Project description:Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is a nucleolar protein frequently overexpressed in many solid tumours with little known about its functional role to support carcinogenesis. Here, we identify Npm1 as a commonly upregulated gene following Apc loss in highly proliferative tissues, and high expression correlates with increased proliferation in CRC patients. We show that NPM1 is dispensable for adult epithelial tissue homeostasis, however, it has a profound effect on WNT-driven intestinal and liver tumourigenesis, leading to reduced proliferation and extension of survival. Mechanistically, NPM1 depletion triggers integrated stress response (ISR) and p53 pathway activation. P53 deletion, or inhibition of the ISR effects, rescue proliferation following NPM1 loss. Overall, our results demonstrate that NPM1 supports WNT-driven cell proliferation and tumour initiation by attenuating p53 pathway activation or induction of ISR. Being dispensable for homeostasis, NPM1 presents as a promising target for cancer therapy in WNT-driven tumours with functional p53, including difficult to treat KRAS-mutant CRC and hepatic cancers.
Project description:Human papilloma virus (HPV)-driven cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the most common cancer in immunosuppressed patients. Despite indications suggesting that HPV promotes genomic instability during cSCC development, the molecular pathways underpinning HPV-driven cSCC development remain unknown. We compared the transcriptome of HPV-driven mouse cSCC with normal skin and observed higher amounts of transcripts for Porcupine and WNT ligands in cSCC, suggesting a role for WNT-signaling in cSCC progression. We confirmed increased Porcupine expression in human cSCC samples. Blocking the secretion of WNT-ligands by the Porcupine inhibitor LGK974 significantly diminished initiation and progression of HPV-driven cSCC. Administration of LGK974 to mice with established cSCC resulted in differentiation of cancer cells and significant reduction of the cancer stem cell compartment. Thus, WNT/b-catenin signaling is essential for HPV-driven cSCC initiation and progression as well as for maintaining the cancer stem cell niche. Interference with WNT-secretion may thus represent a promising approach for therapeutic intervention.
Project description:Mutation in nucleophosmin (NPM1) causes relocalization of this normally nucleolar protein to the cytoplasm (NPM1c+). Despite NPM1 mutation being the most common driver mutation in cytogenetically normal adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the mechanisms of NPM1c+-induced leukemogenesis remain unclear. Caspase-2 is a pro-apoptotic protein activated by NPM1 in the nucleolus. Here, we show that caspase-2 is also activated by NPM1c+ in the cytoplasm and DNA damage-induced apoptosis is caspase-2-dependent in NPM1c+ but not in NPM1wt AML cells. Strikingly, in NPM1c+ cells, caspase-2 loss results in profound cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and down-regulation of stem cell pathways that regulate pluripotency including impairment in the AKT/mTORC1 and Wnt signaling pathways, and inhibition of Rictor cleavage. In contrast, there were minimal differences in proliferation, differentiation, or the transcriptional profile of NPM1wt cells lacking caspase-2. Our results show that caspase-2 is essential for proliferation and self-renewal of AML cells expressing mutated NPM1. This study demonstrates that caspase-2 is a major effector of NPM1c+ function.
Project description:Comparison of gene expression profiles of mouse bone marrow nucleated cells. All comparisons are made between biological replicates (different mice) derived from animals carrying the Type A cytoplasmic Nucleophosmin mutation (Npm1c) found in human Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Mice were culled 8 weeks after induction of the conditional Npm1c allele with Mx1-Cre. Whole bone marrow (BM, n=20: 11xNpm1c & 9xWildType) or antibody purified cell fractions (Lin minus, n=6: 4xNpm1c & 2xWildType; B220+, n=5: 3xNpm1c & 2xWildType and Gr1+/Mac1+, n=6: 4xNpm1c & 2xWildType) were studied. Files ("samples") include data from all samples in each comparison.<br>Global profiling was done using Illumina mouse-6 expression beadchip version 2. Data were quantile normalised and analysed using the bioconductor (http://www.bioconductor.org/), lumi (http://www.bioconductor.org/packages/2.0/bioc/html/lumi.html ) and limma packages, then p-value adjusted for multiple testing.
Project description:Assembly of eukaryotic ribosomes begins in the nucleolus, a compartmentalized membraneless organelle. Although the two ribosomal subunits, 40S and 60S, assemble independently, it remains unknown if these particles are physically sorted as they assemble and how they partition from the central chromatin compartment into the outer nucleolar regions, where maturation occurs. In this study, we show that nucleophosmin specifically mediates the assembly of nascent 60S subunits and that this specificity is determined by its chromatin localization at the rDNA sites encoding for 60S subunit rRNA. Nucleophosmin dissociates from chromatin to bind nascent 60S subunits, causing their partitioning away from chromatin and from nascent 40S subunits through liquid-liquid phase separation. This directs translocation of nascent 60S subunits towards the nucleophosmin-rich granular component, where biogenesis continues. Notably, this compartmentalization increases the efficiency of 60S subunit assembly, specifically the incorporation of the 60S domain III. Our data reveal that the chromatin localization of nucleophosmin determines its specificity in sorting and coordinates the movement of ribosomal subunits into specialized assembly compartments.
Project description:Background Wnt signaling is implicated in many developmental decisions, including stem cell control, as well as in cancer. There are relatively few target genes known of the Wnt pathway. Results We have identified target genes of Wnt signaling using microarray technology and human embryonal carcinoma cells stimulated with active Wnt protein. The ~50 genes upregulated early after Wnt addition include the previously known Wnt targets Cyclin D1, MYC, ID2 and beta TRCP. The newly identified targets, which include MSX1, MSX2, Nucleophosmin, Follistatin, TLE/Groucho, Ubc4/5E2, CBP/P300, Frizzled and REST/NRSF, have important implications for understanding the roles of Wnts in development and cancer. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide blocks induction by Wnt, consistent with a requirement for newly synthesized beta - catenin protein prior to target gene activation. The promoters of nearly all the target genes we identified have putative TCF binding sites; and we show that the TCF binding site is required for induction of Follistatin. Several of the target genes have a cooperative response to a combination of Wnt and BMP. Conclusion Wnt signaling activates genes that promote stem cell fate and inhibit cellular differentiation; and regulates a remarkable number of genes involved in its own signaling system. Set of arrays organized by shared biological context, such as organism, tumors types, processes, etc. Keywords: Logical Set Using regression correlation
Project description:Background Wnt signaling is implicated in many developmental decisions, including stem cell control, as well as in cancer. There are relatively few target genes known of the Wnt pathway. Results We have identified target genes of Wnt signaling using microarray technology and human embryonal carcinoma cells stimulated with active Wnt protein. The ~50 genes upregulated early after Wnt addition include the previously known Wnt targets Cyclin D1, MYC, ID2 and beta TRCP. The newly identified targets, which include MSX1, MSX2, Nucleophosmin, Follistatin, TLE/Groucho, Ubc4/5E2, CBP/P300, Frizzled and REST/NRSF, have important implications for understanding the roles of Wnts in development and cancer. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide blocks induction by Wnt, consistent with a requirement for newly synthesized beta - catenin protein prior to target gene activation. The promoters of nearly all the target genes we identified have putative TCF binding sites; and we show that the TCF binding site is required for induction of Follistatin. Several of the target genes have a cooperative response to a combination of Wnt and BMP. Conclusion Wnt signaling activates genes that promote stem cell fate and inhibit cellular differentiation; and regulates a remarkable number of genes involved in its own signaling system.
Project description:Background Wnt signaling is implicated in many developmental decisions, including stem cell control, as well as in cancer. There are relatively few target genes known of the Wnt pathway. Results We have identified target genes of Wnt signaling using microarray technology and human embryonal carcinoma cells stimulated with active Wnt protein. The ~50 genes upregulated early after Wnt addition include the previously known Wnt targets Cyclin D1, MYC, ID2 and beta TRCP. The newly identified targets, which include MSX1, MSX2, Nucleophosmin, Follistatin, TLE/Groucho, Ubc4/5E2, CBP/P300, Frizzled and REST/NRSF, have important implications for understanding the roles of Wnts in development and cancer. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide blocks induction by Wnt, consistent with a requirement for newly synthesized beta - catenin protein prior to target gene activation. The promoters of nearly all the target genes we identified have putative TCF binding sites; and we show that the TCF binding site is required for induction of Follistatin. Several of the target genes have a cooperative response to a combination of Wnt and BMP. Conclusion Wnt signaling activates genes that promote stem cell fate and inhibit cellular differentiation; and regulates a remarkable number of genes involved in its own signaling system. Set of arrays organized by shared biological context, such as organism, tumors types, processes, etc. Keywords: Logical Set