Tetraploid cells from cytokinesis failure induce aneuploidy and spontaneous transformation of mouse ovarian surface epithelial cells

Recent advancement of autophagy in polyploid giant cancer cells and its interconnection with senescence and stemness for therapeutic opportunities

Recurrent chemotherapy-induced senescence and resistance are attributed to the polyploidization of cancer cells that involve genomic instability and poor prognosis due to their unique form of cellular plasticity. Autophagy, a pre-dominant cell survival mechanism, is crucial during carcinogenesis and chemotherapeutic stress, favouring polyploidization. The selective autophagic degradation of essential proteins associated with cell cycle progression checkpoints deregulate mitosis fidelity and genomic integrity, imparting polyploidization of cancer cells. In connection with cytokinesis failure and endoreduplication, autophagy promotes the formation, maintenance, and generation of the progeny of polyploid giant cancer cells. The polyploid cancer cells embark on autophagy-guarded elevation in the expression of stem cell markers, along with triggered epithelial and mesenchymal transition and senescence. The senescent polyploid escapers represent a high autophagic index than the polyploid progeny, suggesting regaining autophagy induction and subsequent autophagic degradation, which is essential for escaping from senescence/polyploidy, leading to a higher proliferative phenotypic progeny. This review documents the various causes of polyploidy and its consequences in cancer with relevance to autophagy modulation and its targeting for therapeutic intervention as a novel therapeutic strategy for personalized and precision medicine.

Transcriptomic Analysis of the Aged Nulliparous Mouse Ovary Suggests a Stress State That Promotes Pro-Inflammatory Lipid Signaling and Epithelial Cell Enrichment

Ovarian cancer (OC) incidence and mortality peaks at post-menopause while OC risk is either reduced by parity or increased by nulliparity during fertile life. The long-term effect of nulliparity on ovarian gene expression is largely unknown. In this study, we describe a bioinformatic/data-mining analysis of 112 coding genes upregulated in the aged nulliparous (NP) mouse ovary compared to the aged multiparous one as reference. Canonical gene ontology and pathway analyses indicated a pro-oxidant, xenobiotic-like state accompanied by increased metabolism of inflammatory lipid mediators. Up-regulation of typical epithelial cell markers in the aged NP ovary was consistent with synchronized overexpression of Cldn3, Ezr, Krt7, Krt8 and Krt18 during the pre-neoplastic phase of mOSE cell cultures in a former transcriptome study. In addition, 61/112 genes were upregulated in knockout mice for Fshr and for three other tumor suppressor genes (Pten, Cdh1 and Smad3) known to regulate follicular homeostasis in the mammalian ovary. We conclude that the aged NP ovary displays a multifaceted stress state resulting from oxidative imbalance and pro-inflammatory lipid signaling. The enriched epithelial cell content might be linked to follicle depletion and is consistent with abundant clefts and cysts observed in aged human and mouse ovaries. It also suggests a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition in the mOSE of the aged NP ovary. Our analysis suggests that in the long term, nulliparity worsens a variety of deleterious effects of aging and senescence thereby increasing susceptibility to cancer initiation in the ovary.

Polyploid cell dynamics and death before and after PEG-treatment of a NIH/3T3 derived culture: vinblastine effects on the regulation of cell subpopulations heterogeneity

BACKGROUND

Neoplastic subpopulations can include polyploid cells that can be involved in tumor evolution and recurrence. Their origin can be traced back to the tumor microenvironment or chemotherapeutic treatment, which can alter cell division or favor cell fusion, generating multinucleated cells. Their progeny, frequently genetically unstable, can result in new aggressive and more resistant to chemotherapy subpopulations. In our work, we used NIHs cells, previously derived from the NIH/3T3 line after serum deprivation, that induced a polyploidization increase with the appearance of cells with DNA content ranging from 4 to 24c. This study aimed to analyze the cellular dynamics of NIHs culture subpopulations before and after treatment with the fusogenic agent polyethylene glycol (PEG), which allowed us to obtain new giant polyploid cells. Successively, PEG-untreated and PEG-treated cultures were incubated with the antimicrotubular poison vinblastine. The dynamics of appearance, decrease and loss of cell subpopulations were evaluated by correlating cell DNA content to mono-multinuclearity resulting from cell fusion and division process alteration and to the peculiarities of cell death events.

RESULTS

DNA microfluorimetry and morphological techniques (phase contrast, fluorescence and TEM microscopies) indicated that PEG treatment induced a 4-24c cell increase and the appearance of new giant elements (64-140c DNA content). Ultrastructural analysis and autophagosomal-lysosomal compartment fluorochromization, which allowed us to correlate cytoplasmic changes to death events, indicated that cell depletion occurred through distinct mechanisms: apoptotic death involved 2c, 4c and 8c cells, while autophagic-like death involved intermediate 12-24c cells, showing nuclear (lobulation/micronucleation) and autophagic cytoplasm alterations. Death, spontaneously occurring, especially in intermediate-sized cells, was increased after vinblastine treatment. No evident cell loss by death events was detected in the 64-140c range.

CONCLUSIONS

PEG-treated NIHs cultures can represent a model of heterogeneous subpopulations originating from cell fusion and division process anomalies. Altogether, our results suggest that the different cell dynamics of NIHs subpopulations can affect the variability of responses to stimuli able to induce cell degeneration and death. Apoptptic, autophagic or hybrid forms of cell death can also depend on the DNA content and ability to progress through the cell cycle, which may influence the persistence and fate of polyploid cell descendants, also concerning chemotherapeutic agent action.

Polyploidy, EZH2 upregulation, and transformation in cytomegalovirus-infected human ovarian epithelial cells

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been implicated in epithelial ovarian cancer (OC). Polyploidy giant cancer cells (PGCCs) have been observed in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC); they possess cancer stem cell-like characteristics and give rise to progeny cells expressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. EZH2 plays a potential oncogenic role, correlating with high proliferative index and tumor grade in OC. Herein, we present the experimental evidence for HCMV as a reprogramming vector that elicited human ovarian epithelial cells (OECs) transformation leading to the generation of "CMV-transformed Ovarian cells" (CTO). The infection with the two high-risk clinical strains, namely HCMV-DB and BL provoked a distinct cellular and molecular mechanisms in infected OECs. EZH2 upregulation and cellular proliferation were curtailed by using EZH2 inhibitors. The HGSOC biopsies were characterized by an elevated EZH2 expression, possessing a strong positive correlation between the aforementioned marker and HCMV. From HGSOC biopsies, we isolated three HCMV clinical strains that transformed OECs generating CTO cells which displayed proliferative potentials in addition to EZH2 upregulation and PGCCs generation; these features were reduced upon EZH2 inhibition. High-risk HCMV strains transformed OECs confirming an HCMV-induced epithelial ovarian cancer model and highlighting EZH2 tumorigenic properties. Our findings might be highly relevant in the pathophysiology of ovarian tumors thereby nominating new targeted therapeutics.

miR-186 induces tetraploidy in arsenic exposed human keratinocytes

Chronic inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure in drinking water is a global issue affecting >225 million people. Skin is a major target organ for iAs. miRNA dysregulation and chromosomal instability (CIN) are proposed mechanisms of iAs-induced carcinogenesis. CIN is a cancer hallmark and tetraploid cells can better tolerate increase in chromosome number and aberration, contributing to the evolution of CIN. miR-186 is overexpressed in iAs-induced squamous cell carcinoma relative to iAs-induced hyperkeratosis. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that miR-186 targets mRNAs of important cell cycle regulators including mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase B (BUB1) and cell division cycle 27 (CDC27). We hypothesized that miR-186 overexpression contributes to iAs-induced transformation of keratinocytes by targeting mitotic regulators leading to induction of CIN. Ker-CT cells, a near diploid human keratinocyte cell line, were transduced with miR-186 overexpressing or scrambled control lentivirus. Stable clones were isolated after puromycin selection. Clones transduced with lentivirus expressing either a scrambled control miRNA or miR-186 were maintained with 0 or 100 nM iAs for 4 weeks. Unexposed scrambled control clones were considered as passage matched controls. Chronic iAs exposure increased miR-186 expression in miR-186 clones. miR-186 overexpression significantly reduced CDC27 levels irrespective of iAs exposure. The percentage of tetraploid or aneuploid cells was increased in iAs exposed miR-186 clones. Aneuploidy can arise from a tetraploid intermediate. Suppression of CDC27 by miR-186 may lead to impairment of mitotic checkpoint complex formation and its ability to maintain cell cycle arrest leading to chromosome misalignment. As a result, cells overexpressing miR-186 and chronically exposed to iAs may have incorrect chromosome segregation and CIN. These data suggest that dysregulation of miRNA by iAs mediates tetraploidy, aneuploidy and chromosomal instability contributing to iAs-induced carcinogenesis.

Nondiploid cancer cells: Stress, tolerance and therapeutic inspirations

Aberrant ploidy status is a prominent characteristic in malignant neoplasms. Approximately 90% of solid tumors and 75% of haematopoietic malignancies contain aneuploidy cells, and 30%-60% of tumors undergo whole-genome doubling, indicating that nondiploidy might be a prevalent genomic aberration in cancer. Although the role of aneuploid and polyploid cells in cancer remains to be elucidated, recent studies have suggested that nondiploid cells might be a dangerous minority that severely challenges cancer management. Ploidy shifts cause multiple fitness coasts for cancer cells, mainly including genomic, proteotoxic, metabolic and immune stresses. However, nondiploid comprises a well-adopted subpopulation, with many tolerance mechanisms evident in cells along with ploidy shifts. Aneuploid and polyploid cells elegantly maintain an autonomous balance between the stress and tolerance during adaptive evolution in cancer. Breaking the balance might provide some inspiration for ploidy-selective cancer therapy and alleviation of ploidy-related chemoresistance. To understand of the complex role and therapeutic potential of nondiploid cells better, we reviewed the survival stresses and adaptive tolerances within nondiploid cancer cells and summarized therapeutic ploidy-selective alterations for potential use in developing future cancer therapy.

Autophagy modulating therapeutics inhibit ovarian cancer colony generation by polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs)

Background

Genomic instability and chemoresistance can arise in cancer due to a unique form of plasticity: that of polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs). These cells form under the stress of chemotherapy and have higher than diploid chromosome content. PGCCs are able to then repopulate tumors through an asymmetric daughter cell budding process. PGCCs have been observed in ovarian cancer histology, including the deadly and common form high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC). We previously discovered that drugs which disrupt the cellular recycling process of autophagy are uniquely efficacious in pre-clinical HGSC models. While autophagy induction has been associated with PGCCs, it has never been previously investigated if autophagy modulation interacts with the PGCC life cycle and this form of tumor cell plasticity.

Methods

CAOV3 and OVCAR3 ovarian cancer cell lines were treated with carboplatin or docetaxel to induce PGCC formation. Microscopy was used to characterize and quantify PGCCs formed by chemotherapy. Two clinically available drugs that inhibit autophagy, hydroxychloroquine and nelfinavir, and a clinically available activator of autophagy, rapamycin, were employed to test the effect of these autophagy modulators on PGCC induction and subsequent colony formation from PGCCs. Crystal violet-stained colony formation assays were used to quantify the tumor-repopulating stage of the PGCC life cycle.

Results

Autophagy inhibitors did not prevent PGCC formation in OVCAR3 or CAOV3 cells. Rapamycin did not induce PGCC formation on its own nor did it exacerbate PGCC formation by chemotherapy. However, hydroxychloroquine prevented efficient colony formation in CAOV3 PGCCs induced by carboplatin (27% inhibition) or docetaxel (41% inhibition), as well as in OVCAR3 cells (95% and 77%, respectively). Nelfinavir similarly prevented colony formation in CAOV3 PGCCs induced by carboplatin (64% inhibition) or docetaxel (94% inhibition) as well as in OVCAR3 cells (89% and 80%, respectively). Rapamycin surprisingly also prevented PGCC colony outgrowth (52–84% inhibition).

Conclusions

While the autophagy previously observed to correlate with PGCC formation is unlikely necessary for PGCCs to form, autophagy modulating drugs severely impair the ability of HGSC PGCCs to form colonies. Clinical trials which utilize hydroxychloroquine, nelfinavir, and/or rapamycin after chemotherapy may be of future interest.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09503-6.

Loss of USP28 and SPINT2 expression promotes cancer cell survival after whole genome doubling

Background

Whole genome doubling is a frequent event during cancer evolution and shapes the cancer genome due to the occurrence of chromosomal instability. Yet, erroneously arising human tetraploid cells usually do not proliferate due to p53 activation that leads to CDKN1A expression, cell cycle arrest, senescence and/or apoptosis.

Methods

To uncover the barriers that block the proliferation of tetraploids, we performed a RNAi mediated genome-wide screen in a human colorectal cancer cell line (HCT116).

Results

We identified 140 genes whose depletion improved the survival of tetraploid cells and characterized in depth two of them: SPINT2 and USP28. We found that SPINT2 is a general regulator of CDKN1A transcription via histone acetylation. Using mass spectrometry and immunoprecipitation, we found that USP28 interacts with NuMA1 and affects centrosome clustering. Tetraploid cells accumulate DNA damage and loss of USP28 reduces checkpoint activation, thus facilitating their proliferation.

Conclusions

Our results indicate three aspects that contribute to the survival of tetraploid cells: (i) increased mitogenic signaling and reduced expression of cell cycle inhibitors, (ii) the ability to establish functional bipolar spindles and (iii) reduced DNA damage signaling.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13402-021-00654-5.

Context-dependent effects of whole-genome duplication during mammary tumor recurrence

Whole-genome duplication (WGD) generates polyploid cells possessing more than two copies of the genome and is among the most common genetic abnormalities in cancer. The frequency of WGD increases in advanced and metastatic tumors, and WGD is associated with poor prognosis in diverse tumor types, suggesting a functional role for polyploidy in tumor progression. Experimental evidence suggests that polyploidy has both tumor-promoting and suppressing effects, but how polyploidy regulates tumor progression remains unclear. Using a genetically engineered mouse model of Her2-driven breast cancer, we explored the prevalence and consequences of whole-genome duplication during tumor growth and recurrence. While primary tumors in this model are invariably diploid, nearly 40% of recurrent tumors undergo WGD. WGD in recurrent tumors was associated with increased chromosomal instability, decreased proliferation and increased survival in stress conditions. The effects of WGD on tumor growth were dependent on tumor stage. Surprisingly, in recurrent tumor cells WGD slowed tumor formation, growth rate and opposed the process of recurrence, while WGD promoted the growth of primary tumors. These findings highlight the importance of identifying conditions that promote the growth of polyploid tumors, including the cooperating genetic mutations that allow cells to overcome the barriers to WGD tumor cell growth and proliferation.

Targeting the actin/tropomyosin cytoskeleton in epithelial ovarian cancer reveals multiple mechanisms of synergy with anti-microtubule agents

BACKGROUND

Anti-microtubule agents are widely used to treat ovarian cancers, but the efficacy is often compromised by drug resistance. We investigated co-targeting the actin/tropomyosin cytoskeleton and microtubules to increase treatment efficacy in ovarian cancers and potentially overcome resistance.

METHODS

The presence of tropomyosin-3.1 (Tpm3.1) was examined in clinical specimens from ovarian cancer patients using immunohistochemistry. Combinatorial effects of an anti-Tpm3.1 compound, ATM-3507, with vinorelbine and paclitaxel were evaluated in ovarian cancer cells via MTS and apoptosis assays. The mechanisms of action were established using live- and fixed-cell imaging and protein analysis.

RESULTS

Tpm3.1 is overexpressed in 97% of tumour tissues (558 of 577) representing all histotypes of epithelial ovarian cancer. ATM-3507 displayed synergy with both anti-microtubule agents to reduce cell viability. Only vinorelbine synergised with ATM-3507 in causing apoptosis. ATM-3507 significantly prolonged vinorelbine-induced mitotic arrest with elevated activity of the spindle assembly checkpoint and mitotic cell death; however, ATM-3507 showed minor impact on paclitaxel-induced mitotic defects. Both combinations substantially increased post-mitotic G1 arrest with cyclin D1 and E1 downregulation and an increase of p21^Cip and p27^Kip.

CONCLUSION

Combined targeting of Tpm3.1/actin and microtubules is a promising treatment strategy for ovarian cancer that should be further tested in clinical settings.

Impairment of cytokinesis by cancer-associated DAPK3 mutations

Death-associated protein kinase 3 (DAPK3), a member of the DAPK family, contributes to cytokinesis by phosphorylating myosin II regulatory light chain (MRLC). Missense mutations in DAPK3, T112M, D161N, and P216S, were observed in the lung, colon, and cervical cancers, respectively, but the effects of these mutations on cytokinesis remain unclear. Here, we show that cells expressing EGFP-DAPK3-T112M, -D161N, or -P216S exhibited reduced rates of cytokinesis, with an increased ratio of multinucleated cells. In addition, these cells exhibited reduced levels of phosphorylated MRLC at the contractile ring. Collectively, our data demonstrates that cancer-associated DAPK3 mutations impair cytokinesis by reducing phosphorylated MRLC.

Cancer regeneration: Polyploid cells are the key drivers of tumor progression. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer. 2020;1874:188408. [PMID: 32827584 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188408]

In spite of significant advancements of therapies for initial eradication of cancers, tumor relapse remains a major challenge. It is for a long time known that polyploid malignant cells are a main source of resistance against chemotherapy and irradiation. However, therapeutic approaches targeting these cells have not been appropriately pursued which could partly be due to the shortage of knowledge on the molecular biology of cell polyploidy. On the other hand, there is a rising trend to appreciate polyploid/ multinucleated cells as key players in tissue regeneration. In this review, we suggest an analogy between the functions of polyploid cells in normal and malignant tissues and discuss the idea that cell polyploidy is an evolutionary conserved source of tissue regeneration also exploited by cancers as a survival factor. In addition, polyploid cells are highlighted as a promising therapeutic target to overcome drug resistance and relapse.

Anillin facilitates cell proliferation and induces tumor growth of hepatocellular carcinoma via miR-138/SOX4 axis regulation

Actin-binding protein Anillin plays a pivotal role in regulating cytokinesis during the cell cycle, and involves in tumorigenesis and progress. However, the exact regulation mechanism of Anillin in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. In this study, we examined and verified the anomalous high expression of Anillin in both HCC patients' specimens and HCC cell lines. High expression of Anillin is associated with dismal clinicopathologic features of HCC patients and poor prognosis. We conducted loss-of and gain-of function studies in HCC Hep3B cells. Anillin presented a significantly facilitating effect on cell proliferation in vitro and induced remarkable tumor growth in vivo. We found that the over-expression of Anillin was driven by a potential axis of miR-138/SOX4. Transcription factor SOX4 presented a high expression profile positive correlated with Anillin, and ChIP assay validated the interaction between SOX4 and the specific sequence of the promoter region of Anillin gene. While, we verified miR-138 as an upstream regulator of SOX4, which is abrogated in HCC cells and exerts degenerating effect on SOX4 mRNA. In our conclusion, Anillin facilitates the cell proliferation and enhances tumor growth of HCC, and is modulated by miR-138/SOX4 axis which regulates the transcriptional activity of Anillin. Findings above demonstrate us a probable axis for HCC diagnosis and treatment.

Summary of the main point

Anillin facilitates the cell proliferation and enhances tumor growth in HCC. The transcriptional activity of Anillin is modulated by miR-138/SOX4 axis. Findings above demonstrate us a probable axis for HCC diagnosis and treatment.

Polyploidy in liver development, homeostasis and disease

Polyploidy (or whole-genome duplication) is the condition of having more than two basic sets of chromosomes. Polyploidization is well tolerated in many species and can lead to specific biological functions. In mammals, programmed polyploidization takes place during development in certain tissues, such as the heart and placenta, and is considered a feature of differentiation. However, unscheduled polyploidization can cause genomic instability and has been observed in pathological conditions, such as cancer. Polyploidy of the liver parenchyma was first described more than 100 years ago. The liver is one of the few mammalian organs that display changes in polyploidy during homeostasis, regeneration and in response to damage. In the human liver, approximately 30% of hepatocytes are polyploid. The polyploidy of hepatocytes results from both nuclear polyploidy (an increase in the amount of DNA per nucleus) and cellular polyploidy (an increase in the number of nuclei per cell). In this Review, we discuss the regulation of polyploidy in liver development and pathophysiology. We also provide an overview of current knowledge about the mechanisms of hepatocyte polyploidization, its biological importance and the fate of polyploid hepatocytes during liver tumorigenesis.

Early TP53 alterations engage environmental exposures to promote gastric premalignancy in an integrative mouse model

Somatic alterations in cancer genes are being detected in normal and premalignant tissue, placing greater emphasis on gene-environment interactions that enable disease phenotypes. By combining early genetic alterations with disease-relevant exposures, we developed an integrative mouse model to study gastric premalignancy. Deletion of Trp53 in gastric cells confers a selective advantage and promotes the development of dysplasia in the setting of dietary carcinogens. Organoid derivation from dysplastic lesions facilitated genomic, transcriptional, and functional evaluation of gastric premalignancy. Cell cycle regulators, most notably Cdkn2a, were upregulated by p53 inactivation in gastric premalignancy, serving as a barrier to disease progression. Co-deletion of Cdkn2a and Trp53 in dysplastic gastric organoids promoted cancer phenotypes but also induced replication stress, exposing a susceptibility to DNA damage response pathway inhibitors. These findings demonstrate the utility of mouse models that integrate genomic alterations with relevant exposures and highlight the importance of gene-environment interactions in shaping the premalignant state.

Aneuploidy in yeast: Segregation error or adaptation mechanism?

Aneuploidy is the loss or gain of chromosomes within a genome. It is often detrimental and has been associated with cell death and genetic disorders. However, aneuploidy can also be beneficial and provide a quick solution through changes in gene dosage when cells face environmental stress. Here, we review the prevalence of aneuploidy in Saccharomyces, Candida, and Cryptococcus yeasts (and their hybrid offspring) and analyse associations with chromosome size and specific stressors. We discuss how aneuploidy, a segregation error, may in fact provide a natural route for the diversification of microbes and enable important evolutionary innovations given the right ecological circumstances, such as the colonisation of new environments or the transition from commensal to pathogenic lifestyle. We also draw attention to a largely unstudied cross link between hybridisation and aneuploidy. Hybrid meiosis, involving two divergent genomes, can lead to drastically increased rates of aneuploidy in the offspring due to antirecombination and chromosomal missegregation. Because hybridisation and aneuploidy have both been shown to increase with environmental stress, we believe it important and timely to start exploring the evolutionary significance of their co-occurrence.

IGF-axis confers transformation and regeneration of fallopian tube fimbria epithelium upon ovulation

Background

The fallopian tube fimbria is regarded as the main tissue of origin and incessant ovulation as the main risk factor of ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma. Previously, we discovered the tumorigenesis activity of human ovulatory follicular fluid (FF) upon injection to the mammary fat pad of Trp53-null mice. We also found a mutagenesis activity of FF-ROS and a apoptosis-rescuing activity of Hb from retrograde menstruation. However, neither of them can explain the tumorigenesis activities of FF.

Methods

From two cohorts of ovulatory FF retrieved from IVF patients, the main growth factor responsible for the transformation of human fimbrial epithelial cells was identified. Mechanism of activation, ways of signal transduction of the growth factor, as well as the cellular and genetic phenotypes of the malignant transformation was characterized.

Findings

In this study, we showed that insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-axis proteins, including IGFBP-bound IGF2 as well as the IGFBP-lytic enzyme PAPP-A, are abundantly present in FF. Upon engaging with glycosaminoglycans on the membrane of fimbrial epithelial cells, PAPP-A cleaves IGFBPs and releases IGF2 to bind with IGF-1R. Through the IGF-1R/AKT/mTOR and IGF-1R/AKT/NANOG pathways, FF-IGF leads to stemness and survival, and in the case of TP53/Rb or TP53/CCNE1 loss, to clonal expansion and malignant transformation of fimbrial epithelial cells. By depleting each IGF axis component from FF, we proved that IGF2, IGFBP2/6, and PAPP-A are all essential and confer the majority of the transformation and regeneration activities.

Interpretation

This study revealed that the FF–IGF axis functions to regenerate tissue damage after ovulation and promote the transformation of fimbrial epithelial cells that have been initiated by p53- and Rb-pathway disruptions.

Fund

The study was supported by grants of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST 106-2314-B-303-001-MY2; MOST 105-2314-B-303-017-MY2; MOST 107-2314-B-303-013-MY3), and Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Taiwan (TCMMP104-04-01).

Prognostic values of GMPS, PR, CD40, and p21 in ovarian cancer

Early detection and prediction of prognosis and treatment responses are all the keys in improving survival of ovarian cancer patients. This study profiled an ovarian cancer progression model to identify prognostic biomarkers for ovarian cancer patients. Mouse ovarian surface epithelial cells (MOSECs) can undergo spontaneous malignant transformation in vitro cell culture. These were used as a model of ovarian cancer progression for alterations in gene expression and signaling detected using the Illumina HiSeq2000 Next-Generation Sequencing platform and bioinformatical analyses. The differential expression of four selected genes was identified using the gene expression profiling interaction analysis (http://gepia.cancer-pku.cn/) and then associated with survival in ovarian cancer patients using the Cancer Genome Atlas dataset and the online Kaplan–Meier Plotter (http://www.kmplot.com) data. The data showed 263 aberrantly expressed genes, including 182 up-regulated and 81 down-regulated genes between the early and late stages of tumor progression in MOSECs. The bioinformatic data revealed four genes (i.e., guanosine 5′-monophosphate synthase (GMPS), progesterone receptor (PR), CD40, and p21 (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A)) to play an important role in ovarian cancer progression. Furthermore, the Cancer Genome Atlas dataset validated the differential expression of these four genes, which were associated with prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. In conclusion, this study profiled differentially expressed genes using the ovarian cancer progression model and identified four (i.e., GMPS, PR, CD40, and p21) as prognostic markers for ovarian cancer patients. Future studies of prospective patients could further verify the clinical usefulness of this four-gene signature.

Cytokinesis defects and cancer

Whole-genome and centrosome duplication as a consequence of cytokinesis failure can drive tumorigenesis in experimental model systems. However, whether cytokinesis failure is in fact an important cause of human cancers has remained unclear. In this Review, we summarize evidence that whole-genome-doubling events are frequently observed in human cancers and discuss the contribution that cytokinesis defects can make to tumorigenesis. We provide an overview of the potential causes of cytokinesis failure and discuss how tetraploid cells that are generated through cytokinesis defects are used in cancer as a transitory state on the route to aneuploidy. Finally, we discuss how cytokinesis defects can facilitate genetic diversification within the tumour to promote cancer development and could constitute the path of least resistance in tumour evolution.

Trypanosoma cruzi Genome Assemblies: Challenges and Milestones of Assembling a Highly Repetitive and Complex Genome

Trypanosoma cruzi present one of the most complex parasite genomes sequenced to date. Among its features are 600-kb-long repetitive multigene families' clusters, hybrid strains, and aneuploidies, which hampered genome assembly completeness and contiguity. Several approaches, such as Sanger sequencing in 2005, next-generation sequencing in 2011 and third-generation sequencing in 2018, were used to improve draft assemblies of different strains of this parasite. Hence, the study of T. cruzi genome assemblies' history is an excellent way to describe the evolution of genome sequencing methodologies and compare their efficiency and limitations to assembly complex genomes. In this book chapter, we summarize the principal findings and methodologies of T. cruzi genome assembly projects to date, highlighting the improvements and limitations of each approach.

Defective Nuclear Lamina in Aneuploidy and Carcinogenesis

Aneuploidy, loss or gain of whole chromosomes, is a prominent feature of carcinomas, and is generally considered to play an important role in the initiation and progression of cancer. In high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the only common gene aberration is the p53 point mutation, though extensive genomic perturbation is common due to severe aneuploidy, which presents as a deviant karyotype. Several mechanisms for the development of aneuploidy in cancer cells have been recognized, including chromosomal non-disjunction during mitosis, centrosome amplification, and more recently, nuclear envelope rupture at interphase. Many cancer types including ovarian cancer have lost or reduced expression of Lamin A/C, a structural component of the lamina matrix that underlies the nuclear envelope in differentiated cells. Several recent studies suggest that a nuclear lamina defect caused by the loss or reduction of Lamin A/C leads to failure in cytokinesis and formation of tetraploid cells, transient nuclear envelope rupture, and formation of nuclear protrusions and micronuclei during the cell cycle gap phase. Thus, loss and reduction of Lamin A/C underlies the two common features of cancer—aberrations in nuclear morphology and aneuploidy. We discuss here and emphasize the newly recognized mechanism of chromosomal instability due to the rupture of a defective nuclear lamina, which may account for the rapid genomic changes in carcinogenesis.

Whole genome sequencing of Trypanosoma cruzi field isolates reveals extensive genomic variability and complex aneuploidy patterns within TcII DTU

BACKGROUND

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, is currently divided into six discrete typing units (DTUs), named TcI-TcVI. TcII is among the major DTUs enrolled in human infections in South America southern cone, where it is associated with severe cardiac and digestive symptoms. Despite the importance of TcII in Chagas disease epidemiology and pathology, so far, no genome-wide comparisons of the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of TcII field isolates have been performed to track the variability and evolution of this DTU in endemic regions.

RESULTS

In the present work, we have sequenced and compared the whole nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of seven TcII strains isolated from chagasic patients from the central and northeastern regions of Minas Gerais, Brazil, revealing an extensive genetic variability within this DTU. A comparison of the phylogeny based on the nuclear or mitochondrial genomes revealed that the majority of branches were shared by both sequences. The subtle divergences in the branches are probably consequence of mitochondrial introgression events between TcII strains. Two T. cruzi strains isolated from patients living in the central region of Minas Gerais, S15 and S162a, were clustered in the nuclear and mitochondrial phylogeny analysis. These two strains were isolated from the other five by the Espinhaço Mountains, a geographic barrier that could have restricted the traffic of insect vectors during T. cruzi evolution in the Minas Gerais state. Finally, the presence of aneuploidies was evaluated, revealing that all seven TcII strains have a different pattern of chromosomal duplication/loss.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis of genomic variability and aneuploidies suggests that there is significant genomic variability within Minas Gerais TcII strains, which could be exploited by the parasite to allow rapid selection of favorable phenotypes. Also, the aneuploidy patterns vary among T. cruzi strains and does not correlate with the nuclear phylogeny, suggesting that chromosomal duplication/loss are recent and frequent events in the parasite evolution.

Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Chromosome Instability Drives Permanent and Heritable Numerical and Structural Changes and a DNA Repair-Deficient Phenotype

A key hypothesis for how hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] causes cancer is that it drives chromosome instability (CIN), which leads to neoplastic transformation. Studies show chronic Cr(VI) can affect DNA repair and induce centrosome amplification, which can lead to structural and numerical CIN. However, no studies have considered whether these outcomes are transient or permanent. In this study, we exposed human lung cells to particulate Cr(VI) for three sequential 24-hour periods, each separated by about a month. After each treatment, cells were seeded at colony-forming density, cloned, expanded, and retreated, creating three generations of clonal cell lines. Each generation of clones was tested for chromium sensitivity, chromosome complement, DNA repair capacity, centrosome amplification, and the ability to grow in soft agar. After the first treatment, Cr(VI)-treated clones exhibited a normal chromosome complement, but some clones showed a repair-deficient phenotype and amplified centrosomes. After the second exposure, more than half of the treated clones acquired an abnormal karyotype including numerical and structural alterations, with many exhibiting deficient DNA double-strand break repair and amplified centrosomes. The third treatment produced new abnormal clones, with previously abnormal clones acquiring additional abnormalities and most clones exhibiting repair deficiency. CIN, repair deficiency, and amplified centrosomes were all permanent and heritable phenotypes of repeated Cr(VI) exposure. These outcomes support the hypothesis that CIN is a key mechanism of Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis.Significance: Chromium, a major public health concern and human lung carcinogen, causes fundamental changes in chromosomes and DNA repair in human lung cells. Cancer Res; 78(15); 4203-14. ©2018 AACR.

Tetraploidy in cancer and its possible link to aging

Tetraploidy, a condition in which a cell has four homologous sets of chromosomes, is often seen as a natural physiological condition but is also frequently seen in pathophysiological conditions such as cancer. Tetraploidy facilitates chromosomal instability (CIN), which is an elevated level of chromosomal loss and gain that can cause production of a wide variety of aneuploid cells that carry structural and numerical aberrations of chromosomes. The resultant genomic heterogeneity supposedly expedites karyotypic evolution that confers oncogenic potential in spite of the reduced cellular fitness caused by aneuploidy. Recent studies suggest that tetraploidy might also be associated with aging; mice with mutations in an intermediate filament protein have revealed that these tetraploidy‐prone mice exhibit tissue disorders associated with aging. Cellular senescence and its accompanying senescence‐associated secretory phenotype have now emerged as critical factors that link tetraploidy and tetraploidy‐induced CIN with cancer, and possibly with aging. Here, we review recent findings about how tetraploidy is related to cancer and possibly to aging, and discuss underlying mechanisms of the relationship, as well as how we can exploit the properties of cells exhibiting tetraploidy‐induced CIN to control these pathological conditions.

Knockdown of Anillin Actin Binding Protein Blocks Cytokinesis in Hepatocytes and Reduces Liver Tumor Development in Mice Without Affecting Regeneration

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Cytokinesis can fail during normal postnatal liver development, leading to polyploid hepatocytes. We investigated whether inhibiting cytokinesis in the liver slows tumor growth without compromising the health of normal hepatocytes. We inhibited cytokinesis in cancer cells by knocking down ANLN, a cytoskeletal scaffolding protein that regulates cytokinesis and might promote tumorigenesis, in mice with liver disease.

METHODS

We analyzed clinical and gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Oncomine, PrognoScan, and a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue microarray. We knocked down ANLN with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in H2.35 liver cells and performed image analyses of cells undergoing cytokinesis. siRNAs were delivered to LAP-MYC mice, which develop hepatoblastoma, using lipid nanoparticles. H2.35 cells with knockdown of ANLN or control cells were injected into FRG mice, which develop chronic liver damage, and tumor growth was monitored. We also developed mice with inducible expression of transgenes encoding small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) against Anln messenger RNA and studied liver tumorigenesis after administration of diethylnitrosamine and carbon tetrachloride. siRNAs against Anln messenger RNA were conjugated to N-acetylgalactosamine to reduce toxicity and increase hepatocyte tropism; their effects were studied in mouse models of liver cancer and regeneration.

RESULTS

Levels of ANLN messenger RNA were increased in human HCC tissues compared to non-tumor liver tissues. siRNA knockdown of ANLN blocked cytokinesis in H2.35 liver cells. Administration of siRNA against ANLN increased survival times of LAP-MYC mice, compared to mice given a control siRNA. H2.35 liver cells with shRNA knockdown of ANLN formed tumors more slowly in FRG mice than control H2.35 cells. Mice with inducible expression of shRNAs against Anln mRNA developed fewer liver tumors after administration of diethylnitrosamine and carbon tetrachloride than control mice. Knockdown of ANLN did not affect liver regeneration after acute and chronic liver injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

Knockdown of ANLN in liver cells blocks cytokinesis and inhibits development of liver tumors in mice. Agents that inhibit ANLN in the liver might be effective for prevention or treatment of HCC.

Fluid shear stress impacts ovarian cancer cell viability, subcellular organization, and promotes genomic instability

Ovarian cancer cells are exposed to physical stress in the peritoneal cavity during both tumor growth and dissemination. Ascites build-up in metastatic ovarian cancer further increases the exposure to fluid shear stress. Here, we used a murine, in vitro ovarian cancer progression model in parallel with immortalized human cells to investigate how ovarian cancer cells of increasing aggressiveness respond to <1dynecm2 of fluid-induced shear stress. This biophysical stimulus significantly reduced cell viability in all cells exposed, independent of disease stage. Fluid shear stress induced spheroid formation and altered cytoskeleton organization in more tumorigenic cell lines. While benign ovarian cells appeared to survive in higher numbers under the influence of fluid shear stress, they exhibited severe morphological changes and chromosomal instability. These results suggest that exposure of benign cells to low magnitude fluid shear stress can induce phenotypic changes that are associated with transformation and ovarian cancer progression. Moreover, exposure of tumorigenic cells to fluid shear stress enhanced anchorage-independent survival, suggesting a role in promoting invasion and metastasis.

A Soft Microenvironment Protects from Failure of Midbody Abscission and Multinucleation Downstream of the EMT-Promoting Transcription Factor Snail

Multinucleation is found in more than one third of tumors and is linked to increased tolerance for mutation, resistance to chemotherapy, and invasive potential. The integrity of the genome depends on proper execution of the cell cycle, which can be altered through mechanotransduction pathways as the tumor microenvironment stiffens during tumorigenesis. Here, we show that signaling downstream of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3) or TGFβ, known inducers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), also promotes multinucleation in stiff microenvironments through Snail-dependent expression of the filament-forming protein septin-6, resulting in midbody persistence, abscission failure, and multinucleation. Consistently, we observed elevated expression of Snail and septin-6 as well as multinucleation in a human patient sample of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast, a rare classification characterized by deposition of collagen fibers and active EMT. In contrast, a soft microenvironment protected mammary epithelial cells from becoming multinucleated by preventing Snail-induced upregulation of septin-6. Our data suggest that tissue stiffening during tumorigenesis synergizes with oncogenic signaling to promote genomic abnormalities that drive cancer progression.Significance: These findings reveal tissue stiffening during tumorigenesis synergizes with oncogenic signaling to promote genomic abnormalities that drive cancer progression. Cancer Res; 78(9); 2277-89. ©2018 AACR.

Investigating cytokinesis failure as a strategy in cancer therapy

Effective therapeutics exploit common characteristics shared amongst cancers. As many cancers present chromosomal instability (CIN), one possible approach to treat these cancers could be to increase their CIN above a threshold that would affect their viability. Here, we investigated whether causing polyploidy by cytokinesis failure could represent a useful approach. We show that cytokinesis failure caused by depletion of Citron kinase (CIT-K) dramatically decreased cell proliferation in breast, cervical and colorectal cancer cells. CIT-K depletion activated the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway in normal, but not in cancer cells, indicating that cancer cells have evolved mechanisms to bypass this control. CIT-K depleted cancer cells died via apoptosis in a caspase 7 dependent manner and, consistent with this, p53-deficient HCT116 colon carcinoma cells failed to induce apoptosis after cytokinesis failure. However, other p53-mutated cancer cells were able to initiate apoptosis, indicating that cytokinesis failure can trigger apoptosis through a p53-independent mechanism. Finally, we found that actively dividing and, in some cases, polyploid cancer cells were more susceptible to CIT-K depletion. In sum, our findings indicate that inducing cytokinesis failure could be a promising anti-cancer therapeutic approach for a wide range of cancers, especially those characterized by fast cell proliferation and polyploidy.

Gene and Chromosomal Copy Number Variations as an Adaptive Mechanism Towards a Parasitic Lifestyle in Trypanosomatids

Trypanosomatids are a group of kinetoplastid parasites including some of great public health importance, causing debilitating and life-long lasting diseases that affect more than 24 million people worldwide. Among the trypanosomatids, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and species from the Leishmania genus are the most well studied parasites, due to their high prevalence in human infections. These parasites have an extreme genomic and phenotypic variability, with a massive expansion in the copy number of species-specific multigene families enrolled in host-parasite interactions that mediate cellular invasion and immune evasion processes. As most trypanosomatids are heteroxenous, and therefore their lifecycles involve the transition between different hosts, these parasites have developed several strategies to ensure a rapid adaptation to changing environments. Among these strategies, a rapid shift in the repertoire of expressed genes, genetic variability and genome plasticity are key mechanisms. Trypanosomatid genomes are organized into large directional gene clusters that are transcribed polycistronically, where genes derived from the same polycistron may have very distinct mRNA levels. This particular mode of transcription implies that the control of gene expression operates mainly at post-transcriptional level. In this sense, gene duplications/losses were already associated with changes in mRNA levels in these parasites. Gene duplications also allow the generation of sequence variability, as the newly formed copy can diverge without loss of function of the original copy. Recently, aneuploidies have been shown to occur in several Leishmania species and T. cruzi strains. Although aneuploidies are usually associated with debilitating phenotypes in superior eukaryotes, recent data shows that it could also provide increased fitness in stress conditions and generate drug resistance in unicellular eukaryotes. In this review, we will focus on gene and chromosomal copy number variations and their relevance to the evolution of trypanosomatid parasites.

Characterization of Tetraploid Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer-Derived Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Polyploidy is occurred by the process of endomitosis or cell fusion and usually represent terminally differentiated stage. Their effects on the developmental process were mainly investigated in the amphibian and fishes, and only observed in some rodents as mammalian model. Recently, we have established tetraploidy somatic cell nuclear transfer-derived human embryonic stem cells (SCNT-hESCs) and examined whether it could be available as a research model for the polyploidy cells existed in the human tissues. Two tetraploid hESC lines were artificially acquired by reintroduction of remained 1st polar body during the establishment of SCNT-hESC using MII oocytes obtained from female donors and dermal fibroblasts (DFB) from a 35-year-old adult male. These tetraploid SCNT-hESC lines (CHA-NT1 and CHA-NT3) were identified by the cytogenetic genotyping (91, XXXY,-6, t[2:6] / 92,XXXY,-12,+20) and have shown of indefinite proliferation, but slow speed when compared to euploid SCNT-hESCs. Using the eight Short Tendem Repeat (STR) markers, it was confirmed that both CHA-NT1 and CHA-NT3 lines contain both nuclear and oocyte donor genotypes. These hESCs expressed pluripotency markers and their embryoid bodies (EB) also expressed markers of the three embryonic germ layers and formed teratoma after transplantation into immune deficient mice. This study showed that tetraploidy does not affect the activities of proliferation and differentiation in SCNT-hESC. Therefore, tetraploid hESC lines established after SCNT procedure could be differentiated into various types of cells and could be an useful model for the study of the polyploidy cells in the tissues.

The induction of endoreduplication and polyploidy by elevated expression of 14-3-3γ

Several studies have demonstrated that specific 14-3-3 isoforms are frequently elevated in cancer and that these proteins play a role in human tumorigenesis. 14-3-3γ, an isoform recently demonstrated to function as an oncoprotein, is overexpressed in a variety of human cancers; however, its role in promoting tumorigenesis remains unclear. We previously reported that overexpression of 14-3-3γ caused the appearance of polyploid cells, a phenotype demonstrated to have profound tumor promoting properties. Here we examined the mechanism driving 14-3-3γ-induced polyploidization and the effect this has on genomic stability. Using FUCCI probes we showed that these polyploid cells appeared when diploid cells failed to enter mitosis and subsequently underwent endoreduplication. We then demonstrated that 14-3-3γ-induced polyploid cells experience significant chromosomal segregation errors during mitosis and observed that some of these cells stably propagate as tetraploids when isolated cells were expanded into stable cultures. These data lead us to conclude that overexpression of the 14-3-3γ promotes endoreduplication. We further investigated the role of 14-3-3γ in human NSCLC samples and found that its expression is significantly elevated in polyploid tumors. Collectively, these results suggests that 14-3-3γ may promote tumorigenesis through the production of a genetically unstable polyploid intermediate.

TET1 inhibits cell proliferation by inducing RASSF5 expression

Tet methylcytosine dioxygenases (TETs) catalyze the oxidative reactions of 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). However, TET1 roles in ovarian cancer cell growth are unknown. Here, we show that ectopic expression of TET1 increased 5hmC levels, and inhibited proliferation and colony formation in ovarian cancer cell lines. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo functional studies demonstrated that TET1 overexpression is necessary for the suppression of ovarian cancer growth, whereas depletion of TET1 expression had the opposite effect. Furthermore, the results of RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses identified a tumor suppressor, Ras association domain family member 5 (RASSF5), as the key downstream target of TET1. TET1 promotes RASSF5 expression by demethylating a CpG site within RASSF5 promoter. Up-regulated RASSF5 expression leads to the suppression of ovarian cancer cells growth. Additionally, we demonstrated that inhibition of CUL4-DDB1 ubiquitin ligase complex decrease 5hmC levels in ovarian cancer cells. These results provide new insights into the understanding of how ovarian cancers develop and grow, and identify TET1 as a key player in this process.

Heterogeneity in sarcoma cell lines reveals enhanced motility of tetraploid versus diploid cells

Soft tissue sarcomas with complex genomics are very heterogeneous tumors lacking simple prognosis markers or targeted therapies. Overexpression of a subset of mitotic genes from a signature called CINSARC is of bad prognosis, but the significance of this signature remains elusive. Here we precisely measure the cell cycle and mitosis duration of sarcoma cell lines and we found that the mitotic gene products overexpression does not reflect variation in the time spent during mitosis or G2/M. We also found that the CINSARC cell lines, we studied, are composed of a mixture of aneuploid, diploid, and tetraploid cells that are highly motile in vitro. After sorting diploid and tetraploid cells, we showed that the tetraploid cell clones do not possess a proliferative advantage, but are strikingly more motile and invasive than their diploid counterparts. This is correlated with higher levels of mitotic proteins overexpression. Owing that mitotic proteins are almost systematically degraded at the end of mitosis, we propose that it is the abnormal activity of the mitotic proteins during interphase that boosts the sarcoma cells migratory properties by affecting their cytoskeleton. To test this hypothesis, we designed a screen for mitotic or cytoskeleton protein inhibitors affecting the sarcoma cell migration potential independently of cytotoxic activities. We found that inhibition of several mitotic kinases drastically impairs the CINSARC cell invasive and migratory properties. This finding could provide a handle by which to selectively inhibit the most invasive cells.

Chromosome nondisjunction during bipolar mitoses of binucleated intermediates promote aneuploidy formation along with multipolar mitoses rather than chromosome loss in micronuclei induced by asbestos

Asbestos is a well-known occupational carcinogen that can cause aneuploidy during the early stages of neoplastic development. To explore the origins of asbestos-induced aneuploidy, we performed long-term live-cell imaging followed by fluorescence in situ hybridization of chromosomes 8 and 12 in human bronchial epithelial (HBEC) and mesothelial (MeT5A) cells. We demonstrate that asbestos induces aneuploidy via binucleated intermediates resulting from cytokinesis failure. On the one hand, asbestos increases chromosome nondisjunction during bipolar divisions of binucleated intermediates and produces near-tetraploidy. On the other hand, asbestos increases multipolar divisions of binucleated intermediates to produce aneuploidy. Surprisingly, chromosomes in asbestos-induced micronucleated cells are not truly lost by the cells, and do not contribute to aneuploid cell formation in either cell type. These results clarify the cellular source of asbestos-induced aneuploidy. In particular, they show the asbestos-induced disruption of bipolar chromosomal segregation in tetraploid cells, thereby demonstrating the causality between binucleated intermediates and aneuploidy evolution, rather than chromosome loss in micronuclei.

The evolutionary significance of polyploidy

Polyploidy, or the duplication of entire genomes, has been observed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, and in somatic and germ cells. The consequences of polyploidization are complex and variable, and they differ greatly between systems (clonal or non-clonal) and species, but the process has often been considered to be an evolutionary 'dead end'. Here, we review the accumulating evidence that correlates polyploidization with environmental change or stress, and that has led to an increased recognition of its short-term adaptive potential. In addition, we discuss how, once polyploidy has been established, the unique retention profile of duplicated genes following whole-genome duplication might explain key longer-term evolutionary transitions and a general increase in biological complexity.

IL-12 Expressing oncolytic herpes simplex virus promotes anti-tumor activity and immunologic control of metastatic ovarian cancer in mice

Background

Despite advances in surgical aggressiveness and conventional chemotherapy, ovarian cancer remains the most lethal cause of gynecologic cancer mortality; consequently there is a need for new therapeutic agents and innovative treatment paradigms for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Several studies have demonstrated that ovarian cancer is an immunogenic disease and immunotherapy represents a promising and novel approach that has not been completely evaluated in ovarian cancer. Our objective was to evaluate the anti-tumor activity of an oncolytic herpes simplex virus “armed” with murine interleukin-12 and its ability to elicit tumor-specific immune responses. We evaluated the ability of interleukin−12-expressing and control oncolytic herpes simplex virus to kill murine and human ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro. We also administered interleukin−12-expressing oncolytic herpes simplex virus to the peritoneal cavity of mice that had developed spontaneous, metastatic ovarian cancer and determined overall survival and tumor burden at 95 days. We used flow cytometry to quantify the tumor antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cell response in the omentum and peritoneal cavity.

Results

All ovarian cancer cell lines demonstrated susceptibility to oncolytic herpes simplex virus in vitro. Compared to controls, mice treated with interleukin−12-expressing oncolytic herpes simplex virus demonstrated a more robust tumor antigen-specific CD8⁺ T-cell immune response in the omentum (471.6 cells vs 33.1 cells; p = 0.02) and peritoneal cavity (962.3 cells vs 179.5 cells; p = 0.05). Compared to controls, mice treated with interleukin−12-expressing oncolytic herpes simplex virus were more likely to control ovarian cancer metastases (81.2 % vs 18.2 %; p = 0.008) and had a significantly longer overall survival (p = 0.02). Finally, five of 6 mice treated with interleukin−12-expressing oHSV had no evidence of metastatic tumor when euthanized at 6 months, compared to two of 4 mice treated with sterile phosphate buffer solution.

Conclusion

Our pilot study demonstrates that an interleukin−12-expressing oncolytic herpes simplex virus effectively kills both murine and human ovarian cancer cell lines and promotes tumor antigen-specific CD8⁺ T-cell responses in the peritoneal cavity and omentum, leading to reduced peritoneal metastasis and improved survival in a mouse model.

Dysregulation of mitotic machinery genes precedes genome instability during spontaneous pre-malignant transformation of mouse ovarian surface epithelial cells

Background

Based in epidemiological evidence, repetitive ovulation has been proposed to play a role in the origin of ovarian cancer by inducing an aberrant wound rupture-repair process of the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). Accordingly, long term cultures of isolated OSE cells undergo in vitro spontaneous transformation thus developing tumorigenic capacity upon extensive subcultivation. In this work, C57BL/6 mouse OSE (MOSE) cells were cultured up to passage 28 and their RNA and DNA copy number profiles obtained at passages 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, 18, 23, 25 and 28 by means of DNA microarrays. Gene ontology, pathway and network analyses were focused in passages earlier than 20, which is a hallmark of malignancy in this model.

Results

At passage 14, 101 genes were up-regulated in absence of significant DNA copy number changes. Among these, the top-3 enriched functions (>30 fold, adj p < 0.05) comprised 7 genes coding for centralspindlin, chromosome passenger and minichromosome maintenance protein complexes. The genes Ccnb1 (Cyclin B1), Birc5 (Survivin), Nusap1 and Kif23 were the most recurrent in over a dozen GO terms related to the mitotic process. On the other hand, Pten plus the large non-coding RNAs Malat1 and Neat1 were among the 80 down-regulated genes with mRNA processing, nuclear bodies, ER-stress response and tumor suppression as relevant terms. Interestingly, the earliest discrete segmental aneuploidies arose by passage 18 in chromosomes 7, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19. By passage 23, when MOSE cells express the malignant phenotype, the dysregulated gene expression repertoire expanded, DNA imbalances enlarged in size and covered additional loci.

Conclusion

Prior to early aneuploidies, overexpression of genes coding for the mitotic apparatus in passage-14 pre-malignant MOSE cells indicate an increased proliferation rate suggestive of replicative stress. Concomitant down-regulation of nuclear bodies and RNA processing related genes suggests altered control of nuclear RNA maturation, features recently linked to impaired DNA damage response leading to genome instability. These results, combined with cytogenetic analysis by other authors in this model, suggest that transcriptional profile at passage 14 might induce cytokinesis failure by which tetraploid cells approach a near-tetraploid stage containing primary chromosome aberrations that initiate the tumorigenic drive.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3068-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Aneuploidy: a common and early evidence-based biomarker for carcinogens and reproductive toxicants

Aneuploidy, defined as structural and numerical aberrations of chromosomes, continues to draw attention as an informative effect biomarker for carcinogens and male reproductive toxicants. It has been well documented that aneuploidy is a hallmark of cancer. Aneuploidies in oocytes and spermatozoa contribute to infertility, pregnancy loss and a number of congenital abnormalities, and sperm aneuploidy is associated with testicular cancer. It is striking that several carcinogens induce aneuploidy in somatic cells, and also adversely affect the chromosome compliment of germ cells. In this paper we review 1) the contributions of aneuploidy to cancer, infertility, and developmental abnormalities; 2) techniques for assessing aneuploidy in precancerous and malignant lesions and in sperm; and 3) the utility of aneuploidy as a biomarker for integrated chemical assessments of carcinogenicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity.

Chromosomal instability, tolerance of mitotic errors and multidrug resistance are promoted by tetraploidization in human cells

Up to 80% of human cancers, in particular solid tumors, contain cells with abnormal chromosomal numbers, or aneuploidy, which is often linked with marked chromosomal instability. Whereas in some tumors the aneuploidy occurs by missegregation of one or a few chromosomes, aneuploidy can also arise during proliferation of inherently unstable tetraploid cells generated by whole genome doubling from diploid cells. Recent findings from cancer genome sequencing projects suggest that nearly 40% of tumors underwent whole genome doubling at some point of tumorigenesis, yet its contribution to cancer phenotypes and benefits for malignant growth remain unclear. Here, we investigated the consequences of a whole genome doubling in both cancerous and non-transformed p53 positive human cells. SNP array analysis and multicolor karyotyping revealed that induced whole-genome doubling led to variable aneuploidy. We found that chromosomal instability (CIN) is a frequent, but not a default outcome of whole genome doubling. The CIN phenotypes were accompanied by increased tolerance to mitotic errors that was mediated by suppression of the p53 signaling. Additionally, the expression of pro-apoptotic factors, such as iASPP and cIAP2, was downregulated. Furthermore, we found that whole genome doubling promotes resistance to a broad spectrum of chemotherapeutic drugs and stimulates anchorage-independent growth even in non-transformed p53-positive human cells. Taken together, whole genome doubling provides multifaceted benefits for malignant growth. Our findings provide new insight why genome-doubling promotes tumorigenesis and correlates with poor survival in cancer.

Mitochondria-cytoskeleton associations in mammalian cytokinesis

Background

The role of the cytoskeleton in regulating mitochondrial distribution in dividing mammalian cells is poorly understood. We previously demonstrated that mitochondria are transported to the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis in a microtubule-dependent manner. However, the exact subset of spindle microtubules and molecular machinery involved remains unknown.

Methods

We employed quantitative imaging techniques and structured illumination microscopy to analyse the spatial and temporal relationship of mitochondria with microtubules and actin of the contractile ring during cytokinesis in HeLa cells.

Results

Superresolution microscopy revealed that mitochondria were associated with astral microtubules of the mitotic spindle in cytokinetic cells. Dominant-negative mutants of KIF5B, the heavy chain of kinesin-1 motor, and of Miro-1 disrupted mitochondrial transport to the furrow. Live imaging revealed that mitochondrial enrichment at the cell equator occurred simultaneously with the appearance of the contractile ring in cytokinesis. Inhibiting RhoA activity and contractile ring assembly with C3 transferase, caused mitochondrial mislocalisation during division.

Conclusions

Taken together, the data suggest a model in which mitochondria are transported by a microtubule-mediated mechanism involving equatorial astral microtubules, Miro-1, and KIF5B to the nascent actomyosin contractile ring in cytokinesis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13008-016-0015-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Establishment of proliferative tetraploid cells from telomerase-immortalized normal human fibroblasts

Aneuploidy is observed in the majority of human cancers and is considered to be causally related to carcinogenesis. Although malignant aneuploid cells are suggested to develop from polyploid cells formed in precancerous lesions, the mechanisms of this process remain elusive. This is partly because no experimental model is available where nontransformed polyploid human cells propagate in vitro. We previously showed that proliferative tetraploid cells can be established from normal human fibroblasts by treatment with the spindle poison demecolcine (DC). However, the limited lifespan of these cells hampered detailed analysis of a link between chromosomal instability and the oncogenic transformation of polyploid cells. Here, we report the establishment of proliferative tetraploid cells from the telomerase-immortalized normal human fibroblast cell line TIG-1. Treatment of immortalized diploid cells with DC for 4 days resulted in proliferation of cells with tetraploid DNA content and near-tetraploid/tetraploid chromosome counts. Established tetraploid cells had functional TP53 despite growing at almost the same rate as diploid cells. The frequency of clonal and sporadic chromosome aberrations in tetraploid cells was higher than in diploid cells and in one experiment, gradually increased with repeated subculture. This study suggests that tetraploid cells established from telomerase-immortalized normal human fibroblasts can be a valuable model for studying chromosomal instability and the oncogenic potential of polyploid cells. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two-pore channel 1 interacts with citron kinase, regulating completion of cytokinesis

Two-pore channels (TPC1, 2, and 3) are recently identified endolysosmal ion channels, but remain poorly characterized. In this study, we show for the first time a role for TPC1 in cytokinesis, the final step in cell division. HEK 293 T-REx cells inducibly overexpressing TPC1 demonstrated a lack of proliferation accompanied by multinucleation and an increase in G2/M cycling cells. Increased TPC1 was associated with a concomitant accumulation of active RhoGTP and a decrease in phosphorylated myosin light chain (MLC). Finally, we demonstrated a novel interaction between TPC1 and citron kinase (CIT). These results identify TPC1 as a central component of cytokinetic control, specifically during abscission, and introduce a means by which the endolysosomal system may play an active role in this process.

Polyploid titan cells produce haploid and aneuploid progeny to promote stress adaptation

Cryptococcus neoformans is a major life-threatening fungal pathogen. In response to the stress of the host environment, C. neoformans produces large polyploid titan cells. Titan cell production enhances the virulence of C. neoformans, yet whether the polyploid aspect of titan cells is specifically influential remains unknown. We show that titan cells were more likely to survive and produce offspring under multiple stress conditions than typical cells and that even their normally sized daughters maintained an advantage over typical cells in continued exposure to stress. Although polyploid titan cells generated haploid daughter cell progeny upon in vitro replication under nutrient-replete conditions, titan cells treated with the antifungal drug fluconazole produced fluconazole-resistant diploid and aneuploid daughter cells. Interestingly, a single titan mother cell was capable of generating multiple types of aneuploid daughter cells. The increased survival and genomic diversity of titan cell progeny promote rapid adaptation to new or high-stress conditions.

IMPORTANCE

The ability to adapt to stress is a key element for survival of pathogenic microbes in the host and thus plays an important role in pathogenesis. Here we investigated the predominantly haploid human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, which is capable of ploidy and cell size increases during infection through production of titan cells. The enlarged polyploid titan cells are then able to rapidly undergo ploidy reduction to generate progeny with reduced ploidy and/or aneuploidy. Under stressful conditions, titan cell progeny have a growth and survival advantage over typical cell progeny. Understanding how titan cells enhance the rate of cryptococcal adaptation under stress conditions may assist in the development of novel drugs aimed at blocking ploidy transitions.

Targeting the Mitotic Catastrophe Signaling Pathway in Cancer. Mediators Inflamm. 2015;2015:146282. [PMID: 26491220 PMCID: PMC4600505 DOI: 10.1155/2015/146282]

Mitotic catastrophe, as defined in 2012 by the International Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death, is a bona fide intrinsic oncosuppressive mechanism that senses mitotic failure and responds by driving a cell to an irreversible antiproliferative fate of death or senescence. Thus, failed mitotic catastrophe can promote the unrestrained growth of defective cells, thereby representing a major gateway to tumour development. Furthermore, the activation of mitotic catastrophe offers significant therapeutic advantage which has been exploited in the action of conventional and targeted anticancer agents. Yet, despite its importance in tumour prevention and treatment, the molecular mechanism of mitotic catastrophe is not well understood. A better understanding of the signals that determine cell fate following failed or defective mitosis will reveal new opportunities to selectively target and enhance the programme for therapeutic benefit and reveal biomarkers to predict patient response. This review is focused on the molecular mechanism of mitotic catastrophe induction and signalling and highlights current strategies to exploit the process in cancer therapy.

miR-214-mediated downregulation of RNF8 induces chromosomal instability in ovarian cancer cells

Defective DNA damage response (DDR) is frequently associated with carcinogenesis. Abrogation of DDR leads to chromosomal instability, a most common characteristic of tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying regulation of DDR are still elusive. The ubiquitin ligase RNF8 mediates the ubiquitination of γH2AX and recruits 53BP1 and BRCA1 to DNA damage sites which promotes DDR and inhibits chromosomal instability. Though RNF8 is a key player involved in DDR, regulation of its expression is still poorly understood. Here, we show that miR-214 could abrogate DDR by repressing RNF8 expression through direct binding to 3'-untranslated region (3' UTR) of RNF8 mRNA in human ovarian cancer cells. Antagonizing miR-214 by expressing its inhibitors in A2780 cells significantly increased RNF8 expression and thus promoted DNA damage repair. Consistent with the role of miR-214 in regulating RNF8 expression, the impaired DNA repair induced by miR-214 overexpression can be rescued by overexpressing RNF8 mRNA lacking the 3' UTR. Together, our results indicate that down-regulation of RNF8 mediated by miR-214 impedes DNA damage response to induce chromosomal instability in ovarian cancers, which may facilitate the understanding of mechanisms underlying chromosomal instability.

TP53 mutations, tetraploidy and homologous recombination repair defects in early stage high-grade serous ovarian cancer

To determine early somatic changes in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), we performed whole genome sequencing on a rare collection of 16 low stage HGSOCs. The majority showed extensive structural alterations (one had an ultramutated profile), exhibited high levels of p53 immunoreactivity, and harboured a TP53 mutation, deletion or inactivation. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations were observed in two tumors, with nine showing evidence of a homologous recombination (HR) defect. Combined Analysis with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) indicated that low and late stage HGSOCs have similar mutation and copy number profiles. We also found evidence that deleterious TP53 mutations are the earliest events, followed by deletions or loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of chromosomes carrying TP53, BRCA1 or BRCA2. Inactivation of HR appears to be an early event, as 62.5% of tumours showed a LOH pattern suggestive of HR defects. Three tumours with the highest ploidy had little genome-wide LOH, yet one of these had a homozygous somatic frame-shift BRCA2 mutation, suggesting that some carcinomas begin as tetraploid then descend into diploidy accompanied by genome-wide LOH. Lastly, we found evidence that structural variants (SV) cluster in HGSOC, but are absent in one ultramutated tumor, providing insights into the pathogenesis of low stage HGSOC.

Spontaneous Transformation of Murine Oviductal Epithelial Cells: A Model System to Investigate the Onset of Fallopian-Derived Tumors

High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most lethal ovarian cancer histotype. The fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells (FTSECs) are a proposed progenitor cell type. Genetically altered FTSECs form tumors in mice; however, a spontaneous HGSC model has not been described. Apart from a subpopulation of genetically predisposed women, most women develop ovarian cancer spontaneously, which is associated with aging and lifetime ovulations. A murine oviductal cell line (MOE(LOW)) was developed and continuously passaged in culture to mimic cellular aging (MOE(HIGH)). The MOE(HIGH) cellular model exhibited a loss of acetylated tubulin consistent with an outgrowth of secretory epithelial cells in culture. MOE(HIGH) cells proliferated significantly faster than MOE(LOW), and the MOE(HIGH) cells produced more 2D foci and 3D soft agar colonies as compared to MOE(LOW) MOE(HIGH) were xenografted into athymic female nude mice both in the subcutaneous and the intraperitoneal compartments. Only the subcutaneous grafts formed tumors that were negative for cytokeratin, but positive for oviductal markers, such as oviductal glycoprotein 1 and Pax8. These tumors were considered to be poorly differentiated carcinoma. The differential molecular profiles between MOE(HIGH) and MOE(LOW) were determined using RNA-Seq and confirmed by protein expression to uncover pathways important in transformation, like the p53 pathway, the FOXM1 pathway, WNT signaling, and splicing. MOE(HIGH) had enhanced protein expression of c-myc, Cyclin E, p53, and FOXM1 with reduced expression of p21. MOE(HIGH) were also less sensitive to cisplatin and DMBA, which induce lesions typically repaired by base-excision repair. A model of spontaneous tumorogenesis was generated starting with normal oviductal cells. Their transition to cancer involved alterations in pathways associated with high-grade serous cancer in humans.

Phosphorylation of myosin II regulatory light chain by ZIP kinase is responsible for cleavage furrow ingression during cell division in mammalian cultured cells

Zipper-interacting protein kinase (ZIPK) is known to regulate several functions such as apoptosis, smooth muscle contraction, and cell migration. While exogenously expressed GFP-ZIPK localizes to the cleavage furrow, role of ZIPK in cytokinesis is obscure. Here, we show that ZIPK is a major MRLC kinase during mitosis. Moreover, ZIPK siRNA-mediated knockdown causes delay of cytokinesis. The delay in cytokinesis of ZIPK-knockdown cells was rescued by the exogenous diphosphorylation-mimicking MRLC mutant. Taken together, these findings suggest that ZIPK plays a role in the progression and completion of cytokinesis through MRLC phosphorylation.