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Retinoic acid induced changes in gene expression in TAF4 knock out fibroblasts

ABSTRACT: Collagen 6A3 (Col6a3), a component of extracellular matrix, is often up-regulated in tumours and is believed to play a pro-oncogenic role. However the mechanisms of its tumorigenic activity are poorly understood. We show here that Col6a3 is highly expressed in densely growing mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). In MEFs where the TAF4 subunit of general transcription factor IID (TFIID) has been inactivated, elevated Col6a3 expression prevents contact inhibition promoting their 3 dimensional growth as foci and fibrospheres. Analyses of gene expression in densely growing Taf4-/- MEFs revealed repression of the Hippo pathway and activation of Wnt signalling. The Hippo activator Kibra/Wwc1 is repressed under dense conditions in Taf4-/- MEFs, leading to nuclear accumulation of the proliferation factor YAP1 in the cells forming 3D foci. At the same time, Wnt9a is activated and the Sfrp2 antagonist of Wnt signalling is repressed. Surprisingly, treatment of Taf4-/- MEFs with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) restores contact inhibition suppressing 3D growth. ATRA represses Col6a3 expression independently of TAF4 expression and Col6a3 silencing is sufficient to restore contact inhibition in Taf4-/- MEFs and to suppress 3D growth by reactivating Kibra expression to induce Hippo signalling and by inducing Sfrp2 expression to antagonize Wnt signalling. All together, these results reveal a critical role for Col6a3 in regulating both Hippo and Wnt signalling to promote 3D growth, and show that the TFIID subunit TAF4 is essential to restrain the growth promoting properties of Col6a3. Our data provide new insight into the role of extra cellular matrix components in regulating cell growth.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE53097 | GEO | 2014/03/06

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA230825

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The Wnt pathway plays a central role in controlling differentiation of epithelial tissues; when Wnt is on, differentiation is suppressed, but when Wnt is off, differentiation is allowed to proceed. Based on this concept, we hypothesized that expression of key genes in the Wnt pathway are suppressed in the human airway epithelium under the stress of cigarette smoking, a stress associated with dysregulation of the differentiated state of the airway epithelium. For this purpose, HG-U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays were used to assess the expression of Wnt-related genes in the small airway (10th-12th generation) epithelium (SAE) obtained via bronchoscopy and brushing of healthy nonsmokers (n=47), healthy smokers (n=58), and smokers with established COPD (n=22). With expression defined as present in >20% of samples, microarray analysis demonstrated that 35 of 57 known Wnt-related genes are expressed in the adult SAE. Wnt pathway downstream targets β-catenin (p<0.05) and the transcription factor 7-like 1 were down-regulated in healthy smokers, and smokers with COPD, as were a number of Wnt target genes, including VEGFA, CCND1, MMP7, CLDN1, SOX9, RHOU (all p<0.05 compared to healthy nonsmokers). As a mechanism to explain this broad, smoking-induced suppression of the Wnt pathway, we assessed expression of the DKK and SFRP families, extracellular regulators that suppress the Wnt pathway. Among these, secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2), was up-regulated 4.3-fold (p<0.0001) in healthy smokers and 4.9-fold (p<0.0001) in COPD smokers, an observation confirmed by TaqMan Real-time PCR. AT the protein levels, Western analysis demonstrated SFRP2 up-regulation, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the smoking-induced SFRP2 upregulation occurred in differentiated ciliated cells. Finally, cigarette smoke extract mediated up-regulation of SFRP2 and downregulation of Wnt target genes in airway epithelial cells in vitro. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the Wnt pathway plays a role in airway epithelial cell differentiation in the adult human airway epithelium, with smoking associated with down-regulation of Wnt pathway, contributing to the dysregulation of airway epithelial differentiation observed in the smoking-related airway disorders. Affymetrix arrays were used to assess gene expression data of genes in the Wnt pathway in small airway epithelium obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy of 47 healthy non-smokers and 58 healthy smokers and 22 smokers with COPD.

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Retinoic acid induced changes in gene expression in TAF4 knock out fibroblasts

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