Aggressive PDACs show hypomethylation of repetitive elements and the execution of an intrinsic IFN program linked to a ductal cell-of-origin
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ABSTRACT: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive cancer embedded in an e , we FACS-purified epithelial cells from PDAC and healthy human pancreas and performed genome-wide transcriptome and DNA methylome analyses. Clustering based on DNA methylation revealed two distinct groups of PDAC with different methylation levels at genomic regions encoding repeat elements. Methylationlow tumors showed higher expression of endogenous retroviral (ERV) transcripts and a strong engagement of the dsRNA sensing machinery. This results in the cell intrinsic activation of an interferon response signature (IFNsign), leading to the reprogramming of stromal cells towards a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment and poor patient outcome. Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh and Methylationhigh/IFNsignlow PDAC cells harboured distinct lineage traits specific for normal ductal or acinar pancreatic epithelial cells at the methylation and transcriptional level. Moreover, ductal-cell-derived KrasG12D/Trp53-/- mutant mouse PDACs showed higher expression of IFNsign compared to tumors initiated by the same drivers in acinar cells. Collectively, our data point to two distinct origins and etiology of human PDACs, with the aggressive Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh tumor subtype potentially targetable by agents blocking cell intrinsic IFN-signaling. (H015)
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive cancer embedded in an extensive desmoplastic stroma. Since this challenges the molecular analyses of bulk tumor samples, we FACS-purified epithelial cells from PDAC and healthy human pancreas and performed genome-wide transcriptome and DNA methylome analyses. Clustering based on DNA methylation revealed two distinct groups of PDAC with different methylation levels at genomic regions encoding repeat elements. Methylationlow tumors showed higher expression of endogenous retroviral (ERV) transcripts and a strong engagement of the dsRNA sensing machinery. This results in the cell intrinsic activation of an interferon response signature (IFNsign), leading to the reprogramming of stromal cells towards a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment and poor patient outcome. Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh and Methylationhigh/IFNsignlow PDAC cells harbored distinct lineage traits specific for normal ductal or acinar pancreatic epithelial cells at the methylation and transcriptional level. Moreover, ductal-cell-derived KrasG12D/Trp53-/- mutant mouse PDACs showed higher expression of IFNsign compared to tumors initiated by the same drivers in acinar cells. Collectively, our data point to two distinct origins and etiology of human PDACs, with the aggressive Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh tumor subtype potentially targetable by agents blocking cell intrinsic IFN-signaling.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by extensive desmoplasia, which challenges the molecular analyses of bulk tumor samples. Here we FACS-purified epithelial cells from human PDAC and normal pancreas and derived their genome-wide transcriptome and DNA methylome landscapes. Clustering based on DNA methylation revealed two distinct PDAC groups displaying different methylation patterns at regions encoding repeat elements. Methylationlow tumors are characterized by higher expression of endogenous retroviral (ERV) transcripts and dsRNA sensors which leads to a cell intrinsic activation of an interferon signature (IFNsign). This results in a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment and poor patient outcome. Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh and Methylationhigh/IFNsignlow PDAC cells preserve lineage traits, respective of normal ductal or acinar pancreatic cells. Moreover, ductal-derived KrasG12D/Trp53-/- mouse PDACs show higher expression of IFNsign compared to acinar-derived counterparts. Collectively, our data point to two different origins and etiologies of human PDACs, with the aggressive Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh subtype potentially targetable by agents blocking intrinsic IFN-signaling.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by extensive desmoplasia, which challenges the molecular analyses of bulk tumor samples. Here we FACS-purified epithelial cells from human PDAC and normal pancreas and derived their genome-wide transcriptome and DNA methylome landscapes. Clustering based on DNA methylation revealed two distinct PDAC groups displaying different methylation patterns at regions encoding repeat elements. Methylationlow tumors are characterized by higher expression of endogenous retroviral (ERV) transcripts and dsRNA sensors which leads to a cell intrinsic activation of an interferon signature (IFNsign). This results in a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment and poor patient outcome. Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh and Methylationhigh/IFNsignlow PDAC cells preserve lineage traits, respective of normal ductal or acinar pancreatic cells. Moreover, ductal-derived KrasG12D/Trp53-/- mouse PDACs show higher expression of IFNsign compared to acinar-derived counterparts. Collectively, our data point to two different origins and etiologies of human PDACs, with the aggressive Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh subtype potentially targetable by agents blocking intrinsic IFN-signaling.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by extensive desmoplasia, which challenges the molecular analyses of bulk tumor samples. Here we FACS-purified epithelial cells from human PDAC and normal pancreas and derived their genome-wide transcriptome and DNA methylome landscapes. Clustering based on DNA methylation revealed two distinct PDAC groups displaying different methylation patterns at regions encoding repeat elements. Methylationlow tumors are characterized by higher expression of endogenous retroviral (ERV) transcripts and dsRNA sensors which leads to a cell intrinsic activation of an interferon signature (IFNsign). This results in a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment and poor patient outcome. Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh and Methylationhigh/IFNsignlow PDAC cells preserve lineage traits, respective of normal ductal or acinar pancreatic cells. Moreover, ductal-derived KrasG12D/Trp53-/- mouse PDACs show higher expression of IFNsign compared to acinar-derived counterparts. Collectively, our data point to two different origins and etiologies of human PDACs, with the aggressive Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh subtype potentially targetable by agents blocking intrinsic IFN-signaling.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is believed to arise from the accumulation of a series of somatic mutations and is also frequently associated with pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) lesions. However, there is still debate as to whether the cell-type-of-origin of PanINs and PDACs is acinar or ductal. As cell type identity is maintained epigenetically, DNA methylation changes during pancreatic neoplasia can provide a compelling perspective to examine this question, but DNA methylation sequencing has not yet been performed genome-wide on purified exocrine and neoplastic cell types in the pancreas. Thus, we performed genome-wide DNA methylation sequencing on acini, non-neoplastic ducts, PanIN lesions, and PDAC lesions. We found that: 1) both global methylation profiles and block DMRs clearly implicate an acinar origin for PanINs; 2) at the gene level, PanIN lesions exhibit an intermediate acinar-ductal phenotype resembling acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM); and 3) PanINs are epigenetically primed to progress to PDAC. Thus, epigenomic analysis complements histopathology to define molecular progression toward PDAC.
Project description:Acinar and ductal cells are the major epithelial cell types in the exocrine pancreas, but which of these serves as the cell-of-origin in human PDAC has been debated. Our mouse models have demonstrated that oncogenic Kras expression and Trp53 loss in pancreatic acinar or ductal cells can lead to pancreatic cancer. Here, we performed gene expression profiling of bulk acinar cell-derived and ductal cell-derived mouse pancreatic tumors to identify the transcriptomic profiles.
Project description:Pancreatic acinar cells can dedifferentiate upon tissue injury and acquire ductal characteristics. This acquisition of duct cell features is critical in tumor development. Nevertheless, duct cells themselves are less prone for development of PDAC (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma) than dedifferentiated acini. We aimed to clarify which genes are unique for dedifferentiated acini. Mixed exocrine preparations of acinar and duct cells were obtained from human pancreatic donor organs and cultured to induce dedifferentiation. We lineage-labeled and FACS-purified these human dedifferentiated acinar cells and compared them to duct cells from the same donor (n=5).
Project description:The exocrine compartment of the pancreas consisting of ducts and acini makes up most of the pancreatic tissue and is the site of origin for pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Our understanding of the initiation and progression of human PDAC is limited because of challenges associated with maintaining acinar cells in culture. Here we report the commitment of human pluripotent stem cells towards pancreatic duct-like and acini-like organoids that express properties of the neonatal exocrine pancreas. The expression of PDAC-oncogenes KRasG12D or GNASR201C induced cell lineage-specific effects where GNASR201C was more effective in ductal compared to acinar organoids. KRasG12D was more effective in modeling cancer in vivo when expressed in acinar cells and was associated with acinar to ductal metaplastic changes in culture and in vivo. Thus we demonstrate lineage tropism and plasticity in the human exocrine pancreas and identify a renewable source of ductal and acinar epithelia for understanding exocrine development and diseases.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by desmoplastic stroma surrounding most tumors. Activated stromal fibroblasts, namely Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), play a major role in PDAC progression. Here we analyzed if CAFs influence acinar cells and impact PDAC initiation, namely “Acinar to Ductal Metaplasia” (ADM). ADM connection with PDAC pathophysiology is indicated but not yet established. Hence, we hypothesized that CAF secretome might play a significant role in ADM in PDAC initiation. Mouse and human acinar cell organoids, acinar cells cocultured with CAFs and exposed to CAF-conditioned media (CAF-CM), acinar cell explants, and CAF cocultures, etc., were examined by qRT-PCR, RNA-seq, immunoblotting and confocal microscopy. Data from LC-MS/MS analysis of CAF CM and RNAseq data of acinar cells post-CM exposure were integrated using bioinformatics tools to identify molecular mechanism for CAF-induced ADM. Using confocal microscopy, immunoblotting, and qRT-PCR analysis, we validated the depletion of key signaling axis in cell-line, acinar explant coculture, and mCAFs. Close association of acino-ductal (UEA1, Amylase, Ck19) markers and mCAFs (α-SMA) in LSL-KrasG12D/+; LSL-Trp53R172H/+; Pdx1Cre (KPC) and LSL-KrasG12D/+; Pdx1Cre (KC) autochthonous progression tumor tissue was observed. Caerulein treatment-induced mCAFs increased Ck19 and decreased Amylase in wild-type (WT) and KC pancreas. Likewise, acinar-mCAF cocultures revealed induction of ductal transdifferentiation in cell-line, acinar-organoid, and explant coculture formats in WT and KC mice pancreas. Proteomic and transcriptomic data integration revealed a novel Laminin5/Integrinα4/Stat3 axis responsible for CAF-mediated acinar to ductal cell transdifferentiation. Results collectively suggest the first evidence for CAF-influenced acino-ductal phenotypic switchover, thus highlighting the role of the tumor micro-environment in the inception of pancreatic carcinogenesis.
Project description:Global microRNA expression profiling of microdissected pancreatic tissues were collected using Agilent miRNA microarrays (G4470B, Sanger 10.1) carrying 723 individual human miRNA probes. Four different sources of RNA were analyzed: microdissected normal pancreatic ductal cells (ND, n=4),microdissected acinar cells (AC, n=4), macrodissected chronic pancreatitis (CP, n=5) and micordissected xenograft tissues derived from primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC, n=5). Four condition (AZ, ND, PDAC, CP), each condition is represented by 4 to 5 biological replicates