Many ETS family transcription factors can recruit mutant p53, and interaction specificity patterns correlate with ETS gene expression changes in ovarian cancer
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ABSTRACT: Many ETS family transcription factors can recruit mutant p53, and interaction specificity patterns correlate with ETS gene expression changes in ovarian cancer
Project description:The tumor suppressor transcription factor p53 is mutated in nearly 50% of all cancer cases, and this frequency increases with stage and resistance to therapy. Hotspot p53 mutations lose direct DNA binding activity while gaining oncogenic function. These structural p53 mutants can bind to new regions of the genome via interactions with other transcription factors. One example is the ETS transcription factor ETS2, which was previously reported to bind mutant p53. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of mutant p53 association with the ETS family needs to be understood. Here, we compare mutant p53 interaction across 26 ETS transcription factors. Mutant p53 bound ETS proteins better than wild-type p53. All ETS proteins tested bound to mutant p53 to some extent, yet relative binding differed. The ETS DNA binding domain provided a common interaction interface, but strong binding required a second interaction domain. Genome-wide mapping found that the ETS protein ERG could recruit mutant p53 to regulatory regions of genes necessary for morphogenesis, locomotion, and androgen response in prostate cancer cells. Lastly, ETS factors that interact strongly with mutant p53 tend to be upregulated in p53 mutant ovarian cancer. These results suggest that multiple ETS proteins can work with mutant p53 in cancer.
Project description:ETS-domain proteins are a family of evolutionarily conserved transcription factors (TFs) critical in the development of various cancers. Despite their recognized role in oncogenesis, the proteomic landscape of ETS family members remains underexplored. This study focuses on the systematic analysis of high-throughput proteomics data to decode the protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and signal transduction pathways regulated by ETS factors in human cellular systems. Our findings uncover key PPIs that highlight both the redundancy and specificity of ETS family proteins, with a particular emphasis on their cooperative interactions with the MYC oncogene. These shared protein networks are strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and other cancer types. By identifying key ETS-regulated proteins, we offer insights into novel molecular mechanisms that hold potential for therapeutic targeting. This proteomics-based approach enhances our understanding of ETS family proteins' regulatory roles, laying the groundwork for future research into oncogenic pathways and their implications in clinical oncology.
Project description:A long-standing challenge in human regulatory genomics is that transcription factor (TF) DNA-binding motifs are short and degenerate, while the genome is large. Motif scans therefore produce many false-positive binding site predictions. By surveying TFs across 25 families using >1,500 cyclic in vitro selection experiments with fragmented, naked, and unmodified genomic DNA – a method we term GHT-SELEX (Genomic HT-SELEX) – we find that many human TFs possess much higher sequence specificity than anticipated. Moreover, genomic binding regions from GHT-SELEX are often surprisingly similar to those obtained in vivo (i.e. ChIP-seq peaks). We find that comparable specificity can also be obtained from motif scans, but performance is highly dependent on derivation and use of the motifs, including accounting for multiple local matches in the scans. We also observe alternative engagement of multiple DNA-binding domains within the same protein: long C2H2 zinc finger proteins often utilize modular DNA recognition, engaging different subsets of their DNA binding domain (DBD) arrays to recognize multiple types of distinct target sites, frequently evolving via internal duplication and divergence of one or more DBDs. Thus, contrary to conventional wisdom, it is common for TFs to possess sufficient intrinsic specificity to independently delineate cellular targets.
Project description:Deregulated expression of ETS transcription factors with oncogenic and tumor suppressor function occurs frequently in prostate cancer leading to profound alterations of the cancer transcriptome. By integrating genomic and functional studies we identified key targets of the aberrantly expressed ETS factors, ERG and ESE3. Altered expression of ETS factors led to the induction of the polycomb group protein EZH2 and silencing of the tumor suppressor Nkx3.1. Nkx3.1 was controlled by ERG and ESE3 both directly via binding to ETS binding sites in the gene promoter and indirectly via EZH2-induced histone H3K27 methylation. This may represent a general mechanism linking aberrantly expressed ETS with deregulation of epigenetic pathways and global reprogramming of the prostate epithelial cell transcriptome in prostate tumorigenesis. Keywords: prostate cancer, gene expression profiling, ETS genes In this study we show that deregulated expression of ETS factors with opposite functions is highly frequent in prostate cancer. Our study uncovers a previously unrecognized link between aberrant expression of ETS factors, deregulation of epigenetic pathways and silencing of tumor suppressor genes in prostate cancer and shows that partially distinct transcriptional programs are associated with different ETS gene expression patterns. The presence of distinct prostate cancer subgroups with different biological features may have important clinical implications and suggests that assessment of ETS expression levels might be useful to distinguish tumors with different clinical outcome.
Project description:Ets homologous factor (EHF) is an Ets family transcription factor expressed in many epithelial cell types including those lining the respiratory system. Disruption of the airway epithelium is central to many lung diseases, and a network of transcription factors coordinates its normal function. EHF can act as a transcriptional activator or a repressor. Using EHF ChIP-seq and RNA-seq after EHF depletion, we show its targets in HBE cells are enriched for genes involved in degradation of misfolded proteins, inflammation, and wound repair.
Project description:Deregulated expression of ETS transcription factors with oncogenic and tumor suppressor function occurs frequently in prostate cancer leading to profound alterations of the cancer transcriptome. By integrating genomic and functional studies we identified key targets of the aberrantly expressed ETS factors, ERG and ESE3. Altered expression of ETS factors led to the induction of the polycomb group protein EZH2 and silencing of the tumor suppressor Nkx3.1. Nkx3.1 was controlled by ERG and ESE3 both directly via binding to ETS binding sites in the gene promoter and indirectly via EZH2-induced histone H3K27 methylation. This may represent a general mechanism linking aberrantly expressed ETS with deregulation of epigenetic pathways and global reprogramming of the prostate epithelial cell transcriptome in prostate tumorigenesis. Keywords: prostate cancer, gene expression profiling, ETS genes