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Janin M, Davalos V, Esteller M. Cancer metastasis under the magnifying glass of epigenetics and epitranscriptomics. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:1071-1112. [PMID: 37369946 PMCID: PMC10713773 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10120-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Most of the cancer-associated mortality and morbidity can be attributed to metastasis. The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic alterations in cancer origin and progression has been extensively demonstrated during the last years. Both regulations share similar mechanisms driven by DNA or RNA modifiers, namely writers, readers, and erasers; enzymes responsible of respectively introducing, recognizing, or removing the epigenetic or epitranscriptomic modifications. Epigenetic regulation is achieved by DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNAs, chromatin accessibility, and enhancer reprogramming. In parallel, regulation at RNA level, named epitranscriptomic, is driven by a wide diversity of chemical modifications in mostly all RNA molecules. These two-layer regulatory mechanisms are finely controlled in normal tissue, and dysregulations are associated with every hallmark of human cancer. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding epigenetic and epitranscriptomic alterations governing tumor metastasis, and compare pathways regulated at DNA or RNA levels to shed light on a possible epi-crosstalk in cancer metastasis. A deeper understanding on these mechanisms could have important clinical implications for the prevention of advanced malignancies and the management of the disseminated diseases. Additionally, as these epi-alterations can potentially be reversed by small molecules or inhibitors against epi-modifiers, novel therapeutic alternatives could be envisioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Janin
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias I Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Cami de Les Escoles S/N, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Veronica Davalos
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias I Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Cami de Les Escoles S/N, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias I Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Cami de Les Escoles S/N, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.
- Institucio Catalana de Recerca I Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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Orsolic I, Carrier A, Esteller M. Genetic and epigenetic defects of the RNA modification machinery in cancer. Trends Genet 2023; 39:74-88. [PMID: 36379743 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer was initially considered to be an exclusively genetic disease, but an interplay of dysregulated genetic and epigenetic mechanisms is now known to contribute to the cancer phenotype. More recently, chemical modifications of RNA molecules - the so-called epitranscriptome - have been found to regulate various aspects of RNA function and homeostasis. Specific enzymes, known as RNA-modifying proteins (RMPs), are responsible for depositing, removing, and reading chemical modifications in RNA. Intensive investigations in the epitranscriptomic field in recent years, in conjunction with great technological advances, have revealed the critical role of RNA modifications in regulating numerous cellular pathways. Furthermore, growing evidence has revealed that RNA modification machinery is often altered in human cancers, highlighting the enormous potential of RMPs as pharmacological targets or diagnostic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Orsolic
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Arnaud Carrier
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Manel Esteller
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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Kelenis DP, Rodarte KE, Kollipara RK, Pozo K, Choudhuri SP, Spainhower KB, Wait SJ, Stastny V, Oliver TG, Johnson JE. Inhibition of Karyopherin β1-Mediated Nuclear Import Disrupts Oncogenic Lineage-Defining Transcription Factor Activity in Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancer Res 2022; 82:3058-3073. [PMID: 35748745 PMCID: PMC9444950 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-3713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Genomic studies support the classification of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) into subtypes based on the expression of lineage-defining transcription factors ASCL1 and NEUROD1, which together are expressed in ∼86% of SCLC. ASCL1 and NEUROD1 activate SCLC oncogene expression, drive distinct transcriptional programs, and maintain the in vitro growth and oncogenic properties of ASCL1 or NEUROD1-expressing SCLC. ASCL1 is also required for tumor formation in SCLC mouse models. A strategy to inhibit the activity of these oncogenic drivers may therefore provide both a targeted therapy for the predominant SCLC subtypes and a tool to investigate the underlying lineage plasticity of established SCLC tumors. However, there are no known agents that inhibit ASCL1 or NEUROD1 function. In this study, we identify a novel strategy to pharmacologically target ASCL1 and NEUROD1 activity in SCLC by exploiting the nuclear localization required for the function of these transcription factors. Karyopherin β1 (KPNB1) was identified as a nuclear import receptor for both ASCL1 and NEUROD1 in SCLC, and inhibition of KPNB1 led to impaired ASCL1 and NEUROD1 nuclear accumulation and transcriptional activity. Pharmacologic targeting of KPNB1 preferentially disrupted the growth of ASCL1+ and NEUROD1+ SCLC cells in vitro and suppressed ASCL1+ tumor growth in vivo, an effect mediated by a combination of impaired ASCL1 downstream target expression, cell-cycle activity, and proteostasis. These findings broaden the support for targeting nuclear transport as an anticancer therapeutic strategy and have implications for targeting lineage-transcription factors in tumors beyond SCLC. SIGNIFICANCE The identification of KPNB1 as a nuclear import receptor for lineage-defining transcription factors in SCLC reveals a viable therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demetra P. Kelenis
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kathia E. Rodarte
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Rahul K. Kollipara
- McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Karine Pozo
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA,Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | | | - Kyle B. Spainhower
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Sarah J. Wait
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Victor Stastny
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Trudy G. Oliver
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jane E. Johnson
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Bian M, Huang S, Yu D, Zhou Z. tRNA Metabolism and Lung Cancer: Beyond Translation. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:659388. [PMID: 34660690 PMCID: PMC8516113 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.659388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer, one of the most malignant tumors, has extremely high morbidity and mortality, posing a serious threat to global health. It is an urgent need to fully understand the pathogenesis of lung cancer and provide new ideas for its treatment. Interestingly, accumulating evidence has identified that transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and tRNA metabolism–associated enzymes not only participate in the protein translation but also play an important role in the occurrence and development of lung cancer. In this review, we summarize the different aspects of tRNA metabolism in lung cancer, such as tRNA transcription and mutation, tRNA molecules and derivatives, tRNA-modifying enzymes, and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs), aiming at a better understanding of the pathogenesis of lung cancer and providing new therapeutic strategies for it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Bian
- Department of Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shiqiong Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, China
| | - Dongsheng Yu
- Department of Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zheng Zhou
- Department of Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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