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Yeh TJ, Luo CW, Du JS, Huang CT, Wang MH, Chuang TM, Gau YC, Cho SF, Liu YC, Hsiao HH, Chen LT, Pan MR, Wang HC, Moi SH. Deciphering the Functions of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase in Head and Neck Cancer. Biomedicines 2023; 11:691. [PMID: 36979671 PMCID: PMC10044978 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030691] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are among the ten leading malignancies worldwide. Despite significant progress in all therapeutic modalities, predictive biomarkers, and targeted therapies for HNCs are limited and the survival rate is unsatisfactory. The importance of telomere maintenance via telomerase reactivation in carcinogenesis has been demonstrated in recent decades. Several mechanisms could activate telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the most common of which is promoter alternation. Two major hotspot TERT promoter mutations (C228T and C250T) have been reported in different malignancies such as melanoma, genitourinary cancers, CNS tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma, thyroid cancers, sarcomas, and HNCs. The frequencies of TERT promoter mutations vary widely across tumors and is quite high in HNCs (11.9-64.7%). These mutations have been reported to be more enriched in oral cavity SCCs and HPV-negative tumors. The association between TERT promoter mutations and poor survival has also been demonstrated. Till now, several therapeutic strategies targeting telomerase have been developed although only a few drugs have been used in clinical trials. Here, we briefly review and summarize our current understanding and evidence of TERT promoter mutations in HNC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Jang Yeh
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Wen Luo
- Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Department of Cosmetic Science and Institute of Cosmetic Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 717, Taiwan
| | - Jeng-Shiun Du
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Tzu Huang
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hung Wang
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Tzer-Ming Chuang
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Yuh-Ching Gau
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Feng Cho
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chang Liu
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Hua Hsiao
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Li-Tzong Chen
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 704, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Ren Pan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ching Wang
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Sin-Hua Moi
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
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Ropio J, Prochazkova-Carlotti M, Batista R, Pestana A, Chebly A, Ferrer J, Idrissi Y, Cappellen D, Durães C, Boaventura P, Vinagre J, Azzi-Martin L, Poglio S, Cabeçadas J, Campos MA, Beylot-Barry M, Sobrinho-Simões M, Merlio JP, Soares P, Chevret E. Spotlight on hTERT Complex Regulation in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:439. [PMID: 36833366 PMCID: PMC9956048 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020439] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
As a major cancer hallmark, there is a sustained interest in understanding the telomerase contribution to carcinogenesis in order to therapeutically target this enzyme. This is particularly relevant in primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL), a malignancy showing telomerase dysregulation with few investigative data available. In CTCL, we examined the mechanisms involved in telomerase transcriptional activation and activity regulation. We analyzed 94 CTCL patients from a Franco-Portuguese cohort, as well as 8 cell lines, in comparison to 101 healthy controls. Our results showed that not only polymorphisms (SNPs) located at the promoter of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene (rs2735940 and rs2853672) but also an SNP located within the coding region (rs2853676) could influence CTCL occurrence. Furthermore, our results sustained that the post-transcriptional regulation of hTERT contributes to CTCL lymphomagenesis. Indeed, CTCL cells present a different pattern of hTERT spliced transcripts distribution from the controls, mostly marked by an increase in the hTERT β+ variants proportion. This increase seems to be associated with CTCL development and progression. Through hTERT splicing transcriptome modulation with shRNAs, we observed that the decrease in the α-β+ transcript induced a decrease in the cell proliferation and tumorigenic capacities of T-MF cells in vitro. Taken together, our data highlight the major role of post-transcriptional mechanisms regulating telomerase non canonical functions in CTCL and suggest a new potential role for the α-β+ hTERT transcript variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Ropio
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Abel Salazar, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Rui Batista
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3S), Porto University, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Cancer Biology Group, Porto University, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Pestana
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3S), Porto University, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Cancer Biology Group, Porto University, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Alain Chebly
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- Medical Genetics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut 1104 2020, Lebanon
- Higher Institute of Public Health, Saint Joseph University, Beirut 1104 2020, Lebanon
| | - Jacky Ferrer
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Yamina Idrissi
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - David Cappellen
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- Tumor Bank and Tumor Biology Laboratory, Bordeaux University Hospital, 33075 Bordeaux, France
| | - Cecília Durães
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3S), Porto University, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Cancer Biology Group, Porto University, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Boaventura
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Cancer Biology Group, Porto University, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - João Vinagre
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3S), Porto University, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Cancer Biology Group, Porto University, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Lamia Azzi-Martin
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- UFR des Sciences Médicales, Bordeaux University, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Sandrine Poglio
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - José Cabeçadas
- Dermatology Departement, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa (IPO-L), 1099-023 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Manuel António Campos
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3S), Porto University, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Cancer Biology Group, Porto University, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, E.P.E., Dermatology Departement, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Marie Beylot-Barry
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- Dermatology Department, Bordeaux University Hospital, 33075 Bordeaux, France
| | - Manuel Sobrinho-Simões
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3S), Porto University, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Cancer Biology Group, Porto University, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Jean-Philippe Merlio
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- Tumor Bank and Tumor Biology Laboratory, Bordeaux University Hospital, 33075 Bordeaux, France
| | - Paula Soares
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3S), Porto University, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Cancer Biology Group, Porto University, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Edith Chevret
- BRIC (BoRdeaux Institute of onCology), UMR1312, INSERM, University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
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Liu T, Li S, Xia C, Xu D. TERT promoter mutations and methylation for telomerase activation in urothelial carcinomas: New mechanistic insights and clinical significance. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1071390. [PMID: 36713366 PMCID: PMC9877314 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1071390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase, an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase synthesizing telomeric TTAGGG sequences, is primarily silent in normal human urothelial cells (NHUCs), but widely activated in urothelial cell-derived carcinomas or urothelial carcinomas (UCs) including UC of the bladder (UCB) and upper track UC (UTUC). Telomerase activation for telomere maintenance is required for the UC development and progression, and the key underlying mechanism is the transcriptional de-repression of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), a gene encoding the rate-limiting, telomerase catalytic component. Recent mechanistic explorations have revealed important roles for TERT promoter mutations and aberrant methylation in activation of TERT transcription and telomerase in UCs. Moreover, these TERT-featured genomic and epigenetic alterations have been evaluated for their usefulness in non-invasive UC diagnostics, recurrence monitoring, outcome prediction and response to treatments such as immunotherapy. Importantly, the detection of the mutated TERT promoter and TERT mRNA as urinary biomarkers holds great promise for urine-based UC liquid biopsy. In the present article, we review recent mechanistic insights into altered TERT promoter-mediated telomerase activation in UCs and discuss potential clinical implications. Specifically, we compare differences in senescence and transformation between NHUCs and other types of epithelial cells, address the interaction between TERT promoter mutations and other factors to affect UC progression and outcomes, evaluate the impact of TERT promoter mutations and TERT-mediated activation of human endogenous retrovirus genes on UC immunotherapy including Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Finally, we suggest the standardization of a TERT assay and evaluation system for UC clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Liu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shihong Li
- Department of Pathology, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Liaocheng, Liaocheng, China
| | - Chuanyou Xia
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China,*Correspondence: Chuanyou Xia, ; Dawei Xu,
| | - Dawei Xu
- Department of Medicine, Bioclinicum and Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden,*Correspondence: Chuanyou Xia, ; Dawei Xu,
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4
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Feng Y, Xu H, Liu J, Xie N, Gao L, He Y, Yao Y, Lv F, Zhang Y, Lu J, Zhang W, Li CY, Hu X, Yang Z, Xiao RP. Functional and Adaptive Significance of Promoter Mutations That Affect Divergent Myocardial Expressions of TRIM72 in Primates. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:2930-2945. [PMID: 33744959 PMCID: PMC8233513 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cis-regulatory elements play important roles in tissue-specific gene expression and in the evolution of various phenotypes, and mutations in promoters and enhancers may be responsible for adaptations of species to environments. TRIM72 is a highly conserved protein that is involved in energy metabolism. Its expression in the heart varies considerably in primates, with high levels of expression in Old World monkeys and near absence in hominids. Here, we combine phylogenetic hypothesis testing and experimentation to demonstrate that mutations in promoter are responsible for the differences among primate species in the heart-specific expression of TRIM72. Maximum likelihood estimates of lineage-specific substitution rates under local-clock models show that relative to the evolutionary rate of introns, the rate of promoter was accelerated by 78% in the common ancestor of Old World monkeys, suggesting a role for positive selection in the evolution of the TRIM72 promoter, possibly driven by selective pressure due to changes in cardiac physiology after species divergence. We demonstrate that mutations in the TRIM72 promoter account for the differential myocardial TRIM72 expression of the human and the rhesus macaque. Furthermore, changes in TRIM72 expression alter the expression of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, which in turn affects mitochondrial respiration and cardiac energy capacity. On a broader timescale, phylogenetic regression analyses of data from 29 mammalian species show that mammals with high cardiac expression of TRIM72 have high heart rate, suggesting that the expression changes of TRIM72 may be related to differences in the heart physiology of those species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanqing Feng
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongzhan Xu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinghao Liu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Xie
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Gao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanyun He
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Yao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Fengxiang Lv
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Lu
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan-Yun Li
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinli Hu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ziheng Yang
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rui-Ping Xiao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Xing X, Mu N, Yuan X, Wang N, Juhlin CC, Strååt K, Larsson C, Xu D. PLEKHS1 Over-Expression is Associated with Metastases and Poor Outcomes in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2133. [PMID: 32752127 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pleckstrin homology domain containing S1 (PLEKHS1) is a poorly characterized factor, although its promoter mutations were identified in human malignancies including thyroid carcinoma (TC). This study was designed to determine PLEKHS1 promoter hotspot mutations in papillary and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (PTCs and ATCs) and to evaluate if PLEKHS1 expression influences clinical outcome. The PLEKHS1 promoter mutation was observed in 1/93 of PTCs and none of 18 ATCs in our cohort; however, PLEKHS1 expression was aberrantly up-regulated in TCs compared to adjacent non-tumorous thyroid tissues. ATC tumors, an undifferentiated TC, exhibited the highest PLEKHS1 expression. In both TCGA and present cohorts of PTCs, PLEKHS1 gene methylation density was inversely correlated with its mRNA expression and demethylation at the PLEKHS1 locus occurred at two CpGs. Higher PLEKHS1 expression was associated with lymph node and distant metastases, and shorter overall and disease-free survival in our cohort of PTC patients. Importantly, PLEKHS1 over-expression predicted shorter patient survival in PTCs lacking TERT promoter mutations. Cellular experiments showed that PLEKHS1 over-expression enhanced AKT phosphorylation and invasiveness. Collectively, the PLEKHS1 gene demethylation causes its over-expression in PTCs. PLEKHS1 promotes aggressive behavior of TCs possibly by increasing AKT activity, and its over-expression predicts poor patient outcomes.
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Rachakonda S, Kong H, Srinivas N, Garcia-Casado Z, Requena C, Fallah M, Heidenreich B, Planelles D, Traves V, Schadendorf D, Nagore E, Kumar R. Telomere length, telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations, and melanoma risk. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2018; 57:564-572. [PMID: 30203894 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.22669] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere repeats at chromosomal ends, critical for genomic integrity, undergo age-dependent attrition and telomere length has been associated with different disorders including cancers. In this study, based on 1469 patients and 1158 healthy controls, we show a statistically significant (P = 6 × 10-10 ) association between increased telomere length and melanoma risk. Mendelian randomization, using 5 telomere length-associated polymorphisms, ruled out confounding factors or reverse causality and showed association between increased telomere length and melanoma risk with odds ratio of 2.66 (95% confidence interval: 2.07-3.25). Age-dependent telomere attrition was faster in melanoma cases than controls (P = .01). The carriers of a highly penetrant germline -57A>C TERT promoter mutation, in a previously reported melanoma family, had longer telomeres than the noncarriers. The mutation causes increased TERT and telomerase levels through creation of a binding motif for E-twenty six (ETS) transcription factors and the carriers develop melanoma with an early age of onset and rapid progression to metastasis. In analogy, we hypothesize that increased telomere length in melanoma patients reflects stochastic increased telomerase levels due to common genetic variation. Paradoxically, we observed shorter telomeres (P = 1 × 10-5 ) in primary tumors from unrelated melanoma patients with (121) than without (170) somatic TERT promoter mutations that similar to the germline mutation, also create binding motifs for ETS transcription factors. However, the age-dependent telomere attrition was faster in tumors with the TERT promoter mutations than in those without such mutations. Besides a robust association between increased telomere length and risk, our data show a perturbed telomere homeostasis in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Haiying Kong
- Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nalini Srinivas
- Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Zaida Garcia-Casado
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Instituto Valenciano de Oncologia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Celia Requena
- Department of Dermatology, Instituto Valenciano de Oncologia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mahdi Fallah
- Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Barbara Heidenreich
- Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Victor Traves
- Department of Pathology, Instituto Valenciano de Oncologia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.,German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eduardo Nagore
- Department of Dermatology, Instituto Valenciano de Oncologia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rajiv Kumar
- Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
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7
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Yuan X, Cheng G, Yu J, Zheng S, Sun C, Sun Q, Li K, Lin Z, Liu T, Li P, Xu Y, Kong F, Bjorkholm M, Xu D. The TERT promoter mutation incidence is modified by germline TERT rs2736098 and rs2736100 polymorphisms in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:23120-9. [PMID: 28416747 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase activation via induction of the catalytic component telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) plays essential roles in malignant transformation. TERT promoter-activating mutations were recently identified as a novel mechanism to activate telomerase in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and many other malignancies. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TERT rs2736098 and rs2736100 are significantly associated with cancer susceptibility. It is currently unclear whether different germline TERT variants modify TERT promoter mutations. Here we analyzed the TERT promoter status and genotyped the TERT SNPs at rs2736098 and rs2736100 in patients with HCC. Thirty percent of HCCs harbored TERT promoter mutations and there was a significant difference in rs2736098 and rs2736100 genotypes between wt and mutant TERT promoter-bearing HCC tumors (P = 0.007 and 0.018, respectively). For rs2736100, the cancer risk genotype CC was significantly associated with a reduced incidence of TERT promoter mutations compared to AA + AC variants [Odds ratio (OR): 0.181, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.0543-0.601, P = 0.004]. The rs2736098_CT genotype was significantly associated with the TERT promoter mutation-positive tumors compared to the TT genotype (OR: 5.391, 95% CI: 1.234-23.553, P = 0.025). These differences in genotype distribution did not differ between patients with a wt TERT promoter and controls. The presence of TERT promoter mutations was not associated with clinico-pathological variables. Taken together, the germline TERT genetic background may significantly affect the onset of TERT promoter mutations in HCCs, which provides a better understanding of HCC-related TERT promoter mutations and telomerase regulation in cancer.
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Scholz SL, Horn S, Murali R, Möller I, Sucker A, Sondermann W, Stiller M, Schilling B, Livingstone E, Zimmer L, Reis H, Metz CH, Zeschnigk M, Paschen A, Steuhl KP, Schadendorf D, Westekemper H, Griewank KG. Analysis of SDHD promoter mutations in various types of melanoma. Oncotarget 2016; 6:25868-82. [PMID: 26327518 PMCID: PMC4694872 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Recently, recurrent mutations in regulatory DNA regions, such as promoter mutations in the TERT gene were identified in melanoma. Subsequently, Weinhold et al. reported SDHD promoter mutations occurring in 10% of melanomas and being associated with a lower overall survival rate. Our study analyzes the mutation rate and clinico-pathologic associations of SDHD promoter mutations in a large cohort of different melanoma subtypes. Methods 451 melanoma samples (incl. 223 non-acral cutaneous, 38 acral, 33 mucosal, 43 occult, 43 conjunctival and 51 uveal melanoma) were analyzed for the presence of SDHD promoter mutations by Sanger-sequencing. Statistical analysis was performed to screen for potential correlations of SDHD promoter mutation status with various clinico-pathologic criteria. Results The SDHD promoter was successfully sequenced in 451 tumor samples. ETS binding site changing SDHD promoter mutations were identified in 16 (4%) samples, of which 5 mutations had not been described previously. Additionally, 5 point mutations not located in ETS binding elements were identified. Mutations in UV-exposed tumors were frequently C>T. One germline C>A SDHD promoter mutation was identified. No statistically significant associations between SDHD promoter mutation status and various clinico-pathologic variables or overall patient survival were observed. Conclusions Melanomas harbor recurrent SDHD promoter mutations, which occur primarily as C>T alterations in UV-exposed melanomas. In contrast to the initial report and promoter mutations in the TERT gene, our analysis suggests that SDHD promoter mutations are a relatively rare event in melanoma (4% of tumors) of unclear clinical and prognostic relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone L Scholz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Susanne Horn
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Rajmohan Murali
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York NY, USA.,Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York NY, USA
| | - Inga Möller
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Antje Sucker
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Wiebke Sondermann
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Mathias Stiller
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany.,University Duisburg-Essen and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Bastian Schilling
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Elisabeth Livingstone
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Lisa Zimmer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Henning Reis
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Claudia H Metz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Michael Zeschnigk
- Department of Human Genetics, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Annette Paschen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Steuhl
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Henrike Westekemper
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
| | - Klaus G Griewank
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, West German Cancer Center and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen Germany
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Sandvej K, Andresen BS, Zhou XG, Gregersen N, Hamilton-Dutoit S. Analysis of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) gene and promoter in Hodgkin's disease isolates: selection against EBV variants with mutations in the LMP-1 promoter ATF-1/CREB-1 binding site. Mol Pathol 2000; 53:280-8. [PMID: 11091852 PMCID: PMC1186981 DOI: 10.1136/mp.53.5.280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To study the distribution of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) variants containing mutations in the latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) oncogene and promoter in EBV associated Hodgkin's disease and infectious mononucleosis compared with previous findings in asymptomatic EBV carriers. METHODS Sequence analysis of the EBV LMP-1 promoter and gene in isolates from Danish patients with Hodgkin's disease (n = 61) and infectious mononucleosis (n = 10). RESULTS Viruses (previously designated group D) that contain two mutations in the activating transcription factor/cAMP response element (ATF/CRE) in the LMP-1 promoter, which are known to decrease promoter activity greatly, were significantly less frequent in Hodgkin's disease than in both infectious mononucleosis (p = 0.0081) and asymptomatic EBV carriers (p = 0.0084). In some cases, the LMP-1 gene contained mutations in a recently identified cytotoxic T cell (CTL) epitope. Most viral isolates contained mutations shown to increase nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) activation and had one of two newly identified C-terminal activation regions 3 (CTAR-3) deleted. The exon 1 Xho-I restriction site in the LMP-1 gene could be lost through a range of different mutations. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate selection pressure against EBV strains with weak LMP-1 promoter activity in Hodgkin's disease and thus provide further strong circumstantial evidence for the pathogenic role of EBV (and LMP-1) in this disease. Mutation of the CTL epitope suggests immune selection of EBV strains. Many EBV isolates contain functionally important mutations in the LMP-1 gene. Loss of the Xho-I restriction site should not be used as a marker of specific LMP-1 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Sandvej
- Laboratory of Immunopathology, Kommunehospitalet, Aarhus, Denmark.
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