Chimeric NANOG repressors inhibit glioblastoma growth in vivo in a context-dependent manner.

Targeting stemness promises new therapeutic strategies against highly invasive tumors. While a number of approaches are being tested, inhibiting the core transcription regulatory network of cancer stem cells is an attractive yet challenging possibility. Here we have aimed to provide the proof of principle for a strategy, previously used in developmental studies, to directly repress the targets of a salient stemness and pluripotency factor: NANOG. In doing so we expected to inhibit the expression of so far unknown mediators of pro-tumorigenic NANOG function. We chose NANOG since previous work showed the essential requirement for NANOG activity for human glioblastoma (GBM) growth in orthotopic xenografts, and it is apparently absent from many adult human tissues thus likely minimizing unwanted effects on normal cells. NANOG repressor chimeras, which we name NANEPs, bear the DNA-binding specificity of NANOG through its homeodomain (HD), and this is linked to transposable human repressor domains. We show that in vitro and in vivo, NANEP5, our most active NANEP with a HES1 repressor domain, mimics knock-down (kd) of NANOG function in GBM cells. Competition orthotopic xenografts also reveal the effectiveness of NANEP5 in a brain tumor context, as well as the specificity of NANEP activity through the abrogation of its function via the introduction of specific mutations in the HD. The transcriptomes of cells expressing NANEP5 reveal multiple potential mediators of pro-tumorigenic NANEP/NANOG action including intercellular signaling components. The present results encourage further studies on the regulation of context-dependent NANEP abundance and function, and the development of NANEP-based anti-cancer therapies.

Long-Lasting WNT-TCF Response Blocking and Epigenetic Modifying Activities of Withanolide F in Human Cancer Cells.

The WNT-TCF signaling pathway participates in adult tissue homeostasis and repair, and is hyperactive in a number of human diseases including cancers of the colon. Whereas to date there are no antagonists approved for patient use, a potential problem for their sustained use is the blockade of WNT signaling in healthy tissues, thus provoking potentially serious co-lateral damage. Here we have screened a library of plant and microorganism small molecules for novel WNT signaling antagonists and describe withanolide F as a potent WNT-TCF response blocker. This steroidal lactone inhibits TCF-dependent colon cancer xenograft growth and mimics the effects of genetic blockade of TCF and of ivermectin, a previously reported WNT-TCF blocker. However, withanolide F is unique in that it imposes a long-lasting repression of tumor growth, WNT-TCF targets and cancer stem cell clonogenicity after drug treatment. These findings are paralleled by its modulation of chromatin regulators and its alteration of overall H3K4me1 levels. Our results open up the possibility to permanently repress essential signaling responses in cancer cells through limited treatments with small molecules.

Activation of individual L1 retrotransposon instances is restricted to cell-type dependent permissive loci.

LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons represent approximately one sixth of the human genome, but only the human-specific L1HS-Ta subfamily acts as an endogenous mutagen in modern humans, reshaping both somatic and germline genomes. Due to their high levels of sequence identity and the existence of many polymorphic insertions absent from the reference genome, the transcriptional activation of individual genomic L1HS-Ta copies remains poorly understood. Here we comprehensively mapped fixed and polymorphic L1HS-Ta copies in 12 commonly-used somatic cell lines, and identified transcriptional and epigenetic signatures allowing the unambiguous identification of active L1HS-Ta copies in their genomic context. Strikingly, only a very restricted subset of L1HS-Ta loci - some being polymorphic among individuals - significantly contributes to the bulk of L1 expression, and these loci are differentially regulated among distinct cell lines. Thus, our data support a local model of L1 transcriptional activation in somatic cells, governed by individual-, locus-, and cell-type-specific determinants.

In vivo epigenetic reprogramming of primary human colon cancer cells enhances metastases.

How metastases develop is not well understood and no genetic mutations have been reported as specific metastatic drivers. Here we have addressed the idea that epigenetic reprogramming by GLI-regulated pluripotent stemness factors promotes metastases. Using primary human colon cancer cells engrafted in mice, we find that transient expression of OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 +/- cMYC establishes an enhanced pro-metastatic state in the primary tumor that is stable through sequential engraftments and is transmitted through clonogenic cancer stem cells. Metastatic reprogramming alters NANOG methylation and stably boosts NANOG and NANOGP8 expression. Metastases and reprogrammed EMT-like phenotypes require endogenous NANOG, but enhanced NANOG is not sufficient to induce these phenotypes. Finally, reprogrammed tumors enhance GLI2, and we show that GLI2(high) and AXIN2(low), which are markers of the metastatic transition of colon cancers, are prognostic of poor disease outcome in patients. We propose that metastases arise through epigenetic reprogramming of cancer stem cells within primary tumors.

The river blindness drug Ivermectin and related macrocyclic lactones inhibit WNT-TCF pathway responses in human cancer.

Constitutive activation of canonical WNT-TCF signaling is implicated in multiple diseases, including intestine and lung cancers, but there are no WNT-TCF antagonists in clinical use. We have performed a repositioning screen for WNT-TCF response blockers aiming to recapitulate the genetic blockade afforded by dominant-negative TCF. We report that Ivermectin inhibits the expression of WNT-TCF targets, mimicking dnTCF, and that its low concentration effects are rescued by direct activation by TCF(VP16). Ivermectin inhibits the proliferation and increases apoptosis of various human cancer types. It represses the levels of C-terminal ß-CATENIN phosphoforms and of CYCLIN D1 in an okadaic acid-sensitive manner, indicating its action involves protein phosphatases. In vivo, Ivermectin selectively inhibits TCF-dependent, but not TCF-independent, xenograft growth without obvious side effects. Analysis of single semi-synthetic derivatives highlights Selamectin, urging its clinical testing and the exploration of the macrocyclic lactone chemical space. Given that Ivermectin is a safe anti-parasitic agent used by > 200 million people against river blindness, our results suggest its additional use as a therapeutic WNT-TCF pathway response blocker to treat WNT-TCF-dependent diseases including multiple cancers.

LINE-1 retrotransposable element DNA accumulates in HIV-1-infected cells.

Type 1 long-interspersed nuclear elements (L1s) are autonomous retrotransposable elements that retain the potential for activity in the human genome but are suppressed by host factors. Retrotransposition of L1s into chromosomal DNA can lead to genomic instability, whereas reverse transcription of L1 in the cytosol has the potential to activate innate immune sensors. We hypothesized that HIV-1 infection would compromise cellular control of L1 elements, resulting in the induction of retrotransposition events. Here, we show that HIV-1 infection enhances L1 retrotransposition in Jurkat cells in a Vif- and Vpr-dependent manner. In primary CD4(+) cells, HIV-1 infection results in the accumulation of L1 DNA, at least the majority of which is extrachromosomal. These data expose an unrecognized interaction between HIV-1 and endogenous retrotransposable elements, which may have implications for the innate immune response to HIV-1 infection, as well as for HIV-1-induced genomic instability and cytopathicity.

The specificity and flexibility of l1 reverse transcription priming at imperfect T-tracts.

L1 retrotransposons have a prominent role in reshaping mammalian genomes. To replicate, the L1 ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP) first uses its endonuclease (EN) to nick the genomic DNA. The newly generated DNA end is subsequently used as a primer to initiate reverse transcription within the L1 RNA poly(A) tail, a process known as target-primed reverse transcription (TPRT). Prior studies demonstrated that most L1 insertions occur into sequences related to the L1 EN consensus sequence (degenerate 5'-TTTT/A-3' sites) and frequently preceded by imperfect T-tracts. However, it is currently unclear whether--and to which degree--the liberated 3'-hydroxyl extremity on the genomic DNA needs to be accessible and complementary to the poly(A) tail of the L1 RNA for efficient priming of reverse transcription. Here, we employed a direct assay for the initiation of L1 reverse transcription to define the molecular rules that guide this process. First, efficient priming is detected with as few as 4 matching nucleotides at the primer 3' end. Second, L1 RNP can tolerate terminal mismatches if they are compensated within the 10 last bases of the primer by an increased number of matching nucleotides. All terminal mismatches are not equally detrimental to DNA extension, a C being extended at higher levels than an A or a G. Third, efficient priming in the context of duplex DNA requires a 3' overhang. This suggests the possible existence of additional DNA processing steps, which generate a single-stranded 3' end to allow L1 reverse transcription. Based on these data we propose that the specificity of L1 reverse transcription initiation contributes, together with the specificity of the initial EN cleavage, to the distribution of new L1 insertions within the human genome.

The HIV-1 transcriptional activator Tat has potent nucleic acid chaperoning activities in vitro.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a primate lentivirus that causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In addition to the virion structural proteins and enzyme precursors, that are Gag, Env and Pol, HIV-1 encodes several regulatory proteins, notably a small nuclear transcriptional activator named Tat. The Tat protein is absolutely required for virus replication since it controls proviral DNA transcription to generate the full-length viral mRNA. Tat can also regulate mRNA capping and splicing and was recently found to interfere with the cellular mi- and siRNA machinery. Because of its extensive interplay with nucleic acids, and its basic and disordered nature we speculated that Tat had nucleic acid-chaperoning properties. This prompted us to examine in vitro the nucleic acid-chaperoning activities of Tat and Tat peptides made by chemical synthesis. Here we report that Tat has potent nucleic acid-chaperoning activities according to the standard DNA annealing, DNA and RNA strand exchange, RNA ribozyme cleavage and trans-splicing assays. The active Tat(44-61) peptide identified here corresponds to the smallest known sequence with DNA/RNA chaperoning properties.