Dataset Information

Epigenetic reprogramming of HOXC10 in endocrine-resistant breast cancer.

ABSTRACT: Resistance to aromatase inhibitors (AIs) is a major clinical problem in the treatment of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. In two breast cancer cell line models of AI resistance, we identified widespread DNA hyper- and hypomethylation, with enrichment for promoter hypermethylation of developmental genes. For the homeobox gene HOXC10, methylation occurred in a CpG shore, which overlapped with a functional ER binding site, causing repression of HOXC10 expression. Although short-term blockade of ER signaling caused relief of HOXC10 repression in both cell lines and breast tumors, it also resulted in concurrent recruitment of EZH2 and increased H3K27me3, ultimately transitioning to increased DNA methylation and silencing of HOXC10. Reduced HOXC10 in vitro and in xenografts resulted in decreased apoptosis and caused antiestrogen resistance. Supporting this, we used paired primary and metastatic breast cancer specimens to show that HOXC10 was reduced in tumors that recurred during AI treatment. We propose a model in which estrogen represses apoptotic and growth-inhibitory genes such as HOXC10, contributing to tumor survival, whereas AIs induce these genes to cause apoptosis and therapeutic benefit, but long-term AI treatment results in permanent repression of these genes via methylation and confers resistance. Therapies aimed at inhibiting AI-induced histone and DNA methylation may be beneficial in blocking or delaying AI resistance.

SUBMITTER: Pathiraja TN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4277862 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Epigenetic reprogramming of HOXC10 in endocrine-resistant breast cancer.

Pathiraja Thushangi N TN Nayak Shweta R SR Xi Yuanxin Y Jiang Shiming S Garee Jason P JP Edwards Dean P DP Lee Adrian V AV Chen Jian J Shea Martin J MJ Santen Richard J RJ Gannon Frank F Kangaspeska Sara S Jelinek Jaroslav J Issa Jean-Pierre J JP Richer Jennifer K JK Elias Anthony A McIlroy Marie M Young Leonie S LS Davidson Nancy E NE Schiff Rachel R Li Wei W Oesterreich Steffi S

Science translational medicine 20140301 229

Resistance to aromatase inhibitors (AIs) is a major clinical problem in the treatment of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. In two breast cancer cell line models of AI resistance, we identified widespread DNA hyper- and hypomethylation, with enrichment for promoter hypermethylation of developmental genes. For the homeobox gene HOXC10, methylation occurred in a CpG shore, which overlapped with a functional ER binding site, causing repression of HOXC10 expression. Although short-term b ...[more]

PMID: 24670685

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Project description:Postmenopausal breast cancer patients benefit from aromatase inhibitors (AIs) that reduce the levels of estrogens critical for the growth of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors. Unfortunately, many tumors are resistant to AI, and we are only beginning to understand the complex mechanisms underlying treatment resistance. Here we set out to determine whether epigenetic changes could contribute to therapy resistance. For AI-resistance models, we used previously established MCF-7 cell clones, termed C4-12 and long-term estrogen deprivation (LTED), that were isolated after being cultured in estrogen-free media for 9 months and 18M-bM-^@M-^S24 months, respectively. Methyl CpG Binding Domain (MBD) - pull down followed by affymetrix promoter array was used to detect promoter methylation patterns in these cell lines. These studies identified widespread genomic hyper- and hypomethylation events, with a significant enrichment of promoter hypermethylation of development-associated genes in both cell lines. A developmentally regulated gene that was heavily methylated and lost expression in both cell-line systems was HOXC10. Moreover, we found that HOXC10 is an estrogen-regulated gene and lack of ER regulation is associated with progressive epigenetic silencing through EZH2/H3K27me3 and DNA hypermethylation. Stable knockdown of HOXC10 in MCF-7 cells resulted in increased cell growth, reduced cell apoptosis, and increased cell motility. A preliminary study using AI-treated breast tumors did not show significant associations, however, the numbers were small. We identified HOXC10 methylation as a novel determinant of endocrine resistance. Also, we revealed that epigenetic reprogramming of genes involved in development may be a fundamental phenomenon in hormone resistance. Therefore, our study might provide the basis for the expansion of clinical markers for endocrine resistance and future clinical trials such as combination of endocrine and epigenetic therapies. Long-term estrogen deprived previously established MCF-7 cell clones termed C4-12 and LTED genomic DNA subjected to Methyl CpG Binding Domain (MBD) - pull down followed by affymetrix promoter array to detect promoter methylation patterns

Project description:BackgroundExtracellular matrix (ECM) is known to maintain epithelial integrity. In carcinogenesis ECM degradation triggers metastasis by controlling migration and differentiation including cancer stem cell (CSC) characteristics. The ECM-modulator inter- α-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain family member five (ITIH5) was recently identified as tumor suppressor potentially involved in impairing breast cancer progression but molecular mechanisms underlying its function are still elusive.MethodsITIH5 expression was analyzed using the public TCGA portal. ITIH5-overexpressing single-cell clones were established based on T47D and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Colony formation, growth, apoptosis, migration, matrix adhesion, traction force analyses and polarization of tumor cells were studied in vitro. Tumor-initiating characteristics were analyzed by generating a metastasis mouse model. To identify ITIH5-affected pathways we utilized genome wide gene expression and DNA methylation profiles. RNA-interference targeting the ITIH5-downstream regulated gene DAPK1 was used to confirm functional involvement.ResultsITIH5 loss was pronounced in breast cancer subtypes with unfavorable prognosis like basal-type tumors. Functionally, cell and colony formation was impaired after ITIH5 re-expression in both cell lines. In a metastasis mouse model, ITIH5 expressing MDA-MB-231 cells almost completely failed to initiate lung metastases. In these metastatic cells ITIH5 modulated cell-matrix adhesion dynamics and altered biomechanical cues. The profile of integrin receptors was shifted towards β1-integrin accompanied by decreased Rac1 and increased RhoA activity in ITIH5-expressing clones while cell polarization and single-cell migration was impaired. Instead ITIH5 expression triggered the formation of epithelial-like cell clusters that underwent an epigenetic reprogramming. 214 promoter regions potentially marked with either H3K4 and /or H3K27 methylation showed a hyper- or hypomethylated DNA configuration due to ITIH5 expression finally leading to re-expression of the tumor suppressor DAPK1. In turn, RNAi-mediated knockdown of DAPK1 in ITIH5-expressing MDA-MB-231 single-cell clones clearly restored cell motility.ConclusionsOur results provide evidence that ITIH5 triggers a reprogramming of breast cancer cells with known stem CSC properties towards an epithelial-like phenotype through global epigenetic changes effecting known tumor suppressor genes like DAPK1. Therewith, ITIH5 may represent an ECM modulator in epithelial breast tissue mediating suppression of tumor initiating cancer cell characteristics which are thought being responsible for the metastasis of breast cancer.

Project description:Proteomic profiling of the estrogen/tamoxifen-sensitive MCF-7 cell line and its partially sensitive (MCF-7/LCC1) and fully resistant (MCF-7/LCC9) variants was performed to identify modifiers of endocrine sensitivity in breast cancer. Analysis of the expression of 120 paired phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated epitopes in key oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways revealed that STAT1 and several phosphorylated epitopes (phospho-STAT1(Tyr701) and phospho-STAT3(Ser727)) were differentially expressed between endocrine resistant and parental controls, confirmed by qRT-PCR and western blotting. The STAT1 inhibitor EGCG was a more effective inhibitor of the endocrine resistant MCF-7/LCC1 and MCF-7/LCC9 lines than parental MCF-7 cells, while STAT3 inhibitors Stattic and WP1066 were equally effective in endocrine-resistant and parental lines. The effects of the STAT inhibitors were additive, rather than synergistic, when tested in combination with tamoxifen in vitro. Expression of STAT1 and STAT3 were measured by quantitative immunofluorescence in invasive breast cancers and matched lymph nodes. When lymph node expression was compared to its paired primary breast cancer expression, there was greater expression of cytoplasmic STAT1 (?3.1 fold), phospho-STAT3(Ser727) (?1.8 fold), and STAT5 (?1.5 fold) and nuclear phospho-STAT3(Ser727) (?1.5 fold) in the nodes. Expression levels of STAT1 and STAT3 transcript were analysed in 550 breast cancers from publicly available gene expression datasets (GSE2990, GSE12093, GSE6532). When treatment with tamoxifen was considered, STAT1 gene expression was nearly predictive of distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, log-rank p?=?0.067), while STAT3 gene expression was predictive of DMFS (log-rank p<0.0001). Analysis of STAT1 and STAT3 protein expression in a series of 546 breast cancers also indicated that high expression of STAT3 protein was associated with improved survival (DMFS, p?=?0.006). These results suggest that STAT signaling is important in endocrine resistance, and that STAT inhibitors may represent potential therapies in breast cancer, even in the resistant setting.

Dataset Information

Epigenetic reprogramming of HOXC10 in endocrine-resistant breast cancer.

Publications

Epigenetic reprogramming of HOXC10 in endocrine-resistant breast cancer.

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