1
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Bahrambeigi V, Lee JJ, Branchi V, Rajapakshe KI, Xu Z, Kui N, Henry JT, Kun W, Stephens BM, Dhebat S, Hurd MW, Sun R, Yang P, Ruppin E, Wang W, Kopetz S, Maitra A, Guerrero PA. Transcriptomic Profiling of Plasma Extracellular Vesicles Enables Reliable Annotation of the Cancer-Specific Transcriptome and Molecular Subtype. Cancer Res 2024; 84:1719-1732. [PMID: 38451249 PMCID: PMC11096054 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-4070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Longitudinal monitoring of patients with advanced cancers is crucial to evaluate both disease burden and treatment response. Current liquid biopsy approaches mostly rely on the detection of DNA-based biomarkers. However, plasma RNA analysis can unleash tremendous opportunities for tumor state interrogation and molecular subtyping. Through the application of deep learning algorithms to the deconvolved transcriptomes of RNA within plasma extracellular vesicles (evRNA), we successfully predicted consensus molecular subtypes in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Analysis of plasma evRNA also enabled monitoring of changes in transcriptomic subtype under treatment selection pressure and identification of molecular pathways associated with recurrence. This approach also revealed expressed gene fusions and neoepitopes from evRNA. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using transcriptomic-based liquid biopsy platforms for precision oncology approaches, spanning from the longitudinal monitoring of tumor subtype changes to the identification of expressed fusions and neoantigens as cancer-specific therapeutic targets, sans the need for tissue-based sampling. SIGNIFICANCE The development of an approach to interrogate molecular subtypes, cancer-associated pathways, and differentially expressed genes through RNA sequencing of plasma extracellular vesicles lays the foundation for liquid biopsy-based longitudinal monitoring of patient tumor transcriptomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Bahrambeigi
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jaewon J. Lee
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vittorio Branchi
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kimal I. Rajapakshe
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhichao Xu
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Naishu Kui
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jason T. Henry
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wang Kun
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bret M. Stephens
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sarah Dhebat
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mark W. Hurd
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ryan Sun
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peng Yang
- Department Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Statistics Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eytan Ruppin
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Wenyi Wang
- Department Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Scott Kopetz
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paola A. Guerrero
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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2
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Sánchez-Marín D, Silva-Cázares MB, González-Del Carmen M, Campos-Parra AD. Drug repositioning in thyroid cancer: from point mutations to gene fusions. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1407511. [PMID: 38779099 PMCID: PMC11109414 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1407511] [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: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis of thyroid cancer (TC) has increased dramatically in recent years. Papillary TC is the most frequent type and has shown a good prognosis. Conventional treatments for TC are surgery, hormonal therapy, radioactive iodine, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. However, resistance to treatments is well documented in almost 20% of all cases. Genomic sequencing has provided valuable information to help identify variants that hinder the success of chemotherapy as well as to determine which of those represent potentially druggable targets. There is a plethora of targeted therapies for cancer, most of them directed toward point mutations; however, chromosomal rearrangements that generate fusion genes are becoming relevant in cancer but have been less explored in TC. Therefore, it is relevant to identify new potential inhibitors for genes that are recurrent in the formation of gene fusions. In this review, we focus on describing potentially druggable variants and propose both point variants and fusion genes as targets for drug repositioning in TC.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sánchez-Marín
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Macrina Beatriz Silva-Cázares
- Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Región Altiplano, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, (UASL), Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | | | - Alma D. Campos-Parra
- Instituto de Salud Pública, Universidad Veracruzana (UV), Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
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Segovia D, Tepes PS. p160 nuclear receptor coactivator family members and their role in rare fusion‑driven neoplasms (Review). Oncol Lett 2024; 27:210. [PMID: 38572059 PMCID: PMC10988192 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene fusions with translocations involving nuclear receptor coactivators (NCoAs) are relatively common among fusion-driven malignancies. NCoAs are essential mediators of environmental cues and can modulate the transcription of downstream target genes upon binding to activated nuclear receptors. Therefore, fusion proteins containing NCoAs can become strong oncogenic drivers, affecting the cell transcriptional profile. These tumors show a strong dependency on the fusion oncogene; therefore, the direct pharmacological targeting of the fusion protein becomes an attractive strategy for therapy. Currently, different combinations of chemotherapy regimens are used to treat a variety of NCoA-fusion-driven tumors, but given the frequent tumor reoccurrence, more efficient treatment strategies are needed. Specific approaches directed towards inhibition or silencing of the fusion gene need to be developed while minimizing the interference with the original genes. This review highlights the relevant literature describing the normal function and structure of NCoAs and their oncogenic activity in NCoA-gene fusion-driven cancers, and explores potential strategies that could be effective in targeting these fusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Segovia
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Polona Safaric Tepes
- Robert S. Boas Center for Genomics and Human Genetics, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
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4
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Emilius L, Bremm F, Binder AK, Schaft N, Dörrie J. Tumor Antigens beyond the Human Exome. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4673. [PMID: 38731892 PMCID: PMC11083240 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094673] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
With the advent of immunotherapeutics, a new era in the combat against cancer has begun. Particularly promising are neo-epitope-targeted therapies as the expression of neo-antigens is tumor-specific. In turn, this allows the selective targeting and killing of cancer cells whilst healthy cells remain largely unaffected. So far, many advances have been made in the development of treatment options which are tailored to the individual neo-epitope repertoire. The next big step is the achievement of efficacious "off-the-shelf" immunotherapies. For this, shared neo-epitopes propose an optimal target. Given the tremendous potential, a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms which lead to the formation of neo-antigens is of fundamental importance. Here, we review the various processes which result in the formation of neo-epitopes. Broadly, the origin of neo-epitopes can be categorized into three groups: canonical, noncanonical, and viral neo-epitopes. For the canonical neo-antigens that arise in direct consequence of somatic mutations, we summarize past and recent findings. Beyond that, our main focus is put on the discussion of noncanonical and viral neo-epitopes as we believe that targeting those provides an encouraging perspective to shape the future of cancer immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisabeth Emilius
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Franziska Bremm
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Amanda Katharina Binder
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Niels Schaft
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Dörrie
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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5
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Wu Y, Guo J, Li W, Xiu X, Thirunavukarasu D, Wang Y, Wang K, Chen W, Yu Zhang D, Yang X, Fan C, Song P. Enhanced Detection of Novel Low-Frequency Gene Fusions via High-Yield Ligation and Multiplexed Enrichment Sequencing. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316484. [PMID: 38494435 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316484] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Panel-based methods are commonly employed for the analysis of novel gene fusions in precision diagnostics and new drug development in cancer. However, these methods are constrained by limitations in ligation yield and the enrichment of novel gene fusions with low variant allele frequencies. In this study, we conducted a pioneering investigation into the stability of double-stranded adapter DNA, resulting in improved ligation yield and enhanced conversion efficiency. Additionally, we implemented blocker displacement amplification, achieving a remarkable 7-fold enrichment of novel gene fusions. Leveraging the pre-enrichment achieved with this approach, we successfully applied it to Nanopore sequencing, enabling ultra-fast analysis of novel gene fusions within one hour with high sensitivity. This method offers a robust and remarkably sensitive mean of analyzing novel gene fusions, promising the discovery of pivotal biomarkers that can significantly improve cancer diagnostics and the development of new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jinxiao Guo
- Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Wenjun Li
- NuProbe USA, Inc., 2575 West Bellfort Avenue, Ste. 200 Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Xuehao Xiu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | | | - Yudong Wang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, 322000, China
| | - Weiyu Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, 322000, China
| | - David Yu Zhang
- NuProbe USA, Inc., 2575 West Bellfort Avenue, Ste. 200 Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Xiurong Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Chunhai Fan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Ping Song
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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6
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Hill CM, Indeglia A, Picone F, Murphy ME, Cipriano C, Maki RG, Gardini A. NAB2-STAT6 drives an EGR1-dependent neuroendocrine program in Solitary Fibrous Tumors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.15.589533. [PMID: 38659891 PMCID: PMC11042251 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.15.589533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of many rare tumor types is poorly understood, preventing the design of effective treatments. Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are neoplasms of mesenchymal origin that affect 1/1,000,000 individuals every year and are clinically assimilated to soft tissue sarcomas. SFTs can arise throughout the body and are usually managed surgically. However, 30-40% of SFTs will relapse local-regionally or metastasize. There are no systemic therapies with durable activity for malignant SFTs to date. The molecular hallmark of SFTs is a gene fusion between the NAB2 and STAT6 loci on chromosome 12, resulting in a chimeric protein of poorly characterized function called NAB2-STAT6. We use primary samples and an inducible cell model to discover that NAB2-STAT6 operates as a transcriptional coactivator for a specific set of enhancers and promoters that are normally targeted by the EGR1 transcription factor. In physiological conditions, NAB2 is primarily localized to the cytoplasm and only a small nuclear fraction is available to operate as a co-activator of EGR1 targets. NAB2-STAT6 redirects NAB1, NAB2, and additional EGR1 to the nucleus and bolster the expression of neuronal EGR1 targets. The STAT6 moiety of the fusion protein is a major driver of its nuclear localization and further contributes to NAB2's co-activating abilities. In primary tumors, NAB2-STAT6 activates a neuroendocrine gene signature that sets it apart from most sarcomas. These discoveries provide new insight into the pathogenesis of SFTs and reveal new targets with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor M Hill
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, US
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S
| | - Alexandra Indeglia
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, US
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S
| | | | | | - Cara Cipriano
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S
| | - Robert G Maki
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S
- Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S
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7
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Renna FJ, Gonzalez CD, Vaccaro MI. Decoding the Versatile Landscape of Autophagic Protein VMP1 in Cancer: A Comprehensive Review across Tissue Types and Regulatory Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3758. [PMID: 38612567 PMCID: PMC11011780 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073758] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Autophagy, a catabolic process orchestrating the degradation of proteins and organelles within lysosomes, is pivotal for maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, its dual role in cancer involves preventing malignant transformation while fostering progression and therapy resistance. Vacuole Membrane Protein 1 (VMP1) is an essential autophagic protein whose expression, per se, triggers autophagy, being present in the whole autophagic flux. In pancreatic cancer, VMP1-whose expression is linked to the Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Virus (KRAS) oncogene-significantly contributes to disease promotion, progression, and chemotherapy resistance. This investigation extends to breast cancer, colon cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and more, highlighting VMP1's nuanced nature, contingent on specific tissue contexts. The examination of VMP1's interactions with micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs), including miR-21, miR-210, and miR-124, enhances our understanding of its regulatory network in cancer. Additionally, this article discusses VMP1 gene fusions, especially with ribosomal protein S6 kinase B1 (RPS6KB1), shedding light on potential implications for tumor malignancy. By deciphering the molecular mechanisms linking VMP1 to cancer progression, this exploration paves the way for innovative therapeutic strategies to disrupt these pathways and potentially improve treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe J. Renna
- Instituto de Bioquimica y Medicina Molecular Prof Alberto Boveris (IBIMOL), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1113AAC, Argentina;
| | - Claudio D. Gonzalez
- Instituto de Investigaciones, IUC, Medicina Traslacional, Hospital Universitario CEMIC, Buenos Aires C1431FWN, Argentina;
| | - Maria I. Vaccaro
- Instituto de Bioquimica y Medicina Molecular Prof Alberto Boveris (IBIMOL), CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1113AAC, Argentina;
- Instituto de Investigaciones, IUC, Medicina Traslacional, Hospital Universitario CEMIC, Buenos Aires C1431FWN, Argentina;
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8
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Holguin-Cruz JA, Bui JM, Jha A, Na D, Gsponer J. Widespread alteration of protein autoinhibition in human cancers. Cell Syst 2024; 15:246-263.e7. [PMID: 38366601 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2024.01.009] [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: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Autoinhibition is a prevalent allosteric regulatory mechanism in signaling proteins. Reduced autoinhibition underlies the tumorigenic effect of some known cancer drivers, but whether autoinhibition is altered generally in cancer remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that cancer-associated missense mutations, in-frame insertions/deletions, and fusion breakpoints are enriched within inhibitory allosteric switches (IASs) across all cancer types. Selection for IASs that are recurrently mutated in cancers identifies established and unknown cancer drivers. Recurrent missense mutations in IASs of these drivers are associated with distinct, cancer-specific changes in molecular signaling. For the specific case of PPP3CA, the catalytic subunit of calcineurin, we provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of altered autoinhibition by cancer mutations using biomolecular simulations, and demonstrate that such mutations are associated with transcriptome changes consistent with increased calcineurin signaling. Our integrative study shows that autoinhibition-modulating genetic alterations are positively selected for by cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge A Holguin-Cruz
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Bui
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Ashwani Jha
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Dokyun Na
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heukseok-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Jörg Gsponer
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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9
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Lu X, Ni P, Suarez-Meade P, Ma Y, Forrest EN, Wang G, Wang Y, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Gerstein M, Jiang YH. Transcriptional Determinism and Stochasticity Contribute to the Complexity of Autism Associated SHANK Family Genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.18.585480. [PMID: 38562714 PMCID: PMC10983920 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.18.585480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Precision of transcription is critical because transcriptional dysregulation is disease causing. Traditional methods of transcriptional profiling are inadequate to elucidate the full spectrum of the transcriptome, particularly for longer and less abundant mRNAs. SHANK3 is one of the most common autism causative genes. Twenty-four Shank3 mutant animal lines have been developed for autism modeling. However, their preclinical validity has been questioned due to incomplete Shank3 transcript structure. We applied an integrative approach combining cDNA-capture and long-read sequencing to profile the SHANK3 transcriptome in human and mice. We unexpectedly discovered an extremely complex SHANK3 transcriptome. Specific SHANK3 transcripts were altered in Shank3 mutant mice and postmortem brains tissues from individuals with ASD. The enhanced SHANK3 transcriptome significantly improved the detection rate for potential deleterious variants from genomics studies of neuropsychiatric disorders. Our findings suggest the stochastic transcription of genome associated with SHANK family genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Lu
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
| | - Pengyu Ni
- Biomedical Informatics & Data Science, Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
| | | | - Yu Ma
- Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102 China
| | | | - Guilin Wang
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102 China
| | | | - Mark Gerstein
- Biomedical Informatics & Data Science, Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
| | - Yong-hui Jiang
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
- Neuroscienc, Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
- Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
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10
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Xu SM, Cheng Y, Fisher H, Janitz M. Recent advances in the investigation of fusion RNAs and their role in molecular pathology of cancer. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2024; 168:106529. [PMID: 38246262 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106529] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Gene fusions have had a significant role in the development of various types of cancer, oftentimes involved in oncogenic activities through dysregulation of gene expression or signalling pathways. Some cancer-associated chromosomal translocations can undergo backsplicing, resulting in fusion-circular RNAs, a more stable isoform immune to RNase degradation. This stability makes fusion circular RNAs a promising diagnostic biomarker for cancer. While the detection of linear fusion RNAs and their function in certain cancers have been described in literature, fusion circular RNAs lag behind due to their low abundance in cancer cells. This review highlights current literature on the role of linear and circular fusion transcripts in cancer, tools currently available for detecting of these chimeric RNAs and their function and how they play a role in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Mei Xu
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yuning Cheng
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Harry Fisher
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Janitz
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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11
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Rai S, Singh MP, Sinha A, Srivastava A, Datta D, Srivastava S. Unravelling a novel CTNND1-RAB6A fusion transcript: Implications in colon cancer cell migration. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 262:129981. [PMID: 38336316 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129981] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The interchange of DNA sequences between genes may occur because of chromosomal rearrangements leading to the formation of chimeric genes. These chimeric genes have been linked to various cancers, accumulated significant interest in recent times. We used paired-end RNA-seq. data of four CRC and one normal sample generated from our previous study. The STAR-Fusion pipeline was utilized to identify the fusion genes unique to CRC. The in-silico identified fusion gene(s) were explored for their diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic biomarker potential using TCGA-datasets, then validated through PCR and DNA sequencing. Further, cell line-based studies were performed to gain functional insights of the novel fusion transcript CTNND1-RAB6A, which was amplified in one sample. Sequencing revealed that there was a total loss of the CTNND1 gene, whereas RAB6A retained its coding sequence. Further, RAB6A was functionally characterized for its oncogenic potential in HCT116 cell line. RAB6A under-expression was found to be significantly associated with increased cell migration and is proposed to be regulated via the RAB6A-ECR1-Liprin-α axis. We conclude that RAB6A gene may play significant role in CRC oncogenesis, and could be used as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in future for better management of a subset of CRCs harbouring this fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Rai
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Teliyarganj-Prayagraj, U.P. 211004, India
| | - Manish Pratap Singh
- Department of Zoology, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, (U.P.) 273009, India
| | - Abhipsa Sinha
- Division of cancer biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226031, India
| | - Ankit Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Teliyarganj-Prayagraj, U.P. 211004, India
| | - Dipak Datta
- Division of cancer biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226031, India
| | - Sameer Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Teliyarganj-Prayagraj, U.P. 211004, India.
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12
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Srivastava A, Rikhari D, Srivastava S. RSPO2 as Wnt signaling enabler: Important roles in cancer development and therapeutic opportunities. Genes Dis 2024; 11:788-806. [PMID: 37692504 PMCID: PMC10491879 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
R-spondins are secretory proteins localized in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi bodies and are processed through the secretory pathway. Among the R-spondin family, RSPO2 has emanated as a novel regulator of Wnt signaling, which has now been acknowledged in numerous in vitro and in vivo studies. Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells that proliferates and spreads uncontrollably due to the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic factors that constitutively activate Wnt signaling in various types of cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC) begins when cells in the colon and rectum follow an indefinite pattern of division due to aberrant Wnt activation as one of the key hallmarks. Decades-long progress in research on R-spondins has demonstrated their oncogenic function in distinct cancer types, particularly CRC. As a critical regulator of the Wnt pathway, it modulates several phenotypes of cells, such as cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and cancer stem cell properties. Recently, RSPO mutations, gene rearrangements, fusions, copy number alterations, and altered gene expression have also been identified in a variety of cancers, including CRC. In this review, we addressed the recent updates regarding the recurrently altered R-spondins with special emphasis on the RSPO2 gene and its involvement in potentiating Wnt signaling in CRC. In addition to the compelling physiological and biological roles in cellular fate and regulation, we propose that RSPO2 would be valuable as a potential biomarker for prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic use in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh 211004, India
| | - Deeksha Rikhari
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh 211004, India
| | - Sameer Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh 211004, India
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13
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Stoltze UK, Foss-Skiftesvik J, Hansen TVO, Rasmussen S, Karczewski KJ, Wadt KAW, Schmiegelow K. The evolutionary impact of childhood cancer on the human gene pool. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1881. [PMID: 38424437 PMCID: PMC10904397 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45975-9] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Germline pathogenic variants associated with increased childhood mortality must be subject to natural selection. Here, we analyze publicly available germline genetic metadata from 4,574 children with cancer [11 studies; 1,083 whole exome sequences (WES), 1,950 whole genome sequences (WGS), and 1,541 gene panel] and 141,456 adults [125,748 WES and 15,708 WGS]. We find that pediatric cancer predisposition syndrome (pCPS) genes [n = 85] are highly constrained, harboring only a quarter of the loss-of-function variants that would be expected. This strong indication of selective pressure on pCPS genes is found across multiple lines of germline genomics data from both pediatric and adult cohorts. For six genes [ELP1, GPR161, VHL and SDHA/B/C], a clear lack of mutational constraint calls the pediatric penetrance and/or severity of associated cancers into question. Conversely, out of 23 known pCPS genes associated with biallelic risk, two [9%, DIS3L2 and MSH2] show significant constraint, indicating that they may monoallelically increase childhood cancer risk. In summary, we show that population genetic data provide empirical evidence that heritable childhood cancer leads to natural selection powerful enough to have significantly impacted the present-day gene pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrik Kristoffer Stoltze
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Merkin Building, 415 Main St, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
| | - Jon Foss-Skiftesvik
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Thomas van Overeem Hansen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Simon Rasmussen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Konrad J Karczewski
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Merkin Building, 415 Main St, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Karin A W Wadt
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kjeld Schmiegelow
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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14
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Gullulu O, Ozcelik E, Tuzlakoglu Ozturk M, Karagoz MS, Tazebay UH. A multi-faceted approach to unravel coding and non-coding gene fusions and target chimeric proteins in ataxia. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-21. [PMID: 38411012 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2321510] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Ataxia represents a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by a loss of balance and coordination, often resulting from mutations in genes vital for cerebellar function and maintenance. Recent advances in genomics have identified gene fusion events as critical contributors to various cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. However, their role in ataxia pathogenesis remains largely unexplored. Our study Hdelved into this possibility by analyzing RNA sequencing data from 1443 diverse samples, including cell and mouse models, patient samples, and healthy controls. We identified 7067 novel gene fusions, potentially pivotal in disease onset. These fusions, notably in-frame, could produce chimeric proteins, disrupt gene regulation, or introduce new functions. We observed conservation of specific amino acids at fusion breakpoints and identified potential aggregate formations in fusion proteins, known to contribute to ataxia. Through AI-based protein structure prediction, we identified topological changes in three high-confidence fusion proteins-TEN1-ACOX1, PEX14-NMNAT1, and ITPR1-GRID2-which could potentially alter their functions. Subsequent virtual drug screening identified several molecules and peptides with high-affinity binding to fusion sites. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of these protein-ligand complexes at fusion breakpoints. Additionally, we explored the role of non-coding RNA fusions as miRNA sponges. One such fusion, RP11-547P4-FLJ33910, showed strong interaction with hsa-miR-504-5p, potentially acting as its sponge. This interaction correlated with the upregulation of hsa-miR-504-5p target genes, some previously linked to ataxia. In conclusion, our study unveils new aspects of gene fusions in ataxia, suggesting their significant role in pathogenesis and opening avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Gullulu
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Emrah Ozcelik
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
- Central Research Laboratory (GTU-MAR), Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Merve Tuzlakoglu Ozturk
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
- Central Research Laboratory (GTU-MAR), Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Safa Karagoz
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Uygar Halis Tazebay
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
- Central Research Laboratory (GTU-MAR), Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
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15
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Wang X, Liu J, Mao C, Mao Y. Phase separation-mediated biomolecular condensates and their relationship to tumor. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:143. [PMID: 38383403 PMCID: PMC10880379 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01518-9] [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: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Phase separation is a cellular phenomenon where macromolecules aggregate or segregate, giving rise to biomolecular condensates resembling "droplets" and forming distinct, membrane-free compartments. This process is pervasive in biological cells, contributing to various essential cellular functions. However, when phase separation goes awry, leading to abnormal molecular aggregation, it can become a driving factor in the development of diseases, including tumor. Recent investigations have unveiled the intricate connection between dysregulated phase separation and tumor pathogenesis, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic target. This article provides an overview of recent phase separation research, with a particular emphasis on its role in tumor, its therapeutic implications, and outlines avenues for further exploration in this intriguing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - Jiameng Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - Chaoming Mao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China.
| | - Yufei Mao
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China.
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16
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Laé M, Lanic MD, Lépine C, Hourseau M, Benzerdjeb N, Uro-Coste E, Costes-Martineau V. [Fusion genes in salivary gland tumors]. Ann Pathol 2024:S0242-6498(24)00005-1. [PMID: 38355379 DOI: 10.1016/j.annpat.2023.12.012] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Salivary gland tumors represent a diagnostic challenge for pathologists due to their rarity, their very wide histopathological and immuno-phenotypic spectrum, and the recent identification of new entities. This article presents the main molecular characteristics of these tumors in order to allow any pathologist to perceive the diagnostic tracks of these ENT tumors and to better guide the molecular approach to establish the diagnosis and guide therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marick Laé
- REFCORpath, France; Service d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, centre Henri-Becquerel, 1, rue d'Amiens, 76038 Rouen, France; Inserm U1245, centre Henri-Becquerel, Institut de recherche et d'innovation en biomédecine (IRIB), université de Normandie, UNIROUEN, 3, avenue Pasteur, 76000 Rouen, France.
| | - Marie-Delphine Lanic
- Inserm U1245, centre Henri-Becquerel, Institut de recherche et d'innovation en biomédecine (IRIB), université de Normandie, UNIROUEN, 3, avenue Pasteur, 76000 Rouen, France.
| | - Charles Lépine
- REFCORpath, France; Service d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, CHU de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France; Inserm, CNRS, Immunology and New Concepts in ImmunoTherapy (INCIT), UMR 1302/EMR6001, Nantes, France.
| | - Muriel Hourseau
- REFCORpath, France; Service d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75018 Paris, France.
| | - Nazim Benzerdjeb
- REFCORpath, France; Service d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, hôpital Lyon Sud, hospices civils de Lyon, institut de pathologie multisite, 69310 Lyon, France; EA3738 CICLY, université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL1), Pierre-Bénite, France.
| | - Emmanuelle Uro-Coste
- REFCORpath, France; Département d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, institut universitaire du cancer Toulouse - Oncopole, université Toulouse III Paul-Sabatier, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
| | - Valérie Costes-Martineau
- REFCORpath, France; Service d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, CHU de Montpellier, 191, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34295 Montpellier, France.
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17
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Saba KH, Difilippo V, Kovac M, Cornmark L, Magnusson L, Nilsson J, van den Bos H, Spierings DC, Bidgoli M, Jonson T, Sumathi VP, Brosjö O, Staaf J, Foijer F, Styring E, Nathrath M, Baumhoer D, Nord KH. Disruption of the TP53 locus in osteosarcoma leads to TP53 promoter gene fusions and restoration of parts of the TP53 signalling pathway. J Pathol 2024; 262:147-160. [PMID: 38010733 DOI: 10.1002/path.6219] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer. This gene shows not only loss-of-function mutations but also recurrent missense mutations with gain-of-function activity. We have studied the primary bone malignancy osteosarcoma, which harbours one of the most rearranged genomes of all cancers. This is odd since it primarily affects children and adolescents who have not lived the long life thought necessary to accumulate massive numbers of mutations. In osteosarcoma, TP53 is often disrupted by structural variants. Here, we show through combined whole-genome and transcriptome analyses of 148 osteosarcomas that TP53 structural variants commonly result in loss of coding parts of the gene while simultaneously preserving and relocating the promoter region. The transferred TP53 promoter region is fused to genes previously implicated in cancer development. Paradoxically, these erroneously upregulated genes are significantly associated with the TP53 signalling pathway itself. This suggests that while the classical tumour suppressor activities of TP53 are lost, certain parts of the TP53 signalling pathway that are necessary for cancer cell survival and proliferation are retained. In line with this, our data suggest that transposition of the TP53 promoter is an early event that allows for a new normal state of genome-wide rearrangements in osteosarcoma. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim H Saba
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Genetics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Valeria Difilippo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Genetics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Michal Kovac
- Bone Tumour Reference Centre at the Institute of Pathology, University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Informatics and Information Technologies, Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Louise Cornmark
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Genetics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Linda Magnusson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Genetics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jenny Nilsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Genetics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hilda van den Bos
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Diana Cj Spierings
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mahtab Bidgoli
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, Medical Services, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tord Jonson
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, Medical Services, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Vaiyapuri P Sumathi
- Department of Musculoskeletal Pathology, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Otte Brosjö
- Department of Orthopedics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Staaf
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Oncology and Pathology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Floris Foijer
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Emelie Styring
- Department of Orthopedics, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Michaela Nathrath
- Children's Cancer Research Centre and Department of Pediatrics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Klinikum Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Daniel Baumhoer
- Bone Tumour Reference Centre at the Institute of Pathology, University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karolin H Nord
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Genetics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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18
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Buckley J, Schmidt RJ, Ostrow D, Maglinte D, Bootwalla M, Ruble D, Govindarajan A, Ji J, Kovach AE, Orgel E, Raca G, Navid F, Mascarenhas L, Pawel B, Robison N, Gai X, Biegel JA. An Exome Capture-Based RNA-Sequencing Assay for Genome-Wide Identification and Prioritization of Clinically Important Fusions in Pediatric Tumors. J Mol Diagn 2024; 26:127-139. [PMID: 38008288 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This study reports the development of an exome capture-based RNA-sequencing assay to detect recurring and novel fusions in hematologic, solid, and central nervous system tumors. The assay used Twist Comprehensive Exome capture with either fresh or formalin-fixed samples and a bioinformatic platform that provides fusion detection, prioritization, and downstream curation. A minimum of 50 million uniquely mapped reads, a consensus read alignment/fusion calling approach using four callers (Arriba, FusionCatcher, STAR-Fusion, and Dragen), and custom software were used to integrate, annotate, and rank the candidate fusion calls. In an evaluation of 50 samples, the number of calls varied substantially by caller, from a mean of 24.8 with STAR-Fusion to 259.6 with FusionCatcher; only 1.1% of calls were made by all four callers. Therefore a filtering and ranking algorithm was developed based on multiple criteria, including number of supporting reads, calling consensus, genes involved, and cross-reference against databases of known cancer-associated or likely false-positive fusions. This approach was highly effective in pinpointing known clinically relevant fusions, ranking them first in 47 of 50 samples (94%). Detection of pathogenic gene fusions in three diagnostically challenging cases highlights the importance of a genome-wide and nontargeted method for fusion detection in pediatric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Buckley
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ryan J Schmidt
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Dejerianne Ostrow
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Dennis Maglinte
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Moiz Bootwalla
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - David Ruble
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ananthanarayanan Govindarajan
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jianling Ji
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Alexandra E Kovach
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Etan Orgel
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Gordana Raca
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Fariba Navid
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Leo Mascarenhas
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Bruce Pawel
- Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Nathan Robison
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Xiaowu Gai
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jaclyn A Biegel
- Center for Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
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19
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Güllülü Ö, Mayer BE, Toplek FB. Linking Gene Fusions to Bone Marrow Failure and Malignant Transformation in Dyskeratosis Congenita. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1606. [PMID: 38338888 PMCID: PMC10855549 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031606] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC) is a multisystem disorder intrinsically associated with telomere dysfunction, leading to bone marrow failure (BMF). Although the pathology of DC is largely driven by mutations in telomere-associated genes, the implications of gene fusions, which emerge due to telomere-induced genomic instability, remain unexplored. We meticulously analyzed gene fusions in RNA-Seq data from DC patients to provide deeper insights into DC's progression. The most significant DC-specific gene fusions were subsequently put through in silico assessments to ascertain biophysical and structural attributes, including charge patterning, inherent disorder, and propensity for self-association. Selected candidates were then analyzed using deep learning-powered structural predictions and molecular dynamics simulations to gauge their potential for forming higher-order oligomers. Our exploration revealed that genes participating in fusion events play crucial roles in upholding genomic stability, facilitating hematopoiesis, and suppressing tumors. Notably, our analysis spotlighted a particularly disordered polyampholyte fusion protein that exhibits robust higher-order oligomerization dynamics. To conclude, this research underscores the potential significance of several high-confidence gene fusions in the progression of BMF in DC, particularly through the dysregulation of genomic stability, hematopoiesis, and tumor suppression. Additionally, we propose that these fusion proteins might hold a detrimental role, specifically in inducing proteotoxicity-driven hematopoietic disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ömer Güllülü
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Benjamin E. Mayer
- Computational Biology & Simulation, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Fran Bačić Toplek
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
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20
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Liang Y, Wei X, Yue PJ, Zhang HC, Li ZN, Wang XX, Sun YY, Fu WN. MYCT1 inhibits hematopoiesis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by suppressing RUNX1 transcription. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2024; 29:5. [PMID: 38172714 PMCID: PMC10763471 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-023-00522-0] [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: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The abnormality of chromosomal karyotype is one factor causing poor prognosis of lymphoma. In the analysis of abnormal karyotype of lymphoma patients, three smallest overlap regions were found, in which MYCT1 was located. MYCT1 is the first tumor suppressor gene cloned by our research team, but its studies relating to the occurrence and development of lymphoma have not been reported. METHODS R banding analyses were employed to screen the abnormality of chromosomal karyotype in clinical specimen and MYCT1 over-expression cell lines. FISH was to monitor MYCT1 copy number aberration. RT-PCR and Western blot were to detect the mRNA and protein levels of the MYCT1 and RUNX1 genes, respectively. The MYCT1 and RUNX1 protein levels in clinical specimen were evaluated by immunohistochemical DAB staining. The interaction between MYCT1 and MAX proteins was identified via Co-IP and IF. The binding of MAX on the promoter of the RUNX1 gene was detected by ChIP and Dual-luciferase reporter assay, respectively. Flow cytometry and CCK-8 assay were to explore the effects of MYCT1 and RUNX1 on the cell cycle and proliferation, respectively. RESULTS MYCT1 was located in one of three smallest overlap regions of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, it altered chromosomal instability of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells. MYCT1 negatively correlated with RUNX1 in lymphoma tissues of the patients. MAX directly promoted the RUNX1 gene transcription by binding to its promoter region. MYCT1 may represses RUNX1 transcription by binding MAX in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells. MYCT1 binding to MAX probably suppressed RUNX1 transcription, leading to the inhibition of proliferation and cell cycle of the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells. CONCLUSION This study finds that there is a MYCT1-MAX-RUNX1 signaling pathway in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. And the study provides clues and basis for the in-depth studies of MYCT1 in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liang
- Department of Medical Genetics, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110122, People's Republic of China
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Wei
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng-Jie Yue
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China
| | - He-Cheng Zhang
- Department of Medical Genetics, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen-Ning Li
- Department of Oromaxillofacial-Head and Neck Surgery, Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Xue Wang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Sun
- Department of Medical Genetics, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110122, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wei-Neng Fu
- Department of Medical Genetics, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110122, People's Republic of China.
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21
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Wang W, Zhang X, Zhao N, Xu ZH, Jin K, Jin ZB. RNA fusion in human retinal development. eLife 2024; 13:e92523. [PMID: 38165397 PMCID: PMC10890785 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92523] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric RNAs have been found in both cancerous and healthy human cells. They have regulatory effects on human stem/progenitor cell differentiation, stemness maintenance, and central nervous system development. However, whether they are present in human retinal cells and their physiological functions in the retinal development remain unknown. Based on the human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal organoids (ROs) spanning from days 0 to 120, we present the expression atlas of chimeric RNAs throughout the developing ROs. We confirmed the existence of some common chimeric RNAs and also discovered many novel chimeric RNAs during retinal development. We focused on CTNNBIP1-CLSTN1 (CTCL) whose downregulation caused precocious neuronal differentiation and a marked reduction of neural progenitors in human cerebral organoids. CTCL is universally present in human retinas, ROs, and retinal cell lines, and its loss-of-function biases the progenitor cells toward retinal pigment epithelial cell fate at the expense of retinal cells. Together, this work provides a landscape of chimeric RNAs and reveals evidence for their critical role in human retinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Ning Zhao
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Ze-Hua Xu
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Kangxin Jin
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Zi-Bing Jin
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
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22
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Becker HJ, Yamazaki S. Understanding genetic heterogeneity in gene-edited hematopoietic stem cell products. Exp Hematol 2024; 129:104133. [PMID: 38036097 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2023.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas gene editing has transformed genetic research and is poised to drive the next generation of gene therapies targeting hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, the installation of the "desired" edit is most often only achieved in a minor subset of alleles. The array of cellular pathways triggered by gene editing tools produces a broad spectrum of "undesired" editing outcomes, including short insertions and deletions (indels) and chromosome rearrangements, leading to considerable genetic heterogeneity in gene-edited HSC populations. This heterogeneity may undermine the effect of the genetic intervention since only a subset of cells will carry the intended modification. Also, undesired mutations represent a potential safety concern as gene editing advances toward broader clinical use. Here, we will review the different sources of "undesired" edits and will discuss strategies for their mitigation and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Jiro Becker
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Tsukuba University, Tsukuba, Japan; Division of Cell Regulation, Center of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Yamazaki
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Tsukuba University, Tsukuba, Japan; Division of Cell Regulation, Center of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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23
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Jama M, Zhang M, Poile C, Nakas A, Sharkey A, Dzialo J, Dawson A, Kutywayo K, Fennell DA, Hollox EJ. Gene fusions during the early evolution of mesothelioma correlate with impaired DNA repair and Hippo pathways. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2024; 63:e23189. [PMID: 37421230 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.23189] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), a rare cancer a long latency period (up to 40 years) between asbestos exposure and disease presentation. The mechanisms coupling asbestos to recurrent somatic alterations are poorly defined. Gene fusions arising through genomic instability may create novel drivers during early MPM evolution. We explored the gene fusions that occurred early in the evolutionary history of the tumor. We conducted multiregional whole exome sequencing (WES) of 106 samples from 20 patients undergoing pleurectomy decortication and identified 24 clonal nonrecurrent gene fusions, three of which were novel (FMO9P-OR2W5, GBA3, and SP9). The number of early gene fusion events detected varied from zero to eight per tumor, and presence of gene fusions was associated with clonal losses involving the Hippo pathway genes and homologous recombination DNA repair genes. Fusions involved known tumor suppressors BAP1, MTAP, and LRP1B, and a clonal oncogenic fusion involving CACNA1D-ERC2, PARD3B-NT5DC2, and STAB2-NT5DC2 fusions were also identified as clonal fusions. Gene fusions events occur early during MPM evolution. Individual fusions are rare as no recurrent truncal fusions event were found. This suggests the importance of early disruption of these pathways in generating genomic rearrangements resulting in potentially oncogenic gene fusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maymun Jama
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Min Zhang
- Mesothelioma Research Programme, Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Novogene Corpotation Ltd., Building 301, Beijing, China
| | - Charlotte Poile
- Mesothelioma Research Programme, Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Apostolos Nakas
- Thoracic Medical Oncology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Annabel Sharkey
- Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Joanna Dzialo
- Mesothelioma Research Programme, Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Alan Dawson
- Thoracic Medical Oncology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Kudazyi Kutywayo
- Mesothelioma Research Programme, Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Dean A Fennell
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Mesothelioma Research Programme, Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Thoracic Medical Oncology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Edward J Hollox
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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24
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Mandahl N, Mertens F, Mitelman F. Gene amplification in neoplasia: A cytogenetic survey of 80 131 cases. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2024; 63:e23214. [PMID: 38050922 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.23214] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene amplification is a crucial process in cancer development, leading to the overexpression of oncogenes. It manifests cytogenetically as extrachromosomal double minutes (dmin), homogeneously staining regions (hsr), or ring chromosomes (r). This study investigates the prevalence and distribution of these amplification markers in a survey of 80 131 neoplasms spanning hematologic disorders, and benign and malignant solid tumors. The study reveals distinct variations in the frequency of dmin, hsr, and r among different tumor types. Rings were the most common (3.4%) sign of amplification, followed by dmin (1.3%), and hsr (0.8%). Rings were particularly frequent in malignant mesenchymal tumors, especially liposarcomas (47.5%) and osteosarcomas (23.4%), dmin were prevalent in neuroblastoma (30.9%) and pancreatic carcinoma (21.9%), and hsr frequencies were highest in head and neck carcinoma (14.0%) and neuroblastoma (9.0%). Combining all three amplification markers (dmin/hsr/r), malignant solid tumors consistently exhibited higher frequencies than hematologic disorders and benign solid tumors. The structural characteristics of these amplification markers and their potential role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression highlight the complex interplay between cancer-initiating gene-level alterations, for example, fusion genes, and subsequent amplification dynamics. Further research integrating cytogenetic and molecular approaches is warranted to better understand the underlying mechanisms of these amplifications, in particular, the enigmatic question of why certain malignancies display certain types of amplification. Comparing the present results with molecular genetic data proved challenging because of the diversity in definitions of amplification across studies. This study underscores the need for standardized definitions in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Mandahl
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Mertens
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Felix Mitelman
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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25
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Zhou BW, Wu QQ, Mauki DH, Wang X, Zhang SR, Yin TT, Chen FL, Li C, Liu YH, Wang GD, Zhang YP. Germline gene fusions across species reveal the chromosomal instability regions and cancer susceptibility. iScience 2023; 26:108431. [PMID: 38205119 PMCID: PMC10777377 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is a clonal cell-mediated cancer with a long evolutionary history and extensive karyotype rearrangements in its genome. However, little is known about its genetic similarity to human tumors. Here, using multi-omics data we identified 11 germline gene fusions (GGFs) in CTVT, which showed higher genetic susceptibility than others. Additionally, we illustrate a mechanism of a complex gene fusion of three gene segments (HSD17B4-DMXL1-TNFAIP8) that we refer to "greedy fusion". Our findings also provided evidence that expressions of GGFs are downregulated during the tumor regressive phase, which is associated with DNA methylation level. This study presents a comprehensive landscape of gene fusions (GFs) in CTVT, which offers a valuable genetic resource for exploring potential genetic mechanisms underlying the development of cancers in both dogs and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Wen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China
| | - Qing-Qin Wu
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - David H. Mauki
- Institute of Neurological Disease, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine, State Key Lab of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China
| | - Shu-Run Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Ting-Ting Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Fang-Liang Chen
- Kunming Police Dog Base of the Ministry of Public Security, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China
| | - Chao Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Yan-Hu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Guo-Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China
| | - Ya-Ping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China
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26
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He Z, Zhang J, Ma J, Zhao L, Jin X, Li H. R-spondin family biology and emerging linkages to cancer. Ann Med 2023; 55:428-446. [PMID: 36645115 PMCID: PMC9848353 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2166981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The R-spondin protein family comprises four members (RSPO1-4), which are agonists of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Emerging evidence revealed that RSPOs should not only be viewed as agonists of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway but also as regulators for tumor development and progression. Aberrant expression of RSPOs is related to tumorigenesis and tumor development in multiple cancers and their expression of RSPOs has also been correlated with anticancer immune cell signatures. More importantly, the role of RSPOs as potential target therapies and their implication in cancer progressions has been studied in the preclinical and clinical settings. These findings highlight the possible therapeutic value of RSPOs in cancer medicine. However, the expression pattern, effects, and mechanisms of RSPO proteins in cancer remain elusive. Investigating the many roles of RSPOs is likely to expand and improve our understanding of the oncogenic mechanisms mediated by RSPOs. Here, we reviewed the recent advances in the functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of RSPOs in tumor development, cancer microenvironment regulation, and immunity, and discussed the therapeutic potential of targeting RSPOs for cancer treatment. In addition, we also explored the biological feature and clinical relevance of RSPOs in cancer mutagenesis, transcriptional regulation, and immune correlation by bioinformatics analysis.KEY MESSAGESAberrant expressions of RSPOs are detected in various human malignancies and are always correlated with oncogenesis.Although extensive studies of RSPOs have been conducted, their precise molecular mechanism remains poorly understood.Bioinformatic analysis revealed that RSPOs may play a part in the development of the immune composition of the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin He
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jialin Zhang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianzhong Ma
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioengineering of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Jin
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hongbin Li
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, China
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27
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Dondi A, Lischetti U, Jacob F, Singer F, Borgsmüller N, Coelho R, Heinzelmann-Schwarz V, Beisel C, Beerenwinkel N. Detection of isoforms and genomic alterations by high-throughput full-length single-cell RNA sequencing in ovarian cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7780. [PMID: 38012143 PMCID: PMC10682465 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43387-9] [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: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the complex background of cancer requires genotype-phenotype information in single-cell resolution. Here, we perform long-read single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on clinical samples from three ovarian cancer patients presenting with omental metastasis and increase the PacBio sequencing depth to 12,000 reads per cell. Our approach captures 152,000 isoforms, of which over 52,000 were not previously reported. Isoform-level analysis accounting for non-coding isoforms reveals 20% overestimation of protein-coding gene expression on average. We also detect cell type-specific isoform and poly-adenylation site usage in tumor and mesothelial cells, and find that mesothelial cells transition into cancer-associated fibroblasts in the metastasis, partly through the TGF-β/miR-29/Collagen axis. Furthermore, we identify gene fusions, including an experimentally validated IGF2BP2::TESPA1 fusion, which is misclassified as high TESPA1 expression in matched short-read data, and call mutations confirmed by targeted NGS cancer gene panel results. With these findings, we envision long-read scRNA-seq to become increasingly relevant in oncology and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Dondi
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Lischetti
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.
- University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Ovarian Cancer Research, Department of Biomedicine, Hebelstrasse 20, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Francis Jacob
- University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Ovarian Cancer Research, Department of Biomedicine, Hebelstrasse 20, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Singer
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
- ETH Zurich, NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies, Wagistrasse 18, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Nico Borgsmüller
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ricardo Coelho
- University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Ovarian Cancer Research, Department of Biomedicine, Hebelstrasse 20, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Viola Heinzelmann-Schwarz
- University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Ovarian Cancer Research, Department of Biomedicine, Hebelstrasse 20, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
- University Hospital Basel, Gynecological Cancer Center, Spitalstrasse 21, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Beisel
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Niko Beerenwinkel
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.
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28
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Rubio-Contreras D, Gómez-Herreros F. TDP1 suppresses chromosomal translocations and cell death induced by abortive TOP1 activity during gene transcription. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6940. [PMID: 37945566 PMCID: PMC10636166 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42622-7] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA topoisomerase I (TOP1) removes torsional stress by transiently cutting one DNA strand. Such cuts are rejoined by TOP1 but can occasionally become abortive generating permanent protein-linked single strand breaks (SSBs). The repair of these breaks is initiated by tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1), a conserved enzyme that unlinks the TOP1 peptide from the DNA break. Additionally, some of these SSBs can result in double strand breaks (DSBs) either during replication or by a poorly understood transcription-associated process. In this study, we identify these DSBs as a source of genome rearrangements, which are suppressed by TDP1. Intriguingly, we also provide a mechanistic explanation for the formation of chromosomal translocations unveiling an error-prone pathway that relies on the MRN complex and canonical non-homologous end-joining. Collectively, these data highlight the threat posed by TOP1-induced DSBs during transcription and demonstrate the importance of TDP1-dependent end-joining in protecting both gene transcription and genome stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Rubio-Contreras
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013, Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012, Seville, Spain
| | - Fernando Gómez-Herreros
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013, Seville, Spain.
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012, Seville, Spain.
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29
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Teku G, Nilsson J, Magnusson L, Sydow S, Flucke U, Puls F, Mitra S, Mertens F. Insertion of the CXXC domain of KMT2A into YAP1: An unusual mechanism behind the formation of a chimeric oncogenic protein. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2023; 62:633-640. [PMID: 37246732 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.23176] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Most neoplasia-associated gene fusions are formed through the fusion of the 5'-part of one gene with the 3'-part of another. We here describe a unique mechanism, by which a part of the KMT2A gene through an insertion replaces part of the YAP1 gene. The resulting YAP1::KMT2A::YAP1 (YKY) fusion was verified by RT-PCR in three cases of sarcoma morphologically resembling sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF-like sarcoma). In all cases, a portion (exons 4/5-6) encoding the CXXC domain of KMT2A was inserted between exon 4/5 and exon 8/9 of YAP1. The inserted sequence from KMT2A thus replaced exons 5/6-8 of YAP1, which encode an important regulatory sequence of YAP1. To evaluate the cellular impact of the YKY fusion, global gene expression profiles from fresh frozen and formalin-fixed YKY-expressing sarcomas were compared with control tumors. The effects of the YKY fusion, as well as YAP1::KMT2A and KMT2A::YAP1 fusion constructs, were further studied in immortalized fibroblasts. Analysis of differentially upregulated genes revealed significant overlap between tumors and cell lines expressing YKY, as well as with previously reported YAP1 fusions. Pathway analysis of upregulated genes in cells and tumors expressing YKY revealed an enrichment of genes included in key oncogenic signaling pathways, such as Wnt and Hedgehog. As these pathways are known to interact with YAP1, it seems likely that the pathogenesis of sarcomas with the YKY fusion is linked to distorted YAP1 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Teku
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jenny Nilsson
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Linda Magnusson
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Saskia Sydow
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Uta Flucke
- Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Florian Puls
- Department Clinical Pathology and Genetics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Shamik Mitra
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Mertens
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Genetics and Pathology, Lund, Sweden
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30
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Wu M, Zhou S. Harnessing tumor immunogenomics: Tumor neoantigens in ovarian cancer and beyond. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:189017. [PMID: 37935309 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189017] [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: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is a major cause of death among gynecological cancers due to its highly aggressive nature. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising avenue for ovarian cancer treatment, offering targeted approaches with reduced off-target effects. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, it has become possible to identify genomic alterations that can serve as potential targets for immunotherapy. Furthermore, immunogenomics research has revealed the importance of genetic alterations in shaping the cancer immune responses. However, the heterogeneity of immunogenicity and the low tumor mutation burden pose challenges for neoantigen-based immunotherapies. Further research is needed to identify neoantigen-specific tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and establish guidelines for patient inclusion criteria in TIL-based therapy. The study of neoantigens and their implications in ovarian cancer immunotherapy holds great promise, and efforts focused on personalized treatment strategies, refined neoantigen selection, and optimized therapeutic combinations will contribute to improving patient outcomes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengrui Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Shengtao Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, PR China.
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Lanic MD, Guérin R, Wassef M, Durdilly P, Rainville V, Sater V, Jardin F, Ruminy P, Costes-Martineau V, Laé M. Detection of salivary gland and sinonasal fusions by a next-generation sequencing based, ligation-dependent, multiplex RT-PCR assay. Histopathology 2023; 83:685-699. [PMID: 37350081 DOI: 10.1111/his.14971] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The discovery of tumour type-specific gene fusion oncogenes in benign and malignant salivary gland and sinonasal (SGSN) tumours has significantly increased our knowledge about their molecular pathology and classification. METHODS AND RESULTS We developed a new targeted multiplexed next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based method that utilizes ligation dependent reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (LD-RT-PCR) to detect oncogenic fusion transcripts involving 116 genes, leading to 96 gene fusions known to be recurrently rearranged in these tumours. In all, 180 SGSN tumours (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples, 141 specimens and 39 core needle biopsies) from the REFCORpath (French network for rare head and neck cancers) with previously identified fusion genes by fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH), RT-PCR, or molecular immunohistochemistry were selected to test its specificity and sensitivity and validate its diagnostic use. Tested tumours encompassed 14 major tumours types, including secretory carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, salivary gland intraductal carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, pleomorphic adenoma, adamantinoma-like Ewing Sarcoma, EWSR1::COLCA2 sinonasal sarcoma, DEK::AFF2 sinonasal carcinoma, and biphenotypic sinonasal sarcoma. In-frame fusion transcripts were detected in 97.8% of cases (176/180). Gene fusion assay results correlated with conventional techniques (immunohistochemistry [IHC], FISH, and RT-PCR) in 176/180 tumours (97.8%). CONCLUSION This targeted multiplexed NGS-based LD-RT-PCR method is a robust, highly sensitive method for the detection of recurrent gene fusions from routine clinical SGSN tumours. It can be easily customized to cover new fusions. These results are promising for implementing an integrated NGS system to rapidly detect genetic aberrations, facilitating accurate, genomics-based diagnoses, and accelerate time to precision therapies in SGSN tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Delphine Lanic
- INSERM U1245, Cancer Center Henri Becquerel, Institute of Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), University of Normandy, UNIROUEN, Rouen, France
| | - René Guérin
- Department of Pathology, Centre Henri Becquerel, Rouen, France
| | - Michel Wassef
- Department of Pathology, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France
| | | | - Vinciane Rainville
- INSERM U1245, Cancer Center Henri Becquerel, Institute of Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), University of Normandy, UNIROUEN, Rouen, France
| | - Vincent Sater
- Department of Pathology, Centre Henri Becquerel, Rouen, France
| | - Fabrice Jardin
- INSERM U1245, Cancer Center Henri Becquerel, Institute of Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), University of Normandy, UNIROUEN, Rouen, France
| | - Philippe Ruminy
- INSERM U1245, Cancer Center Henri Becquerel, Institute of Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), University of Normandy, UNIROUEN, Rouen, France
| | | | - Marick Laé
- INSERM U1245, Cancer Center Henri Becquerel, Institute of Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), University of Normandy, UNIROUEN, Rouen, France
- Department of Pathology, Centre Henri Becquerel, Rouen, France
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Tang X, Hu X, Wen Y, Min L. Progressive insights into fibrosarcoma diagnosis and treatment: leveraging fusion genes for advancements. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1284428. [PMID: 37920823 PMCID: PMC10618559 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1284428] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrosarcoma, originating from fibroblast cells, represents a malignant neoplasm that can manifest across all genders and age groups. Fusion genes are notably prevalent within the landscape of human cancers, particularly within the subtypes of fibrosarcoma, where they exert substantial driving forces in tumorigenesis. Many fusion genes underlie the pathogenic mechanisms triggering the onset of this disease. Moreover, a close association emerges between the spectrum of fusion gene types and the phenotypic expression of fibrosarcoma, endowing fusion genes not only as promising diagnostic indicators for fibrosarcoma but also as pivotal foundations for its subcategorization. Concurrently, an increasing number of chimeric proteins encoded by fusion genes have been substantiated as specific targets for treating fibrosarcoma, consequently significantly enhancing patient prognoses. This review comprehensively delineates the mechanisms behind fusion gene formation in fibrosarcoma, the lineage of fusion genes, methodologies employed in detecting fusion genes within fibrosarcoma, and the prospects of targeted therapeutic interventions driven by fusion genes within the fibrosarcoma domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodi Tang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Model Worker and Craftsman Talent Innovation Workshop of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xin Hu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Model Worker and Craftsman Talent Innovation Workshop of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yang Wen
- Department of Orthopedics, Zigong Fourth People’s Hospital, Zigong, China
| | - Li Min
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Model Worker and Craftsman Talent Innovation Workshop of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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Panicker S, Chengizkhan G, Gor R, Ramachandran I, Ramalingam S. Exploring the Relationship between Fusion Genes and MicroRNAs in Cancer. Cells 2023; 12:2467. [PMID: 37887311 PMCID: PMC10605240 DOI: 10.3390/cells12202467] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusion genes are key cancer driver genes that can be used as potential drug targets in precision therapies, and they can also serve as accurate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. The fusion genes can cause microRNA (miRNA/miR) aberrations in many types of cancer. Nevertheless, whether fusion genes incite miRNA aberrations as one of their many critical oncogenic functionalities for driving carcinogenesis needs further investigation. Recent discoveries of miRNA genes that are present within the regions of genomic rearrangements that initiate fusion gene-based intronic miRNA dysregulation have brought the fusion genes into the limelight and revealed their unexplored potential in the field of cancer biology. Fusion gene-based 'promoter-switch' event aberrantly activate the miRNA-related upstream regulatory signals, while fusion-based coding region alterations disrupt the original miRNA coding loci. Fusion genes can potentially regulate the miRNA aberrations regardless of the protein-coding capability of the resultant fusion transcript. Studies on out-of-frame fusion and nonrecurrent fusion genes that cause miRNA dysregulation have attracted the attention of researchers on fusion genes from an oncological perspective and therefore could have potential implications in cancer therapies. This review will provide insights into the role of fusion genes and miRNAs, and their possible interrelationships in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurav Panicker
- Department of Genetic Engineering, School of Bio-Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India; (S.P.); (R.G.)
| | - Gautham Chengizkhan
- Department of Endocrinology, Dr. ALM PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Chennai 600113, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Ravi Gor
- Department of Genetic Engineering, School of Bio-Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India; (S.P.); (R.G.)
| | - Ilangovan Ramachandran
- Department of Endocrinology, Dr. ALM PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Chennai 600113, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Satish Ramalingam
- Department of Genetic Engineering, School of Bio-Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India; (S.P.); (R.G.)
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Zhong X, Luan J, Yu A, Lee-Hassett A, Miao Y, Yang L. SFyNCS detects oncogenic fusions involving non-coding sequences in cancer. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e96. [PMID: 37638762 PMCID: PMC10570049 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusion genes are well-known cancer drivers. However, most known oncogenic fusions are protein-coding, and very few involve non-coding sequences due to lack of suitable detection tools. We develop SFyNCS to detect fusions of both protein-coding genes and non-coding sequences from transcriptomic sequencing data. The main advantage of this study is that we use somatic structural variations detected from genomic data to validate fusions detected from transcriptomic data. This allows us to comprehensively evaluate various fusion detection and filtering strategies and parameters. We show that SFyNCS has superior sensitivity and specificity over existing algorithms through extensive benchmarking in cancer cell lines and patient samples. We then apply SFyNCS to 9565 tumor samples across 33 tumor types in The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort and detect a total of 165,139 fusions. Among them, 72% of the fusions involve non-coding sequences. We find a long non-coding RNA to recurrently fuse with various oncogenes in 3% of prostate cancers. In addition, we discover fusions involving two non-coding RNAs in 32% of dedifferentiated liposarcomas and experimentally validated the oncogenic functions in mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Zhong
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jingyun Luan
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Anqi Yu
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Anna Lee-Hassett
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yuxuan Miao
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lixing Yang
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, USA
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Allou L, Mundlos S. Disruption of regulatory domains and novel transcripts as disease-causing mechanisms. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300010. [PMID: 37381881 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300010] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Deletions, duplications, insertions, inversions, and translocations, collectively called structural variations (SVs), affect more base pairs of the genome than any other sequence variant. The recent technological advancements in genome sequencing have enabled the discovery of tens of thousands of SVs per human genome. These SVs primarily affect non-coding DNA sequences, but the difficulties in interpreting their impact limit our understanding of human disease etiology. The functional annotation of non-coding DNA sequences and methodologies to characterize their three-dimensional (3D) organization in the nucleus have greatly expanded our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying gene regulation, thereby improving the interpretation of SVs for their pathogenic impact. Here, we discuss the various mechanisms by which SVs can result in altered gene regulation and how these mechanisms can result in rare genetic disorders. Beyond changing gene expression, SVs can produce novel gene-intergenic fusion transcripts at the SV breakpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lila Allou
- RG Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Mundlos
- RG Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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36
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Frenkel M, Hujoel ML, Morris Z, Raman S. Discovering chromatin dysregulation induced by protein-coding perturbations at scale. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.20.555752. [PMID: 37781603 PMCID: PMC10541138 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.20.555752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Although population-scale databases have expanded to millions of protein-coding variants, insight into variant mechanisms has not kept pace. We present PROD-ATAC, a high-throughput method for discovering the effects of protein-coding variants on chromatin. A pooled library of variants is expressed in a disease-agnostic cell line, and single-cell ATAC resolves each variant's effect on chromatin. Using PROD-ATAC, we characterized the effects of >100 oncofusions (a class of cancer-causing chimeric proteins) and controls and revealed that pioneer activity is a common feature of fusions spanning an enormous range of fusion frequencies. Further, fusion-induced dysregulation can be context-agnostic as observed mechanisms often overlapped with cancer and cell-type specific prior knowledge. We also showed that gain-of-function pioneering is common among oncofusions. This work provides a global view of fusion-induced chromatin. We uncovered convergent mechanisms among disparate oncofusions and shared modes of dysregulation across different cancers. PROD-ATAC is generalizable to any set of protein-coding variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Frenkel
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Margaux L.A. Hujoel
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zachary Morris
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Srivatsan Raman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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37
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Wu G, Yoshida N, Liu J, Zhang X, Xiong Y, Heavican-Foral TB, Mandato E, Liu H, Nelson GM, Yang L, Chen R, Donovan KA, Jones MK, Roshal M, Zhang Y, Xu R, Nirmal AJ, Jain S, Leahy C, Jones KL, Stevenson KE, Galasso N, Ganesan N, Chang T, Wu WC, Louissaint A, Debaize L, Yoon H, Cin PD, Chan WC, Sui SJH, Ng SY, Feldman AL, Horwitz SM, Adelman K, Fischer ES, Chen CW, Weinstock DM, Brown M. TP63 fusions drive multicomplex enhancer rewiring, lymphomagenesis, and EZH2 dependence. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadi7244. [PMID: 37729434 PMCID: PMC11014717 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adi7244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Gene fusions involving tumor protein p63 gene (TP63) occur in multiple T and B cell lymphomas and portend a dismal prognosis for patients. The function and mechanisms of TP63 fusions remain unclear, and there is no target therapy for patients with lymphoma harboring TP63 fusions. Here, we show that TP63 fusions act as bona fide oncogenes and are essential for fusion-positive lymphomas. Transgenic mice expressing TBL1XR1::TP63, the most common TP63 fusion, develop diverse lymphomas that recapitulate multiple human T and B cell lymphomas. Here, we identify that TP63 fusions coordinate the recruitment of two epigenetic modifying complexes, the nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR)-histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) by the N-terminal TP63 fusion partner and the lysine methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D) by the C-terminal TP63 component, which are both required for fusion-dependent survival. TBL1XR1::TP63 localization at enhancers drives a unique cell state that involves up-regulation of MYC and the polycomb repressor complex 2 (PRC2) components EED and EZH2. Inhibiting EZH2 with the therapeutic agent valemetostat is highly effective at treating transgenic lymphoma murine models, xenografts, and patient-derived xenografts harboring TP63 fusions. One patient with TP63-rearranged lymphoma showed a rapid response to valemetostat treatment. In summary, TP63 fusions link partner components that, together, coordinate multiple epigenetic complexes, resulting in therapeutic vulnerability to EZH2 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongwei Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Noriaki Yoshida
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Current address: Merck Research Laboratories, Boston, MA
02215, USA
| | - Jihe Liu
- Harvard Chan Bioinformatics Core, Harvard T.H. Chan School
of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge,
MA 02142, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer
Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Yuan Xiong
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,
Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular
Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tayla B. Heavican-Foral
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Elisa Mandato
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Huiyun Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Geoffrey M. Nelson
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular
Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical
School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lu Yang
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope Comprehensive
Cancer Center, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Renee Chen
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope Comprehensive
Cancer Center, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Katherine A. Donovan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,
Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular
Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marcus K. Jones
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mikhail Roshal
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ran Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ajit J. Nirmal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Salvia Jain
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA
02114, USA
| | - Catharine Leahy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kristen L. Jones
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kristen E. Stevenson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Natasha Galasso
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nivetha Ganesan
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tiffany Chang
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Wen-Chao Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Abner Louissaint
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lydie Debaize
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hojong Yoon
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,
Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular
Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Paola Dal Cin
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s
Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wing C. Chan
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope Medical Center,
Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Shannan J. Ho Sui
- Harvard Chan Bioinformatics Core, Harvard T.H. Chan School
of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Samuel Y. Ng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Division of Hematopathology, Mayo Clinic College of
Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Andrew L. Feldman
- Current address: Department of Clinical Studies,
Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, 7320815, Japan
| | - Steven M. Horwitz
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Karen Adelman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge,
MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular
Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eric S. Fischer
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,
Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular
Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chun-Wei Chen
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope Comprehensive
Cancer Center, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - David M. Weinstock
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge,
MA 02142, USA
- Current address: Merck Research Laboratories, Boston, MA
02215, USA
| | - Myles Brown
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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Yates ME, Li Z, Li Y, Guzolik H, Wang X, Liu T, Hooda J, Atkinson JM, Lee AV, Oesterreich S. ESR1 fusion proteins invoke breast cancer subtype-dependent enrichment of ligand independent pro-oncogenic signatures and phenotypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.18.558175. [PMID: 37790296 PMCID: PMC10542116 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.18.558175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a leading cause of female mortality and despite advancements in diagnostics and personalized therapeutics, metastatic disease largely remains incurable due to drug resistance. Fortunately, identification of mechanisms of therapeutic resistance have rapidly transformed our understanding of cancer evasion and is enabling targeted treatment regimens. When the druggable estrogen receptor (ER, ESR1 ), expressed in two-thirds of all breast cancer, is exposed to endocrine therapy, there is risk of somatic mutation development in approximately 30% of cases and subsequent treatment resistance. A more recently discovered mechanism of ER mediated endocrine resistance is the expression of ER fusion proteins. ER fusions, which retain the protein's DNA binding domain, harbor ESR1 exons 1-6 fused to an in-frame gene partner resulting in loss of the 3' ER ligand binding domain (LBD). In this report we demonstrate that in no-special type (NST) and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) cell line models, ER fusion proteins exhibit robust hyperactivation of canonical ER signaling pathways independent of the ligand estradiol or anti-endocrine therapies such as Fulvestrant and Tamoxifen. We employ cell line models stably overexpressing ER fusion proteins with concurrent endogenous ER knockdown to minimize the influence of endogenous wildtype ER. Cell lines exhibited shared transcriptomic enrichment in pathways known to be drivers of metastatic disease, notably the MYC pathway. The heterogeneous 3' fusion partners, particularly transcription factors SOX9 and YAP1 , evoked varying degrees of transcriptomic and cistromic activity that translated into unique phenotypic readouts. Herein we report that cell line activity is subtype-, fusion-, and assay-specific suggesting that the loss of the LBD, the 3' fusion partner, and the cellular landscape all influence fusion activity. Therefore, it will be critical to generate additional data on frequency of the ER fusions, in the context of the clinicopathological features of the tumor. Significance ER fusion proteins exhibit diverse mechanisms of endocrine resistance in breast cancer cell lines representing the no special type (NST) and invasive lobular cancer (ILC) subtypes. Our emphasize upon both the shared and unique cellular adaptations imparted by ER fusions offers the foundation for further translational research and clinical decision making.
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Schieffer KM, Moccia A, Bucknor BA, Stonerock E, Jayaraman V, Jenkins H, McKinney A, Koo SC, Mathew MT, Mardis ER, Lee K, Reshmi SC, Cottrell CE. Expanding the Clinical Utility of Targeted RNA Sequencing Panels beyond Gene Fusions to Complex, Intragenic Structural Rearrangements. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4394. [PMID: 37686670 PMCID: PMC10486946 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15174394] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene fusions are a form of structural rearrangement well established as driver events in pediatric and adult cancers. The identification of such events holds clinical significance in the refinement, prognostication, and provision of treatment in cancer. Structural rearrangements also extend beyond fusions to include intragenic rearrangements, such as internal tandem duplications (ITDs) or exon-level deletions. These intragenic events have been increasingly implicated as cancer-promoting events. However, the detection of intragenic rearrangements may be challenging to resolve bioinformatically with short-read sequencing technologies and therefore may not be routinely assessed in panel-based testing. Within an academic clinical laboratory, over three years, a total of 608 disease-involved samples (522 hematologic malignancy, 86 solid tumors) underwent clinical testing using Anchored Multiplex PCR (AMP)-based RNA sequencing. Hematologic malignancies were evaluated using a custom Pan-Heme 154 gene panel, while solid tumors were assessed using a custom Pan-Solid 115 gene panel. Gene fusions, ITDs, and intragenic deletions were assessed for diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic significance. When considering gene fusions alone, we report an overall diagnostic yield of 36% (37% hematologic malignancy, 41% solid tumors). When including intragenic structural rearrangements, the overall diagnostic yield increased to 48% (48% hematologic malignancy, 45% solid tumor). We demonstrate the clinical utility of reporting structural rearrangements, including gene fusions and intragenic structural rearrangements, using an AMP-based RNA sequencing panel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M. Schieffer
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Amanda Moccia
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Brianna A. Bucknor
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Eileen Stonerock
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Vijayakumar Jayaraman
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Heather Jenkins
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Aimee McKinney
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Selene C. Koo
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Mariam T. Mathew
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Elaine R. Mardis
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kristy Lee
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Shalini C. Reshmi
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Catherine E. Cottrell
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Mukherjee S, Mukherjee SB, Frenkel-Morgenstern M. Functional and regulatory impact of chimeric RNAs in human normal and cancer cells. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1777. [PMID: 36633099 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Fusions of two genes can lead to the generation of chimeric RNAs, which may have a distinct functional role from their original molecules. Chimeric RNAs could encode novel functional proteins or serve as novel long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). The appearance of chimeric RNAs in a cell could help to generate new functionality and phenotypic diversity that might facilitate this cell to survive against new environmental stress. Several recent studies have demonstrated the functional roles of various chimeric RNAs in cancer progression and are considered as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and sometimes even drug targets. Further, the growing evidence demonstrated the potential functional association of chimeric RNAs with cancer heterogeneity and drug resistance cancer evolution. Recent studies highlighted that chimeric RNAs also have functional potentiality in normal physiological processes. Several functionally potential chimeric RNAs were discovered in human cancer and normal cells in the last two decades. This could indicate that chimeric RNAs are the hidden layer of the human transcriptome that should be explored from the functional insights to better understand the functional evolution of the genome and disease development that could facilitate clinical practice improvements. This review summarizes the current knowledge of chimeric RNAs and highlights their functional, regulatory, and evolutionary impact on different cancers and normal physiological processes. Further, we will discuss the potential functional roles of a recently discovered novel class of chimeric RNAs named sense-antisense/cross-strand chimeric RNAs generated by the fusion of the bi-directional transcripts of the same gene. This article is categorized under: Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Mukherjee
- Cancer Genomics and BioComputing of Complex Diseases Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
- Department of Computer Science, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sunanda Biswas Mukherjee
- Cancer Genomics and BioComputing of Complex Diseases Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern
- Cancer Genomics and BioComputing of Complex Diseases Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
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Song L, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Xia Q, Guo D, Cao J, Xin X, Cheng H, Liu C, Jia X, Li F. Detection of various fusion genes by one-step RT-PCR and the association with clinicopathological features in 242 cases of soft tissue tumor. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1214262. [PMID: 37621777 PMCID: PMC10446835 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1214262] [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: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Over the past decades, an increasing number of chromosomal translocations have been found in different STSs, which not only has value for clinical diagnosis but also suggests the pathogenesis of STS. Fusion genes can be detected by FISH, RT-PCR, and next-generation sequencing. One-step RT-PCR is a convenient method to detect fusion genes with higher sensitivity and lower cost. Method: In this study, 242 cases of soft tissue tumors were included, which were detected by one-step RT-PCR in multicenter with seven types of tumors: rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (pPNET), synovial sarcoma (SS), myxoid liposarcomas (MLPS), alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), and soft tissue angiofibroma (AFST). 18 cases detected by one-step RT-PCR were further tested by FISH. One case with novel fusion gene detected by RNA-sequencing was further validated by one-step RT-PCR. Results: The total positive rate of fusion genes was 60% (133/213) in the 242 samples detected by one-step RT-PCR, in which 29 samples could not be evaluated because of poor RNA quality. The positive rate of PAX3-FOXO1 was 88.6% (31/35) in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, EWSR1-FLI1 was 63% (17/27) in pPNET, SYT-SSX was 95.4% in SS (62/65), ASPSCR1-TFE3 was 100% in ASPS (10/10), FUS-DDIT3 was 80% in MLPS (4/5), and COL1A1-PDGFB was 66.7% in DFSP (8/12). For clinicopathological parameters, fusion gene status was correlated with age and location in 213 cases. The PAX3-FOXO1 fusion gene status was correlated with lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis in RMS. Furthermore, RMS patients with positive PAX3-FOXO1 fusion gene had a significantly shorter overall survival time than those patients with the negative fusion gene. Among them, the FISH result of 18 cases was concordant with one-step RT-PCR. As detected as the most common fusion types of AHRR-NCOA2 in one case of AFST were detected as negative by one-step RT-PCR. RNA-sequencing was used to determine the fusion genes, and a novel fusion gene PTCH1-PLAG1 was found. Moreover, the fusion gene was confirmed by one-step RT-PCR. Conclusion: Our study indicates that one-step RT-PCR displays a reliable tool to detect fusion genes with the advantage of high accuracy and low cost. Moreover, it is a great tool to identify novel fusion genes. Overall, it provides useful information for molecular pathological diagnosis and improves the diagnosis rate of STSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingxie Song
- Department of Pathology and Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Pathology and Key Laboratory for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Qingxin Xia
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Dandan Guo
- Department of Pathology and Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiachen Cao
- Department of Pathology and Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Xin
- Department of Pathology and Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Haoyue Cheng
- Department of Pathology and Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunxia Liu
- Department of Pathology and Key Laboratory for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, China
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xingyuan Jia
- Department of Pathology and Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Pathology and Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Pathology and Key Laboratory for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, China
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Li X, Wang Y, Min Q, Zhang W, Teng H, Li C, Zhang K, Shi L, Wang B, Zhan Q. Comparative transcriptome characterization of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3841-3853. [PMID: 37564101 PMCID: PMC10410469 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Esophageal cancers are primarily categorized as esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). While various (epi) genomic alterations associated with tumor development in ESCC and EAC have been documented, a comprehensive comparison of the transcriptomes in these two cancer subtypes remains lacking. Methods We collected 551 gene expression profiles from publicly available sources, including normal, ESCC, and EAC tissues or cell lines. Subsequently, we conducted a systematic analysis to compare the transcriptomes of these samples at various levels, including gene expression, promoter activity, alternative splicing (AS), alternative polyadenylation (APA), and gene fusion. Results Seven distinct cluster gene expression patterns were identified among the differentially expressed genes in normal, ESCC, and EAC tissues. These patterns were enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and the activation of extracellular matrix organization and exhibited repression of epidermal development. Notably, we observed additional genes or unique expression levels enriched in these shared pathways and biological processes related to tumor development and immune activation. In addition to the differentially expressed genes, there was an enrichment of lncRNA co-expression networks and downregulation of promoter activity associated with the repression of epidermal development in both ESCC and EAC. This indicates a common feature between these two cancer subtypes. Furthermore, differential AS and APA patterns in ESCC and EAC appear to partially affect the expression of host genes associated with bacterial or viral infections in these subtypes. No gene fusions were observed between ESCC and EAC, thus highlighting the distinct molecular mechanisms underlying these two cancer subtypes. Conclusions We conducted a comprehensive comparison of ESCC and EAC transcriptomes and uncovered shared and distinct transcriptomic signatures at multiple levels. These findings suggest that ESCC and EAC may exhibit common and unique mechanisms involved in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianfeng Li
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
- Department of Gastroenterology and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Digestive Malignancies, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), 10# Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400042, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology of Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing 400038, People's Republic of China
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Wang
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Qingjie Min
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Weimin Zhang
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Huajing Teng
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Radiation Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Chao Li
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Leisheng Shi
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Digestive Malignancies, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), 10# Changjiang Branch Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400042, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology of Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing 400038, People's Republic of China
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, People's Republic of China
| | - Qimin Zhan
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
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Salokas K, Dashi G, Varjosalo M. Decoding Oncofusions: Unveiling Mechanisms, Clinical Impact, and Prospects for Personalized Cancer Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3678. [PMID: 37509339 PMCID: PMC10377698 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated gene fusions, also known as oncofusions, have emerged as influential drivers of oncogenesis across a diverse range of cancer types. These genetic events occur via chromosomal translocations, deletions, and inversions, leading to the fusion of previously separate genes. Due to the drastic nature of these mutations, they often result in profound alterations of cellular behavior. The identification of oncofusions has revolutionized cancer research, with advancements in sequencing technologies facilitating the discovery of novel fusion events at an accelerated pace. Oncofusions exert their effects through the manipulation of critical cellular signaling pathways that regulate processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Extensive investigations have been conducted to understand the roles of oncofusions in solid tumors, leukemias, and lymphomas. Large-scale initiatives, including the Cancer Genome Atlas, have played a pivotal role in unraveling the landscape of oncofusions by characterizing a vast number of cancer samples across different tumor types. While validating the functional relevance of oncofusions remains a challenge, even non-driver mutations can hold significance in cancer treatment. Oncofusions have demonstrated potential value in the context of immunotherapy through the production of neoantigens. Their clinical importance has been observed in both treatment and diagnostic settings, with specific fusion events serving as therapeutic targets or diagnostic markers. However, despite the progress made, there is still considerable untapped potential within the field of oncofusions. Further research and validation efforts are necessary to understand their effects on a functional basis and to exploit the new targeted treatment avenues offered by oncofusions. Through further functional and clinical studies, oncofusions will enable the advancement of precision medicine and the drive towards more effective and specific treatments for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Salokas
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giovanna Dashi
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markku Varjosalo
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
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Guo G, Wang X, Zhang Y, Li T. Sequence variations of phase-separating proteins and resources for studying biomolecular condensates. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2023; 55:1119-1132. [PMID: 37464880 PMCID: PMC10423696 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2023131] [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: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Phase separation (PS) is an important mechanism underlying the formation of biomolecular condensates. Physiological condensates are associated with numerous biological processes, such as transcription, immunity, signaling, and synaptic transmission. Changes in particular amino acids or segments can disturb the protein's phase behavior and interactions with other biomolecules in condensates. It is thus presumed that variations in the phase-separating-prone domains can significantly impact the properties and functions of condensates. The dysfunction of condensates contributes to a number of pathological processes. Pharmacological perturbation of these condensates is proposed as a promising way to restore physiological states. In this review, we characterize the variations observed in PS proteins that lead to aberrant biomolecular compartmentalization. We also showcase recent advancements in bioinformatics of membraneless organelles (MLOs), focusing on available databases useful for screening PS proteins and describing endogenous condensates, guiding researchers to seek the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of biomolecular condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaigai Guo
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijing100191China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijing100191China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijing100191China
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijing100191China
- Key Laboratory for NeuroscienceMinistry of Education/National Health Commission of ChinaPeking UniversityBeijing100191China
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45
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Sohn JI, Choi MH, Yi D, Menon VA, Kim YJ, Lee J, Park JW, Kyung S, Shin SH, Na B, Joung JG, Ju YS, Yeom MS, Koh Y, Yoon SS, Baek D, Kim TM, Nam JW. Ultrafast prediction of somatic structural variations by filtering out reads matched to pan-genome k-mer sets. Nat Biomed Eng 2023; 7:853-866. [PMID: 36536253 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00980-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Variant callers typically produce massive numbers of false positives for structural variations, such as cancer-relevant copy-number alterations and fusion genes resulting from genome rearrangements. Here we describe an ultrafast and accurate detector of somatic structural variations that reduces read-mapping costs by filtering out reads matched to pan-genome k-mer sets. The detector, which we named ETCHING (for efficient detection of chromosomal rearrangements and fusion genes), reduces the number of false positives by leveraging machine-learning classifiers trained with six breakend-related features (clipped-read count, split-reads count, supporting paired-end read count, average mapping quality, depth difference and total length of clipped bases). When benchmarked against six callers on reference cell-free DNA, validated biomarkers of structural variants, matched tumour and normal whole genomes, and tumour-only targeted sequencing datasets, ETCHING was 11-fold faster than the second-fastest structural-variant caller at comparable performance and memory use. The speed and accuracy of ETCHING may aid large-scale genome projects and facilitate practical implementations in precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jang-Il Sohn
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute for Convergence of Basic Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Hak Choi
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohun Yi
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Vipin A Menon
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon Jeong Kim
- Samsung Genome Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Junehawk Lee
- Center for Supercomputing Applications, Division of National Supercomputing, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Woo Park
- Center for Supercomputing Applications, Division of National Supercomputing, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Byunggook Na
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Je-Gun Joung
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Seok Ju
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Biomedical Science and Engineering Interdisciplinary Program, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Sun Yeom
- Center for Supercomputing Applications, Division of National Supercomputing, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngil Koh
- College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Soo Yoon
- College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Daehyun Baek
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Min Kim
- Department of Medical Informatics and Cancer Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Wu Nam
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Research Institute for Convergence of Basic Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Bio-BigData Center, Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Ning C, Cai P, Liu X, Li G, Bao P, Yan L, Ning M, Tang K, Luo Y, Guo H, Wang Y, Wang Z, Chen L, Lu ZJ, Yin J. A comprehensive evaluation of full-spectrum cell-free RNAs highlights cell-free RNA fragments for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma detection. EBioMedicine 2023; 93:104645. [PMID: 37315449 PMCID: PMC10363443 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Various studies have reported cell-free RNAs (cfRNAs) as noninvasive biomarkers for detecting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, they have not been independently validated, and some results are contradictory. We provided a comprehensive evaluation of various types of cfRNA biomarkers and a full mining of the biomarker potential of new features of cfRNA. METHODS We first systematically reviewed reported cfRNA biomarkers and calculated dysregulated post-transcriptional events and cfRNA fragments. In 3 independent multicentre cohorts, we further selected 6 cfRNAs using RT-qPCR, built a panel called HCCMDP with AFP using machine learning, and internally and externally validated HCCMDP's performance. FINDINGS We identified 23 cfRNA biomarker candidates from a systematic review and analysis of 5 cfRNA-seq datasets. Notably, we defined the cfRNA domain to describe cfRNA fragments systematically. In the verification cohort (n = 183), cfRNA fragments were more likely to be verified, while circRNA and chimeric RNA candidates were neither abundant nor stable as qPCR-based biomarkers. In the algorithm development cohort (n = 287), we build and test the panel HCCMDP with 6 cfRNA markers and AFP. In the independent validation cohort (n = 171), HCCMDP can distinguish HCC patients from control groups (all: AUC = 0.925; CHB: AUC = 0.909; LC: AUC = 0.916), and performs well in distinguishing early-stage HCC patients (all: AUC = 0.936; CHB: AUC = 0.917; LC: AUC = 0.928). INTERPRETATION This study comprehensively evaluated full-spectrum cfRNA biomarker types for HCC detection, highlighted the cfRNA fragment as a promising biomarker type in HCC detection, and provided a panel HCCMDP. FUNDING National Natural Science Foundation of China, and The National Key Basic Research Program (973 program).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Ning
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 9 Dongdansantiao, Beijing, 100730, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Peng Cai
- Department of Epidemiology, Naval Medical University, Key Laboratory of Biosafety Defense, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaofan Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guangtao Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Centre, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Pengfei Bao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Lu Yan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Meng Ning
- Tianjin Third Central Hospital, 83 Jintang Road, Hedong District, Tianjin, 300170, China
| | - Kaichen Tang
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 9 Dongdansantiao, Beijing, 100730, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Centre, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Hua Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Centre, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Yunjiu Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Zhuoran Wang
- Department of Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Centre, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Centre for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China.
| | - Zhi John Lu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Jianhua Yin
- Department of Epidemiology, Naval Medical University, Key Laboratory of Biosafety Defense, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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Vicente-Garcés C, Maynou J, Fernández G, Esperanza-Cebollada E, Torrebadell M, Català A, Rives S, Camós M, Vega-García N. Fusion InPipe, an integrative pipeline for gene fusion detection from RNA-seq data in acute pediatric leukemia. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1141310. [PMID: 37363396 PMCID: PMC10288994 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1141310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is a reliable tool for detecting gene fusions in acute leukemia. Multiple bioinformatics pipelines have been developed to analyze RNA-seq data, but an agreed gold standard has not been established. This study aimed to compare the applicability of 5 fusion calling pipelines (Arriba, deFuse, CICERO, FusionCatcher, and STAR-Fusion), as well as to define and develop an integrative bioinformatics pipeline (Fusion InPipe) to detect clinically relevant gene fusions in acute pediatric leukemia. We analyzed RNA-seq data by each pipeline individually and by Fusion InPipe. Each algorithm individually called most of the fusions with similar sensitivity and precision. However, not all rearrangements were called, suggesting that choosing a single pipeline might cause missing important fusions. To improve this, we integrated the results of the five algorithms in just one pipeline, Fusion InPipe, comparing the output from the agreement of 5/5, 4/5, and 3/5 algorithms. The maximum sensitivity was achieved with the agreement of 3/5 algorithms, with a global sensitivity of 95%, achieving a 100% in patients' data. Furthermore, we showed the necessity of filtering steps to reduce the false positive detection rate. Here, we demonstrate that Fusion InPipe is an excellent tool for fusion detection in pediatric acute leukemia with the best performance when selecting those fusions called by at least 3/5 pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Vicente-Garcés
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Leukemia and Pediatric Hematology Disorders, Developmental Tumors Biology Group, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Joan Maynou
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Genetics Medicine Section, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Neurogenetics and Molecular Medicine, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Guerau Fernández
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Genetics Medicine Section, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Neurogenetics and Molecular Medicine, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Elena Esperanza-Cebollada
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Leukemia and Pediatric Hematology Disorders, Developmental Tumors Biology Group, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Montserrat Torrebadell
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Leukemia and Pediatric Hematology Disorders, Developmental Tumors Biology Group, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Hematology Laboratory, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red De Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Albert Català
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Leukemia and Pediatric Hematology Disorders, Developmental Tumors Biology Group, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red De Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan De Déu Barcelona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Unit, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Rives
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Leukemia and Pediatric Hematology Disorders, Developmental Tumors Biology Group, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red De Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan De Déu Barcelona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Unit, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Camós
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Leukemia and Pediatric Hematology Disorders, Developmental Tumors Biology Group, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Hematology Laboratory, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red De Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nerea Vega-García
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Leukemia and Pediatric Hematology Disorders, Developmental Tumors Biology Group, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Hematology Laboratory, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
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48
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Lin Z, Lei Y, Wen M, He Q, Tian D, Xie H. MTAP-ANRIL gene fusion promotes melanoma epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like process by activating the JNK and p38 signaling pathways. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9073. [PMID: 37277447 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36404-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene fusions caused by cytogenetic aberrations play important roles in the initiation and progression of cancers. The recurrent MTAP-ANRIL fusion gene was reported to have a frequency of greater than 7% in melanoma in our previous study. However, its functions remain unclear. Truncated MTAP proteins resulting from point mutations in the last three exons of MTAP can physically interact with the wild-type MTAP protein, a tumor suppressor in several human cancers. Similarly, MTAP-ANRIL, which is translated into a truncated MTAP protein, would influence wild-type MTAP to act as an oncogene. Here, we found that MTAP-ANRIL gene fusion downregulated the expression of wild-type MTAP and promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like process through the activation of JNK and p38 MAPKs in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that MTAP-ANRIL is a potential molecular prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoying Lin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shangrao People's Hospital, Shangrao, 334000, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Yu Lei
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical CollegeWuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Mingyao Wen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qin He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical CollegeWuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Dean Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical CollegeWuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Huaping Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China.
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical CollegeWuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China.
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49
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Drazdauskienė U, Kapustina Ž, Medžiūnė J, Dubovskaja V, Sabaliauskaitė R, Jarmalaitė S, Lubys A. Fusion sequencing via terminator-assisted synthesis (FTAS-seq) identifies TMPRSS2 fusion partners in prostate cancer. Mol Oncol 2023; 17:993-1006. [PMID: 37300660 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13428] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic rearrangements that fuse an androgen-regulated promoter area with a protein-coding portion of an originally androgen-unaffected gene are frequent in prostate cancer, with the fusion between transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) and ETS transcription factor ERG (ERG) (TMPRSS2-ERG fusion) being the most prevalent. Conventional hybridization- or amplification-based methods can test for the presence of expected gene fusions, but the exploratory analysis of currently unknown fusion partners is often cost-prohibitive. Here, we developed an innovative next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based approach for gene fusion analysis termed fusion sequencing via terminator-assisted synthesis (FTAS-seq). FTAS-seq can be used to enrich the gene of interest while simultaneously profiling the whole spectrum of its 3'-terminal fusion partners. Using this novel semi-targeted RNA-sequencing technique, we were able to identify 11 previously uncharacterized TMPRSS2 fusion partners and capture a range of TMPRSS2-ERG isoforms. We tested the performance of FTAS-seq with well-characterized prostate cancer cell lines and utilized the technique for the analysis of patient RNA samples. FTAS-seq chemistry combined with appropriate primer panels holds great potential as a tool for biomarker discovery that can support the development of personalized cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Sonata Jarmalaitė
- National Cancer Institute, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania
| | - Arvydas Lubys
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics, Vilnius, Lithuania
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50
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Zhang X, Chen Y, Yang B, Shao X, Ying M. Driving the degradation of oncofusion proteins for targeted cancer therapy. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103584. [PMID: 37061213 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103584] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Oncofusion proteins drive the development of about 16.5% of human cancers {AuQ: Edit OK?}, functioning as the unique pathogenic factor in some cancers. The targeting of oncofusion proteins is an attractive strategy to treat malignant tumors. Recently, triggering the degradation of oncofusion proteins has been shown to hold great promise as a therapeutic strategy. Here, we review the recent findings on the mechanisms that maintain the high stability of oncofusion proteins. Then, we summarize strategies to target the degradation of oncofusion proteins through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, and the caspase-dependent pathway. By examining oncofusion protein degradation in cancer, we not only gain better insight into the carcinogenic mechanisms that involve oncofusion proteins, but also raise the possibility of treating oncofusion-driven cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingya Zhang
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yingqian Chen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xuejing Shao
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Meidan Ying
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Pediatric Cancer Research Center, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310052, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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