An attractor state zone precedes neural crest fate in melanoma initiation.

ABSTRACT: The field cancerization theory suggests that a group of cells containing oncogenic mutations are predisposed to transformation^{1, 2}. We previously identified single cells in BRAF ^V600E ;p53 ^-/- zebrafish that reactivate an embryonic neural crest state before initiating melanoma^3-5. Here we show that single cells reactivate the neural crest fate from within large fields of adjacent abnormal melanocytes, which we term the "cancer precursor zone." These cancer precursor zone melanocytes have an aberrant morphology, dysplastic nuclei, and altered gene expression. Using single cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq, we defined a distinct transcriptional cell attractor state for cancer precursor zones and validated the stage-specific gene

SUBMITTER: McConnell AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11526944 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature