Project description:Many genes that drive normal cellular development also contribute to oncogenesis. Medulloblastoma (MB) tumors likely arise from neuronal progenitors in the cerebellum, and we hypothesized that the heterogeneity observed in MBs with sonic hedgehog (SHH) activation could be due to differences in developmental pathways. To investigate this question, here we perform single-nucleus RNA sequencing on highly differentiated SHH MBs with extensively nodular histology and observed malignant cells resembling each stage of canonical granule neuron development. Through innovative computational approaches, we connect these results to published datasets and find that some established molecular subtypes of SHH MB appear arrested at different developmental stages. Additionally, using multiplexed proteomic imaging and MALDI imaging mass spectrometry, we identify distinct histological and metabolic profiles for highly differentiated tumors. Our approaches are applicable to understanding the interplay between heterogeneity and differentiation in other cancers and can provide important insights for the design of targeted therapies.
Project description:Intratumor epigenetic heterogeneity is emerging as a key mechanism underlying tumor evolution and drug resistance. Epigenetic abnormalities frequently occur in medulloblastoma, the most common childhood malignant brain tumor. Medulloblastoma is classified into four subtypes including SHH medulloblastoma, which is characterized by elevated SHH signaling and a cerebellum granule neuron precursor (CGNP) cell-of-origin. Here we report that the histone H3K27 methyltransferase polycomb repressor complex 2 (PRC2) is often heterogeneous within individual SHH medulloblastoma tumors. In mouse models, complete deletion of the PRC2 core subunit EED inhibited medulloblastoma growth, while a mosaic deletion of EED significantly enhanced tumor growth. EED is intrinsically required for CGNP maintenance by inhibiting both neural differentiation and cell death. Complete deletion of EED led to CGNP depletion and reduced occurrence of medulloblastoma. Surprisingly, medulloblastomas with mosaic EED levels grew faster than control wildtype tumors and expressed increased levels of oncogenes such as Igf2, which is directly repressed by PRC2 and has been demonstrated to be both necessary and sufficient for SHH medulloblastoma progression. IGF2 mediated the oncogenic effects of PRC2 heterogeneity in tumor growth. Assessing clones of a human medulloblastoma cell line with different EED levels confirmed that EEDlow cells can stimulate the growth of EEDhigh cells through paracrine IGF2 signaling. Thus, PRC2 heterogeneity plays an oncogenic role in medulloblastoma through both intrinsic growth competence and non-cell autonomous mechanisms in distinct tumor subclones.
Project description:Intratumor epigenetic heterogeneity is emerging as a key mechanism underlying tumor evolution and drug resistance. Epigenetic abnormalities frequently occur in medulloblastoma, the most common childhood malignant brain tumor. Medulloblastoma is classified into four subtypes including SHH medulloblastoma, which is characterized by elevated SHH signaling and a cerebellum granule neuron precursor (CGNP) cell-of-origin. Here we report that the histone H3K27 methyltransferase polycomb repressor complex 2 (PRC2) is often heterogeneous within individual SHH medulloblastoma tumors. In mouse models, complete deletion of the PRC2 core subunit EED inhibited medulloblastoma growth, while a mosaic deletion of EED significantly enhanced tumor growth. EED is intrinsically required for CGNP maintenance by inhibiting both neural differentiation and cell death. Complete deletion of EED led to CGNP depletion and reduced occurrence of medulloblastoma. Surprisingly, medulloblastomas with mosaic EED levels grew faster than control wildtype tumors and expressed increased levels of oncogenes such as Igf2, which is directly repressed by PRC2 and has been demonstrated to be both necessary and sufficient for SHH medulloblastoma progression. IGF2 mediated the oncogenic effects of PRC2 heterogeneity in tumor growth. Assessing clones of a human medulloblastoma cell line with different EED levels confirmed that EEDlow cells can stimulate the growth of EEDhigh cells through paracrine IGF2 signaling. Thus, PRC2 heterogeneity plays an oncogenic role in medulloblastoma through both intrinsic growth competence and non-cell autonomous mechanisms in distinct tumor subclones.
Project description:Medulloblastoma encompasses a collection of clinically and molecularly diverse tumor subtypes that together comprise the most common malignant childhood brain tumor. These tumors are thought to arise within the cerebellum, with approximately 25% originating from granule neuron precursor cells (GNPCs) following aberrant activation of the Sonic Hedgehog pathway (hereafter, SHH-subtype). The pathological processes that drive heterogeneity among the other medulloblastoma subtypes are not known, hindering the development of much needed new therapies. Here, we provide evidence that a discrete subtype of medulloblastoma that contains activating mutations in the WNT pathway effector CTNNB1 (hereafter, WNT-subtype), arises outside the cerebellum from cells of the dorsal brainstem. We found that genes marking human WNT-subtype medulloblastomas are more frequently expressed in the lower rhombic lip (LRL) and embryonic dorsal brainstem than in the upper rhombic lip (URL) and developing cerebellum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intra-operative reports showed that human WNT-subtype tumors infiltrate the dorsal brainstem, while SHH-subtype tumors are located within the cerebellar hemispheres. Activating mutations in Ctnnb1 had little impact on progenitor cell populations in the cerebellum, but caused the abnormal accumulation of cells on the embryonic dorsal brainstem that included aberrantly proliferating Zic1+ precursor cells. These lesions persisted in all mutant adult mice and in 15% of cases in which Tp53 was concurrently deleted, progressed to form medulloblastomas that recapitulated the anatomy and gene expression profiles of human WNT-subtype medulloblastoma. We provide the first evidence that subtypes of medulloblastoma have distinct cellular origins. Our data provide an explanation for the marked molecular and clinical differences between SHH and WNT-subtype medulloblastomas and have profound implications for future research and treatment of this important childhood cancer. A total of 16 samples are analyzed, repsresenting 4 experimental groups: Ctnnb1 medulloblastoma (3 samples); Ptch1 medulloblastoma (6 samples); embryonic dorsal brainstem (4 samples); and postnatal granule neuron precursor cells (3 samples). Every sample was prepared from a different mouse.
Project description:The childhood brain tumour medulloblastoma includes four subtypes with very different prognoses. Here, we show that paracrine signals driven by mutant Beta-Catenin in WNT-medulloblastoma â an essentially curable form of the disease â induce an aberrant fenestrated vasculature that permits the accumulation of high levels of intra-tumoural chemotherapy and a robust therapeutic response. In contrast, SHH-medulloblastoma â a less curable disease subtype â contains an intact blood brain barrier, rendering this tumour impermeable and resistant to chemotherapy. Remarkably, the medulloblastoma-endothelial cell paracrine axis can be manipulated in vivo, altering chemotherapy permeability and clinical response. Thus, medulloblastoma genotype dictates tumour vessel phenotype, explaining in part the disparate prognoses among medulloblastoma subtypes and suggesting an approach to enhance the chemoresponsiveness of other brain tumours. We used microarrays to detail the global program of gene expression within endothelial cells from normal mouse hindbrain and genetic mouse models of different medulloblastoma subtypes to identify and verify up-regulated and down-regulated genes Endothelial cells were isolated from adult mouse hindbrain and genetic mouse models of Wnt and Shh-medulloblastoma using Cd-144 and Cd-105 antibodies based magnetic sorting. RNA was extracted and used for hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We sought to identify changes in endothelial gene expression patterns based on the surrounding microenvironment, so we purified endothelial cells from normal mouse brain or tumors from genetic mouse models. These include the Shh-medulloblastoma model (Ptch+/-; Ink4c -/-) and Wnt-medulloblastoma model (Blbp-Cre; mutant Ctnnb1+/-; p53-/-; mutant Pik3ca +/-)
Project description:Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling plays a critical role in regulating cerebellum development by maintaining the physiological proliferation of granule neuron precursors (GNPs), and its dysregulation leads to the oncogenesis of medulloblastoma. O-GlcNAcylation (O-GlcNAc) of proteins is an emerging regulator of brain function that maintains normal development and neuronal circuitry. Here, we demonstrate that O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) in GNPs mediate the cerebellum development, and the progression of the Shh-subgroup of medulloblastoma. Specifically, OGT regulates the proliferation of GNPs by activating the Shh signaling pathway via O-GlcNAcylation at S355 of GLI family zinc finger 2 (Gli2), which in turn promotes its deacetylation and transcriptional activity via dissociation from p300, a histone acetyltransferases (HATs). Inhibition of OGT via genetic ablation or chemical inhibition improves survival in a medulloblastoma mouse model. These data uncover a critical role for O-GlcNAc signaling in cerebellar development, and pinpoint a potential therapeutic target for Shh-associated medulloblastoma.
Project description:Medulloblastoma could be classified into four subtypes: Wnt, Shh, Group 3, and Group 4. Subtypes of medulloblastoma have distinct epigenetic properties. We report that a chromatin regulator SMARCA4/Brg1 controls a transcriptional program that specifically required for Shh-type medulloblastoma identity and proliferation. We show that Brg1 deletion significantly inhibited tumor formation and progression in a mouse medulloblastoma model. Genomic experiments indicate that Brg1 specifically coordinates with key transcription factors including Gli1, Atoh1, and REST to regulate the expression of both oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Shh-type medulloblastoma displays distinct H3K27me3 properties. We demonstrate that Brg1 modulates activities of H3K27me3 modifiers to regulate expression of medulloblastoma genes. Brg1 is important for the growth of a human medulloblastoma cell line and Brg1-regulated pathways are conserved in human Shh-type medulloblastoma. This study reveals a novel epigenetic mechanism that controls medulloblastoma development and provides a rationale for developing subtype-specific treatment strategies.
Project description:Medulloblastoma could be classified into four subtypes: Wnt, Shh, Group 3, and Group 4. Subtypes of medulloblastoma have distinct epigenetic properties. We report that a chromatin regulator SMARCA4/Brg1 controls a transcriptional program that specifically required for Shh-type medulloblastoma identity and proliferation. We show that Brg1 deletion significantly inhibited tumor formation and progression in a mouse medulloblastoma model. Genomic experiments indicate that Brg1 specifically coordinates with key transcription factors including Gli1, Atoh1, and REST to regulate the expression of both oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Shh-type medulloblastoma displays distinct H3K27me3 properties. We demonstrate that Brg1 modulates activities of H3K27me3 modifiers to regulate expression of medulloblastoma genes. Brg1 is important for the growth of a human medulloblastoma cell line and Brg1-regulated pathways are conserved in human Shh-type medulloblastoma. This study reveals a novel epigenetic mechanism that controls medulloblastoma development and provides a rationale for developing subtype-specific treatment strategies.