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Willoughby JLS, George K, Roberto MP, Chin HG, Stoiber P, Shin H, Pedamallu CS, Schaus SE, Fitzgerald K, Shah J, Hansen U. Targeting the oncogene LSF with either the small molecule inhibitor FQI1 or siRNA causes mitotic delays with unaligned chromosomes, resulting in cell death or senescence. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:552. [PMID: 32539694 PMCID: PMC7296649 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07039-1] [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] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The oncogene LSF (encoded by TFCP2) has been proposed as a novel therapeutic target for multiple cancers. LSF overexpression in patient tumors correlates with poor prognosis in particular for both hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer. The limited treatment outcomes for these diseases and disappointing clinical results, in particular, for hepatocellular carcinoma in molecularly targeted therapies targeting cellular receptors and kinases, underscore the need for molecularly targeting novel mechanisms. LSF small molecule inhibitors, Factor Quinolinone Inhibitors (FQIs), have exhibited robust anti-tumor activity in multiple pre-clinical models, with no observable toxicity. METHODS To understand how the LSF inhibitors impact cancer cell proliferation, we characterized the cellular phenotypes that result from loss of LSF activity. Cell proliferation and cell cycle progression were analyzed, using HeLa cells as a model cancer cell line responsive to FQI1. Cell cycle progression was studied either by time lapse microscopy or by bulk synchronization of cell populations to ensure accuracy in interpretation of the outcomes. In order to test for biological specificity of targeting LSF by FQI1, results were compared after treatment with either FQI1 or siRNA targeting LSF. RESULTS Highly similar cellular phenotypes are observed upon treatments with FQI1 and siRNA targeting LSF. Along with similar effects on two cellular biomarkers, inhibition of LSF activity by either mechanism induced a strong delay or arrest prior to metaphase as cells progressed through mitosis, with condensed, but unaligned, chromosomes. This mitotic disruption in both cases resulted in improper cellular division leading to multiple outcomes: multi-nucleation, apoptosis, and cellular senescence. CONCLUSIONS These data strongly support that cellular phenotypes observed upon FQI1 treatment are due specifically to the loss of LSF activity. Specific inhibition of LSF by either small molecules or siRNA results in severe mitotic defects, leading to cell death or senescence - consequences that are desirable in combating cancer. Taken together, these findings confirm that LSF is a promising target for cancer treatment. Furthermore, this study provides further support for developing FQIs or other LSF inhibitory strategies as treatment for LSF-related cancers with high unmet medical needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L S Willoughby
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Kelly George
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mark P Roberto
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Hang Gyeong Chin
- MCBB Graduate Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,New England BioLabs, Ipswich, MA, 01938, USA
| | - Patrick Stoiber
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,MCBB Graduate Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Hyunjin Shin
- Data Science Institute, Takeda Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Chandra Sekhar Pedamallu
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Scott E Schaus
- Center for Molecular Discovery, Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | | | - Jagesh Shah
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ulla Hansen
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,MCBB Graduate Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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Kim JS, Son SH, Kim MY, Choi D, Jang IS, Paik SS, Chae JH, Uversky VN, Kim CG. Diagnostic and prognostic relevance of CP2c and YY1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2018; 8:24389-24400. [PMID: 28412749 PMCID: PMC5421856 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated an oncogenic role of the transcription factor (TF) CP2c in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on a strong correlation between CP2c expression, tumor grade, and aggressiveness. We recently found that CP2c directly interacts with another TF, YY1, which is also overexpressed in multiple cancers, including HCC. To evaluate if these proteins are co-regulated in carcinogenesis, we analyzed the expression of CP2c and YY1 in HCC (n = 136) tissues and examined the correlation between their expression and clinicopathological characteristics of HCC. Receiver operating characteristic analysis exhibited the validity of CP2c and nuclear YY1 expression as a diagnostic factor in HCC tissues. High expression of CP2c was significantly correlated with patient age, and higher histological grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, and small and large vessel invasion in HCC tissues, whereas high expression of nuclear YY1 was significantly associated with higher AJCC stage and small vessel invasion. In univariate and multivariate analyses, high expression of CP2c was significantly correlated with disease free survival (DFS), indicating that CP2c expression is an independent prognostic factor for DFS in HCC patients. Patients with high expression of both CP2c and nuclear YY1 usually had a shorter median survival time and worse DFS prognosis than other patients, suggesting that combined detection of CP2c and nuclear YY1 is a useful prognostic marker in HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Sook Kim
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea.,Department of Pathology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Seung Han Son
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Min Young Kim
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - DongHo Choi
- Department of Surgery, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Ik-Soon Jang
- Division of Bioconvergence, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 34133, Korea
| | - Seung Sam Paik
- Department of Pathology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Ji Hyung Chae
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Chul Geun Kim
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
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Chen CH, Tsai HT, Chuang HC, Shiu LY, Su LJ, Chiu TJ, Luo SD, Fang FM, Huang CC, Chien CY. Metformin disrupts malignant behavior of oral squamous cell carcinoma via a novel signaling involving Late SV40 factor/Aurora-A. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1358. [PMID: 28465536 PMCID: PMC5430965 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01353-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional therapeutic processes in patient with OSCC are associated with several unfavorable effects leading to patients with poor survival rate. Metformin has been shown to protect against a variety of specific diseases, including cancer. However, the precise roles and mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of metformin on OSCC remain elusive. In the current study, in vitro and xenograft model experiments revealed that metformin inhibited growth and metastasis of oral cancer cells. Importantly, metformin-restrained tumorigenesis of oral cancer was accompanied with strong decrease of both Aurora-A and Late SV40 Factor (LSF) expressions. Furthermore, LSF contributed to Aurora-A-elicited malignancy behaviors of oral cancer via binding to the promoter region of Aurora-A. A significant correlation was observed between LSF and Aurora-A levels in a cohort of specimens of oral cancer. These findings showed that a novel LSF/Aurora-A-signaling inhibition supports the rationale of using metformin as potential OSCC therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Han Chen
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Applied Chemistry, and Graduate Institute of Biomedicine and Biomedical Technology, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.,Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Ting Tsai
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ching Chuang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Li-Yen Shiu
- Department of Medical Research, E-Da Hospital, I-SHOW University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Cell Therapy and Research Center, Department of Medical Research, E-Da Cancer Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Li-Jen Su
- Graduate Institute of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Jan Chiu
- Departments of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Dean Luo
- Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Min Fang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Cheng Huang
- Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yen Chien
- Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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Broniarczyk JK, Warowicka A, Kwaśniewska A, Wohuń-Cholewa M, Kwaśniewski W, Goździcka-Józefiak A. Expression of TSG101 protein and LSF transcription factor in HPV-positive cervical cancer cells. Oncol Lett 2014; 7:1409-1413. [PMID: 24765146 PMCID: PMC3997686 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2014.1967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous study demonstrated a decreased expression of tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101) in cervical cancer cells. To identify the mechanism responsible for TSG101 downregulation during cervical cancer development, we analyzed the TSG101 promoter using cis-element cluster finder software. One of the transcription factors whose binding site was detected in the TSG101 promoter was late SV40 factor (LSF). The aim of this study was to analyze the TSG101 protein and LSF expression levels during cervical cancer development. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed a previously observed decreased expression of TSG101, whereas quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry analysis revealed high expression of LSF in cervical, precancer and cancer cells compared with human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative non-cancer samples. High expression of LSF in cervical cancer HPV-positive cells suggests that this protein may be important in the regulation of TSG101 expression, as well as in cervical carcinogenesis. The role of LSF as a mediator in cervical cancer development must be confirmed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alicja Warowicka
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań 61-614, Poland
| | - Anna Kwaśniewska
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin 20-081, Poland
| | - Maria Wohuń-Cholewa
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Medical Science, Poznan 60-806, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kwaśniewski
- First Department of Oncological Gynecology and Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin 20-081, Poland
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