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HDAC Inhibitors induce tumor cell-selective pro-apoptotic transcriptional responses.

ABSTRACT: The identification of recurrent somatic mutations in genes encoding epigenetic enzymes, coupled with biochemical studies demonstrating aberrant recruitment of epigenetic enzymes such as histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone methyltransferases (HMTs) to promoter regions through association with oncogenic fusion proteins such as PML-RARα and AML1-ETO has provided a strong rationale for the development compounds that target the epigenome for the treatment of cancer. HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) are potent inducers of tumor cell apoptosis but it remains unclear why tumor cells are selectively sensitive to HDACi-induced cell death. Herein we assessed the biological and molecular responses of normal and transformed cells to the FDA-approved HDACi vorinostat. Both HDACi selectively killed cells of diverse tissue origin that had been transformed through the serial introduction of different oncogenes. Time course microarray expression profiling revealed that normal and transformed cells transcriptionally responded to vorinostat treatment. Over 4200 genes responded differently to vorinostat in normal and transformed cells and gene ontology and pathway analyses identified a tumor-cell-selective pro-apoptotic gene-expression signature that consisted of BCL2 family genes. In particular, HDACi induced tumor cell-selective upregulation of the pro-apoptotic gene BMF and downregulation of the pro-survival gene BCL2A1 encoding BFL-1. Maintenance of BFL-1 levels in transformed cells through forced expression conferred vorinostat resistance indicating that specific and selective engagement of the intrinsic apoptosis pathways underlies the tumor cell-selective apoptotic activities of these agents. The ability of HDACi to affect the growth and survival of tumor cells whilst leaving normal cells relatively unharmed is fundamental to their successful clinical application. This study provides new insight into the transcriptional effects of HDACi in human donor-matched normal and transformed cells, and identifies molecules and pathways that could underpin the tumor-selective cytotoxic activity of these compounds.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE43010 | GEO | 2013/04/22

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA184052

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The identification of recurrent somatic mutations in genes encoding epigenetic enzymes, coupled with biochemical studies demonstrating aberrant recruitment of epigenetic enzymes such as histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone methyltransferases (HMTs) to promoter regions through association with oncogenic fusion proteins such as PML-RARM-NM-1 and AML1-ETO has provided a strong rationale for the development compounds that target the epigenome for the treatment of cancer. HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) are potent inducers of tumor cell apoptosis but it remains unclear why tumor cells are selectively sensitive to HDACi-induced cell death. Herein we assessed the biological and molecular responses of normal and transformed cells to the FDA-approved HDACi vorinostat. Both HDACi selectively killed cells of diverse tissue origin that had been transformed through the serial introduction of different oncogenes. Time course microarray expression profiling revealed that normal and transformed cells transcriptionally responded to vorinostat treatment. Over 4200 genes responded differently to vorinostat in normal and transformed cells and gene ontology and pathway analyses identified a tumor-cell-selective pro-apoptotic gene-expression signature that consisted of BCL2 family genes. In particular, HDACi induced tumor cell-selective upregulation of the pro-apoptotic gene BMF and downregulation of the pro-survival gene BCL2A1 encoding BFL-1. Maintenance of BFL-1 levels in transformed cells through forced expression conferred vorinostat resistance indicating that specific and selective engagement of the intrinsic apoptosis pathways underlies the tumor cell-selective apoptotic activities of these agents. The ability of HDACi to affect the growth and survival of tumor cells whilst leaving normal cells relatively unharmed is fundamental to their successful clinical application. This study provides new insight into the transcriptional effects of HDACi in human donor-matched normal and transformed cells, and identifies molecules and pathways that could underpin the tumor-selective cytotoxic activity of these compounds. Whole genome expression profiling was performed for vorinostat-treated samples and control samples (DMSO vehicle control). Fourteen samples were included in this study. Each sample has three biological replicates, making forty-two arrays in total.

Project description:The antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bfl-1 is upregulated in many human tumors in which NF-kB is implicated, and contributes significantly to tumor cell survival and chemoresistance. We previously found that NF-kB induces transcription of bfl-1, and that the Bfl-1 protein is also regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome. However little is known of the role that dysregulation of Bfl-1 turnover plays in cancer. We found that ubiquitination-resistant mutants of Bfl-1 display increased stability and greatly accelerate tumor formation in a mouse model of leukemia/lymphoma. Gene expression profiling revealed that tyrosine kinase Lck is highly upregulated and activated in these tumors compared to the parental cells, as were several genes in the RANK signaling pathway, and leads to activation of the IKK, Akt and Erk signaling pathways, which are key mediators in cancer. Tumor assays with cells coexpressing constitutively active Lck with Bfl-1, or with tumor-derived cells following shRNA-mediated Lck knockdown, unveiled functional cooperation between Bfl-1 and Lck in leukemia/lymphomagenesis. These data demonstrate that ubiquitination is a critical mechanism for regulating Bfl-1 function, and suggest that mutations in bfl-1 or in the signaling pathways that control its ubiquitination may predispose to cancer. Additionally since bfl-1 is upregulated in many human hematopoietic tumors, these data suggest that strategies to promote Bfl-1 ubiquitination may improve therapy in drug-resistant tumors. FL5.12 pro-B cells were stably transfected with Bfl-1DC and p53DD (Parental - P) and injected i.v. into nude mice. The spleens were harvested from three independent mice that developed leukemia/lymphoma (T1, T2, and T3). To identify the changes in gene expression that occurred during tumorigenesis, RNA was isolated from the parental cell line (P) and from three independent splenic tumors (T) and hybridized to Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430A_2.0 arrays. The analysis was performed in duplicate.

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HDAC Inhibitors induce tumor cell-selective pro-apoptotic transcriptional responses.

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