Twist1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition according to microsatellite instability status in colon cancer cells.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Oh BY
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5302973 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Colorectal cancers (CRCs) displaying DNA microsatellite instability (MSI) are associated with a favorable natural history, but the molecular basis for this observation has not been defined. We sought to determine whether the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is impaired in MSI-positive CRCs that characteristically have a mutant transforming growth factor-beta receptor type II (TGFBR2) gene.The induction of EMT by transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) was analyzed by phase contrast microscopy, immunofluorescence, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, and cellular migration, and invasion assays. Expression of EMT markers was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in a series of human colorectal tumors.TGF-beta1 induced changes in cellular morphology, gene expression, motility, and invasion consistent with EMT in microsatellite stable (MSS) colon cancer cells, whereas cells with MSI and mutant TGFBR2 were unresponsive to TGF-beta1. These effects did not require Smad4, but depended on the recruitment of extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Tumor cells with MSI but wild-type TGFBR2 underwent EMT in response to TGF-beta1, indicating that TGFBR2 genotype is a key determinant of the EMT response in tumors with MSI. In human colorectal tumors, expression of EMT markers was significantly associated with adverse clinicopathologic features and the absence of MSI.These findings define a unique genotype-phenotype relationship between TGFBR2 and EMT that may contribute to the improved prognosis consistently observed in colon cancers with MSI.
| S-EPMC2846966 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenetic disease resulting from mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene encoding an anion channel. Recent evidence indicates that CFTR plays a role in other cellular processes, namely in development, cellular differentiation and wound healing. Accordingly, CFTR has been proposed to function as a tumour suppressor in a wide range of cancers. Along these lines, CF was recently suggested to be associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a latent developmental process, which can be re-activated in fibrosis and cancer. However, it is unknown whether EMT is indeed active in CF and if EMT is triggered by dysfunctional CFTR itself or a consequence of secondary complications of CF. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of EMT in airways native tissue, primary cells and cell lines expressing mutant CFTR through the expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers as well as EMT-associated transcription factors. Transepithelial electrical resistance, proliferation and regeneration rates, and cell resistance to TGF-β1induced EMT were also measured. CF tissues/cells expressing mutant CFTR displayed several signs of active EMT, namely: destructured epithelial proteins, defective cell junctions, increased levels of mesenchymal markers and EMT-associated transcription factors, hyper-proliferation and impaired wound healing. Importantly, we found evidence that the mutant CFTR triggered EMT was mediated by EMT-associated transcription factor TWIST1. Further, our data show that CF cells are over-sensitive to EMT but the CF EMT phenotype can be reversed by CFTR modulator drugs. Altogether, these results identify for the first time that EMT is intrinsically triggered by the absence of functional CFTR through a TWIST1 dependent mechanism and indicate that CFTR plays a direct role in EMT protection. This mechanistic link is a plausible explanation for the high incidence of fibrosis and cancer in CF, as well as for the role of CFTR as tumour suppressor protein.
| S-EPMC7588414 | biostudies-literature
Project description:To metastasize, carcinoma cells must attenuate cell-cell adhesion to disseminate into distant organs. A group of transcription factors, including Twist1, Snail1, Snail2, ZEB1, and ZEB2, have been shown to induce epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), thus promoting tumor dissemination. However, it is unknown whether these transcription factors function independently or coordinately to activate the EMT program. Here we report that direct induction of Snail2 is essential for Twist1 to induce EMT. Snail2 knockdown completely blocks the ability of Twist1 to suppress E-cadherin transcription. Twist1 binds to an evolutionarily conserved E-box on the proximate Snail2 promoter to induce its transcription. Snail2 induction is essential for Twist1-induced cell invasion and distant metastasis in mice. In human breast tumors, the expression of Twist1 and Snail2 is highly correlated. Together, our results show that Twist1 needs to induce Snail2 to suppress the epithelial branch of the EMT program and that Twist1 and Snail2 act together to promote EMT and tumor metastasis.
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Project description:Proinflammatory cytokines produced in the tumor microenvironment facilitate tumor development and metastatic progression. In particular, TNF-? promotes cancer invasion and angiogenesis associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT); however, the mechanisms underlying its induction of EMT in cancer cells remain unclear. Here we show that EMT and cancer stemness properties induced by chronic treatment with TNF-? are mediated by the upregulation of the transcriptional repressor Twist1. Exposure to TNF-? rapidly induced Twist1 mRNA and protein expression in normal breast epithelial and breast cancer cells. Both IKK-? and NF-?B p65 were required for TNF-?-induced expression of Twist1, suggesting the involvement of canonical NF-?B signaling. In support of this likelihood, we defined a functional NF-?B-binding site in the Twist1 promoter, and overexpression of p65 was sufficient to induce transcriptional upregulation of Twist1 along with EMT in mammary epithelial cells. Conversely, suppressing Twist1 expression abrogated p65-induced cell migration, invasion, EMT, and stemness properties, establishing that Twist1 is required for NF-?B to induce these aggressive phenotypes in breast cancer cells. Taken together, our results establish a signaling axis through which the tumor microenvironment elicits Twist1 expression to promote cancer metastasis. We suggest that targeting NF-?B-mediated Twist1 upregulation may offer an effective a therapeutic strategy for breast cancer treatment.
| S-EPMC3350107 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic process that relies on cellular plasticity; an EMT/MET axis is critical for metastatic colonization of carcinomas. Unlike epithelial programming, regulation of mesenchymal programming is not well understood in EMT. Here we describe the first microRNA that enhances exclusively mesenchymal programming. We demonstrate that microRNA-424 is up-regulated early during a TWIST1/SNAI1-induced EMT, and that it causes cells to express mesenchymal genes without affecting epithelial genes, resulting in a mixed/intermediate EMT. Further, microRNA-424 increases motility, decreases adhesion and induces a growth arrest, changes associated with a complete EMT. Patient microRNA-424 levels positively associate with TWIST1/2 and EMT-like gene signatures and is increased in primary tumors versus matched normal breast. However, microRNA-424 is down-regulated in metastases versus matched primary tumors. Correspondingly, microRNA-424 decreases tumor initiation and is post-transcriptionally down-regulated in macrometastases in mice. RNA-seq identified microRNA-424 regulates numerous genes associated with EMT and breast cancer stemness including the novel miR-424 target, TGFBR3, which regulates mesenchymal phenotypes without influencing miR-424 effects on tumor-initiating phenotypes; instead, we show that ERK signaling is critical for such tumor-initiating effects of miR-424. These findings suggest microRNA-424 plays distinct roles downstream of EMT-inducing factors, facilitating earlier stages, but repressing later stages, of metastasis. Examination of mRNA levels in MCF12A human breast cell lines that stably over-expressed miR-424 or an empty vector (EV) control. Each group has three replicates.
| S-ECPF-GEOD-54505 | biostudies-other
Project description:Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is known to impart metastasis and stemness characteristics in breast cancer. To characterize the epigenetic reprogramming following Twist1-induced EMT, we characterized the epigenetic and transcriptome landscapes using whole-genome transcriptome analysis by RNA-seq, DNA methylation by digital restriction enzyme analysis of methylation (DREAM) and histone modifications by CHIP-seq of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells relative to cells induced to undergo EMT by Twist1.EMT is accompanied by focal hypermethylation and widespread global DNA hypomethylation, predominantly within transcriptionally repressed gene bodies. At the chromatin level, the number of gene promoters marked by H3K4me3 increases by more than one fifth; H3K27me3 undergoes dynamic genomic redistribution characterized by loss at half of gene promoters and overall reduction of peak size by almost half. This is paralleled by increased phosphorylation of EZH2 at serine 21. Among genes with highly altered mRNA expression, 23.1% switch between H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 marks, and those point to the master EMT targets and regulators CDH1, PDGFR? and ESRP1. Strikingly, Twist1 increases the number of bivalent genes by more than two fold. Inhibition of the H3K27 methyltransferases EZH2 and EZH1, which form part of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), blocks EMT and stemness properties.Our findings demonstrate that the EMT program requires epigenetic remodeling by the Polycomb and Trithorax complexes leading to increased cellular plasticity. This suggests that inhibiting epigenetic remodeling and thus decrease plasticity will prevent EMT, and the associated breast cancer metastasis.
| S-EPMC4053791 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Sporadic microsatellite instability (MSI)-high colon cancers are positively associated with MLH1 promoter methylation and inversely with KRAS mutation. One-carbon metabolism is critical for methylation reactions and nucleotide biosynthesis, but the influence of dietary one-carbon nutrients such as folate and B vitamins on molecular changes in colon cancer is not known. Using the database of two independent prospective cohort studies (88,691 women and 47,371 men), we examined the relation between dietary intake of one-carbon nutrients and the incidence of microsatellite instability and KRAS mutation in 669 incident colon cancers. The overall inverse association between folate and colon cancer did not differ significantly according to MSI status [relative ratio (RR), 0.79; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.60-1.03 for microsatellite stable/MSI-low colon cancers; and RR, 0.61, 95% CI, 0.37-1.02 for MSI-high colon cancers; P(heterogeneity)=0.53] or KRAS status (RR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49-0.87 for KRAS wild-type colon cancers; and RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.68-1.61 for KRAS mutated colon cancers; P(heterogeneity)=0.12), although our analyses had limited power to preclude an effect of folate on KRAS wild-type colon cancers. Similarly, high vitamin B(6) or B(12) intake was inversely associated with colon cancers, regardless of MSI or KRAS status. No significant effect of methionine intake or alcohol consumption was observed for colon cancers with MSI high or KRAS mutation. In conclusion, the influence of dietary one-carbon nutrient intake on colon cancer risk does not seem to differ according to MSI or KRAS mutational status.
| S-EPMC2741404 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is thought to be essential for cancer metastasis. While chromatin remodeling is involved in EMT, which processes contribute to this remodeling remain poorly investigated. Recently, we showed that silencing or removal of the histone variant H2A.X induced mesenchymal-like characteristics, including activation of the EMT transcription factors, Slug and Zeb1 in human colon cancer cells. Here, we provide the evidence that H2A.X loss in human non-tumorigenic breast cell line MCF10A results in a robust EMT activation, as substantiated by a genome-wide expression analysis. Cells deficient for H2A.X exhibit enhanced migration and invasion, along with an activation of a set of mesenchymal genes and a concomitant repression of epithelial genes. In the breast model, the EMT-related transcription factor Twist1 cooperates with Slug to regulate EMT upon H2A.X Loss. Of interest, H2A.X expression level tightly correlates with Twist1, and to a lesser extent with Slug in the panel of human breast cancer cell lines of the NCI-60 datasets. These new findings indicate that H2A.X is involved in the EMT processes in cells of different origins but pairing with transcription factors for EMT may be tissue specific.
| S-EPMC5026799 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Purpose: to characterize epigenetic changes following Twist1 mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in human Methods: we characterized the epigenetic and transcriptome landscapes using whole genome transcriptome analysis by RNA-seq, DNA methylation by digital restriction enzyme analysis of methylation (DREAM) and histone modifications by CHIP-seq of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells relative to cells induced to undergo EMT by Twist1. Results: EMT is accompanied by focal hypermethylation and widespread global DNA hypomethylation, predominantly within transcriptionally repressed gene bodies. At the chromatin level, the number of gene promoters marked by H3K4me3 increases by more than one fifth; H3K27me3 undergoes dynamic genomic redistribution characterized by loss at half of gene promoters and overall reduction of peak size by almost one-half. This is paralleled by increased phosphorylation of EZH2 at serine 21. Among genes with highly altered mRNA expression, 23.1% switch between H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 marks, and those point to the master EMT targets and regulators CDH1, PDGFRA and ESRP1. Strikingly, Twist1 increases the number of bivalent genes by more than two fold. Inhibition of the H3K27 methyltransferases EZH2 and EZH1, which form part of the PRC2 complex, results in blocking EMT and stemness properties. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the EMT program requires epigenetic remodeling by the Polycomb/Trithorax complexes leading to increased cellular plasticity which suggests that its inhibition will prevent EMT, and the associated breast cancer metastasis. RNAseq profiles of human mammary epithelial cells before (HMLE_parental) and after Twist1 transfection (HMLE_Twist) were generated in monolayer (HMLE_Twist2D) and sphere culture by deep sequencing using SOLID
| S-ECPF-GEOD-53024 | biostudies-other
Project description:TGF-? secreted by tumor stroma induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells, a reversible phenotype linked to cancer progression and drug resistance. However, exposure to stromal signals may also lead to heritable changes in cancer cells, which are poorly understood. We show that epithelial cells failing to undergo proliferation arrest during TGF-?-induced EMT sustain mitotic abnormalities due to failed cytokinesis, resulting in aneuploidy. This genomic instability is associated with the suppression of multiple nuclear envelope proteins implicated in mitotic regulation and is phenocopied by modulating the expression of LaminB1. While TGF-?-induced mitotic defects in proliferating cells are reversible upon its withdrawal, the acquired genomic abnormalities persist, leading to increased tumorigenic phenotypes. In metastatic breast cancer patients, increased mesenchymal marker expression within single circulating tumor cells is correlated with genomic instability. These observations identify a mechanism whereby microenvironment-derived signals trigger heritable genetic changes within cancer cells, contributing to tumor evolution.
| S-EPMC5320932 | biostudies-literature