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Zhu H, Xia L, Shen Q, Zhao M, Gu X, Bouamar H, Wang B, Sun LZ, Zhu X. Differential effects of GLI2 and GLI3 in regulating cervical cancer malignancy in vitro and in vivo. J Transl Med 2018; 98:1384-1396. [PMID: 29967343 PMCID: PMC6386554 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-018-0089-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer is often incurable. Therefore, in-depth insights into the molecular mechanisms are needed for the development of novel therapeutic targets and the improvement of current therapeutic strategies. In this study, we investigated the role of GLI2 and GLI3 in the regulation of the malignant properties of cervical cancer. We showed that down-regulation of GLI2, but not GLI3, with an inducible GLI2 shRNA inhibited the growth and migration of cervical cancer cell lines, which could be rescued by ectopic expression of GLI2. GLI2 appeared to support cell growth by regulating the mitosis, but not the apoptosis, of the cervical cancer cells. Mechanistically, these functions of GLI2 were in part mediated by the activation of AKT pathway. Knockdown of GLI2, but not GLI3, also inhibited xenograft growth of cervical cancer cells in vivo. Finally, analysis of TCGA data showed that high levels of GLI2, but not GLI3, conferred a poor prognosis in cervical cancer patients. These observations for the first time suggest that GLI2, but not GLI3, exerts a tumor-promoting role in cervical cancer and may be targeted as a novel therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Departments of Cell Systems & Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Lu Xia
- Departments of Cell Systems & Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Xiangya Hospital and Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Qi Shen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Departments of Cell Systems & Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Menghuang Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Departments of Cell Systems & Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Xiang Gu
- Departments of Cell Systems & Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Hakim Bouamar
- Departments of Cell Systems & Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Bingzhi Wang
- Departments of Cell Systems & Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Xiangya Hospital and Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Lu-Zhe Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China. .,Departments of Cell Systems & Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Xueqiong Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
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Riordan JD, Feddersen CR, Tschida BR, Jackson P, Keng VW, Linden MA, Amin K, Stipp CS, Largaespada DA, Dupuy AJ. Chronic liver injury alters driver mutation profiles in hepatocellular carcinoma in mice. Hepatology 2018; 67:924-939. [PMID: 28961327 PMCID: PMC5826818 DOI: 10.1002/hep.29565] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) develop in a chronically injured liver, yet the extent to which this microenvironment promotes neoplastic transformation or influences selective pressures for genetic drivers of HCC remains unclear. We sought to determine the impact of hepatic injury in an established mouse model of HCC induced by Sleeping Beauty transposon mutagenesis. Chemically induced chronic liver injury dramatically increased tumor penetrance and significantly altered driver mutation profiles, likely reflecting distinct selective pressures. In addition to established human HCC genes and pathways, we identified several injury-associated candidates that represent promising loci for further study. Among them, we found that FIGN is overexpressed in human HCC and promotes hepatocyte invasion. We also validated Gli2's oncogenic potential in vivo, providing direct evidence that Hedgehog signaling can drive liver tumorigenesis in the context of chronic injury. Finally, we show that a subset of injury-associated candidate genes identifies two distinct classes of human HCCs. Further analysis of these two subclasses revealed significant trends among common molecular classification schemes of HCC. The genes and mechanisms identified here provide functional insights into the origin of HCC in a chronic liver damage environment. CONCLUSION A chronically damaged liver microenvironment influences the genetic mechanisms that drive hepatocarcinogenesis. (Hepatology 2018;67:924-939).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D. Riordan
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Charlotte R. Feddersen
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Barbara R. Tschida
- Masonic Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics & Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Pauline Jackson
- Masonic Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics & Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Vincent W. Keng
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Michael A. Linden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Khalid Amin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Christopher S. Stipp
- Department of Biology, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - David A. Largaespada
- Masonic Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics & Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Adam J. Dupuy
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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van de Putte R, Wijers CHW, de Blaauw I, Marcelis CLM, Sloots CEJ, Brooks AS, Broens PMA, Roeleveld N, van der Zanden LFM, van Rooij IALM. Previous miscarriages and GLI2 are associated with anorectal malformations in offspring. Hum Reprod 2017; 32:299-306. [PMID: 28057877 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dew327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Are anorectal malformations (ARMs) associated with previous miscarriages or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (BMP4) and GLI family zinc finger 2 (GLI2) genes? SUMMARY ANSWER The SNP rs3738880 in GLI2 and miscarriages were associated with ARM, especially in patients with multiple congenital anomalies (MCA). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY ARM are one of the most common birth defects of the gastrointestinal tract. The etiology is likely to be multifactorial, involving both environmental and genetic factors. SNPs in BMP4 and GLI2 genes were associated with ARM in non-Caucasian populations. During a patient information day, several mothers of ARM patients reported their concerns about previous miscarriages. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A case-control study was performed among 427 ARM patients and 663 population-based controls. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS We examined the associations of ARM with SNPs in GLI2 and BMP4 using DNA samples of the children and associations with previous miscarriages using parental questionnaires. In addition, gene-gene and gene-environment interaction analyses were performed. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The SNP rs3738880 in GLI2 was associated with ARM, especially in patients with MCA (homozygous GG-genotype: odds ratio (OR): 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2, 3.7). We identified previous miscarriages as a new risk factor for ARM, especially when occurring in the pregnancy directly preceding the index pregnancy and in patients with MCA (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3, 3.5). No association with rs17563 in BMP4, nor gene-gene or gene-environment interactions were found. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The possibility of recall errors for previous miscarriage, but we expect these errors to be limited, as a miscarriage is a major life event. In addition, potential misclassification regarding miscarriages and stillbirth, but sensitivity analyses showed that this did not influence our results. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study showed associations of ARM with rs3738880 in GLI2 and with previous miscarriages. Both associations were stronger in patients with MCA, showing the importance of stratifying the analyses by patients with isolated ARM or MCA. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS This study was funded by the Radboudumc. The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romy van de Putte
- Department for Health Evidence (133), Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Charlotte H W Wijers
- Department for Health Evidence (133), Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ivo de Blaauw
- Department of Surgery-Pediatric Surgery, Radboudumc Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Carlo L M Marcelis
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelius E J Sloots
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Sophia's Children's Hospital, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alice S Brooks
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paul M A Broens
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nel Roeleveld
- Department for Health Evidence (133), Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Paediatrics, Radboudumc Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Loes F M van der Zanden
- Department for Health Evidence (133), Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Iris A L M van Rooij
- Department for Health Evidence (133), Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Lu XL, Wang L, Chang SY, Shangguan SF, Wang Z, Wu LH, Zou JZ, Xiao P, Li R, Bao YH, Qiu ZY, Zhang T. Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Affected by Promoter Hypermethylation Induces Aberrant Gli2 Expression in Spina Bifida. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 53:5413-24. [PMID: 26446020 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9447-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
GLI2 is a key mediator of the sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway and plays an important role in neural tube development during vertebrate embryogenesis; however, the role of gli2 in human folate-related neural tube defects remains unclear. In this study, we compared methylation status and polymorphisms of gli2 between spina bifida patients and a control group to explore the underlying mechanisms related to folate deficiency in spina bifida. No single nucleotide polymorphism was found to be significantly different between the two groups, although gli2 methylation levels were significantly increased in spina bifida samples, accompanied by aberrant GLI2 expression. Moreover, a prominent negative correlation was found between the folate level in brain tissue and the gli2 methylation status (r = -0.41, P = 0.014), and gli2 hypermethylation increased the risk of spina bifida with an odds ratio of 12.45 (95 % confidence interval: 2.71-57.22, P = 0.001). In addition, we established a cell model to illustrate the effect of gli2 expression and the accessibility of chromatin affected by methylation. High gli2 and gli1 mRNA expression was detected in 5-Aza-treated cells, while gli2 hypermethylation resulted in chromatin inaccessibility and a reduced association with nuclear proteins containing transcriptional factors. More meaningful to the pathway, the effect gene of the Shh pathway, gli1, was found to have a reduced level of expression along with a decreased expression of gli2 in our cell model. Aberrant high methylation resulted in the low expression of gli2 in spina bifida, which was affected by the change in chromatin status and the capacity of transcription factor binding.
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Johnson RW, Merkel AR, Danilin S, Nguyen MP, Mundy GR, Sterling JA. 6-Thioguanine inhibition of parathyroid hormone-related protein expression is mediated by GLI2. Anticancer Res 2011; 31:2705-2712. [PMID: 21868511 PMCID: PMC3430074] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer cells frequently metastasize to bone, where they up-regulate their expression of the transcription factor GLI2 and the downstream osteolytic factor parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP). The guanosine nucleotide 6-thioguanine (6-TG) inhibits PTHrP expression and blocks osteolytic bone destruction in mice inoculated with bone metastatic cells; however, the mechanism by which 6-TG inhibits PTHrP remains unclear. We hypothesized that 6-TG inhibition of PTHrP is mediated through GLI2 signaling. MATERIALS AND METHODS Human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and RWGT2 squamous-cell lung carcinoma cells were treated with 100 μM 6-TG and examined for GLI2 mRNA expression and stability by Q-PCR, promoter activity by luciferase assay, and protein expression by Western blot. RESULTS 6-TG significantly blocked GLI2 mRNA and protein expression, but did not affect stability. Additionally, 6-TG directly inhibited GLI2 promoter activity, and when cells were transfected with constitutively expressed GLI2, the inhibitory effect of 6-TG on PTHrP expression was abolished. CONCLUSION Taken together, these data indicate that 6-TG regulates PTHrP in part through GLI2 transcription, and therefore the clinical use of 6-TG or other guanosine nucleotides may be a viable therapeutic option in tumor types expressing elevated levels of GLI proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachelle W Johnson
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (VISN 9), Nashville, TN, USA
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Mill P, Mo R, Fu H, Grachtchouk M, Kim PCW, Dlugosz AA, Hui CC. Sonic hedgehog-dependent activation of Gli2 is essential for embryonic hair follicle development. Genes Dev 2003; 17:282-94. [PMID: 12533516 PMCID: PMC195973 DOI: 10.1101/gad.1038103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [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] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling plays a critical role in hair follicle development and skin cancer, but how it controls these processes remains unclear. Of the three Gli transcription factors involved in transducing Shh signals in vertebrates, we demonstrate here that Gli2 is the key mediator of Shh responses in skin. Similar to Shh(-/-) mice, Gli2(-/-) mutants exhibit an arrest in hair follicle development with reduced cell proliferation and Shh-responsive gene expression, but grossly normal epidermal differentiation. By transgenic rescue experiments, we show that epidermal Gli2 function alone is sufficient to restore hair follicle development in Gli2(-/-) skin. Furthermore, only a constitutively active form of Gli2, but not wild-type Gli2, can activate Shh-responsive gene expression and promote cell proliferation in Shh(-/-) skin. These observations indicate that Shh-dependent Gli2 activator function in the epidermis is essential for hair follicle development. Our data also reveal that Gli2 mediates the mitogenic effects of Shh by transcriptional activation of cyclin D1 and cyclin D2 in the developing hair follicles. Together, our results suggest that Shh-dependent Gli2 activation plays a critical role in epithelial homeostasis by promoting proliferation through the transcriptional control of cell cycle regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pleasantine Mill
- Program in Developmental Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada
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