1
|
Zhang X, Joseph S, Wu D, Bowser JL, Vaziri C. The DNA Damage Response (DDR) landscape of endometrial cancer defines discrete disease subtypes and reveals therapeutic opportunities. NAR Cancer 2024; 6:zcae015. [PMID: 38596432 PMCID: PMC11000323 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcae015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Genome maintenance is an enabling characteristic that allows neoplastic cells to tolerate the inherent stresses of tumorigenesis and evade therapy-induced genotoxicity. Neoplastic cells also deploy many mis-expressed germ cell proteins termed Cancer Testes Antigens (CTAs) to promote genome maintenance and survival. Here, we present the first comprehensive characterization of the DNA Damage Response (DDR) and CTA transcriptional landscapes of endometrial cancer in relation to conventional histological and molecular subtypes. We show endometrial serous carcinoma (ESC), an aggressive endometrial cancer subtype, is defined by gene expression signatures comprising members of the Replication Fork Protection Complex (RFPC) and Fanconi Anemia (FA) pathway and CTAs with mitotic functions. DDR and CTA-based profiling also defines a subset of highly aggressive endometrioid endometrial carcinomas (EEC) with poor clinical outcomes that share similar profiles to ESC yet have distinct characteristics based on conventional histological and genomic features. Using an unbiased CRISPR-based genetic screen and a candidate gene approach, we confirm that DDR and CTA genes that constitute the ESC and related EEC gene signatures are required for proliferation and therapy-resistance of cultured endometrial cancer cells. Our study validates the use of DDR and CTA-based tumor classifiers and reveals new vulnerabilities of aggressive endometrial cancer where none currently exist.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingyuan Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC - 27599, USA
| | - Sayali Joseph
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC - 27599, USA
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Dentistry, Chapel Hill, NC - 27599, USA
| | - Jessica L Bowser
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC - 27599, USA
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC - 27599, USA
| | - Cyrus Vaziri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC - 27599, USA
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC - 27599, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Laisné M, Rodgers B, Benlamara S, Wicinski J, Nicolas A, Djerroudi L, Gupta N, Ferry L, Kirsh O, Daher D, Philippe C, Okada Y, Charafe-Jauffret E, Cristofari G, Meseure D, Vincent-Salomon A, Ginestier C, Defossez PA. A novel bioinformatic approach reveals cooperation between Cancer/Testis genes in basal-like breast tumors. Oncogene 2024; 43:1369-1385. [PMID: 38467851 PMCID: PMC11065691 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03002-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer in women worldwide. Within breast tumors, the basal-like subtype has the worst prognosis, prompting the need for new tools to understand, detect, and treat these tumors. Certain germline-restricted genes show aberrant expression in tumors and are known as Cancer/Testis genes; their misexpression has diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Here we designed a new bioinformatic approach to examine Cancer/Testis gene misexpression in breast tumors. We identify several new markers in Luminal and HER-2 positive tumors, some of which predict response to chemotherapy. We then use machine learning to identify the two Cancer/Testis genes most associated with basal-like breast tumors: HORMAD1 and CT83. We show that these genes are expressed by tumor cells and not by the microenvironment, and that they are not expressed by normal breast progenitors; in other words, their activation occurs de novo. We find these genes are epigenetically repressed by DNA methylation, and that their activation upon DNA demethylation is irreversible, providing a memory of past epigenetic disturbances. Simultaneous expression of both genes in breast cells in vitro has a synergistic effect that increases stemness and activates a transcriptional profile also observed in double-positive tumors. Therefore, we reveal a functional cooperation between Cancer/Testis genes in basal breast tumors; these findings have consequences for the understanding, diagnosis, and therapy of the breast tumors with the worst outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marthe Laisné
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Brianna Rodgers
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Sarah Benlamara
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Julien Wicinski
- CRCM, Inserm, CNRS, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille University, Epithelial Stem Cells and Cancer Laboratory, Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Marseille, France
| | - André Nicolas
- Platform of Experimental Pathology, Department of Diagnostic and Theranostic Medicine, Institut Curie-Hospital, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Lounes Djerroudi
- Department of Pathology, Institut Curie, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Nikhil Gupta
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Laure Ferry
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Kirsh
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Diana Daher
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, F-75013, Paris, France
| | | | - Yuki Okada
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Emmanuelle Charafe-Jauffret
- CRCM, Inserm, CNRS, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille University, Epithelial Stem Cells and Cancer Laboratory, Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Marseille, France
| | | | - Didier Meseure
- Platform of Experimental Pathology, Department of Diagnostic and Theranostic Medicine, Institut Curie-Hospital, 75005, Paris, France
| | | | - Christophe Ginestier
- CRCM, Inserm, CNRS, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille University, Epithelial Stem Cells and Cancer Laboratory, Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Marseille, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Naik A, Lattab B, Qasem H, Decock J. Cancer testis antigens: Emerging therapeutic targets leveraging genomic instability in cancer. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200768. [PMID: 38596293 PMCID: PMC10876628 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Cancer care has witnessed remarkable progress in recent decades, with a wide array of targeted therapies and immune-based interventions being added to the traditional treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, despite these advancements, the challenge of achieving high tumor specificity while minimizing adverse side effects continues to dictate the benefit-risk balance of cancer therapy, guiding clinical decision making. As such, the targeting of cancer testis antigens (CTAs) offers exciting new opportunities for therapeutic intervention of cancer since they display highly tumor specific expression patterns, natural immunogenicity and play pivotal roles in various biological processes that are critical for tumor cellular fitness. In this review, we delve deeper into how CTAs contribute to the regulation and maintenance of genomic integrity in cancer, and how these mechanisms can be exploited to specifically target and eradicate tumor cells. We review the current clinical trials targeting aforementioned CTAs, highlight promising pre-clinical data and discuss current challenges and future perspectives for future development of CTA-based strategies that exploit tumor genomic instability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adviti Naik
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Boucif Lattab
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hanan Qasem
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Julie Decock
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang H, Xie R, Niu F, Yang Q, An L, Wu C, Liu X, Yang X. Structural and biochemical insights into the interaction mechanism underlying HORMAD1 and its partner proteins. Structure 2023; 31:1578-1588.e3. [PMID: 37794593 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian HORMA domain-containing protein 1 (HORMAD1) regulates DNA mismatch repair and homologous recombination (HR) repair in many cancers. Here, we show that the structure of human HORMAD1 adopts a self-closed conformation and displays an intra-molecular HORMA domain-closure motif interaction mode. Structural and biochemical data suggest that the interaction modes of the peptide motifs from HORMAD2 and MCM9 with HORMAD1 are highly similar to that of HORMAD1 own closure motif. The peptide motifs from diverse binding partners of HORMAD1 share a conserved Ser-Glu-Pro sequence. Additionally, structural comparison unveiled the HORMA-peptide motif interaction mode diversity among HORMA-containing proteins. Finally, cell-based assays revealed that this HORMA-closure motif interaction pattern contributes to DNA mismatch repair and is required for HORMAD1-dependent HR repair. Together, our results provide structural and biochemical insights into the common theme and functional plasticity of the HORMA domain-containing protein family, and also reveal a universal regulation mechanism for HORMAD1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hong Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
| | - Rong Xie
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, Hainan 571199, China
| | - Fumin Niu
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
| | - Qian Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
| | - Lina An
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China
| | - Chen Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China.
| | - Xiuhua Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China.
| | - Xiaoyun Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, China; Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang X, Joseph S, Wu D, Bowser JL, Vaziri C. The DNA Damage Response (DDR) landscape of endometrial cancer defines discrete disease subtypes and reveals therapeutic opportunities. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.20.567919. [PMID: 38045328 PMCID: PMC10690150 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.20.567919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Genome maintenance is an enabling characteristic that allows neoplastic cells to tolerate the inherent stresses of tumorigenesis and evade therapy-induced genotoxicity. Neoplastic cells also deploy mis-expressed germ cell proteins termed Cancer Testes Antigens (CTAs) to promote genome maintenance and survival. Here, we present the first comprehensive characterization of the DNA Damage Response (DDR) and CTA transcriptional landscapes of endometrial cancer in relation to conventional histological and molecular subtypes. We show endometrial serous carcinoma (ESC), an aggressive endometrial cancer subtype, is defined by gene expression signatures comprising members of the Replication Fork Protection Complex (RFPC) and Fanconi Anemia (FA) pathway and CTAs with mitotic functions. DDR and CTA- based profiling also defines a subset of highly aggressive endometrioid endometrial carcinomas (EEC) with poor clinical outcomes that share similar profiles to ESC yet have distinct characteristics based on conventional histological and genomic features. Using an unbiased CRISPR-based genetic screen and a candidate gene approach, we confirm that DDR and CTA genes that constitute the ESC and related EEC gene signatures are required for proliferation and therapy-resistance of cultured endometrial cancer cells. Our study validates the use of DDR and CTA-based tumor classifiers and reveals new vulnerabilities of aggressive endometrial cancer where none currently exist.
Collapse
|
6
|
Herrera LR, Johnson RA, McGlynn K, Gibbs ZA, Davis AJ, Whitehurst AW. The cancer testes antigen, HORMAD1, limits genomic instability in cancer cells by protecting stalled replication forks. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105348. [PMID: 37838177 PMCID: PMC10656231 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumors anomalously induce the expression of meiotic genes, which are otherwise restricted only to developing gametes. If and how these aberrantly expressed meiotic proteins influence DNA metabolism is not clear, but could have important implications for how tumors acquire and mitigate genomic instability. HORMAD1 is a highly conserved meiotic protein that is frequently expressed in lung adenocarincoma where its expression correlates with reduced patient survival and increased mutation burden. Here, we find that HORMAD1 associates with the replisome and is critical for protecting stalled DNA replication forks. Loss of HORMAD1 leads to nascent DNA strand degradation, an event which is mediated by the MRE11-DNA2-BLM pathway. We find that these phenotypes are due to limited RAD51 loading onto stalled replication forks in the absence of HORMAD1. Ultimately, loss of HORMAD1 leads to increased DNA breaks and chromosomal defects, which is exacerbated dramatically by induction of replication stress. Tumor cells proliferate despite encountering chronic replication stress, placing them on the precipice of catastrophic genomic damage. Our data support the hypothesis that the aberrant expression of HORMAD1 is engaged to attenuate the accumulation of excessive DNA damage due to chronic replication stress, which may otherwise lead to accumulation of toxic levels of genomic instability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Reza Herrera
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Ronnesha A Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Kathleen McGlynn
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Zane A Gibbs
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Anthony J Davis
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bian G, Li W, Huang D, Zhang Q, Ding X, Zang X, Ye Y, Cao J, Li P. The cancer/testis antigen HORMAD1 promotes gastric cancer progression by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway and inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Am J Transl Res 2023; 15:5808-5825. [PMID: 37854207 PMCID: PMC10579032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES HORMAD1 is a cancer/testis antigen (CTAs) that regulates DNA homologous recombination, mismatch repair, and other tumor characteristics. However, its role and regulatory mechanisms in gastric cancer remain unclear. METHODS We performed transcriptomic profiling on seven gastric cancers and paired tissues; HORMAD1 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer samples and was related to poor prognosis survival. Furthermore, cancer pathway microarray, bioinformatic analysis, western blot, and immunochemistry assay demonstrated that HORMAD1 affected the NF-κB signaling pathway. RESULTS In vitro and vivo studies confirmed that HORMAD1 knockdown inhibited cell growth and invasion, whereas overexpression reversed these effects. Mechanistically, HORMAD1 regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process (EMT) via the NF-κB pathway by increasing the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB (p-65) and Iκκ-β. Downstream target genes of the NF-κB signaling pathway, such as c-Myc, CyclinD1, may be involved in HORMAD1-induced tumorigenesis in gastric cancer (GC). CONCLUSIONS HORMAD1 plays an important role in gastric cancer progression and could be a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geng Bian
- Department of Chinese Integrative Medicine Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230022, Anhui, China
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Weiyu Li
- National Clinical Research Center of Digestive DiseasesBeijing 100050, China
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing 100050, China
| | - Dabing Huang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei 230001, Anhui, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei 230001, Anhui, China
| | - Xiping Ding
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei 230001, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaodong Zang
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei 230001, Anhui, China
| | - Yingquan Ye
- Department of Chinese Integrative Medicine Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230022, Anhui, China
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Department of Respiratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei 230001, Anhui, China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Chinese Integrative Medicine Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230022, Anhui, China
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230022, Anhui, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Llano E, Pendás AM. Synaptonemal Complex in Human Biology and Disease. Cells 2023; 12:1718. [PMID: 37443752 PMCID: PMC10341275 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a meiosis-specific multiprotein complex that forms between homologous chromosomes during prophase of meiosis I. Upon assembly, the SC mediates the synapses of the homologous chromosomes, leading to the formation of bivalents, and physically supports the formation of programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their subsequent repair and maturation into crossovers (COs), which are essential for genome haploidization. Defects in the assembly of the SC or in the function of the associated meiotic recombination machinery can lead to meiotic arrest and human infertility. The majority of proteins and complexes involved in these processes are exclusively expressed during meiosis or harbor meiosis-specific subunits, although some have dual functions in somatic DNA repair and meiosis. Consistent with their functions, aberrant expression and malfunctioning of these genes have been associated with cancer development. In this review, we focus on the significance of the SC and their meiotic-associated proteins in human fertility, as well as how human genetic variants encoding for these proteins affect the meiotic process and contribute to infertility and cancer development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Llano
- Departamento Fisiología y Farmacología, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Molecular Mechanisms Program, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Instituto de Biologıía Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Alberto M. Pendás
- Molecular Mechanisms Program, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Instituto de Biologıía Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Gantchev J, Messina-Pacheco J, Martínez Villarreal A, Ramchatesingh B, Lefrançois P, Xie P, Amar L, Xu HH, Raveendra K, Sikorski D, Guerra Ordaz DJ, Gill RPK, Lambert M, Litvinov IV. Ectopically Expressed Meiosis-Specific Cancer Testis Antigen HORMAD1 Promotes Genomic Instability in Squamous Cell Carcinomas. Cells 2023; 12:1627. [PMID: 37371097 DOI: 10.3390/cells12121627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic instability is a prominent hallmark of cancer, however the mechanisms that drive and sustain this process remain elusive. Research demonstrates that numerous cancers with increased levels of genomic instability ectopically express meiosis-specific genes and undergo meiomitosis, the clash of mitotic and meiotic processes. These meiotic genes may represent novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of cancer. We studied the relationship between the expression of the meiosis protein HORMAD1 and genomic instability in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). First, we assessed markers of DNA damage and genomic instability following knockdown and overexpression of HORMAD1 in different cell lines representing SCCs and epithelial cancers. shRNA-mediated depletion of HORMAD1 expression resulted in increased genomic instability, DNA damage, increased sensitivity to etoposide, and decreased expression of DNA damage response/repair genes. Conversely, overexpression of HORMAD1 exhibited protective effects leading to decreased DNA damage, enhanced survival and decreased sensitivity to etoposide. Furthermore, we identified a meiotic molecular pathway that regulates HORMAD1 expression by targeting the upstream meiosis transcription factor STRA8. Our results highlight a specific relationship between HORMAD1 and genomic instability in SCCs, suggesting that selectively inhibiting HORMAD1, possibly, through STRA8 signaling, may provide a new paradigm of treatment options for HORMAD1-expressing SCCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Gantchev
- Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Julia Messina-Pacheco
- Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Pathology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | | | | | - Philippe Lefrançois
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Pingxing Xie
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Laetitia Amar
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada
| | - Hong Hao Xu
- Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | | | - Daniel Sikorski
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada
| | | | | | - Marine Lambert
- Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Ivan V Litvinov
- Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Nin DS, Deng LW. Biology of Cancer-Testis Antigens and Their Therapeutic Implications in Cancer. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060926. [PMID: 36980267 PMCID: PMC10047177 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumour-specific antigens have been an area of interest in cancer therapy since their discovery in the middle of the 20th century. In the era of immune-based cancer therapeutics, redirecting our immune cells to target these tumour-specific antigens has become even more relevant. Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are a class of antigens with an expression specific to the testis and cancer cells. CTAs have also been demonstrated to be expressed in a wide variety of cancers. Due to their frequency and specificity of expression in a multitude of cancers, CTAs have been particularly attractive as cancer-specific therapeutic targets. There is now a rapid expansion of CTAs being identified and many studies have been conducted to correlate CTA expression with cancer and therapy-resistant phenotypes. Furthermore, there is an increasing number of clinical trials involving using some of these CTAs as molecular targets in pharmacological and immune-targeted therapeutics for various cancers. This review will summarise the current knowledge of the biology of known CTAs in tumorigenesis and the regulation of CTA genes. CTAs as molecular targets and the therapeutic implications of these CTA-targeted anticancer strategies will also be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dawn Sijin Nin
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, MD 7, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117596, Singapore
- NUS Center for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Lih-Wen Deng
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, MD 7, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117596, Singapore
- NUS Center for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- National University Cancer Institute, National University Health System, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Anand J, Chiou L, Sciandra C, Zhang X, Hong J, Wu D, Zhou P, Vaziri C. Roles of trans-lesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases in tumorigenesis and cancer therapy. NAR Cancer 2023; 5:zcad005. [PMID: 36755961 PMCID: PMC9900426 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcad005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA damage tolerance and mutagenesis are hallmarks and enabling characteristics of neoplastic cells that drive tumorigenesis and allow cancer cells to resist therapy. The 'Y-family' trans-lesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases enable cells to replicate damaged genomes, thereby conferring DNA damage tolerance. Moreover, Y-family DNA polymerases are inherently error-prone and cause mutations. Therefore, TLS DNA polymerases are potential mediators of important tumorigenic phenotypes. The skin cancer-propensity syndrome xeroderma pigmentosum-variant (XPV) results from defects in the Y-family DNA Polymerase Pol eta (Polη) and compensatory deployment of alternative inappropriate DNA polymerases. However, the extent to which dysregulated TLS contributes to the underlying etiology of other human cancers is unclear. Here we consider the broad impact of TLS polymerases on tumorigenesis and cancer therapy. We survey the ways in which TLS DNA polymerases are pathologically altered in cancer. We summarize evidence that TLS polymerases shape cancer genomes, and review studies implicating dysregulated TLS as a driver of carcinogenesis. Because many cancer treatment regimens comprise DNA-damaging agents, pharmacological inhibition of TLS is an attractive strategy for sensitizing tumors to genotoxic therapies. Therefore, we discuss the pharmacological tractability of the TLS pathway and summarize recent progress on development of TLS inhibitors for therapeutic purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jay Anand
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 614 Brinkhous-Bullitt Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lilly Chiou
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 614 Brinkhous-Bullitt Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Carly Sciandra
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Xingyuan Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, 3101 McGavran-Greenberg Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jiyong Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 135 Dauer Drive, 3101 McGavran-Greenberg Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Pei Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Cyrus Vaziri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 614 Brinkhous-Bullitt Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Herrera LR, McGlynn K, Gibbs ZA, Davis AJ, Whitehurst AW. The Cancer Testes Antigen, HORMAD1, is a Tumor-Specific Replication Fork Protection Factor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.31.526348. [PMID: 36778501 PMCID: PMC9915569 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.31.526348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tumors frequently activate the expression of genes that are only otherwise required for meiosis. HORMAD1, which is essential for meiotic recombination in multiple species, is expressed in over 50% of human lung adenocarcinoma cells (LUAD). We previously found that HORMAD1 promotes DNA double strand break (DSB) repair in LUAD. Here, we report that HORMAD1 takes on an additional role in protecting genomic integrity. Specifically, we find HORMAD1 is critical for protecting stalled DNA replication forks in LUAD. Loss of HORMAD1 leads to nascent DNA degradation, an event which is mediated by the MRE11-DNA2-BLM pathway. Moreover, following exogenous induction of DNA replication stress, HORMAD1 deleted cells accumulate single stranded DNA (ssDNA). We find that these phenotypes are the result of a lack of RAD51 and BRCA2 loading onto stalled replication forks. Ultimately, loss of HORMAD1 leads to increased DSBs and chromosomal aberrations in response to replication stress. Collectively, our data support a model where HORMAD1 expression is selected to mitigate DNA replication stress, which would otherwise induce deleterious genomic instability.
Collapse
|
13
|
The immunotoxicity of ten insecticides against insect hemocyte cells in vitro. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2022; 58:912-921. [PMID: 36443536 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-022-00738-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hemocytes in the hemolymph of insects perform innate immunity, but systematic studies to compare immunotoxicity of pesticides on hemocytes are still few. In this study, an insect hemocyte system was used to assess the impact of pesticides with different modes of action, which included loss of cell viability, inhibition of hemophagocytosis, and reduction of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. Results showed that piericidin A was the most cytotoxic to hemocytes, chlorfluazuron and hexaflumuron were the next. Also, piericidin A, chlorfenapyr, and fipronil had strong inhibitory effects on hemophagocytosis, and the effects of piericidin A and chlorfenapyr were persistent, while that of fipronil was short-lived. Moreover, fenoxycarb and hexaflumuron selectively inhibited granulocyte phagocytosis, tebufenozide only showed inhibition on plasmatocyte phagocytosis, but both inhibitory effects were transient. Furthermore, fenoxycarb and hexaflumuron showed a short-term strong inhibitory effect on the activity of NOS, chlorfenapyr and piericidin A showed a weak induction of NOS activity, while other pesticides exhibited a strong induction. Taken together, piericidin A was the most toxic and imidacloprid was the least toxic to hemocytes, and the alterations in hemocyte functions compromised immunity.
Collapse
|
14
|
Vainshelbaum NM, Giuliani A, Salmina K, Pjanova D, Erenpreisa J. The Transcriptome and Proteome Networks of Malignant Tumours Reveal Atavistic Attractors of Polyploidy-Related Asexual Reproduction. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314930. [PMID: 36499258 PMCID: PMC9736112 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of gametogenesis-related (GG) genes and proteins, as well as whole genome duplications (WGD), are the hallmarks of cancer related to poor prognosis. Currently, it is not clear if these hallmarks are random processes associated only with genome instability or are programmatically linked. Our goal was to elucidate this via a thorough bioinformatics analysis of 1474 GG genes in the context of WGD. We examined their association in protein-protein interaction and coexpression networks, and their phylostratigraphic profiles from publicly available patient tumour data. The results show that GG genes are upregulated in most WGD-enriched somatic cancers at the transcriptome level and reveal robust GG gene expression at the protein level, as well as the ability to associate into correlation networks and enrich the reproductive modules. GG gene phylostratigraphy displayed in WGD+ cancers an attractor of early eukaryotic origin for DNA recombination and meiosis, and one relative to oocyte maturation and embryogenesis from early multicellular organisms. The upregulation of cancer-testis genes emerging with mammalian placentation was also associated with WGD. In general, the results suggest the role of polyploidy for soma-germ transition accessing latent cancer attractors in the human genome network, which appear as pre-formed along the whole Evolution of Life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ninel M. Vainshelbaum
- Cancer Research Division, Latvian Biomedicine Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
- Faculty of Biology, The University of Latvia, LV-1586 Riga, Latvia
- Correspondence: (N.M.V.); (J.E.)
| | - Alessandro Giuliani
- Environmen and Health Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Kristine Salmina
- Cancer Research Division, Latvian Biomedicine Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
| | - Dace Pjanova
- Cancer Research Division, Latvian Biomedicine Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
| | - Jekaterina Erenpreisa
- Cancer Research Division, Latvian Biomedicine Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
- Correspondence: (N.M.V.); (J.E.)
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Tarantino D, Walker C, Weekes D, Pemberton H, Davidson K, Torga G, Frankum J, Mendes-Pereira AM, Prince C, Ferro R, Brough R, Pettitt SJ, Lord CJ, Grigoriadis A, Nj Tutt A. Functional screening reveals HORMAD1-driven gene dependencies associated with translesion synthesis and replication stress tolerance. Oncogene 2022; 41:3969-3977. [PMID: 35768547 PMCID: PMC9355871 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02369-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
HORMAD1 expression is usually restricted to germline cells, but it becomes mis-expressed in epithelial cells in ~60% of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), where it is associated with elevated genomic instability (1). HORMAD1 expression in TNBC is bimodal with HORMAD1-positive TNBC representing a biologically distinct disease group. Identification of HORMAD1-driven genetic dependencies may uncover novel therapies for this disease group. To study HORMAD1-driven genetic dependencies, we generated a SUM159 cell line model with doxycycline-inducible HORMAD1 that replicated genomic instability phenotypes seen in HORMAD1-positive TNBC (1). Using small interfering RNA screens, we identified candidate genes whose depletion selectively inhibited the cellular growth of HORMAD1-expressing cells. We validated five genes (ATR, BRIP1, POLH, TDP1 and XRCC1), depletion of which led to reduced cellular growth or clonogenic survival in cells expressing HORMAD1. In addition to the translesion synthesis (TLS) polymerase POLH, we identified a HORMAD1-driven dependency upon additional TLS polymerases, namely POLK, REV1, REV3L and REV7. Our data confirms that out-of-context somatic expression of HORMAD1 can lead to genomic instability and reveals that HORMAD1 expression induces dependencies upon replication stress tolerance pathways, such as translesion synthesis. Our data also suggest that HORMAD1 expression could be a patient selection biomarker for agents targeting replication stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dalia Tarantino
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's Health Partners AHSC, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Callum Walker
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Daniel Weekes
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's Health Partners AHSC, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Helen Pemberton
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Kathryn Davidson
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Gonzalo Torga
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Jessica Frankum
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Ana M Mendes-Pereira
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's Health Partners AHSC, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Cynthia Prince
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's Health Partners AHSC, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Riccardo Ferro
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's Health Partners AHSC, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rachel Brough
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Stephen J Pettitt
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Christopher J Lord
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Anita Grigoriadis
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's Health Partners AHSC, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Nj Tutt
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK.
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's Health Partners AHSC, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Takiyama T, Sera T, Nakamura M, Hoshino M, Uesugi K, Horike SI, Meguro-Horike M, Bessho R, Takiyama Y, Kitsunai H, Takeda Y, Sawamoto K, Yagi N, Nishikawa Y, Takiyama Y. A maternal high-fat diet induces fetal origins of NASH-HCC in mice. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13136. [PMID: 35907977 PMCID: PMC9338981 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17501-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal overnutrition affects offspring susceptibility to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Male offspring from high-fat diet (HFD)-fed dams developed a severe form of NASH, leading to highly vascular tumor formation. The cancer/testis antigen HORMA domain containing protein 1 (HORMAD1), one of 146 upregulated differentially expressed genes in fetal livers from HFD-fed dams, was overexpressed with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) in hepatoblasts and in NASH-based hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in offspring from HFD-fed dams at 15 weeks old. Hypoxia substantially increased Hormad1 expression in primary mouse hepatocytes. Despite the presence of three putative hypoxia response elements within the mouse Hormad1 gene, the Hif-1alpha siRNA only slightly decreased hypoxia-induced Hormad1 mRNA expression. In contrast, N-acetylcysteine, but not rotenone, inhibited hypoxia-induced Hormad1 expression, indicating its dependency on nonmitochondrial reactive oxygen species production. Synchrotron-based phase-contrast micro-CT of the fetuses from HFD-fed dams showed significant enlargement of the liver accompanied by a consistent size of the umbilical vein, which may cause hypoxia in the fetal liver. Based on these findings, a maternal HFD induces fetal origins of NASH/HCC via hypoxia, and HORMAD1 is a potential therapeutic target for NASH/HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takao Takiyama
- Division of Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Sera
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masanori Nakamura
- Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masato Hoshino
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo-cho, Japan
| | - Kentaro Uesugi
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo-cho, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Horike
- Advanced Science Research Center, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | | | - Ryoichi Bessho
- Division of Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Yuri Takiyama
- Division of Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Hiroya Kitsunai
- Division of Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Takeda
- Division of Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Kazuki Sawamoto
- Division of Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Naoto Yagi
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo-cho, Japan
| | - Yuji Nishikawa
- Department of Pathology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Yumi Takiyama
- Division of Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Morgan C, Nayak A, Hosoya N, Smith GR, Lambing C. Meiotic chromosome organization and its role in recombination and cancer. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 151:91-126. [PMID: 36681479 PMCID: PMC10022578 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.04.008] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomes adopt specific conformations to regulate various cellular processes. A well-documented chromosome configuration is the highly compacted chromosome structure during metaphase. More regional chromatin conformations have also been reported, including topologically associated domains encompassing mega-bases of DNA and local chromatin loops formed by kilo-bases of DNA. In this review, we discuss the changes in chromatin conformation taking place between somatic and meiotic cells, with a special focus on the establishment of a proteinaceous structure, called the chromosome axis, at the beginning of meiosis. The chromosome axis is essential to support key meiotic processes such as chromosome pairing, homologous recombination, and balanced chromosome segregation to transition from a diploid to a haploid stage. We review the role of the chromosome axis in meiotic chromatin organization and provide a detailed description of its protein composition. We also review the conserved and distinct roles between species of axis proteins in meiotic recombination, which is a major factor contributing to the creation of genetic diversity and genome evolution. Finally, we discuss situations where the chromosome axis is deregulated and evaluate the effects on genome integrity and the consequences from protein deregulation in meiocytes exposed to heat stress, and aberrant expression of genes encoding axis proteins in mammalian somatic cells associated with certain types of cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Aditya Nayak
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Noriko Hosoya
- Laboratory of Molecular Radiology, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gerald R Smith
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Christophe Lambing
- Plant Science Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Raina VB, Schoot Uiterkamp M, Vader G. Checkpoint control in meiotic prophase: Idiosyncratic demands require unique characteristics. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 151:281-315. [PMID: 36681474 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomal transactions such as replication, recombination and segregation are monitored by cell cycle checkpoint cascades. These checkpoints ensure the proper execution of processes that are needed for faithful genome inheritance from one cell to the next, and across generations. In meiotic prophase, a specialized checkpoint monitors defining events of meiosis: programmed DNA break formation, followed by dedicated repair through recombination based on interhomolog (IH) crossovers. This checkpoint shares molecular characteristics with canonical DNA damage checkpoints active during somatic cell cycles. However, idiosyncratic requirements of meiotic prophase have introduced unique features in this signaling cascade. In this review, we discuss the unique features of the meiotic prophase checkpoint. While being related to canonical DNA damage checkpoint cascades, the meiotic prophase checkpoint also shows similarities with the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) that guards chromosome segregation. We highlight these emerging similarities in the signaling logic of the checkpoints that govern meiotic prophase and chromosome segregation, and how thinking of these similarities can help us better understand meiotic prophase control. We also discuss work showing that, when aberrantly expressed, components of the meiotic prophase checkpoint might alter DNA repair fidelity and chromosome segregation in cancer cells. Considering checkpoint function in light of demands imposed by the special characteristics of meiotic prophase helps us understand checkpoint integration into the meiotic cell cycle machinery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vivek B Raina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Maud Schoot Uiterkamp
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Section of Oncogenetics, Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerben Vader
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Section of Oncogenetics, Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kortleve D, Coelho RM, Hammerl D, Debets R. Cancer germline antigens and tumor-agnostic CD8+ T cell evasion. Trends Immunol 2022; 43:391-403. [DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2022.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
20
|
Liu K, Cheng L, Zhu K, Wang J, Shu Q. The cancer/testis antigen HORMAD1 mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition to promote tumor growth and metastasis by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in lung cancer. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:136. [PMID: 35347116 PMCID: PMC8960869 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-00946-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The cancer/testis antigen HORMAD1 is a mechanical regulator that modulates DNA homologous recombination repair and mismatch repair in multiple cancers. However, the role and underlying regulatory mechanisms of HORMAD1 in lung cancer progression remain unknown. Here, we show that HORMAD1 is upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues and that aberrant HORMAD1 expression predicts poor prognosis. We further demonstrate that HORMAD1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Subsequent mechanistic investigations revealed that HORMAD1 activates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by increasing the phosphorylation level of AKT at Ser473 and that of GSK-3β at Ser9 in lung cancer cells, which decreases the phosphorylation level of β-catenin at Ser33/37/Thr41, enhances the cytoplasmic and nuclear accumulation of β-catenin and its transcriptional activity, consequently promoting EMT and lung cancer growth and metastasis. Our results provide new insights into the functional role and regulatory mechanism of HORMAD1 in lung cancer progression and identify HORMAD1 as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for lung cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kang Liu
- The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center For Child Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kun Zhu
- Department of Pathology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinhu Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Qiang Shu
- The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center For Child Health, Hangzhou, China. .,Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lingg L, Rottenberg S, Francica P. Meiotic Genes and DNA Double Strand Break Repair in Cancer. Front Genet 2022; 13:831620. [PMID: 35251135 PMCID: PMC8895043 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.831620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells show widespread genetic alterations that change the expression of genes driving tumor progression, including genes that maintain genomic integrity. In recent years, it has become clear that tumors frequently reactivate genes whose expression is typically restricted to germ cells. As germ cells have specialized pathways to facilitate the exchange of genetic information between homologous chromosomes, their aberrant regulation influences how cancer cells repair DNA double strand breaks (DSB). This drives genomic instability and affects the response of tumor cells to anticancer therapies. Since meiotic genes are usually transcriptionally repressed in somatic cells of healthy tissues, targeting aberrantly expressed meiotic genes may provide a unique opportunity to specifically kill cancer cells whilst sparing the non-transformed somatic cells. In this review, we highlight meiotic genes that have been reported to affect DSB repair in cancers derived from somatic cells. A better understanding of their mechanistic role in the context of homology-directed DNA repair in somatic cancers may provide useful insights to find novel vulnerabilities that can be targeted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lea Lingg
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Cancer Therapy Resistance Cluster, Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sven Rottenberg
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Cancer Therapy Resistance Cluster, Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Bern Center for Precision Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Sven Rottenberg, ; Paola Francica,
| | - Paola Francica
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Cancer Therapy Resistance Cluster, Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Sven Rottenberg, ; Paola Francica,
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Gu Y, Desai A, Corbett KD. Evolutionary Dynamics and Molecular Mechanisms of HORMA Domain Protein Signaling. Annu Rev Biochem 2022; 91:541-569. [PMID: 35041460 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-090920-103246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Controlled assembly and disassembly of multi-protein complexes is central to cellular signaling. Proteins of the widespread and functionally diverse HORMA family nucleate assembly of signaling complexes by binding short peptide motifs through a distinctive safety-belt mechanism. HORMA proteins are now understood as key signaling proteins across kingdoms, serving as infection sensors in a bacterial immune system and playing central roles in eukaryotic cell cycle, genome stability, sexual reproduction, and cellular homeostasis pathways. Here, we describe how HORMA proteins' unique ability to adopt multiple conformational states underlies their functions in these diverse contexts. We also outline how a dedicated AAA+ ATPase regulator, Pch2/TRIP13, manipulates HORMA proteins' conformational states to activate or inactivate signaling in different cellular contexts. The emergence of Pch2/TRIP13 as a lynchpin for HORMA protein action in multiple genome-maintenance pathways accounts for its frequent misregulation in human cancers and highlights TRIP13 as a novel therapeutic target. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry, Volume 91 is June 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Gu
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
| | - Arshad Desai
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; .,Section of Cell & Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, San Diego Branch, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kevin D Corbett
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Jay A, Reitz D, Namekawa SH, Heyer WD. Cancer testis antigens and genomic instability: More than immunology. DNA Repair (Amst) 2021; 108:103214. [PMID: 34481156 PMCID: PMC9196322 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2021.103214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cancer testis antigens or genes (CTA, CTG) are predominantly expressed in adult testes while silenced in most or all somatic tissues with sporadic expression in many human cancers. Concerted misexpression of numerous CTA/CTGs is rarely observed. This finding argues against the germ cell theory of cancer. A surprising number of CTA/CTGs are involved in meiotic chromosome metabolism and specifically in meiotic recombination. Recent discoveries with a group of CTGs established that their misexpression in somatic cells results in genomic instability by interfering with homologous recombination (HR), a DNA repair pathway for complex DNA damage such as DNA double-stranded breaks, interstrand crosslinks, and single-stranded DNA gaps. HR-deficient tumors have specific vulnerabilities and show synthetic lethality with inhibition of polyADP-ribose polymerase, opening the possibility that expression of CTA/CTGs that result in an HR-defect could be used as an additional biomarker for HR status. Here, we review the repertoire of CTA/CTGs focusing on a cohort that functions in meiotic chromosome metabolism by interrogating relevant cancer databases and discussing recent discoveries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ash Jay
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616-8665, USA
| | - Diedre Reitz
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616-8665, USA
| | - Satoshi H Namekawa
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616-8665, USA
| | - Wolf-Dietrich Heyer
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616-8665, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616-8665, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Zong B, Sun L, Peng Y, Wang Y, Yu Y, Lei J, Zhang Y, Guo S, Li K, Liu S. HORMAD1 promotes docetaxel resistance in triple negative breast cancer by enhancing DNA damage tolerance. Oncol Rep 2021; 46:138. [PMID: 34036395 PMCID: PMC8165579 DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
HORMA domain‑containing protein 1 (HORMAD1), is normally expressed only in the germline, but is frequently re‑activated in human triple‑negative breast cancer (TNBC); however, its function in TNBC is largely unknown. In the present study, the expression and biological significance of HORMAD1 in human TNBC was evaluated. Bioinformatics analysis and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR were used to evaluate HORMAD1 expression in datasets and cell lines. HORMAD1 protein expression was detected in TNBC samples using immunohistochemical assays, and the effect of HORMAD1 on cell proliferation was determined using Cell Counting Kit‑8, plate colony formation and standard growth curve assays. Cell cycle, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis analyses were conducted using flow cytometry. The activity of caspases was measured using caspase activity assay kit. The levels of key apoptosis regulators and autophagy markers were detected by western blot analysis. TNBC cell survival and apoptosis were not influenced by small interfering RNA targeting HORMAD1 alone; however, HORMAD1 knockdown enhanced autophagy and docetaxel (Doc)‑induced apoptosis, compared with the control group. Furthermore, higher ROS levels and caspase‑3, ‑8 and ‑9 activity were detected in MDA‑MB‑436 TNBC cells with HORMAD1 knockdown upon exposure to Doc. The levels of the induced DNA damage marker γH2AX were also higher, while those of the DNA repair protein RAD51 were lower in TNBC cells with HORMAD1 knockdown compared with the controls. Furthermore, the expression of the autophagy marker P62 was enhanced in MDA‑MB‑231 cells in response to HORMAD1 overexpression. Notably, Doc‑induced apoptosis was similarly increased by both HORMAD1 overexpression and treatment with the autophagy inhibitor, 3‑methyladenine (3MA); however, the Doc‑induced increase in autophagy was not inhibited by 3MA. The present data indicated that HORMAD1 was involved in autophagy and that the inhibition of autophagy can partially enhance the induction of apoptosis by Doc. The role of HORMAD1 in the DNA damage tolerance of tumor cells may be the main reason for Doc resistance; hence, HORMAD1 could be an important therapeutic target in TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beige Zong
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
- Chongqing City Key Lab of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Lu Sun
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Yang Peng
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
- Chongqing City Key Lab of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Yihua Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| | - Yu Yu
- Department of Pathology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400015, P.R. China
| | - Jinwei Lei
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
- Chongqing City Key Lab of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Yingzi Zhang
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
- Chongqing City Key Lab of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Shipeng Guo
- Chongqing City Key Lab of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Kang Li
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
- Chongqing City Key Lab of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Shengchun Liu
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Chen C, Tang Y, Qu WD, Han X, Zuo JB, Cai QY, Xu G, Song YX, Ke XX. Evaluation of clinical value and potential mechanism of MTFR2 in lung adenocarcinoma via bioinformatics. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:619. [PMID: 34039308 PMCID: PMC8157440 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08378-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mitochondrial fission regulator 2 (MTFR2) was involved in the progression and development of various cancers. However, the relationship between MTFR2 with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) had not been reported. Herein, this study analyzed the clinical significance and potential mechanisms of MTFR2 in LUAD via bioinformatics tools. Results We found that the level of MTFR2 was increased, and correlated with sex, age, smoking history, neoplasm staging, histological subtype and TP53 mutation status in LUAD patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed LUAD patients with increased MTFR2 had a poor prognosis. In addition, univariate COX regression analysis showed neoplasm staging, T stage, distant metastasis and MTFR2 level were risk factors for the prognosis of LUAD. A total of 1127 genes were coexpressed with MTFR2, including 840 positive and 208 negative related genes. KEGG and GSEA found that MTFR2 participated in the progression of LUAD by affecting cell cycle, DNA replication, homologous recombination, p53 signaling pathway and other mechanisms. The top 10 coexpressed genes, namely CDK1, CDC20, CCNB1, PLK1, CCNA2, AURKB, CCNB2, BUB1B, MAD2L1 and BUB1 were highly expressed, and were associated with poor prognosis in LUAD. Conclusions Consequently, we elucidated MTFR2 was a biomarker for diagnosis and poor prognosis in LUAD, and might participate in the progression of LUAD via affecting cell cycle, DNA replication, homologous recombination and p53 signaling pathway. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08378-3.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China
| | - Yang Tang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China
| | - Wen-Dong Qu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China
| | - Xu Han
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China
| | - Jie-Bin Zuo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China
| | - Qing-Yong Cai
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China
| | - Gang Xu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China
| | - Yong-Xiang Song
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China.
| | - Xi-Xian Ke
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, Guizhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Zhuang Z, Yao M, Wong JYY, Liu Z, Huang T. Shared genetic etiology and causality between body fat percentage and cardiovascular diseases: a large-scale genome-wide cross-trait analysis. BMC Med 2021; 19:100. [PMID: 33910581 PMCID: PMC8082910 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-021-01972-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidences have suggested that high body fat percentage (BF%) often occurs in parallel with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), implying a common etiology between them. However, the shared genetic etiology underlying BF% and CVDs remains unclear. METHODS Using large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, we investigated shared genetics between BF% (N = 100,716) and 10 CVD-related traits (n = 6968-977,323) with linkage disequilibrium score regression, multi-trait analysis of GWAS, and transcriptome-wide association analysis, and evaluated causal associations using Mendelian randomization. RESULTS We found strong positive genetic correlations between BF% and heart failure (HF) (Rg = 0.47, P = 1.27 × 10- 22) and coronary artery disease (CAD) (Rg = 0.22, P = 3.26 × 10- 07). We identified 5 loci and 32 gene-tissue pairs shared between BF% and HF, as well as 16 loci and 28 gene-tissue pairs shared between BF% and CAD. The loci were enriched in blood vessels and brain tissues, while the gene-tissue pairs were enriched in the nervous, cardiovascular, and exo-/endocrine system. In addition, we observed that BF% was causally related with a higher risk of HF (odds ratio 1.63 per 1-SD increase in BF%, P = 4.16 × 10-04) using a MR approach. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that BF% and CVDs have shared genetic etiology and targeted reduction of BF% may improve cardiovascular outcomes. This work advances our understanding of the genetic basis underlying co-morbid obesity and CVDs and opens up a new way for early prevention of CVDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhuang Zhuang
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, China. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Minhao Yao
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jason Y Y Wong
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, China. 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China. .,Center for Intelligent Public Health, Academy for Artificial Intelligence, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. .,Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100191, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
ZNF91 deletion in human embryonic stem cells leads to ectopic activation of SVA retrotransposons and up-regulation of KRAB zinc finger gene clusters. Genome Res 2021; 31:551-563. [PMID: 33722937 PMCID: PMC8015857 DOI: 10.1101/gr.265348.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Transposable element (TE) invasions have shaped vertebrate genomes over the course of evolution. They have contributed an extra layer of species-specific gene regulation by providing novel transcription factor binding sites. In humans, SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) elements are one of three still active TE families; approximately 2800 SVA insertions exist in the human genome, half of which are human-specific. TEs are often silenced by KRAB zinc finger (KZNF) proteins recruiting corepressor proteins that establish a repressive chromatin state. A number of KZNFs have been reported to bind SVAs, but their individual contribution to repressing SVAs and their roles in suppressing SVA-mediated gene-regulatory effects remains elusive. We analyzed the genome-wide binding profile for ZNF91 in human cells and found that ZNF91 interacts with the VNTR region of SVAs. Through CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion of ZNF91 in human embryonic stem cells, we established that loss of ZNF91 results in increased transcriptional activity of SVAs. In contrast, SVA activation was not observed upon genetic deletion of the ZNF611 gene encoding another strong SVA interactor. Epigenetic profiling confirmed the loss of SVA repression in the absence of ZNF91 and revealed that mainly evolutionary young SVAs gain gene activation-associated epigenetic modifications. Genes close to activated SVAs showed a mild up-regulation, indicating SVAs adopt properties of cis-regulatory elements in the absence of repression. Notably, genome-wide derepression of SVAs elicited the communal up-regulation of KZNFs that reside in KZNF clusters. This phenomenon may provide new insights into the potential mechanisms used by the host genome to sense and counteract TE invasions.
Collapse
|
28
|
Bruggeman JW, Irie N, Lodder P, van Pelt AMM, Koster J, Hamer G. Tumors Widely Express Hundreds of Embryonic Germline Genes. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3812. [PMID: 33348709 PMCID: PMC7766889 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently described a class of 756 genes that are widely expressed in cancers, but are normally restricted to adult germ cells, referred to as germ cell cancer genes (GC genes). We hypothesized that carcinogenesis involves the reactivation of biomolecular processes and regulatory mechanisms that, under normal circumstances, are restricted to germline development. This would imply that cancer cells share gene expression profiles with primordial germ cells (PGCs). We therefore compared the transcriptomes of human PGCs (hPGCs) and PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) with 17,382 samples from 54 healthy somatic tissues (GTEx) and 11,003 samples from 33 tumor types (TCGA), and identified 672 GC genes, expanding the known GC gene pool by 387 genes (51%). We found that GC genes are expressed in clusters that are often expressed in multiple tumor types. Moreover, the amount of GC gene expression correlates with poor survival in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. As GC genes specific to the embryonic germline are not expressed in any adult tissue, targeting these in cancer treatment may result in fewer side effects than targeting conventional cancer/testis (CT) or GC genes and may preserve fertility. We anticipate that our extended GC dataset enables improved understanding of tumor development and may provide multiple novel targets for cancer treatment development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Willem Bruggeman
- Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Research Institute Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.W.B.); (P.L.); (A.M.M.v.P.)
| | - Naoko Irie
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK;
| | - Paul Lodder
- Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Research Institute Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.W.B.); (P.L.); (A.M.M.v.P.)
| | - Ans M. M. van Pelt
- Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Research Institute Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.W.B.); (P.L.); (A.M.M.v.P.)
| | - Jan Koster
- Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Geert Hamer
- Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Amsterdam Research Institute Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.W.B.); (P.L.); (A.M.M.v.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Cheng CC, Wooten J, Gibbs ZA, McGlynn K, Mishra P, Whitehurst AW. Sperm-specific COX6B2 enhances oxidative phosphorylation, proliferation, and survival in human lung adenocarcinoma. eLife 2020; 9:58108. [PMID: 32990599 PMCID: PMC7556868 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are proteins whose expression is normally restricted to the testis but anomalously activated in human cancer. In sperm, a number of CTAs support energy generation, however, whether they contribute to tumor metabolism is not understood. We describe human COX6B2, a component of cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV). COX6B2 is expressed in human lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and expression correlates with reduced survival time. COX6B2, but not its somatic isoform COX6B1, enhances activity of complex IV, increasing oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and NAD+ generation. Consequently, COX6B2-expressing cancer cells display a proliferative advantage, particularly in low oxygen. Conversely, depletion of COX6B2 attenuates OXPHOS and collapses mitochondrial membrane potential leading to cell death or senescence. COX6B2 is both necessary and sufficient for growth of human tumor xenografts in mice. Our findings reveal a previously unappreciated, tumor-specific metabolic pathway hijacked from one of the most ATP-intensive processes in the animal kingdom: sperm motility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chun Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | | | - Zane A Gibbs
- Department of Pharmacology, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Kathleen McGlynn
- Department of Pharmacology, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Prashant Mishra
- Children's Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Angelique W Whitehurst
- Department of Pharmacology, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Sun H, Zhang M, Li L, Huang Z. ALDH3B1 Is an Independent Prognostic Biomarker of Lung Adenocarcinoma. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2020; 19:1533033820946018. [PMID: 32744175 PMCID: PMC7412899 DOI: 10.1177/1533033820946018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, and adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer. Although emerging evidence implicates the role of several aldehyde dehydrogenases in cancer progression, the expression and clinical significance of aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 in lung adenocarcinoma has never been studied. Materials: In our study, the expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 in 250 cases of lung adenocarcinoma was detected with immunohistochemistry, and the patients were further divided into subgroups with different aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 expression. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, we investigated the aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 messenger RNA in 20 lung adenocarcinoma and paired normal lung tissues. With the χ2 test, we evaluated the clinical significance of aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 by analyzing its correlation with the clinicopathological factors. Propensity score matching was performed to balance the baseline of cohort. With univariate and multivariate analyses, we screened the prognostic factors of lung adenocarcinoma and identified the independent prognostic factors before and after the propensity score matching. Results: Aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 expression was significantly associated with the sex and age of patients, tumor size, and histological grade. High expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 predicted the poor prognosis (P = .003). Moreover, male patients (P = .020), large tumor size (P = .009), advanced T stage (P = .001), positive lymphatic invasion (P < .001), and advanced tumor–node–metastasis stage (P < .001) were all the prognostic factors for unfavorable outcome. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 was an independent prognostic biomarker of lung adenocarcinoma, indicating the poor prognosis. In addition, after balancing the baseline characteristics by propensity score matching, we also demonstrated that aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 was an independent prognostic biomarker of lung adenocarcinoma (P = .007). Conclusions: Aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 was an independent prognostic biomarker of lung adenocarcinoma, indicating the unfavorable prognosis. Postoperative detection of aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B1 would help stratify the high-risk patients with lung adenocarcinoma and guide individual treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Sun
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, YIDU Central Hospital, Weifang, China.,Hongmei Sun and Mingying Zhang contributed equally to the paper
| | - Mingying Zhang
- Department of Child Healthcare, YIDU Central Hospital, Weifang, China.,Hongmei Sun and Mingying Zhang contributed equally to the paper
| | - Li Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, YIDU Central Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Zongwen Huang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, 970th Hospital of Chinese PLA, Weihai, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Aberrantly expressed HORMAD1 disrupts nuclear localization of MCM8-MCM9 complex and compromises DNA mismatch repair in cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:519. [PMID: 32647118 PMCID: PMC7347845 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-2736-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
HORMAD1 is a meiosis-specific protein that promotes synapsis and recombination of homologous chromosomes in meiotic prophase. Originally identified as a cancer/testis antigen, HORMAD1 is also aberrantly expressed in several cancers. However, the functions of HORMAD1 in cancer cells are still not clear. Here, we show that HORMAD1 is aberrantly expressed in a wide variety of cancers and compromises DNA mismatch repair in cancer cells. Mechanistically, HORMAD1 interacts with MCM8–MCM9 complex and prevents its efficient nuclear localization. As a consequence, HORMAD1-expressing cancer cells have reduced MLH1 chromatin binding and DNA mismatch repair defects. Consistently, HORMAD1 expression is associated with increased mutation load and genomic instability in many cancers. Taken together, our study provides mechanistic insights into HORMAD1’s functions in cancer cells, which can potentially be exploited for targeted therapy of HORMAD1-expressing cancers.
Collapse
|
32
|
Li H, Liu ZY, Wu N, Chen YC, Cheng Q, Wang J. PARP inhibitor resistance: the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications. Mol Cancer 2020; 19:107. [PMID: 32563252 PMCID: PMC7305609 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-020-01227-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the DNA repair defect, BRCA1/2 deficient tumor cells are more sensitive to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) through the mechanism of synthetic lethality. At present, several PAPRi targeting poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) have been approved for ovarian cancer and breast cancer indications. However, PARPi resistance is ubiquitous in clinic. More than 40% BRCA1/2-deficient patients fail to respond to PARPi. In addition, lots of patients acquire PARPi resistance with prolonged oral administration of PARPi. Homologous recombination repair deficient (HRD), as an essential prerequisite of synthetic lethality, plays a vital role in killing tumor cells. Therefore, Homologous recombination repair restoration (HRR) becomes the predominant reason of PARPi resistance. Recently, it was reported that DNA replication fork protection also contributed to PARPi resistance in BRCA1/2-deficient cells and patients. Moreover, various factors, such as reversion mutations, epigenetic modification, restoration of ADP-ribosylation (PARylation) and pharmacological alteration lead to PARPi resistance as well. In this review, we reviewed the underlying mechanisms of PARP inhibitor resistance in detail and summarized the potential strategies to overcome PARPi resistance and increase PARPi sensitivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- He Li
- Hunan Clinical Research Center in Gynecologic Cancer, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 283, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhao-Yi Liu
- Hunan Clinical Research Center in Gynecologic Cancer, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 283, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Nayiyuan Wu
- Hunan Clinical Research Center in Gynecologic Cancer, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 283, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Chang Chen
- Hunan Clinical Research Center in Gynecologic Cancer, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 283, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wang
- Hunan Clinical Research Center in Gynecologic Cancer, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 283, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Gynecologic Cancer, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 283, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Gibbs ZA, Reza LC, Cheng CC, Westcott JM, McGlynn K, Whitehurst AW. The testis protein ZNF165 is a SMAD3 cofactor that coordinates oncogenic TGFβ signaling in triple-negative breast cancer. eLife 2020; 9:57679. [PMID: 32515734 PMCID: PMC7302877 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer/testis (CT) antigens are proteins whose expression is normally restricted to germ cells yet aberrantly activated in tumors, where their functions remain relatively cryptic. Here we report that ZNF165, a CT antigen frequently expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), associates with SMAD3 to modulate transcription of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-dependent genes and thereby promote growth and survival of human TNBC cells. In addition, we identify the KRAB zinc finger protein, ZNF446, and its associated tripartite motif protein, TRIM27, as obligate components of the ZNF165-SMAD3 complex that also support tumor cell viability. Importantly, we find that TRIM27 alone is necessary for ZNF165 transcriptional activity and is required for TNBC tumor growth in vivo using an orthotopic xenograft model in immunocompromised mice. Our findings indicate that aberrant expression of a testis-specific transcription factor is sufficient to co-opt somatic transcriptional machinery to drive a pro-tumorigenic gene expression program in TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zane A Gibbs
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States.,Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Luis C Reza
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States.,Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Chun-Chun Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States.,Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Jill M Westcott
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Kathleen McGlynn
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States.,Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Angelique W Whitehurst
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States.,Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Sato K, Brandsma I, van Rossum-Fikkert SE, Verkaik N, Oostra AB, Dorsman JC, van Gent DC, Knipscheer P, Kanaar R, Zelensky AN. HSF2BP negatively regulates homologous recombination in DNA interstrand crosslink repair. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:2442-2456. [PMID: 31960047 PMCID: PMC7049687 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor BRCA2 is essential for homologous recombination (HR), replication fork stability and DNA interstrand crosslink (ICL) repair in vertebrates. We show that ectopic production of HSF2BP, a BRCA2-interacting protein required for meiotic HR during mouse spermatogenesis, in non-germline human cells acutely sensitize them to ICL-inducing agents (mitomycin C and cisplatin) and PARP inhibitors, resulting in a phenotype characteristic of cells from Fanconi anemia (FA) patients. We biochemically recapitulate the suppression of ICL repair and establish that excess HSF2BP compromises HR by triggering the removal of BRCA2 from the ICL site and thereby preventing the loading of RAD51. This establishes ectopic expression of a wild-type meiotic protein in the absence of any other protein-coding mutations as a new mechanism that can lead to an FA-like cellular phenotype. Naturally occurring elevated production of HSF2BP in tumors may be a source of cancer-promoting genomic instability and also a targetable vulnerability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Sato
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Inger Brandsma
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sari E van Rossum-Fikkert
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole Verkaik
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anneke B Oostra
- Department of Clinical Genetics, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Josephine C Dorsman
- Department of Clinical Genetics, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dik C van Gent
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Puck Knipscheer
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roland Kanaar
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alex N Zelensky
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Liao Y, Wang Y, Cheng M, Huang C, Fan X. Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis of Features That Control Cancer Stem Cells Reveals Prognostic Biomarkers in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Front Genet 2020; 11:311. [PMID: 32391047 PMCID: PMC7192063 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose We aimed to identify new prognostic biomarkers of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) based on cancer stem cell theory. Materials and Methods: RNA-seq and microarray data were obtained with clinical information downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to identify significant module and hub genes. The hub genes were validated via microarray data from GEO, and a prognostic signature with prognostic hub genes was constructed. Results LUAD patients enrolled from TCGA had a higher mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) in tumor tissue than in adjacent normal tissue. Some clinical features and prognoses were found to be highly correlated with mRNAsi. WGCNA found that the green module and blue module were the most significant modules related to mRNAsi; 50 key genes were identified in the green module and were enriched mostly in the cell cycle, chromosome segregation, chromosomal region and microtubule binding. Six hub genes were revealed through the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) plugin of Cytoscape software. Based on external verification with the GEO database, these six genes are not only expressed at different levels in LUAD and normal tissues but also associated with different clinical features. In addition, the construction of a prognostic signature with three hub genes showed high predictive value. Conclusion mRNAsi-related biomarkers may suggest a new potential treatment strategy for LUAD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine II, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yulei Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine II, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Mengqing Cheng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine II, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Chengliang Huang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine II, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xianming Fan
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine II, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Gantchev J, Martínez Villarreal A, Gunn S, Zetka M, Ødum N, Litvinov IV. The ectopic expression of meiCT genes promotes meiomitosis and may facilitate carcinogenesis. Cell Cycle 2020; 19:837-854. [PMID: 32223693 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2020.1743902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer meiomitosis is defined as the concurrent activation of both mitotic and meiotic machineries in neoplastic cells that confer a selective advantage together with increased genomic instability. MeiCT (meiosis-specific cancer/testis) genes that perform specialized functions in the germline events required for the first meiotic division are ectopically expressed in several cancers. Here we describe the expression profiles of meiCT genes and proteins across a number of cancers and review the proposed mechanisms that increase aneuploidy and elicit reduction division in polyploid cells. These mechanisms are centered on the overexpression and function of meiCT proteins in cancers under various conditions that includes a response to genotoxic stress. Since meiCT genes are transcriptionally repressed in somatic cells, their target offers a promising therapeutic approach with limited toxicity to healthy tissues. Throughout the review, we provide a detailed description of the roles for each gene in the context of meiosis and we discuss proposed functions and outcomes resulting from their ectopic reactivation in cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Gantchev
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Scott Gunn
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Monique Zetka
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Neils Ødum
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ivan V Litvinov
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Protein Oxidative Damage in UV-Related Skin Cancer and Dysplastic Lesions Contributes to Neoplastic Promotion and Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12010110. [PMID: 31906275 PMCID: PMC7017152 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ultraviolet (UV) component of solar radiation is the major driving force of skin carcinogenesis. Most of studies on UV carcinogenesis actually focus on DNA damage while their proteome-damaging ability and its contribution to skin carcinogenesis have remained largely underexplored. A redox proteomic analysis of oxidized proteins in solar-induced neoplastic skin lesion and perilesional areas has been conducted showing that the protein oxidative burden mostly concerns a selected number of proteins participating to a defined set of functions, namely: chaperoning and stress response; protein folding/refolding and protein quality control; proteasomal function; DNA damage repair; protein- and vesicle-trafficking; cell architecture, adhesion/extra-cellular matrix (ECM) interaction; proliferation/oncosuppression; apoptosis/survival, all of them ultimately concurring either to structural damage repair or to damage detoxication and stress response. In peri-neoplastic areas the oxidative alterations are conducive to the persistence of genetic alterations, dysfunctional apoptosis surveillance, and a disrupted extracellular environment, thus creating the condition for transformant clones to establish, expand and progress. A comparatively lower burden of oxidative damage is observed in neoplastic areas. Such a finding can reflect an adaptive selection of best fitting clones to the sharply pro-oxidant neoplastic environment. In this context the DNA damage response appears severely perturbed, thus sustaining an increased genomic instability and an accelerated rate of neoplastic evolution. In conclusion UV radiation, in addition to being a cancer-initiating agent, can act, through protein oxidation, as a cancer-promoting agent and as an inducer of genomic instability concurring with the neoplastic progression of established lesions.
Collapse
|
38
|
McMillan EA, Kwon G, Clemenceau JR, Fisher KW, Vaden RM, Shaikh AF, Neilsen BK, Kelly D, Potts MB, Sung YJ, Mendiratta S, Hight SK, Lee Y, MacMillan JB, Lewis RE, Kim HS, White MA. A Genome-wide Functional Signature Ontology Map and Applications to Natural Product Mechanism of Action Discovery. Cell Chem Biol 2019; 26:1380-1392.e6. [PMID: 31378711 PMCID: PMC9161285 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2019.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression signature-based inference of functional connectivity within and between genetic perturbations, chemical perturbations, and disease status can lead to the development of actionable hypotheses for gene function, chemical modes of action, and disease treatment strategies. Here, we report a FuSiOn-based genome-wide integration of hypomorphic cellular phenotypes that enables functional annotation of gene network topology, assignment of mechanistic hypotheses to genes of unknown function, and detection of cooperativity among cell regulatory systems. Dovetailing genetic perturbation data with chemical perturbation phenotypes allowed simultaneous generation of mechanism of action hypotheses for thousands of uncharacterized natural products fractions (NPFs). The predicted mechanism of actions span a broad spectrum of cellular mechanisms, many of which are not currently recognized as "druggable." To enable use of FuSiOn as a hypothesis generation resource, all associations and analyses are available within an open source web-based GUI (http://fusion.yuhs.ac).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McMillan
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Gino Kwon
- Graduate Program for Nanomedical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jean R Clemenceau
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kurt W Fisher
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Rachel M Vaden
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Anam F Shaikh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Beth K Neilsen
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - David Kelly
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Malia B Potts
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yeo-Jin Sung
- Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Saurabh Mendiratta
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Suzie K Hight
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yunji Lee
- Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - John B MacMillan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
| | - Robert E Lewis
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
| | - Hyun Seok Kim
- Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Graduate Program for Nanomedical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Michael A White
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Precision genotyping diagnosis of lung tumors with trophoblastic morphology in young women. Mod Pathol 2019; 32:1271-1280. [PMID: 31028360 DOI: 10.1038/s41379-019-0275-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Trophoblastic differentiation has been previously described in somatic carcinomas at different primary sites, including the lung. Lung carcinomas with trophoblastic morphology presenting in women during the reproductive years pose a unique diagnostic challenge due to their overlapping microscopical and immunophenotypical features with metastatic choriocarcinoma of gestational origin. Distinction between the two entities is paramount as they require different chemotherapeutic regimens and have a markedly different prognostic outlook. Here we report a series of three female patients (ages 37-48 years) presenting with lung masses. Two of the three patients were noted to have elevated serum beta-hCG levels at the time of their presentation, while serum beta-hCG was not evaluated preoperatively in the third patient. None of them had a clinical history of molar pregnancy or gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Core biopsies of the lung masses were performed in two patients and one patient underwent a wedge resection, showing poorly differentiated carcinoma in all cases with scattered multinucleated giant cells, hemorrhage, and necrosis. Beta-hCG immunostain was performed in two cases and showed diffuse immunoreactivity. Clinical history and imaging studies were not conclusive in any of the cases to rule out a gestational origin. Short tandem repeat genotyping analysis was performed to compare the allelic patterns between tumor and normal tissues and revealed identical profiles in one case, consistent with somatic origin, and unique paternal alleles in two cases, confirming metastatic gestational choriocarcinoma. The patient with primary somatic lung carcinoma died of disease within 15 months despite chemotherapy, while both patients with gestational choriocarcinoma responded well to chemotherapy and are alive without evidence of disease. Our cases illustrate the diagnostic pitfalls of lung tumors with trophoblastic differentiation in young women. Genotyping analysis offers precise diagnostic distinction between primary lung carcinoma and gestational choriocarcinoma with major therapeutic and prognostic implications for the patients.
Collapse
|
40
|
Gantchev J, Martínez Villarreal A, Xie P, Lefrançois P, Gunn S, Netchiporouk E, Sasseville D, Litvinov IV. The Ectopic Expression of Meiosis Regulatory Genes in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas (CTCL). Front Oncol 2019; 9:429. [PMID: 31214493 PMCID: PMC6554469 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer testis (CT) antigens, under normal circumstances are uniquely expressed in testicular germ cells. Recent research has shown that meiosis-specific CT (meiCT) antigens are ectopically expressed in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and may contribute to increased genomic instability. The aberrant activation of meiosis genes in a mitotic cell is now recognized as a distinctive process, “meiomitosis.” We have previously demonstrated the ectopic expression of several meiCT antigens in nine patient-derived CTCL cell lines and in expanded peripheral T lymphocytes isolated from Sézary Syndrome patients. In this study we analyzed the transcriptional expression of meiCT genes in Sézary Syndrome patients and healthy controls using publicly-available RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data. We corroborated our in silico analysis by examining the expression of 5 meiCT proteins in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lesional samples from CTCL patients. Our results show significant differential gene expression of STAG3, SGO2, SYCP3, and DMC1 in a cohort of Sézary Syndrome patients when compared to healthy controls. Additionally, our study demonstrates a heterogenous expression of meiCT genes involved in initiation (STRA8), sister chromatin cohesion (STAG3, SGO2), homologous chromosome synapsis (SYCP3) and homologous recombination (DMC1) in atypical lymphocytes in FFPE samples. Our results further confirm the ectopic expression of meiCT genes in CTCL which indicates that CTCL malignant cells likely undergo the process of cancer meiomitosis, as opposed to a typical mitotic division. The ectopic expression of meiCT genes together with investigations into the functional mechanisms of cancer meiomitosis will help provide a foundation to develop novel diagnostic tests to distinguish CTCL from benign inflammatory dermatoses and may enable us to develop additional targeted therapies for patients with this malignancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pingxing Xie
- Division of Dermatology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Scott Gunn
- Division of Dermatology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Denis Sasseville
- Division of Dermatology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ivan V Litvinov
- Division of Dermatology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Feichtinger J, McFarlane RJ. Meiotic gene activation in somatic and germ cell tumours. Andrology 2019; 7:415-427. [PMID: 31102330 PMCID: PMC6766858 DOI: 10.1111/andr.12628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Germ cell tumours are uniquely associated with the gametogenic tissues of males and females. A feature of these cancers is that they can express genes that are normally tightly restricted to meiotic cells. This aberrant gene expression has been used as an indicator that these cancer cells are attempting a programmed germ line event, meiotic entry. However, work in non‐germ cell cancers has also indicated that meiotic genes can become aberrantly activated in a wide range of cancer types and indeed provide functions that serve as oncogenic drivers. Here, we review the activation of meiotic factors in cancers and explore commonalities between meiotic gene activation in germ cell and non‐germ cell cancers. Objectives The objectives of this review are to highlight key questions relating to meiotic gene activation in germ cell tumours and to offer possible interpretations as to the biological relevance in this unique cancer type. Materials and Methods PubMed and the GEPIA database were searched for papers in English and for cancer gene expression data, respectively. Results We provide a brief overview of meiotic progression, with a focus on the unique mechanisms of reductional chromosome segregation in meiosis I. We then offer detailed insight into the role of meiotic chromosome regulators in non‐germ cell cancers and extend this to provide an overview of how this might relate to germ cell tumours. Conclusions We propose that meiotic gene activation in germ cell tumours might not indicate an unscheduled attempt to enter a full meiotic programme. Rather, it might simply reflect either aberrant activation of a subset of meiotic genes, with little or no biological relevance, or aberrant activation of a subset of meiotic genes as positive tumour evolutionary/oncogenic drivers. These postulates provide the provocation for further studies in this emerging field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Feichtinger
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signaling, Metabolism and Aging, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,OMICS Center Graz, BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - R J McFarlane
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Gibbs ZA, Whitehurst AW. Emerging Contributions of Cancer/Testis Antigens to Neoplastic Behaviors. Trends Cancer 2018; 4:701-712. [PMID: 30292353 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tumors of nearly every origin activate the expression of genes normally restricted to gametogenic cells. These genes encode proteins termed cancer/testis (CT) antigens, since expression outside of their naturally immune-privileged site can evoke an immune response. Despite extensive efforts to exploit CT antigens as immunotherapeutic targets, investigation of whether these proteins participate in tumorigenic processes has lagged. Here, we discuss emerging evidence that demonstrates that CT antigens can confer a selective advantage to tumor cells by promoting oncogenic processes or permitting evasion of tumor-suppressive mechanisms. These advances indicate the inherent flexibility of tumor cell regulatory networks to engage aberrantly expressed proteins to promote neoplastic behaviors, which could ultimately present novel therapeutic entry points.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zane A Gibbs
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Angelique W Whitehurst
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|