Project description:BACKGROUND: Cancer stem-like cells are proposed to sustain solid tumors by virtue of their capacity for self-renewal and differentiation to cells that comprise the bulk of the tumor, and have been identified for a variety of cancers based on characteristic clonal morphologies and patterns of marker gene expression. METHODS: Single cell cloning and spheroid culture studies were used to identify a population of cancer stem-like cells in the androgen-independent human prostate cancer cell line PC3. RESULTS: We demonstrate that, under standard culture conditions, ~10% of PC3 cells form holoclones with cancer stem cell characteristics. These holoclones display high self-renewal capability in spheroid formation assays under low attachment and serum-free culture conditions, retain their holoclone morphology when passaged at high cell density, exhibit moderate drug resistance, and show high tumorigenicity in scid immunodeficient mice. PC3 holoclones readily form spheres, and PC3-derived spheres yield a high percentage of holoclones, further supporting their cancer stem cell-like nature. We identified one gene, FAM65B, whose expression is consistently up regulated in PC3 holoclones compared to paraclones, the major cell morphology in the parental PC3 cell population, and two genes, MFI2 and LEF1, that are consistently down regulated. This molecular profile, FAM65Bhigh/MFI2low/LEF1low, also characterizes spheres generated from parental PC3 cells. The PC3 holoclones did not show significant enriched expression of the putative prostate cancer stem cell markers CD44 and integrin α2β1. PC3 tumors seeded with holoclones showed dramatic down regulation of FAM65B and dramatic up regulation of MFI2 and LEF1, and unexpectedly, a marked increase in tumor vascularity compared to parental PC3 tumors, suggesting a role of cancer stem cells in tumor angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the proposal that PC3 tumors are sustained by a small number of tumor-initiating cells with stem-like characteristics, including strong self-renewal and pro-angiogenic capability and marked by the expression pattern FAM65Bhigh/MFI2low/LEF1low. These markers may serve as targets for therapies designed to eliminate cancer stem cell populations associated with aggressive, androgen-independent prostate tumors such as PC3. (Mol Cancer. 2010 Dec 29;9:319. doi: 10.1186/1476-4598-9-319; PMID: 21190562; PMCID: PMC3024252).

Project description:BACKGROUND: Cancer stem-like cells are proposed to sustain solid tumors by virtue of their capacity for self-renewal and differentiation to cells that comprise the bulk of the tumor, and have been identified for a variety of cancers based on characteristic clonal morphologies and patterns of marker gene expression. METHODS: Single cell cloning and spheroid culture studies were used to identify a population of cancer stem-like cells in the androgen-independent human prostate cancer cell line PC3. RESULTS: We demonstrate that, under standard culture conditions, ~10% of PC3 cells form holoclones with cancer stem cell characteristics. These holoclones display high self-renewal capability in spheroid formation assays under low attachment and serum-free culture conditions, retain their holoclone morphology when passaged at high cell density, exhibit moderate drug resistance, and show high tumorigenicity in scid immunodeficient mice. PC3 holoclones readily form spheres, and PC3-derived spheres yield a high percentage of holoclones, further supporting their cancer stem cell-like nature. We identified one gene, FAM65B, whose expression is consistently up regulated in PC3 holoclones compared to paraclones, the major cell morphology in the parental PC3 cell population, and two genes, MFI2 and LEF1, that are consistently down regulated. This molecular profile, FAM65Bhigh/MFI2low/LEF1low, also characterizes spheres generated from parental PC3 cells. The PC3 holoclones did not show significant enriched expression of the putative prostate cancer stem cell markers CD44 and integrin M-NM-12M-NM-21. PC3 tumors seeded with holoclones showed dramatic down regulation of FAM65B and dramatic up regulation of MFI2 and LEF1, and unexpectedly, a marked increase in tumor vascularity compared to parental PC3 tumors, suggesting a role of cancer stem cells in tumor angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the proposal that PC3 tumors are sustained by a small number of tumor-initiating cells with stem-like characteristics, including strong self-renewal and pro-angiogenic capability and marked by the expression pattern FAM65Bhigh/MFI2low/LEF1low. These markers may serve as targets for therapies designed to eliminate cancer stem cell populations associated with aggressive, androgen-independent prostate tumors such as PC3. (Mol Cancer. 2010 Dec 29;9:319. doi: 10.1186/1476-4598-9-319; PMID: 21190562; PMCID: PMC3024252). Four PC3 cell-derived holoclones, selected based on their clear and unambiguous holoclone morphology and designated holoclones 2H10, 2G7, 1A8 and 5A2, were used for global transcriptome/microarray analysis in direct comparison to parental PC3 cells. Total RNA was prepared from each of four sequential cell passages for each PC3-derived holoclone, and from four passages of parental PC3 cells, 48 h after seeding the cells at 100,000 cells per well of a 6-well plate. For each sample (holoclones or parental PC3 cells), a pool of RNA was prepared by combining equal amounts of RNA from each passage to minimize the effects of passage number and inter-sample variability on gene expression profiles. All RNAs had an RNA integrity number >8.0, determined using an Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100 instrument. cDNAs transcribed from pools of RNA for each holoclone, and for parental PC3 cells, were labeled with Alexa 647 or Alexa 555 dyes in a fluorescent reverse pair (dye swap) design for competitive hybridization to Agilent Whole Human Genome Microarrays.

Project description:Butyrophilin 1A1 (BTN1A1) was first identified as a major integral protein of both the apical surface of mammary epithelial cells during lactation and the surface membrane surrounding lipid droplets in milk. Current evidence supports a role for BTN1A1 in the secretion of milk lipids as a membrane receptor, which forms a secretion complex with the redox enzyme, xanthine oxidoreductase (XDH). Capping of cytoplasmic lipid droplets with BTN1A1 and XDH serves to envelop the droplets with cellular membranes at the cell apex as an initial step in their subsequent release from the cell. The first evidence that BTN1A1 functions in this process was the generation of Btn1a1-/- mice, in which lipid secretion was disrupted and large unstable droplets were released into alveolar spaces with fragmented surface membranes. We have revisited this mutant mouse line using RNAseq and proteomic analysis to fully assess the consequences of ablating the Btn1a1 gene on the expression of other genes and proteins. Disruption of Btn1a1 expression led to a large build-up of Xdh (6-fold over wild-type levels) in the cytoplasm, induction of acute phase response genes and Lif-activation of STAT3 phosphorylation. At peak lactation, approx. 10% of the cells were dying, as assessed by TUNEL-analysis of nuclear DNA. Cell death appeared to proceed through expression of caspase 8 and activated caspase 3 and not via lysosomal lysis, which is the principal route for elimination of cells during mammary involution in wild-type mice. Other potential death pathways include autophagy and Slc5a8-mediated inactivation of survivin (Birc5). Milk secretion was prolonged by renewal of the secretory epithelium, as evidenced by the expression of cyclins, Fos/Jun and upregulation of Ki67 in approx. 10% of secretory cell nuclei. Thus a 21-day lactation cycle can be maintained, despite significant cell death by compensatory cell division, provided a milking stimulus is maintained. These data highlight the importance of BTN1A1 expression for the maintenance of terminally differentiated mammary epithelial cells and optimal milk production throughout lactation. From a practical standpoint, the complimentary RNAseq and proteomics data should provide a useful reference database for gene and protein expression in C57/Bl6 mice at peak lactation.

Dataset Information

NanoString Human PC3 nCounter PanCancer IO 360 panel

Dataset's files

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets