RESUMO
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) poses a significant threat due to its tendency to evade early detection, frequent metastasis, and the subsequent challenges in devising effective treatments. Processes that govern epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in PDAC hold promise for advancing novel therapeutic strategies. SAMD1 (SAM domain-containing protein 1) is a CpG island-binding protein that plays a pivotal role in the repression of its target genes. Here, we revealed that SAMD1 acts as a repressor of genes associated with EMT. Upon deletion of SAMD1 in PDAC cells, we observed significantly increased migration rates. SAMD1 exerts its effects by binding to specific genomic targets, including CDH2, encoding N-cadherin, which emerged as a driver of enhanced migration upon SAMD1 knockout. Furthermore, we discovered the FBXO11-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase complex as an interactor and negative regulator of SAMD1, which inhibits SAMD1 chromatin-binding genome-wide. High FBXO11 expression in PDAC is associated with poor prognosis and increased expression of EMT-related genes, underlining an antagonistic relationship between SAMD1 and FBXO11. In summary, our findings provide insights into the regulation of EMT-related genes in PDAC, shedding light on the intricate role of SAMD1 and its interplay with FBXO11 in this cancer type.
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Somatic mutations in p53, which inactivate the tumour-suppressor function of p53 and often confer oncogenic gain-of-function properties, are very common in cancer1,2. Here we studied the effects of hotspot gain-of-function mutations in Trp53 (the gene that encodes p53 in mice) in mouse models of WNT-driven intestinal cancer caused by Csnk1a1 deletion3,4 or ApcMin mutation5. Cancer in these models is known to be facilitated by loss of p533,6. We found that mutant versions of p53 had contrasting effects in different segments of the gut: in the distal gut, mutant p53 had the expected oncogenic effect; however, in the proximal gut and in tumour organoids it had a pronounced tumour-suppressive effect. In the tumour-suppressive mode, mutant p53 eliminated dysplasia and tumorigenesis in Csnk1a1-deficient and ApcMin/+ mice, and promoted normal growth and differentiation of tumour organoids derived from these mice. In these settings, mutant p53 was more effective than wild-type p53 at inhibiting tumour formation. Mechanistically, the tumour-suppressive effects of mutant p53 were driven by disruption of the WNT pathway, through preventing the binding of TCF4 to chromatin. Notably, this tumour-suppressive effect was completely abolished by the gut microbiome. Moreover, a single metabolite derived from the gut microbiota-gallic acid-could reproduce the entire effect of the microbiome. Supplementing gut-sterilized p53-mutant mice and p53-mutant organoids with gallic acid reinstated the TCF4-chromatin interaction and the hyperactivation of WNT, thus conferring a malignant phenotype to the organoids and throughout the gut. Our study demonstrates the substantial plasticity of a cancer mutation and highlights the role of the microenvironment in determining its functional outcome.
Assuntos
Carcinogênese/genética , Carcinogênese/patologia , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/genética , Genes Supressores de Tumor , Mutação , Oncogenes/genética , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Animais , Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Carcinogênese/efeitos dos fármacos , Feminino , Ácido Gálico/farmacologia , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Organoides/metabolismo , Transcrição Gênica , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/metabolismo , Via de Sinalização Wnt/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy characterized by abnormal proliferation and accumulation of immature myeloid cells in the bone marrow. Inflammation plays a crucial role in AML progression, but excessive activation of cell-intrinsic inflammatory pathways can also trigger cell death. IRF2BP2 is a chromatin regulator implicated in AML pathogenesis, although its precise role in this disease is not fully understood. In this study, we demonstrate that IRF2BP2 interacts with the AP-1 heterodimer ATF7/JDP2, which is involved in activating inflammatory pathways in AML cells. We show that IRF2BP2 is recruited by the ATF7/JDP2 dimer to chromatin and counteracts its gene-activating function. Loss of IRF2BP2 leads to overactivation of inflammatory pathways, resulting in strongly reduced proliferation. Our research indicates that a precise equilibrium between activating and repressive transcriptional mechanisms creates a pro-oncogenic inflammatory environment in AML cells. The ATF7/JDP2-IRF2BP2 regulatory axis is likely a key regulator of this process and may, therefore, represent a promising therapeutic vulnerability for AML. Thus, our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying AML pathogenesis and identifies a potential therapeutic target for AML treatment.
Assuntos
Inflamação , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda , Fator de Transcrição AP-1 , Humanos , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/metabolismo , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Fator de Transcrição AP-1/metabolismo , Fator de Transcrição AP-1/genética , Inflamação/genética , Inflamação/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Fatores Ativadores da Transcrição/metabolismo , Fatores Ativadores da Transcrição/genética , Cromatina/metabolismo , Proliferação de Células , Proteínas Repressoras/metabolismo , Proteínas Repressoras/genética , Células HEK293 , Regulação Leucêmica da Expressão Gênica , Multimerização Proteica , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNARESUMO
The lysine acetyltransferase KAT6A (MOZ, MYST3) belongs to the MYST family of chromatin regulators, facilitating histone acetylation. Dysregulation of KAT6A has been implicated in developmental syndromes and the onset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Previous work suggests that KAT6A is recruited to its genomic targets by a combinatorial function of histone binding PHD fingers, transcription factors and chromatin binding interaction partners. Here, we demonstrate that a winged helix (WH) domain at the very N-terminus of KAT6A specifically interacts with unmethylated CpG motifs. This DNA binding function leads to the association of KAT6A with unmethylated CpG islands (CGIs) genome-wide. Mutation of the essential amino acids for DNA binding completely abrogates the enrichment of KAT6A at CGIs. In contrast, deletion of a second WH domain or the histone tail binding PHD fingers only subtly influences the binding of KAT6A to CGIs. Overexpression of a KAT6A WH1 mutant has a dominant negative effect on H3K9 histone acetylation, which is comparable to the effects upon overexpression of a KAT6A HAT domain mutant. Taken together, our work revealed a previously unrecognized chromatin recruitment mechanism of KAT6A, offering a new perspective on the role of KAT6A in gene regulation and human diseases.
Assuntos
Cromatina , Histona Acetiltransferases , Histonas , Humanos , Cromatina/genética , Ilhas de CpG/genética , DNA , Histona Acetiltransferases/metabolismo , Histonas/metabolismo , AcetilaçãoRESUMO
The systemic immune response to viral infection is shaped by master transcription factors, such as NF-κB, STAT1, or PU.1. Although long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been suggested as important regulators of transcription factor activity, their contributions to the systemic immunopathologies observed during SARS-CoV-2 infection have remained unknown. Here, we employed a targeted single-cell RNA sequencing approach to reveal lncRNAs differentially expressed in blood leukocytes during severe COVID-19. Our results uncover the lncRNA PIRAT (PU.1-induced regulator of alarmin transcription) as a major PU.1 feedback-regulator in monocytes, governing the production of the alarmins S100A8/A9, key drivers of COVID-19 pathogenesis. Knockout and transgene expression, combined with chromatin-occupancy profiling, characterized PIRAT as a nuclear decoy RNA, keeping PU.1 from binding to alarmin promoters and promoting its binding to pseudogenes in naïve monocytes. NF-κB-dependent PIRAT down-regulation during COVID-19 consequently releases a transcriptional brake, fueling alarmin production. Alarmin expression is additionally enhanced by the up-regulation of the lncRNA LUCAT1, which promotes NF-κB-dependent gene expression at the expense of targets of the JAK-STAT pathway. Our results suggest a major role of nuclear noncoding RNA networks in systemic antiviral responses to SARS-CoV-2 in humans.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Monócitos , RNA Longo não Codificante , SARS-CoV-2 , Alarminas/genética , COVID-19/genética , COVID-19/imunologia , Humanos , Janus Quinases/genética , Monócitos/imunologia , NF-kappa B/genética , RNA Longo não Codificante/genética , RNA Longo não Codificante/metabolismo , RNA-Seq , SARS-CoV-2/imunologia , Fatores de Transcrição STAT/genética , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Análise de Célula ÚnicaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Highly malignant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterised by an abundant immunosuppressive and fibrotic tumour microenvironment (TME). Future therapeutic attempts will therefore demand the targeting of tumours and stromal compartments in order to be effective. Here we investigate whether dual specificity and tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1B (DYRK1B) fulfil these criteria and represent a promising anticancer target in PDAC. DESIGN: We used transplantation and autochthonous mouse models of PDAC with either genetic Dyrk1b loss or pharmacological DYRK1B inhibition, respectively. Mechanistic interactions between tumour cells and macrophages were studied in direct or indirect co-culture experiments. Histological analyses used tissue microarrays from patients with PDAC. Additional methodological approaches included bulk mRNA sequencing (transcriptomics) and proteomics (secretomics). RESULTS: We found that DYRK1B is mainly expressed by pancreatic epithelial cancer cells and modulates the influx and activity of TME-associated macrophages through effects on the cancer cells themselves as well as through the tumour secretome. Mechanistically, genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of DYRK1B strongly attracts tumoricidal macrophages and, in addition, downregulates the phagocytosis checkpoint and 'don't eat me' signal CD24 on cancer cells, resulting in enhanced tumour cell phagocytosis. Consequently, tumour cells lacking DYRK1B hardly expand in transplantation experiments, despite their rapid growth in culture. Furthermore, combining a small-molecule DYRK1B-directed therapy with mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition and conventional chemotherapy stalls the growth of established tumours and results in a significant extension of life span in a highly aggressive autochthonous model of PDAC. CONCLUSION: In light of DYRK inhibitors currently entering clinical phase testing, our data thus provide a novel and clinically translatable approach targeting both the cancer cell compartment and its microenvironment.
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BACKGROUND: Predictive biomarkers in use for immunotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer are of limited sensitivity and specificity. We analysed the potential of activating KRAS and pathogenic TP53 mutations to provide additional predictive information. METHODS: The study cohort included 713 consecutive immunotherapy patients with advanced lung adenocarcinomas, negative for actionable genetic alterations. Additionally, two previously published immunotherapy and two surgical patient cohorts were analyzed. Therapy benefit was stratified by KRAS and TP53 mutations. Molecular characteristics underlying KRASmut/TP53mut tumours were revealed by the analysis of TCGA data. RESULTS: An interaction between KRAS and TP53 mutations was observed in univariate and multivariate analyses of overall survival (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.56, p = 0.0044 and HR = 0.53, p = 0.0021) resulting in a stronger benefit for KRASmut/TP53mut tumours (HR = 0.71, CI 0.55-0.92). This observation was confirmed in immunotherapy cohorts but not observed in surgical cohorts. Tumour mutational burden, proliferation, and PD-L1 mRNA were significantly higher in TP53-mutated tumours, regardless of KRAS status. Genome-wide expression analysis revealed 64 genes, including CX3CL1 (fractalkine), as specific transcriptomic characteristic of KRASmut/TP53mut tumours. CONCLUSIONS: KRAS/TP53 co-mutation predicts ICI benefit in univariate and multivariate survival analyses and is associated with unique molecular tumour features. Mutation testing of the two genes can be easily implemented using small NGS panels.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Mutação , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras) , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53 , Humanos , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/genética , Feminino , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/genética , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/tratamento farmacológico , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/imunologia , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/patologia , Masculino , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/uso terapêutico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/imunologia , Idoso , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Biomarcadores Tumorais/genética , Imunoterapia/métodos , Prognóstico , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Adulto , Estudos de CoortesRESUMO
How cytokine-driven changes in chromatin topology are converted into gene regulatory circuits during inflammation still remains unclear. Here, we show that interleukin (IL)-1α induces acute and widespread changes in chromatin accessibility via the TAK1 kinase and NF-κB at regions that are highly enriched for inflammatory disease-relevant SNPs. Two enhancers in the extended chemokine locus on human chromosome 4 regulate the IL-1α-inducible IL8 and CXCL1-3 genes. Both enhancers engage in dynamic spatial interactions with gene promoters in an IL-1α/TAK1-inducible manner. Microdeletions of p65-binding sites in either of the two enhancers impair NF-κB recruitment, suppress activation and biallelic transcription of the IL8/CXCL2 genes, and reshuffle higher-order chromatin interactions as judged by i4C interactome profiles. Notably, these findings support a dominant role of the IL8 "master" enhancer in the regulation of sustained IL-1α signaling, as well as for IL-8 and IL-6 secretion. CRISPR-guided transactivation of the IL8 locus or cross-TAD regulation by TNFα-responsive enhancers in a different model locus supports the existence of complex enhancer hierarchies in response to cytokine stimulation that prime and orchestrate proinflammatory chromatin responses downstream of NF-κB.
Assuntos
Cromatina/metabolismo , Elementos Facilitadores Genéticos/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Mediadores da Inflamação/metabolismo , Interleucina-1alfa/farmacologia , MAP Quinase Quinase Quinases/metabolismo , NF-kappa B/metabolismo , Sítios de Ligação , Células Cultivadas , Quimiocinas/metabolismo , Cromatina/química , Cromatina/genética , Células HeLa , Humanos , MAP Quinase Quinase Quinases/genética , NF-kappa B/genética , Transdução de Sinais , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/farmacologiaRESUMO
Increased lactate levels in the tissue microenvironment are a well-known feature of chronic inflammation. However, the role of lactate in regulating T cell function remains controversial. Here, we demonstrate that extracellular lactate predominantly induces deregulation of the Th17-specific gene expression program by modulating the metabolic and epigenetic status of Th17 cells. Following lactate treatment, Th17 cells significantly reduced their IL-17A production and upregulated Foxp3 expression through ROS-driven IL-2 secretion. Moreover, we observed increased levels of genome-wide histone H3K18 lactylation, a recently described marker for active chromatin in macrophages, in lactate-treated Th17 cells. In addition, we show that high lactate concentrations suppress Th17 pathogenicity during intestinal inflammation in mice. These results indicate that lactate is capable of reprogramming pro-inflammatory T cell phenotypes into regulatory T cells.
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Ácido Láctico , Células Th17 , Animais , Camundongos , EpigenômicaRESUMO
Signal transduction pathways often involve transcription factors that promote activation of defined target gene sets. The transcription factor RBPJ is the central player in Notch signaling and either forms an activator complex with the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) or a repressor complex with corepressors like KYOT2/FHL1. The balance between these two antagonizing RBPJ-complexes depends on the activation state of the Notch receptor regulated by cell-to-cell interaction, ligand binding and proteolytic cleavage events. Here, we depleted RBPJ in mature T-cells lacking active Notch signaling and performed RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq and ATAC-seq analyses. RBPJ depletion leads to upregulation of many Notch target genes. Ectopic expression of NICD1 activates several Notch target genes and enhances RBPJ occupancy. Based on gene expression changes and RBPJ occupancy we define four different clusters, either RBPJ- and/or Notch-regulated genes. Importantly, we identify early (Hes1 and Hey1) and late Notch-responsive genes (IL2ra). Similarly, to RBPJ depletion, interfering with transcriptional repression by squelching with cofactor KYOT2/FHL1, leads to upregulation of Notch target genes. Taken together, RBPJ is not only an essential part of the Notch co-activator complex but also functions as a repressor in a Notch-independent manner.
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Proteína de Ligação a Sequências Sinal de Recombinação J de Imunoglobina , Receptores Notch , Linfócitos T , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Proteína de Ligação a Sequências Sinal de Recombinação J de Imunoglobina/genética , Proteína de Ligação a Sequências Sinal de Recombinação J de Imunoglobina/metabolismo , Receptores Notch/genética , Receptores Notch/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Linfócitos T/metabolismoRESUMO
The generation of lineage-specific gene expression programmes that alter proliferation capacity, metabolic profile and cell type-specific functions during differentiation from multipotent stem cells to specialised cell types is crucial for development. During differentiation gene expression programmes are dynamically modulated by a complex interplay between sequence-specific transcription factors, associated cofactors and epigenetic regulators. Here, we study U-shaped (Ush), a multi-zinc finger protein that maintains the multipotency of stem cell-like hemocyte progenitors during Drosophila hematopoiesis. Using genomewide approaches we reveal that Ush binds to promoters and enhancers and that it controls the expression of three gene classes that encode proteins relevant to stem cell-like functions and differentiation: cell cycle regulators, key metabolic enzymes and proteins conferring specific functions of differentiated hemocytes. We employ complementary biochemical approaches to characterise the molecular mechanisms of Ush-mediated gene regulation. We uncover distinct Ush isoforms one of which binds the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylation (NuRD) complex using an evolutionary conserved peptide motif. Remarkably, the Ush/NuRD complex specifically contributes to the repression of lineage-specific genes but does not impact the expression of cell cycle regulators or metabolic genes. This reveals a mechanism that enables specific and concerted modulation of functionally related portions of a wider gene expression programme. Finally, we use genetic assays to demonstrate that Ush and NuRD regulate enhancer activity during hemocyte differentiation in vivo and that both cooperate to suppress the differentiation of lamellocytes, a highly specialised blood cell type. Our findings reveal that Ush coordinates proliferation, metabolism and cell type-specific activities by isoform-specific cooperation with an epigenetic regulator.
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Ciclo Celular/genética , Proteínas de Drosophila/metabolismo , Ácidos Graxos/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento/genética , Hematopoese/genética , Hemócitos/metabolismo , Complexo Mi-2 de Remodelação de Nucleossomo e Desacetilase/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Motivos de Aminoácidos , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Proliferação de Células/genética , Sobrevivência Celular/genética , Sequenciamento de Cromatina por Imunoprecipitação , Proteínas de Drosophila/genética , Drosophila melanogaster/genética , Elementos Facilitadores Genéticos , Ontologia Genética , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Isoformas de Proteínas , Interferência de RNA , RNA-Seq , Fatores de Transcrição/genéticaRESUMO
Cancer largely adheres to Darwinian selection. Evolutionary forces are prominent during metastasis, the final and incurable disease stage, where cells acquire combinations of advantageous phenotypic features and interact with a dynamically changing microenvironment, in order to overcome the metastatic bottlenecks, while therapy exerts additional selective pressures. As a strategy to increase their fitness, tumors often co-opt developmental and tissue-homeostasis programs. Herein, 25 years after its discovery, we review TP73, a sibling of the cardinal tumor-suppressor TP53, through the lens of cancer evolution. The TP73 gene regulates a wide range of processes in embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and cancer via an overwhelming number of functionally divergent isoforms. We suggest that TP73 neither merely mimics TP53 via its p53-like tumor-suppressive functions, nor has black-or-white-type effects, as inferred by the antagonism between several of its isoforms in processes like apoptosis and DNA damage response. Rather, under dynamic conditions of selective pressure, the various p73 isoforms which are often co-expressed within the same cancer cells may work towards a common goal by simultaneously activating isoform-specific transcriptional and non-transcriptional programs. Combinatorial co-option of these programs offers selective advantages that overall increase the likelihood for successfully surpassing the barriers of the metastatic cascade. The p73 functional pleiotropy-based capabilities might be present in subclonal populations and expressed dynamically under changing microenvironmental conditions, thereby supporting clonal expansion and propelling evolution of metastasis. Deciphering the critical p73 isoform patterns along the spatiotemporal axes of tumor evolution could identify strategies to target TP73 for prevention and therapy of cancer metastasis.
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Neoplasias , Proteínas Supressoras de Tumor , Humanos , Proteínas Supressoras de Tumor/genética , Proteínas Supressoras de Tumor/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Proteína Tumoral p73/genética , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Isoformas de Proteínas/genética , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismo , Genes Supressores de Tumor , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/patologia , Microambiente TumoralRESUMO
Engineered p53 mutant mice are valuable tools for delineating p53 functions in tumor suppression and cancer therapy. Here, we have introduced the R178E mutation into the Trp53 gene of mice to specifically ablate the cooperative nature of p53 DNA binding. Trp53R178E mice show no detectable target gene regulation and, at first sight, are largely indistinguishable from Trp53-/- mice. Surprisingly, stabilization of p53R178E in Mdm2-/- mice nevertheless triggers extensive apoptosis, indicative of residual wild-type activities. Although this apoptotic activity suffices to trigger lethality of Trp53R178E ;Mdm2-/- embryos, it proves insufficient for suppression of spontaneous and oncogene-driven tumorigenesis. Trp53R178E mice develop tumors indistinguishably from Trp53-/- mice and tumors retain and even stabilize the p53R178E protein, further attesting to the lack of significant tumor suppressor activity. However, Trp53R178E tumors exhibit remarkably better chemotherapy responses than Trp53-/- ones, resulting in enhanced eradication of p53-mutated tumor cells. Together, this provides genetic proof-of-principle evidence that a p53 mutant can be highly tumorigenic and yet retain apoptotic activity which provides a survival benefit in the context of cancer therapy.
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Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/prevenção & controle , Linfoma/prevenção & controle , Mutação , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-mdm2/fisiologia , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/fisiologia , Animais , Carcinogênese/efeitos dos fármacos , Carcinogênese/metabolismo , Carcinogênese/patologia , Ciclo Celular , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Progressão da Doença , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Linfoma/genética , Linfoma/patologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Células Tumorais CultivadasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: In vivo gene editing of somatic cells with CRISPR nucleases has facilitated the generation of autochthonous mouse tumors, which are initiated by genetic alterations relevant to the human disease and progress along a natural timeline as in patients. However, the long and variable, orthotopic tumor growth in inner organs requires sophisticated, time-consuming and resource-intensive imaging for longitudinal disease monitoring and impedes the use of autochthonous tumor models for preclinical studies. METHODS: To facilitate a more widespread use, we have generated a reporter mouse that expresses a Cre-inducible luciferase from Gaussia princeps (GLuc), which is secreted by cells in an energy-consuming process and can be measured quantitatively in the blood as a marker for the viable tumor load. In addition, we have developed a flexible, complementary toolkit to rapidly assemble recombinant adenoviruses (AVs) for delivering Cre recombinase together with CRISPR nucleases targeting cancer driver genes. RESULTS: We demonstrate that intratracheal infection of GLuc reporter mice with CRISPR-AVs efficiently induces lung tumors driven by mutations in the targeted cancer genes and simultaneously activates the GLuc transgene, resulting in GLuc secretion into the blood by the growing tumor. GLuc blood levels are easily and robustly quantified in small-volume blood samples with inexpensive equipment, enable tumor detection already several months before the humane study endpoint and precisely mirror the kinetics of tumor development specified by the inducing gene combination. CONCLUSIONS: Our study establishes blood-based GLuc monitoring as an inexpensive, rapid, high-throughput and animal-friendly method to longitudinally monitor autochthonous tumor growth in preclinical studies.
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Copépodes , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Animais , Repetições Palindrômicas Curtas Agrupadas e Regularmente Espaçadas , Copépodes/genética , Copépodes/metabolismo , Edição de Genes , Genes Reporter , Humanos , Luciferases/genética , Luciferases/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , CamundongosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: More than twenty years after its discovery, the role of the importin beta superfamily member Ran GTP-binding protein (RanBP) 17 is still ill defined. Previously, we observed notable RanBP17 RNA expression levels in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines with disruptive TP53 mutations. METHODS: We deployed HNSCC cell lines as well as cell lines from other tumor entities such as HCT116, MDA-MB-231 and H460, which were derived from colon, breast and lung cancers respectively. RNAi was used to evaluate the effect of RanBP17 on cell proliferation. FACS analysis was used for cell sorting according to their respective cell cycle phase and for BrdU assays. Immunocytochemistry was deployed for colocalization studies of RanBP17 with Nucleolin and SC35 (nuclear speckles) domains. TCGA analysis was performed for prognostic assessment and correlation analysis of RanBP17 in HNSCC patients. RESULTS: RNAi knockdown of RanBP17, significantly reduced cell proliferation in HNSCC cell lines. This effect was also seen in the HNSCC unrelated cell lines HCT116 and MDA-MB-231. Similarly, inhibiting cell proliferation with cisplatin reduced RanBP17 in keratinocytes but lead to induction in tumor cell lines. A similar observation was made in tumor cell lines after treatment with the EGFR kinase inhibitor AG1478. In addition to previous reports, showing colocalization of RanBP17 with SC35 domains, we observed colocalization of RanBP17 to nuclear bodies that are distinct from nucleoli and SC35 domains. Interestingly, for HPV positive but not HPV negative HNSCC, TCGA data base analysis revealed a strong positive correlation of RanBP17 RNA with patient survival and CDKN2A. CONCLUSIONS: Our data point to a role of RanBP17 in proliferation of HNSCC and other epithelial cells. Furthermore, RanBP17 could potentially serve as a novel prognostic marker for HNSCC patients. However, we noted a major discrepancy between RanBP17 RNA and protein expression levels with the used antibodies. These observations could be explained by the presence of additional RanBP17 splice isoforms and more so of non-coding circular RanBP17 RNA species. These aspects need to be addressed in more detail by future studies.
Assuntos
Carcinoma de Células Escamosas , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Humanos , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/farmacologia , RNA , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , beta Carioferinas/genética , Proteína ran de Ligação ao GTP/genética , Proteína ran de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Proteína ran de Ligação ao GTP/farmacologiaRESUMO
Aberrant Notch signaling plays a pivotal role in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Amplitude and duration of the Notch response is controlled by ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of the Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD1), a hallmark of the leukemogenic process. Here, we show that HDAC3 controls NICD1 acetylation levels directly affecting NICD1 protein stability. Either genetic loss-of-function of HDAC3 or nanomolar concentrations of HDAC inhibitor apicidin lead to downregulation of Notch target genes accompanied by a local reduction of histone acetylation. Importantly, an HDAC3-insensitive NICD1 mutant is more stable but biologically less active. Collectively, these data show a new HDAC3- and acetylation-dependent mechanism that may be exploited to treat Notch1-dependent leukemias.
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Histona Desacetilases/metabolismo , Leucemia/metabolismo , Receptor Notch1/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Inibidores de Histona Desacetilases/farmacologia , Humanos , Leucemia/enzimologia , Lisina/metabolismo , Camundongos , Mutação , Peptídeos Cíclicos/farmacologia , Estabilidade Proteica , Receptor Notch1/química , Receptor Notch1/genéticaRESUMO
Cancer development is driven by activated oncogenes and loss of tumor suppressors. While oncogene inhibitors have entered routine clinical practice, tumor suppressor reactivation therapy remains to be established. For the most frequently inactivated tumor suppressor p53, genetic mouse models have demonstrated regression of p53-null tumors upon p53 reactivation. While this was shown in tumor models driven by p53 loss as the initiating lesion, many human tumors initially develop in the presence of wild-type p53, acquire aberrations in the p53 pathway to bypass p53-mediated tumor suppression, and inactivate p53 itself only at later stages during metastatic progression or therapy. To explore the efficacy of p53 reactivation in this scenario, we used a reversibly switchable p53 (p53ERTAM) mouse allele to generate Eµ-Myc-driven lymphomas in the presence of active p53 and, after full lymphoma establishment, switched off p53 to model late-stage p53 inactivation. Although these lymphomas had evolved in the presence of active p53, later loss and subsequent p53 reactivation surprisingly activated p53 target genes triggering massive apoptosis, tumor regression, and long-term cure of the majority of animals. Mechanistically, the reactivation response was dependent on Cdkn2a/p19Arf, which is commonly silenced in p53 wild-type lymphomas, but became reexpressed upon late-stage p53 inactivation. Likewise, human p53 wild-type tumor cells with CRISPR-engineered switchable p53ERTAM alleles responded to p53 reactivation when CDKN2A/p14ARF function was restored or mimicked with Mdm2 inhibitors. Together, these experiments provide genetic proof of concept that tumors can respond, in an ARF-dependent manner, to p53 reactivation even if p53 inactivation has occurred late during tumor evolution.
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Carcinogênese/genética , Terapia Genética/métodos , Linfoma/genética , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Células 3T3 , Animais , Apoptose , Inibidor p16 de Quinase Dependente de Ciclina/metabolismo , Células HCT116 , Humanos , Linfoma/terapia , Camundongos , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/metabolismoRESUMO
Cleavage of influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) by host proteases is essential for virus infectivity. HA of most influenza A and B (IAV/IBV) viruses is cleaved at a monobasic motif by trypsin-like proteases. Previous studies have reported that transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) is essential for activation of H7N9 and H1N1pdm IAV in mice but that H3N2 IAV and IBV activation is independent of TMPRSS2 and carried out by as-yet-undetermined protease(s). Here, to identify additional H3 IAV- and IBV-activating proteases, we used RNA-Seq to investigate the protease repertoire of murine lower airway tissues, primary type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECIIs), and the mouse lung cell line MLE-15. Among 13 candidates identified, TMPRSS4, TMPRSS13, hepsin, and prostasin activated H3 and IBV HA in vitro IBV activation and replication was reduced in AECIIs from Tmprss2/Tmprss4-deficient mice compared with WT or Tmprss2-deficient mice, indicating that murine TMPRSS4 is involved in IBV activation. Multicycle replication of H3N2 IAV and IBV in AECIIs of Tmprss2/Tmprss4-deficient mice varied in sensitivity to protease inhibitors, indicating that different, but overlapping, sets of murine proteases facilitate H3 and IBV HA cleavages. Interestingly, human hepsin and prostasin orthologs did not activate H3, but they did activate IBV HA in vitro Our results indicate that TMPRSS4 is an IBV-activating protease in murine AECIIs and suggest that TMPRSS13, hepsin, and prostasin cleave H3 and IBV HA in mice. They further show that hepsin and prostasin orthologs might contribute to the differences observed in TMPRSS2-independent activation of H3 in murine and human airways.
Assuntos
Vírus da Influenza A Subtipo H3N2/fisiologia , Vírus da Influenza B/fisiologia , Influenza Humana/enzimologia , Infecções por Orthomyxoviridae/enzimologia , Peptídeo Hidrolases/metabolismo , Ativação Viral , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Cães , Ativação Enzimática/efeitos dos fármacos , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Células HEK293 , Interações Hospedeiro-Patógeno/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Vírus da Influenza A Subtipo H3N2/efeitos dos fármacos , Vírus da Influenza B/efeitos dos fármacos , Influenza Humana/tratamento farmacológico , Influenza Humana/genética , Influenza Humana/virologia , Pulmão/enzimologia , Pulmão/metabolismo , Pulmão/virologia , Células Madin Darby de Rim Canino , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Camundongos , Infecções por Orthomyxoviridae/tratamento farmacológico , Infecções por Orthomyxoviridae/genética , Infecções por Orthomyxoviridae/virologia , Peptídeo Hidrolases/genética , Inibidores de Proteases/farmacologia , Serina Endopeptidases/genética , Serina Endopeptidases/metabolismo , Ativação Viral/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Autophagic cell death in cancer cells can be mediated by inhibition of deacetylases. Although extensive studies have focused on the autophagic process in cancer, little is known about the role of autophagy in degrading cytosolic and nuclear components of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplastic (pNEN) cells leading to cell death, thus improving the therapy of patients affected by pNEN. METHODS: 2D and 3D human pNEN and pancreatic stellate cells were treated with panobinostat and bafilomycin. Autophagy markers were detected by RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence, and Western blot. Autophagosomes were detected by electron microscopy and their maturation by real-time fluorescence of LC3B stable transfected cells. ChIP was performed at the cAMP responsive element. Immunofluorescence was performed in murine pancreatic tissue. RESULTS: We observed that pan-deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat treatment causes autophagic cell death in pNEN cells. We also found that although AMPK-α phosphorylation is counterbalanced by phosphorylated AKT, it is not capable to inhibiting autophagic cell death. However, the binding activity of the cAMP responsive element is prompted by panobinostat. Although autophagy inhibition prevented autophagosome synthesis, maturation, and cell death, panobinostat treatment induced the accumulation of mature autophagosomes in the cytosol and the nucleus, leading to disruption of the organelles, cellular digestion, and decay. Observation of autophagosome membrane proteins Beclin1 and LC3B aggregation in murine pancreatic islets indicates that autophagy restoration may also lead to autophagosome aggregation in murine insulinoma cells. A basal low expression of autophagy markers was detectable in patients affected by pNEN, and, interestingly, the expression of these markers was significantly lower in metastatic pNEN. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Our study highlights that the autophagy functional restoration and prolongation of this catabolic process, mediated by inhibition of deacetylase, is responsible for the reduction of pNEN cells. Prompting of autophagy cell death could be a promising strategy for the therapy of pNEN.
Assuntos
Morte Celular Autofágica/efeitos dos fármacos , Inibidores Enzimáticos/farmacologia , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/tratamento farmacológico , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Humanos , Panobinostat/farmacologiaRESUMO
A persisting obstacle in human immunology is that blood-derived leukocytes are notoriously difficult to manipulate at the RNA level. Therefore, our knowledge about immune-regulatory RNA-networks is largely based on tumour cell-line and rodent knockout models, which do not fully mimic human leukocyte biology. Here, we exploit straightforward cell penetrating peptide (CPP) chemistry to enable efficient loss-of-function phenotyping of regulatory RNAs in primary human blood-derived cells. The classical CPP octaarginine (R8) enabled antisense peptide-nucleic-acid (PNA) oligomer delivery into nearly 100% of human blood-derived macrophages without apparent cytotoxicity even up to micromolar concentrations. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we successfully de-repressed the global microRNA-155 regulome in primary human macrophages using a PNA-R8 oligomer, which phenocopies a CRISPR-Cas9 induced gene knockout. Interestingly, although it is often believed that fairly high concentrations (µM) are needed to achieve antisense activity, our PNA-R8 was effective at 200 nM. RNA-seq characterized microRNA-155 as a broad-acting riboregulator, feedback restraining a late myeloid differentiation-induced pro-inflammatory network, comprising MyD88-signalling and ubiquitin-proteasome components. Our results highlight the important role of the microRNA machinery in fine-control of blood-derived human phagocyte immunity and open the door for further studies on regulatory RNAs in difficult-to-transfect primary human immune cells.