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Kent MR, Jay AN, Kendall GC. New Dual Inducible Cellular Model to Investigate Temporal Control of Oncogenic Cooperating Genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.23.581802. [PMID: 38464002 PMCID: PMC10925205 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.23.581802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The study of cooperating genes in cancer can lead to mechanistic understanding and identifying potential therapeutic targets. To facilitate these types of studies, we developed a new dual-inducible system utilizing the tetracycline- and cumate-inducible systems driving HES3 and the PAX3::FOXO1 fusion-oncogene, respectively, as cooperating genes from fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma. With this new model, we can independently induce expression of either HES3 or PAX3::FOXO1, as well as simultaneously induce expression of both genes. This new model will allow us to further investigate the cooperation between HES3 and PAX3::FOXO1 including the temporal requirements for genetic cooperation. This dual-inducible model can be adapted for any cooperating genes, allowing for independent, simultaneous, or temporally controlled gene expression.
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Pomella S, Danielli SG, Alaggio R, Breunis WB, Hamed E, Selfe J, Wachtel M, Walters ZS, Schäfer BW, Rota R, Shipley JM, Hettmer S. Genomic and Epigenetic Changes Drive Aberrant Skeletal Muscle Differentiation in Rhabdomyosarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2823. [PMID: 37345159 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102823] [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: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents, represents an aberrant form of skeletal muscle differentiation. Both skeletal muscle development, as well as regeneration of adult skeletal muscle are governed by members of the myogenic family of regulatory transcription factors (MRFs), which are deployed in a highly controlled, multi-step, bidirectional process. Many aspects of this complex process are deregulated in RMS and contribute to tumorigenesis. Interconnected loops of super-enhancers, called core regulatory circuitries (CRCs), define aberrant muscle differentiation in RMS cells. The transcriptional regulation of MRF expression/activity takes a central role in the CRCs active in skeletal muscle and RMS. In PAX3::FOXO1 fusion-positive (PF+) RMS, CRCs maintain expression of the disease-driving fusion oncogene. Recent single-cell studies have revealed hierarchically organized subsets of cells within the RMS cell pool, which recapitulate developmental myogenesis and appear to drive malignancy. There is a large interest in exploiting the causes of aberrant muscle development in RMS to allow for terminal differentiation as a therapeutic strategy, for example, by interrupting MEK/ERK signaling or by interfering with the epigenetic machinery controlling CRCs. In this review, we provide an overview of the genetic and epigenetic framework of abnormal muscle differentiation in RMS, as it provides insights into fundamental mechanisms of RMS malignancy, its remarkable phenotypic diversity and, ultimately, opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pomella
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS Istituto Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesu, Viale San Paolo 15, 00146 Rome, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara G Danielli
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rita Alaggio
- Department of Pathology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Viale San Paolo 15, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Willemijn B Breunis
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ebrahem Hamed
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Joanna Selfe
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 FNG, UK
| | - Marco Wachtel
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Zoe S Walters
- Translational Epigenomics Team, Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Beat W Schäfer
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS Istituto Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesu, Viale San Paolo 15, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Janet M Shipley
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 FNG, UK
| | - Simone Hettmer
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre Freiburg (CCCF), University Medical Center Freiburg, 790106 Freiburg, Germany
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Morales J, Allegakoen DV, Garcia JA, Kwong K, Sahu PK, Fajardo DA, Pan Y, Horlbeck MA, Weissman JS, Gustafson WC, Bivona TG, Sabnis AJ. GATOR2-dependent mTORC1 activity is a therapeutic vulnerability in FOXO1 fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e162207. [PMID: 36282590 PMCID: PMC9746907 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.162207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic FOXO1 gene fusions drive a subset of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) with poor survival; to date, these cancer drivers are therapeutically intractable. To identify new therapies for this disease, we undertook an isogenic CRISPR-interference screen to define PAX3-FOXO1-specific genetic dependencies and identified genes in the GATOR2 complex. GATOR2 loss in RMS abrogated aa-induced lysosomal localization of mTORC1 and consequent downstream signaling, slowing G1-S cell cycle transition. In vivo suppression of GATOR2 impaired the growth of tumor xenografts and favored the outgrowth of cells lacking PAX3-FOXO1. Loss of a subset of GATOR2 members can be compensated by direct genetic activation of mTORC1. RAS mutations are also sufficient to decouple mTORC1 activation from GATOR2, and indeed, fusion-negative RMS harboring such mutations exhibit aa-independent mTORC1 activity. A bisteric, mTORC1-selective small molecule induced tumor regressions in fusion-positive patient-derived tumor xenografts. These findings highlight a vulnerability in FOXO1 fusion-positive RMS and provide rationale for the clinical evaluation of bisteric mTORC1 inhibitors, currently in phase I testing, to treat this disease. Isogenic genetic screens can, thus, identify potentially exploitable vulnerabilities in fusion-driven pediatric cancers that otherwise remain mostly undruggable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - José A. Garcia
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kansas City University, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Kristen Kwong
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, and
| | | | - Drew A. Fajardo
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Yue Pan
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, and
| | - Max A. Horlbeck
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jonathan S. Weissman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
- Whitehead Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Trever G. Bivona
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Amit J. Sabnis
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, and
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Generali M, Satheesha S, Bode PK, Wanner D, Schäfer BW, Casanova EA. High Frequency of Tumor Propagating Cells in Fusion-Positive Rhabdomyosarcoma. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091373. [PMID: 34573355 PMCID: PMC8469567 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. Fusion-positive RMS (FPRMS), expressing the PAX3/7-FOXO1, has a worse prognosis compared to the more common fusion-negative RMS (FNRMS). Although several studies reported hierarchical organization for FNRMS with the identification of cancer stem cells, the cellular organization of FPRMS is not yet clear. In this study we investigated the expression of key stem cell markers, developed a sphere assay, and investigated the seven most common FPRMS cell lines for subpopulations of tumor propagating cancer stem-like cells, also called cancer stem cells (CSCs). Moreover, loss- and gain-of-functions of the stem cell genes SOX2, OCT4, and NANOG were investigated in the same cells. Single-cell clonal analysis was performed in vitro as well as in vivo. We found that no stable CSC subpopulation could be enriched in FPRMS. Unlike depletion of PAX3-FOXO1, neither overexpression nor siRNA-mediated downregulation of SOX2, OCT4, and NANOG affected physiology of RMS cells. Every single subclone-derived cell clone initiated tumor growth in mice, despite displaying considerable heterogeneity in gene expression. FPRMS appears to contain a high frequency of tumor propagating stem-like cells, which could explain their higher propensity for metastasis and relapse. Their dependency on PAX3-FOXO1 activity reinforces the importance of the fusion protein as the key therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Generali
- Center for Therapy Development and Good Manufacturing Practice, Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IREM), University of Zurich, 8044 Zurich, Switzerland; (M.G.); (D.W.)
| | - Sampoorna Satheesha
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Peter K. Bode
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Debora Wanner
- Center for Therapy Development and Good Manufacturing Practice, Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IREM), University of Zurich, 8044 Zurich, Switzerland; (M.G.); (D.W.)
| | - Beat W. Schäfer
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland;
- Correspondence: (B.W.S.); (E.A.C.); Tel.: +41-44-266-7553 (B.W.S.); +41-44-255-1976 (E.A.C.)
| | - Elisa A. Casanova
- Division of Trauma Surgery, Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (B.W.S.); (E.A.C.); Tel.: +41-44-266-7553 (B.W.S.); +41-44-255-1976 (E.A.C.)
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