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Huang C, Hsu C, Chao M, Hsu K, Lin TE, Yen S, Tu H, Pan S. In silico identification of a novel Cdc2-like kinase 2 (CLK2) inhibitor in triple negative breast cancer. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5004. [PMID: 38723164 PMCID: PMC11081522 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Dysregulation of RNA splicing processes is intricately linked to tumorigenesis in various cancers, especially breast cancer. Cdc2-like kinase 2 (CLK2), an oncogenic RNA-splicing kinase pivotal in breast cancer, plays a significant role, particularly in the context of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype marked by substantial medical challenges due to its low survival rates. In this study, we employed a structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) method to identify potential CLK2 inhibitors with novel chemical structures for treating TNBC. Compound 670551 emerged as a novel CLK2 inhibitor with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 619.7 nM. Importantly, Compound 670551 exhibited high selectivity for CLK2 over other protein kinases. Functionally, this compound significantly reduced the survival and proliferation of TNBC cells. Results from a cell-based assay demonstrated that this inhibitor led to a decrease in RNA splicing proteins, such as SRSF4 and SRSF6, resulting in cell apoptosis. In summary, we identified a novel CLK2 inhibitor as a promising potential treatment for TNBC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng‐Chiao Huang
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
- Division of General Surgery, Department of SurgeryTaipei Medical University HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Chia‐Ming Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Min‐Wu Chao
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat‐sen UniversityKaohsiungTaiwan
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat‐sen UniversityKaohsiungTaiwan
- The Doctoral Program of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat‐sen UniversityKaohsiungTaiwan
| | - Kai‐Cheng Hsu
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development IndustryCollege of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- TMU Research Center of Drug Discovery, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Tony Eight Lin
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Shih‐Chung Yen
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen)ShenzhenGuangdongChina
| | - Huang‐Ju Tu
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Shiow‐Lin Pan
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development IndustryCollege of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- TMU Research Center of Drug Discovery, Taipei Medical UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
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2
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Wernaart D, Fumagalli A, Agami R. Molecular mechanisms of non-genetic aberrant peptide production in cancer. Oncogene 2024:10.1038/s41388-024-03069-2. [PMID: 38802646 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03069-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The cancer peptidome has long been known to be altered by genetic mutations. However, more recently, non-genetic polypeptide mutations have also been related to cancer cells. These non-genetic mutations occur post-t30ranscriptionally, leading to the modification of the peptide primary structure, while the corresponding genes remain unchanged. Three main processes participate in the production of these aberrant proteins: mRNA alternative splicing, mRNA editing, and mRNA aberrant translation. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes and the recent findings on the functions of the aberrant proteins, as well as their exploitability as new therapeutic targets due to their specific enrichment in cancer cells. These non-genetic aberrant polypeptides represent a source of novel cancer cell targets independent from their level of mutational burden, still to be exhaustively explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demi Wernaart
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amos Fumagalli
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Reuven Agami
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Erasmus MC, Department of Genetics, Rotterdam University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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3
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Elshwekh H, Alhudiri IM, Elzagheid A, Enattah N, Abbassi Y, Abou Assali L, Marino I, Stuani C, Buratti E, Romano M. Assessing the Impact of Novel BRCA1 Exon 11 Variants on Pre-mRNA Splicing. Cells 2024; 13:824. [PMID: 38786046 PMCID: PMC11119505 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Our study focused on assessing the effects of three newly identified BRCA1 exon 11 variants (c.1019T>C, c.2363T>G, and c.3192T>C) on breast cancer susceptibility. Using computational predictions and experimental splicing assays, we evaluated their potential as pathogenic mutations. Our in silico analyses suggested that the c.2363T>G and c.3192T>C variants could impact both splicing and protein function, resulting in the V340A and V788G mutations, respectively. We further examined their splicing effects using minigene assays in MCF7 and SKBR3 breast cancer cell lines. Interestingly, we found that the c.2363T>G variant significantly altered splicing patterns in MCF7 cells but not in SKBR3 cells. This finding suggests a potential influence of cellular context on the variant's effects. While attempts to correlate in silico predictions with RNA binding factors were inconclusive, this observation underscores the complexity of splicing regulation. Splicing is governed by various factors, including cellular contexts and protein interactions, making it challenging to predict outcomes accurately. Further research is needed to fully understand the functional consequences of the c.2363T>G variant in breast cancer pathogenesis. Integrating computational predictions with experimental data will provide valuable insights into the role of alternative splicing regulation in different breast cancer types and stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halla Elshwekh
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (H.E.); (Y.A.); (L.A.A.); (I.M.); (C.S.)
- Department of Genetic Engineering, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli P.O. Box 30313, Libya; (I.M.A.); (A.E.); (N.E.)
| | - Inas M. Alhudiri
- Department of Genetic Engineering, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli P.O. Box 30313, Libya; (I.M.A.); (A.E.); (N.E.)
| | - Adam Elzagheid
- Department of Genetic Engineering, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli P.O. Box 30313, Libya; (I.M.A.); (A.E.); (N.E.)
| | - Nabil Enattah
- Department of Genetic Engineering, Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli P.O. Box 30313, Libya; (I.M.A.); (A.E.); (N.E.)
| | - Yasmine Abbassi
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (H.E.); (Y.A.); (L.A.A.); (I.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Lubna Abou Assali
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (H.E.); (Y.A.); (L.A.A.); (I.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Ilenia Marino
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (H.E.); (Y.A.); (L.A.A.); (I.M.); (C.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Cristiana Stuani
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (H.E.); (Y.A.); (L.A.A.); (I.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Emanuele Buratti
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (H.E.); (Y.A.); (L.A.A.); (I.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Maurizio Romano
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via A. Valerio, 28, 34127 Trieste, Italy
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Wu Q, Gu Z, Shang B, Wan D, Zhang Q, Zhang X, Xie P, Cheng S, Zhang W, Zhang K. Circulating tumor cell clustering modulates RNA splicing and polyadenylation to facilitate metastasis. Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216757. [PMID: 38417668 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters exhibit significantly higher metastatic potential compared to single CTCs. However, the underlying mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unclear, and the role of posttranscriptional RNA regulation in CTC clusters has not been explored. Here, we conducted a comparative analysis of alternative splicing (AS) and alternative polyadenylation (APA) profiles between single CTCs and CTC clusters. We identified 994 and 836 AS events in single CTCs and CTC clusters, respectively, with ∼20% of AS events showing differential regulation between the two cell types. A key event in this differential splicing was observed in SRSF6, which disrupted AS profiles and contributed to the increased malignancy of CTC clusters. Regarding APA, we found a global lengthening of 3' UTRs in CTC clusters compared to single CTCs. This alteration was primarily governed by 14 core APA factors, particularly PPP1CA. The modified APA profiles facilitated the cell cycle progression of CTC clusters and indicated their reduced susceptibility to oxidative stress. Further investigation revealed that the proportion of H2AFY mRNA with long 3' UTR instead of short 3' UTR was higher in CTC clusters than single CTCs. The AU-rich elements (AREs) within the long 3' UTR of H2AFY mRNA enhance mRNA stability and translation activity, resulting in promoting cell proliferation and invasion, which potentially facilitate the establishment and rapid formation of metastatic tumors mediated by CTC clusters. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms driving CTC cluster metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanyou Wu
- Division of Abdominal Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Zhaoru Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Bingqing Shang
- Department of Urology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Duo Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Peipei Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Shujun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
| | - Kaitai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
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5
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Wu X, Zhou X, Sun X, Ning Y, Song X, Song G, Guo X, Sun R. Tra2β exerts tumor-promoting effects via GSK3/β-catenin signaling in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Dis 2024. [PMID: 38623870 DOI: 10.1111/odi.14949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The splicing factor transformer-2 homolog beta (Tra2β) plays a pivotal role in various cancers. Nonetheless, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been comprehensively explored. This study sought to discern the influence of Tra2β on OSCC and its underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS We assessed Tra2β expression in OSCC utilizing immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, and western blotting techniques. siRNA transfection was used to silence Tra2β. Whole transcriptome RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was carried out to reveal the alternative splicing (AS) events. KEGG pathway analysis enriched the related pathways. Colony formation, transwell, wound healing, and Annexin V-FITC/PI were employed to appraise the consequences of Tra2β silencing on OSCC. RESULTS Tra2β was highly expressed in both OSCC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of Tra2β-regulated AS events with skipped exon (SE) accounts for the highest proportion. Meanwhile, downregulation of Tra2β reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, however increasing cell apoptosis. Moreover, Wnt signaling pathway involved in the function of Tra2β knockdown which was demonstrated directly by a discernible reduction in the expression of GSK3/β-catenin signaling axis. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that knockdown of Tra2β may exert anti-tumor effects through the GSK3/β-catenin signaling pathway in OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofen Wu
- Department of Stomatology, Wenshui County People's Hospital of Shanxi Province, Wenshui, China
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xinyue Zhou
- Department of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaozhen Sun
- Shanxi Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yi Ning
- Shanxi Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaona Song
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Guohua Song
- Laboratory Animal Center, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Experimental Animal Science and Human Disease Animal Model, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaohong Guo
- Department of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of Stomatology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, China
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Rukhsana, Supty AT, Hussain M, Lee Y. STK3 higher expression association with clinical characteristics in intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer invasive ductal carcinoma patients. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2024:10.1007/s10549-024-07248-3. [PMID: 38592540 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-024-07248-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE STK3 has a central role in maintaining cell homeostasis, proliferation, growth, and apoptosis. Previously, we investigated the functional link between STK3/MST2, and estrogen receptor in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. To expand the investigation, this study evaluated STK3's higher expression and associated genes in breast cancer intrinsic subtypes using publicly available data. METHODS The relationship between clinical pathologic features and STK3 high expression was analyzed using descriptive and multivariate analysis. RESULTS Increased STK3 expression in breast cancer was significantly associated with higher pathological cancer stages, and a different expression level was observed in the intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that breast cancer with high STK3 had a lower survival rate in IDC patients than that with low STK3 expression (p < 0.05). The multivariate analysis unveiled a strong correlation between STK3 expression and the survival rate among IDC patients, demonstrating hazard ratios for lower expression. In the TCGA dataset, the hazard ratio was 0.56 (95% CI 0.34-0.94, p = 0.029) for patients deceased with tumor, and 0.62 (95% CI 0.42-0.92, p = 0.017) for all deceased patients. Additionally, in the METABRIC dataset, the hazard ratio was 0.76 (95% CI 0.64-0.91, p = 0.003) for those deceased with tumor. From GSEA outcomes 7 gene sets were selected based on statistical significance (FDR < 0.25 and p < 0.05). Weighted Sum model (WSM) derived top 5% genes also have higher expression in basal and lower in luminal A in association with STK3. CONCLUSION By introducing a novel bioinformatics approach that combines GSEA and WSM, the study successfully identified the top 5% of genes associated with higher expression of STK3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rukhsana
- Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Sejong University, 209-Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, 05006, Seoul, Korea
- College of Science and Engineering, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Afia Tasnim Supty
- Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Sejong University, 209-Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, 05006, Seoul, Korea
| | - Maqbool Hussain
- College of Science and Engineering, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB, UK.
| | - YoungJoo Lee
- Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Sejong University, 209-Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, 05006, Seoul, Korea.
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Polo-Generelo S, Rodríguez-Mateo C, Torres B, Pintor-Tortolero J, Guerrero-Martínez JA, König J, Vázquez J, Bonzón-Kulichenco E, Padillo-Ruiz J, de la Portilla F, Reyes JC, Pintor-Toro JA. Serpine1 mRNA confers mesenchymal characteristics to the cell and promotes CD8+ T cells exclusion from colon adenocarcinomas. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:116. [PMID: 38448406 PMCID: PMC10917750 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01886-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Serine protease inhibitor clade E member 1 (SERPINE1) inhibits extracellular matrix proteolysis and cell detachment. However, SERPINE1 expression also promotes tumor progression and plays a crucial role in metastasis. Here, we solve this apparent paradox and report that Serpine1 mRNA per se, independent of its protein-coding function, confers mesenchymal properties to the cell, promoting migration, invasiveness, and resistance to anoikis and increasing glycolytic activity by sequestering miRNAs. Expression of Serpine1 mRNA upregulates the expression of the TRA2B splicing factor without affecting its mRNA levels. Through transcriptional profiling, we found that Serpine1 mRNA expression downregulates through TRA2B the expression of genes involved in the immune response. Analysis of human colon tumor samples showed an inverse correlation between SERPINE1 mRNA expression and CD8+ T cell infiltration, unveiling the potential value of SERPINE1 mRNA as a promising therapeutic target for colon tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Polo-Generelo
- Department of Cell Signaling, Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Cristina Rodríguez-Mateo
- Department of Cell Signaling, Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Belén Torres
- Department of Cell Signaling, Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José Pintor-Tortolero
- Colorectal Surgery Unit, Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, IBIS, CSIC, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José A Guerrero-Martínez
- Department of Cell Signaling, Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Julian König
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Ackermannweg 4, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jesús Vázquez
- Cardiovascular Proteomics, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Bonzón-Kulichenco
- Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Javier Padillo-Ruiz
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Unit, Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, IBIS, CSIC, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fernando de la Portilla
- Colorectal Surgery Unit, Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, IBIS, CSIC, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José C Reyes
- Department of Cell Signaling, Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José A Pintor-Toro
- Department of Cell Signaling, Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain.
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Sudhakaran M, Navarrete TG, Mejía-Guerra K, Mukundi E, Eubank TD, Grotewold E, Arango D, Doseff AI. Transcriptome reprogramming through alternative splicing triggered by apigenin drives cell death in triple-negative breast cancer. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:824. [PMID: 38092740 PMCID: PMC10719380 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06342-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by its aggressiveness and resistance to cancer-specific transcriptome alterations. Alternative splicing (AS) is a major contributor to the diversification of cancer-specific transcriptomes. The TNBC transcriptome landscape is characterized by aberrantly spliced isoforms that promote tumor growth and resistance, underscoring the need to identify approaches that reprogram AS circuitry towards transcriptomes, favoring a delay in tumorigenesis or responsiveness to therapy. We have previously shown that flavonoid apigenin is associated with splicing factors, including heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2 (hnRNPA2). Here, we showed that apigenin reprograms TNBC-associated AS transcriptome-wide. The AS events affected by apigenin were statistically enriched in hnRNPA2 substrates. Comparative transcriptomic analyses of human TNBC tumors and non-tumor tissues showed that apigenin can switch cancer-associated alternative spliced isoforms (ASI) to those found in non-tumor tissues. Apigenin preferentially affects the splicing of anti-apoptotic and proliferation factors, which are uniquely observed in cancer cells, but not in non-tumor cells. Apigenin switches cancer-associated aberrant ASI in vivo in TNBC xenograft mice by diminishing proliferation and increasing pro-apoptotic ASI. In accordance with these findings, apigenin increased apoptosis and reduced tumor proliferation, thereby halting TNBC growth in vivo. Our results revealed that apigenin reprograms transcriptome-wide TNBC-specific AS, thereby inducing apoptosis and hindering tumor growth. These findings underscore the impactful effects of nutraceuticals in altering cancer transcriptomes, offering new options to influence outcomes in TNBC treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi Sudhakaran
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Graduate Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Tatiana García Navarrete
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | | | - Eric Mukundi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Timothy D Eubank
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Erich Grotewold
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Daniel Arango
- Department of Pharmacology and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Andrea I Doseff
- Department of Physiology and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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9
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Ben-Oz BM, Machour FE, Nicola M, Argoetti A, Polyak G, Hanna R, Kleifeld O, Mandel-Gutfreund Y, Ayoub N. A dual role of RBM42 in modulating splicing and translation of CDKN1A/p21 during DNA damage response. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7628. [PMID: 37993446 PMCID: PMC10665399 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43495-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
p53-mediated cell cycle arrest during DNA damage is dependent on the induction of p21 protein, encoded by the CDKN1A gene. p21 inhibits cyclin-dependent kinases required for cell cycle progression to guarantee accurate repair of DNA lesions. Hence, fine-tuning of p21 levels is crucial to preserve genomic stability. Currently, the multilayered regulation of p21 levels during DNA damage is not fully understood. Herein, we identify the human RNA binding motif protein 42 (RBM42) as a regulator of p21 levels during DNA damage. Genome-wide transcriptome and interactome analysis reveals that RBM42 alters the expression of p53-regulated genes during DNA damage. Specifically, we demonstrate that RBM42 facilitates CDKN1A splicing by counteracting the splicing inhibitory effect of RBM4 protein. Unexpectedly, we also show that RBM42, underpins translation of various splicing targets, including CDKN1A. Concordantly, transcriptome-wide mapping of RBM42-RNA interactions using eCLIP further substantiates the dual function of RBM42 in regulating splicing and translation of its target genes, including CDKN1A. Collectively, our data show that RBM42 couples splicing and translation machineries to fine-tune gene expression during DNA damage response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bella M Ben-Oz
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Feras E Machour
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Marian Nicola
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Amir Argoetti
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Galia Polyak
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Rawad Hanna
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Oded Kleifeld
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Yael Mandel-Gutfreund
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Nabieh Ayoub
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel.
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10
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Tzeng YDT, Hsiao JH, Tseng LM, Hou MF, Li CJ. Breast cancer organoids derived from patients: A platform for tailored drug screening. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 217:115803. [PMID: 37709150 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer stands as the most prevalent and heterogeneous malignancy affecting women globally, posing a substantial health concern. Enhanced comprehension of tumor pathology and the development of novel therapeutics are pivotal for advancing breast cancer treatment. Contemporary breast cancer investigation heavily leans on in vivo models and conventional cell culture techniques. Nonetheless, these approaches often encounter high failure rates in clinical trials due to species disparities and tissue structure variations. To address this, three-dimensional cultivation of organoids, resembling organ-like structures, has emerged as a promising alternative. Organoids represent innovative in vitro models that mirror in vivo tissue microenvironments. They retain the original tumor's diversity and facilitate the expansion of tumor samples from diverse origins, facilitating the representation of varying tumor stages. Optimized breast cancer organoid models, under precise culture conditions, offer benefits including convenient sample acquisition, abbreviated cultivation durations, and genetic stability. These attributes ensure a faithful replication of in vivo traits of breast cancer cells. As intricate cellular entities boasting spatial arrangements, breast cancer organoid models harbor substantial potential in precision medicine, organ transplantation, modeling intricate diseases, gene therapy, and drug innovation. This review delivers an overview of organoid culture techniques and outlines future prospects for organoid modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Dun Tony Tzeng
- Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Hu Hsiao
- Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Municipal Minsheng Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ling-Ming Tseng
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan; Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Ming-Feng Hou
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
| | - Chia-Jung Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan; Institute of BioPharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan.
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11
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Ayama-Canden S, Tondo R, Pineros Leyton ML, Ninane N, Demazy C, Dieu M, Fattaccioli A, Sauvage A, Tabarrant T, Lucas S, Bonifazi D, Michiels C. Indacaterol inhibits collective cell migration and IGDQ-mediated single cell migration in metastatic breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:301. [PMID: 37904233 PMCID: PMC10614342 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01340-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the main cause of deaths related to breast cancer. This is particular the case for triple negative breast cancer. No targeted therapies are reported as efficient until now. The extracellular matrix, in particular the fibronectin type I motif IGDQ, plays a major role in regulating cell migration prior metastasis formation. This motif interacts with specific integrins inducing their activation and the migratory signal transduction.Here, we characterized the migratory phenotype of MDA-MB-231 cells, using functionalized IGDQ-exposing surfaces, and compared it to integrin A5 and integrin B3 knock-down cells. A multiomic analysis was developed that highlighted the splicing factor SRSF6 as a putative master regulator of cell migration and of integrin intracellular trafficking. Indacaterol-induced inhibition of SRSF6 provoked: i) the inhibition of collective and IGDQ-mediated cell migration and ii) ITGA5 sequestration into endosomes and lysosomes. Upon further studies, indacaterol may be a potential therapy to prevent cell migration and reduce metastasis formation in breast cancer. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Ayama-Canden
- URBC - NARILIS, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | - Rodolfo Tondo
- Cardiff University, Park Place, Main Building, Wales, CF10 3AT, UK
| | | | - Noëlle Ninane
- URBC - NARILIS, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | - Catherine Demazy
- URBC - NARILIS, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium
- MaSUN, Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Namur, 61, Rue de Bruxelles, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | - Marc Dieu
- MaSUN, Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Namur, 61, Rue de Bruxelles, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | - Antoine Fattaccioli
- URBC - NARILIS, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | - Aude Sauvage
- URBC - NARILIS, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | - Tijani Tabarrant
- LARN - NARILIS, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, Namur, 5000, Belgium
| | - Stéphane Lucas
- LARN - NARILIS, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, Namur, 5000, Belgium
| | - Davide Bonifazi
- Cardiff University, Park Place, Main Building, Wales, CF10 3AT, UK
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Carine Michiels
- URBC - NARILIS, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium.
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12
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Chang J, Yan S, Geng Z, Wang Z. Inhibition of splicing factors SF3A3 and SRSF5 contributes to As 3+/Se 4+ combination-mediated proliferation suppression and apoptosis induction in acute promyelocytic leukemia cells. Arch Biochem Biophys 2023; 743:109677. [PMID: 37356608 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2023.109677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
The low-dose combination of Arsenite (As3+) and selenite (Se4+) has the advantages of lower biological toxicity and better curative effects for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, based on the fact that the combination of 2 μM A3+ plus 4 μM Se4+ possessed a stronger anti-leukemic effect on APL cell line NB4 as compared with each individual, we employed iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics to identify a total of 58 proteins that were differentially expressed after treatment with As3+/Se4+ combination rather than As3+ or Se4+ alone, the majority of which were involved in spliceosome pathway. Among them, eight proteins stood out by virtue of their splicing function and significant changes. They were validated as being decreased in mRNA and protein levels under As3+/Se4+ combination treatment. Further functional studies showed that only knockdown of two splicing factors, SF3A3 and SRSF5, suppressed the growth of NB4 cells. The reduction of SF3A3 was found to cause G1/S cell cycle arrest, which resulted in proliferation inhibition. Moreover, SRSF5 downregulation induced cell apoptosis through the activation of caspase-3. Taken together, these findings indicate that SF3A3 and SRSF5 function as pro-leukemic factors and can be potential novel therapeutic targets for APL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayin Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Shihai Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Zhirong Geng
- College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, PR China.
| | - Zhilin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China.
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13
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Wojtyś W, Oroń M. How Driver Oncogenes Shape and Are Shaped by Alternative Splicing Mechanisms in Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112918. [PMID: 37296881 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of RNA sequencing methods has allowed us to study and better understand the landscape of aberrant pre-mRNA splicing in tumors. Altered splicing patterns are observed in many different tumors and affect all hallmarks of cancer: growth signal independence, avoidance of apoptosis, unlimited proliferation, invasiveness, angiogenesis, and metabolism. In this review, we focus on the interplay between driver oncogenes and alternative splicing in cancer. On one hand, oncogenic proteins-mutant p53, CMYC, KRAS, or PI3K-modify the alternative splicing landscape by regulating expression, phosphorylation, and interaction of splicing factors with spliceosome components. Some splicing factors-SRSF1 and hnRNPA1-are also driver oncogenes. At the same time, aberrant splicing activates key oncogenes and oncogenic pathways: p53 oncogenic isoforms, the RAS-RAF-MAPK pathway, the PI3K-mTOR pathway, the EGF and FGF receptor families, and SRSF1 splicing factor. The ultimate goal of cancer research is a better diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. In the final part of this review, we discuss present therapeutic opportunities and possible directions of further studies aiming to design therapies targeting alternative splicing mechanisms in the context of driver oncogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weronika Wojtyś
- Laboratory of Human Disease Multiomics, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Oroń
- Laboratory of Human Disease Multiomics, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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14
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Kumar K, Sinha SK, Maity U, Kirti PB, Kumar KRR. Insights into established and emerging roles of SR protein family in plants and animals. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1763. [PMID: 36131558 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Splicing of pre-mRNA is an essential part of eukaryotic gene expression. Serine-/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are highly conserved RNA-binding proteins present in all metazoans and plants. SR proteins are involved in constitutive and alternative splicing, thereby regulating the transcriptome and proteome diversity in the organism. In addition to their role in splicing, SR proteins are also involved in mRNA export, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, mRNA stability, and translation. Due to their pivotal roles in mRNA metabolism, SR proteins play essential roles in normal growth and development. Hence, any misregulation of this set of proteins causes developmental defects in both plants and animals. SR proteins from the animal kingdom are extensively studied for their canonical and noncanonical functions. Compared with the animal kingdom, plant genomes harbor more SR protein-encoding genes and greater diversity of SR proteins, which are probably evolved for plant-specific functions. Evidence from both plants and animals confirms the essential role of SR proteins as regulators of gene expression influencing cellular processes, developmental stages, and disease conditions. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > Splicing Mechanisms RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kundan Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Amarkantak, India
| | - Shubham Kumar Sinha
- Department of Biotechnology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Amarkantak, India
| | - Upasana Maity
- Department of Biotechnology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Amarkantak, India
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15
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Unlu Yazici M, Marron JS, Bakir-Gungor B, Zou F, Yousef M. Invention of 3Mint for feature grouping and scoring in multi-omics. Front Genet 2023; 14:1093326. [PMID: 37007972 PMCID: PMC10050723 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1093326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Advanced genomic and molecular profiling technologies accelerated the enlightenment of the regulatory mechanisms behind cancer development and progression, and the targeted therapies in patients. Along this line, intense studies with immense amounts of biological information have boosted the discovery of molecular biomarkers. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death around the world in recent years. Elucidation of genomic and epigenetic factors in Breast Cancer (BRCA) can provide a roadmap to uncover the disease mechanisms. Accordingly, unraveling the possible systematic connections between-omics data types and their contribution to BRCA tumor progression is crucial. In this study, we have developed a novel machine learning (ML) based integrative approach for multi-omics data analysis. This integrative approach combines information from gene expression (mRNA), microRNA (miRNA) and methylation data. Due to the complexity of cancer, this integrated data is expected to improve the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of disease through patterns only available from the 3-way interactions between these 3-omics datasets. In addition, the proposed method bridges the interpretation gap between the disease mechanisms that drive onset and progression. Our fundamental contribution is the 3 Multi-omics integrative tool (3Mint). This tool aims to perform grouping and scoring of groups using biological knowledge. Another major goal is improved gene selection via detection of novel groups of cross-omics biomarkers. Performance of 3Mint is assessed using different metrics. Our computational performance evaluations showed that the 3Mint classifies the BRCA molecular subtypes with lower number of genes when compared to the miRcorrNet tool which uses miRNA and mRNA gene expression profiles in terms of similar performance metrics (95% Accuracy). The incorporation of methylation data in 3Mint yields a much more focused analysis. The 3Mint tool and all other supplementary files are available at https://github.com/malikyousef/3Mint/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miray Unlu Yazici
- Department of Bioengineering, Abdullah Gül University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - J. S. Marron
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Burcu Bakir-Gungor
- Department of Bioengineering, Abdullah Gül University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Department of Computer Engineering, Abdullah Gul University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Fei Zou
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Malik Yousef
- Department of Information Systems, Zefat Academic College, Zefat, Israel
- Galilee Digital Health Research Center, Zefat Academic College, Zefat, Israel
- *Correspondence: Malik Yousef,
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16
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Santhanam B, Oikonomou P, Tavazoie S. Systematic assessment of prognostic molecular features across cancers. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100262. [PMID: 36950380 PMCID: PMC10025453 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Precision oncology promises accurate prediction of disease trajectories by utilizing molecular features of tumors. We present a systematic analysis of the prognostic potential of diverse molecular features across large cancer cohorts. We find that the mRNA expression of biologically coherent sets of genes (modules) is substantially more predictive of patient survival than single-locus genomic and transcriptomic aberrations. Extending our analysis beyond existing curated gene modules, we find a large novel class of highly prognostic DNA/RNA cis-regulatory modules associated with dynamic gene expression within cancers. Remarkably, in more than 82% of cancers, modules substantially improve survival stratification compared with conventional clinical factors and prominent genomic aberrations. The prognostic potential of cancer modules generalizes to external cohorts better than conventionally used single-gene features. Finally, a machine-learning framework demonstrates the combined predictive power of multiple modules, yielding prognostic models that perform substantially better than existing histopathological and clinical factors in common use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balaji Santhanam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Panos Oikonomou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Saeed Tavazoie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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17
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Achour C, Bhattarai DP, Groza P, Román ÁC, Aguilo F. METTL3 regulates breast cancer-associated alternative splicing switches. Oncogene 2023; 42:911-925. [PMID: 36725888 PMCID: PMC10020087 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02602-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) enables differential inclusion of exons from a given transcript, thereby contributing to the transcriptome and proteome diversity. Aberrant AS patterns play major roles in the development of different pathologies, including breast cancer. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant internal modification of eukaryotic mRNA, influences tumor progression and metastasis of breast cancer, and it has been recently linked to AS regulation. Here, we identify a specific AS signature associated with breast tumorigenesis in vitro. We characterize for the first time the role of METTL3 in modulating breast cancer-associated AS programs, expanding the role of the m6A-methyltransferase in tumorigenesis. Specifically, we find that both m6A deposition in splice site boundaries and in splicing and transcription factor transcripts, such as MYC, direct AS switches of specific breast cancer-associated transcripts. Finally, we show that five of the AS events validated in vitro are associated with a poor overall survival rate for patients with breast cancer, suggesting the use of these AS events as a novel potential prognostic biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrinne Achour
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Devi Prasad Bhattarai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Paula Groza
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ángel-Carlos Román
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Extremadura, 06071, Badajoz, Spain.
| | - Francesca Aguilo
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
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18
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Abstract
Dysregulated RNA splicing is a molecular feature that characterizes almost all tumour types. Cancer-associated splicing alterations arise from both recurrent mutations and altered expression of trans-acting factors governing splicing catalysis and regulation. Cancer-associated splicing dysregulation can promote tumorigenesis via diverse mechanisms, contributing to increased cell proliferation, decreased apoptosis, enhanced migration and metastatic potential, resistance to chemotherapy and evasion of immune surveillance. Recent studies have identified specific cancer-associated isoforms that play critical roles in cancer cell transformation and growth and demonstrated the therapeutic benefits of correcting or otherwise antagonizing such cancer-associated mRNA isoforms. Clinical-grade small molecules that modulate or inhibit RNA splicing have similarly been developed as promising anticancer therapeutics. Here, we review splicing alterations characteristic of cancer cell transcriptomes, dysregulated splicing's contributions to tumour initiation and progression, and existing and emerging approaches for targeting splicing for cancer therapy. Finally, we discuss the outstanding questions and challenges that must be addressed to translate these findings into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K Bradley
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division and Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Olga Anczuków
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA.
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19
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Ivanova OM, Anufrieva KS, Kazakova AN, Malyants IK, Shnaider PV, Lukina MM, Shender VO. Non-canonical functions of spliceosome components in cancer progression. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:77. [PMID: 36732501 PMCID: PMC9895063 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05470-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of pre-mRNA splicing is a common hallmark of cancer cells and it is associated with altered expression, localization, and mutations of the components of the splicing machinery. In the last few years, it has been elucidated that spliceosome components can also influence cellular processes in a splicing-independent manner. Here, we analyze open source data to understand the effect of the knockdown of splicing factors in human cells on the expression and splicing of genes relevant to cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, and cell death. We supplement this information with a comprehensive literature review of non-canonical functions of splicing factors linked to cancer progression. We also specifically discuss the involvement of splicing factors in intercellular communication and known autoregulatory mechanisms in restoring their levels in cells. Finally, we discuss strategies to target components of the spliceosome machinery that are promising for anticancer therapy. Altogether, this review greatly expands understanding of the role of spliceosome proteins in cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga M Ivanova
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation.
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation.
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation.
| | - Ksenia S Anufrieva
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation
| | - Anastasia N Kazakova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, 141701, Russian Federation
| | - Irina K Malyants
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation
- Faculty of Chemical-Pharmaceutical Technologies and Biomedical Drugs, Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow, 125047, Russian Federation
| | - Polina V Shnaider
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Maria M Lukina
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation
| | - Victoria O Shender
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation.
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation.
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation.
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20
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de Oliveira Freitas Machado C, Schafranek M, Brüggemann M, Hernández Cañás M, Keller M, Di Liddo A, Brezski A, Blümel N, Arnold B, Bremm A, Wittig I, Jaé N, McNicoll F, Dimmeler S, Zarnack K, Müller-McNicoll M. Poison cassette exon splicing of SRSF6 regulates nuclear speckle dispersal and the response to hypoxia. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:870-890. [PMID: 36620874 PMCID: PMC9881134 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia induces massive changes in alternative splicing (AS) to adapt cells to the lack of oxygen. Here, we identify the splicing factor SRSF6 as a key factor in the AS response to hypoxia. The SRSF6 level is strongly reduced in acute hypoxia, which serves a dual purpose: it allows for exon skipping and triggers the dispersal of nuclear speckles. Our data suggest that cells use dispersal of nuclear speckles to reprogram their gene expression during hypoxic adaptation and that SRSF6 plays an important role in cohesion of nuclear speckles. Down-regulation of SRSF6 is achieved through inclusion of a poison cassette exon (PCE) promoted by SRSF4. Removing the PCE 3' splice site using CRISPR/Cas9 abolishes SRSF6 reduction in hypoxia. Aberrantly high SRSF6 levels in hypoxia attenuate hypoxia-mediated AS and impair dispersal of nuclear speckles. As a consequence, proliferation and genomic instability are increased, while the stress response is suppressed. The SRSF4-PCE-SRSF6 hypoxia axis is active in different cancer types, and high SRSF6 expression in hypoxic tumors correlates with a poor prognosis. We propose that the ultra-conserved PCE of SRSF6 acts as a tumor suppressor and that its inclusion in hypoxia is crucial to reduce SRSF6 levels. This may prevent tumor cells from entering the metastatic route of hypoxia adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila de Oliveira Freitas Machado
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michal Schafranek
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mirko Brüggemann
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Mario Keller
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Antonella Di Liddo
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andre Brezski
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nicole Blümel
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Benjamin Arnold
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anja Bremm
- Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ilka Wittig
- Functional Proteomics, Institute of Cardiovascular Physiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nicolas Jaé
- Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - François McNicoll
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefanie Dimmeler
- Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Kathi Zarnack
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Kathi Zarnack.
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21
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Singh A, Rajeevan A, Gopalan V, Agrawal P, Day CP, Hannenhalli S. Broad misappropriation of developmental splicing profile by cancer in multiple organs. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7664. [PMID: 36509773 PMCID: PMC9744839 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35322-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenesis mimics key aspects of embryonic development. However, the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that the splicing events specifically active during human organogenesis, are broadly reactivated in the organ-specific tumor. Such events are associated with key oncogenic processes and predict proliferation rates in cancer cell lines as well as patient survival. Such events preferentially target nitrosylation and transmembrane-region domains, whose coordinated splicing in multiple genes respectively affect intracellular transport and N-linked glycosylation. We infer critical splicing factors potentially regulating embryonic splicing events and show that such factors are potential oncogenic drivers and are upregulated specifically in malignant cells. Multiple complementary analyses point to MYC and FOXM1 as potential transcriptional regulators of critical splicing factors in brain and liver. Our study provides a comprehensive demonstration of a splicing-mediated link between development and cancer, and suggest anti-cancer targets including splicing events, and their upstream splicing and transcriptional regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arashdeep Singh
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Arati Rajeevan
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Vishaka Gopalan
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Piyush Agrawal
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Chi-Ping Day
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Sridhar Hannenhalli
- grid.48336.3a0000 0004 1936 8075Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
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22
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Wagner AR, Weindel CG, West KO, Scott HM, Watson RO, Patrick KL. SRSF6 balances mitochondrial-driven innate immune outcomes through alternative splicing of BAX. eLife 2022; 11:e82244. [PMID: 36409059 PMCID: PMC9718523 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
To mount a protective response to infection while preventing hyperinflammation, gene expression in innate immune cells must be tightly regulated. Despite the importance of pre-mRNA splicing in shaping the proteome, its role in balancing immune outcomes remains understudied. Transcriptomic analysis of murine macrophage cell lines identified Serine/Arginine Rich Splicing factor 6 (SRSF6) as a gatekeeper of mitochondrial homeostasis. SRSF6-dependent orchestration of mitochondrial health is directed in large part by alternative splicing of the pro-apoptosis pore-forming protein BAX. Loss of SRSF6 promotes accumulation of BAX-κ, a variant that sensitizes macrophages to undergo cell death and triggers upregulation of interferon stimulated genes through cGAS sensing of cytosolic mitochondrial DNA. Upon pathogen sensing, macrophages regulate SRSF6 expression to control the liberation of immunogenic mtDNA and adjust the threshold for entry into programmed cell death. This work defines BAX alternative splicing by SRSF6 as a critical node not only in mitochondrial homeostasis but also in the macrophage's response to pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R Wagner
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health, School of MedicineBryanUnited States
| | - Chi G Weindel
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health, School of MedicineBryanUnited States
| | - Kelsi O West
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health, School of MedicineBryanUnited States
| | - Haley M Scott
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health, School of MedicineBryanUnited States
| | - Robert O Watson
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health, School of MedicineBryanUnited States
| | - Kristin L Patrick
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health, School of MedicineBryanUnited States
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23
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Urbanski L, Brugiolo M, Park S, Angarola BL, Leclair NK, Yurieva M, Palmer P, Sahu SK, Anczuków O. MYC regulates a pan-cancer network of co-expressed oncogenic splicing factors. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111704. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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24
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Hinkle ER, Blue RE, Tsai YH, Combs M, Davi J, Coffey AR, Boriek AM, Taylor JM, Parker JS, Giudice J. Stretching muscle cells induces transcriptional and splicing transitions and changes in SR proteins. Commun Biol 2022; 5:987. [PMID: 36123433 PMCID: PMC9485123 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03915-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is an RNA processing mechanism involved in skeletal muscle development and pathology. Muscular diseases exhibit splicing alterations and changes in mechanobiology leading us to investigate the interconnection between mechanical forces and RNA processing. We performed deep RNA-sequencing after stretching muscle cells. First, we uncovered transcriptional changes in genes encoding proteins involved in muscle function and transcription. Second, we observed that numerous mechanosensitive genes were part of the MAPK pathway which was activated in response to stretching. Third, we revealed that stretching skeletal muscle cells increased the proportion of alternatively spliced cassette exons and their inclusion. Fourth, we demonstrated that the serine and arginine-rich proteins exhibited stronger transcriptional changes than other RNA-binding proteins and that SRSF4 phosphorylation is mechanosensitive. Identifying SRSF4 as a mechanosensitive RNA-binding protein that might contribute to crosstalk between mechanotransduction, transcription, and splicing could potentially reveal novel insights into muscular diseases, particularly those with unknown etiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma R Hinkle
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology (GMB), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
| | - R Eric Blue
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
| | - Yi-Hsuan Tsai
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
| | - Matthew Combs
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
| | - Jacquelyn Davi
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
| | - Alisha R Coffey
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
| | - Aladin M Boriek
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joan M Taylor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
- McAllister Heart Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
| | - Joel S Parker
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology (GMB), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
| | - Jimena Giudice
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA.
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology (GMB), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA.
- McAllister Heart Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA.
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25
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A critical update on the strategies towards small molecule inhibitors targeting Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins and Serine/arginine-rich proteins related kinases in alternative splicing. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 70:116921. [PMID: 35863237 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
>90% of genes in the human body undergo alternative splicing (AS) after transcription, which enriches protein species and regulates protein levels. However, there is growing evidence that various genetic isoforms resulting from dysregulated alternative splicing are prevalent in various types of cancers. Dysregulated alternative splicing leads to cancer generation and maintenance of cancer properties such as proliferation differentiation, apoptosis inhibition, invasion metastasis, and angiogenesis. Serine/arginine-rich proteins and SR protein-associated kinases mediate splice site recognition and splice complex assembly during variable splicing. Based on the impact of dysregulated alternative splicing on disease onset and progression, the search for small molecule inhibitors targeting alternative splicing is imminent. In this review, we discuss the structure and specific biological functions of SR proteins and describe the regulation of SR protein function by SR protein related kinases meticulously, which are closely related to the occurrence and development of various types of cancers. On this basis, we summarize the reported small molecule inhibitors targeting SR proteins and SR protein related kinases from the perspective of medicinal chemistry. We mainly categorize small molecule inhibitors from four aspects, including targeting SR proteins, targeting Serine/arginine-rich protein-specific kinases (SRPKs), targeting Cdc2-like kinases (CLKs) and targeting dual-specificity tyrosine-regulated kinases (DYRKs), in terms of structure, inhibition target, specific mechanism of action, biological activity, and applicable diseases. With this review, we are expected to provide a timely summary of recent advances in alternative splicing regulated by kinases and a preliminary introduction to relevant small molecule inhibitors.
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26
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Kok V, Tang JY, Eng G, Tan SY, Chin J, Quek C, Lai WX, Lim TK, Lin Q, Chua J, Cheong J. SFPQ promotes RAS-mutant cancer cell growth by modulating 5′-UTR mediated translational control of CK1α. NAR Cancer 2022; 4:zcac027. [PMID: 36177382 PMCID: PMC9513841 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Oncogenic mutations in the RAS family of small GTPases are commonly found in human cancers and they promote tumorigenesis by altering gene expression networks. We previously demonstrated that Casein Kinase 1α (CK1α), a member of the CK1 family of serine/threonine kinases, is post-transcriptionally upregulated by oncogenic RAS signaling. Here, we report that the CK1α mRNA contains an exceptionally long 5′-untranslated region (UTR) harbouring several translational control elements, implicating its involvement in translational regulation. We demonstrate that the CK1α 5′-UTR functions as an IRES element in HCT-116 colon cancer cells to promote cap-independent translation. Using tobramycin-affinity RNA-pulldown assays coupled with identification via mass spectrometry, we identified several CK1α 5′-UTR-binding proteins, including SFPQ. We show that RNA interference targeting SFPQ reduced CK1α protein abundance and partially blocked RAS-mutant colon cancer cell growth. Importantly, transcript and protein levels of SFPQ and other CK1α 5′-UTR-associated RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are found to be elevated in early stages of RAS-mutant cancers, including colorectal and lung adenocarcinoma. Taken together, our study uncovers a previously unappreciated role of RBPs in promoting RAS-mutant cancer cell growth and their potential to serve as promising biomarkers as well as tractable therapeutic targets in cancers driven by oncogenic RAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venetia Jing Tong Kok
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Jia Ying Tang
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Gracie Wee Ling Eng
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Shin Yi Tan
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Joseph Tin Foong Chin
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Chun Hian Quek
- School of Applied Science , Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore
| | - Wei Xuan Lai
- Department of Physiology, YLLSoM, National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Teck Kwang Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Qingsong Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - John Jia En Chua
- Department of Physiology, YLLSoM, National University of Singapore , Singapore
- LSI Neurobiology Programme, National University of Singapore , Singapore
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, YLLSoM, National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Jit Kong Cheong
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore , Singapore
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research, National University of Singapore , Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, YLLSoM, National University of Singapore , Singapore
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27
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Malhan D, Basti A, Relógio A. Transcriptome analysis of clock disrupted cancer cells reveals differential alternative splicing of cancer hallmarks genes. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2022; 8:17. [PMID: 35552415 PMCID: PMC9098426 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-022-00225-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence points towards a regulatory role of the circadian clock in alternative splicing (AS). Whether alterations in core-clock components may contribute to differential AS events is largely unknown. To address this, we carried out a computational analysis on recently generated time-series RNA-seq datasets from three core-clock knockout (KO) genes (ARNTL, NR1D1, PER2) and WT of a colorectal cancer (CRC) cell line, and time-series RNA-seq datasets for additional CRC and Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) cells, murine WT, Arntl KO, and Nr1d1/2 KO, and murine SCN WT tissue. The deletion of individual core-clock genes resulted in the loss of circadian expression in crucial spliceosome components such as SF3A1 (in ARNTLKO), SNW1 (in NR1D1KO), and HNRNPC (in PER2KO), which led to a differential pattern of KO-specific AS events. All HCT116KO cells showed a rhythmicity loss of a crucial spliceosome gene U2AF1, which was also not rhythmic in higher progression stage CRC and HL cancer cells. AS analysis revealed an increase in alternative first exon events specific to PER2 and NR1D1 KO in HCT116 cells, and a KO-specific change in expression and rhythmicity pattern of AS transcripts related to cancer hallmarks genes including FGFR2 in HCT116_ARNTLKO, CD44 in HCT116_NR1D1KO, and MET in HCT116_PER2KO. KO-specific changes in rhythmic properties of known spliced variants of these genes (e.g. FGFR2 IIIb/FGFR2 IIIc) correlated with epithelial-mesenchymal-transition signalling. Altogether, our bioinformatic analysis highlights a role for the circadian clock in the regulation of AS, and reveals a potential impact of clock disruption in aberrant splicing in cancer hallmark genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deeksha Malhan
- Institute for Theoretical Biology (ITB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, 10117, Germany.,Molecular Cancer Research Center (MKFZ), Medical Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, 10117, Germany.,Institute for Systems Medicine, Faculty of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, 20457, Germany
| | - Alireza Basti
- Institute for Theoretical Biology (ITB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, 10117, Germany.,Molecular Cancer Research Center (MKFZ), Medical Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, 10117, Germany.,Institute for Systems Medicine, Faculty of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, 20457, Germany
| | - Angela Relógio
- Institute for Theoretical Biology (ITB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, 10117, Germany. .,Molecular Cancer Research Center (MKFZ), Medical Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, 10117, Germany. .,Institute for Systems Medicine, Faculty of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, 20457, Germany.
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28
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Guo L, Ke H, Zhang H, Zou L, Yang Q, Lu X, Zhao L, Jiao B. TDP43 promotes stemness of breast cancer stem cells through CD44 variant splicing isoforms. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:428. [PMID: 35504883 PMCID: PMC9065105 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04867-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a promising clinical target for cancer treatment at the post-transcriptional level. We previously identified a unique AS profile in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is regulated by the splicing regulator TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP43), thus indicating the crucial role of TDP43 in heterogeneous TNBC. Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), a widely recognized marker for breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), is extensively spliced into CD44 variant AS isoforms (CD44v) during the development of breast cancer. At present, however, the regulatory mechanism of CD44v is not fully understood. In the current study, we found that loss of TDP43 inhibits BCSC stemness by reducing the abundance of CD44v. In addition, serine-arginine-rich splicing factor 3 (SRSF3), another splicing factor and partner of TDP43, acts as an upstream regulator of TDP43 to maintain CD44v isoforms and thereafter BCSC stemness. Mechanistically, SRSF3 stabilizes the mRNA of TDP43 by inhibiting nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). These findings illustrate the important role of complicated regulatory networks formed by splicing factors in TNBC progression, thus providing potential therapeutic targets from an AS perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Guo
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 China
| | - Hao Ke
- grid.260463.50000 0001 2182 8825Human Aging Research Institute (HARI) and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, and Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Human Aging, Nanchang, 330031 Jiangxi China
| | - Honglei Zhang
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Center for Scientific Research, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650500 Yunnan China
| | - Li Zou
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China
| | - Qin Yang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China
| | - Xuemei Lu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China
| | - Limin Zhao
- grid.260463.50000 0001 2182 8825Human Aging Research Institute (HARI) and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, and Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Human Aging, Nanchang, 330031 Jiangxi China
| | - Baowei Jiao
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China
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29
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SRSF6 Regulates the Alternative Splicing of the Apoptotic Fas Gene by Targeting a Novel RNA Sequence. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081990. [PMID: 35454897 PMCID: PMC9025165 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Alternative splicing (AS) produces multiple mRNA isoforms from a gene to make a large number of proteins. Fas (Apo-1/CD95) pre-mRNA, a member of TNF receptor family that mediates apoptosis, can generate pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins through AS. Here, we identified SRSF6 as an essential regulator protein in Fas AS. We further located a new functional target sequence of SRSF6 in Fas splicing. In addition, our large-scale RNA-seq analysis using GTEX and TCGA indicated that while SRSF6 expression was correlated with Fas expression in normal tissues, the correlation was disrupted in tumors. Our results suggest a novel regulatory mechanisms of Fas AS. Abstract Alternative splicing (AS) is a procedure during gene expression that allows the production of multiple mRNAs from a single gene, leading to a larger number of proteins with various functions. The alternative splicing (AS) of Fas (Apo-1/CD95) pre-mRNA can generate membrane-bound or soluble isoforms with pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic functions. SRSF6, a member of the Serine/Arginine-rich protein family, plays essential roles in both constitutive and alternative splicing. Here, we identified SRSF6 as an important regulatory protein in Fas AS. The cassette exon inclusion of Fas was decreased by SRSF6-targeting shRNA treatment, but increased by SRSF6 overexpression. The deletion and substitution mutagenesis of the Fas minigene demonstrated that the UGCCAA sequence in the cassette exon of the Fas gene causes the functional disruption of SRSF6, indicating that these sequences are essential for SRSF6 function in Fas splicing. In addition, biotin-labeled RNA-pulldown and immunoblotting analysis showed that SRSF6 interacted with these RNA sequences. Mutagenesis in the splice-site strength alteration demonstrated that the 5′ splice-site, but not the 3′ splice-site, was required for the SRSF6 regulation of Fas pre-mRNA. In addition, a large-scale RNA-seq analysis using GTEX and TCGA indicated that while SRSF6 expression was correlated with Fas expression in normal tissues, the correlation was disrupted in tumors. Furthermore, high SRSF6 expression was linked to the high expression of pro-apoptotic and immune activation genes. Therefore, we identified a novel RNA target with 5′ splice-site dependence of SRSF6 in Fas pre-mRNA splicing, and a correlation between SRSF6 and Fas expression.
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30
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Chen M, Zhu R, Zhang F, Zhu L. Screening and Identification of Survival-Associated Splicing Factors in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 12:803606. [PMID: 35126467 PMCID: PMC8811261 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.803606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. Many studies have shown that aberrant alternative splicing (AS) can lead to tumorigenesis, and splicing factors (SFs) serve as an important function during AS. In this research, we propose an analysis method based on synergy to screen key factors that regulate the initiation and progression of LUSC. We first screened alternative splicing events (ASEs) associated with survival in LUSC patients by bivariate Cox regression analysis. Then an association network consisting of OS-ASEs, SFs, and their targeting relationship was constructed to identify key SFs. Finally, 10 key SFs were selected in terms of degree centrality. The validation on TCGA and cross-platform GEO datasets showed that some SFs were significantly differentially expressed in cancer and paracancer tissues, and some of them were associated with prognosis, indicating that our method is valid and accurate. It is expected that our method would be applied to a wide range of research fields and provide new insights in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangzhou Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- Shaoxing Institute of Technology, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Fangzhou Zhang , ; Liucun Zhu ,
| | - Liucun Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Fangzhou Zhang , ; Liucun Zhu ,
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31
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Öther-Gee Pohl S, Myant KB. Alternative RNA splicing in tumour heterogeneity, plasticity and therapy. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:dmm049233. [PMID: 35014671 PMCID: PMC8764416 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is a process by which a single gene is able to encode multiple different protein isoforms. It is regulated by the inclusion or exclusion of introns and exons that are joined in different patterns prior to protein translation, thus enabling transcriptomic and proteomic diversity. It is now widely accepted that alternative splicing is dysregulated across nearly all cancer types. This widespread dysregulation means that nearly all cellular processes are affected - these include processes synonymous with the hallmarks of cancer - evasion of apoptosis, tissue invasion and metastasis, altered cellular metabolism, genome instability and drug resistance. Emerging evidence indicates that the dysregulation of alternative splicing also promotes a permissive environment for increased tumour heterogeneity and cellular plasticity. These are fundamental regulators of a patient's response to therapy. In this Review, we introduce the mechanisms of alternative splicing and the role of aberrant splicing in cancer, with particular focus on newfound evidence of alternative splicing promoting tumour heterogeneity, cellular plasticity and altered metabolism. We discuss recent in vivo models generated to study alternative splicing and the importance of these for understanding complex tumourigenic processes. Finally, we review the effects of alternative splicing on immune evasion, cell death and genome instability, and how targeting these might enhance therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin B. Myant
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics of Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
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32
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Zhao X, Li J, Liu Z, Powers S. Combinatorial CRISPR/Cas9 Screening Reveals Epistatic Networks of Interacting Tumor Suppressor Genes and Therapeutic Targets in Human Breast Cancer. Cancer Res 2021; 81:6090-6105. [PMID: 34561273 PMCID: PMC9762330 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-2555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The majority of cancers are driven by multiple genetic alterations, but how these changes collaborate during tumorigenesis remains largely unknown. To gain mechanistic insights into tumor-promoting genetic interactions among tumor suppressor genes (TSG), we conducted combinatorial CRISPR screening coupled with single-cell transcriptomic profiling in human mammary epithelial cells. As expected, different driver gene alterations in mammary epithelial cells influenced the repertoire of tumor suppressor alterations capable of inducing tumor formation. More surprisingly, TSG interaction networks were comprised of numerous cliques-sets of three or four genes such that each TSG within the clique showed oncogenic cooperation with all other genes in the clique. Genetic interaction profiling indicated that the predominant cooperating TSGs shared overlapping functions rather than distinct or complementary functions. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of CRISPR double knockouts revealed that cooperating TSGs that synergized in promoting tumorigenesis and growth factor independence showed transcriptional epistasis, whereas noncooperating TSGs did not. These epistatic transcriptional changes, both buffering and synergistic, affected expression of oncogenic mediators and therapeutic targets, including CDK4, SRPK1, and DNMT1. Importantly, the epistatic expression alterations caused by dual inactivation of TSGs in this system, such as PTEN and TP53, were also observed in patient tumors, establishing the relevance of these findings to human breast cancer. An estimated 50% of differentially expressed genes in breast cancer are controlled by epistatic interactions. Overall, our study indicates that transcriptional epistasis is a central aspect of multigenic breast cancer progression and outlines methodologies to uncover driver gene epistatic networks in other human cancers. SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides a roadmap for moving beyond discovery and development of therapeutic strategies based on single driver gene analysis to discovery based on interactions between multiple driver genes.See related commentary by Fong et al., p. 6078.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhao
- Department of Pathology and Cancer Center, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Jinyu Li
- Department of Pathology and Cancer Center, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Zhimin Liu
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
- Department of Biochemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
- Janssen Research & Development Data Science, Titusville, New Jersey
| | - Scott Powers
- Department of Pathology and Cancer Center, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York.
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
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The Estrogen Receptor α Signaling Pathway Controls Alternative Splicing in the Absence of Ligands in Breast Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13246261. [PMID: 34944881 PMCID: PMC8699117 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor α (ERα) in breast cancer (BC) is extensively characterized. Our group has previously shown that ERα controls the expression of a number of genes in its unliganded form (apoERα), among which a large group of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) encode genes, suggesting its role in the control of co- and post-transcriptional events. Methods: apoERα-mediated RNA processing events were characterized by the analysis of transcript usage and alternative splicing changes in an RNA-sequencing dataset from MCF-7 cells after siRNA-induced ERα downregulation. Results: ApoERα depletion induced an expression change of 681 RBPs, including 84 splicing factors involved in translation, ribonucleoprotein complex assembly, and 3′end processing. ApoERα depletion results in 758 isoform switching events with effects on 3′end length and the splicing of alternative cassette exons. The functional enrichment of these events shows that post-transcriptional regulation is part of the mechanisms by which apoERα controls epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and BC cell proliferation. In primary BCs, the inclusion levels of the experimentally identified alternatively spliced exons are associated with overall and disease-free survival. Conclusion: Our data supports the role of apoERα in maintaining the luminal phenotype of BC cells by extensively regulating gene expression at the alternative splicing level.
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She W, Shao J, Jia R. Targeting Splicing Factor SRSF6 for Cancer Therapy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:780023. [PMID: 34917618 PMCID: PMC8669609 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.780023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant alternative splicing of pre-mRNA is an emerging cancer hallmark. Many cancer-associated genes undergo alternative splicing to produce multiple isoforms with diverse or even antagonistic functions. Oncogenic isoforms are often up-regulated, whereas tumor suppressive isoforms are down-regulated during tumorigenesis. Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 6 (SRSF6) is an important splicing factor that regulates the alternative splicing of hundreds of target genes, including many cancer-associated genes. The potential roles of SRSF6 in cancers have attracted increasing attentions in the past decade. Accumulated pieces of evidence have shown that SRSF6 is a potential oncogenic gene that promotes oncogenic splicing when overexpressed. Targeting SRSF6 may suppress tumorigenesis. In this review, we describe the gene, mRNA, and protein structure of SRSF6; summarize the current understanding of the expression, functions, and regulatory mechanisms of SRSF6 during tumorigenesis; and discuss the potential application of targeting SRSF6 in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting She
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Stomatology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Shao
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Breast Cancer, Wuhan, China
| | - Rong Jia
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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35
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Karakulak T, Moch H, von Mering C, Kahraman A. Probing Isoform Switching Events in Various Cancer Types: Lessons From Pan-Cancer Studies. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:726902. [PMID: 34888349 PMCID: PMC8650491 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.726902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is an essential regulatory mechanism for gene expression in mammalian cells contributing to protein, cellular, and species diversity. In cancer, alternative splicing is frequently disturbed, leading to changes in the expression of alternatively spliced protein isoforms. Advances in sequencing technologies and analysis methods led to new insights into the extent and functional impact of disturbed alternative splicing events. In this review, we give a brief overview of the molecular mechanisms driving alternative splicing, highlight the function of alternative splicing in healthy tissues and describe how alternative splicing is disrupted in cancer. We summarize current available computational tools for analyzing differential transcript usage, isoform switching events, and the pathogenic impact of cancer-specific splicing events. Finally, the strategies of three recent pan-cancer studies on isoform switching events are compared. Their methodological similarities and discrepancies are highlighted and lessons learned from the comparison are listed. We hope that our assessment will lead to new and more robust methods for cancer-specific transcript detection and help to produce more accurate functional impact predictions of isoform switching events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tülay Karakulak
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Informatics Institute, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Holger Moch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian von Mering
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Informatics Institute, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Abdullah Kahraman
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Informatics Institute, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Wu W, Syed F, Simpson E, Lee CC, Liu J, Chang G, Dong C, Seitz C, Eizirik DL, Mirmira RG, Liu Y, Evans-Molina C. The Impact of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines on Alternative Splicing Patterns in Human Islets. Diabetes 2021; 71:db200847. [PMID: 34697029 PMCID: PMC8763875 DOI: 10.2337/db20-0847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) within the β cell has been proposed as one potential pathway that may exacerbate autoimmunity and unveil novel immunogenic epitopes in type 1 diabetes (T1D). We employed a computational strategy to prioritize pathogenic splicing events in human islets treated with IL-1β + IFN-γ as an ex vivo model of T1D and coupled this analysis with a k-mer based approach to predict RNA binding proteins involved in AS. In total, 969 AS events were identified in cytokine-treated islets, with the majority (44.8%) involving a skipped exon. ExonImpact identified 129 events predicted to impact protein structure. AS occurred with high frequency in MHC Class II-related mRNAs, and targeted qPCR validated reduced inclusion of Exon5 in the MHC Class II gene HLA-DMB. Single molecule RNA FISH confirmed increased HLA-DMB splicing in pancreatic sections from human donors with established T1D and autoantibody positivity. Serine and Arginine Rich Splicing Factor 2 was implicated in 37.2% of potentially pathogenic events, including Exon5 exclusion in HLA-DMB. Together, these data suggest that dynamic control of AS plays a role in the β cell response to inflammatory signals during T1D evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Wu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Farooq Syed
- Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Edward Simpson
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Chih-Chun Lee
- Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Physics, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Garrick Chang
- Department of Physics, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Chuanpeng Dong
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Clayton Seitz
- Department of Physics, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Decio L Eizirik
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Universitê Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Raghavendra G Mirmira
- Kovler Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yunlong Liu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Carmella Evans-Molina
- Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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37
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Zhang H, Han B, Han X, Zhu Y, Liu H, Wang Z, Cui Y, Tian R, Gao Z, Tian R, Ren S, Zuo X, Tian J, Zhang F, Niu R. Comprehensive Analysis of Splicing Factor and Alternative Splicing Event to Construct Subtype-Specific Prognosis-Predicting Models for Breast Cancer. Front Genet 2021; 12:736423. [PMID: 34630526 PMCID: PMC8497829 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.736423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that splicing factors (SFs) and alternative splicing (AS) play important roles in cancer progression. We constructed four SF-risk-models using 12 survival-related SFs. In Luminal-A, Luminal-B, Her-2, and Basal-Like BRCA, SF-risk-models for three genes (PAXBP1, NKAP, and NCBP2), four genes (RBM15B, PNN, ACIN1, and SRSF8), three genes (LSM3, SNRNP200, and SNU13), and three genes (SRPK3, PUF60, and PNN) were constructed. These models have a promising prognosis-predicting power. The co-expression and protein-protein interaction analysis suggest that the 12 SFs are highly functional-connected. Pathway analysis and gene set enrichment analysis suggests that the functional role of the selected 12 SFs is highly context-dependent among different BRCA subtypes. We further constructed four AS-risk-models with good prognosis predicting ability in four BRCA subtypes by integrating the four SF-risk-models and 21 survival-related AS-events. This study proposed that SFs and ASs were potential multidimensional biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of BRCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Zhang
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Baoai Han
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Xingxing Han
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuying Zhu
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhiyong Wang
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanfen Cui
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Ran Tian
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Zicong Gao
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Ruinan Tian
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Sixin Ren
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zuo
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianfei Tian
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Fei Zhang
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
| | - Ruifang Niu
- Public Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China
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38
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Comprehensive analysis of aberrant alternative splicing related to carcinogenesis and prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:23149-23168. [PMID: 34628367 PMCID: PMC8544310 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
As a key mechanism, alternative splicing (AS) plays a role in the cancer initiation and development. However, in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), data for the comprehensive AS event profile and its clinical implications are lacking. Herein, a genome-wide AS event profiling using RNA-Seq data and its correlation with matched clinical information was performed using a 389 PTC patient cohort from the project of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We identified 1,925 cancer-associated AS events (CASEs) by comparing paired tumors and neighboring healthy tissues. Parent genes with CASEs remarkably enriched in the pathways were linked with carcinogenesis, such as P53, KRAS, IL6-JAK-STAT3, apoptosis, and MYC signaling. The regulatory networks of AS implied an obvious correlation between the expression of splicing factor and CASE. We identified eight CASEs as predictors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The established risk score model based on DFS-associated CASEs successfully predicted the prognosis of PTC patients. From the unsupervised clustering analysis results, it is found that different clusters based on AS correlated with prognosis, molecular features, and immune characteristics. Taken together, the comprehensive genome-wide AS landscape analysis in PTC showed new AS events linked with tumorigenesis and prognosis, which provide new insights for clinical monitoring and therapy for PTC.
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39
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Canonical Wnt: a safeguard and threat for erythropoiesis. Blood Adv 2021; 5:3726-3735. [PMID: 34516644 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2021004845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloid dysplastic syndrome (MDS) reflects a preleukemic bone marrow (BM) disorder with limited treatment options and poor disease survival. As only a minority of MDS patients are eligible for curative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, there is an urgent need to develop alternative treatment options. Chronic activation of Wnt/β-catenin has been implicated to underlie MDS formation and recently assigned to drive MDS transformation to acute myeloid leukemia. Wnt/β-catenin signaling therefore may harbor a pharmaceutical target to treat MDS and/or prevent leukemia formation. However, targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway will also affect healthy hematopoiesis in MDS patients. The control of Wnt/β-catenin in healthy hematopoiesis is poorly understood. Whereas Wnt/β-catenin is dispensable for steady-state erythropoiesis, its activity is essential for stress erythropoiesis in response to BM injury and anemia. Manipulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in MDS may therefore deregulate stress erythropoiesis and even increase anemia severity. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the most recent and established insights in the field to acquire more insight into the control of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in healthy and inefficient erythropoiesis as seen in MDS.
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40
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Ashok C, Ahuja N, Natua S, Mishra J, Samaiya A, Shukla S. E2F1 and epigenetic modifiers orchestrate breast cancer progression by regulating oxygen-dependent ESRP1 expression. Oncogenesis 2021; 10:58. [PMID: 34362878 PMCID: PMC8346533 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-021-00347-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) is an RNA binding protein that governs the alternative splicing events related to epithelial phenotypes. ESRP1 contributes significantly at different stages of cancer progression. ESRP1 expression is substantially elevated in carcinoma in situ compared to the normal epithelium, whereas it is drastically ablated in cancer cells within hypoxic niches, which promotes epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Although a considerable body of research sought to understand the EMT-associated ESRP1 downregulation, the regulatory mechanisms underlying ESRP1 upregulation in primary tumors remained largely uncharted. This study seeks to unveil the regulatory mechanisms that spatiotemporally fine-tune the ESRP1 expression during breast carcinogenesis. Our results reveal that an elevated expression of transcription factor E2F1 and increased CpG hydroxymethylation of the E2F1 binding motif conjointly induce ESRP1 expression in breast carcinoma. However, E2F1 fails to upregulate ESRP1 despite its abundance in oxygen-deprived breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, impelled by the hypoxia-driven reduction of tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 3 (TET3) activity, CpG sites across the E2F1 binding motif lose the hydroxymethylation marks while gaining the de novo methyltransferase-elicited methylation marks. These two oxygen-sensitive epigenetic events work in concert to repel E2F1 from the ESRP1 promoter, thereby diminishing ESRP1 expression under hypoxia. Furthermore, E2F1 skews the cancer spliceome by upregulating splicing factor SRSF7 in hypoxic breast cancer cells. Our findings provide previously unreported mechanistic insights into the plastic nature of ESRP1 expression and insinuate important implications in therapeutics targeting breast cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheemala Ashok
- grid.462376.20000 0004 1763 8131Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh India
| | - Neha Ahuja
- grid.462376.20000 0004 1763 8131Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh India
| | - Subhashis Natua
- grid.462376.20000 0004 1763 8131Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh India
| | - Jharna Mishra
- Department of Pathology, Bansal Hospital, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh India
| | - Atul Samaiya
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Bansal Hospital, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh India
| | - Sanjeev Shukla
- grid.462376.20000 0004 1763 8131Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh India
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41
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Einstein JM, Perelis M, Chaim IA, Meena JK, Nussbacher JK, Tankka AT, Yee BA, Li H, Madrigal AA, Neill NJ, Shankar A, Tyagi S, Westbrook TF, Yeo GW. Inhibition of YTHDF2 triggers proteotoxic cell death in MYC-driven breast cancer. Mol Cell 2021; 81:3048-3064.e9. [PMID: 34216543 PMCID: PMC8359670 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are critical regulators of post-transcriptional gene expression, and aberrant RBP-RNA interactions can promote cancer progression. Here, we interrogate the function of RBPs in cancer using pooled CRISPR-Cas9 screening and identify 57 RBP candidates with distinct roles in supporting MYC-driven oncogenic pathways. We find that disrupting YTHDF2-dependent mRNA degradation triggers apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and tumors. eCLIP and m6A sequencing reveal that YTHDF2 interacts with mRNAs encoding proteins in the MAPK pathway that, when stabilized, induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and increase global translation rates. scRibo-STAMP profiling of translating mRNAs reveals unique alterations in the translatome of single cells within YTHDF2-depleted solid tumors, which selectively contribute to endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis in TNBC cells. Thus, our work highlights the therapeutic potential of RBPs by uncovering a critical role for YTHDF2 in counteracting the global increase of mRNA synthesis in MYC-driven breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M Einstein
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mark Perelis
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Isaac A Chaim
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jitendra K Meena
- Verna & Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Julia K Nussbacher
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alexandra T Tankka
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Brian A Yee
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Heyuan Li
- Verna & Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Assael A Madrigal
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas J Neill
- Verna & Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Archana Shankar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Siddhartha Tyagi
- Verna & Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Thomas F Westbrook
- Verna & Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Therapeutic Innovation Center (THINC), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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42
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Janiszewska M, Stein S, Metzger Filho O, Eng J, Kingston NL, Harper NW, Rye IH, Alečković M, Trinh A, Murphy KC, Marangoni E, Cristea S, Oakes B, Winer EP, Krop IE, Russnes HG, Spellman PT, Bucher E, Hu Z, Chin K, Gray JW, Michor F, Polyak K. The impact of tumor epithelial and microenvironmental heterogeneity on treatment responses in HER2+ breast cancer. JCI Insight 2021; 6:147617. [PMID: 33886505 PMCID: PMC8262355 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.147617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of multiple human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-targeted (HER2-targeted) treatments, therapeutic resistance in HER2+ breast cancer remains a clinical challenge. Intratumor heterogeneity for HER2 and resistance-conferring mutations in the PIK3CA gene (encoding PI3K catalytic subunit α) have been investigated in response and resistance to HER2-targeting agents, while the role of divergent cellular phenotypes and tumor epithelial-stromal cell interactions is less well understood. Here, we assessed the effect of intratumor cellular genetic heterogeneity for ERBB2 (encoding HER2) copy number and PIK3CA mutation on different types of neoadjuvant HER2-targeting therapies and clinical outcome in HER2+ breast cancer. We found that the frequency of cells lacking HER2 was a better predictor of response to HER2-targeted treatment than intratumor heterogeneity. We also compared the efficacy of different therapies in the same tumor using patient-derived xenograft models of heterogeneous HER2+ breast cancer and single-cell approaches. Stromal determinants were better predictors of response than tumor epithelial cells, and we identified alveolar epithelial and fibroblastic reticular cells as well as lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1-positive (Lyve1+) macrophages as putative drivers of therapeutic resistance. Our results demonstrate that both preexisting and acquired resistance to HER2-targeting agents involve multiple mechanisms including the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, our data suggest that intratumor heterogeneity for HER2 should be incorporated into treatment design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michalina Janiszewska
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Shayna Stein
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Otto Metzger Filho
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jennifer Eng
- OHSU Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Natalie L Kingston
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicholas W Harper
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Inga H Rye
- Department of Pathology, Division of Laboratory Medicine, and Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Maša Alečković
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anne Trinh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katherine C Murphy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Simona Cristea
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Benjamin Oakes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric P Winer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ian E Krop
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hege G Russnes
- Department of Pathology, Division of Laboratory Medicine, and Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Paul T Spellman
- OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Elmar Bucher
- OHSU Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Zhi Hu
- OHSU Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Koei Chin
- OHSU Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Joe W Gray
- OHSU Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Franziska Michor
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Center for Cancer Evolution, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Ludwig Center at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kornelia Polyak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Center for Cancer Evolution, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Ludwig Center at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Rao C, Frodyma DE, Southekal S, Svoboda RA, Black AR, Guda C, Mizutani T, Clevers H, Johnson KR, Fisher KW, Lewis RE. KSR1- and ERK-dependent translational regulation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. eLife 2021; 10:e66608. [PMID: 33970103 PMCID: PMC8195604 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered a transcriptional process that induces a switch in cells from a polarized state to a migratory phenotype. Here, we show that KSR1 and ERK promote EMT-like phenotype through the preferential translation of Epithelial-Stromal Interaction 1 (EPSTI1), which is required to induce the switch from E- to N-cadherin and coordinate migratory and invasive behavior. EPSTI1 is overexpressed in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Disruption of KSR1 or EPSTI1 significantly impairs cell migration and invasion in vitro, and reverses EMT-like phenotype, in part, by decreasing the expression of N-cadherin and the transcriptional repressors of E-cadherin expression, ZEB1 and Slug. In CRC cells lacking KSR1, ectopic EPSTI1 expression restored the E- to N-cadherin switch, migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth. KSR1-dependent induction of EMT-like phenotype via selective translation of mRNAs reveals its underappreciated role in remodeling the translational landscape of CRC cells to promote their migratory and invasive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaitra Rao
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Danielle E Frodyma
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Siddesh Southekal
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Robert A Svoboda
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Adrian R Black
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Chittibabu Guda
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Tomohiro Mizutani
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Keith R Johnson
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Kurt W Fisher
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Robert E Lewis
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
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Chen S, Yang C, Wang ZW, Hu JF, Pan JJ, Liao CY, Zhang JQ, Chen JZ, Huang Y, Huang L, Zhan Q, Tian YF, Shen BY, Wang YD. CLK1/SRSF5 pathway induces aberrant exon skipping of METTL14 and Cyclin L2 and promotes growth and metastasis of pancreatic cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:60. [PMID: 33849617 PMCID: PMC8045197 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01072-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Both aberrant alternative splicing and m6A methylation play complicated roles in the development of pancreatic cancer (PC), while the relationship between these two RNA modifications remains unclear. Methods RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed using 15 pairs of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissues and corresponding normal tissues, and Cdc2-like kinases 1 (CLK1) was identified as a significantly upregulated alternative splicing related gene. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blotting were applied to determine the CLK1 levels. The prognostic value of CLK1 was elucidated by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses in two independent PDAC cohorts. The functional characterizations and mechanistic insights of CLK1 in PDAC growth and metastasis were evaluated with PDAC cell lines and nude mice. SR-like splicing factors5250-Ser (SRSF5250-Ser) was identified as an important target phosphorylation site by phosphorylation mass spectrometry. Through transcriptome sequencing, Methyltransferase-like 14exon10 (METTL14exon10) and Cyclin L2exon6.3 skipping were identified as key alternative splicing events regulated by the CLK1-SRSF5 axis. RIP assays, RNA-pulldown and CLIP-qPCR were performed to confirm molecular interactions and the precise binding sites. The roles of the shift of METTL14exon 10 and Cyclin L2exon6.3 skipping were surveyed. Results CLK1 expression was significantly increased in PDAC tissues at both the mRNA and protein levels. High CLK1 expression was associated with poor prognosis. Elevated CLK1 expression promoted growth and metastasis of PC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, CLK1 enhanced phosphorylation on SRSF5250-Ser, which inhibited METTL14exon10 skipping while promoted Cyclin L2exon6.3 skipping. In addition, aberrant METTL14exon 10 skipping enhanced the N6-methyladenosine modification level and metastasis, while aberrant Cyclin L2exon6.3 promoted proliferation of PDAC cells. Conclusions The CLK1/SRSF5 pathway induces aberrant exon skipping of METTL14 and Cyclin L2, which promotes growth and metastasis and regulates m6A methylation of PDAC cells. This study suggests the potential prognostic value and therapeutic targeting of this pathway in PDAC patients. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13045-021-01072-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Chen
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Can Yang
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zu-Wei Wang
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Fei Hu
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing-Jing Pan
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Yu Liao
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Qiang Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.197 Ruijin Second Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiang-Zhi Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Huang
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Center for Experimental Research in Clinical Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, People's Republic of China
| | - Long Huang
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Zhan
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.197 Ruijin Second Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Feng Tian
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, People's Republic of China
| | - Bai-Yong Shen
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No.197 Ruijin Second Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yao-Dong Wang
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, People's Republic of China.
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Villemin JP, Lorenzi C, Cabrillac MS, Oldfield A, Ritchie W, Luco RF. A cell-to-patient machine learning transfer approach uncovers novel basal-like breast cancer prognostic markers amongst alternative splice variants. BMC Biol 2021; 19:70. [PMID: 33845831 PMCID: PMC8042689 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01002-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is amongst the 10 first causes of death in women worldwide. Around 20% of patients are misdiagnosed leading to early metastasis, resistance to treatment and relapse. Many clinical and gene expression profiles have been successfully used to classify breast tumours into 5 major types with different prognosis and sensitivity to specific treatments. Unfortunately, these profiles have failed to subclassify breast tumours into more subtypes to improve diagnostics and survival rate. Alternative splicing is emerging as a new source of highly specific biomarkers to classify tumours in different grades. Taking advantage of extensive public transcriptomics datasets in breast cancer cell lines (CCLE) and breast cancer tumours (TCGA), we have addressed the capacity of alternative splice variants to subclassify highly aggressive breast cancers. RESULTS Transcriptomics analysis of alternative splicing events between luminal, basal A and basal B breast cancer cell lines identified a unique splicing signature for a subtype of tumours, the basal B, whose classification is not in use in the clinic yet. Basal B cell lines, in contrast with luminal and basal A, are highly metastatic and express epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) markers, which are hallmarks of cell invasion and resistance to drugs. By developing a semi-supervised machine learning approach, we transferred the molecular knowledge gained from these cell lines into patients to subclassify basal-like triple negative tumours into basal A- and basal B-like categories. Changes in splicing of 25 alternative exons, intimately related to EMT and cell invasion such as ENAH, CD44 and CTNND1, were sufficient to identify the basal-like patients with the worst prognosis. Moreover, patients expressing this basal B-specific splicing signature also expressed newly identified biomarkers of metastasis-initiating cells, like CD36, supporting a more invasive phenotype for this basal B-like breast cancer subtype. CONCLUSIONS Using a novel machine learning approach, we have identified an EMT-related splicing signature capable of subclassifying the most aggressive type of breast cancer, which are basal-like triple negative tumours. This proof-of-concept demonstrates that the biological knowledge acquired from cell lines can be transferred to patients data for further clinical investigation. More studies, particularly in 3D culture and organoids, will increase the accuracy of this transfer of knowledge, which will open new perspectives into the development of novel therapeutic strategies and the further identification of specific biomarkers for drug resistance and cancer relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Villemin
- Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH-UMR9002), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Claudio Lorenzi
- Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH-UMR9002), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie-Sarah Cabrillac
- Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH-UMR9002), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Andrew Oldfield
- Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH-UMR9002), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - William Ritchie
- Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH-UMR9002), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
| | - Reini F Luco
- Institut de Génétique Humaine (IGH-UMR9002), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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Oh J, Pradella D, Shao C, Li H, Choi N, Ha J, Ruggiero S, Fu XD, Zheng X, Ghigna C, Shen H. Widespread Alternative Splicing Changes in Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells. Cells 2021; 10:cells10040858. [PMID: 33918758 PMCID: PMC8070448 DOI: 10.3390/cells10040858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant alternative splicing (AS) is a hallmark of cancer and a potential target for novel anti-cancer therapeutics. Breast cancer-associated AS events are known to be linked to disease progression, metastasis, and survival of breast cancer patients. To identify altered AS programs occurring in metastatic breast cancer, we perform a global analysis of AS events by using RNA-mediated oligonucleotide annealing, selection, and ligation coupled with next-generation sequencing (RASL-seq). We demonstrate that, relative to low-metastatic, high-metastatic breast cancer cells show different AS choices in genes related to cancer progression. Supporting a global reshape of cancer-related splicing profiles in metastatic breast cancer we found an enrichment of RNA-binding motifs recognized by several splicing regulators, which have aberrant expression levels or activity during breast cancer progression, including SRSF1. Among SRSF1-regulated targets we found DCUN1D5, a gene for which skipping of exon 4 in its pre-mRNA introduces a premature termination codon (PTC), thus generating an unstable transcript degraded by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Significantly, distinct breast cancer subtypes show different DCUN1D5 isoform ratios with metastatic breast cancer expressing the highest level of the NMD-insensitive DCUN1D5 mRNA, thus showing high DCUN1D5 expression levels, which are ultimately associated with poor overall and relapse-free survival in breast cancer patients. Collectively, our results reveal global AS features of metastatic breast tumors, which open new possibilities for the treatment of these aggressive tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagyeong Oh
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea; (J.O.); (N.C.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Davide Pradella
- Institute of Molecular Genetics “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza”, National Research Council, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (D.P.); (S.R.)
| | - Changwei Shao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0021, USA; (C.S.); (H.L.); (X.-D.F.)
| | - Hairi Li
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0021, USA; (C.S.); (H.L.); (X.-D.F.)
| | - Namjeong Choi
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea; (J.O.); (N.C.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Jiyeon Ha
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea; (J.O.); (N.C.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Sonia Ruggiero
- Institute of Molecular Genetics “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza”, National Research Council, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (D.P.); (S.R.)
| | - Xiang-Dong Fu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0021, USA; (C.S.); (H.L.); (X.-D.F.)
| | - Xuexiu Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea; (J.O.); (N.C.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Claudia Ghigna
- Institute of Molecular Genetics “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza”, National Research Council, Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (D.P.); (S.R.)
- Correspondence: (C.G.); (H.S.); Tel.: +39-0382-546324 (C.G.); +82-62-715-2507 (H.S.); Fax: +39-0382-422-286 (C.G.); +82-62-715-2484 (H.S.)
| | - Haihong Shen
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Korea; (J.O.); (N.C.); (J.H.); (X.Z.)
- Correspondence: (C.G.); (H.S.); Tel.: +39-0382-546324 (C.G.); +82-62-715-2507 (H.S.); Fax: +39-0382-422-286 (C.G.); +82-62-715-2484 (H.S.)
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Al Abo M, Hyslop T, Qin X, Owzar K, George DJ, Patierno SR, Freedman JA. Differential alternative RNA splicing and transcription events between tumors from African American and White patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Genomics 2021; 113:1234-1246. [PMID: 33705884 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Individuals of African ancestry suffer disproportionally from higher incidence, aggressiveness, and mortality for particular cancers. This disparity likely results from an interplay among differences in multiple determinants of health, including differences in tumor biology. We used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) SpliceSeq and TCGA aggregate expression datasets and identified differential alternative RNA splicing and transcription events (ARS/T) in cancers between self-identified African American (AA) and White (W) patients. We found that retained intron events were enriched among race-related ARS/T. In addition, on average, 12% of the most highly ranked race-related ARS/T overlapped between any two analyzed cancers. Moreover, the genes undergoing race-related ARS/T functioned in cancer-promoting pathways, and a number of race-related ARS/T were associated with patient survival. We built a web-application, CanSplice, to mine genomic datasets by self-identified race. The race-related targets have the potential to aid in the development of new biomarkers and therapeutics to mitigate cancer disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muthana Al Abo
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Terry Hyslop
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Xiaodi Qin
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Kouros Owzar
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Daniel J George
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Steven R Patierno
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Jennifer A Freedman
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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48
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Alvelos MI, Brüggemann M, Sutandy FXR, Juan-Mateu J, Colli ML, Busch A, Lopes M, Castela Â, Aartsma-Rus A, König J, Zarnack K, Eizirik DL. The RNA-binding profile of the splicing factor SRSF6 in immortalized human pancreatic β-cells. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:e202000825. [PMID: 33376132 PMCID: PMC7772782 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In pancreatic β-cells, the expression of the splicing factor SRSF6 is regulated by GLIS3, a transcription factor encoded by a diabetes susceptibility gene. SRSF6 down-regulation promotes β-cell demise through splicing dysregulation of central genes for β-cells function and survival, but how RNAs are targeted by SRSF6 remains poorly understood. Here, we define the SRSF6 binding landscape in the human pancreatic β-cell line EndoC-βH1 by integrating individual-nucleotide resolution UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) under basal conditions with RNA sequencing after SRSF6 knockdown. We detect thousands of SRSF6 bindings sites in coding sequences. Motif analyses suggest that SRSF6 specifically recognizes a purine-rich consensus motif consisting of GAA triplets and that the number of contiguous GAA triplets correlates with increasing binding site strength. The SRSF6 positioning determines the splicing fate. In line with its role in β-cell function, we identify SRSF6 binding sites on regulated exons in several diabetes susceptibility genes. In a proof-of-principle, the splicing of the susceptibility gene LMO7 is modulated by antisense oligonucleotides. Our present study unveils the splicing regulatory landscape of SRSF6 in immortalized human pancreatic β-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Inês Alvelos
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mirko Brüggemann
- Buchman Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Jonàs Juan-Mateu
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maikel Luis Colli
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anke Busch
- Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Miguel Lopes
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ângela Castela
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Julian König
- Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kathi Zarnack
- Buchman Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Décio L Eizirik
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Welbio, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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49
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Wang J, Wang C, Li L, Yang L, Wang S, Ning X, Gao S, Ren L, Chaulagain A, Tang J, Wang T. Alternative splicing: An important regulatory mechanism in colorectal carcinoma. Mol Carcinog 2021; 60:279-293. [PMID: 33629774 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a process that produces various mRNA splicing isoforms via different splicing patterns of mRNA precursors (pre-mRNAs). AS is the primary mechanism for increasing the types and quantities of proteins to improve biodiversity and influence multiple biological processes, including chromatin modification, signal transduction, and protein expression. It has been reported that AS is involved in the tumorigenesis and development of colorectal carcinoma (CRC). In this review, we delineate the concept, types, regulatory processes, and technical advances of AS and focus on the role of AS in CRC initiation, progression, treatment, and prognosis. This summary of the current knowledge about AS will contribute to our understanding of CRC initiation and development. This study will help in the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CRC prognosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyi Wang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Chuhan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Le Li
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Lirui Yang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shuoshuo Wang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xuelian Ning
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shuangshu Gao
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Lili Ren
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Anita Chaulagain
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jing Tang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianzhen Wang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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50
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Angarola BL, Anczuków O. Splicing alterations in healthy aging and disease. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2021. [PMID: 33565261 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1643.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alternative RNA splicing is a key step in gene expression that allows generation of numerous messenger RNA transcripts encoding proteins of varied functions from the same gene. It is thus a rich source of proteomic and functional diversity. Alterations in alternative RNA splicing are observed both during healthy aging and in a number of human diseases, several of which display premature aging phenotypes or increased incidence with age. Age-associated splicing alterations include differential splicing of genes associated with hallmarks of aging, as well as changes in the levels of core spliceosomal genes and regulatory splicing factors. Here, we review the current known links between alternative RNA splicing, its regulators, healthy biological aging, and diseases associated with aging or aging-like phenotypes. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olga Anczuków
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.,Institute for Systems Genomics, UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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