Dataset Information

AKT3 Expression in Mesenchymal Colorectal Cancer Cells Drives Growth and Is Associated with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

ABSTRACT: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease that can currently be subdivided into four distinct consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) based on gene expression profiling. The CMS4 subtype is marked by high expression of mesenchymal genes and is associated with a worse overall prognosis compared to other CMSs. Importantly, this subtype responds poorly to the standard therapies currently used to treat CRC. We set out to explore what regulatory signalling networks underlie the CMS4 phenotype of cancer cells, specifically, by analysing which kinases were more highly expressed in this subtype compared to others. We found AKT3 to be expressed in the cancer cell epithelium of CRC specimens, patient derived xenograft (PDX) models and in (primary) cell cultures representing CMS4. Importantly, chemical inhibition or knockout of this gene hampers outgrowth of this subtype, as AKT3 controls expression of the cell cycle regulator p27^KIP1. Furthermore, high AKT3 expression was associated with high expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes, and this observation could be expanded to cell lines representing other carcinoma types. More importantly, this association allowed for the identification of CRC patients with a high propensity to metastasise and an associated poor prognosis. High AKT3 expression in the tumour epithelial compartment may thus be used as a surrogate marker for EMT and may allow for a selection of CRC patients that could benefit from AKT3-targeted therapy.

SUBMITTER: Buikhuisen JY

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7918753 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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AKT3 Expression in Mesenchymal Colorectal Cancer Cells Drives Growth and Is Associated with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Buikhuisen Joyce Y JY Gomez Barila Patricia M PM Torang Arezo A Dekker Daniëlle D de Jong Joan H JH Cameron Kate K Vitale Sara S Stassi Giorgio G van Hooff Sander R SR Castro Mauro A A MAA Vermeulen Louis L Medema Jan Paul JP

Cancers 20210214 4

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease that can currently be subdivided into four distinct consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) based on gene expression profiling. The CMS4 subtype is marked by high expression of mesenchymal genes and is associated with a worse overall prognosis compared to other CMSs. Importantly, this subtype responds poorly to the standard therapies currently used to treat CRC. We set out to explore what regulatory signalling networks underlie the CMS4 phenotype of ...[more]

PMID: 33673003

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Project description:Tumor‑stroma interactions serve a crucial role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), in which secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) has been implicated. Due to interactions between cancer and stromal cells [mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)], SPARC gene expression is markedly upregulated in CRC cells. The present study investigated the role of SPARC in CRC development and its potential as a biomarker. Specifically, the present study examined the association between SPARC expression and clinicopathological characteristics in 42 cases of CRC. SPARC expression in cancer cells was associated with T grade, N grade (TNM classification), stage and poor prognosis. Furthermore, the area of fibroblast‑activating protein‑positive staining around the cancer cells was increased in SPARC‑positive compared with SPARC‑negative cases. Proliferation and wound healing assays in SPARC‑silenced KM12SM cells [short hairpin RNA SPARC (shSPARC)], the reduced SPARC expression of which was demonstrated by reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, revealed that the proliferative and migratory capacity of shSPARC cells did not differ from that of wild‑type (WT) cells. However, it was markedly reduced when co‑cultured with MSCs. Furthermore, in vivo, immunohistological analysis and RNA sequencing were conducted in an orthotopic implanted mouse model. Tumor growth and lymph node metastasis were markedly suppressed in shSPARC‑transplanted tumors compared with WT‑transplanted tumors, with a more marked suppression observed following shSPARC co‑transplantation with MSCs. Immunohistological examination further revealed that the stromal reaction and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) were markedly suppressed in tumors co‑transplanted with shSPARC and MSCs, and these results were consistent with RNA sequencing using RNA extracted from orthotopic tumors. Overall, these results suggested that SPARC expression in CRC cells is dependent on the interaction between cancer cells and stromal cells to induce EMT and promote stromal formation in the tumor microenvironment, suggesting its suitability as a novel target molecule for CRC treatment.

Dataset Information

AKT3 Expression in Mesenchymal Colorectal Cancer Cells Drives Growth and Is Associated with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Publications

AKT3 Expression in Mesenchymal Colorectal Cancer Cells Drives Growth and Is Associated with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Similar Datasets

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