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Lee DH, Ahn H, Sim HI, Choi E, Choi S, Jo Y, Yun B, Song HK, Oh SJ, Denda-Nagai K, Park CS, Irimura T, Park Y, Jin HS. A CRISPR activation screen identifies MUC-21 as critical for resistance to NK and T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:272. [PMID: 37858248 PMCID: PMC10588101 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02840-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy has significantly advanced cancer treatments, but many patients do not respond to it, partly due to immunosuppressive mechanisms used by tumor cells. These cells employ immunosuppressive ligands to evade detection and elimination by the immune system. Therefore, the discovery and characterization of novel immunosuppressive ligands that facilitate immune evasion are crucial for developing more potent anti-cancer therapies. METHODS We conducted gain-of-function screens using a CRISPRa (CRISPR activation) library that covered the entire human transmembrane sub-genome to identify surface molecules capable of hindering NK-mediated cytotoxicity. The immunosuppressive role and mechanism of MUC21 were validated using NK and T cell mediated cytotoxicity assays. Bioinformatics tools were employed to assess the clinical implications of mucin-21 (MUC21) in cancer cell immunity. RESULTS Our genetic screens revealed that MUC21 expression on cancer cell surfaces inhibits both the cytotoxic activity of NK cells and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, but not affecting complement-dependent cytotoxicity. Additionally, MUC21 expression hinders T cell activation by impeding antigen recognition, thereby diminishing the effectiveness of the immune checkpoint inhibitor, anti-PD-L1. Moreover, MUC21 expression suppress the antitumor function of both CAR-T cells and CAR-NK cells. Mechanistically, MUC21 facilitates immune evasion by creating steric hindrance, preventing interactions between cancer and immune cells. Bioinformatics analysis revealed elevated MUC21 expression in lung cancer, which correlated with reduced infiltration and activation of cytotoxic immune cells. Intriguingly, MUC21 expression was higher in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors that were non-responsive to anti-PD-(L)1 treatment compared to responsive tumors. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that surface MUC21 serves as a potent immunosuppressive ligand, shielding cancer cells from NK and CD8+T cell attacks. This suggests that inhibiting MUC21 could be a promising strategy to improve cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Hee Lee
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Hyejin Ahn
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Hye-In Sim
- Chemical and Biological Integrative Research Center, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, South Korea
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02481, South Korea
| | - Eunji Choi
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Seunghyun Choi
- Chemical and Biological Integrative Research Center, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, South Korea
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02481, South Korea
| | - Yunju Jo
- Chemical and Biological Integrative Research Center, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, South Korea
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02481, South Korea
| | - Bohwan Yun
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Hyun Kyu Song
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02481, South Korea
| | - Soo Jin Oh
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Kaori Denda-Nagai
- Division of Glycobiologics, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Chan-Sik Park
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Tatsuro Irimura
- Division of Glycobiologics, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Yoon Park
- Chemical and Biological Integrative Research Center, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, South Korea.
| | - Hyung-Seung Jin
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
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Chopra A, Song J, Weiner J, Keceli HG, Dincer PR, Cruz R, Carracedo A, Blanco J, Dommisch H, Schaefer AS. RSPO4 is a potential risk gene of stages III-IV, grade C periodontitis through effects on innate immune response and oral barrier integrity. J Clin Periodontol 2023; 50:476-486. [PMID: 36507580 DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.13758] [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: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AIM R-spondin 4 (RSPO4) is a suggestive risk gene of stage III-IV, grade C periodontitis and upregulated in gingiva of mice resistant to bacteria-induced alveolar bone loss. We aimed to replicate the association, identify and characterize the putative causal variant(s) and molecular effects, and understand the downstream effects of RSPO4 upregulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a two-step association study for RSPO4 with imputed genotypes of a German-Dutch (896 stage III-IV, grade C periodontitis cases, 7104 controls) and Spanish sample (441 cases and 1141 controls). We analysed the allelic effects on transcription factor binding sites with reporter gene and antibody electrophoretic mobility shift assays. We used CRISPR/dCas9 activation and RNA sequencing to pinpoint RSPO4 as the target gene and to analyse downstream effects. RESULTS RSPO4 was associated with periodontitis (rs6056178, pmeta = 4.6 × 10-5 ). rs6056178 contains a GATA-binding motif. The rs6056178 T-allele abolished reporter activity (p = .004) and reduced GATA binding (-14.5%). CRISPRa of the associated region increased RSPO4 expression (25.8 ± 6.5-fold, p = .003). RSPO4 activation showed strongest induction of Gliomedin (439-fold) and Mucin 21 (178-fold) and of the gene set "response to interferon-alpha" (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.8, p < 5 × 10-6 ). The most repressed gene set was "extracellular matrix interactions" (AUC = 0.8, padj = .00016). CONCLUSION RSPO4 is a potential periodontitis risk gene and modifies host defence and barrier integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avneesh Chopra
- Department of Periodontology, Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery, Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Sciences, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jiahui Song
- Department of Periodontology, Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery, Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Sciences, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - January Weiner
- Core Unit Bioinformatics, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Huseyin G Keceli
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Pervin R Dincer
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Raquel Cruz
- Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- CIBERER-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Angel Carracedo
- Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- CIBERER-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Juan Blanco
- Grupo de Investigación en Odontología Médico-Quirúrgica (OMEQUI), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Henrik Dommisch
- Department of Periodontology, Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery, Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Sciences, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Arne S Schaefer
- Department of Periodontology, Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery, Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Sciences, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Yoshimoto T, Matsubara D, Soda M, Ueno T, Amano Y, Kihara A, Sakatani T, Nakano T, Shibano T, Endo S, Hagiwara K, Fukayama M, Denda-Nagai K, Irimura T, Mano H, Niki T. Mucin 21 is a key molecule involved in the incohesive growth pattern in lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Sci 2019; 110:3006-3011. [PMID: 31301084 PMCID: PMC6726699 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Decreased cell adhesion has been reported as a significant negative prognostic factor of lung cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the cell incohesiveness in lung cancer have not yet been elucidated in detail. We herein describe a rare histological variant of lung adenocarcinoma consisting almost entirely of individual cancer cells spreading in alveolar spaces in an incohesive pattern. A whole exome analysis of this case showed no genomic abnormalities in CDH1 or other genes encoding cell adhesion molecules. However, whole mRNA sequencing revealed that this case had an extremely high expression level of mucin 21 (MUC21), a mucin molecule that was previously shown to inhibit cell‐cell and cell‐matrix adhesion. The strong membranous expression of MUC21 was found on cancer cells using mAbs recognizing different O‐glycosylated forms of MUC21. An immunohistochemical analysis of an unselected series of lung adenocarcinoma confirmed that the strong membranous expression of MUC21 correlated with incohesiveness. Thus, MUC21 could be a promising biomarker with potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications for lung adenocarcinoma showing cell incohesiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daisuke Matsubara
- Department of Integrative Pathology, Jichi Medical University, Japan
| | - Manabu Soda
- Department of Cellular Signaling, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshihide Ueno
- Department of Cellular Signaling, The University of Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan
| | - Yusuke Amano
- Department of Integrative Pathology, Jichi Medical University, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kihara
- Department of Integrative Pathology, Jichi Medical University, Japan
| | - Takashi Sakatani
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Nakano
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Japan
| | - Tomoki Shibano
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Endo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Japan
| | - Koichi Hagiwara
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Japan
| | - Masashi Fukayama
- Human Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaori Denda-Nagai
- Division of Glycobiologics, Intractable Disease Research Center, Juntendo University, Japan
| | - Tatsuro Irimura
- Division of Glycobiologics, Intractable Disease Research Center, Juntendo University, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Mano
- Department of Cellular Signaling, The University of Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan
| | - Toshiro Niki
- Department of Integrative Pathology, Jichi Medical University, Japan
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Boone PM, Yuan B, Gu S, Ma Z, Gambin T, Gonzaga-Jauregui C, Jain M, Murdock TJ, White JJ, Jhangiani SN, Walker K, Wang Q, Muzny DM, Gibbs RA, Hejtmancik JF, Lupski JR, Posey JE, Lewis RA. Hutterite-type cataract maps to chromosome 6p21.32-p21.31, cosegregates with a homozygous mutation in LEMD2, and is associated with sudden cardiac death. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2015; 4:77-94. [PMID: 26788539 PMCID: PMC4707028 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Juvenile-onset cataracts are known among the Hutterites of North America. Despite being identified over 30 years ago, this autosomal recessive condition has not been mapped, and the disease gene is unknown. METHODS We performed whole exome sequencing of three Hutterite-type cataract trios and follow-up genotyping and mapping in four extended kindreds. RESULTS Trio exomes enabled genome-wide autozygosity mapping, which localized the disease gene to a 9.5-Mb region on chromosome 6p. This region contained two candidate variants, LEMD2 c.T38G and MUC21 c.665delC. Extended pedigrees recruited for variant genotyping revealed multiple additional relatives with juvenile-onset cataract, as well as six deceased relatives with both cataracts and sudden cardiac death. The candidate variants were genotyped in 84 family members, including 17 with cataracts; only the variant in LEMD2 cosegregated with cataracts (LOD = 9.62). SNP-based fine mapping within the 9.5 Mb linked region supported this finding by refining the cataract locus to a 0.5- to 2.9-Mb subregion (6p21.32-p21.31) containing LEMD2 but not MUC21. LEMD2 is expressed in mouse and human lenses and encodes a LEM domain-containing protein; the c.T38G missense mutation is predicted to mutate a highly conserved residue within this domain (p.Leu13Arg). CONCLUSION We performed a genetic and genomic study of Hutterite-type cataract and found evidence for an association of this phenotype with sudden cardiac death. Using combined genetic and genomic approaches, we mapped cataracts to a small portion of chromosome 6 and propose that they result from a homozygous missense mutation in LEMD2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip M Boone
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | - Bo Yuan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | - Shen Gu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | - Zhiwei Ma
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch National Eye Institute Rockville Maryland
| | - Tomasz Gambin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | | | - Mahim Jain
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | | | - Janson J White
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | | | - Kimberly Walker
- Human Genome Sequencing Center Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | - Qiaoyan Wang
- Human Genome Sequencing Center Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Department of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas; Human Genome Sequencing CenterBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas
| | - J Fielding Hejtmancik
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch National Eye Institute Rockville Maryland
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas; Human Genome Sequencing CenterBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas; Department of PediatricsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas; Texas Children's HospitalHoustonTexas
| | - Jennifer E Posey
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | - Richard A Lewis
- Department of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas; Department of PediatricsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas; Texas Children's HospitalHoustonTexas; Department of OphthalmologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas; Department of MedicineBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas
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