PIEZO1 is essential for the survival and proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia cells

INTRODUCTION

Leukemogenesis is a complex process that interconnects tumoral cells with their microenvironment, but the effect of mechanosensing in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts is poorly known. PIEZO1 perceives and transmits the constraints of the environment to human cells by acting as a non-selective calcium channel, but very little is known about its role in leukemogenesis.

RESULTS

For the first time, we show that PIEZO1 is preferentially expressed in healthy hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in human hematopoiesis, and globally overexpressed in AML cells. In AML subtypes, PIEZO1 expression associates with favorable outcomes as better overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). If PIEZO1 is expressed and functional in THP1 leukemic myeloid cell line, its chemical activation doesn't impact the proliferation, differentiation, nor survival of cells. However, the downregulation of PIEZO1 expression dramatically reduces the proliferation and the survival of THP1 cells. We show that PIEZO1 knock-down blocks the cell cycle in G0/G1 phases of AML cells, impairs the DNA damage response pathways, and critically increases cell death by triggering extrinsic apoptosis pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Altogether, our results reveal a new role for PIEZO1 mechanosensing in the survival and proliferation of leukemic blasts, which could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies to target AML cells.

HDAC6 regulates human erythroid differentiation through modulation of JAK2 signalling

Among histone deacetylases, HDAC6 is unusual in its cytoplasmic localization. Its inhibition leads to hyperacetylation of non-histone proteins, inhibiting cell cycle, proliferation and apoptosis. Ricolinostat (ACY-1215) is a selective inhibitor of the histone deacetylase HDAC6 with proven efficacy in the treatment of malignant diseases, but anaemia is one of the most frequent side effects. We investigated here the underlying mechanisms of this erythroid toxicity. We first confirmed that HDAC6 was strongly expressed at both RNA and protein levels in CD34⁺ -cells-derived erythroid progenitors. ACY-1215 exposure on CD34⁺ -cells driven in vitro towards the erythroid lineage led to a decreased cell count, an increased apoptotic rate and a delayed erythroid differentiation with accumulation of weakly hemoglobinized immature erythroblasts. This was accompanied by drastic changes in the transcriptomic profile of primary cells as shown by RNAseq. In erythroid cells, ACY-1215 and shRNA-mediated HDAC6 knockdown inhibited the EPO-dependent JAK2 phosphorylation. Using acetylome, we identified 14-3-3ζ, known to interact directly with the JAK2 negative regulator LNK, as a potential HDAC6 target in erythroid cells. We confirmed that 14-3-3ζ was hyperacetylated after ACY-1215 exposure, which decreased the 14-3-3ζ/LNK interaction while increased LNK ability to interact with JAK2. Thus, in addition to its previously described role in the enucleation of mouse fetal liver erythroblasts, we identified here a new mechanism of HDAC6-dependent control of erythropoiesis through 14-3-3ζ acetylation level, LNK availability and finally JAK2 activation in response to EPO, which is crucial downstream of EPO-R activation for human erythroid cell survival, proliferation and differentiation.

Combining imaging flow cytometry and machine learning for high-throughput schistocyte quantification: A SVM classifier development and external validation cohort

Background

Schistocyte counts are a cornerstone of the diagnosis of thrombotic microangiopathy syndrome (TMA). Their manual quantification is complex and alternative automated methods suffer from pitfalls that limit their use. We report a method combining imaging flow cytometry (IFC) and artificial intelligence for the direct label-free and operator-independent quantification of schistocytes in whole blood.

Methods

We used 135,045 IFC images from blood acquisition among 14 patients to extract 188 features with IDEAS® software and 128 features from a convolutional neural network (CNN) with Keras framework in order to train a support vector machine (SVM) blood elements’ classifier used for schistocytes quantification.

Finding

Keras features showed better accuracy (94.03%, CI: 93.75-94.31%) than ideas features (91.54%, CI: 91.21-91.87%) in recognising whole-blood elements, and together they showed the best accuracy (95.64%, CI: 95.39-95.88%). We obtained an excellent correlation (0.93, CI: 0.90-0.96) between three haematologists and our method on a cohort of 102 patient samples. All patients with schistocytosis (>1% schistocytes) were detected with excellent specificity (91.3%, CI: 82.0-96.7%) and sensitivity (100%, CI: 89.4-100.0%). We confirmed these results with a similar specificity (91.1%, CI: 78.8-97.5%) and sensitivity (100%, CI: 88.1-100.0%) on a validation cohort (n=74) analysed in an independent healthcare centre. Simultaneous analysis of 16 samples in both study centres showed a very good correlation between the 2 imaging flow cytometers (Y=1.001x).

Interpretation

We demonstrate that IFC can represent a reliable tool for operator-independent schistocyte quantification with no pre-analytical processing which is of most importance in emergency situations such as TMA.

Funding

None.

MO550INDOXYL SULFATE AFFECTS ERYTHROPOIESIS DURING THE COURSE OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: A MOLECULAR STUDY

Background and Aims

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health condition characterized by a progressive deterioration of renal function due to high serum levels of uremic toxins. Anemia is a major trouble in CKD patients that contributes to a faster deterioration of renal failure, leading to cardiovascular disease and increasing morbimortality. Erythropoietin (EPO) is known to contribute to CKD-associated anemia. Thus, accumulation of uremic toxins in blood impairs EPO synthesis, leading to a subsequent impairment of erythropoiesis in the bone marrow. Very few molecular clues explain why erythropoiesis is affected in CKD or explain why erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) are not efficient in some patients with CKD. The current study aims to characterize the impact of one of the most representative uremic toxins, Indoxyl Sulfate (IS), in CKD-related anemia. IS is a protein-bound uremic toxin derived from the tryptophan dietary metabolism which is difficult to remove by dialysis. Our study demonstrates the molecular effects of IS on the growth and the differentiation of red blood cells in an erythroid cell line and in primary cell cultures CD34+.

Method

Firstly, we examined in vitro the time-courses of IS under clinically relevant concentrations of IS (250 µM -1 mM) in a human leukemic cell line in which proliferation is induced by EPO, the UT7/EPO cell line. Cell apoptosis, proliferation, differentiation and cell cycle analysis were assessed by the MACSQuant flow cytometry. Erythroid gene expression analysis was assessed by RT-qPCR (Quantstudio 7 flex). The ratio A260/280 assessed the quality of nucleic acids. Western blotting experiments were performed to study protein expression. Human primary CD34+ cells were obtained from mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) of healthy subjects and were isolated by magnetic microbeads separation on MACS columns.

Results

IS at 250 µM and 1 mM increased apoptosis of UT7/EPO cell line at 48h compared to control condition. On the other hand, we found no significant effect of IS on the phenotype of UT7/EPO, when using CD235a (Glycophorin A), as a marker for the detection of the erythroid cell lineage.

Ki67 cellular levels, a cell proliferation marker, was not altered between control and IS experiments. This indicated that IS did not affect proliferation in UT7/EPO. At 48h, at the clinically relevant concentration of IS (250 µM), we observed an increase of the cell phase cycle Sub-G1. The analysis of erythropoiesis related genes shows that HIF2α was deregulated with IS (250 µM). Finally, in the Epo-EpoR signalling pathway, we studied the activation of the Jak2/Stat5 proteins.

Results in human primary CD34+ cells confirmed the apoptotic effect of IS observed in UT7/EPO.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that IS, a representative protein-bound uremic toxin, could affect cell viability, apoptosis and the cell cycle. This study suggests clues to develop new therapies for CKD-associated anemia.

TRIM37 is highly expressed during mitosis in CHON-002 chondrocytes cell line and is regulated by miR-223

Multiple molecular disorders can affect mechanisms regulating proliferation and differentiation of growth plate chondrocytes. Mutations in the TRIM37 gene cause the Mulibrey nanism, a heritable growth disorder. Since chondrocytes are instrumental in long bone growth that is deficient in nanism, we hypothesized that TRIM37 defect could contribute to dysregulation of the chondrocyte cell cycle. Western blotting, confocal microscopy and imaging flow cytometry determined TRIM37 expression in CHON-002 cell lineage. We showed that TRIM37 is expressed during mitosis of chondrocytes and directly impacted their proliferation. During the chondrocyte cell cycle, TRIM37 was present in both nucleus and cytoplasm. During M phase we observed an increase of the TRIM37-Tubulin co-localization in comparison with G1, S and G2 phases. TRIM37 knock down inhibited proliferation, together with cell cycle anomalies and increased autophagy, while overexpression accordingly enhanced cell proliferation. We demonstrated that microRNA-223 directly targets TRIM37, and suggest that miR-223 regulates TRIM37 gene expression during the cell cycle. In summary, our results give clues to explain why TRIM37 deficiency in chondrocytes impacts bone growth. Modulating TRIM37 using miR-223 could be an approach to increase chondrogenesis.

PIEZO1 activation delays erythroid differentiation of normal and hereditary xerocytosis-derived human progenitor cells

Hereditary xerocytosis is a dominantly inherited red cell membrane disorder caused in most cases by gain-of-function mutations in PIEZO1, encoding a mechanosensitive ion channel that translates a mechanic stimulus into calcium influx. We found that PIEZO1 was expressed early in erythroid progenitor cells, and investigated whether it could be involved in erythropoiesis, besides having a role in the homeostasis of mature red cell hydration. In UT7 cells, chemical PIEZO1 activation using YODA1 repressed glycophorin A expression by 75%. This effect was PIEZO1-dependent since it was reverted using specific short hairpin-RNA knockdown. The effect of PIEZO1 activation was confirmed in human primary progenitor cells, maintaining cells at an immature stage for longer and modifying the transcriptional balance in favor of genes associated with early erythropoiesis, as shown by a high GATA2/GATA1 ratio and decreased α/β-globin expression. The cell proliferation rate was also reduced, with accumulation of cells in G0/G1 of the cell cycle. The PIEZO1-mediated effect on UT7 cells required calcium-dependent activation of the NFAT and ERK1/2 pathways. In primary erythroid cells, PIEZO1 activation synergized with erythropoietin to activate STAT5 and ERK, indicating that it may modulate signaling pathways downstream of erythropoietin receptor activation. Finally, we studied the in-vitro erythroid differentiation of primary cells obtained from 14 PIEZO1-mutated patients, from 11 families, carrying ten different mutations. We observed a delay in erythroid differentiation in all cases, ranging from mild (n=3) to marked (n=8). Overall, these data demonstrate a role for PIEZO1 during erythropoiesis, since activation of PIEZO1 - both chemically and through activating mutations - delays erythroid maturation, providing new insights into the pathophysiology of hereditary xerocytosis.

ProNGF is a potential diagnostic biomarker for thyroid cancer

The precursor for nerve growth factor (proNGF) is expressed in some cancers but its clinicopathological significance is unclear. The present study aimed to define the clinicopathological significance of proNGF in thyroid cancer. ProNGF expression was analysed by immunohistochemistry in two cohorts of cancer versus benign tumors (adenoma) and normal thyroid tissues. In the first cohort (40 thyroid cancers, 40 thyroid adenomas and 80 normal thyroid tissues), proNGF was found overexpressed in cancers compared to adenomas and normal samples (p<0.0001). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.84 (95% CI 0.75-0.93, p<0.0001) for cancers versus adenomas, and 0.99 (95% CI 0.98-1.00, p<0.0001) for cancers versus normal tissues. ProNGF overexpression was confirmed in a second cohort (127 cancers of various histological types and 55 normal thyroid tissues) and using a different antibody (p<0.0001). ProNGF staining intensity was highest in papillary carcinomas compared to other histological types (p<0.0001) and there was no significant association with age, gender, tumor size, stage and lymph node status. In conclusion, proNGF is increased in thyroid cancer and should be considered as a new potential diagnostic biomarker.

Metabolic effects of fasting on human and mouse blood in vivo

Starvation is a strong physiological stimulus of macroautophagy/autophagy. In this study, we addressed the question as to whether it would be possible to measure autophagy in blood cells after nutrient deprivation. Fasting of mice for 48 h (which causes ∼20% weight loss) or starvation of human volunteers for up to 4 d (which causes <2% weight loss) provokes major changes in the plasma metabolome, yet induces only relatively minor alterations in the intracellular metabolome of circulating leukocytes. White blood cells from mice and human volunteers responded to fasting with a marked reduction in protein lysine acetylation, affecting both nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. In circulating leukocytes from mice that underwent 48-h fasting, an increase in LC3B lipidation (as assessed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence) only became detectable if the protease inhibitor leupeptin was injected 2 h before drawing blood. Consistently, measurement of an enhanced autophagic flux was only possible if white blood cells from starved human volunteers were cultured in the presence or absence of leupeptin. Whereas all murine leukocyte subpopulations significantly increased the number of LC3B⁺ puncta per cell in response to nutrient deprivation, only neutrophils from starved volunteers showed signs of activated autophagy (as determined by a combination of multi-color immunofluorescence, cytofluorometry and image analysis). Altogether, these results suggest that white blood cells are suitable for monitoring autophagic flux. In addition, we propose that the evaluation of protein acetylation in circulating leukocytes can be adopted as a biochemical marker of organismal energetic status.

Image Cytofluorometry for the Quantification of Ploidy and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Cancer Cells

One of the mechanisms of cancer-associated genomic instability involves a transient phase of polyploidization, in most cases tetraploidization, followed by asymmetric divisions and chromosome loss. Increases in ploidy are consistently accompanied by the activation of an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, resulting in the translocation of calreticulin to the outer surface of the plasma membrane where it stimulates anticancer immune responses. Conversely, immunoselection leads to a coordinated reduction in ploidy, ER stress, and calreticulin exposure. To simultaneously investigate the ER stress and ploidy, we developed an image cytofluorometric method that allows to measure DNA content, ER stress-associated phosphorylation of eIF2α, and calreticulin exposure at the cell surface. Here, we specify this methodology, which is useful for investigating the correlation between ploidy and ER stress at the single cell level.

Sortilin is associated with breast cancer aggressiveness and contributes to tumor cell adhesion and invasion

The neuronal membrane protein sortilin has been reported in a few cancer cell lines, but its expression and impact in human tumors is unclear. In this study, sortilin was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in a series of 318 clinically annotated breast cancers and 53 normal breast tissues. Sortilin was detected in epithelial cells, with increased levels in cancers, as compared to normal tissues (p = 0.0088). It was found in 79% of invasive ductal carcinomas and 54% of invasive lobular carcinomas (p < 0.0001). There was an association between sortilin expression and lymph node involvement (p = 0.0093), suggesting a relationship with metastatic potential. In cell culture, sortilin levels were higher in cancer cell lines compared to non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cells and siRNA knockdown of sortilin inhibited cancer cell adhesion, while proliferation and apoptosis were not affected. Breast cancer cell migration and invasion were also inhibited by sortilin knockdown, with a decrease in focal adhesion kinase and SRC phosphorylation. In conclusion, sortilin participates in breast tumor aggressiveness and may constitute a new therapeutic target against tumor cell invasion.

Abstract P6-01-11: The neuronal protein sortilin is expressed in aggressive breast cancers and participates in tumor cell growth and invasion

The membrane protein sortilin is involved in intracellular trafficking and has emerged as a key player in the regulation of neuronal viability and function. Few studies have suggested that sortilin may also be implicated in cancer, but its expression in human tumors and potential value as a therapeutic target is unknown. In this study, the level of sortilin was analyzed in a series of 318 clinically annotated breast cancers and 53 normal adjacent tissues by immunohistochemistry. Sortilin was specifically localized in epithelial cells and was detected in 65% of cancers compared to 46% of normal tissues (p=0.0088). Sortilin was detected in 79% of invasive ductal carcinomas compared to only 54% of invasive lobular carcinomas (p&lt;0.0001). Interestingly, sortilin was associated with lymph node involvement (p=0.0093), suggesting a relationship with metastatic potential and poor outcome. In Log-Linear modeling, two-way analyses confirmed the association of sortilin with histological type (ductal vs. lobular invasive carcinomas) and lymph node invasion (p=0.002 and p=0.096 respectively). In vitro, sortilin was detected in a range of cancer cell lines using RTPCR and Western-blotting. Functional investigation using RNA interference revealed that a decrease in sortilin level in the highly metastatic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 resulted in a reduced proliferation and invasiveness, but had no effect on cell viability or apoptosis. Together, these data reveal that sortilin is expressed in aggressive breast cancers and is a potential therapeutic target.

Citation Format: Jay Pundavela, Severine Roselli, Yohann Demont, Sam Faulkner, John Attia, Sheridan Keene, Marjorie M Walker, Hubert Hondermarck. The neuronal protein sortilin is expressed in aggressive breast cancers and participates in tumor cell growth and invasion [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-01-11.

ProNGF correlates with Gleason score and is a potential driver of nerve infiltration in prostate cancer

Nerve infiltration is essential to prostate cancer progression, but the mechanism by which nerves are attracted to prostate tumors remains unknown. We report that the precursor of nerve growth factor (proNGF) is overexpressed in prostate cancer and involved in the ability of prostate cancer cells to induce axonogenesis. A series of 120 prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) samples were analyzed by IHC for proNGF. ProNGF was mainly localized in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells, with marked expression in cancer compared with BPH. Importantly, the proNGF level positively correlated with the Gleason score (n = 104, τB = 0.51). A higher level of proNGF was observed in tumors with a Gleason score of ≥8 compared with a Gleason score of 7 and 6 (P < 0.001). In vitro, proNGF was detected in LNCaP, DU145, and PC-3 prostate cancer cells and BPH-1 cells but not in RWPE-1 immortalized nontumorigenic prostate epithelial cells or primary normal prostate epithelial cells. Co-culture of PC12 neuronal-like cells or 50B11 neurons with PC-3 cells resulted in neurite outgrowth in neuronal cells that was inhibited by blocking antibodies against proNGF, indicating that prostate cancer cells can induce axonogenesis via secretion of proNGF. These data reveal that ProNGF is a biomarker associated with high-risk prostate cancers and a potential driver of infiltration by nerves.

Pro-nerve growth factor induces autocrine stimulation of breast cancer cell invasion through tropomyosin-related kinase A (TrkA) and sortilin protein

The precursor of nerve growth factor (proNGF) has been described as a biologically active polypeptide able to induce apoptosis in neuronal cells, via the neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR) and the sortilin receptor. Herein, it is shown that proNGF is produced and secreted by breast cancer cells, stimulating their invasion. Using Western blotting and mass spectrometry, proNGF was detected in a panel of breast cancer cells as well as in their conditioned media. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated an overproduction of proNGF in breast tumors, when compared with benign and normal breast biopsies, and a relationship to lymph node invasion in ductal carcinomas. Interestingly, siRNA against proNGF induced a decrease of breast cancer cell invasion that was restored by the addition of non-cleavable proNGF. The activation of TrkA, Akt, and Src, but not the MAP kinases, was observed. In addition, the proNGF invasive effect was inhibited by the Trk pharmacological inhibitor K252a, a kinase-dead TrkA, and siRNA against TrkA sortilin, neurotensin, whereas siRNA against p75(NTR) and the MAP kinase inhibitor PD98059 had no impact. These data reveal the existence of an autocrine loop stimulated by proNGF and mediated by TrkA and sortilin, with the activation of Akt and Src, for the stimulation of breast cancer cell invasion.

Proteomics exploration reveals that actin is a signaling target of the kinase Akt

The serine/threonine kinase Akt is a key mediator of cell survival and cell growth that is activated by most growth factors, but its downstream signaling largely remains to be elucidated. To identify signaling partners of Akt, we analyzed proteins co-immunoprecipitated with Akt in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Mass spectrometry analysis (MALDI-TOF and MS-MS) of SDS-PAGE-separated Akt co-immunoprecipitates allowed the identification of 10 proteins: alpha -actinin, valosin-containing protein, inhibitor kappaB kinase, mortalin, tubulin beta, cytokeratin 8, actin, 14-3-3sigma, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and heat shock protein HSP27. The identification of these putative Akt binding partners were validated with specific antibodies. Interestingly, the major protein band observed in Akt co-immunoprecipitates was found to be the cytoskeleton protein actin for which a 14-fold increase was observed in Akt-activated compared with non-activated conditions. The interaction between Akt and actin was further confirmed by reverse immunoprecipitation, and confocal microscopy demonstrated a co-localization specifically induced under growth factor stimulation. The use of wortmannin indicated a dependence on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway. Using a phospho-Akt substrate antibody, the phosphorylation of actin on an Akt consensus site was detected upon growth factor stimulation, both in cellulo and in vitro, suggesting that actin is a substrate of Akt kinase activity. Interestingly, cortical remodeling of actin associated with cell migration was reversed by small interfering RNA directed against Akt, indicating the involvement of Akt in the dynamic reorganization of actin cytoskeleton germane to breast cancer cell migration. Together these data identify actin as a new functional target of Akt signaling.

The valosin-containing protein (VCP) is a target of Akt signaling required for cell survival

The serine/threonine kinase Akt is a key mediator of cell survival and growth, but its precise mechanism of action, and more specifically, the nature of its signaling partners largely remain to be elucidated. We show, using a proteomics-based approach, that the valosin-containing protein (VCP), a member of the AAA (ATPases associated with a variety of cellular activities) family, is a target of Akt signaling. SDS-PAGE of Akt co-immunoprecipitated proteins obtained from MCF-7 breast cancer cells revealed the increase of a 97-kDa band under Akt activation. Mass spectrometry analysis allowed the identification of VCP, and we have shown a serine/threonine phosphorylation on an Akt consensus site upon activation by growth factors. Site-directed mutagenesis identified Ser-351, Ser-745, and Ser-747 as Akt phosphorylation sites on VCP. Confocal microscopy indicated a co-localization between Akt and VCP upon Akt stimulation. Interestingly, small interfering RNA against VCP induced an inhibition of the growth factor-induced activation of NF-kappaB and a potent pro-apoptotic effect. Together, these data identify VCP as an essential target of Akt signaling.