of any transcription factors. This new method raises interesting questions about the mechanisms of reprogramming and is likely to facilitate the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells for potential future clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamer T Onder
- Stem Cell Transplantation Program, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Children's Hospital Boston and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Division of Hematology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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9
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Ma L, Young J, Prabhala H, Pan E, Mestdagh P, Muth D, Teruya-Feldstein J, Reinhardt F, Onder TT, Valastyan S, Westermann F, Speleman F, Vandesompele J, Weinberg RA. miR-9, a MYC/MYCN-activated microRNA, regulates E-cadherin and cancer metastasis. Nat Cell Biol 2010; 12:247-56. [PMID: 20173740 PMCID: PMC2845545 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1041] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2009] [Accepted: 02/08/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly implicated in regulating the malignant progression of cancer. Here we show that miR-9, the level of which is upregulated in breast cancer cells, directly targets CDH1, the E-cadherin-encoding mRNA, leading to increased cell motility and invasiveness. miR-9-mediated E-cadherin downregulation results in the activation of β-catenin signaling, which contributes to upregulated expression of the gene encoding vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); this leads, in turn, to increased tumor angiogenesis. Overexpression of miR-9 in otherwise-non-metastatic breast tumor cells enables these cells to form pulmonary micrometastases in mice. Conversely, inhibiting miR-9 using a ‘miRNA sponge’ in highly malignant cells inhibits metastasis formation. Expression of miR-9 is activated by MYC and MYCN, both of which directly bind to the mir-9-3 locus. Significantly, in human cancers, miR-9 levels correlate with MYCN amplification, tumor grade, and metastatic status. These findings uncover a regulatory and signaling pathway involving a metastasis-promoting miRNA that is predicted to directly target expression of the key metastasis-suppressing protein E-cadherin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Ma
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
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10
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Gupta PB, Onder TT, Jiang G, Tao K, Kuperwasser C, Weinberg RA, Lander ES. Identification of selective inhibitors of cancer stem cells by high-throughput screening. Cell 2009; 138:645-659. [PMID: 19682730 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2009.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1832] [Impact Index Per Article: 122.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2008] [Revised: 02/18/2009] [Accepted: 06/12/2009] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Screens for agents that specifically kill epithelial cancer stem cells (CSCs) have not been possible due to the rarity of these cells within tumor cell populations and their relative instability in culture. We describe here an approach to screening for agents with epithelial CSC-specific toxicity. We implemented this method in a chemical screen and discovered compounds showing selective toxicity for breast CSCs. One compound, salinomycin, reduces the proportion of CSCs by >100-fold relative to paclitaxel, a commonly used breast cancer chemotherapeutic drug. Treatment of mice with salinomycin inhibits mammary tumor growth in vivo and induces increased epithelial differentiation of tumor cells. In addition, global gene expression analyses show that salinomycin treatment results in the loss of expression of breast CSC genes previously identified by analyses of breast tissues isolated directly from patients. This study demonstrates the ability to identify agents with specific toxicity for epithelial CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piyush B Gupta
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Tamer T Onder
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.,Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Guozhi Jiang
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Kai Tao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine and Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston MA 02111
| | - Charlotte Kuperwasser
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine and Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston MA 02111
| | - Robert A Weinberg
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.,Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142.,MIT Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology
| | - Eric S Lander
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.,Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142.,Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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11
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Onder TT, Gupta PB, Mani SA, Yang J, Lander ES, Weinberg RA. Loss of E-cadherin promotes metastasis via multiple downstream transcriptional pathways. Cancer Res 2008; 68:3645-54. [PMID: 18483246 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-07-2938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1115] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Loss of the epithelial adhesion molecule E-cadherin is thought to enable metastasis by disrupting intercellular contacts-an early step in metastatic dissemination. To further investigate the molecular basis of this notion, we use two methods to inhibit E-cadherin function that distinguish between E-cadherin's cell-cell adhesion and intracellular signaling functions. Whereas the disruption of cell-cell contacts alone does not enable metastasis, the loss of E-cadherin protein does, through induction of an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasiveness, and anoikis resistance. We find the E-cadherin binding partner beta-catenin to be necessary, but not sufficient, for induction of these phenotypes. In addition, gene expression analysis shows that E-cadherin loss results in the induction of multiple transcription factors, at least one of which, Twist, is necessary for E-cadherin loss-induced metastasis. These findings indicate that E-cadherin loss in tumors contributes to metastatic dissemination by inducing wide-ranging transcriptional and functional changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamer T Onder
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Onder TT, Gupta PB, Mani SA, Yang J, Lander ES, Weinberg RA, Goldfinger D, Ng H, Irvin D, Yu JS, Meyhack B, Brachat A, Wong-Staal F, Li QX. Loss of E-cadherin promotes metastasis via multiple downstream transcriptional pathways. Cancer Res 2008. [PMID: 18483246 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Loss of the epithelial adhesion molecule E-cadherin is thought to enable metastasis by disrupting intercellular contacts-an early step in metastatic dissemination. To further investigate the molecular basis of this notion, we use two methods to inhibit E-cadherin function that distinguish between E-cadherin's cell-cell adhesion and intracellular signaling functions. Whereas the disruption of cell-cell contacts alone does not enable metastasis, the loss of E-cadherin protein does, through induction of an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasiveness, and anoikis resistance. We find the E-cadherin binding partner beta-catenin to be necessary, but not sufficient, for induction of these phenotypes. In addition, gene expression analysis shows that E-cadherin loss results in the induction of multiple transcription factors, at least one of which, Twist, is necessary for E-cadherin loss-induced metastasis. These findings indicate that E-cadherin loss in tumors contributes to metastatic dissemination by inducing wide-ranging transcriptional and functional changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamer T Onder
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Onder TT, Gupta PB, Mani SA, Yang J, Lander ES, Weinberg RA. Loss of E-cadherin promotes metastasis via multiple downstream transcriptional pathways. Cancer Res 2008. [PMID: 18483246 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-07-2938.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Loss of the epithelial adhesion molecule E-cadherin is thought to enable metastasis by disrupting intercellular contacts-an early step in metastatic dissemination. To further investigate the molecular basis of this notion, we use two methods to inhibit E-cadherin function that distinguish between E-cadherin's cell-cell adhesion and intracellular signaling functions. Whereas the disruption of cell-cell contacts alone does not enable metastasis, the loss of E-cadherin protein does, through induction of an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasiveness, and anoikis resistance. We find the E-cadherin binding partner beta-catenin to be necessary, but not sufficient, for induction of these phenotypes. In addition, gene expression analysis shows that E-cadherin loss results in the induction of multiple transcription factors, at least one of which, Twist, is necessary for E-cadherin loss-induced metastasis. These findings indicate that E-cadherin loss in tumors contributes to metastatic dissemination by inducing wide-ranging transcriptional and functional changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamer T Onder
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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