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Zhang Y, Wu MJ, Lu WC, Li YC, Chang CJ, Yang JY. Metabolic switch regulates lineage plasticity and induces synthetic lethality in triple-negative breast cancer. Cell Metab 2024; 36:193-208.e8. [PMID: 38171333 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming is key for cancer development, yet the mechanism that sustains triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell growth despite deficient pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) and tumor glycolysis remains to be determined. Here, we find that deficiency in tumor glycolysis activates a metabolic switch from glycolysis to fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) to fuel TNBC growth. We show that, in TNBC cells, PKM2 directly interacts with histone methyltransferase EZH2 to coordinately mediate epigenetic silencing of a carnitine transporter, SLC16A9. Inhibition of PKM2 leads to impaired EZH2 recruitment to SLC16A9, and in turn de-represses SLC16A9 expression to increase intracellular carnitine influx, programming TNBC cells to an FAO-dependent and luminal-like cell state. Together, these findings reveal a new metabolic switch that drives TNBC from a metabolically heterogeneous-lineage plastic cell state to an FAO-dependent-lineage committed cell state, where dual targeting of EZH2 and FAO induces potent synthetic lethality in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingsheng Zhang
- Department of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
| | - Meng-Ju Wu
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wan-Chi Lu
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung 406040, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chuan Li
- Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, China Medical University, Taichung 406040, Taiwan; Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung 406040, Taiwan
| | - Chun Ju Chang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung 406040, Taiwan; Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, China Medical University, Taichung 406040, Taiwan.
| | - Jer-Yen Yang
- Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, China Medical University, Taichung 406040, Taiwan; Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung 406040, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 406040, Taiwan.
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2
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Heilala M, Lehtonen A, Arasalo O, Peura A, Pokki J, Ikkala O, Nonappa, Klefström J, Munne PM. Fibrin Stiffness Regulates Phenotypic Plasticity of Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2301137. [PMID: 37671812 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202301137] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM)-regulated phenotypic plasticity is crucial for metastatic progression of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). While ECM faithful cell-based models are available for in situ and invasive tumors, such as cell aggregate cultures in reconstituted basement membrane and in collagenous gels, there are no ECM faithful models for metastatic circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Such models are essential to represent the stage of metastasis where clinical relevance and therapeutic opportunities are significant. Here, CTC-like DU4475 TNBC cells are cultured in mechanically tunable 3D fibrin hydrogels. This is motivated, as in circulation fibrin aids CTC survival by forming a protective coating reducing shear stress and immune cell-mediated cytotoxicity and promotes several stages of late metastatic processes at the interface between circulation and tissue. This work shows that fibrin hydrogels support DU4475 cell growth, resulting in spheroid formation. Furthermore, increasing fibrin stiffness from 57 to 175 Pa leads to highly motile, actin and tubulin containing cellular protrusions, which are associated with specific cell morphology and gene expression patterns that markedly differ from basement membrane or suspension cultures. Thus, mechanically tunable fibrin gels reveal specific matrix-based regulation of TNBC cell phenotype and offer scaffolds for CTC-like cells with better mechano-biological properties than liquid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Heilala
- Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15100, Aalto, Espoo, FI-00076, Finland
| | - Arttu Lehtonen
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, Aalto, Espoo, FI-00076, Finland
| | - Ossi Arasalo
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, Aalto, Espoo, FI-00076, Finland
| | - Aino Peura
- Finnish Cancer Institute and FICAN South, Helsinki University Hospital & Cancer Cell Circuitry Laboratory, Translational Cancer Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63 (Haartmaninkatu 8), Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Juho Pokki
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, Aalto, Espoo, FI-00076, Finland
| | - Olli Ikkala
- Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15100, Aalto, Espoo, FI-00076, Finland
| | - Nonappa
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, P.O. Box 541, Tampere, FI-33720, Finland
| | - Juha Klefström
- Finnish Cancer Institute and FICAN South, Helsinki University Hospital & Cancer Cell Circuitry Laboratory, Translational Cancer Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63 (Haartmaninkatu 8), Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Pauliina M Munne
- Finnish Cancer Institute and FICAN South, Helsinki University Hospital & Cancer Cell Circuitry Laboratory, Translational Cancer Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63 (Haartmaninkatu 8), Helsinki, 00014, Finland
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3
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EZH2-H3K27me3 mediated KRT14 upregulation promotes TNBC peritoneal metastasis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7344. [PMID: 36446780 PMCID: PMC9708848 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35059-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) has a poor prognosis and adverse clinical outcomes among all breast cancer subtypes as there is no available targeted therapy. Overexpression of Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been shown to correlate with TNBC's poor prognosis, but the contribution of EZH2 catalytic (H3K27me3) versus non-catalytic EZH2 (NC-EZH2) function in TNBC progression remains elusive. We reveal that selective hyper-activation of functional EZH2 (H3K27me3) over NC-EZH2 alters TNBC metastatic landscape and fosters its peritoneal metastasis, particularly splenic. Instead of H3K27me3-mediated repression of gene expression; here, it promotes KRT14 transcription by attenuating binding of repressor SP1 to its promoter. Further, KRT14 loss significantly reduces TNBC migration, invasion, and peritoneal metastasis. Consistently, human TNBC metastasis displays positive correlation between H3K27me3 and KRT14 levels. Finally, EZH2 knockdown or H3K27me3 inhibition by EPZ6438 reduces TNBC peritoneal metastasis. Altogether, our preclinical findings suggest a rationale for targeting TNBC with EZH2 inhibitors.
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Tumor suppressor DEAR1 regulates mammary epithelial cell fate and predicts early onset and metastasis in triple negative breast cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19504. [PMID: 36376460 PMCID: PMC9663828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22417-4] [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: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a disease of poor prognosis, with the majority classified as the basal-like subtype associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis. Because basal breast cancers originate from proliferative luminal progenitor-like cells upon dysregulation of proper luminal differentiation, genes regulating luminal-basal transition are critical to elucidate novel therapeutic targets to improve TNBC outcomes. Herein we demonstrate that the tumor suppressor DEAR1/TRIM62 is a critical regulator of luminal cell fate. DEAR1 loss in human mammary epithelial cells results in significantly enhanced mammosphere formation that is accelerated in the presence of TGF-β/SMAD3 signaling. Mammospheres formed following DEAR1 loss are enriched for ALDH1A1 and CK5 expression, EpCAM-/CD49f+ and CD44high/24low basal-like epithelial cells, indicating that DEAR1 regulates stem/progenitor cell properties and luminal-basal progenitor transition. We show that DEAR1 maintains luminal differentiation as a novel ubiquitin ligase for SNAI2/SLUG, a master regulator driving stemness and generation of basal-like progenitor populations. We also identify a significant inverse correlation between DEAR1 and SNAI2 expression in a 103 TNBC case cohort and show that low DEAR1 expression significantly correlates with young age of onset and shorter time to metastasis, suggesting DEAR1 could serve as a biomarker to stratify early onset TNBCs for targeted stem cell therapies.
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PAR-Induced Harnessing of EZH2 to β-Catenin: Implications for Colorectal Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158758. [PMID: 35955891 PMCID: PMC9368822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in a wide array of physiological and disease functions, yet knowledge of their role in colon cancer stem cell maintenance is still lacking. In addition, the molecular mechanisms underlying GPCR-induced post-translational signaling regulation are poorly understood. Here, we find that protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) unexpectedly acts as a potent oncogene, inducing β-catenin stability and transcriptional activity. Both PAR4 and PAR2 are able to drive the association of methyltransferase EZH2 with β-catenin, culminating in β-catenin methylation. This methylation on a lysine residue at the N-terminal portion of β-catenin suppresses the ubiquitination of β-catenin, thereby promoting PAR-induced β-catenin stability and transcriptional activity. Indeed, EZH2 is found to be directly correlated with high PAR4-driven tumors, and is abundantly expressed in large tumors, whereas very little to almost none is expressed in small tumors. A truncated form of β-catenin, ∆N133β-catenin, devoid of lysine, as well as serine/threonine residues, exhibits low levels of β-catenin and a markedly reduced transcriptional activity following PAR4 activation, in contrast to wt β-catenin. Our study demonstrates the importance of β-catenin lysine methylation in terms of its sustained expression and function. Taken together, we reveal that PAR-induced post-transcriptional regulation of β-catenin is centrally involved in colon cancer.
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Nehme Z, Pasquereau S, Haidar Ahmad S, El Baba R, Herbein G. Polyploid giant cancer cells, EZH2 and Myc upregulation in mammary epithelial cells infected with high-risk human cytomegalovirus. EBioMedicine 2022; 80:104056. [PMID: 35596973 PMCID: PMC9121245 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been actively implicated in complex neoplastic processes. Beyond oncomodulation, the molecular mechanisms that might underlie HCMV-induced oncogenesis are being extensively studied. Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) proteins, in particular enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) are associated with cancer progression. Nevertheless, little is known about EZH2 activation in the context of HCMV infection and breast oncogenesis. Methods Herein, we identified EZH2 as a downstream target for HCMV-induced Myc upregulation upon acute and chronic infection with high-risk strains using a human mammary epithelial model. Findings We detected polyploidy and CMV-transformed HMECs (CTH) cells harboring HCMV and dynamically undergoing the giant cells cycle. Acquisition of embryonic stemness markers positively correlated with EZH2 and Myc expression. EZH2 inhibitors curtail sustained CTH cells’ malignant phenotype. Besides harboring polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs), tumorigenic breast biopsies were characterized by an enhanced EZH2 and Myc expression, with a strong positive correlation between EZH2 and Myc expression, and between PGCC count and EZH2/Myc expression in the presence of HCMV. Further, we isolated two HCMV strains from EZH2HighMycHigh basal-like tumors which replicate in MRC5 cells and transform HMECs toward CTH cells after acute infection. Interpretation Our data establish a potential link between HCMV-induced Myc activation, the subsequent EZH2 upregulation, and polyploidy induction. These data support the proposed tumorigenesis properties of EZH2/Myc, and allow the isolation of two oncogenic HCMV strains from EZH2HighMycHigh basal breast tumors while identifying EZH2 as a potential therapeutic target in the management of breast cancer, particularly upon HCMV infection. Funding This work was supported by grants from the University of Franche-Comté (UFC) (CR3300), the Région Franche-Comté (2021-Y-08292 and 2021-Y-08290) and the Ligue contre le Cancer (CR3304) to Georges Herbein. Zeina Nehme is a recipient of a doctoral scholarship from the municipality of Habbouch. Sandy Haidar Ahmad is recipient of a doctoral scholarship from Lebanese municipality. Ranim El Baba is a recipient of a doctoral scholarship from Hariri foundation for sustainable human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeina Nehme
- Department Pathogens and Inflammation-EPILAB, EA4266, Université de Franche-Comté, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC), 16 route de Gray, Besançon F-25030, France
| | - Sébastien Pasquereau
- Department Pathogens and Inflammation-EPILAB, EA4266, Université de Franche-Comté, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC), 16 route de Gray, Besançon F-25030, France
| | - Sandy Haidar Ahmad
- Department Pathogens and Inflammation-EPILAB, EA4266, Université de Franche-Comté, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC), 16 route de Gray, Besançon F-25030, France
| | - Ranim El Baba
- Department Pathogens and Inflammation-EPILAB, EA4266, Université de Franche-Comté, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC), 16 route de Gray, Besançon F-25030, France
| | - Georges Herbein
- Department Pathogens and Inflammation-EPILAB, EA4266, Université de Franche-Comté, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC), 16 route de Gray, Besançon F-25030, France; Department of Virology, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France.
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7
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Inhibition of EZH2 Catalytic Activity Selectively Targets a Metastatic Subpopulation in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cell Rep 2021; 30:755-770.e6. [PMID: 31968251 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic changes are increasingly being appreciated as key events in breast cancer progression. However, breast cancer subtype-specific epigenetic regulation remains poorly investigated. Here we report that EZH2 is a leading candidate of epigenetic modulators associated with the TNBC subtype and that it predicts poor overall survival in TNBC patients. We demonstrate that specific pharmacological or genetic inhibition of EZH2 catalytic activity impairs distant metastasis. We further define a specific EZH2high population with enhanced invasion, mammosphere formation, and metastatic potential that exhibits marked sensitivity to EZH2 inhibition. Mechanistically, EZH2 inhibition differentiates EZH2high basal cells to a luminal-like phenotype by derepressing GATA3 and renders them sensitive to endocrine therapy. Furthermore, dissection of human TNBC heterogeneity shows that EZH2high basal-like 1 and mesenchymal subtypes have exquisite sensitivity to EZH2 inhibition compared with the EZH2low luminal androgen receptor subtype. These preclinical findings provide a rationale for clinical development of EZH2 as a targeted therapy against TNBC metastasis.
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8
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TET2 directs mammary luminal cell differentiation and endocrine response. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4642. [PMID: 32934200 PMCID: PMC7493981 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18129-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation plays an important role in governing stem cell fate and tumorigenesis. Lost expression of a key DNA demethylation enzyme TET2 is associated with human cancers and has been linked to stem cell traits in vitro; however, whether and how TET2 regulates mammary stem cell fate and mammary tumorigenesis in vivo remains to be determined. Here, using our recently established mammary specific Tet2 deletion mouse model, the data reveals that TET2 plays a pivotal role in mammary gland development and luminal lineage commitment. We show that TET2 and FOXP1 form a chromatin complex that mediates demethylation of ESR1, GATA3, and FOXA1, three key genes that are known to coordinately orchestrate mammary luminal lineage specification and endocrine response, and also are often silenced by DNA methylation in aggressive breast cancers. Furthermore, Tet2 deletion-PyMT breast cancer mouse model exhibits enhanced mammary tumor development with deficient ERα expression that confers tamoxifen resistance in vivo. As a result, this study elucidates a role for TET2 in governing luminal cell differentiation and endocrine response that underlies breast cancer resistance to anti-estrogen treatments. TET2 loss is associated with human cancers but its role in the mammary gland development and tumorigenesis is unclear. Here, the authors show that TET2–FOXP1 complex mediates demethylation of genes involved in luminal lineage commitment and endocrine response, underlying a role of TET2 loss in endocrine resistant breast cancer.
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9
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Granit RZ, Masury H, Condiotti R, Fixler Y, Gabai Y, Glikman T, Dalin S, Winter E, Nevo Y, Carmon E, Sella T, Sonnenblick A, Peretz T, Lehmann U, Paz K, Piccioni F, Regev A, Root DE, Ben-Porath I. Regulation of Cellular Heterogeneity and Rates of Symmetric and Asymmetric Divisions in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cell Rep 2019; 24:3237-3250. [PMID: 30232005 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Differentiation events contribute to phenotypic cellular heterogeneity within tumors and influence disease progression and response to therapy. Here, we dissect mechanisms controlling intratumoral heterogeneity within triple-negative basal-like breast cancers. Tumor cells expressing the cytokeratin K14 possess a differentiation state that is associated with that of normal luminal progenitors, and K14-negative cells are in a state closer to that of mature luminal cells. We show that cells can transition between these states through asymmetric divisions, which produce one K14+ and one K14- daughter cell, and that these asymmetric divisions contribute to the generation of cellular heterogeneity. We identified several regulators that control the proportion of K14+ cells in the population. EZH2 and Notch increase the numbers of K14+ cells and their rates of symmetric divisions, and FOXA1 has an opposing effect. Our findings demonstrate that asymmetric divisions generate differentiation transitions and heterogeneity, and identify pathways that control breast cancer cellular composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Z Granit
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Hadas Masury
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Reba Condiotti
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yaakov Fixler
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yael Gabai
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Tzofia Glikman
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Simona Dalin
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Eitan Winter
- Info-CORE, Bioinformatics Unit of the I-CORE Computation Center at The Hebrew University and Hadassah, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yuval Nevo
- Info-CORE, Bioinformatics Unit of the I-CORE Computation Center at The Hebrew University and Hadassah, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Einat Carmon
- Department of Surgery, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Tamar Sella
- Department of Radiology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Amir Sonnenblick
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Tamar Peretz
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Ulrich Lehmann
- Institute of Pathology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Keren Paz
- Champions Oncology, Inc., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | - Aviv Regev
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute and David H. Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Biology, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David E Root
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ittai Ben-Porath
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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10
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Duan S, Chan WK, Oman A, Basile DP, Alvira CM, Buxton IL, Iosef C. NF-κB/NKILA signaling modulates the anti-cancerous effects of EZH2 inhibition. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:6182-6192. [PMID: 31282094 PMCID: PMC6714229 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A wealth of evidence supports the broad therapeutic potential of NF-κB and EZH2 inhibitors as adjuvants for breast cancer treatment. We contribute to this knowledge by elucidating, for the first time, unique regulatory crosstalk between EZH2, NF-κB and the NF-κB interacting long non-coding RNA (NKILA). We define a novel signaling loop encompassing canonical and non-canonical actions of EZH2 on the regulation of NF-κB/NKILA homeostasis, with relevance to breast cancer treatment. We applied a respective silencing approach in non-transformed breast epithelial cells, triple negative MDA-MB-231 cells and hormone responsive MCF-7 cells, and measured changes in EZH2/NF-κB/NKILA levels to confirm their interdependence. We demonstrate cell line-specific fluctuations in these factors that functionally contribute to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remodelling and cell fate response. EZH2 inhibition attenuates MDA-MB-231 cell motility and CDK4-mediated MCF-7 cell cycle regulation, while inducing global H3K27 methylation and an EMT phenotype in non-transformed cells. Notably, these events are mediated by a cell-context dependent gain or loss of NKILA and NF-κB. Depletion of NF-κB in non-transformed cells enhances their sensitivity to growth factor signaling and suggests a role for the host microenvironment milieu in regulating EZH2/NF-κB/NKILA homeostasis. Taken together, this knowledge critically informs the delivery and assessment of EZH2 inhibitors in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzann Duan
- University of Nevada Reno, School of MedicineRenoNevada
| | | | - Andrew Oman
- University of Nevada Reno, School of MedicineRenoNevada
| | | | | | | | - Cristiana Iosef
- University of Nevada Reno, School of MedicineRenoNevada
- Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia
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11
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Crawford NT, McIntyre AJ, McCormick A, D'Costa ZC, Buckley NE, Mullan PB. TBX2 interacts with heterochromatin protein 1 to recruit a novel repression complex to EGR1-targeted promoters to drive the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Oncogene 2019; 38:5971-5986. [PMID: 31253870 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0853-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Early Growth Response 1 (EGR1) is a stress response transcription factor with multiple tumour suppressor roles in breast tissue, whose expression is often lost in breast cancers. We have previously shown that the breast cancer oncogene TBX2 (T-BOX2) interacts with EGR1 to co-repress EGR1-target genes including the breast tumour suppressor NDRG1. Here, we show the mechanistic basis of this TBX2 repression complex. We show that siRNA knockdown of TBX2, EGR1, Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) isoforms and the generic HP1-associated corepressor protein KAP1 all resulted in growth inhibition of TBX2-expressing breast cancer cells. We show that TBX2 interacts with HP1 through a conserved HP1-binding motif in its N-terminus, which in turn leads to the recruitment of KAP1 and other associated proteins. Mutation of the TBX2 HP1 binding domain abrogates the TBX2-HP1 interaction and loss of repression of target genes such as NDRG1. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays showed that TBX2 establishes a repressive chromatin mark, specifically H3K9me3, around the NDRG1 proximal promoter coincident with the recruitment of the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3B and histone methyltransferase (HMT) complex components (G9A, Enhancer of Zeste 2 (EZH2) and Suppressor of Zeste 12 (SUZ12)). Knockdown of G9A, EZH2 or SUZ12 resulted in upregulation of TBX2/EGR1 co-regulated targets accompanied by a dramatic inhibition of cell proliferation. We show that a generic inhibitor of HMT activity, DzNep, phenocopies expression of an inducible dominant negative TBX2. Knockdown of TBX2, KAP1 or HP1 inhibited NDRG1 promoter decoration specifically with the H3K9me3 repression mark. Correspondingly, treatment with a G9A inhibitor effectively reversed TBX2 repression of NDRG1 and synergistically downregulated cell proliferation following TBX2 functional inhibition. These data demonstrate that TBX2 promotes suppression of normal growth control mechanisms through recruitment of a large repression complex to EGR1-responsive promoters leading to the uncontrolled proliferation of breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- N T Crawford
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - A J McIntyre
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - A McCormick
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Z C D'Costa
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - N E Buckley
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - P B Mullan
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
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12
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Qin X, Lu M, Zhou Y, Li G, Liu Z. LncRNA FENDRR represses proliferation, migration and invasion through suppression of survivin in cholangiocarcinoma cells. Cell Cycle 2019; 18:889-897. [PMID: 30983519 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2019.1598726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This study was to investigate the biological function and underlying mechanisms of FENDRR in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cell proliferation, migration and invasion. FENDRR and survivin expression in CCA tissues or cell lines were measured by qRT-PCR. In QBC939 and HuCCTl cells, cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8, cell migration and invasion were using transwell assay. RNA pull-down and RIP assay were performed to determine whether FENDRR can combine with SETDB1 in CCA cell. The effect of SETDB1 on survivin and H3K9me1 expression in CCA cells were determined by western blotting. ChIP analysis was performed to analyze the combination of SETDB1 with survivin promoter in CCA cell. The effect of SETDB1 knockdown on survivin and H3K9me1 expression in CCA cells after transfection with FENDRR were determined by western blotting. The results showed that lncRNA FENDRR was downregulated in CCA tissues and cells, and was negatively correlated with survivin expression. Further investigation demonstrated that FENDRR represses CCA cell proliferation, migration and invasion through regulating survivin expression. FENDRR associated with SETDB1 and H3K9 to epigenetically silence survivin and then regulated cell proliferation, migration and invasion. These findings indicate an important role for FENDRR-survivin axis in CCA cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and reveal a novel epigenetic mechanism for survivin silencing. Our data indicated that FENDRR silences survivin via SETDB1-mediated H3K9 methylation, thereby represses CCA cell proliferation, migration and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglei Qin
- a Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital , People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, School of Clinical Medicine, Henan University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
| | - Min Lu
- b Department of Cardiology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital , People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, School of Clinical Medicine, Henan University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
| | - Yajun Zhou
- a Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital , People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, School of Clinical Medicine, Henan University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
| | - Gang Li
- a Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital , People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, School of Clinical Medicine, Henan University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
| | - Zhaoyang Liu
- a Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital , People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, School of Clinical Medicine, Henan University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
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13
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Chapman MP, Risom T, Aswani AJ, Langer EM, Sears RC, Tomlin CJ. Modeling differentiation-state transitions linked to therapeutic escape in triple-negative breast cancer. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006840. [PMID: 30856168 PMCID: PMC6428348 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance in breast cancer cell populations has been shown to arise through phenotypic transition of cancer cells to a drug-tolerant state, for example through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or transition to a cancer stem cell state. However, many breast tumors are a heterogeneous mixture of cell types with numerous epigenetic states in addition to stem-like and mesenchymal phenotypes, and the dynamic behavior of this heterogeneous mixture in response to drug treatment is not well-understood. Recently, we showed that plasticity between differentiation states, as identified with intracellular markers such as cytokeratins, is linked to resistance to specific targeted therapeutics. Understanding the dynamics of differentiation-state transitions in this context could facilitate the development of more effective treatments for cancers that exhibit phenotypic heterogeneity and plasticity. In this work, we develop computational models of a drug-treated, phenotypically heterogeneous triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line to elucidate the feasibility of differentiation-state transition as a mechanism for therapeutic escape in this tumor subtype. Specifically, we use modeling to predict the changes in differentiation-state transitions that underlie specific therapy-induced changes in differentiation-state marker expression that we recently observed in the HCC1143 cell line. We report several statistically significant therapy-induced changes in transition rates between basal, luminal, mesenchymal, and non-basal/non-luminal/non-mesenchymal differentiation states in HCC1143 cell populations. Moreover, we validate model predictions on cell division and cell death empirically, and we test our models on an independent data set. Overall, we demonstrate that changes in differentiation-state transition rates induced by targeted therapy can provoke distinct differentiation-state aggregations of drug-resistant cells, which may be fundamental to the design of improved therapeutic regimens for cancers with phenotypic heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret P. Chapman
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Tyler Risom
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Anil J. Aswani
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Ellen M. Langer
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Rosalie C. Sears
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Claire J. Tomlin
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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14
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Differentiation-state plasticity is a targetable resistance mechanism in basal-like breast cancer. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3815. [PMID: 30232459 PMCID: PMC6145927 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05729-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity in cancers arises from genomic instability and epigenomic plasticity and is associated with resistance to cytotoxic and targeted therapies. We show here that cell-state heterogeneity, defined by differentiation-state marker expression, is high in triple-negative and basal-like breast cancer subtypes, and that drug tolerant persister (DTP) cell populations with altered marker expression emerge during treatment with a wide range of pathway-targeted therapeutic compounds. We show that MEK and PI3K/mTOR inhibitor-driven DTP states arise through distinct cell-state transitions rather than by Darwinian selection of preexisting subpopulations, and that these transitions involve dynamic remodeling of open chromatin architecture. Increased activity of many chromatin modifier enzymes, including BRD4, is observed in DTP cells. Co-treatment with the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 and the BET inhibitor JQ1 prevents changes to the open chromatin architecture, inhibits the acquisition of a DTP state, and results in robust cell death in vitro and xenograft regression in vivo. Resistance to therapy can be driven by intratumoral heterogeneity. Here, the authors show that drug tolerant persistent cell populations emerge during treatment, and these emergent populations arise through epigenetically mediated cell state transitions rather than sub population selection.
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15
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Strietz J, Stepputtis SS, Preca BT, Vannier C, Kim MM, Castro DJ, Au Q, Boerries M, Busch H, Aza-Blanc P, Heynen-Genel S, Bronsert P, Kuster B, Stickeler E, Brabletz T, Oshima RG, Maurer J. ERN1 and ALPK1 inhibit differentiation of bi-potential tumor-initiating cells in human breast cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 7:83278-83293. [PMID: 27829216 PMCID: PMC5347769 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancers are heterogeneous by nature. While traditional oncology screens commonly use a single endpoint of cell viability, altering the phenotype of tumor-initiating cells may reveal alternative targets that regulate cellular growth by processes other than apoptosis or cell division. We evaluated the impact of knocking down expression of 420 kinases in bi-lineage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells that express characteristics of both myoepithelial and luminal cells. Knockdown of ERN1 or ALPK1 induces bi-lineage MDA-MB-468 cells to lose the myoepithelial marker keratin 5 but not the luminal markers keratin 8 and GATA3. In addition, these cells exhibit increased β-casein production. These changes are associated with decreased proliferation and clonogenicity in spheroid cultures and anchorage-independent growth assays. Confirmation of these assays was completed in vivo, where ERN1- or ALPK1-deficient TNBC cells are less tumorigenic. Finally, treatment with K252a, a kinase inhibitor active on ERN1, similarly impairs anchorage-independent growth of multiple breast cancer cell lines. This study supports the strategy to identify new molecular targets for types of cancer driven by cells that retain some capacity for normal differentiation to a non-tumorigenic phenotype. ERN1 and ALPK1 are potential targets for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Strietz
- Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital Freiburg, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stella S Stepputtis
- Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital Freiburg, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bogdan-Tiberius Preca
- Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital Freiburg, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Corinne Vannier
- Department of Visceral Surgery, University Hospital Freiburg, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mihee M Kim
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - David J Castro
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Qingyan Au
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Boerries
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Systems Biology of the Cellular Microenvironment at The DKFZ Partner Site Freiburg, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hauke Busch
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Systems Biology of the Cellular Microenvironment at The DKFZ Partner Site Freiburg, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Pedro Aza-Blanc
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Peter Bronsert
- Department of Surgical Pathology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Kuster
- Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Partner Site of the German Cancer Consortium, Freising, Germany
| | - Elmar Stickeler
- Department of OBGYN, University Clinic Aachen (UKA), Aachen, Germany
| | - Thomas Brabletz
- Department of Experimental Medicine I, University of Erlangen-Nuernberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Robert G Oshima
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Maurer
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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16
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Chen K, Zhang F, Ding J, Liang Y, Zhan Z, Zhan Y, Chen LH, Ding Y. Histone Methyltransferase SETDB1 Promotes the Progression of Colorectal Cancer by Inhibiting the Expression of TP53. J Cancer 2017; 8:3318-3330. [PMID: 29158805 PMCID: PMC5665049 DOI: 10.7150/jca.20482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
SETDB1 is a novel histone methyltransferase associated with the functional tri-methylation of histone H3K9. Although aberrant high expression of SETDB1 was experimentally obversed in a variety of solid tumors, its underlying mechanisms in human carcinogenesis are not well known. In this study, we investigated the expression of SETDB1 in a large cohort of colorectal cancer (CRC) samples and cell lines for the first time. Our findings showed that SETDB1 was highly expressed in majority CRC tissues and cell lines; moreover, up-regulation of SETDB1 was negatively correlated with the survival rate of CRC patients. Functionally, over-expression of SETDB1 significantly promoted the proliferation and migration of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo, while knocking down SETDB1 suppressed their growth. Mechanistically, we showed that over-expression of SETDB1 significantly inhibited the apoptosis induced by 5-Fluorouracil in CRC cells, which was closely related to the inhibition of TP53 and BAX expression. Furthermore, we confirmed that SETDB1 could be recruited to the promoter region of TP53, which might contribute its inhibition of apoptosis. For conclusion, our study indicated that SETDB1 is essential for colorectal carcinogenesis, and may be a newly target for treatment and prognostic evaluation in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keli Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,HuiQiao Medical Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Fengjiao Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jie Ding
- HuiQiao Medical Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yonghao Liang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zetao Zhan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yizhi Zhan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Long-Hua Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yi Ding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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17
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Guo S, Li X, Rohr J, Wang Y, Ma S, Chen P, Wang Z. EZH2 overexpression in different immunophenotypes of breast carcinoma and association with clinicopathologic features. Diagn Pathol 2016; 11:41. [PMID: 27113214 PMCID: PMC4845361 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-016-0491-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enhancer of zest homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone 3 methyltransferase, is associated with aggressive behavior of many tumors and is a promising target of molecular therapy. METHODS To better elucidate the relevance of EZH2 in breast cancer subtypes, we evaluated EZH2 expression in 226 invasive breast carcinomas with four distinct immunophenotypes and in association with clinicopathological features. RESULTS Of these cases, 138 (61.1 %) were defined as EZH2-overexpressing with a multiplicative score > 3. EZH2 expression was inversely related to the status of ER and PR (Chi-square, p < 0.001), and it was significantly associated with HER2 positivity, high proliferative index, and high histologic grade (Chi-square, p < 0.05). ER-positive breast carcinoma with low proliferative index (Ki67 < 14 %) showed the lowest expression and triple-negative breast carcinoma showed the highest overexpression of EZH2, 18.5 % (10/54) versus 90.9 % (50/55) (Chi-square, p < 0.001). Intriguingly, 88 % (44/50) cases of grade 3 triple-negative breast carcinoma showed uniformly strong EZH2 expression with a multiplicative score of 9. The percentage of EZH2 overexpression in ER-positive breast carcinoma with a high proliferative index or HER2-positive cases were 61.2 and 74 %, respectively. Furthermore, EZH2 expression was significantly elevated in high-grade DCIS compared to benign lesions (90 % versus 0, p < 0.001). However, there is no association between EZH2 expression and the status of histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation or other clinicopathologic features. CONCLUSION In summary, triple-negative breast carcinoma showed the highest overexpression of EZH2. EZH2 overexpression is associated aggressive pathologic features including high nuclear grade, high proliferative index, and positivity of HER2 of breast carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangping Guo
- Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province, 710032, China
| | - Xia Li
- Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province, 710032, China
| | - Joseph Rohr
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, 68105, NE, USA
| | - Yingmei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province, 710032, China
| | - Shirong Ma
- Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province, 710032, China
| | - Peng Chen
- Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province, 710032, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province, 710032, China.
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18
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Jang SH, Lee JE, Oh MH, Lee JH, Cho HD, Kim KJ, Kim SY, Han SW, Kim HJ, Bae SB, Lee HJ. High EZH2 Protein Expression Is Associated with Poor Overall Survival in Patients with Luminal A Breast Cancer. J Breast Cancer 2016; 19:53-60. [PMID: 27066096 PMCID: PMC4822107 DOI: 10.4048/jbc.2016.19.1.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) is a catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2, a highly conserved histone methyltransferase. EZH2 overexpression has been implicated in various malignancies, including breast cancer, where is associated with poor outcomes. This study aims to clarify nuclear EZH2 expression levels in breast cancers using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and correlate these findings with clinicopathologic variables, including prognostic significance. METHODS IHC was performed on tissue microarrays of 432 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) tumors. Associations between EZH2 expression, clinicopathologic characteristics, and molecular subtype were retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between EZH2 protein expression in normal breast tissue and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) was also assessed. RESULTS High EZH2 expression was demonstrated in 215 of 432 tumors (49.8%). EZH2 was more frequently expressed in DCIS and IDC than in normal breast tissue (p=0.001). High EZH2 expression significantly correlated with high histologic grade (p<0.001), large tumor size (p=0.014), advanced pathologic stage (p=0.006), negative estrogen receptor status (p<0.001), positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status (p<0.001), high Ki-67 staining index (p<0.001), positive cytokeratin 5/6 status (p=0.003), positive epidermal growth factor receptor status (p<0.001), and positive p53 status (p<0.001). Based on molecular subtypes, high EZH2 expression was significantly associated with HER2-negative luminal B, HER2-positive luminal B, and HER2 type and triple-negative basal cancers (p<0.001). In patients with luminal A, there was a significant trend toward shorter overall survival for those with tumors having high EZH2 expression compared to those with tumors having low EZH2 expression (p=0.045). CONCLUSION EZH2 is frequently upregulated in breast malignancies, and it may play an important role in cancer development and progression. Furthermore, EZH2 may be a prognostic marker, especially in patients with luminal A cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Hyong Jang
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Jong Eun Lee
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Mee-Hye Oh
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Ji-Hye Lee
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hyun Deuk Cho
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Kyung-Ju Kim
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sung Yong Kim
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sun Wook Han
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Han Jo Kim
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sang Byung Bae
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hyun Ju Lee
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
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19
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Liu L, Kimball S, Liu H, Holowatyj A, Yang ZQ. Genetic alterations of histone lysine methyltransferases and their significance in breast cancer. Oncotarget 2016; 6:2466-82. [PMID: 25537518 PMCID: PMC4385864 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone lysine methyltransferases (HMTs), a large class of enzymes that catalyze site-specific methylation of lysine residues on histones and other proteins, play critical roles in controlling transcription, chromatin architecture, and cellular differentiation. However, the genomic landscape and clinical significance of HMTs in breast cancer remain poorly characterized. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of approximately 50 HMTs in breast cancer and identified associations among recurrent copy number alterations, mutations, gene expression, and clinical outcome. We identified 12 HMTs with the highest frequency of genetic alterations, including 8 with high-level amplification, 2 with putative homozygous deletion, and 2 with somatic mutation. Different subtypes of breast cancer have different patterns of copy number and expression for each HMT gene. In addition, chromosome 1q contains four HMTs that are concurrently or independently amplified or overexpressed in breast cancer. Copy number or mRNA expression of several HMTs was significantly associated with basal-like breast cancer and shorter patient survival. Integrative analysis identified 8 HMTs (SETDB1, SMYD3, ASH1L, SMYD2, WHSC1L1, SUV420H1, SETDB2, and KMT2C) that are dysregulated by genetic alterations, classifying them as candidate therapeutic targets. Together, our findings provide a strong foundation for further mechanistic research and therapeutic options using HMTs to treat breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanxin Liu
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sarah Kimball
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Andreana Holowatyj
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Zeng-Quan Yang
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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20
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Izzo F, Mercogliano F, Venturutti L, Tkach M, Inurrigarro G, Schillaci R, Cerchietti L, Elizalde PV, Proietti CJ. Progesterone receptor activation downregulates GATA3 by transcriptional repression and increased protein turnover promoting breast tumor growth. Breast Cancer Res 2014; 16:491. [PMID: 25479686 PMCID: PMC4303201 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-014-0491-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The transcription factor GATA3 is involved in mammary gland development and is crucial for the maintenance of the differentiated status of luminal epithelial cells. The role of GATA3 in breast cancer as a tumor suppressor has been established, although insights into the mechanism of GATA3 expression loss are still required. Methods Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to study progestin modulation of recruitment of transcription factors to GATA3 promoter. We performed western blot and reverse RT-qPCR experiments to explore progestin regulation of GATA3 protein and mRNA expression respectively. Confocal microscopy and in vitro phosphorylation studies were conducted to examine progestin capacity to induce GATA3 serine phosphorylation in its 308 residue. GATA3 participation in progestin-induced breast cancer growth was addressed in in vitro proliferation and in vivo tumor growth experiments. Results In this study, we demonstrate that progestin-activated progesterone receptor (PR) reduces GATA3 expression through regulation at the transcriptional and post-translational levels in breast cancer cells. In the former mechanism, the histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 is co-recruited with activated PR to a putative progesterone response element in the GATA3 proximal promoter, increasing H3K27me3 levels and inducing chromatin compaction, resulting in decreased GATA3 mRNA levels. This transcriptional regulation is coupled with increased GATA3 protein turnover through progestin-induced GATA3 phosphorylation at serine 308 followed by 26S proteasome-mediated degradation. Both molecular mechanisms converge to accomplish decreased GATA3 expression levels in breast cancer cells upon PR activation. In addition, we demonstrated that decreased GATA3 levels are required for progestin-induced upregulation of cyclin A2, which mediates the G1 to S phase transition of the cell cycle and was reported to be associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. Finally, we showed that downregulation of GATA3 is required for progestin stimulation of both in vitro cell proliferation and in vivo tumor growth. Conclusions In the present study, we reveal that progestin-induced PR activation leads to loss of GATA3 expression in breast cancer cells through transcriptional and post-translational regulation. Importantly, we demonstrate that GATA3 downregulation is required for progestin-induced upregulation of cyclin A2 and for progestin-induced in vitro and in vivo breast cancer cell growth. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-014-0491-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franco Izzo
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, 1428 ADN, Argentina.
| | - Florencia Mercogliano
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, 1428 ADN, Argentina.
| | - Leandro Venturutti
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, 1428 ADN, Argentina.
| | - Mercedes Tkach
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, 1428 ADN, Argentina.
| | | | - Roxana Schillaci
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, 1428 ADN, Argentina.
| | | | - Patricia V Elizalde
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, 1428 ADN, Argentina.
| | - Cecilia J Proietti
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, 1428 ADN, Argentina.
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Cohen H, Ben-Hamo R, Gidoni M, Yitzhaki I, Kozol R, Zilberberg A, Efroni S. Shift in GATA3 functions, and GATA3 mutations, control progression and clinical presentation in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res 2014; 16:464. [PMID: 25410484 PMCID: PMC4303202 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-014-0464-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) is a regulator of mammary luminal cell differentiation, and an estrogen receptor (ER) associated marker in breast cancer. Tumor suppressor functions of GATA3 have been demonstrated primarily in basal-like breast cancers. Here, we focused on its function in luminal breast cancer, where GATA3 is frequently mutated, and its levels are significantly elevated. Methods GATA3 target genes were identified in normal- and luminal cancer- mammary cells by ChIP-seq, followed by examination of the effects of GATA3 expressions and mutations on tumorigenesis-associated genes and processes. Additionally, mutations and expression data of luminal breast cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas were analyzed to characterize genetic signatures associated with GATA3 mutations. Results We show that some GATA3 effects shift from tumor suppressing to tumor promoting during tumorigenesis, with deregulation of three genes, BCL2, DACH1, THSD4, representing major GATA3-controlled processes in cancer progression. In addition, we identify an altered activity of mutant GATA3, and distinct associated genetic signatures. These signatures depend on the functional domain mutated; and, for a specific subgroup, are shared with basal-like breast cancer patients, who are a clinical group with regard to considerations of mode of treatment. Conclusions The GATA3 dependent mechanisms may call for special considerations for proper prognosis and treatment of patients. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-014-0464-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helit Cohen
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
| | - Rotem Ben-Hamo
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
| | - Moriah Gidoni
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
| | - Ilana Yitzhaki
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
| | - Renana Kozol
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
| | - Alona Zilberberg
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
| | - Sol Efroni
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel.
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22
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Granit RZ, Slyper M, Ben-Porath I. Axes of differentiation in breast cancer: untangling stemness, lineage identity, and the epithelial to mesenchymal transition. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2014; 6:93-106. [PMID: 24741710 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Differentiation-associated regulatory programs are central in determining tumor phenotype, and contribute to heterogeneity between tumors and between individual cells within them. The transcriptional programs that control luminal and basal lineage identity in the normal mammary epithelium, as well as progenitor and stem cell function, are active in breast cancers, and show distinct associations with different disease subtypes. Also active in some tumors is the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) program, which endows carcinoma cells with mesenchymal as well as stem cell traits. The differentiation state of breast cancer cells is thus dictated by the complex combination of regulatory programs, and these can dramatically affect tumor growth and metastatic capacity. Breast cancer differentiation is often viewed along an axis between a basal–mesenchymal–stem cell state and a luminal–epithelial–differentiated state. Here we consider the links, as well as the distinctions, between the three components of this axis: basal versus luminal, mesenchymal versus epithelial, and stem cell versus differentiated identity. Analysis on a multidimensional scale, in which each of these axes is assessed separately, may offer increased resolution of tumor differentiation state. Cancer cells possessing a high degree of stemness would display increased capacity to shift between positions on such a multidimensional scale, and to acquire intermediate phenotypes on its different axes. Further molecular analysis of breast cancer cells with a focus on single-cell profiling, and the development of improved tools for dissection of the circuits controlling gene activity, are essential for the elucidation of the programs dictating breast cancer differentiation state.
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23
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Genotranscriptomic meta-analysis of the Polycomb gene CBX2 in human cancers: initial evidence of an oncogenic role. Br J Cancer 2014; 111:1663-72. [PMID: 25225902 PMCID: PMC4200100 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2014.474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 08/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are histone modifiers known to transcriptionally silence key tumour suppressor genes in multiple human cancers. The chromobox proteins (CBX2, 4, 6, 7, and 8) are critical components of PcG-mediated repression. Four of them have been associated with tumour biology, but the role of CBX2 in cancer remains largely uncharacterised. Methods: Addressing this issue, we conducted a comprehensive and unbiased genotranscriptomic meta-analysis of CBX2 in human cancers using the COSMIC and Oncomine databases. Results: We discovered changes in gene expression that are suggestive of a widespread oncogenic role for CBX2. Our genetic analysis of 8013 tumours spanning 29 tissue types revealed no inactivating chromosomal aberrations and only 40 point mutations at the CBX2 locus. In contrast, the overall rate of CBX2 amplification averaged 10% in all combined neoplasms but exceeded 30% in ovarian, breast, and lung tumours. In addition, transcriptomic analyses revealed a strong tendency for increased CBX2 mRNA levels in many cancers compared with normal tissues, independently of CDKN2A/B silencing. Furthermore, CBX2 upregulation and amplification significantly correlated with metastatic progression and lower overall survival in many cancer types, particularly those of the breast. Conclusions: Overall, we report that the molecular profile of CBX2 is suggestive of an oncogenic role. As CBX2 has never been studied in human neoplasms, our results provide the rationale to further investigate the function of CBX2 in the context of cancer cells.
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24
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Popovic R, Martinez-Garcia E, Giannopoulou EG, Zhang Q, Zhang Q, Ezponda T, Shah MY, Zheng Y, Will CM, Small EC, Hua Y, Bulic M, Jiang Y, Carrara M, Calogero RA, Kath WL, Kelleher NL, Wang JP, Elemento O, Licht JD. Histone methyltransferase MMSET/NSD2 alters EZH2 binding and reprograms the myeloma epigenome through global and focal changes in H3K36 and H3K27 methylation. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004566. [PMID: 25188243 PMCID: PMC4154646 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of the histone methyltransferase MMSET in t(4;14)+ multiple myeloma patients is believed to be the driving factor in the pathogenesis of this subtype of myeloma. MMSET catalyzes dimethylation of lysine 36 on histone H3 (H3K36me2), and its overexpression causes a global increase in H3K36me2, redistributing this mark in a broad, elevated level across the genome. Here, we demonstrate that an increased level of MMSET also induces a global reduction of lysine 27 trimethylation on histone H3 (H3K27me3). Despite the net decrease in H3K27 methylation, specific genomic loci exhibit enhanced recruitment of the EZH2 histone methyltransferase and become hypermethylated on this residue. These effects likely contribute to the myeloma phenotype since MMSET-overexpressing cells displayed increased sensitivity to EZH2 inhibition. Furthermore, we demonstrate that such MMSET-mediated epigenetic changes require a number of functional domains within the protein, including PHD domains that mediate MMSET recruitment to chromatin. In vivo, targeting of MMSET by an inducible shRNA reversed histone methylation changes and led to regression of established tumors in athymic mice. Together, our work elucidates previously unrecognized interplay between MMSET and EZH2 in myeloma oncogenesis and identifies domains to be considered when designing inhibitors of MMSET function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Relja Popovic
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Eva Martinez-Garcia
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Eugenia G. Giannopoulou
- Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration Program and the David Z. Rosensweig Genomics Research Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, United States of America
- Biological Sciences Department, New York City College of Technology, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Quanwei Zhang
- Department of Statistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Qingyang Zhang
- Department of Statistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Teresa Ezponda
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Mrinal Y. Shah
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Yupeng Zheng
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Christine M. Will
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Eliza C. Small
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Youjia Hua
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Marinka Bulic
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Yanwen Jiang
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine and Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Matteo Carrara
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, Department of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Raffaele A. Calogero
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, Department of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - William L. Kath
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Neil L. Kelleher
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ji-Ping Wang
- Department of Statistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Olivier Elemento
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine and Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jonathan D. Licht
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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25
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Sequencing of Captive Target Transcripts Identifies the Network of Regulated Genes and Functions of Primate-Specific miR-522. Cell Rep 2014; 8:1225-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Revised: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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26
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Aberrant expression of enhancer of zeste homologue 2, correlated with HIF-1α, refines relapse risk and predicts poor outcome for breast cancer. Oncol Rep 2014; 32:1101-7. [DOI: 10.3892/or.2014.3322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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27
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Bae WK, Yoo KH, Lee JS, Kim Y, Chung IJ, Park MH, Yoon JH, Furth PA, Hennighausen L. The methyltransferase EZH2 is not required for mammary cancer development, although high EZH2 and low H3K27me3 correlate with poor prognosis of ER-positive breast cancers. Mol Carcinog 2014; 54:1172-80. [PMID: 25043748 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 04/27/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) catalyzes trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) and its demethylation is catalyzed by UTX. EZH2 levels are frequently elevated in breast cancer and have been proposed to control gene expression through regulating repressive H3K27me3 marks. However, it is not fully established whether breast cancers with different levels of H3K27me3, EZH2 and UTX exhibit different biological behaviors. Levels of H3K27me3, EZH2 and UTX and their prognostic significance were evaluated in 146 cases of breast cancer. H3K27me3 levels were higher in HER2-negative samples. EZH2 expression was higher in cancers that were LN+, size > 20mm, and with higher tumor grade and stage. Using a Cox regression model, H3K27me3 levels and EZH2 expression were identified as independent prognostic factors for overall survival for all the breast cancers studied as well as the ER-positive subgroup. The combination of low H3K27me3 and high EZH2 expression levels were significantly associated with shorter survival. UTX expression was not significantly associated with prognosis and there were no correlations between H3K27me3 levels and EZH2/UTX expression. To determine if EZH2 is required to establish H3K27me3 marks in mammary cancer, Brca1 and Ezh2 were deleted in mammary stem cells in mice. Brca1-deficient mammary cancers with unaltered H3K27me3 levels developed in the absence of EZH2, demonstrating that EZH2 is not a mandatory H3K27 methyltransferase in mammary neoplasia and providing genetic evidence for biological independence between H3K27me3 and EZH2 in this tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Kyun Bae
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.,Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Kyung Hyun Yoo
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ji Shin Lee
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Young Kim
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Ik-Joo Chung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Min Ho Park
- Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Jung Han Yoon
- Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Priscilla A Furth
- Department of Oncology and Medicine, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Lothar Hennighausen
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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28
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Jiang M, Huang O, Zhang X, Xie Z, Shen A, Liu H, Geng M, Shen K. Curcumin induces cell death and restores tamoxifen sensitivity in the antiestrogen-resistant breast cancer cell lines MCF-7/LCC2 and MCF-7/LCC9. Molecules 2013; 18:701-20. [PMID: 23299550 PMCID: PMC6269686 DOI: 10.3390/molecules18010701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Revised: 12/24/2012] [Accepted: 12/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Curcumin, a principal component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), has potential therapeutic activities against breast cancer through multiple signaling pathways. Increasing evidence indicates that curcumin reverses chemo-resistance and sensitizes cancer cells to chemotherapy and targeted therapy in breast cancer. To date, few studies have explored its potential antiproliferation effects and resistance reversal in antiestrogen-resistant breast cancer. In this study, we therefore investigated the efficacy of curcumin alone and in combination with tamoxifen in the established antiestrogen-resistant breast cancer cell lines MCF-7/LCC2 and MCF-7/LCC9. We discovered that curcumin treatment displayed anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities and induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. Of note, the combination of curcumin and tamoxifen resulted in a synergistic survival inhibition in MCF-7/LCC2 and MCF-7/LCC9 cells. Moreover, we found that curcumin targeted multiple signals involved in growth maintenance and resistance acquisition in endocrine resistant cells. In our cell models, curcumin could suppress expression of pro-growth and anti-apoptosis molecules, induce inactivation of NF-κB, Src and Akt/mTOR pathways and downregulate the key epigenetic modifier EZH2. The above findings suggested that curcumin alone and combinations of curcumin with endocrine therapy may be of therapeutic benefit for endocrine-resistant breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jiang
- Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; E-Mails: (M.J.); (O.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Ou Huang
- Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; E-Mails: (M.J.); (O.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xi Zhang
- Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; E-Mails: (M.J.); (O.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Zuoquan Xie
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; E-Mails: (Z.X.); (A.S.); (H.L.)
| | - Aijun Shen
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; E-Mails: (Z.X.); (A.S.); (H.L.)
| | - Hongchun Liu
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; E-Mails: (Z.X.); (A.S.); (H.L.)
| | - Meiyu Geng
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; E-Mails: (Z.X.); (A.S.); (H.L.)
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: (M.G.); (K.S.); Tel.: +86-21-6437-0045 (K.S.); Fax: +86-21-6415-6886 (K.S.)
| | - Kunwei Shen
- Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; E-Mails: (M.J.); (O.H.); (X.Z.)
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: (M.G.); (K.S.); Tel.: +86-21-6437-0045 (K.S.); Fax: +86-21-6415-6886 (K.S.)
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