RESUMO
To better understand intrinsic resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), we established a comprehensive view of the cellular architecture of the treatment-naive melanoma ecosystem and studied its evolution under ICB. Using single-cell, spatial multi-omics, we showed that the tumor microenvironment promotes the emergence of a complex melanoma transcriptomic landscape. Melanoma cells harboring a mesenchymal-like (MES) state, a population known to confer resistance to targeted therapy, were significantly enriched in early on-treatment biopsies from non-responders to ICB. TCF4 serves as the hub of this landscape by being a master regulator of the MES signature and a suppressor of the melanocytic and antigen presentation transcriptional programs. Targeting TCF4 genetically or pharmacologically, using a bromodomain inhibitor, increased immunogenicity and sensitivity of MES cells to ICB and targeted therapy. We thereby uncovered a TCF4-dependent regulatory network that orchestrates multiple transcriptional programs and contributes to resistance to both targeted therapy and ICB in melanoma.
Assuntos
Melanoma , Humanos , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Imunoterapia , Melanócitos , Melanoma/tratamento farmacológico , Melanoma/genética , Fator de Transcrição 4/genética , Microambiente TumoralRESUMO
Cancer progression involves the gradual loss of a differentiated phenotype and acquisition of progenitor and stem-cell-like features. Here, we provide novel stemness indices for assessing the degree of oncogenic dedifferentiation. We used an innovative one-class logistic regression (OCLR) machine-learning algorithm to extract transcriptomic and epigenetic feature sets derived from non-transformed pluripotent stem cells and their differentiated progeny. Using OCLR, we were able to identify previously undiscovered biological mechanisms associated with the dedifferentiated oncogenic state. Analyses of the tumor microenvironment revealed unanticipated correlation of cancer stemness with immune checkpoint expression and infiltrating immune cells. We found that the dedifferentiated oncogenic phenotype was generally most prominent in metastatic tumors. Application of our stemness indices to single-cell data revealed patterns of intra-tumor molecular heterogeneity. Finally, the indices allowed for the identification of novel targets and possible targeted therapies aimed at tumor differentiation.
Assuntos
Desdiferenciação Celular/genética , Aprendizado de Máquina , Neoplasias/patologia , Carcinogênese , Metilação de DNA , Bases de Dados Genéticas , Epigênese Genética , Humanos , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Metástase Neoplásica , Neoplasias/genética , Células-Tronco/citologia , Células-Tronco/metabolismo , Transcriptoma , Microambiente TumoralRESUMO
Acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) plays an important role in metabolism, gene expression, signaling, and other cellular processes via transfer of its acetyl group to proteins and metabolites. However, the synthesis and usage of acetyl-CoA in disease states such as cancer are poorly characterized. Here, we investigated global acetyl-CoA synthesis and protein acetylation in a mouse model and patient samples of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unexpectedly, we found that acetyl-CoA levels are decreased in HCC due to transcriptional downregulation of all six acetyl-CoA biosynthesis pathways. This led to hypo-acetylation specifically of non-histone proteins, including many enzymes in metabolic pathways. Importantly, repression of acetyl-CoA synthesis promoted oncogenic dedifferentiation and proliferation. Mechanistically, acetyl-CoA synthesis was repressed by the transcription factors TEAD2 and E2A, previously unknown to control acetyl-CoA synthesis. Knockdown of TEAD2 and E2A restored acetyl-CoA levels and inhibited tumor growth. Our findings causally link transcriptional reprogramming of acetyl-CoA metabolism, dedifferentiation, and cancer.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Hepatocelular , Neoplasias Hepáticas , Camundongos , Animais , Acetilcoenzima A/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Histonas/metabolismo , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/genética , Neoplasias Hepáticas/genética , Carcinogênese/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismoRESUMO
The progeny of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) dedifferentiate in response to ISC attrition. The precise cell sources, transitional states, and chromatin remodeling behind this activity remain unclear. In the skin, stem cell recovery after injury preserves an epigenetic memory of the damage response; whether similar memories arise and persist in regenerated ISCs is not known. We addressed these questions by examining gene activity and open chromatin at the resolution of single Neurog3-labeled mouse intestinal crypt cells, hence deconstructing forward and reverse differentiation of the intestinal secretory (Sec) lineage. We show that goblet, Paneth, and enteroendocrine cells arise by multilineage priming in common precursors, followed by selective access at thousands of cell-restricted cis-elements. Selective ablation of the ISC compartment elicits speedy reversal of chromatin and transcriptional features in large fractions of precursor and mature crypt Sec cells without obligate cell cycle re-entry. ISC programs decay and reappear along a cellular continuum lacking discernible discrete interim states. In the absence of gross tissue damage, Sec cells simply reverse their forward trajectories, without invoking developmental or other extrinsic programs, and starting chromatin identities are effectively erased. These findings identify strikingly plastic molecular frameworks in assembly and regeneration of a self-renewing tissue.
Assuntos
Cromatina , Células-Tronco , Animais , Fatores de Transcrição Hélice-Alça-Hélice Básicos/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Cromatina/metabolismo , Mucosa Intestinal/metabolismo , Intestinos , Camundongos , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/metabolismoRESUMO
Tumor immune escape limits durable responses to T cell therapy. Here, we examined how regulation and function of gene products that provide the target epitopes for CD8+ T cell anti-tumor immunity influence therapeutic efficacy and resistance. We used a CRISPR-Cas9-based method (CRISPitope) in syngeneic melanoma models to fuse the same model CD8+ T cell epitope to the C-termini of different endogenous gene products. Targeting melanosomal proteins or oncogenic CDK4R24C (Cyclin-dependent kinase 4) by adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of the same epitope-specific CD8+ T cells revealed diverse genetic and non-genetic immune escape mechanisms. ACT directed against melanosomal proteins, but not CDK4R24C, promoted melanoma dedifferentiation, and increased myeloid cell infiltration. CDK4R24C antigen persistence was associated with an interferon-high and T-cell-rich tumor microenvironment, allowing for immune checkpoint inhibition as salvage therapy. Thus, the choice of target antigen determines the phenotype and immune contexture of recurrent melanomas, with implications to the design of cancer immunotherapies.
Assuntos
Transferência Adotiva/métodos , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/transplante , Epitopos de Linfócito T/imunologia , Melanoma/imunologia , Melanoma/terapia , Evasão Tumoral/imunologia , Animais , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/imunologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Terapia Baseada em Transplante de Células e Tecidos/métodos , Epitopos de Linfócito T/genética , Técnicas de Inativação de Genes , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/farmacologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Células Mieloides/citologia , Células Mieloides/imunologia , Microambiente Tumoral/imunologiaRESUMO
The generation of myotubes from fibroblasts upon forced MyoD expression is a classic example of transcription factor-induced reprogramming. We recently discovered that additional modulation of signaling pathways with small molecules facilitates reprogramming to more primitive induced myogenic progenitor cells (iMPCs). Here, we dissected the transcriptional and epigenetic dynamics of mouse fibroblasts undergoing reprogramming to either myotubes or iMPCs using a MyoD-inducible transgenic model. Induction of MyoD in fibroblasts combined with small molecules generated Pax7+ iMPCs with high similarity to primary muscle stem cells. Analysis of intermediate stages of iMPC induction revealed that extinction of the fibroblast program preceded induction of the stem cell program. Moreover, key stem cell genes gained chromatin accessibility prior to their transcriptional activation, and these regions exhibited a marked loss of DNA methylation dependent on the Tet enzymes. In contrast, myotube generation was associated with few methylation changes, incomplete and unstable reprogramming, and an insensitivity to Tet depletion. Finally, we showed that MyoD's ability to bind to unique bHLH targets was crucial for generating iMPCs but dispensable for generating myotubes. Collectively, our analyses elucidate the role of MyoD in myogenic reprogramming and derive general principles by which transcription factors and signaling pathways cooperate to rewire cell identity.
Assuntos
Desenvolvimento Muscular , Proteína MyoD , Animais , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Camundongos , Desenvolvimento Muscular/genética , Fibras Musculares Esqueléticas , Músculo Esquelético , Proteína MyoD/genética , Proteína MyoD/metabolismo , Mioblastos/metabolismo , Células-Tronco/metabolismoRESUMO
As a result of partial hepatectomy, the remaining liver tissue undergoes a process of renewed proliferation that leads to rapid regeneration of the liver. By following the early stages of this process, we observed dramatic programmed changes in the DNA methylation profile, characterized by both de novo and demethylation events, with a subsequent return to the original adult pattern as the liver matures. Strikingly, these transient alterations partially mimic the DNA methylation state of embryonic hepatoblasts (E16.5), indicating that hepatocytes actually undergo epigenetic dedifferentiation. Furthermore, Tet2/Tet3-deletion experiments demonstrated that these changes in methylation are necessary for carrying out basic embryonic functions, such as proliferation, a key step in liver regeneration. This implies that unlike tissue-specific regulatory regions that remain demethylated in the adult, early embryonic genes are programmed to first undergo demethylation, followed by remethylation as development proceeds. The identification of this built-in system may open targeting opportunities for regenerative medicine.
Assuntos
Metilação de DNA , Embrião de Mamíferos , Embrião de Mamíferos/metabolismo , HepatócitosRESUMO
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an aggressive pediatric cancer composed of myoblast-like cells. Recently, we discovered a unique muscle progenitor marked by the expression of the Twist2 transcription factor. Genomic analyses of 258 RMS patient tumors uncovered prevalent copy number amplification events and increased expression of TWIST2 in fusion-negative RMS. Knockdown of TWIST2 in RMS cells results in up-regulation of MYOGENIN and a decrease in proliferation, implicating TWIST2 as an oncogene in RMS. Through an inducible Twist2 expression system, we identified Twist2 as a reversible inhibitor of myogenic differentiation with the remarkable ability to promote myotube dedifferentiation in vitro. Integrated analysis of genome-wide ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data revealed the first dynamic chromatin and transcriptional landscape of Twist2 binding during myogenic differentiation. During differentiation, Twist2 competes with MyoD at shared DNA motifs to direct global gene transcription and repression of the myogenic program. Additionally, Twist2 shapes the epigenetic landscape to drive chromatin opening at oncogenic loci and chromatin closing at myogenic loci. These epigenetic changes redirect MyoD binding from myogenic genes toward oncogenic, metabolic, and growth genes. Our study reveals the dynamic interplay between two opposing transcriptional regulators that control the fate of RMS and provides insight into the molecular etiology of this aggressive form of cancer.
Assuntos
Carcinogênese , Desenvolvimento Muscular , Proteína MyoD/metabolismo , Proteínas Repressoras/genética , Proteínas Repressoras/metabolismo , Rabdomiossarcoma/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma/metabolismo , Proteína 1 Relacionada a Twist/genética , Proteína 1 Relacionada a Twist/metabolismo , Células Cultivadas , Montagem e Desmontagem da Cromatina , DNA/metabolismo , Transição Epitelial-Mesenquimal , Amplificação de Genes , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Células HEK293 , Sequências Hélice-Alça-Hélice , Humanos , Proteína MyoD/química , Mioblastos/metabolismo , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Proteínas Repressoras/química , Proteína 1 Relacionada a Twist/químicaRESUMO
Adenovirus transformed cells have a dedifferentiated phenotype. Eliminating E1A in transformed human embryonic kidney cells derepressed â¼2600 genes, generating a gene expression profile closely resembling mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This was associated with a dramatic change in cell morphology from one with scant cytoplasm and a globular nucleus to one with increased cytoplasm, extensive actin stress fibers, and actomyosin-dependent flattening against the substratum. E1A-induced hypoacetylation at histone H3 Lys27 and Lys18 (H3K27/18) was reversed. Most of the increase in H3K27/18ac was in enhancers near TEAD transcription factors bound by Hippo signaling-regulated coactivators YAP and TAZ. E1A causes YAP/TAZ cytoplasmic sequestration. After eliminating E1A, YAP/TAZ were transported into nuclei, where they associated with poised enhancers with DNA-bound TEAD4 and H3K4me1. This activation of YAP/TAZ required RHO family GTPase signaling and caused histone acetylation by p300/CBP, chromatin remodeling, and cohesin loading to establish MSC-associated enhancers and then superenhancers. Consistent results were also observed in primary rat embryo kidney cells, human fibroblasts, and human respiratory tract epithelial cells. These results together with earlier studies suggest that YAP/TAZ function in a developmental checkpoint controlled by signaling from the actin cytoskeleton that prevents differentiation of a progenitor cell until it is in the correct cellular and tissue environment.
Assuntos
Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/genética , Proteínas E1A de Adenovirus/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Inativação Gênica , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intracelular/genética , Fosfoproteínas/genética , Citoesqueleto de Actina/metabolismo , Adenoviridae , Animais , Células Cultivadas , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Ratos , Transdução de Sinais , Transativadores , Fatores de Transcrição , Proteínas com Motivo de Ligação a PDZ com Coativador Transcricional , Proteínas de Sinalização YAPRESUMO
Many adult tissues and organs including the intestine rely on resident stem cells to maintain homeostasis and regeneration. In mammals, the progenies of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) can dedifferentiate to generate ISCs upon ablation of resident stem cells. However, whether and how mature tissue cells generate ISCs under physiological conditions remains unknown. Here, we show that infection of the Drosophila melanogaster intestine with pathogenic bacteria induces entry of enteroblasts (EBs), which are ISC progenies, into the mitotic cycle through upregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-Ras signaling. We also show that ectopic activation of EGFR-Ras signaling in EBs is sufficient to drive enteroblast mitosis cell autonomously. Furthermore, we find that the dividing enteroblasts do not gain ISC identity as a prerequisite to divide, and the regenerative ISCs are produced through EB mitosis. Taken together, our work uncovers a new role for EGFR-Ras signaling in driving EB mitosis and replenishing the ISC pool during fly intestinal regeneration, which may have important implications for tissue homeostasis and tumorigenesis in vertebrates.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Drosophila , Drosophila , Animais , Proliferação de Células , Drosophila/fisiologia , Proteínas de Drosophila/genética , Proteínas de Drosophila/metabolismo , Drosophila melanogaster/metabolismo , Receptores ErbB/genética , Receptores ErbB/metabolismo , Intestinos/fisiologia , Mamíferos , Mitose , Células-Tronco/metabolismoRESUMO
Transposable elements (TEs) have emerged as important factors in establishing the cell type-specific gene regulatory networks and evolutionary novelty of embryonic and placental development. Recently, studies on the role of TEs and their dysregulation in cancers have shed light on the transcriptional, transpositional, and regulatory activity of TEs, revealing that the activation of developmental transcriptional programs by TEs may have a role in the dedifferentiation of cancer cells to the progenitor-like cell states. This essay reviews the recent evidence of the cis-regulatory TEs (henceforth crTE) in normal development and malignancy as well as the key transcription factors and regulatory pathways that are implicated in both cell states, and presents existing gaps remaining to be studied, limitations of current technologies, and therapeutic possibilities.
RESUMO
Complex multicellular organisms have evolved specific mechanisms to replenish cells in homeostasis and during repair. Here, we discuss how emerging technologies (e.g., single-cell RNA sequencing) challenge the concept that tissue renewal is fueled by unidirectional differentiation from a resident stem cell. We now understand that cell plasticity, i.e., cells adaptively changing differentiation state or identity, is a central tissue renewal mechanism. For example, mature cells can access an evolutionarily conserved program (paligenosis) to reenter the cell cycle and regenerate damaged tissue. Most tissues lack dedicated stem cells and rely on plasticity to regenerate lost cells. Plasticity benefits multicellular organisms, yet it also carries risks. For one, when long-lived cells undergo paligenotic, cyclical proliferation and redif-ferentiation, they can accumulate and propagate acquired mutations that activate oncogenes and increase the potential for developing cancer. Lastly, we propose a new framework for classifying patterns of cell proliferation in homeostasis and regeneration, with stem cells representing just one of the diverse methods that adult tissues employ.
Assuntos
Plasticidade Celular , Células-Tronco , Ciclo Celular/fisiologia , Diferenciação Celular/fisiologia , Proliferação de Células/fisiologia , Humanos , Regeneração/fisiologiaRESUMO
Increasing age is associated with age-related neural dedifferentiation, a reduction in the selectivity of neural representations, which has been proposed to contribute to cognitive decline in older age. Recent findings indicate that when operationalized in terms of selectivity for different perceptual categories, age-related neural dedifferentiation and the apparent age-invariant association of neural selectivity with cognitive performance are largely restricted to the cortical regions typically recruited during scene processing. It is currently unknown whether this category-level dissociation extends to metrics of neural selectivity defined at the level of individual stimulus items. Here, we examined neural selectivity at the category and item levels using multivoxel pattern similarity analysis (PSA) of fMRI data. Healthy young and older male and female adults viewed images of objects and scenes. Some items were presented singly, while others were either repeated or followed by a "similar lure." In agreement with recent findings, category-level PSA revealed robustly lower differentiation in older than in younger adults in scene-selective, but not object-selective, cortical regions. By contrast, at the item level, robust age-related declines in neural differentiation were evident for both stimulus categories. Additionally, we identified an age-invariant association between category-level scene selectivity in the parahippocampal place area and subsequent memory performance, but no such association was evident for item-level metrics. Lastly, category- and item-level neural metrics were uncorrelated. Thus, the present findings suggest that age-related category- and item-level dedifferentiation depend on distinct neural mechanisms.
Assuntos
Disfunção Cognitiva , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Adulto , Masculino , Humanos , Feminino , Idoso , Cognição , Estimulação Luminosa/métodos , Mapeamento EncefálicoRESUMO
Perception is an intricate interplay between feedforward visual input and internally generated feedback signals that comprise concurrent contextual and time-distant mnemonic (episodic and semantic) information. Yet, an unresolved question is how the composition of feedback signals changes across the lifespan and to what extent feedback signals undergo age-related dedifferentiation, that is, a decline in neural specificity. Previous research on this topic has focused on feedforward perceptual representation and episodic memory reinstatement, suggesting reduced fidelity of neural representations at the item and category levels. In this fMRI study, we combined an occlusion paradigm that filters feedforward input to the visual cortex and multivariate analysis techniques to investigate the information content in cortical feedback, focusing on age-related differences in its composition. We further asked to what extent differentiation in feedback signals (in the occluded region) is correlated to differentiation in feedforward signals. Comparing younger (18-30 years) and older female and male adults (65-75 years), we found that contextual but not mnemonic feedback was prone to age-related dedifferentiation. Semantic feedback signals were even better differentiated in older adults, highlighting the growing importance of generalized knowledge across ages. We also found that differentiation in feedforward signals was correlated with differentiation in episodic but not semantic feedback signals. Our results provide evidence for age-related adjustments in the composition of feedback signals and underscore the importance of examining dedifferentiation in aging for both feedforward and feedback processing.
Assuntos
Memória Episódica , Córtex Visual , Masculino , Humanos , Feminino , Idoso , Retroalimentação , Longevidade , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Percepção VisualRESUMO
In this review we discuss how the mammalian interfollicular epidermis forms during development, maintains homeostasis, and is repaired following wounding. Recent studies have provided new insights into the relationship between the stem cell compartment and the differentiating cell layers; the ability of differentiated cells to dedifferentiate into stem cells; and the epigenetic memory of epidermal cells following wounding.
Assuntos
Células-Tronco Adultas , Diferenciação Celular , Células Epidérmicas , Epiderme , Animais , Células Epidérmicas/citologia , Células Epidérmicas/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular/fisiologia , Células-Tronco Adultas/fisiologia , Células-Tronco Adultas/citologia , Humanos , Epiderme/metabolismo , Mamíferos , Epigênese Genética , Cicatrização/fisiologia , HomeostaseRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Adult mammalian cardiomyocytes have limited proliferative capacity, but in specifically induced contexts they traverse through cell-cycle reentry, offering the potential for heart regeneration. Endogenous cardiomyocyte proliferation is preceded by cardiomyocyte dedifferentiation (CMDD), wherein adult cardiomyocytes revert to a less matured state that is distinct from the classical myocardial fetal stress gene response associated with heart failure. However, very little is known about CMDD as a defined cardiomyocyte cell state in transition. METHODS: Here, we leveraged 2 models of in vitro cultured adult mouse cardiomyocytes and in vivo adeno-associated virus serotype 9 cardiomyocyte-targeted delivery of reprogramming factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and Myc) in adult mice to study CMDD. We profiled their transcriptomes using RNA sequencing, in combination with multiple published data sets, with the aim of identifying a common denominator for tracking CMDD. RESULTS: RNA sequencing and integrated analysis identified Asparagine Synthetase (Asns) as a unique molecular marker gene well correlated with CMDD, required for increased asparagine and also for distinct fluxes in other amino acids. Although Asns overexpression in Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and Myc cardiomyocytes augmented hallmarks of CMDD, Asns deficiency led to defective regeneration in the neonatal mouse myocardial infarction model, increased cell death of cultured adult cardiomyocytes, and reduced cell cycle in Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and Myc cardiomyocytes, at least in part through disrupting the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: We discovered a novel gene Asns as both a molecular marker and an essential mediator, marking a distinct threshold that appears in common for at least 4 models of CMDD, and revealing an Asns/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 axis dependency for dedifferentiating cardiomyocytes. Further study will be needed to extrapolate and assess its relevance to other cell state transitions as well as in heart regeneration.
Assuntos
Aspartato-Amônia Ligase , Desdiferenciação Celular , Fator 4 Semelhante a Kruppel , Miócitos Cardíacos , Animais , Camundongos , Aspartato-Amônia Ligase/genética , Aspartato-Amônia Ligase/metabolismo , Células Cultivadas , Miócitos Cardíacos/metabolismo , Carbono-Nitrogênio Ligases com Glutamina como Doadora de N-Amida/genética , Carbono-Nitrogênio Ligases com Glutamina como Doadora de N-Amida/metabolismoRESUMO
Dedifferentiation is the reversion of mature cells to a stem cell-like fate, whereby gene expression programs are altered and genes associated with multipotency are (re)expressed. Misexpression of multipotency factors and pathways causes the formation of ectopic neural stem cells (NSCs). Whether dedifferentiated NSCs faithfully produce the correct number and types of progeny, or undergo timely terminal differentiation, has not been assessed. Here, we show that ectopic NSCs induced via bHLH transcription factor Deadpan (Dpn) expression fail to undergo appropriate temporal progression by constantly expressing mid-temporal transcription factor(tTF), Sloppy-paired 1/2 (Slp). Consequently, this resulted in impaired terminal differenation and generated an excess of Twin of eyeless (Toy)-positive neurons at the expense of Reversed polarity (Repo)-positive glial cells. Preference for a mid-temporal fate in these ectopic NSCs is concordant with an enriched binding of Dpn at mid-tTF loci and a depletion of Dpn binding at early- and late-tTF loci. Retriggering the temporal series via manipulation of the temporal series or cell cycle is sufficient to reinstate neuronal diversity and timely termination.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Drosophila , Células-Tronco Neurais , Proteínas de Drosophila/genética , Células-Tronco Neurais/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Neuroglia , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no DesenvolvimentoRESUMO
Cell identity is specified by a core transcriptional regulatory circuitry (CoRC), typically limited to a small set of interconnected cell-specific transcription factors (TFs). By mining global hepatic TF regulons, we reveal a more complex organization of the transcriptional regulatory network controlling hepatocyte identity. We show that tight functional interconnections controlling hepatocyte identity extend to non-cell-specific TFs beyond the CoRC, which we call hepatocyte identity (Hep-ID)CONNECT TFs. Besides controlling identity effector genes, Hep-IDCONNECT TFs also engage in reciprocal transcriptional regulation with TFs of the CoRC. In homeostatic basal conditions, this translates into Hep-IDCONNECT TFs being involved in fine tuning CoRC TF expression including their rhythmic expression patterns. Moreover, a role for Hep-IDCONNECT TFs in the control of hepatocyte identity is revealed in dedifferentiated hepatocytes where Hep-IDCONNECT TFs are able to reset CoRC TF expression. This is observed upon activation of NR1H3 or THRB in hepatocarcinoma or in hepatocytes subjected to inflammation-induced loss of identity. Our study establishes that hepatocyte identity is controlled by an extended array of TFs beyond the CoRC.
Assuntos
Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Fatores de Transcrição , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Hepatócitos/metabolismo , Fígado/metabolismo , Redes Reguladoras de GenesRESUMO
The extensive degeneration of functional somatic cells and the depletion of endogenous stem/progenitor populations present significant challenges to tissue regeneration in degenerative diseases. Currently, a cellular reprogramming approach enabling directly generating corresponding progenitor populations from degenerative somatic cells remains elusive. The present study focused on intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and identified a three-factor combination (OCT4, FOXA2, TBXT [OFT]) that could induce the dedifferentiation-like reprogramming of degenerative nucleus pulposus cells (dNPCs) toward induced notochordal-like cells (iNCs). Single-cell transcriptomics dissected the transitions of cell identity during reprogramming. Further, OCT4 was found to directly interact with bromodomain PHD-finger transcription factor to remodel the chromatin during the early phases, which was crucial for initiating this dedifferentiation-like reprogramming. In rat models, intradiscal injection of adeno-associated virus carrying OFT generated iNCs from in situ dNPCs and reversed IVDD. These results collectively present a proof-of-concept for dedifferentiation-like reprogramming of degenerated somatic cells into corresponding progenitors through the development of a factor-based strategy, providing a promising approach for regeneration in degenerative disc diseases.
Assuntos
Desdiferenciação Celular , Reprogramação Celular , Degeneração do Disco Intervertebral , Notocorda , Núcleo Pulposo , Núcleo Pulposo/metabolismo , Núcleo Pulposo/citologia , Núcleo Pulposo/patologia , Animais , Reprogramação Celular/genética , Degeneração do Disco Intervertebral/terapia , Degeneração do Disco Intervertebral/patologia , Degeneração do Disco Intervertebral/metabolismo , Ratos , Notocorda/metabolismo , Notocorda/citologia , Humanos , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Fator 3 de Transcrição de Octâmero/metabolismo , Fator 3 de Transcrição de Octâmero/genética , Análise de Célula Única , Proteínas com Domínio T/metabolismo , Proteínas com Domínio T/genética , Células CultivadasRESUMO
Most retinoblastomas develop from maturing cone precursors in response to biallelic RB1 loss and are dependent on cone maturation-related signaling. Additionally, â¼2% lack RB1 mutations but have MYCN amplification (MYCNA), N-Myc protein overexpression, and more rapid and invasive growth, yet the MYCNA retinoblastoma cell of origin and basis for its responses to deregulated N-Myc are unknown. Here, using explanted cultured retinae, we show that ectopic N-Myc induces cell cycle entry in cells expressing markers of several retinal types yet induces continuous proliferation and tumorigenesis only in cone precursors. Unlike the response to RB1 loss, both immature cone arrestin-negative (ARR3-) and maturing ARR3+ cone precursors proliferate, and maturing cone precursors rapidly dedifferentiate, losing ARR3 as well as L/M-opsin expression. N-Myc-overexpressing retinal cells also lose cell lineage constraints, occasionally coexpressing the cone-specific RXRγ with the rod-specific NRL or amacrine-specific AP2α and widely coexpressing RXRγ with the progenitor and Müller cell-specific SOX9 and retinal ganglion cell-specific BRN3 and GAP43. Mechanistically, N-Myc induced Cyclin D2 and CDK4 overexpression, pRB phosphorylation, and SOX9-dependent proliferation without a retinoma-like stage that characterizes pRB-deficient retinoblastoma, despite continuous p16INK4A expression. Orthotopic xenografts of N-Myc-overexpressing retinal cells formed tumors with retinal cell marker expression similar to those in MYCN-transduced retinae and MYCNA retinoblastomas in patients. These findings demonstrate the MYCNA retinoblastoma origin from immature and lineage-deconstrained cone precursors, reveal their opportunistic use of an undifferentiated retinal progenitor cell feature, and illustrate that different cancer-initiating mutations cooperate with distinct developmental stage-specific cell signaling circuitries to drive retinoblastoma tumorigenesis.