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Sala-Hamrick KE, Tapaswi A, Polemi KM, Nguyen VK, Colacino JA. High-Throughput Transcriptomics of Nontumorigenic Breast Cells Exposed to Environmentally Relevant Chemicals. Environ Health Perspect 2024; 132:47002. [PMID: 38568856 PMCID: PMC10990114 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a suite of chemicals, including metals, pesticides, and personal care product compounds, which are commonly detected at high levels in US Center for Disease Control's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) chemical biomarker screens. Whether these chemicals influence development of breast cancer is not well understood. OBJECTIVES The objectives were to perform an unbiased concentration-dependent assessment of these chemicals, to quantify differences in cancer-specific genes and pathways, to describe if these differences occur at human population-relevant concentrations, and to specifically test for differences in markers of stemness and cellular plasticity. METHODS We treated nontumorigenic mammary epithelial cells, MCF10A, with 21 chemicals at four concentrations (25 nM , 250 nM , 2.5 μ M , and 25 μ M ) for 48 h. We conducted RNA-sequencing for these 408 samples, adapting the plexWell plate-based RNA-sequencing method to analyze differences in gene expression. We calculated gene and biological pathway-specific benchmark concentrations (BMCs) using BMDExpress3, identifying differentially expressed genes and generating the best fit benchmark concentration models for each chemical across all genes. We identified enriched biological processes and pathways for each chemical and tested whether chemical exposures change predicted cell type distributions. We contextualized benchmark concentrations relative to human population biomarker concentrations in NHANES. RESULTS We detected chemical concentration-dependent differences in gene expression for thousands of genes. Enrichment and cell type distribution analyses showed benchmark concentration responses correlated with differences in breast cancer-related pathways, including induction of basal-like characteristics for some chemicals, including arsenic, lead, copper, and methyl paraben. Comparison of benchmark data to NHANES chemical biomarker (urine or blood) concentrations indicated an overlap between exposure levels and levels sufficient to cause a gene expression response. DISCUSSION These analyses revealed that many of these 21 chemicals resulted in differences in genes and pathways involved in breast cancer in vitro at human exposure-relevant concentrations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12886.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anagha Tapaswi
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Katelyn M. Polemi
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Vy K. Nguyen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Justin A. Colacino
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Program in the Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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2
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Ren Z, Dharmaratne M, Liang H, Benard O, Morales-Gallego M, Suyama K, Kumar V, Fard AT, Kulkarni AS, Prystowsky M, Mar JC, Norton L, Hazan RB. Redox signalling regulates breast cancer metastasis via phenotypic and metabolic reprogramming due to p63 activation by HIF1α. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:908-924. [PMID: 38238426 PMCID: PMC10951347 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02522-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Redox signaling caused by knockdown (KD) of Glutathione Peroxidase 2 (GPx2) in the PyMT mammary tumour model promotes metastasis via phenotypic and metabolic reprogramming. However, the tumour cell subpopulations and transcriptional regulators governing these processes remained unknown. METHODS We used single-cell transcriptomics to decipher the tumour cell subpopulations stimulated by GPx2 KD in the PyMT mammary tumour and paired pulmonary metastases. We analyzed the EMT spectrum across the various tumour cell clusters using pseudotime trajectory analysis and elucidated the transcriptional and metabolic regulation of the hybrid EMT state. RESULTS Integration of single-cell transcriptomics between the PyMT/GPx2 KD primary tumour and paired lung metastases unraveled a basal/mesenchymal-like cluster and several luminal-like clusters spanning an EMT spectrum. Interestingly, the luminal clusters at the primary tumour gained mesenchymal gene expression, resulting in epithelial/mesenchymal subpopulations fueled by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glycolysis. By contrast, at distant metastasis, the basal/mesenchymal-like cluster gained luminal and mesenchymal gene expression, resulting in a hybrid subpopulation using OXPHOS, supporting adaptive plasticity. Furthermore, p63 was dramatically upregulated in all hybrid clusters, implying a role in regulating partial EMT and MET at primary and distant sites, respectively. Importantly, these effects were reversed by HIF1α loss or GPx2 gain of function, resulting in metastasis suppression. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these results underscored a dramatic effect of redox signaling on p63 activation by HIF1α, underlying phenotypic and metabolic plasticity leading to mammary tumour metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuen Ren
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Malindrie Dharmaratne
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Huizhi Liang
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | | | | | - Kimita Suyama
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Viney Kumar
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Atefeh Taherian Fard
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ameya S Kulkarni
- Department of Endocrinology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Michael Prystowsky
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Jessica C Mar
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Larry Norton
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Rachel B Hazan
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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3
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Anstine LJ, Majmudar PR, Aponte A, Singh S, Zhao R, Weber-Bonk KL, Abdul-Karim FW, Valentine M, Seachrist DD, Grennel-Nickelson KE, Cuellar-Vite L, Sizemore GM, Sizemore ST, Webb BM, Thompson CL, Keri RA. TLE3 Sustains Luminal Breast Cancer Lineage Fidelity to Suppress Metastasis. Cancer Res 2023; 83:997-1015. [PMID: 36696357 PMCID: PMC10089698 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-3133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer subtypes and their phenotypes parallel different stages of the mammary epithelial cell developmental hierarchy. Discovering mechanisms that control lineage identity could provide novel avenues for mitigating disease progression. Here we report that the transcriptional corepressor TLE3 is a guardian of luminal cell fate in breast cancer and operates independently of the estrogen receptor. In luminal breast cancer, TLE3 actively repressed the gene-expression signature associated with highly aggressive basal-like breast cancers (BLBC). Moreover, maintenance of the luminal lineage depended on the appropriate localization of TLE3 to its transcriptional targets, a process mediated by interactions with FOXA1. By repressing genes that drive BLBC phenotypes, including SOX9 and TGFβ2, TLE3 prevented the acquisition of a hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal state and reduced metastatic capacity and aggressive cellular behaviors. These results establish TLE3 as an essential transcriptional repressor that sustains the more differentiated and less metastatic nature of luminal breast cancers. Approaches to induce TLE3 expression could promote the acquisition of less aggressive, more treatable disease states to extend patient survival. SIGNIFICANCE Transcriptional corepressor TLE3 actively suppresses SOX9 and TGFβ transcriptional programs to sustain the luminal lineage identity of breast cancer cells and to inhibit metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey J. Anstine
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Parth R. Majmudar
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Amy Aponte
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Salendra Singh
- Department of Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Ran Zhao
- Department of Qualitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Kristen L. Weber-Bonk
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Fadi W. Abdul-Karim
- Department of Pathology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Mitchell Valentine
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Darcie D. Seachrist
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | | | - Leslie Cuellar-Vite
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Gina M. Sizemore
- Department of Radiation Oncology and the James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Steven T. Sizemore
- Department of Radiation Oncology and the James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Bryan M. Webb
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Cheryl L. Thompson
- Department of Public Health Sciences and the Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Ruth A. Keri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
- Department of Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
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Tang H, Yuan J, Gong YF, Zhang CY, Liu M, Luo SX. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing reveals potential novel combination of biomarkers for antibody-based cancer therapeutics in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:928256. [PMID: 36186483 PMCID: PMC9515615 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.928256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Antibody-based cancer therapeutics is developing rapidly in recent years for its advantages in precisely targeting the tumor cells. However, tumor-specific cell surface antigens are still lacking, and the heterogeneity of tumor mass greatly impeded the development of effective drugs. Methods: In the present study, single-cell RNA sequencing was used to dissect tumor heterogeneity in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Tissues from different spatial regions including the tumor, para-tumor, and distant normal liver tissues were dissociated into single cells, and the gene expressions were compared in a different subpopulation of cells from these regions and validated in independent cohorts. Results: A total of 28 cell clusters with different distribution patterns and gene expression profiles were identified within a heterogenous tumor and its paired liver tissues. Differentially expressed genes encoding the plasma membrane in cells with hepatic lineage were further extracted from single-cell transcriptome sequencing and validated in TCGA database. A 3-gene signature was identified to be significantly upregulated in dominant HCC tumor cell subpopulations with prognostic significance and validated in multiple independent patient cohorts. Conclusion: The composition of the three plasma membrane proteins on the surface of HCC tumor cells within a heterogenous tumor might indicate poor prognostic tumor subpopulations during cancer evolution and potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Tang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jun Yuan
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuan-Feng Gong
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng-Yang Zhang
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Su-Xia Luo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
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5
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Lee MY. Embryonic Programs in Cancer and Metastasis—Insights From the Mammary Gland. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:938625. [PMID: 35846378 PMCID: PMC9277484 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.938625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is characterized as a reversion of a differentiated cell to a primitive cell state that recapitulates, in many aspects, features of embryonic cells. This review explores the current knowledge of developmental mechanisms that are essential for embryonic mouse mammary gland development, with a particular focus on genes and signaling pathway components that are essential for the induction, morphogenesis, and lineage specification of the mammary gland. The roles of these same genes and signaling pathways in mammary gland or breast tumorigenesis and metastasis are then summarized. Strikingly, key embryonic developmental pathways are often reactivated or dysregulated during tumorigenesis and metastasis in processes such as aberrant proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and stem cell potency which affects cellular lineage hierarchy. These observations are in line with findings from recent studies using lineage tracing as well as bulk- and single-cell transcriptomics that have uncovered features of embryonic cells in cancer and metastasis through the identification of cell types, cell states and characterisation of their dynamic changes. Given the many overlapping features and similarities of the molecular signatures of normal development and cancer, embryonic molecular signatures could be useful prognostic markers for cancer. In this way, the study of embryonic development will continue to complement the understanding of the mechanisms of cancer and aid in the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and strategies.
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6
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Twigger AJ, Engelbrecht LK, Bach K, Schultz-Pernice I, Pensa S, Stenning J, Petricca S, Scheel CH, Khaled WT. Transcriptional changes in the mammary gland during lactation revealed by single cell sequencing of cells from human milk. Nat Commun 2022; 13:562. [PMID: 35091553 PMCID: PMC8799659 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27895-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Under normal conditions, the most significant expansion and differentiation of the adult mammary gland occurs in response to systemic reproductive hormones during pregnancy and lactation to enable milk synthesis and secretion to sustain the offspring. However, human mammary tissue remodelling that takes place during pregnancy and lactation remains poorly understood due to the challenge of acquiring samples. We report here single-cell transcriptomic analysis of 110,744 viable breast cells isolated from human milk or non-lactating breast tissue, isolated from nine and seven donors, respectively. We found that human milk largely contains epithelial cells belonging to the luminal lineage and a repertoire of immune cells. Further transcriptomic analysis of the milk cells identified two distinct secretory cell types that shared similarities with luminal progenitors, but no populations comparable to hormone-responsive cells. Taken together, our data offers a reference map and a window into the cellular dynamics that occur during human lactation and may provide further insights on the interplay between pregnancy, lactation and breast cancer. Human mammary tissue remodelling that takes place during pregnancy and lactation remains poorly understood. Here the authors characterize cells in human milk, identifying epithelial cells resembling luminal progenitors and immune cells, contributing insights into this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alecia-Jane Twigger
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. .,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England. .,Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.
| | - Lisa K Engelbrecht
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Karsten Bach
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England
| | | | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England
| | - Jack Stenning
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England
| | - Stefania Petricca
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.,Biomedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Genomics, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christina H Scheel
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany. .,Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Walid T Khaled
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. .,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England.
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7
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Pan D, Jia D. Application of Single-Cell Multi-Omics in Dissecting Cancer Cell Plasticity and Tumor Heterogeneity. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:757024. [PMID: 34722635 PMCID: PMC8554142 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.757024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor heterogeneity, a hallmark of cancer, impairs the efficacy of cancer therapy and drives tumor progression. Exploring inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity not only provides insights into tumor development and progression, but also guides the design of personalized therapies. Previously, high-throughput sequencing techniques have been used to investigate the heterogeneity of tumor ecosystems. However, they could not provide a high-resolution landscape of cellular components in tumor ecosystem. Recently, advance in single-cell technologies has provided an unprecedented resolution to uncover the intra-tumoral heterogeneity by profiling the transcriptomes, genomes, proteomes and epigenomes of the cellular components and also their spatial distribution, which greatly accelerated the process of basic and translational cancer research. Importantly, it has been demonstrated that some cancer cells are able to transit between different states in order to adapt to the changing tumor microenvironment, which led to increased cellular plasticity and tumor heterogeneity. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving cancer cell plasticity is critical for developing precision therapies. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in dissecting the cancer cell plasticity and tumor heterogeneity by use of single-cell multi-omics techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deshen Pan
- Laboratory of Cancer Genomics and Biology, Department of Urology, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Deshui Jia
- Laboratory of Cancer Genomics and Biology, Department of Urology, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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8
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Sinha VC, Rinkenbaugh AL, Xu M, Zhou X, Zhang X, Jeter-Jones S, Shao J, Qi Y, Zebala JA, Maeda DY, McAllister F, Piwnica-Worms H. Single-cell evaluation reveals shifts in the tumor-immune niches that shape and maintain aggressive lesions in the breast. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5024. [PMID: 34408137 PMCID: PMC8373912 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25240-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an unmet clinical need for stratification of breast lesions as indolent or aggressive to tailor treatment. Here, single-cell transcriptomics and multiparametric imaging applied to a mouse model of breast cancer reveals that the aggressive tumor niche is characterized by an expanded basal-like population, specialization of tumor subpopulations, and mixed-lineage tumor cells potentially serving as a transition state between luminal and basal phenotypes. Despite vast tumor cell-intrinsic differences, aggressive and indolent tumor cells are functionally indistinguishable once isolated from their local niche, suggesting a role for non-tumor collaborators in determining aggressiveness. Aggressive lesions harbor fewer total but more suppressed-like T cells, and elevated tumor-promoting neutrophils and IL-17 signaling, disruption of which increase tumor latency and reduce the number of aggressive lesions. Our study provides insight into tumor-immune features distinguishing indolent from aggressive lesions, identifies heterogeneous populations comprising these lesions, and supports a role for IL-17 signaling in aggressive progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya C. Sinha
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Amanda L. Rinkenbaugh
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Mingchu Xu
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Xinhui Zhou
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Xiaomei Zhang
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Sabrina Jeter-Jones
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Jiansu Shao
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Yuan Qi
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | | | | | - Florencia McAllister
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Helen Piwnica-Worms
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
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9
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Liao C, Wang Q, An J, Long Q, Wang H, Xiang M, Xiang M, Zhao Y, Liu Y, Liu J, Guan X. Partial EMT in Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Snapshot. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:3036-3047. [PMID: 34421348 PMCID: PMC8375241 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.61566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the process of cancer EMT, some subgroups of cancer cells simultaneously exhibit both mesenchymal and epithelial characteristics, a phenomenon termed partial EMT (pEMT). pEMT is a plastic state in which cells coexpress epithelial and mesenchymal markers. In squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), pEMT is regulated, and the phenotype is maintained via the HIPPO pathway, NOTCH pathway and TGF-β pathways and by microRNAs, lncRNAs and the cancer microenvironment (CME); thus, SCC exhibits aggressive tumorigenic properties and high stemness, which leads collective migration and therapy resistance. Few studies have reported therapeutic interventions to address cells that have undergone pEMT, and this approach may be an effective way to inhibit the plasticity, drug resistance and metastatic potential of SCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Liao
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
- Microbial Resources and Drug Development Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, Life Sciences Institute, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Jiaxing An
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Qian Long
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Meiling Xiang
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Mingli Xiang
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Yujie Zhao
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Yulin Liu
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Oral Disease Research Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
| | - Xiaoyan Guan
- Department of Orthodontics II, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
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10
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Sun G, Li Z, Rong D, Zhang H, Shi X, Yang W, Zheng W, Sun G, Wu F, Cao H, Tang W, Sun Y. Single-cell RNA sequencing in cancer: Applications, advances, and emerging challenges. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2021; 21:183-206. [PMID: 34027052 PMCID: PMC8131398 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer has become one of the greatest threats to human health, and new technologies are urgently needed to further clarify the mechanisms of cancer so that better detection and treatment strategies can be developed. At present, extensive genomic analysis and testing of clinical specimens shape the insights into carcinoma. Nevertheless, carcinoma of humans is a complex ecosystem of cells, including carcinoma cells and immunity-related and stroma-related subsets, with accurate characteristics obscured by extensive genome-related approaches. A growing body of research shows that sequencing of single-cell RNA (scRNA-seq) is emerging to be an effective way for dissecting human tumor tissue at single-cell resolution, presenting one prominent way for explaining carcinoma biology. This review summarizes the research progress of scRNA-seq in the field of tumors, focusing on the application of scRNA-seq in tumor circulating cells, tumor stem cells, tumor drug resistance, the tumor microenvironment, and so on, which provides a new perspective for tumor research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshun Sun
- Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhouxiao Li
- Department of Hand Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Surgery, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Dawei Rong
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuesong Shi
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weijun Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wubin Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guoqiang Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongyong Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yangbai Sun
- Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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11
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Abstract
Understanding the complexity and heterogeneity of mammary cell subpopulations is vital to delineate the mechanisms behind breast cancer development, progression and prevention. Increasingly sophisticated tools for investigating these cell subtypes has led to the development of a greater understanding of these cell subtypes, complex interplay of certain subtypes and their developmental potential. Of note, increasing accessibility and affordability of single cell technologies has led to a plethora of studies being published containing data from mammary cell subtypes and their differentiation potential in both mice and human data sets. Here, we review the different types of single cell technologies and how they have been used to improve our understanding of mammary gland development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alecia-Jane Twigger
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Walid T Khaled
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, UK.
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12
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Henry S, Trousdell MC, Cyrill SL, Zhao Y, Feigman MJ, Bouhuis JM, Aylard DA, Siepel A, Dos Santos CO. Characterization of Gene Expression Signatures for the Identification of Cellular Heterogeneity in the Developing Mammary Gland. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2021; 26:43-66. [PMID: 33988830 PMCID: PMC8217035 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-021-09486-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The developing mammary gland depends on several transcription-dependent networks to define cellular identities and differentiation trajectories. Recent technological advancements that allow for single-cell profiling of gene expression have provided an initial picture into the epithelial cellular heterogeneity across the diverse stages of gland maturation. Still, a deeper dive into expanded molecular signatures would improve our understanding of the diversity of mammary epithelial and non-epithelial cellular populations across different tissue developmental stages, mouse strains and mammalian species. Here, we combined differential mammary gland fractionation approaches and transcriptional profiles obtained from FACS-isolated mammary cells to improve our definitions of mammary-resident, cellular identities at the single-cell level. Our approach yielded a series of expression signatures that illustrate the heterogeneity of mammary epithelial cells, specifically those of the luminal fate, and uncovered transcriptional changes to their lineage-defined, cellular states that are induced during gland development. Our analysis also provided molecular signatures that identified non-epithelial mammary cells, including adipocytes, fibroblasts and rare immune cells. Lastly, we extended our study to elucidate expression signatures of human, breast-resident cells, a strategy that allowed for the cross-species comparison of mammary epithelial identities. Collectively, our approach improved the existing signatures of normal mammary epithelial cells, as well as elucidated the diversity of non-epithelial cells in murine and human breast tissue. Our study provides a useful resource for future studies that use single-cell molecular profiling strategies to understand normal and malignant breast development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Henry
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, US
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Stony Brook University, NY, 11794, US
| | | | | | - Yixin Zhao
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, US
| | - Mary J Feigman
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, US
| | | | - Dominik A Aylard
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, US
| | - Adam Siepel
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, US
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13
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Tripathi SC, Jolly MK, Mani SA, Levine H. Editorial: Characterizing the Multi-Faceted Dynamics of Tumor Cell Plasticity. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 7:630276. [PMID: 33553244 PMCID: PMC7855584 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.630276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Northeastern University, Boston MA, United States
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14
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Pasani S, Sahoo S, Jolly MK. Hybrid E/M Phenotype(s) and Stemness: A Mechanistic Connection Embedded in Network Topology. J Clin Med 2020; 10:E60. [PMID: 33375334 PMCID: PMC7794989 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10010060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis remains an unsolved clinical challenge. Two crucial features of metastasizing cancer cells are (a) their ability to dynamically move along the epithelial-hybrid-mesenchymal spectrum and (b) their tumor initiation potential or stemness. With increasing functional characterization of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotypes along the spectrum, recent in vitro and in vivo studies have suggested an increasing association of hybrid E/M phenotypes with stemness. However, the mechanistic underpinnings enabling this association remain unclear. Here, we develop a mechanism-based mathematical modeling framework that interrogates the emergent nonlinear dynamics of the coupled network modules regulating E/M plasticity (miR-200/ZEB) and stemness (LIN28/let-7). Simulating the dynamics of this coupled network across a large ensemble of parameter sets, we observe that hybrid E/M phenotype(s) are more likely to acquire stemness relative to "pure" epithelial or mesenchymal states. We also integrate multiple "phenotypic stability factors" (PSFs) that have been shown to stabilize hybrid E/M phenotypes both in silico and in vitro-such as OVOL1/2, GRHL2, and NRF2-with this network, and demonstrate that the enrichment of hybrid E/M phenotype(s) with stemness is largely conserved in the presence of these PSFs. Thus, our results offer mechanistic insights into recent experimental observations of hybrid E/M phenotype(s) that are essential for tumor initiation and highlight how this feature is embedded in the underlying topology of interconnected EMT (Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition) and stemness networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satwik Pasani
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.P.); (S.S.)
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.P.); (S.S.)
- Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.P.); (S.S.)
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15
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Bohm MS, Dame MK, Boyd J, Su K, Wu A, Attili D, Chu V, Colacino JA, Spence JR. Low-Level Mouse DNA in Conditioned Medium Generates False Positive Cross-Species Contamination Results in Human Organoid Cultures. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:587107. [PMID: 33240885 PMCID: PMC7677229 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.587107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell line authentication is critical for preventing the use of mixed or misidentified cell lines in research. Current efforts include short tandem repeat (STR) analysis and PCR-based assays to detect mixed species cultures. Using PCR analysis with mouse-specific primers, we identified contaminating mouse DNA in growth factor conditioned medium (CM) derived from the L-WRN cell line (L-WRN CM), as well as in human organoid cultures maintained in the L-WRN CM. DNA isolated from L-WRN CM matched the L-WRN cell signature by STR analysis. Organoid lines that were positive for murine DNA by PCR were further analyzed via bulk RNA-sequencing and transcripts were aligned to the human and mouse genomes. RNA analysis failed to detect mouse-specific gene expression above background levels, suggesting no viable murine cells were present in the organoid cultures. We interpret our data to show conclusive evidence that mouse cell-derived CM can be a source of contaminating murine DNA detected in human organoid cultures, even though live, transcriptionally-active murine cells are not present. Together, our findings suggest that multiple methods may be required to authenticate human organoid or cell lines and urges cautious interpretation of DNA-based PCR cell line authentication results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret S Bohm
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Michael K Dame
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Joseph Boyd
- Millipore-Sigma Corporation, Temecula, CA, United States
| | - Kevin Su
- Millipore-Sigma Corporation, Temecula, CA, United States
| | - Angeline Wu
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Durga Attili
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Vi Chu
- Millipore-Sigma Corporation, Temecula, CA, United States
| | - Justin A Colacino
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Jason R Spence
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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16
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Saxena K, Jolly MK, Balamurugan K. Hypoxia, partial EMT and collective migration: Emerging culprits in metastasis. Transl Oncol 2020; 13:100845. [PMID: 32781367 PMCID: PMC7419667 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular biological process involved in migration of primary cancer cells to secondary sites facilitating metastasis. Besides, EMT also confers properties such as stemness, drug resistance and immune evasion which can aid a successful colonization at the distant site. EMT is not a binary process; recent evidence suggests that cells in partial EMT or hybrid E/M phenotype(s) can have enhanced stemness and drug resistance as compared to those undergoing a complete EMT. Moreover, partial EMT enables collective migration of cells as clusters of circulating tumor cells or emboli, further endorsing that cells in hybrid E/M phenotypes may be the 'fittest' for metastasis. Here, we review mechanisms and implications of hybrid E/M phenotypes, including their reported association with hypoxia. Hypoxia-driven activation of HIF-1α can drive EMT. In addition, cyclic hypoxia, as compared to acute or chronic hypoxia, shows the highest levels of active HIF-1α and can augment cancer aggressiveness to a greater extent, including enriching for a partial EMT phenotype. We also discuss how metastasis is influenced by hypoxia, partial EMT and collective cell migration, and call for a better understanding of interconnections among these mechanisms. We discuss the known regulators of hypoxia, hybrid EMT and collective cell migration and highlight the gaps which needs to be filled for connecting these three axes which will increase our understanding of dynamics of metastasis and help control it more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Saxena
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - Kuppusamy Balamurugan
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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