Clinico-pathological significance of TCGA classification and SWI/SNF proteins expression in undifferentiated/dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma: A possible prognostic risk stratification.

BACKGROUND: Undifferentiated/dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma (UEC/DDEC) is a heterogeneous entity, which may show any of the TCGA molecular signatures and loss of the switch/sucrose nonfermentable (SWI/SNF) proteins expression. AIM: To assess the clinico-pathological significance of the TCGA molecular groups and SWI/SNF proteins expression in UEC/DDEC, through a quantitative systematic review. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for all studies assessing the TCGA molecular groups, i.e. POLE-mutant, mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd), p53-abnormal (p53abn) and no specific molecular profile (NSMP), and/or the SWI/SNF proteins (SMARCA4/BRG1, SMARCB1/INI1, ARID1B) expression in UEC/DDEC. Student t-test, Fisher's exact test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with long-rank test were used to assess differences among groups; a p-value<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Eight studies were included in the systematic review. Among the TCGA groups, the mean patient age was significantly higher in the p53abn group than in the NSMP group (p = 0.048). The POLE-mutant group showed advanced FIGO stage (III-IV) significantly less commonly than the NSMP (p = 0.003) and MMRd (p = 0.008) groups, and a significantly better prognosis than the NSMP (p = 0.007), MMRd (p = 0.011) and p53abn (p = 0.045) groups.The SWI/SNF-deficient cases showed a significantly worse prognosis than the SWI/SNF-intact cases (p = 0.010), while no significant differences were found regarding patient age and FIGO stage. CONCLUSIONS: Among UEC/DDEC, POLE-mutant cases show good prognosis, while SWI/SNF-deficient cases show poor prognosis. The other TCGA molecular subtypes seem to be characterized by an intermediate biological behaviour. On this account, UEC/DDEC patients might be subdivided into three risk groups based on POLE and SWI/SNF status. Further studies are necessary in this field.

GINS2 was regulated by lncRNA XIST/miR-23a-3p to mediate proliferation and apoptosis in A375 cells.

Melanoma ranks second in aggressive tumors, and the occurrence of metastasis in melanoma results in a persistent drop in the survival rate of patients. Therefore, it is very necessary to find a novel therapeutic method for treating melanoma. It has been reported that lncRNA XIST could promote the tumorigenesis of melanoma. However, the mechanism by which lncRNA XIST regulates the progression of melanoma remains unclear. The proliferation of A375 cells was measured by clonal formation. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay. Flow cytometry was performed to detect cell apoptosis and cycle. The level of GINS2, miR-23a-3p, and lncRNA XIST was investigated by qRT-PCR. Protein level was detected by Western blot, and the correctness of prediction results was confirmed by Dual luciferase. In present study, GINS2 and lncRNA XIST were overexpressed in melanoma, while miR-23a-3p was downregulated. Silencing of GINS2 or overexpression of miR-23a-3p reversed cell growth and promoted apoptosis in A375 cells. Mechanically, miR-23a-3p directly targeted GINS2, and XIST regulated GINS2 level though mediated miR-23a-3p. Moreover, XIST exerted its function on cell proliferation, cell viability, and promoted the cell apoptosis of A375 cells though miR-23a-3p/GINS2 axis. LncRNA XIST significantly promoted the tumorigenesis of melanoma via sponging miR-23a-3p and indirectly targeting GINS2, which can be a potential new target for treating melanoma.

SMARCD3 is a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target in CAFs.

OBJECTIVE: Screening for novel prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets from colorectal cancer microenvironment. RESULTS: 372 genes were overexpressed in colorectal cancer microenvironment, five of which that had the most prognostic powers were enriched in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and cell cycle pathways. For the first time, we showed that SMARCD3 was mainly expressed in CAFs and could be a novel prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target. Function analyses indicated that MSARCD3 might promote CAFs activation and colorectal cancer metastasis through SMARCD3-WNT5A/TGF-ß-MAPK14-SMARCD3 positive feedback loop. Signaling map of SMARCD3 was constructed and several potential drugs that could regulate SMARCD3 were also presented. CONCLUSIONS: SMARCD3 is a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target of colorectal cancer, which may promote cancer metastasis through activation of CAFs. METHODS: Colorectal cancer microenvironment related genes were screened based on immune and stromal scores. Function enrichment analyses were performed to show the underlying mechanistic insights of these tumor microenvironment related genes. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used for evaluating the prognostic power. Gene-Pathway interaction network analysis and cellular heterogeneity analysis of tumor microenvironment were also performed. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed for signal gene pathway analysis. Protein data from The Cancer Genome Atlas were used for validation.

PRR14 overexpression promotes cell growth, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and metastasis of colon cancer via the AKT pathway.

BACKGROUND: PRR14 (Proline rich protein 14) was firstly identified for its ability to specify and localize heterochromatin during cell cycle progression. Aberrant expression of PRR14 is associated with the tumorigenesis and progression of lung cancer. However, its involvement in colon cancer remains unknown. Herein, we report the role of PRR14 in colon cancer. METHODS: Colon cancer tissue microarray was used to analyze and compare the expression of PRR14 among some clinicopathological characteristics of colon cancer. HCT116 and RKO cells were transfected with siRNA to downregulate PRR14 expression. The roles of PRR14 in proliferation, migration and invasion of the cell lines were determined using cell counting kit-8, colony formation assay, wound healing assay and transwell assays respectively. The expression of PRR14 was measured using immunofluorescence, qRT- PCR and western blot. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were determined by western blot. RESULTS: PRR14 was highly expressed in colon cancer tissues, and the expression level was correlated with tumor size, distant metastasis and Tumor Node Metastasis stages. Functional study revealed that downregulation of PRR14 inhibited colon cancer cells growth, migration and invasion. Furthermore, knockdown of PRR14 inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, cell cycle-associated proteins expression and p-AKT level. CONCLUSION: PRR14 may promote the progression and metastasis of colon cancer, and may be a novel prognostic and therapeutic marker for the disease.

CBX1 is a direct target of miR-205-5p and contributes to the progression of pituitary tumor.

MicroRNAs (miRs) are crucial regulators for tumorigenesis through negatively regulating their target genes expression in the manner of 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) binding. MiR-205-5p has been reported to function as a tumor suppressor in several cancer types. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-205-5p/chromobox homolog 1 (CBX1) axis in human pituitary tumors. The expression of miR-205-5p was firstly examined by quantitative real-time PCR and the results revealed that miR-205-5p expression was declined in pituitary cell lines compared with normal cell line. Overexpression of miR-205-5p effectively decreased cell proliferation and cell migration. Based on the results of bioinformatic analysis, luciferase reporter assay, and western blot, we identified CBX1 as a direct target of miR-205-5p. Notably, overexpression of CBX1 promoted cell proliferation and migration. The effects of miR-205-5p overexpression on cell proliferation and migration can be reversed by CBX1 overexpression. Based on these findings, we deducted that miR-205-5p inhibits the cell proliferation and migration through directly targeting CBX1.

Oncogene c-MYC Controls the Expression of PHF10 Subunit of PBAF Chromatin Remodeling Complex in SW620 Cell Line.

The PBAF(SWI/SNF) multiprotein complex, which changes the chromatin structure, is widely involved in the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. A specific component of this complex is the PHF10 protein, which is involved in recruiting this complex to chromatin. We showed that the PHF10 expression in cells of different lines is activated by the c-MYC oncogene. Since PHF10 stimulates cell proliferation, its c-MYC-dependent activation in cancer cells should lead to an increase in their proliferation rate.

Overexpression of the cohesin-core subunit SMC1A contributes to colorectal cancer development.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cells are characterized by chromosomal instability (CIN) and it is thought that errors in pathways involved in faithful chromosome segregation play a pivotal role in the genesis of CIN. Cohesin forms a large protein ring that binds DNA strands by encircling them. In addition to this central role in chromosome segregation, cohesin is also needed for DNA repair, gene transcription regulation and chromatin architecture. Though mutations in both cohesin and cohesin-regulator genes have been identified in many human cancers, the contribution of cohesin to cancer development is still under debate. METHODS: Normal mucosa, early adenoma, and carcinoma samples deriving from 16 subjects affected by colorectal cancer (CRC) were analyzed by OncoScan for scoring both chromosome gains and losses (CNVs) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Then the expression of SMC1A was analyzed by immunochemistry in 66 subjects affected by CRC. The effects of SMC1A overexpression and mutated SMC1A were analyzed in vivo using immunocompromised mouse models. Finally, we measured global gene expression profiles in induced-tumors by RNA-seq. RESULTS: Here we showed that SMC1A cohesin core gene was present as extra-copies, mutated, and overexpressed in human colorectal carcinomas. We then demonstrated that cohesin overexpression led to the development of aggressive cancers in immunocompromised mice through gene expression dysregulation. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these results support a role of defective cohesin in the development of human colorectal cancer.

PRR11 and SKA2 gene pair is overexpressed and regulated by p53 in breast cancer.

Our previous study found that two novel cancer-related genes, PRR11 and SKA2, constituted a classic gene pair that was regulated by p53 and NF-Y in lung cancer. However, their role and regulatory mechanism in breast cancer remain elusive. In this study, we found that the expression levels of PRR11 and SKA2 were upregulated and have a negative prognotic value in breast cancer. Loss-of-function experiments showed that RNAi-mediated knockdown of PRR11 and/or SKA2 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells. Mechanistic experiments revealed that knockdown of PRR11 and/or SKA2 caused dysregulation of several downstream genes, including CDK6, TPM3, and USP12, etc. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that wild type p53 significantly repressed the PRR11-SKA2 bidirectional promoter activity, but not NF-Y. Interestingly, NF-Y was only essential for and correlated with the expression of PRR11, but not SKA2. Consistently, adriamycin-induced (ADR) activation of endogenous p53 also caused significant repression of the PRR11 and SKA2 gene pair expression. Notably, breast cancer patients with lower expression levels of either PRR11 or SKA2, along with wild type p53, exhibited better disease-free survival compared to others with p53 mutations and/or higher expression levels of either PRR11 or SKA2. Collectively, our study indicates that the PRR11 and SKA2 transcription unit might be an oncogenic contributor and might serve as a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target in breast cancer. [BMB Reports 2019; 52(2): 157-162].

The potential predictive value of DEK expression for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy response in locally advanced rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available regarding the ability of biomarkers to predict complete pathological response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer. Complete response translates to better patient survival. DEK is a transcription factor involved not only in development and progression of different types of cancer, but is also associated with treatment response. This study aims to analyze the role of DEK in complete pathological response following chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer. METHODS: Pre-treated tumour samples from 74 locally advanced rectal-cancer patients who received chemoradiation therapy prior to total mesorectal excision were recruited for construction of a tissue microarray. DEK immunoreactivity from all samples was quantified by immunohistochemistry. Then, association between positive stained tumour cells and pathologic response to neoadjuvant treatment was measured to determine optimal predictive power. RESULTS: DEK expression was limited to tumour cells located in the rectum. Interestingly, high percentage of tumour cells with DEK positiveness was statistically associated with complete pathological response to neoadjuvant treatment based on radiotherapy and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy and a marked trend toward significance between DEK positiveness and absence of treatment toxicity. Further analysis revealed an association between DEK and the pro-apoptotic factor P38 in the pre-treated rectal cancer biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest DEK as a potential biomarker of complete pathological response to treatment in locally advanced rectal cancer.

CBX3/heterochromatin protein 1 gamma is significantly upregulated in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

AIM: Lung cancer is typically categorized into small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC comprises of the majority of lung cancer with a poor prognosis in advanced cases. Transcriptional profiling studies, including microarrays and RNA-sequencing studies, have significantly enriched our knowledge of gene expression patterns in NSCLC. A recent transcriptional profiling study identified high prevalence of CBX3/HP1-gamma upregulation in human NSCLC samples. CBX3/HP1-gamma is an isoform of the heterochromatin protein 1 family, which plays a role in heterochromatin formation and is linked to cancer. METHODS: We examined lung cancer samples from our hospital using immunohistochemistry for CBX3/HP1-gamma staining. We also analyzed publicly available databases of NSCLC transcriptional profiling to validate our results. RESULTS: We identified a high prevalence (77.2%) of samples with positive CBX3/HP1-gamma staining by immunohistochemistry in NSCLC patient samples. Independently, we queried a publicly available dataset (GSE40419) containing RNA-seq data from 77 patients. Upregulation of CBX3/HP1-gamma in tumor samples was present in 60.2% of the patients. A similar correlation was also observed in the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Interestingly, we discovered a highly significant association between positive CBX3/HP1-gamma staining and EGFR mutation in our patient samples (40 of 42 patients, P < 0.001). Treatment of EGFR mutant NSCLC cell lines with the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib failed to yield a change in CBX/HP1-gamma expression, suggesting that CBX/HP1-gamma expression may be independent of EGFR downstream signaling. CONCLUSION: We report a significant upregulation of CBX3/HP1-gamma in NSCLC patients, and also a possible relationship between CBX3/HP1-gamma expression and EGFR mutation.

LSD1-Mediated Epigenetic Reprogramming Drives CENPE Expression and Prostate Cancer Progression.

Androgen receptor (AR) signaling is a key driver of prostate cancer, and androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is a standard treatment for patients with advanced and metastatic disease. However, patients receiving ADT eventually develop incurable castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Here, we report that the chromatin modifier LSD1, an important regulator of AR transcriptional activity, undergoes epigenetic reprogramming in CRPC. LSD1 reprogramming in this setting activated a subset of cell-cycle genes, including CENPE, a centromere binding protein and mitotic kinesin. CENPE was regulated by the co-binding of LSD1 and AR to its promoter, which was associated with loss of RB1 in CRPC. Notably, genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of CENPE significantly decreases tumor growth. Our findings show how LSD1-mediated epigenetic reprogramming drives CRPC, and they offer a mechanistic rationale for its therapeutic targeting in this disease. Cancer Res; 77(20); 5479-90. ©2017 AACR.

DEK proto-oncogene is highly expressed in astrocytic tumors and regulates glioblastoma cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Astrocytic tumors are the most common neuroepithelial neoplasms with high relapse rate after surgery. Understanding the molecular mechanisms for astrocytic tumorigenesis and progression will lead to early diagnosis and effective treatment of astrocytic tumors. The DEK mRNA and protein expression in normal brain tissues and astrocytic tumors was quantified. To investigate DEK functions in tumor cells, DEK gene was silenced with siRNA in U251 glioblastoma cells. Cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis were then measured. The expression and activity of key genes that regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis were also measured. We identified DEK as a high expressed gene in astrocytic tumor tissues. DEK expression level was positively correlated with the pathological grade of astrocytic tumors. Gene silencing of DEK in U251 glioblastomas inhibited cell proliferation and blocked cells at G0/G1 phase of cell cycle. DEK depletion also induced cell apoptosis, with up-regulated expression of P53 and P21 and down-regulated expression of Bcl-2 and C-myc. The Caspase-3 activity in U251 cells was also significantly increased after knockdown. Our results provided evidences that DEK regulates proliferation and apoptosis of glioblastomas. DEK gene silencing may induce apoptosis through P53-dependent pathway. Our data indicated DEK plays multiple roles to facilitate tumor growth and maintenance. It can be used as a potential target for astrocytic tumor diagnosis and gene therapy.

Hypoxia promotes chemotherapy resistance by down-regulating SKA1 gene expression in human osteosarcoma.

Drug resistance has always been the main problem in osteosarcoma treatment, and hypoxia seems to be one of the many causes for drug resistance. Therefore, in this study, we investigated how hypoxia triggers chemotherapy resistance in osteosarcoma. We first screened hypoxia- and normoxia- cultured osteosarcoma cells in silico to identify the differentially expressed genes specifically related to drug resistance. This led to the identification of spindle and kinetochore associated complex subunit 1 (SKA1) as a probable gene of interest. SKA1 was further overexpressed by a lentiviral vector into an osteosarcoma cell line to study its role in chemoresistance. Our data revealed that SKA1 overexpression reduced the expression of some multidrug resistance genes, and enhanced the sensitivity of two common chemotherapeutic drugs used in osteosarcoma patients, epirubicin (EPI) and ifosfamide (IFO). In addition, we also confirmed the role of SKA1 in EPI drug sensitivity in vivo. Taken together, our study indicated that hypoxia mediated downregulation of SKA1 expression increased the chemotherapy resistance in human osteosarcoma cells.

BRD7 Acts as a Tumor Suppressor Gene in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Lung cancer is one of the most malignant tumors and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Among lung cancers, 40% are diagnosed as adenocarcinoma. Bromodomain containing 7 (BRD7) is a member of bromodomain-containing protein family. It was proved to be downregulated in various cancers. However, the role of BRD7 in lung adenocarcinoma is still unknown. Western blot and qRT-PCR was performed to measure the BRD7 expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cells. CCK8 and migration assay was done to detect the functional role of BRD7 in lung adenocarcinoma. In this study, we showed that the expression of BRD7 was downregulated in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cells. The lower of BRD7 levels in patients with lung adenocarcinoma was associated with shortened disease-free survival. Furthermore, overexpression of BRD7 inhibited lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and migration. Inhibition of BRD7 expression promoted cell proliferation and migration by activating ERK phosphorylation. Overexpression of BRD7 inhibited cyclin D and myc expression. Our findings are consistent with a tumor suppressor role for BRD7 in lung adenocarcinoma tumorigenesis.

Regulation of DEK expression by AP-2α and methylation level of DEK promoter in hepatocellular carcinoma.

DEK is overexpressed in multiple invasive tumors. However, the transcriptional regulatory mechanism of DEK remains unclear. In the present study, progressive-type truncation assay indicated that CpG2-2 (-167 bp/+35 bp) was the DEK core promoter, whose methylation inhibited DEK expression. Bisulfite genomic sequencing analysis indicated that the methylation levels of the DEK promoter in normal hepatic cells and tissues were higher than those in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. TFSEARCH result revealed transcription factor binding sites in CpG2-2. Among the sites, the AP-2α binding site showed the most significant methylation difference; hence, AP-2α is a key transcription factor that regulates DEK expression. Point or deletion mutation of the AP-2α binding site significantly reduced the promoter activity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated the binding of AP-2α to the core promoter. Furthermore, knock down of endogenous AP-2α downregulated DEK expression, whereas overexpression of AP-2α upregulated DEK expression. Thus, AP-2α is an important transcription factor of DEK expression, which is correlated with the methylation level of the DEK core promoter in HCC.

Over-expression of AURKA, SKA3 and DSN1 contributes to colorectal adenoma to carcinoma progression.

Development of colorectal cancer (CRC) involves sequential transformation of normal mucosal tissues into benign adenomas and then adenomas into malignant tumors. The identification of genes crucial for malignant transformation in colorectal adenomas (CRAs) has been based primarily on cross-sectional observations. In this study, we identified relevant genes using autologous samples. By performing genome-wide SNP genotyping and RNA sequencing analysis of adenocarcinomas, adenomatous polyps, and non-neoplastic colon tissues (referred as tri-part samples) from individual patients, we identified 68 genes with differential copy number alterations and progressively dysregulated expression. Aurora A, SKA3, and DSN1 protein levels were sequentially up-regulated in the samples, and this overexpression was associated with chromosome instability (CIN). Knockdown of SKA3 in CRC cells dramatically reduced cell growth rates and increased apoptosis. Depletion of SKA3 or DSN1 induced G2/M arrest and decreased migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth. AURKA and DSN1 are thus critical for chromosome 20q amplification-associated malignant transformation in CRA. Moreover, SKA3 at chromosome 13q was identified as a novel gene involved in promoting malignant transformation. Evaluating the expression of these genes may help identify patients with progressive adenomas, helping to improve treatment.

Role of the BAHD1 Chromatin-Repressive Complex in Placental Development and Regulation of Steroid Metabolism.

BAHD1 is a vertebrate protein that promotes heterochromatin formation and gene repression in association with several epigenetic regulators. However, its physiological roles remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that ablation of the Bahd1 gene results in hypocholesterolemia, hypoglycemia and decreased body fat in mice. It also causes placental growth restriction with a drop of trophoblast glycogen cells, a reduction of fetal weight and a high neonatal mortality rate. By intersecting transcriptome data from murine Bahd1 knockout (KO) placentas at stages E16.5 and E18.5 of gestation, Bahd1-KO embryonic fibroblasts, and human cells stably expressing BAHD1, we also show that changes in BAHD1 levels alter expression of steroid/lipid metabolism genes. Biochemical analysis of the BAHD1-associated multiprotein complex identifies MIER proteins as novel partners of BAHD1 and suggests that BAHD1-MIER interaction forms a hub for histone deacetylases and methyltransferases, chromatin readers and transcription factors. We further show that overexpression of BAHD1 leads to an increase of MIER1 enrichment on the inactive X chromosome (Xi). In addition, BAHD1 and MIER1/3 repress expression of the steroid hormone receptor genes ESR1 and PGR, both playing important roles in placental development and energy metabolism. Moreover, modulation of BAHD1 expression in HEK293 cells triggers epigenetic changes at the ESR1 locus. Together, these results identify BAHD1 as a core component of a chromatin-repressive complex regulating placental morphogenesis and body fat storage and suggest that its dysfunction may contribute to several human diseases.

Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT) Arising From Ependymoma: A Type of AT/RT Secondarily Developing From Other Primary Central Nervous System Tumors.

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) are rare, aggressive, embryonal brain tumors that occur most frequently in very young children; they are characterized by rhabdoid cells and loss of INI1 protein nuclear expression. Here, we report the case of a 24-year-old man with a left frontal lobe tumor that was composed mainly of rhabdoid cells showing loss of INI1 nuclear reactivity and polyphenotypic immunohistochemical expression, with a small INI1-positive component of ependymoma. Array comparative genomic hybridization separately conducted for each histologically distinct component revealed 22 shared identical copy number alterations, including loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 22q containing the INI1 locus. Furthermore, we found the C11orf95-RELA fusion gene, the genetic hallmark of supratentorial ependymomas, not only in the ependymoma component but also in the AT/RT component by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, suggesting that the AT/RT cells secondarily progressed from the preexisting ependymoma cells. A second genetic inactivating event in the INI1 gene was not detected in the AT/RT component. There are several reported cases of AT/RT (or INI1-negative rhabdoid tumors) arising in the setting of other primary brain tumors (gangliogliomas, pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas, and high-grade gliomas), but the present case

Loss of switch/sucrose non-fermenting complex protein expression is associated with dedifferentiation in endometrial carcinomas.

Dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma is an aggressive type of endometrial cancer that contains a mix of low-grade endometrioid and undifferentiated carcinoma components. We performed targeted sequencing of eight dedifferentiated carcinomas and identified somatic frameshift/nonsense mutations in SMARCA4, a core ATPase of the switch/sucrose non-fermenting (SWI/SNF) complex, in the undifferentiated components of four tumors. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the loss of SMARCA4 in the undifferentiated component of these four SMARCA4-mutated cases, whereas the corresponding low-grade endometrioid component showed retained SMARCA4 expression. An expanded survey of other members of the SWI/SNF complex showed SMARCB1 loss in the undifferentiated component of two SMARCA4-intact tumors, and all SMARCA4- or SMARCB1-deficient tumors showed concomitant loss of expression of SMARCA2. We subsequently examined the expression of SMARCA2, SMARCA4, and SMARCB1 in an additional set of 22 centrally reviewed dedifferentiated carcinomas and 31 grade 3 endometrioid carcinomas. Combining the results from the index and the expansion set, 15 of 30 (50%) of the dedifferentiated carcinomas examined showed either concurrent SMARCA4 and SMARCA2 loss (37%) or concurrent SMARCB1 and SMARCA2 loss (13%) in the undifferentiated component. The loss of SMARCA4 or SMARCB1 was mutually exclusive. All 31 grade 3 endometrioid carcinomas showed intact expression of these core SWI/SNF proteins. The majority (73%) of the SMARCA4/SMARCA2-deficient and half of SMARCB1/SMARCA2-deficient undifferentiated component developed in a mismatch repair-deficient molecular context. The observed spatial association between SWI/SNF protein loss and histologic dedifferentiation suggests that inactivation of these core SWI/SNF proteins may contribute to the development of dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma.

Regulatory dissection of the CBX5 and hnRNPA1 bi-directional promoter in human breast cancer cells reveals novel transcript variants differentially associated with HP1α down-regulation in metastatic cells.

BACKGROUND: The three members of the human heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) family of proteins, HP1α, HP1ß, and HPγ, are involved in chromatin packing and epigenetic gene regulation. HP1α is encoded from the CBX5 gene and is a suppressor of metastasis. CBX5 is down-regulated at the transcriptional and protein level in metastatic compared to non-metastatic breast cancer. CBX5 shares a bi-directional promoter structure with the hnRNPA1 gene. But whereas CBX5 expression is down-regulated in metastatic cells, hnRNAP1 expression is constant. Here, we address the regulation of CBX5 in human breast cancer. METHODS: Transient transfection and transposon mediated integration of dual-reporter mini-genes containing the bi-directional hnRNPA1 and CBX5 promoter was performed to investigate transcriptional regulation in breast cancer cell lines. Bioinformatics and functional analysis were performed to characterize transcriptional events specifically regulating CBX5 expression. TSA treatment and Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) were performed to investigate the chromatin structure along CBX5 in breast cancer cells. Finally, expression of hnRNPA1 and CBX5 mRNA isoforms were measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) in breast cancer tissue samples. RESULTS: We demonstrate that an hnRNPA1 and CBX5 bi-directional core promoter fragment does not comprise intrinsic capacity for specific CBX5 down-regulation in metastatic cells. Characterization of transcriptional events in the 20 kb CBX5 intron 1 revealed existence of several novel CBX5 transcripts. Two of these encode consensus HP1α protein but used autonomous promoters in intron 1 by which HP1α expression could be de-coupled from the bi-directional promoter. In addition, another CBX5 transcriptional isoform, STET, was discovered. This transcript includes CBX5 exon 1 and part of intron 1 sequences but lacks inclusion of HP1α encoding exons. Inverse correlation between STET and HP1α coding CBX5 mRNA expression was observed in breast cancer cell lines and tissue samples from breast cancer patients. CONCLUSION: We find that HP1α is down-regulated in a mechanism involving CBX5 promoter downstream sequences and that regulation through alternative polyadenylation and splicing generates a transcript, STET, with potential importance in carcinogenesis.