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ECD co-operates with ERBB2 to promote tumorigenesis through upregulation of unfolded protein response and glycolysis

ABSTRACT: The mammalian orthologue of the Drosophila ecdysoneless (ECD) mRNA and protein are overexpressed in breast cancer, and its overexpression correlates with poor prognosis and short patient survival, particularly in ERBB2/HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). This work investigates the co-operative oncogenic mechanism of ECD and ERBB2 by deriving transgenic mice overexpressing ECD and/or ERBB2 (huHER2) in mammary epithelium under MMTV promoter (ECD+HER2Tg), as well as human mammary immortal epithelial cell lines (hMECs) overexpressing ECD and/or ERBB2. While huHER2Tg mice developed more homogenous solid nodular carcinomas, double transgenic mice (ECD; huHER2Tg) developed heterogenous and histologically aggressive mammary tumors with basal-like phenotype and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) features, similar to ECDTg tumors. Importantly, transcriptomic profile of ECD; huHER2Tg tumors revealed upregulation of two major oncogenic pathways, unfolded protein response (UPR) and glycolysis. Consistently, ECD; huHER2Tg tumors exhibited increased mRNA levels of cancer stem cell markers and EMT related genes. Further, hMECs expressing both ECD and ERBB2 as compared to ECD or ERBB2 expressing cells showed significant increase in oncogenic traits, such as enhanced migration, anchorage independence, mammosphere, and organoid formation. RNA sequencing analysis of single and double transfectants showed significant upregulation of glycolysis and UPR pathways in ECD+ERBB2 expressing cells as compared to ECD or ERBB2 overexpressing hMECs. Given our recent finding that ECD directly binds to RNA, we demonstrate mRNAs of three key glycolytic enzymes (LDHA, PKM2 and HK2) and mRNA of a major UPR regulated gene GRP78 directly associated with ECD protein using RNA immunoprecipitation assay. Higher expression of glycolytic mRNAs and GRP78 in ECD+ERBB2-expressing cells was due to increased mRNA stability. Lastly, we show an increase in glucose uptake and enhanced glycolytic rate in ECD+ERBB2-overexpressing cells as compared to ECD- or ERBB2-overexpressing hMECs. Taken together, our findings support a co-operative role of ECD and ERBB2 in oncogenesis by enhancing two major oncogenic pathways, UPR and glycolysis. These results provide experimental proof and mechanistic insights to our previous findings that ECD is overexpressed in ERBB2-positive BC patients, and its’ overexpression correlates with poor prognosis and short survival in patients.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE287075 | GEO | 2026/01/20

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Background: The Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) has been shown to be strongly expressed in human breast cancer and cancer stem cells and its overexpression has been supposed to support tumor progression and metastasis. However, effects of EpCAM overexpression on normal breast epithelial cells have never been studied before. Therefore, we analyzed effects of transient adenoviral overexpression of EpCAM on proliferation, migration and differentiation of primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). METHODS: HMECs were transfected by an adenoviral system for transient overexpression of EpCAM. Thereafter, changes in cell proliferation and migration were studied using a real time measurement system. Target gene expression was evaluated by transcriptome analysis in proliferating and polarized HMEC cultures. A Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) xenograft model was used to study effects on in vivo growth of HMECs. RESULTS: EpCAM overexpression in HMECs did not significantly alter gene expression profile of proliferating or growth arrested cells. Proliferating HMECs displayed predominantly glycosylated EpCAM isoforms and were inhibited in cell proliferation and migration by upregulation of p27KIP1 and p53. HMECs with overexpression of EpCAM showed a down regulation of E-cadherin. Moreover, cells were more resistant to TGF-beta1 induced growth arrest and maintained longer capacities to proliferate in vitro. EpCAM overexpressing HMECs xenografts in chicken embryos showed hyperplastic growth, lack of lumen formation and increased infiltrates of the chicken leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: EpCAM revealed oncogenic features in normal human breast cells by, inducing resistance to TGF-beta1-mediated growth arrest and supporting a cell phenotype with longer proliferative capacities in vitro. EpCAM overexpression resulted in hyperplastic growth in vivo. Thus, we suggest that EpCAM acts as a prosurvival factor counteracting terminal differentiation processes in normal mammary glands.

Project description:Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease of prematurity, has been linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. To investigate a causal role for ER stress in BPD pathogenesis, we generated mice (cGrp78f/f) with lung epithelial cell-specific knockout (KO) of Grp78, a gene encoding the ER chaperone 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), a master regulator of ER homeostasis and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Lung epithelial-specific Grp78 KO disrupted lung morphogenesis, causing developmental arrest, increased alveolar epithelial type II cell apoptosis and decreased surfactant protein and type I cell marker expression in perinatal lungs. cGrp78f/f pups died immediately after birth, likely due to respiratory distress. Importantly, Grp78 KO triggered UPR activation with marked induction of pro-apoptotic transcription factor C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP). Increased expression of genes involved in oxidative stress and cell death and decreased expression of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes suggest a role for oxidative stress in alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) apoptosis. Increased Smad3 phosphorylation and expression of transforming growth factor-Î² (TGF-Î²)/Smad3 targets Cdkn1a (encoding p21) and Gadd45a suggest that interactions among the apoptotic arm of the UPR, oxidative stress and TGF-Î²/Smad signaling pathways contribute to Grp78 KO-induced AEC apoptosis and developmental arrest. Chemical chaperone taursodeoxycholic acid reduced UPR activation and apoptosis in cGrp78f/f lungs cultured ex vivo, confirming a role for ER stress in observed AEC abnormalities. These results demonstrate a key role for GRP78 in AEC survival and gene expression during lung development through modulation of ER stress and suggest the UPR as a potential therapeutic target in BPD. Whole-genome expression profiling was performed using MouseRef-8 v2.0 Expression BeadChips (Illumina) on RNA isolated from lungs of four Grp78f/f and three cGrp78f/f mice at E18.

Project description:Introduction: The Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) has been shown to be strongly expressed in human breast cancer and cancer stem cells and its overexpression has been supposed to support tumor progression and metastasis. However, effects of EpCAM overexpression on normal breast epithelial cells have never been studied before. Therefore, we analyzed effects of transient adenoviral overexpression of EpCAM on proliferation, migration and differentiation of primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs). METHODS: HMECs were transfected by an adenoviral system for transient overexpression of EpCAM. Thereafter, changes in cell proliferation and migration were studied using a real time measurement system. Target gene expression was evaluated by transcriptome analysis in proliferating and polarized HMEC cultures. A Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) xenograft model was used to study effects on in vivo growth of HMECs. RESULTS: EpCAM overexpression in HMECs did not significantly alter gene expression profile of proliferating or growth arrested cells. Proliferating HMECs displayed predominantly glycosylated EpCAM isoforms and were inhibited in cell proliferation and migration by upregulation of p27KIP1 and p53. HMECs with overexpression of EpCAM showed a down regulation of E-cadherin. Moreover, cells were more resistant to TGF-beta1 induced growth arrest and maintained longer capacities to proliferate in vitro. EpCAM overexpressing HMECs xenografts in chicken embryos showed hyperplastic growth, lack of lumen formation and increased infiltrates of the chicken leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: EpCAM revealed oncogenic features in normal human breast cells by, inducing resistance to TGF-beta1-mediated growth arrest and supporting a cell phenotype with longer proliferative capacities in vitro. EpCAM overexpression resulted in hyperplastic growth in vivo. Thus, we suggest that EpCAM acts as a prosurvival factor counteracting terminal differentiation processes in normal mammary glands. Differential expression was assessed with the moderated t-test (Bioconductor's limma package) with pairing of the samples by the donor. Raw p-values were adjusted for multiple hypothesis testing using the method from Benjamini and Hochberg for a strong control of the false discovery rate. EPCAM and GFP over-expression in proliferating mammary epithelial cells from two donors (6 and 8). Expression levels between EPCAM and control samples were compared to determine whether, and to which extent EPCAM over-expression alters the gene expression profile of the cells.

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ECD co-operates with ERBB2 to promote tumorigenesis through upregulation of unfolded protein response and glycolysis

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