1
|
Shen Z, Wu Y, Manna A, Yi C, Cairns BR, Evason KJ, Chandrasekharan MB, Tantin D. Oct4 redox sensitivity potentiates reprogramming and differentiation. Genes Dev 2024; 38:308-321. [PMID: 38719541 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351411.123] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The transcription factor Oct4/Pou5f1 is a component of the regulatory circuitry governing pluripotency and is widely used to induce pluripotency from somatic cells. Here we used domain swapping and mutagenesis to study Oct4's reprogramming ability, identifying a redox-sensitive DNA binding domain, cysteine residue (Cys48), as a key determinant of reprogramming and differentiation. Oct4 Cys48 sensitizes the protein to oxidative inhibition of DNA binding activity and promotes oxidation-mediated protein ubiquitylation. Pou5f1 C48S point mutation has little effect on undifferentiated embryonic stem cells (ESCs) but upon retinoic acid (RA) treatment causes retention of Oct4 expression, deregulated gene expression, and aberrant differentiation. Pou5f1 C48S ESCs also form less differentiated teratomas and contribute poorly to adult somatic tissues. Finally, we describe Pou5f1 C48S (Janky) mice, which in the homozygous condition are severely developmentally restricted after E4.5. Rare animals bypassing this restriction appear normal at birth but are sterile. Collectively, these findings uncover a novel Oct4 redox mechanism involved in both entry into and exit from pluripotency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zuolian Shen
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Yifan Wu
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Asit Manna
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Chongil Yi
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Bradley R Cairns
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Mahesh B Chandrasekharan
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Dean Tantin
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA;
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Shen Z, Wu Y, Mana A, Yi C, Cairns B, Evason KJ, Chandrasekharan MB, Tantin D. Oct4 redox sensitivity potentiates reprogramming and differentiation. bioRxiv 2024:2023.02.21.529404. [PMID: 36865286 PMCID: PMC9980064 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.21.529404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor Oct4/Pou5f1 is a component of the regulatory circuitry governing pluripotency and is widely used to induce pluripotency from somatic cells. Here we use domain swapping and mutagenesis to study Oct4s reprogramming ability, identifying a redox-sensitive DNA binding domain cysteine residue (Cys48) as a key determinant of reprogramming and differentiation. Oct4 Cys48 sensitizes the protein to oxidative inhibition of DNA binding activity and promotes oxidation-mediated protein ubiquitylation. Pou5f1C48S point mutation has little effect on undifferentiated embryonic stem cells (ESCs), but upon retinoic acid (RA) treatment causes retention of Oct4 expression, deregulated gene expression and aberrant differentiation. Pou5f1C48S ESCs also form less differentiated teratomas and contribute poorly to adult somatic tissues. Finally, we describe Pou5f1C48S (Janky) mice, which in the homozygous condition are severely developmentally restricted after E4.5. Rare animals bypassing this restriction appear normal at birth but are sterile. Collectively, these findings uncover a novel Oct4 redox mechanism involved in both entry into and exit from pluripotency.
Collapse
|
3
|
Levic DS, Niedzwiecki D, Kandakatla A, Karlovich NS, Juneja A, Park J, Stolarchuk C, Adams S, Willer JR, Schaner MR, Lian G, Beasley C, Marjoram L, Flynn AD, Valentine JF, Onken JE, Sheikh SZ, Davis EE, Evason KJ, Garman KS, Bagnat M. TNF promoter hypomethylation is associated with mucosal inflammation in IBD and anti-TNF response. medRxiv 2024:2024.02.05.24302343. [PMID: 38370739 PMCID: PMC10871362 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.05.24302343] [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: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Background and aims Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are chronic inflammatory conditions influenced heavily by environmental factors. DNA methylation is a form of epigenetic regulation linking environmental stimuli to gene expression changes and inflammation. Here, we investigated how DNA methylation of the TNF promoter differs between inflamed and uninflamed mucosa of IBD patients, including anti-TNF responders and non-responders. Methods We obtained mucosal biopsies from 200 participants (133 IBD and 67 controls) and analyzed TNF promoter methylation using bisulfite sequencing, comparing inflamed with uninflamed segments, in addition to paired inflamed/uninflamed samples from individual patients. We conducted similar analyses on purified intestinal epithelial cells from bowel resections. We also compared TNF methylation levels of inflamed and uninflamed mucosa from a separate cohort of 15 anti-TNF responders and 17 non-responders. Finally, we sequenced DNA methyltransferase genes to identify rare variants in IBD patients and functionally tested them using rescue experiments in a zebrafish genetic model of DNA methylation deficiency. Results TNF promoter methylation levels were decreased in inflamed mucosa of IBD patients and correlated with disease severity. Isolated IECs from inflamed tissue showed proportional decreases in TNF methylation. Anti-TNF non-responders showed lower levels of TNF methylation than responders in uninflamed mucosa. Our sequencing analysis revealed two missense variants in DNMT1, one of which had reduced function in vivo. Conclusions Our study reveals an association of TNF promoter hypomethylation with mucosal inflammation, suggesting that IBD patients may be particularly sensitive to inflammatory environmental insults affecting DNA methylation. Together, our analyses indicate that TNF promoter methylation analysis may aid in the characterization of IBD status and evaluation of anti-TNF therapy response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Levic
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Donna Niedzwiecki
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Apoorva Kandakatla
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Norah S. Karlovich
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Arjun Juneja
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jieun Park
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christina Stolarchuk
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Shanté Adams
- Center for Human Disease Modeling, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jason R. Willer
- Center for Human Disease Modeling, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Matthew R. Schaner
- Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Grace Lian
- Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Caroline Beasley
- Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Ann D. Flynn
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - John F. Valentine
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Jane E. Onken
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Shehzad Z. Sheikh
- Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Erica E. Davis
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Katherine S. Garman
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michel Bagnat
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
VanSant-Webb C, Low HK, Kuramoto J, Stanley CE, Qiang H, Su A, Ross AN, Cooper CG, Cox JE, Summers SA, Evason KJ, Ducker GS. Phospholipid isotope tracing reveals β-catenin-driven suppression of phosphatidylcholine metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma. bioRxiv 2023:2023.10.12.562134. [PMID: 37904922 PMCID: PMC10614757 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.12.562134] [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: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims Activating mutations in the CTNNB1 gene encoding β-catenin are among the most frequently observed oncogenic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC with CTNNB1 mutations show profound alterations in lipid metabolism including increases in fatty acid oxidation and transformation of the phospholipidome, but it is unclear how these changes arise and whether they contribute to the oncogenic program in HCC. Methods We employed untargeted lipidomics and targeted isotope tracing to quantify phospholipid production fluxes in an inducible human liver cell line expressing mutant β-catenin, as well as in transgenic zebrafish with activated β-catenin-driven HCC. Results In both models, activated β-catenin expression was associated with large changes in the lipidome including conserved increases in acylcarnitines and ceramides and decreases in triglycerides. Lipid flux analysis in human cells revealed a large reduction in phosphatidylcholine (PC) production rates as assayed by choline tracer incorporation. We developed isotope tracing lipid flux analysis for zebrafish and observed similar reductions in phosphatidylcholine synthesis flux accomplished by sex-specific mechanisms. Conclusions The integration of isotope tracing with lipid abundances highlights specific lipid class transformations downstream of β-catenin signaling in HCC and suggests future HCC-specific lipid metabolic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad VanSant-Webb
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Hayden K Low
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Junko Kuramoto
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
- Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Claire E Stanley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Hantao Qiang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Audrey Su
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Alexis N Ross
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Chad G Cooper
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - James E Cox
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Scott A Summers
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, University of Utah College of Health. Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. Salt Lake City UT, 84112 USA
| | - Gregory S Ducker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. Salt Lake City UT, 84112 USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ong AJS, Bladen CE, Tigani TA, Karamalakis AP, Evason KJ, Brown KK, Cox AG. The KEAP1-NRF2 pathway regulates TFEB/TFE3-dependent lysosomal biogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2217425120. [PMID: 37216554 PMCID: PMC10235939 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2217425120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The maintenance of redox and metabolic homeostasis is integral to embryonic development. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a stress-induced transcription factor that plays a central role in the regulation of redox balance and cellular metabolism. Under homeostatic conditions, NRF2 is repressed by Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1). Here, we demonstrate that Keap1 deficiency induces Nrf2 activation and postdevelopmental lethality. Loss of viability is preceded by severe liver abnormalities characterized by an accumulation of lysosomes. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that loss of Keap1 promotes aberrant activation of transcription factor EB (TFEB)/transcription factor binding to IGHM Enhancer 3 (TFE3)-dependent lysosomal biogenesis. Importantly, we find that NRF2-dependent regulation of lysosomal biogenesis is cell autonomous and evolutionarily conserved. These studies identify a role for the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway in the regulation of lysosomal biogenesis and suggest that maintenance of lysosomal homeostasis is required during embryonic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Athena Jessica S. Ong
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Cerys E. Bladen
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Tara A. Tigani
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Anthony P. Karamalakis
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Division of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112, USA
| | - Kristin K. Brown
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Andrew G. Cox
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Leonard NB, Hale GL, Boylan KE, Ou Z, Zhang C, Kim R, Chandna S, Dong ZM, Evason KJ. Histologic features of allograft livers in patients treated for rejection before biopsy. Hum Pathol 2023; 135:11-21. [PMID: 36804507 PMCID: PMC10121875 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2023.02.005] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Liver biopsy is essential for management in liver transplant patients with clinical features suspicious for acute cellular rejection (ACR). As more patients are transplanted for noninfectious indications, it has become increasingly common for them to receive treatment for presumed ACR before biopsy. The effect of pretreatment on the classic histologic triad of ACR's mixed portal inflammation, endothelialitis, and bile duct damage is not well described. Here we report a retrospective study of 70 liver transplant biopsies performed on 53 patients for suspected ACR between 2018 and 2021. Thirty-seven biopsies had a clinical diagnosis of ACR after biopsy. Pretreatment with steroids, antithymocyte globulin, or other increased immunosuppression was given before biopsy in 17 of 37 cases; 20 not-pretreated cases acted as controls. A representative hematoxylin and eosin-stained slide from each biopsy was reviewed independently in a blinded fashion by 3 hepatic pathologists, graded according to the Banff system, assigned a Rejection Activity Index (RAI), and assessed for other histologic features. We found that pretreated biopsies had significantly less portal inflammation (P < .001), less endothelialitis (P < .001), lower RAI (P < .001), and less prominent eosinophils (P = .048) compared to not-pretreated biopsies. There was no significant difference for the other examined variables, including bile duct inflammation/damage (P = .32). Our findings suggest that portal inflammation and endothelialitis become less prominent with pretreatment, whereas bile duct inflammation/damage may take longer to resolve. When evaluating biopsies for suspected ACR, the finding of bile duct inflammation/damage should raise the possibility of partially treated ACR, even in the absence of endothelialitis and portal inflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole B Leonard
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Gillian L Hale
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Katherine E Boylan
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Zhining Ou
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - Chong Zhang
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - Robin Kim
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - Shaun Chandna
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, And Nutrition, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - Zachary M Dong
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA; Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bowman KER, Ahne L, O'Brien L, Vander Mause ER, Lu P, Wallis B, Evason KJ, Lim CS. p53-Bad* Fusion Gene Therapy Induces Apoptosis In Vitro and Reduces Zebrafish Tumor Burden in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:331-340. [PMID: 36490361 PMCID: PMC10760808 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
With few curative treatments and a global yearly death rate of over 800,000, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) desperately needs new therapies. Although wild-type p53 gene therapy has been shown to be safe in HCC patients, it has not shown enough efficacy to merit approval. This work aims to show how p53 can be re-engineered through fusion to the pro-apoptotic BH3 protein Bcl-2 antagonist of cell death (Bad) to improve anti-HCC activity and potentially lead to a novel HCC therapeutic, p53-Bad*. p53-Bad* is a fusion of p53 and Bad, with two mutations, S112A and S136A. We determined mitochondrial localization of p53-Bad* in liver cancer cell lines with varying p53 mutation statuses via fluorescence microscopy. We defined the apoptotic activity of p53-Bad* in four liver cancer cell lines using flow cytometry. To determine the effects of p53-Bad* in vivo, we generated and analyzed transgenic zebrafish expressing hepatocyte-specific p53-Bad*. p53-Bad* localized to the mitochondria regardless of the p53 mutation status and demonstrated superior apoptotic activity over WT p53 in early, middle, and late apoptosis assays. Tumor burden in zebrafish HCC was reduced by p53-Bad* as measured by the liver-to-body mass ratio and histopathology. p53-Bad* induced significant apoptosis in zebrafish HCC as measured by TUNEL staining but did not induce apoptosis in non-HCC fish. p53-Bad* can induce apoptosis in a panel of liver cancer cell lines with varying p53 mutation statuses and induce apoptosis/reduce HCC tumor burden in vivo in zebrafish. p53-Bad* warrants further investigation as a potential new HCC therapeutic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Redd Bowman
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Lisa Ahne
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- Institute of Pharmacy, Experimental Pharmacology for Natural Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Liam O'Brien
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Erica R Vander Mause
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Phong Lu
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Bryce Wallis
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Carol S Lim
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ellis JL, Evason KJ, Zhang C, Fourman MN, Liu J, Ninov N, Delous M, Vanhollebeke B, Fiddes I, Otis JP, Houvras Y, Farber SA, Xu X, Lin X, Stainier DYR, Yin C. A missense mutation in the proprotein convertase gene furinb causes hepatic cystogenesis during liver development in zebrafish. Hepatol Commun 2022; 6:3083-3097. [PMID: 36017776 PMCID: PMC9592797 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.2038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic cysts are fluid-filled lesions in the liver that are estimated to occur in 5% of the population. They may cause hepatomegaly and abdominal pain. Progression to secondary fibrosis, cirrhosis, or cholangiocarcinoma can lead to morbidity and mortality. Previous studies of patients and rodent models have associated hepatic cyst formation with increased proliferation and fluid secretion in cholangiocytes, which are partially due to impaired primary cilia. Congenital hepatic cysts are thought to originate from faulty bile duct development, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In a forward genetic screen, we identified a zebrafish mutant that developed hepatic cysts during larval stages. The cyst formation was not due to changes in biliary cell proliferation, bile secretion, or impairment of primary cilia. Instead, time-lapse live imaging data showed that the mutant biliary cells failed to form interconnecting bile ducts because of defects in motility and protrusive activity. Accordingly, immunostaining revealed a disorganized actin and microtubule cytoskeleton in the mutant biliary cells. By whole-genome sequencing, we determined that the cystic phenotype in the mutant was caused by a missense mutation in the furinb gene, which encodes a proprotein convertase. The mutation altered Furinb localization and caused endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The cystic phenotype could be suppressed by treatment with the ER stress inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid and exacerbated by treatment with the ER stress inducer tunicamycin. The mutant liver also exhibited increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Treatment with mTOR inhibitors halted cyst formation at least partially through reducing ER stress. Conclusion: Our study has established a vertebrate model for studying hepatic cystogenesis and illustrated the contribution of ER stress in the disease pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jillian L. Ellis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute and Department of PathologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | - Changwen Zhang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Makenzie N. Fourman
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Jiandong Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- McAllister Heart InstituteDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineSchool of MedicineThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Nikolay Ninov
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU DresdenDresdenGermany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus of TU DresdenGerman Center for Diabetes ResearchDresdenGermany
| | - Marion Delous
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Equipe GENDEVCentre de Recherche en Neurosciences de LyonInserm U1028CNRS UMR5292Universite Lyon 1Universite St EtienneLyonFrance
| | - Benoit Vanhollebeke
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Laboratory of Neurovascular SignalingDepartment of Molecular BiologyULB Neuroscience InstituteUniversite Libre de BruxellesGosseliesBelgium
| | - Ian Fiddes
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jessica P. Otis
- Department of EmbryologyCarnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of BiologyJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and BiochemistryBrown UniversityProvidenceRhode IslandUSA
| | - Yariv Houvras
- Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian HospitalNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Steven A. Farber
- Department of EmbryologyCarnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of BiologyJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Xiaolei Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Cardiovascular MedicineMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | - Xueying Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Cardiovascular MedicineMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | - Didier Y. R. Stainier
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Developmental GeneticsMax Planck Institute for Heart and Lung ResearchBad NauheimGermany
| | - Chunyue Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsProgram in Developmental and Stem Cell BiologyLiver Center and Diabetes CenterUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Division of Developmental BiologyCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhioUSA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kalasekar SM, VanSant-Webb CH, Evason KJ. Intratumor Heterogeneity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Challenges and Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5524. [PMID: 34771685 PMCID: PMC8582820 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a leading cause of cancer-related death, but it remains difficult to treat. Intratumor genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity are inherent properties of breast, skin, lung, prostate, and brain tumors, and intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) helps define prognosis and therapeutic response in these cancers. Several recent studies estimate that ITH is inherent to HCC and attribute the clinical intractability of HCC to this heterogeneity. In this review, we examine the evidence for genomic, phenotypic, and tumor microenvironment ITH in HCC, with a focus on two of the top molecular drivers of HCC: β-catenin (CTNNB1) and Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). We discuss the influence of ITH on HCC diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy, while highlighting the gaps in knowledge and possible future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; (S.M.K.); (C.H.V.-W.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pham DH, Kudira R, Xu L, Valencia CA, Ellis JL, Shi T, Evason KJ, Osuji I, Matuschek N, Pfuher L, Mullen M, Mohanty SK, Husami A, Bull LN, Zhang K, Wali S, Yin C, Miethke A. Deleterious Variants in ABCC12 are Detected in Idiopathic Chronic Cholestasis and Cause Intrahepatic Bile Duct Loss in Model Organisms. Gastroenterology 2021; 161:287-300.e16. [PMID: 33771553 PMCID: PMC8238842 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The etiology of cholestasis remains unknown in many children. We surveyed the genome of children with chronic cholestasis for variants in genes not previously associated with liver disease and validated their biological relevance in zebrafish and murine models. METHOD Whole-exome (n = 4) and candidate gene sequencing (n = 89) was completed on 93 children with cholestasis and normal serum γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels without pathogenic variants in genes known to cause low GGT cholestasis such as ABCB11 or ATP8B1. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 genome editing was used to induce frameshift pathogenic variants in the candidate gene in zebrafish and mice. RESULTS In a 1-year-old female patient with normal GGT cholestasis and bile duct paucity, we identified a homozygous truncating pathogenic variant (c.198delA, p.Gly67Alafs∗6) in the ABCC12 gene (NM_033226). Five additional rare ABCC12 variants, including a pathogenic one, were detected in our cohort. ABCC12 encodes multidrug resistance-associated protein 9 (MRP9) that belongs to the adenosine 5'-triphosphate-binding cassette transporter C family with unknown function and no previous implication in liver disease. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting revealed conserved MRP9 protein expression in the bile ducts in human, mouse, and zebrafish. Zebrafish abcc12-null mutants were prone to cholangiocyte apoptosis, which caused progressive bile duct loss during the juvenile stage. MRP9-deficient mice had fewer well-formed interlobular bile ducts and higher serum alkaline phosphatase levels compared with wild-type mice. They exhibited aggravated cholangiocyte apoptosis, hyperbilirubinemia, and liver fibrosis upon cholic acid challenge. CONCLUSIONS Our work connects MRP9 with bile duct homeostasis and cholestatic liver disease for the first time. It identifies a potential therapeutic target to attenuate bile acid-induced cholangiocyte injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duc-Hung Pham
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ramesh Kudira
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Lingfen Xu
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Shenyang, China
| | - C. Alexander Valencia
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA,Aperiomics, Inc., Sterling, Virginia, USA
| | - Jillian L. Ellis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Tiffany Shi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Immaculeta Osuji
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Nelson Matuschek
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Liva Pfuher
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Mary Mullen
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Sujit K. Mohanty
- Department of Pediatric and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ammar Husami
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Laura N. Bull
- Liver Center Laboratory, Department of Medicine and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Sami Wali
- Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Chunyue Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
| | - Alexander Miethke
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kuramoto J, Smith R, Kalasekar SM, Fulbright A, Ducker GS, Evason KJ. Abstract 3740: Role of phosphatidylcholine in β-catenin-driven hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-3740] [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
Introduction: This study aimed to clarify the role of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and choline metabolites in β-catenin-driven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using human HCC cell lines and transgenic zebrafish expressing hepatocyte-specific activated β-catenin. Background: β-catenin is widely believed to be a major oncogene in HCC. PC is one of the major constituents of biological membranes and is synthesized via the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) and cytidine diphosphate (CDP)-choline pathways in the liver. Several studies have reported that changes in gene expression and enzyme activity lead to altered PC synthesis in cancer, which contributes to malignant growth. However, the role of altered PC synthesis in HCC and the contribution of activated β-catenin to changes in PC metabolism have not been fully explored.
Methods and Results: Transgenic zebrafish expressing hepatocyte-specific activated β-catenin develop HCC as adults and show significant liver enlargement during larval development due to increased cell proliferation. We measured PC levels in transgenic zebrafish HCC and non-transgenic control livers using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). PC levels in transgenic zebrafish HCC were significantly higher than in controls. Using a colorimetric assay kit, we found that PC levels were significantly higher in human HCC cell lines (SNU398, C3A and PLC/PRF/5) than in immortalized human hepatocytes (THLE2). To clarify the role of PC and choline metabolites in β-catenin-driven liver overgrowth, we treated larval zebrafish with bezafibrate (PEMT inhibitor) or meclofenoxate (CPT/CEPT inhibitor). We found that both of these inhibitors of PC lipid synthesis reduced larval liver size and decreased the number of EdU-labeled proliferative cells in transgenic zebrafish. Histologically, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-like changes, such as steatosis, ballooning, inflammation, and hepatocellular necrosis, were detected in the livers of transgenic larvae treated with bezafibrate or meclofenoxate. To characterize the role of PC in human HCC cell lines, we treated SNU398, C3A and PLC/PRF/5 cells with bezafibrate or meclofenoxate and measured PC levels by colorimetric assay and viability by CellTiter-Glo Assay. We found that both drugs decreased PC levels and viability in these HCC cell lines. Furthermore, SNU398 cells overexpressing activated β-catenin using a Tet-on system demonstrated higher PC levels and greater viability than SNU398 control cells.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that increased PC synthesis is associated with cell proliferation, zebrafish larval liver overgrowth, and hepatocarcinogenesis. These results also suggest that activated β-catenin may regulate choline metabolites and contribute to an increase in PC production.
Citation Format: Junko Kuramoto, Richard Smith, Sharanya M. Kalasekar, Alexis Fulbright, Gregory S. Ducker, Kimberley J. Evason. Role of phosphatidylcholine in β-catenin-driven hepatocellular carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3740.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Smith
- 2Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | | | - Alexis Fulbright
- 2Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
In several transgenic zebrafish models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatomegaly can be observed during early larval stages. Quantifying larval liver size in zebrafish HCC models provides a means to rapidly assess the effects of drugs and other manipulations on an oncogene-related phenotype. Here we show how to fix zebrafish larvae, dissect the tissues surrounding the liver, photograph livers using bright-field microscopy, measure liver area, and analyze results. This protocol enables rapid, precise quantification of liver size. As this method involves measuring liver area, it may underestimate differences in liver volume, and complementary methodologies are required to differentiate between changes in cell size and changes in cell number. The dissection technique described herein is an excellent tool to visualize the liver, gut, and pancreas in their natural positions for myriad downstream applications including immunofluorescence staining and in situ hybridization. The described strategy for quantifying larval liver size is applicable to many aspects of liver development and regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Srishti Kotiyal
- Department of Pathology, Department of Oncological Sciences, and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine
| | - Alexis Fulbright
- Department of Pathology, Department of Oncological Sciences, and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine
| | - Liam K O'Brien
- Department of Pathology, Department of Oncological Sciences, and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology, Department of Oncological Sciences, and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine;
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kalasekar SM, Kotiyal S, Conley C, Phan C, Young A, Evason KJ. Heterogeneous beta-catenin activation is sufficient to cause hepatocellular carcinoma in zebrafish. Biol Open 2019; 8:bio047829. [PMID: 31575545 PMCID: PMC6826293 DOI: 10.1242/bio.047829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Up to 41% of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) result from activating mutations in the CTNNB1 gene encoding β-catenin. HCC-associated CTNNB1 mutations stabilize the β-catenin protein, leading to nuclear and/or cytoplasmic localization of β-catenin and downstream activation of Wnt target genes. In patient HCC samples, β-catenin nuclear and cytoplasmic localization are typically patchy, even among HCC with highly active CTNNB1 mutations. The functional and clinical relevance of this heterogeneity in β-catenin activation are not well understood. To define mechanisms of β-catenin-driven HCC initiation, we generated a Cre-lox system that enabled switching on activated β-catenin in (1) a small number of hepatocytes in early development; or (2) the majority of hepatocytes in later development or adulthood. We discovered that switching on activated β-catenin in a subset of larval hepatocytes was sufficient to drive HCC initiation. To determine the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling heterogeneity later in hepatocarcinogenesis, we performed RNA-seq analysis of zebrafish β-catenin-driven HCC. At the single-cell level, 2.9% to 15.2% of hepatocytes from zebrafish β-catenin-driven HCC expressed two or more of the Wnt target genes axin2, mtor, glula, myca and wif1, indicating focal activation of Wnt signaling in established tumors. Thus, heterogeneous β-catenin activation drives HCC initiation and persists throughout hepatocarcinogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sharanya M Kalasekar
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Srishti Kotiyal
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Christopher Conley
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Cindy Phan
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Annika Young
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Evason KJ, Swanson EA. Epithelial Inclusions in Gallbladder May Mimic Parasite Infection. Am J Clin Pathol 2019; 152:399-402. [PMID: 31189015 DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqz054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
15
|
Chaturantabut S, Shwartz A, Evason KJ, Cox AG, Labella K, Schepers AG, Yang S, Aravena M, Houvras Y, Mancio-Silva L, Romano S, Gorelick DA, Cohen DE, Zon LI, Bhatia SN, North TE, Goessling W. Estrogen Activation of G-Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor 1 Regulates Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase and mTOR Signaling to Promote Liver Growth in Zebrafish and Proliferation of Human Hepatocytes. Gastroenterology 2019; 156:1788-1804.e13. [PMID: 30641053 PMCID: PMC6532055 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Patients with cirrhosis are at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and often have increased serum levels of estrogen. It is not clear how estrogen promotes hepatic growth. We investigated the effects of estrogen on hepatocyte proliferation during zebrafish development, liver regeneration, and carcinogenesis. We also studied human hepatocytes and liver tissues. METHODS Zebrafish were exposed to selective modifiers of estrogen signaling at larval and adult stages. Liver growth was assessed by gene expression, fluorescent imaging, and histologic analyses. We monitored liver regeneration after hepatocyte ablation and HCC development after administration of chemical carcinogens (dimethylbenzanthrazene). Proliferation of human hepatocytes was measured in a coculture system. We measured levels of G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER1) in HCC and nontumor liver tissues from 68 patients by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Exposure to 17β-estradiol (E2) increased proliferation of hepatocytes and liver volume and mass in larval and adult zebrafish. Chemical genetic and epistasis experiments showed that GPER1 mediates the effects of E2 via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B-mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway: gper1-knockout and mtor-knockout zebrafish did not increase liver growth in response to E2. HCC samples from patients had increased levels of GPER1 compared with nontumor tissue samples; estrogen promoted proliferation of human primary hepatocytes. Estrogen accelerated hepatocarcinogenesis specifically in male zebrafish. Chemical inhibition or genetic loss of GPER1 significantly reduced tumor development in the zebrafish. CONCLUSIONS In an analysis of zebrafish and human liver cells and tissues, we found GPER1 to be a hepatic estrogen sensor that regulates liver growth during development, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. Inhibitors of GPER1 might be developed for liver cancer prevention or treatment. TRANSCRIPT PROFILING The accession number in the Gene Expression Omnibus is GSE92544.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saireudee Chaturantabut
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Arkadi Shwartz
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Andrew G. Cox
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts;,Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kyle Labella
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Arnout G. Schepers
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Song Yang
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marianna Aravena
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Yariv Houvras
- Departments of Surgery and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Liliana Mancio-Silva
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Shannon Romano
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Daniel A. Gorelick
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - David E. Cohen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Leonard I. Zon
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts;,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland;,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts;,Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sangeeta N. Bhatia
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts;,Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts;,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Trista E. North
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts;,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Wolfram Goessling
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Divison of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Runtsch MC, Nelson MC, Lee SH, Voth W, Alexander M, Hu R, Wallace J, Petersen C, Panic V, Villanueva CJ, Evason KJ, Bauer KM, Mosbruger T, Boudina S, Bronner M, Round JL, Drummond MJ, O’Connell RM. Anti-inflammatory microRNA-146a protects mice from diet-induced metabolic disease. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007970. [PMID: 30768595 PMCID: PMC6395003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying regulatory mechanisms that influence inflammation in metabolic tissues is critical for developing novel metabolic disease treatments. Here, we investigated the role of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) during diet-induced obesity in mice. miR-146a is reduced in obese and type 2 diabetic patients and our results reveal that miR-146a-/- mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) have exaggerated weight gain, increased adiposity, hepatosteatosis, and dysregulated blood glucose levels compared to wild-type controls. Pro-inflammatory genes and NF-κB activation increase in miR-146a-/- mice, indicating a role for this miRNA in regulating inflammatory pathways. RNA-sequencing of adipose tissue macrophages demonstrated a role for miR-146a in regulating both inflammation and cellular metabolism, including the mTOR pathway, during obesity. Further, we demonstrate that miR-146a regulates inflammation, cellular respiration and glycolysis in macrophages through a mechanism involving its direct target Traf6. Finally, we found that administration of rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, was able to rescue the obesity phenotype in miR-146a-/- mice. Altogether, our study provides evidence that miR-146a represses inflammation and diet-induced obesity and regulates metabolic processes at the cellular and organismal levels, demonstrating how the combination of diet and miRNA genetics influences obesity and diabetic phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marah C. Runtsch
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Morgan C. Nelson
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Soh-Hyun Lee
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Warren Voth
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Margaret Alexander
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Ruozhen Hu
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Jared Wallace
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Charisse Petersen
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Vanja Panic
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Claudio J. Villanueva
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Kaylyn M. Bauer
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Timothy Mosbruger
- Bioinformatics, Huntsman Cancer Institute and University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Sihem Boudina
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Mary Bronner
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - June L. Round
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Micah J. Drummond
- Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Ryan M. O’Connell
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Swanson EA, March JK, Clayton F, Couturier MR, Arcega R, Smith R, Evason KJ. Epithelial Inclusions in Gallbladder Specimens Mimic Parasite Infection: Histologic and Molecular Examination of Reported Cystoisospora belli Infection in Gallbladders of Immunocompetent Patients. Am J Surg Pathol 2018; 42:1346-1352. [PMID: 30020094 PMCID: PMC6133732 DOI: 10.1097/pas.0000000000001094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent publications have described epithelial cytoplasmic vacuoles and inclusions incidentally noted within gallbladder epithelium and concluded that they represent coccidian parasite infection, in particular, Cystoisospora belli. We identified 8 gallbladder specimens from our institution in the past 3 years in which this diagnosis was suggested or in which similar epithelial alterations were prominent. Molecular analysis was performed on the 8 gallbladder specimens and on 3 positive control specimens: small bowel biopsies from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients with diarrhea. Polymerase chain reaction using primers designed to amplify an internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) in the C. belli ribosomal gene cluster was performed on the DNA samples. All 8 gallbladder specimens were negative for amplification, while a product consistent with C. belli was amplified from all 3 positive controls. Histologically, the gallbladder cytoplasmic inclusions stained diffusely positive for Grocott-Gomori's methenamine silver and Periodic acid-Schiff with diastase. In contrast, sections from a positive control small bowel biopsy demonstrated organisms that were negative for Grocott-Gomori's methenamine silver and showed a distinct capsular and punctate internal staining on Periodic acid-Schiff with diastase in various parasite forms. Together, the lack of molecular evidence of C. belli and the distinct morphologic and special staining patterns in these gallbladders compared with positive control small bowel suggest that these epithelial changes do not represent true C. belli infection. Our results suggest that gallbladders of immunocompetent patients may occasionally show epithelial changes that can morphologically mimic C. belli infection. Pathologists should be aware of this histologic variant to minimize unnecessary treatment, testing, and patient anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ramir Arcega
- Department of Pathology, Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | | | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kotiyal S, Kalasekar SM, Davis K, Barba C, Young A, Evason KJ. Abstract 4080: An inducible zebrafish model to dissect the role of beta catenin signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2018-4080] [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
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third highest contributor to cancer-related mortality in the world. This disease is molecularly heterogeneous in nature, which obfuscates our understanding of the molecular etiology of the disease, giving rise to the essential and urgent need of delineating HCC mechanisms based on molecular subtypes.
Various signaling pathways have been implicated in HCC development. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway remains of particular significance with more than a third of all HCC cases characterized by aberrant activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling axis. About 20% of HCC cases are characterized by activating mutations in the β-catenin gene (ctnnb1). These activating mutations prevent β-catenin degradation and allow it to enter the nucleus and activate transcription of various genes involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis. The need to elucidate the role of aberrant β-catenin gene activation in the development of liver malignancy is thwarted by the lack of relevant animal models. In mice, β-catenin mutation alone is not sufficient to induce HCC. To address this bottleneck, we have designed a vertebrate HCC model system of activated β-catenin-driven HCC in an inducible background using zebrafish (Danio rerio).
In our previous work, we demonstrated that zebrafish expressing a mutated, phosphorylation-resistant, and constitutively-activated version of β-catenin develop HCC morphologically and transcriptionally similar to human HCC. Here, we describe a system in which spatially and temporally controlled expression of activated β-catenin is achieved using hepatocyte-specific, tamoxifen-induced expression of Cre recombinase.
Using hepatocyte-specific constitutive/induced Cre-recombinase zebrafish lines together with floxed β-catenin and/or floxed fluorescent reporter lines, we show here that Cre recombinase is successfully able to switch on the expression of floxed transgenes in fishes at larval, juvenile and adult stages. Through histology and longitudinal studies, we are determining the ability of our inducible system to increase cellular β-catenin levels and Wnt signaling in the liver and to stimulate HCC when activated β-catenin is turned on at different developmental stages including adulthood.
This inducible system will be useful for studying the impact of β-catenin activation on liver size and malignancy at different stages of liver development. The ability to induce the oncogene in adulthood will allow us to study HCC in a physiologically relevant setting. We will use this temporal and spatial control for further studies aimed at understanding the role of activated β-catenin in HCC initiation and developing treatment strategies.
Citation Format: Srishti Kotiyal, Sharanya Maanasi Kalasekar, Kathryn Davis, Cindy Barba, Annika Young, Kimberley J. Evason. An inducible zebrafish model to dissect the role of beta catenin signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4080.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Annika Young
- 2Academy of Math, Engineering and Science, Salt Lake City, UT
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Anderton B, Camarda R, Balakrishnan S, Balakrishnan A, Kohnz RA, Lim L, Evason KJ, Momcilovic O, Kruttwig K, Huang Q, Xu G, Nomura DK, Goga A. MYC-driven inhibition of the glutamate-cysteine ligase promotes glutathione depletion in liver cancer. EMBO Rep 2017; 18:569-585. [PMID: 28219903 PMCID: PMC5376764 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201643068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [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: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
How MYC reprograms metabolism in primary tumors remains poorly understood. Using integrated gene expression and metabolite profiling, we identify six pathways that are coordinately deregulated in primary MYC-driven liver tumors: glutathione metabolism; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis; cysteine and methionine metabolism; ABC transporters; and mineral absorption. We then focus our attention on glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG), as they are markedly decreased in MYC-driven tumors. We find that fewer glutamine-derived carbons are incorporated into GSH in tumor tissue relative to non-tumor tissue. Expression of GCLC, the rate-limiting enzyme of GSH synthesis, is attenuated by the MYC-induced microRNA miR-18a. Inhibition of miR-18a in vivo leads to increased GCLC protein expression and GSH abundance in tumor tissue. Finally, MYC-driven liver tumors exhibit increased sensitivity to acute oxidative stress. In summary, MYC-dependent attenuation of GCLC by miR-18a contributes to GSH depletion in vivo, and low GSH corresponds with increased sensitivity to oxidative stress in tumors. Our results identify new metabolic pathways deregulated in primary MYC tumors and implicate a role for MYC in regulating a major antioxidant pathway downstream of glutamine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Anderton
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Roman Camarda
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sanjeev Balakrishnan
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Asha Balakrishnan
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, TWINCORE, Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rebecca A Kohnz
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lionel Lim
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake, UT, USA
| | - Olga Momcilovic
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Klaus Kruttwig
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Qiang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Guowang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Daniel K Nomura
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Andrei Goga
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Evason KJ, Francisco MT, Juric V, Balakrishnan S, Lopez Pazmino MDP, Gordan JD, Kakar S, Spitsbergen J, Goga A, Stainier DYR. Identification of Chemical Inhibitors of β-Catenin-Driven Liver Tumorigenesis in Zebrafish. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005305. [PMID: 26134322 PMCID: PMC4489858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal human cancers. The search for targeted treatments has been hampered by the lack of relevant animal models for the genetically diverse subsets of HCC, including the 20-40% of HCCs that are defined by activating mutations in the gene encoding β-catenin. To address this chemotherapeutic challenge, we created and characterized transgenic zebrafish expressing hepatocyte-specific activated β-catenin. By 2 months post fertilization (mpf), 33% of transgenic zebrafish developed HCC in their livers, and 78% and 80% of transgenic zebrafish showed HCC at 6 and 12 mpf, respectively. As expected for a malignant process, transgenic zebrafish showed significantly decreased mean adult survival compared to non-transgenic control siblings. Using this novel transgenic model, we screened for druggable pathways that mediate β-catenin-induced liver growth and identified two c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors and two antidepressants (one tricyclic antidepressant, amitriptyline, and one selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) that suppressed this phenotype. We further found that activated β-catenin was associated with JNK pathway hyperactivation in zebrafish and in human HCC. In zebrafish larvae, JNK inhibition decreased liver size specifically in the presence of activated β-catenin. The β-catenin-specific growth-inhibitory effect of targeting JNK was conserved in human liver cancer cells. Our other class of hits, antidepressants, has been used in patient treatment for decades, raising the exciting possibility that these drugs could potentially be repurposed for cancer treatment. In support of this proposal, we found that amitriptyline decreased tumor burden in a mouse HCC model. Our studies implicate JNK inhibitors and antidepressants as potential therapeutics for β-catenin-induced liver tumors. Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Genetic analysis of liver cancer has enabled classification of these tumors into subsets with unique genetic, clinical, and prognostic features. The search for targeted liver cancer treatments has been hampered by the lack of relevant animal models for these genetically diverse subsets, including liver cancers that are defined by activating mutations in the gene encoding β-catenin, an integral component of the Wnt signaling pathway. Here we describe the generation and characterization of genetically modified zebrafish expressing hepatocyte-specific activated β-catenin. We used this new zebrafish model to screen for drugs that suppress β-catenin-induced liver growth, and identified two classes of hits, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors and antidepressants, that suppressed this phenotype. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which β-catenin promotes liver tumor formation and implicate JNK inhibitors and antidepressants as potential treatments for a subset of human liver cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley J. Evason
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Diabetes Center, Institute for Regeneration Medicine and the Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KJE); (AG); (DYRS)
| | - Macrina T. Francisco
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Cell & Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Vladislava Juric
- The George Williams Hooper Research Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Sanjeev Balakrishnan
- Department of Cell & Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Maria del Pilar Lopez Pazmino
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Diabetes Center, Institute for Regeneration Medicine and the Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - John D. Gordan
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Sanjay Kakar
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jan Spitsbergen
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Andrei Goga
- Department of Cell & Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KJE); (AG); (DYRS)
| | - Didier Y. R. Stainier
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Diabetes Center, Institute for Regeneration Medicine and the Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KJE); (AG); (DYRS)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ghajar CM, Peinado H, Mori H, Matei IR, Evason KJ, Brazier H, Almeida D, Koller A, Hajjar KA, Stainier DYR, Chen EI, Lyden D, Bissell MJ. The perivascular niche regulates breast tumour dormancy. Nat Cell Biol 2013; 15:807-17. [PMID: 23728425 PMCID: PMC3826912 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 771] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2012] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In a significant fraction of breast cancer patients, distant metastases emerge after years or even decades of latency. How disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) are kept dormant, and what ‘wakes them up’, are fundamental problems in tumor biology. To address these questions, we utilized metastasis assays in mice to show that dormant DTCs reside upon microvasculature of lung, bone marrow and brain. We then engineered organotypic microvascular niches to determine whether endothelial cells directly influence breast cancer cell (BCC) growth. These models demonstrated that endothelial-derived thrombospondin-1 induces sustained BCC quiescence. This suppressive cue was lost in sprouting neovasculature; time-lapse analysis showed that sprouting vessels not only permit, but accelerate BCC outgrowth. We confirmed this surprising result in dormancy models and in zebrafish, and identified active TGF-β1 and periostin as tumor-promoting, endothelial tip cell-derived factors. Our work reveals that stable microvasculature constitutes a ‘dormant niche,’ whereas sprouting neovasculature sparks micrometastatic outgrowth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cyrus M Ghajar
- Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells are liver-specific mesenchymal cells that play vital roles in liver physiology and fibrogenesis. They are located in the space of Disse and maintain close interactions with sinusoidal endothelial cells and hepatic epithelial cells. It is becoming increasingly clear that hepatic stellate cells have a profound impact on the differentiation, proliferation, and morphogenesis of other hepatic cell types during liver development and regeneration. In this Review, we summarize and evaluate the recent advances in our understanding of the formation and characteristics of hepatic stellate cells, as well as their function in liver development, regeneration, and cancer. We also discuss how improved knowledge of these processes offers new perspectives for the treatment of patients with liver diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunyue Yin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Liver Center and Diabetes Center, Institute for Regeneration Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Yin C, Evason KJ, Maher JJ, Stainier DY. The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, heart and neural crest derivatives expressed transcript 2, marks hepatic stellate cells in zebrafish: analysis of stellate cell entry into the developing liver. Hepatology 2012; 56:1958-70. [PMID: 22488653 PMCID: PMC3407311 DOI: 10.1002/hep.25757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2011] [Accepted: 03/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are liver-specific mesenchymal cells that play vital roles in liver development and injury. Our knowledge of HSC biology is limited by the paucity of in vivo data. HSCs and sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) reside in close proximity, and interactions between these two cell types are potentially critical for their development and function. Here, we introduce a transgenic zebrafish line, Tg(hand2:EGFP), that labels HSCs. We find that zebrafish HSCs share many similarities with their mammalian counterparts, including morphology, location, lipid storage, gene-expression profile, and increased proliferation and matrix production, in response to an acute hepatic insult. Using the Tg(hand2:EGFP) line, we conducted time-course analyses during development to reveal that HSCs invade the liver after SECs do. However, HSCs still enter the liver in mutants that lack most endothelial cells, including SECs, indicating that SECs are not required for HSC differentiation or their entry into the liver. In the absence of SECs, HSCs become abnormally associated with hepatic biliary cells, suggesting that SECs influence HSC localization during liver development. We analyzed factors that regulate HSC development and show that inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor signaling significantly reduces the number of HSCs that enter the liver. We also performed a pilot chemical screen and identified two compounds that affect HSC numbers during development. CONCLUSION Our work provides the first comprehensive description of HSC development in zebrafish and reveals the requirement of SECs in HSC localization. The Tg(hand2:EGFP) line represents a unique tool for in vivo analysis and molecular dissection of HSC behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunyue Yin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Liver Center and Diabetes Center, Institute for Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Liver Center and Diabetes Center, Institute for Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jacquelyn J. Maher
- Department of Medicine, and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
| | - Didier Y.R. Stainier
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics and Human Genetics, Liver Center and Diabetes Center, Institute for Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Evason KJ, Grenert JP, Ferrell LD, Kakar S. Atypical hepatocellular adenoma-like neoplasms with β-catenin activation show cytogenetic alterations similar to well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas. Hum Pathol 2012; 44:750-8. [PMID: 23084586 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2012.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Revised: 07/22/2012] [Accepted: 07/25/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The distinction of hepatocellular adenoma from well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arising in noncirrhotic liver can be challenging, particularly when tumors histologically resembling hepatocellular adenoma occur in unusual clinical settings such as in a man or an older woman or show focal atypical morphologic features. In this study, we examine the morphologic, immunohistochemical, and cytogenetic features of hepatocellular adenoma-like neoplasms occurring in men, women 50 years or older or younger than 15 years, and/or those with focal atypia (small cell change, pseudogland formation, and/or nuclear atypia), designated atypical hepatocellular neoplasms, where the distinction of hepatocellular adenoma versus HCC could not be clearly established. Immunohistochemistry was performed for β-catenin, glutamine synthetase, and serum amyloid A in 31 hepatocellular adenomas, 20 well-differentiated HCCs, and 40 atypical hepatocellular neoplasms. Chromosomal gains/losses had previously been determined in 37 cases using comparative genomic hybridization or fluorescence in situ hybridization. β-Catenin activation was observed in 35% of atypical hepatocellular neoplasms compared with 10% of typical hepatocellular adenomas (P < .05) and 55% of well-differentiated HCCs (P = .14). Cytogenetic changes typically observed in HCC were present in all atypical hepatocellular neoplasms with β-catenin activation. β-Catenin activation in atypical hepatocellular neoplasms was also associated with atypical morphologic features. Follow-up data were limited, but adverse outcome was observed in 2 atypical hepatocellular neoplasms with β-catenin activation (1 recurrence, 1 metastasis); transition to areas of HCC was observed in 1 case. The similarity in morphologic and cytogenetic features of β-catenin-activated hepatocellular adenoma-like tumors and HCC suggests that the former tumors represent an extremely well-differentiated variant of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|