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Numb prevents a complete epithelial-mesenchymal transition by modulating Notch signalling.

ABSTRACT: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays key roles during embryonic development, wound healing and cancer metastasis. Cells in a partial EMT or hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotype exhibit collective cell migration, forming clusters of circulating tumour cells-the primary drivers of metastasis. Activation of cell-cell signalling pathways such as Notch fosters a partial or complete EMT, yet the mechanisms enabling cluster formation remain poorly understood. Using an integrated computational-experimental approach, we examine the role of Numb-an inhibitor of Notch intercellular signalling-in mediating EMT and clusters formation. We show via an mathematical model that Numb inhibits a full EMT by stabilizing a hybrid E/M phenotype. Consistent with this observation, knockdown of Numb in stable hybrid E/M cells H1975 results in a full EMT, thereby showing that Numb acts as a brake for a full EMT and thus behaves as a 'phenotypic stability factor' by modulating Notch-driven EMT. By generalizing the mathematical model to a multi-cell level, Numb is predicted to alter the balance of hybrid E/M versus mesenchymal cells in clusters, potentially resulting in a higher tumour-initiation ability. Finally, Numb correlates with a worse survival in multiple independent lung and ovarian cancer datasets, hence confirming its relationship with increased cancer aggressiveness.

SUBMITTER: Bocci F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5721160 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Numb prevents a complete epithelial-mesenchymal transition by modulating Notch signalling.

Bocci Federico F Jolly Mohit K MK Tripathi Satyendra C SC Aguilar Mitzi M Hanash Samir M SM Levine Herbert H Onuchic José N JN

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface 20171101 136

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays key roles during embryonic development, wound healing and cancer metastasis. Cells in a partial EMT or hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotype exhibit collective cell migration, forming clusters of circulating tumour cells-the primary drivers of metastasis. Activation of cell-cell signalling pathways such as Notch fosters a partial or complete EMT, yet the mechanisms enabling cluster formation remain poorly understood. Using an integrated compu ...[more]

PMID: 29187638

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Project description:PurposeContinuous culture of limbal epithelial stem cells (LSCs) slows down proliferation, which inevitably results in differentiation. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ)-assisted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is often found in the late stage of LSC culture. Thus, EMT is proposed to be part of the mechanism responsible for the loss of LSCs in culture. To explore the regulation mechanism of EMT, we investigated the early stage culture for factor(s) that may potentially prevent EMT.MethodsLSCs from the corneal limbus region of rabbits were isolated and expanded to confluence in culture (P0), and then serial passage of these LSCs (P1 to P3) was performed. EMT in LSCs was induced with TGFβ1, and the corresponding EMT signaling was confirmed with Smad2/3 phosphorylation. The expression of mesenchymal markers, including alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and vimentin, was determined with western blot analysis. Proteins extracted from different passaged cells were also subjected to western blot analysis of TGFβ signaling components, including TGFβ1, TGFβ receptor I/II, and Smad2/3 as well as Smad7, the main negative regulator of TGFβ signaling. The mitogenic response was measured with the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index and real-time PCR using primers for Ki67. N-(N-[3,5-difluorophenacetyl]-l-alanyl)-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT), a gamma-secretase inhibitor, and Jagged-1 Notch ligand were used to block and activate Notch signaling, respectively, and their efficacy was evaluated by determining the expression of Hes1, a Notch signaling target.ResultsMesenchymal marker induction and growth arrest were found in the TGFβ1-treated P1 cells, and the changes were less significant in the TGFβ1-treated P0 cells. Western blot analysis confirmed that the expressed levels of TGFβ signaling components, including TGFβ1, TGFβ receptor I/II, and Smad2/3, were relatively stable with passages. In contrast, the expression of Hes1 and Smad7 markedly decreased after the first passage, and with each passage, the levels diminished even further. Hes1 and Smad7 were expressed only in the limbal epithelium and not in the corneal epithelium. DAPT effectively blocked the expression of Hes1. DAPT also dose-dependently suppressed Smad7 expression in P0 cells, which was associated with the susceptibility of P0 cells to TGFβ1-induced Smad2/3 phosphorylation, EMT formation, and growth arrest. Reciprocally, Jagged-1 upregulated Smad7 expression in LSCs against TGFβ signaling.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that Smad7 plays a crucial role in antagonizing EMT induced by TGFβ signaling and support our proposition that Smad7 is a Notch signaling target in LSCs, and may mediate the Notch function in preventing the occurrence of EMT.

Dataset Information

Numb prevents a complete epithelial-mesenchymal transition by modulating Notch signalling.

Publications

Numb prevents a complete epithelial-mesenchymal transition by modulating Notch signalling.

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