Project description:Recent studies including next-generation sequencing have identified genomic events in prostate cancer including ETS gene fusions. However, it is critical to identify druggable targets for prostate cancer and their mechanism of action for therapeutic intervention. Here, we show that prolyl 4-hydroxylase, alpha polypeptide I (P4HA1) is overexpressed in aggressive prostate cancer and amplified in a subset of metastatic prostate cancer. This study provides mechanistic insights of P4HA1 regulation and its mode of action including its role in regulating MMP1. Importantly, P4HA1 mediated invasion in cancer cells could be reversed using MMP1 inhibitor, revealing therapeutic utility of targeting P4HA1 either directly or by inhibiting its downstream effectors. Two-color experiment, in duplicates.
Project description:Recent studies including next-generation sequencing have identified genomic events in prostate cancer including ETS gene fusions. However, it is critical to identify druggable targets for prostate cancer and their mechanism of action for therapeutic intervention. Here, we show that prolyl 4-hydroxylase, alpha polypeptide I (P4HA1) is overexpressed in aggressive prostate cancer and amplified in a subset of metastatic prostate cancer. This study provides mechanistic insights of P4HA1 regulation and its mode of action including its role in regulating MMP1. Importantly, P4HA1 mediated invasion in cancer cells could be reversed using MMP1 inhibitor, revealing therapeutic utility of targeting P4HA1 either directly or by inhibiting its downstream effectors.
Project description:Activating transcription factors (ATFs), members of the adaptive-response gene family, participate in cellular processes to aid adaptations in response to extra- and/or intracellular changes. In this study, we observed that one of the ATFs Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is upregulated under hypoxia via alterations in the epigenetic landscape of its promoter, followed by transcriptional upregulation. Under hypoxic conditions, Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF1ɑ) alleviates methylation at the ATF3 promoter by recruiting TET1 and induces ATF3 transcription. Additionally, our RNA-seq analysis showed that ATF3 globally affects transcription under hypoxia and controls the processes of EMT and cancer invasion by stimulating the transcription of Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase Subunit Alpha 1 (P4HA1), an enzyme which enhances invasion conducive extracellular matrix (ECM) under hypoxic condition. Prolyl hydroxylases play a critical role in the hydroxylation and deposition of collagen in the extracellular matrix (ECM) during the evolution of cancer, which is necessary for metastasis. Importantly, P4HA1 undergoes alternative splicing under hypoxia, where the inclusion of exon 9a is increased. It is interesting to note that ATF3's involvement in P4HA1 splicing was also evident, as binding of ATF3 at intron 9a led to demethylation of this DNA region via recruitment of TET1. Further, we also show that the demethylated DNA region of intron 9a then becomes accessible to CTCF. Thus, a cascade of demethylation via ATF3 recruited TET1, followed by increased RNA PolII pause via CTCF at the intron 9a leads to inclusion of exon 9a. The P4HA1 9a isoform leads to enhanced invasion under hypoxic conditions by increasing deposition of collagen in the ECM. These results provide a novel hypoxia-induced HIF1ɑ-ATF3-P4HA1 axis which can be potentially exploited as a therapeutic target to impede EMT and ultimately breast cancer invasion.
Project description:We assessed the role of prolyl hydroxylase inhibiton using DMOG on angiogenic competance and metabolic reprogramming of endothelial cells.
Project description:Microarray analysis was used to identify differentially expressed gene signature in ovarian cancer A224 cells treated with recombinant human ITLN1 protein. MMP1 was found to be significantly upregulated in ITLN1-treated A224 cells. Further studies revealed that MMP1 is an important mediator for the ITLN1 suppression of ovarian cancer cell motility and invasion potential.
Project description:Clearance of apoptotic cancer cells by macrophages, known as efferocytosis, fuels the bone-metastatic growth of prostate cancer cells via pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive mechanisms that are still unclear. In this study, single-cell transcriptomics of bone marrow macrophages undergoing efferocytosis of apoptotic prostate cancer cells revealed a significant enrichment of a cellular response to hypoxia. Here we show that efferocytic macrophages promote HIF-1α stabilization under normoxic conditions through interaction with phosphorylated STAT3. Inflammatory cytokine gene expression analysis of efferocytic HIF-1α-mutant macrophages revealed a reduced expression of the pro-tumorigenic Mif. Furthermore, stabilization of HIF-1α using the HIF-prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor, Roxadustat, enhanced MIF expression in macrophages. Finally, macrophages treated with recombinant MIF protein activated NF-κB (p65) signaling increased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Altogether, these findings suggest that the clearance of apoptotic cancer cell by tumor-associated macrophages triggers p-STAT3/HIF-1α/MIF signaling to enhance tumor-promoting inflammation in bone, suggesting this axis as a target for metastatic prostate cancer.
Project description:SRC-2 is frequently amplified or overexpressed in metastatic prostate cancer patients. In this study, we used genetically engineered mice, overexpressing SRC-2 specifically in the prostate epithelium as a mouse model to examine the role of SRC-2 in prostate tumorigenesis. Over-expression of SRC-2 in PTEN heterozygous mice accelerates PTEN mutation induced tumor progression and develops a metastasis-prone cancer. We used microarrays to examine the molecular profile of prostate-specific SRC-2 overexpression adult dorsal-lateral prostate in comparison with that of control PTENF/+ heterozygous deletion mice.
Project description:Genetic deletion of transmembrane prolyl-4-hydroxylase (P4H-TM) in mice leads to increased inflammatory microgliosis and neutrophil infiltration in the cortex after permanent midle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO)
Project description:Molidustat is an inhibitor of prolyl hydroxylase that activates the hypoxia response pathway. We analyzed the transcriptome of liver cells treated with this drug and the consequences on metabolic reprogramming.
Project description:Genetic deletion of transmembrane prolyl-4-hydroxylase (P4H-TM) in mice leads to changes in calcium signaling accompiened by attenuation of calcium agonist-induced gliotransmission and redistribution of mitochondria in primary astrocytes