Dataset Information

Widespread hypomethylation occurs early and synergizes with gene amplification during esophageal carcinogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Although a combination of genomic and epigenetic alterations are implicated in the multistep transformation of normal squamous esophageal epithelium to Barrett esophagus, dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma, the combinatorial effect of these changes is unknown. By integrating genome-wide DNA methylation, copy number, and transcriptomic datasets obtained from endoscopic biopsies of neoplastic progression within the same individual, we are uniquely able to define the molecular events associated progression of Barrett esophagus. We find that the previously reported global hypomethylation phenomenon in cancer has its origins at the earliest stages of epithelial carcinogenesis. Promoter hypomethylation synergizes with gene amplification and leads to significant upregulation of a chr4q21 chemokine cluster and other transcripts during Barrett neoplasia. In contrast, gene-specific hypermethylation is observed at a restricted number of loci and, in combination with hemi-allelic deletions, leads to downregulatation of selected transcripts during multistep progression. We also observe that epigenetic regulation during epithelial carcinogenesis is not restricted to traditionally defined "CpG islands," but may also occur through a mechanism of differential methylation outside of these regions. Finally, validation of novel upregulated targets (CXCL1 and 3, GATA6, and DMBT1) in a larger independent panel of samples confirms the utility of integrative analysis in cancer biomarker discovery.

SUBMITTER: Alvarez H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3069107 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Widespread hypomethylation occurs early and synergizes with gene amplification during esophageal carcinogenesis.

Alvarez Hector H Opalinska Joanna J Zhou Li L Sohal Davendra D Fazzari Melissa J MJ Yu Yiting Y Montagna Christina C Montgomery Elizabeth A EA Canto Marcia M Dunbar Kerry B KB Wang Jean J Roa Juan Carlos JC Mo Yongkai Y Bhagat Tushar T Ramesh K H KH Cannizzaro Linda L Mollenhauer J J Thompson Reid F RF Suzuki Masako M Meltzer Stephen J SJ Melnick Ari A Greally John M JM Maitra Anirban A Verma Amit A

PLoS genetics 20110331 3

Although a combination of genomic and epigenetic alterations are implicated in the multistep transformation of normal squamous esophageal epithelium to Barrett esophagus, dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma, the combinatorial effect of these changes is unknown. By integrating genome-wide DNA methylation, copy number, and transcriptomic datasets obtained from endoscopic biopsies of neoplastic progression within the same individual, we are uniquely able to define the molecular events associated progress ...[more]

PMID: 21483804

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Project description:BackgroundDysregulation of the epigenome is a common event in malignancy; however, deciphering the earliest cancer-associated epigenetic events remains a challenge. Cancer epigenome studies to date have primarily utilised cancer cell lines or clinical samples, where it is difficult to identify the initial epigenetic lesions from those that occur over time. Here, we analysed the epigenome of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) and a matched variant cell population (vHMEC) that have spontaneously escaped senescence and undergone partial carcinogenic transformation. Using this model of basal-like breast carcinogenesis, we provide striking new insights into the very first epigenetic changes that occur during the initial stages of malignancy.ResultsThe first phase of malignancy is defined by coordinated changes in the epigenome. At the chromatin level, this is embodied in long-range epigenetic deregulation, which involves the concomitant but atypical acquisition or loss of active and repressive histone modifications across large regional blocks. Changes in DNA methylation also occurs in a highly coordinated manner. We identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in the very earliest passages of vHMECs. Notably, we find that differential methylation targets loci regulated by key transcription factors including p53, AHR and E2F family members suggesting that epigenetic deregulation of transcription factor binding is a key event in breast carcinogenesis. Interestingly, DMRs identified in vHMEC are extensively methylated in breast cancer, with hypermethylation frequently encroaching into neighbouring regions. A subset of vHMEC DMRs exhibited a strong basal-like cancer specific hypermethylation.ConclusionsHere, we generated epigenome-wide maps of the earliest phase of breast malignancy and show long-range epigenetic deregulation and coordinated DNA hypermethylation targets loci regulated by key transcription factors. These findings support a model where induction of breast cancer occurs through epigenetic disruption of transcription factor binding leading to deregulation of cancer-associated transcriptional networks. With their stability and very early occurrence, vHMECs hypermethylated loci could serve as excellent biomarkers for the initial detection of basal breast cancer.

Project description:Dysregulation of the epigenome is a common event in malignancy. However, deciphering the earliest cancer associated epigenetic events remains a challenge. Cancer epigenome studies to date have primarily utilised cancer cell lines or clinical samples, where it is difficult to identify the initial epigenetic lesions from those that occur over time. Here, we analysed the epigenome of normal Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC) and a matched variant cell population (vHMEC) that has escaped senescence and undergone partial carcinogenic transformation. Using this model system we sought to identify the earliest epigenetic changes that potentially occur during carcinogenesis. First we show that the transcriptome of vHMEC resembles that of basal-like breast cancer. Moreover, in vHMEC there is significant deregulation of MYC, p53, EZH2/polycomb, the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) and miRNAs-143, 145, 199a and 519a at the transcriptional level. Second, we find that vHMEC exhibit genome-wide changes in DNA methylation affecting key cancer-associated pathways. Hypermethylation predominately impacted gene promoters (particularly those targeted by AHR and TP53) and polycomb associated loci, whereas hypomethylation frequently affected enhancers. Next we show that long range epigenetic deregulation occurred in vHMEC involving concordant change in chromatin modification and gene expression across ~0.5-1Mb regions. Finally, we demonstrate that the DNA methylation changes we observe in vHMECs, occur in basal-like breast cancer (notably FOXA1 hypermethylation).. Overall our results suggest that the first steps of carcinogenesis are associated with a co-ordinated deregulation of DNA methylation and chromatin modification spanning a range of genomic loci potentially targeted by key transcription factors and a corresponding deregulation of transcriptional networks. We sought to compare the differences in gene expression in vHMEC when compared to isogenic HMEC cells. Two time points in the vHMEC growth phase were used to assess if continual passage of vHMEC contributed to expression differences. RNA was extracted from a total of 4 HMEC (and matched vHMEC) lines.

Dataset Information

Widespread hypomethylation occurs early and synergizes with gene amplification during esophageal carcinogenesis.

Publications

Widespread hypomethylation occurs early and synergizes with gene amplification during esophageal carcinogenesis.

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