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Pan-Cancer DNA Hypermethylation Leads to Transcriptional Upregulation of Homeobox Oncogene

ABSTRACT: Cancers have long been recognized to be not only genetically but also epigenetically distinct from their tissues of origin. Although genetic alterations underlying oncogene upregulation have been well studied, to what extent epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, can also induce oncogene expression remains unknown. Here, through pan-cancer analysis of 4,182 genome-wide profiles, including whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data from 30 normal tissues and 35 solid tumors, we discovered a strong correlation between gene-body hypermethylation of DNA methylation canyons (broad under-methylated regions) and overexpression of ~43% homeobox genes, many of which are also oncogenes. To gain insights into the cause-and-effect relationship, we used a newly developed dCas9-SunTag-DNMT3A system to methylate genomic sites of interest. The locus-specific hypermethylation of gene-body canyon, but not promoter, of homeobox oncogene DLX1 and POU3F3, can direct increase its gene expression. Together, our pan-cancer analysis followed by functional validation reveals DNA hypermethylation as a novel epigenetic mechanism for homeobox oncogene upregulation.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE90780 | GEO | 2017/12/01

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA355884

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive solid tumors and oncogenic pathways (e.g Akt, IGF signaling) are often activated in high proliferating HCC. Among several genetic alterations, epigenetic changes seem to be involved in the development and progression of HCC. DNA hypermethylation of promoter regions is almost always associated with transcriptional silencing and can lead to inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSG) in cancer cells. Aim: (1) To identify genes differently methylated in a subclass of HCC associated with proliferation and, (2) To correlate methylation changes with activation of molecular pathways. Methods: gDNA of 20 HCC, 8 cirrhotic and 8 normal liver samples was extracted and the methylation status was detected by the Illumina HumanMethylation27 BeadChip and immunohistochemistry of p-AKT, pIGF IR, p-S6 was analyzed. Results: Unsupervised clustering clearly classified normal livers, cirrhosis and HCC in 3 different groups. 961 genes were significantly hypermethylated in HCC compared to cirrhotic and 3942 genes showed hypermethylation in cirrhotic compared to normal liver tissue. 163 genes showed stepwise significant hypermethylation from normal to cirrhotic to HCC, including well described (p16, SOCS2, SFRP5, RBP1) and potential (SRD5A2, PCDH8, IGF-1R, UCHL1) TSGs, and the miR-10a. 133 genes were specifically hypermethylated in HCC. Among them the transcription factors GATA2, DLX1, and KLF14, all significantly inversely correlated to gene expression (p=0.003, p=0.03, and p=0.007, respectively). The methylation status of SOCS2 (p=0.025) and DLX1 (p=0.025) was significantly correlated to phosphorylation of IGFR1. Samples with RBP1 hypermethylation showed significantly higher AFP serum levels (p=0.018). Conclusion: Whole genome methylation analysis markedly classifies normal, cirrhotic and HCC samples. 8 TSGs play a key role in this stepwise progression of hypermethylation in the development of HCC and could be a promising point of action in anticancer therapy. Genomic DNA extracted from fresh frozen tissue specimens and cell lines was hybridized to genome-wide mthylation beadarray after bisulphite treatment. Keywords: DNA methylation, hepatocellular carcinoma, tissue, cell line

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Pan-Cancer DNA Hypermethylation Leads to Transcriptional Upregulation of Homeobox Oncogene

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