Chromosomal instability promotes metastasis through a cytosolic DNA response
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ABSTRACT: Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of cancer, and it results from ongoing errors in chromosome segregation during mitosis. While CIN is a major driver of tumor evolution, its role in metastasis has not been established. Here we show that CIN promotes metastasis by sustaining a tumor-cell autonomous inflammatory response to cytosolic DNA. Errors in chromosome segregation create a preponderance of micronuclei whose envelopes frequently rupture exposing their DNA content to the cytosol. This leads to the activation of the cGAS-STING cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway and downstream noncanonical NF-kB signaling. Genetic suppression of CIN significantly delays metastasis in transplantable tumor models, whereas inducing chromosome segregation errors promotes cellular invasion and metastasis in a STING-dependent manner. In contrast to primary tumors, human and mouse metastases strongly select for CIN, in part, due to its ability to enrich for metastasis-initiating mesenchymal subpopulations, offering an opportunity to target chromosome segregation errors for therapeutic benefit.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE98183 | GEO | 2018/01/15
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA384217
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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