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Stötzel M, Cheng CY, IIik IA, Kumar AS, Omgba PA, van der Weijden VA, Zhang Y, Vingron M, Meissner A, Aktaş T, Kretzmer H, Bulut-Karslioğlu A. TET activity safeguards pluripotency throughout embryonic dormancy. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-024-01313-7. [PMID: 38783076 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01313-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Dormancy is an essential biological process for the propagation of many life forms through generations and stressful conditions. Early embryos of many mammals are preservable for weeks to months within the uterus in a dormant state called diapause, which can be induced in vitro through mTOR inhibition. Cellular strategies that safeguard original cell identity within the silent genomic landscape of dormancy are not known. Here we show that the protection of cis-regulatory elements from silencing is key to maintaining pluripotency in the dormant state. We reveal a TET-transcription factor axis, in which TET-mediated DNA demethylation and recruitment of methylation-sensitive transcription factor TFE3 drive transcriptionally inert chromatin adaptations during dormancy transition. Perturbation of TET activity compromises pluripotency and survival of mouse embryos under dormancy, whereas its enhancement improves survival rates. Our results reveal an essential mechanism for propagating the cellular identity of dormant cells, with implications for regeneration and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Stötzel
- Stem Cell Chromatin Lab, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Chieh-Yu Cheng
- Stem Cell Chromatin Lab, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ibrahim A IIik
- Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Abhishek Sampath Kumar
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Persia Akbari Omgba
- Stem Cell Chromatin Lab, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Yufei Zhang
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Vingron
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Meissner
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tuğçe Aktaş
- Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Fenelon JC. New insights into how to induce and maintain embryonic diapause in the blastocyst. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102192. [PMID: 38604005 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Embryonic diapause in mammals is a period of developmental pause of the embryo at the blastocyst stage. During diapause, the blastocyst has minimal cell proliferation, metabolic activity and gene expression. At reactivation, blastocyst development resumes, characterised by increases in cell number, biosynthesis and metabolism. Until recently, it has been unknown how diapause is maintained without any loss of blastocyst viability. This review focuses on recent progress in the identification of molecular pathways occurring in the blastocyst that can both cause and maintain the diapause state. A switch to lipid metabolism now appears essential to maintaining the diapause state and is induced by forkhead box protein O1. The forkhead box protein O transcription family is important for diapause in insects, nematodes and fish, but this is the first time a conclusive role has been established in mammals. Multiple epigenetic modifications are also essential to inducing and maintaining the diapause state, including both DNA and RNA methylation mechanisms. Finally, it now appears that diapause embryos, dormant stem cells and chemotherapeutic-resistant cancer cells may all share a universal system of quiescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane C Fenelon
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Colossal Biosciences, Dallas, Texas, United States.
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3
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Wu X, Zeng M, Wei Y, Lu R, Huang Z, Huang L, Huang Y, Lu Y, Li W, Wei H, Pu J. METTL3 and METTL14-mediated N 6-methyladenosine modification of SREBF2-AS1 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma progression and sorafenib resistance through DNA demethylation of SREBF2. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6155. [PMID: 38486042 PMCID: PMC10940719 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55932-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
As the most prevalent epitranscriptomic modification, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) shows important roles in a variety of diseases through regulating the processing, stability and translation of target RNAs. However, the potential contributions of m6A to RNA functions are unclear. Here, we identified a functional and prognosis-related m6A-modified RNA SREBF2-AS1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression of SREBF2-AS1 and SREBF2 in HCC tissues and cells was measured by RT-qPCR. m6A modification level of SREBF2-AS1 was measured by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation assay. The roles of SREBF2-AS1 in HCC progression and sorafenib resistance were investigated by proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and cell viability assays. The regulatory mechanisms of SREBF2-AS1 on SREBF2 were investigated by Chromatin isolation by RNA purification, RNA immunoprecipitation, CUT&RUN, and bisulfite DNA sequencing assays. Our findings showed that the expression of SREBF2-AS1 was increased in HCC tissues and cells, and positively correlated with poor survival of HCC patients. m6A modification level of SREBF2-AS1 was also increased in HCC and positively correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. METTL3 and METTL14-induced m6A modification upregulated SREBF2-AS1 expression through increasing SREBF2-AS1 transcript stability. Functional assays showed that only m6A-modified, but not non-modified SREBF2-AS1 promoted HCC progression and sorafenib resistance. Mechanistic investigations revealed that m6A-modified SREBF2-AS1 bound and recruited m6A reader FXR1 and DNA 5-methylcytosine dioxygenase TET1 to SREBF2 promoter, leading to DNA demethylation at SREBF2 promoter and the upregulation of SREBF2 transcription. Functional rescue assays showed that SREBF2 was the critical mediator of the oncogenic roles of SREBF2-AS1 in HCC. Together, this study showed that m6A-modified SREBF2-AS1 exerted oncogenic roles in HCC through inducing DNA demethylation and transcriptional activation of SREBF2, and suggested m6A-modified SREBF2-AS1 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjian Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, No. 18 Zhongshan Two Road, Baise, 533000, China
| | - Min Zeng
- Graduate College of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Yunyu Wei
- Graduate College of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Rongzhou Lu
- Graduate College of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Zheng Huang
- Graduate College of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Lizheng Huang
- Graduate College of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Yanyan Huang
- Graduate College of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Yuan Lu
- Graduate College of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Wenchuan Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, No. 18 Zhongshan Two Road, Baise, 533000, China
| | - Huamei Wei
- Clinical Pathological Diagnosis and Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Jian Pu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, No. 18 Zhongshan Two Road, Baise, 533000, China.
- Guangxi Clinical Medical Research Center of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Baise, China.
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4
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Collignon E. Unveiling the role of cellular dormancy in cancer progression and recurrence. Curr Opin Oncol 2024; 36:74-81. [PMID: 38193374 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0000000000001013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Cellular dormancy is a major contributor to cancer progression and recurrence. This review explores recent findings on the molecular mechanisms implicated in cancer dormancy and investigates potential strategies to improve therapeutic interventions. RECENT FINDINGS Research on cancer dormancy reveals a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Providing a latent reservoir of tumor cells with reduced proliferation and enhanced drug-tolerance, dormant cancer cells emerge from a clonally diverse population after therapy or at metastatic sites. These cells exhibit distinct transcriptional and epigenetic profiles, involving the downregulation of Myc and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways, and the induction of autophagy. Senescence traits, under the control of factors such as p53, also contribute significantly. The tumor microenvironment can either promote or prevent dormancy establishment, notably through the involvement of T and NK cells within the dormant tumor niche. Strategies to combat dormancy-related relapse include direct elimination of dormant tumor cells, sustaining dormancy to prolong survival, or awakening dormant cells to re-sensitize them to antiproliferative drugs. SUMMARY Improving our understanding of cancer dormancy at primary and secondary sites provides valuable insights into patient care and relapse prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Collignon
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Faculty of Medicine, ULB-Cancer Research Centre (U-CRC) and Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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van der Weijden VA, Stötzel M, Iyer DP, Fauler B, Gralinska E, Shahraz M, Meierhofer D, Vingron M, Rulands S, Alexandrov T, Mielke T, Bulut-Karslioglu A. FOXO1-mediated lipid metabolism maintains mammalian embryos in dormancy. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:181-193. [PMID: 38177284 PMCID: PMC10866708 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01325-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian developmental timing is adjustable in vivo by preserving pre-implantation embryos in a dormant state called diapause. Inhibition of the growth regulator mTOR (mTORi) pauses mouse development in vitro, yet how embryonic dormancy is maintained is not known. Here we show that mouse embryos in diapause are sustained by using lipids as primary energy source. In vitro, supplementation of embryos with the metabolite L-carnitine balances lipid consumption, puts the embryos in deeper dormancy and boosts embryo longevity. We identify FOXO1 as an essential regulator of the energy balance in dormant embryos and propose, through meta-analyses of dormant cell signatures, that it may be a common regulator of dormancy across adult tissues. Our results lift a constraint on in vitro embryo survival and suggest that lipid metabolism may be a critical metabolic transition relevant for longevity and stem cell function across tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera A van der Weijden
- Stem Cell Chromatin Group, Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maximilian Stötzel
- Stem Cell Chromatin Group, Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dhanur P Iyer
- Stem Cell Chromatin Group, Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Beatrix Fauler
- Microscopy and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elzbieta Gralinska
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Mohammed Shahraz
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Meierhofer
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Vingron
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Steffen Rulands
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Theodore Alexandrov
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mielke
- Microscopy and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Aydan Bulut-Karslioglu
- Stem Cell Chromatin Group, Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.
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6
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Cui W, Guo M, Liu D, Xiao P, Yang C, Huang H, Liang C, Yang Y, Fu X, Zhang Y, Liu J, Shi S, Cong J, Han Z, Xu Y, Du L, Yin C, Zhang Y, Sun J, Gu W, Chai R, Zhu S, Chu B. Gut microbial metabolite facilitates colorectal cancer development via ferroptosis inhibition. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:124-137. [PMID: 38168770 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01314-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The gut microbiota play a pivotal role in human health. Emerging evidence indicates that gut microbes participate in the progression of tumorigenesis through the generation of carcinogenic metabolites. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is largely unknown. In the present study we show that a tryptophan metabolite derived from Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, trans-3-indoleacrylic acid (IDA), facilitates colorectal carcinogenesis. Mechanistically, IDA acts as an endogenous ligand of an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) to transcriptionally upregulate the expression of ALDH1A3 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A3), which utilizes retinal as a substrate to generate NADH, essential for ferroptosis-suppressor protein 1(FSP1)-mediated synthesis of reduced coenzyme Q10. Loss of AHR or ALDH1A3 largely abrogates IDA-promoted tumour development both in vitro and in vivo. It is interesting that P. anaerobius is significantly enriched in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). IDA treatment or implantation of P. anaerobius promotes CRC progression in both xenograft model and ApcMin/+ mice. Together, our findings demonstrate that targeting the IDA-AHR-ALDH1A3 axis should be promising for ferroptosis-related CRC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Cui
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Meng Guo
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Dong Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Peng Xiao
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Chuancheng Yang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Haidi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Sheng Yushou Center of Cell Biology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunhui Liang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yinghong Yang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaolong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Advanced Institute for Life and Health, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yudan Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jiaxing Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shuang Shi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jingjing Cong
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zili Han
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yunfei Xu
- Qilu hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lutao Du
- Qilu hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Chengqian Yin
- Institute for Cancer Research, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yongchun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Sheng Yushou Center of Cell Biology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinpeng Sun
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Wei Gu
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Renjie Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Advanced Institute for Life and Health, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Shu Zhu
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Bo Chu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
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7
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Xu X, Qin B. Pausing pluripotency via RNA methylation. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:1241-1242. [PMID: 37696946 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01203-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xueting Xu
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Cell Fate, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baoming Qin
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Cell Fate, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
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