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Aquino AF, Runa F, Shoma JF, Todd A, Wallace M, de Barros NR, Kelber JA. Multidimensional screening of pancreatic cancer spheroids reveals vulnerabilities in mitotic and cell-matrix adhesion signaling that associate with metastatic progression and decreased patient survival. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 703:149575. [PMID: 38382357 PMCID: PMC10983059 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149575] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy, with a median survival of less than 12 months and a 5-year survival of less than 10 %. Here, we have established an image-based screening pipeline for quantifying single PDAC spheroid dynamics in genetically and phenotypically diverse PDAC cell models. Wild-type KRas PDAC cells formed tight/compact spheroids - compaction of these structures was completely blocked by cytoplasmic dynein and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitors. In contrast, PDAC cells containing mutant KRas formed loosely aggregated spheroids that grew significantly slower following inhibition of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) or focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Independent of genetic background, multicellular PDAC-mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) spheroids self-organized into structures with an MSC-dominant core. The inclusion of MSCs into wild-type KRas PDAC spheroids modestly affected their compaction; however, MSCs significantly increased the compaction and growth of mutant KRas PDAC spheroids. Notably, exogenous collagen 1 potentiated PANC1 spheroid compaction while ITGA1 knockdown in PANC1 cells blocked MSC-induced PANC1 spheroid compaction. In agreement with a role for collagen-based integrin adhesion complexes in stromal cell-induced PDAC phenotypes, we also discovered that MSC-induced PANC1 spheroid growth was completely blocked by the ITGB1 immunoneutralizing antibody mAb13. Finally, multiplexed single-cell immunohistochemical analysis of a 25 patient PDAC tissue microarray revealed a relationship between decreased variance in Spearman r correlation for ITGA1 and PLK1 expression within the tumor cell compartment of PDAC in patients with advanced disease stage, and elevated expression of both ITGA1 and PLK1 in PDAC was found to be associated with decreased patient survival. Taken together, this work uncovers new therapeutic vulnerabilities in PDAC that are relevant to the progression of this stromal cell-rich malignancy and which may reveal strategies for improving patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert-Fred Aquino
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | - Farhana Runa
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | | | - Audrey Todd
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Wallace
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | | | - Jonathan A Kelber
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
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Runa F, Ortiz-Soto G, de Barros NR, Kelber JA. Targeting SMAD-Dependent Signaling: Considerations in Epithelial and Mesenchymal Solid Tumors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:326. [PMID: 38543112 PMCID: PMC10975212 DOI: 10.3390/ph17030326] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
SMADs are the canonical intracellular effector proteins of the TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β). SMADs translocate from plasma membrane receptors to the nucleus regulated by many SMAD-interacting proteins through phosphorylation and other post-translational modifications that govern their nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and subsequent transcriptional activity. The signaling pathway of TGF-β/SMAD exhibits both tumor-suppressing and tumor-promoting phenotypes in epithelial-derived solid tumors. Collectively, the pleiotropic nature of TGF-β/SMAD signaling presents significant challenges for the development of effective cancer therapies. Here, we review preclinical studies that evaluate the efficacy of inhibitors targeting major SMAD-regulating and/or -interacting proteins, particularly enzymes that may play important roles in epithelial or mesenchymal compartments within solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Runa
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330, USA
| | | | | | - Jonathan A Kelber
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
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Khorsandi D, Yang JW, Foster S, Khosravi S, Hosseinzadeh Kouchehbaghi N, Zarei F, Lee YB, Runa F, Gangrade A, Voskanian L, Adnan D, Zhu Y, Wang Z, Jucaud V, Dokmeci MR, Shen X, Bishehsari F, Kelber JA, Khademhosseini A, de Barros NR. Patient-Derived Organoids as Therapy Screening Platforms in Cancer Patients. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2302331. [PMID: 38359321 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302331] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) developed ex vivo and in vitro are increasingly used for therapeutic screening. They provide a more physiologically relevant model for drug discovery and development compared to traditional cell lines. However, several challenges remain to be addressed to fully realize the potential of PDOs in therapeutic screening. This paper summarizes recent advancements in PDO development and the enhancement of PDO culture models. This is achieved by leveraging materials engineering and microfabrication technologies, including organs-on-a-chip and droplet microfluidics. Additionally, this work discusses the application of PDOs in therapy screening to meet diverse requirements and overcome bottlenecks in cancer treatment. Furthermore, this work introduces tools for data processing and analysis of organoids, along with their microenvironment. These tools aim to achieve enhanced readouts. Finally, this work explores the challenges and future perspectives of using PDOs in drug development and personalized screening for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danial Khorsandi
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Jia-Wei Yang
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Samuel Foster
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Safoora Khosravi
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Negar Hosseinzadeh Kouchehbaghi
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
- Department of Textile Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Hafez Avenue, Tehran, 1591634311, Iran
| | - Fahimeh Zarei
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Yun Bin Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Farhana Runa
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, California, 91330, USA
| | - Ankit Gangrade
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Leon Voskanian
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Darbaz Adnan
- Rush Center for Integrated Microbiome and Chronobiology Research, Rush Medical College, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Yangzhi Zhu
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Zhaohui Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Vadim Jucaud
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Mehmet Remzi Dokmeci
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Xiling Shen
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Faraz Bishehsari
- Rush Center for Integrated Microbiome and Chronobiology Research, Rush Medical College, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Rush Center for Integrated Microbiome & Chronobiology Research, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Jonathan A Kelber
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, California, 91330, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, 101 Bagby Ave, Waco, Texas, 76706, USA
| | - Ali Khademhosseini
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
| | - Natan Roberto de Barros
- Department of Bioengineering, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), 1018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 91367, USA
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Geller C, Maddela J, Tuplano R, Runa F, Adamian Y, Güth R, Ortiz Soto G, Tomaneng L, Cantor J, Kelber JA. Fibronectin, DHPS and SLC3A2 Signaling Cooperate to Control Tumor Spheroid Growth, Subcellular eIF5A1/2 Distribution and CDK4/6 Inhibitor Resistance. bioRxiv 2023:2023.04.13.536765. [PMID: 37090582 PMCID: PMC10120696 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.13.536765] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM) protein expression/deposition within and stiffening of the breast cancer microenvironment facilitates disease progression and correlates with poor patient survival. However, the mechanisms by which ECM components control tumorigenic behaviors and responses to therapeutic intervention remain poorly understood. Fibronectin (FN) is a major ECM protein controlling multiple processes. In this regard, we previously reported that DHPS-dependent hypusination of eIF5A1/2 is necessary for fibronectin-mediated breast cancer metastasis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here, we explored the clinical significance of an interactome generated using hypusination pathway components and markers of intratumoral heterogeneity. Solute carrier 3A2 (SLC3A2 or CD98hc) stood out as an indicator of poor overall survival among patients with basal-like breast cancers that express elevated levels of DHPS. We subsequently discovered that blockade of DHPS or SLC3A2 reduced triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) spheroid growth. Interestingly, spheroids stimulated with exogenous fibronectin were less sensitive to inhibition of either DHPS or SLC3A2 - an effect that could be abrogated by dual DHPS/SLC3A2 blockade. We further discovered that a subset of TNBC cells responded to fibronectin by increasing cytoplasmic localization of eIF5A1/2. Notably, these fibronectin-induced subcellular localization phenotypes correlated with a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Fibronectin-treated TNBC cells responded to dual DHPS/SLC3A2 blockade by shifting eIF5A1/2 localization back to a nucleus-dominant state, suppressing proliferation and further arresting cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Finally, we observed that dual DHPS/SLC3A2 inhibition increased the sensitivity of both Rb-negative and -positive TNBC cells to the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib. Taken together, these data identify a previously unrecognized mechanism through which extracellular fibronectin controls cancer cell tumorigenicity by modulating subcellular eIF5A1/2 localization and provides prognostic/therapeutic utility for targeting the cooperative DHPS/SLC3A2 signaling axis to improve breast cancer treatment responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron Geller
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA & Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | - Joanna Maddela
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA & Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | - Ranel Tuplano
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA & Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | - Farhana Runa
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA & Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | - Yvess Adamian
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA & Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | - Robert Güth
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA & Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | - Gabriela Ortiz Soto
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA & Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | - Luke Tomaneng
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA & Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
| | - Joseph Cantor
- BD Biosciences, 1077 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA
| | - Jonathan A. Kelber
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA & Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX
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Runa F, Tomaneng L, Adamian Y, Cox N, Aquino AF, Wallace M, Gonzalez C, Bhakta K, Hoover M, Wolfenden L, Humphries JD, Humphries MJ, Boyce M, Kelber JA. Abstract 2414: Retinoic acid induced 14 drives pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-2414] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with very poor outcomes - fewer than 10 percent of patients survive beyond five years after diagnosis. The primary hurdles facing PDAC patients and clinicians are early dissemination, a lack of therapeutic targets and desmoplasia that renders the primary tumor refractory to chemotherapy. In this regard, we have previously reported that pseudopodium-enriched atypical kinase 1 (PEAK1) and integrin α1 (ITGA1) mediate gemcitabine resistance and metastasis in PDAC. To identify new mechanisms of PDAC progression, we mined the Cancer BioPortal and Human Cell Map BioID databases for additional pseudopodium-enriched (PDE) proteins that predict poor patient outcomes, correlate with PEAK1 and ITGA1 expression in PDAC, and interact with PEAK1 and ITGA1. Here, we identify Retinoic Acid Induced 14 (RAI14, Ankycorbin or NORPEG) as a new candidate driver of PDAC that is a constituent of the KRasG12D PDAC cell autonomous phosphoproteome, localizes to cytoskeleton/adhesion domains in PDAC cells and correlates in expression with ITGA1-binding collagens in PDAC. Knockdown or knockout of RAI14 in KRas mutant PDAC cells impaired adhesion-dependent proliferation/survival in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Single cell cyclic immunofluorescence (CycIF) further revealed that RAI14 supports a subpopulation of PDAC cells positive for proliferation, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and antiapoptotic programs. By using a RAI14-focused bioinformatics pipeline in combination with proteomic and immunofluorescence data on the composition of ITGA1-dependent adhesion complexes in PDAC cells, we identified Polo-Like Kinase 1 (PLK1) as a candidate that may control RAI14 function and adhesion-regulated mitosis during PDAC progression. Notably, the potency of volasertib, a PLK1-specific inhibitor, was reduced in RAI14 knockout cells, supporting a model in which RAI14 mediates adhesion-dependent PLK1 functions in PDAC. Taken together, these studies uncover a mechanism for RAI14-driven PDAC progression and the development of strategies to increase chemotherapy sensitivity, reduce primary/metastatic tumor burden and improve patient outcomes.
Citation Format: Farhana Runa, Luke Tomaneng, Yvess Adamian, Nathan Cox, Albert-Fred Aquino, Matthew Wallace, Carolina Gonzalez, Kishan Bhakta, Malachia Hoover, Laurelin Wolfenden, Jonathan D. Humphries, Martin J. Humphries, Michael Boyce, Jonathan A. Kelber. Retinoic acid induced 14 drives pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2414.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Runa
- 1California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA
| | - Luke Tomaneng
- 1California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA
| | - Yvess Adamian
- 1California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA
| | | | | | | | | | - Kishan Bhakta
- 1California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA
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Hoover M, Runa F, Booker E, Diedrich JK, Duell E, Williams B, Arellano-Garcia C, Uhlendorf T, La Kim S, Fischer W, Moresco J, Gray PC, Kelber JA. Identification of myosin II as a cripto binding protein and regulator of cripto function in stem cells and tissue regeneration. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 509:69-75. [PMID: 30579599 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.12.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cripto regulates stem cell function in normal and disease contexts via TGFbeta/activin/nodal, PI3K/Akt, MAPK and Wnt signaling. Still, the molecular mechanisms that govern these pleiotropic functions of Cripto remain poorly understood. We performed an unbiased screen for novel Cripto binding proteins using proteomics-based methods, and identified novel proteins including members of myosin II complexes, the actin cytoskeleton, the cellular stress response, and extracellular exosomes. We report that myosin II, and upstream ROCK1/2 activities are required for localization of Cripto to cytoplasm/membrane domains and its subsequent release into the conditioned media fraction of cultured cells. Functionally, we demonstrate that soluble Cripto (one-eyed pinhead in zebrafish) promotes proliferation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and stem cell-mediated wound healing in the zebrafish caudal fin model of regeneration. Notably, we demonstrate that both Cripto and myosin II inhibitors attenuated regeneration to a similar degree and in a non-additive manner. Taken together, our data present a novel role for myosin II function in regulating subcellular Cripto localization and function in stem cells and an important regulatory mechanism of tissue regeneration. Importantly, these insights may further the development of context-dependent Cripto agonists and antagonists for therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malachia Hoover
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Farhana Runa
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Evan Booker
- Clayton Foundation for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
| | - Jolene K Diedrich
- Mass Spectrometry Core, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
| | - Erika Duell
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Blake Williams
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | | | - Toni Uhlendorf
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Sa La Kim
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, USA
| | - Wolfgang Fischer
- Clayton Foundation for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
| | - James Moresco
- Mass Spectrometry Core, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
| | - Peter C Gray
- Clayton Foundation for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
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Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) has been recognized as an integral component of malignancies in breast and prostate tissues, contributing in confounding ways to tumor progression, metastasis, therapy resistance and disease recurrence. Major components of the TME are immune cells, fibroblasts, pericytes, endothelial cells, mesenchymal stroma/stem cells (MSCs), and extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Herein, we discuss the molecular and cellular heterogeneity within the TME and how this presents unique challenges and opportunities for treating breast and prostate cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Runa
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA
| | - S Hamalian
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA
| | - K Meade
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA
| | - P Shisgal
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA
| | - P C Gray
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA
| | - J A Kelber
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA
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Runa F, Adamian Y, Kelber JA. Ascending the PEAK1 toward targeting TGFβ during cancer progression: Recent advances and future perspectives. Cancer Cell Microenviron 2016; 3:e1162. [PMID: 29392163 PMCID: PMC5790177 DOI: 10.14800/ccm.1162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Mortality in patients with solid, epithelial-derived tumors strongly correlates with disease stage and the systemic metastatic load. In such cancers, notable morphological and molecular changes have been attributed to cells as they pass through a continuum of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) states and many of these changes are essential for metastasis. While cancer metastasis is a complex cascade that is regulated by cell-autonomous and microenvironmental influences, it is well-accepted that understanding and controlling metastatic disease is a viable method for increasing patient survival. In the past 5 years, the novel non-receptor tyrosine kinase PEAK1 has surfaced as a central regulator of tumor progression and metastasis in the context of solid, epithelial cancers. Here, we review this literature with a special focus on our recent work demonstrating that PEAK1 mediates non-canonical pro-tumorigenic TGFβ signaling and is an intracellular control point between tumor cells and their extracellular microenvironment. We conclude with a brief discussion of potential applications derived from our current understanding of PEAK1 biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Runa
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA, USA
| | - Yvess Adamian
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA, USA
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Runa F, Carbone I, Bhatnagar D, Payne GA. Nuclear heterogeneity in conidial populations of Aspergillus flavus. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 84:62-72. [PMID: 26362651 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus is a major producer of aflatoxin and an opportunistic pathogen for a wide range of hosts. Understanding genotypic and phenotypic variation within strains of A. flavus is important for controlling disease and reducing aflatoxin contamination. A. flavus is multinucleate and predominantly haploid (n) and homokaryotic. Although cryptic heterokaryosis may occur in nature, it is unclear how nuclei in A. flavus influence genetic heterogeneity and if nuclear condition plays a role in fungal ecology. A. flavus mainly reproduces asexually by producing conidia. In order to observe whether conidia are homokaryotic or heterokaryotic, we labeled nuclei of A. flavus using two different nuclear localized fluorescent reporters. The reporter constructs (pYH2A and pCH2B), encode histones HH2A and HH2B fused at the C terminus with either yellow (EYFP) or cyan (ECFP) fluorescent proteins, respectively. The constructs were transformed into the double auxotrophic strain AFC-1 (-pyrG, -argD) to generate a strain containing each reporter construct. By taking advantage of the nutritional requirement for each strain, we were able to generate fusants between FR36 (-argD) expressing yellow fluorescence, and FR46 (-pyr4) expressing cyan fluorescence. Conidia from fusants between FR36 and FR46 showed three types of fluorescence: only EYFP, only ECFP or both EYFP+ECFP. Conidia containing nuclei expressing EYFP+ECFP were separated by Fluorescence-Activated Cell sorting (FACS) and were found to contain both yellow and cyan fluorescent markers in the same nucleus. Further characterization of conidia having only one nucleus but expressing both EYFP+ECFP fluorescence were found to be diploid (2n). Our findings suggest that A. flavus maintains nuclear heterogeneity in conidial populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Runa
- Center for Integrated Fungal Research, Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Ignazio Carbone
- Center for Integrated Fungal Research, Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Gary A Payne
- Center for Integrated Fungal Research, Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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Agajanian M, Runa F, Kelber JA. Identification of a PEAK1/ZEB1 signaling axis during TGFβ/fibronectin-induced EMT in breast cancer. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 465:606-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.08.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Runa F, Yasmin M, Hoq MM, Begum J, Rahman ASMM, Ahsan CR. Molecular versus conventional methods: clinical evaluation of different methods for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in Bangladesh. J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2011; 44:101-5. [PMID: 21439511 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2010.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2009] [Revised: 03/04/2010] [Accepted: 05/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries, such as Bangladesh, is based mainly on microscopic detection of acid-fast bacilli in smears from clinical specimens. On the other hand, the detection of TB by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is quite new in Bangladesh. In this study, we compared the molecular method with the conventional diagnosis procedures, where Lowenstein-Jensen medium culture results have been used as the "gold standard." METHODS A total of 135 sputum samples were collected from clinically suspected patients with pulmonary TB. A direct smear was made from each sputum specimen and stained by the Ziehl-Neelsen (Z-N) method. The sputum samples were then processed, and the pellet was used for both Z-N (concentration) and auramine O fluorescence staining or resuspended in phosphate buffered saline to inoculate Lowenstein-Jensen medium or processed for PCR detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. RESULTS The direct smear staining yielded 44 (32.6%) sputum samples that were acid-fast positive, which increased after concentration, yielding 60 (44.4%) acid-fast-positive samples. Fluorescence microscopy using auramine O staining further increased the number of positive samples to 67 (49.6%). The biochemical tests showed 75 (55.6%) sputum samples to be culture positive, and the MB/BacT system increased the recovery up to 90 (66.7%) culture positives. On the other hand, PCR yielded 93 (68.9%) positive results, 20 (21.5%) of which were culture-negative sputum specimens. CONCLUSION It is suggested that the Z-N direct microscopy on its own is the best method (with high specificity) for confirming the diagnosis of acid-fast bacilli. Although the PCR diagnosis of TB appears to be a rapid and sensitive method, the results should be interpreted with care in the clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Runa
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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