Project description:We overexpress RUNX2 in ten human cell lines and identify genes that are affected by RUNX2 expression. These target genes provide a valuable resource into pathways regulated by RUNX2
Project description:Prostate carcinogenesis is associated with changes in androgen signaling from driving cellular differentiation to promoting oncogenic behaviors. RUNX2 binds the androgen receptor (AR), and ectopic expression of RUNX2 is linked to prostate cancer (PCa) progression. We therefore investigated genome-wide the influence of RUNX2 on androgen-induced gene expression and AR DNA binding in PCa cells. The predominant function of RUNX2 is to inhibit the androgen response, attributable in part to dissociation of AR from target genes such as the tumor suppressor NKX3-1. At a minority of AR target genes, however, AR activity persists in the presence of RUNX2. Some of these genes are co-operatively stimulated by androgen and RUNX2 signaling and are characterized by the presence of putative enhancers co-occupied by AR and RUNX2. Genes synergistically stimulated by AR and RUNX2 include the invasion-promoting transcription factor SNAI2. Indeed, co-activation of AR and RUNX2, but neither alone, stimulated PCa cell invasiveness, which was abolished by SNAI2 silencing. Accordingly, PCa biopsies most strongly stained for SNAI2 exhibit high nuclear expression of both RUNX2 and AR. The RUNX2-mediated locus-dependent modulation of AR activity in PCa opens a research avenue that may guide the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to patient management.
Project description:Prostate carcinogenesis is associated with changes in androgen signaling from driving cellular differentiation to promoting oncogenic behaviors. RUNX2 binds the androgen receptor (AR), and ectopic expression of RUNX2 is linked to prostate cancer (PCa) progression. We therefore investigated genome-wide the influence of RUNX2 on androgen-induced gene expression and AR DNA binding in PCa cells. The predominant function of RUNX2 is to inhibit the androgen response, attributable in part to dissociation of AR from target genes such as the tumor suppressor NKX3-1. At a minority of AR target genes, however, AR activity persists in the presence of RUNX2. Some of these genes are co-operatively stimulated by androgen and RUNX2 signaling and are characterized by the presence of putative enhancers co-occupied by AR and RUNX2. Genes synergistically stimulated by AR and RUNX2 include the invasion-promoting transcription factor SNAI2. Indeed, co-activation of AR and RUNX2, but neither alone, stimulated PCa cell invasiveness, which was abolished by SNAI2 silencing. Accordingly, PCa biopsies most strongly stained for SNAI2 exhibit high nuclear expression of both RUNX2 and AR. The RUNX2-mediated locus-dependent modulation of AR activity in PCa opens a research avenue that may guide the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to patient management. total RNA from C4-2B/Rx2dox cells was extracted in biological triplicates from four different conditions. Ethanol vehicle control, dox to induce RUNX2 expression, DHT to activate androgen receptor and DHT+dox combined.
Project description:T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy with a high incidence of relapse. Here we show that Runt-related transcription factor 2, RUNX2 is upregulated in high-risk T-ALL with KMT2A rearrangements (KMT2A-R) or immature phenotype. In KMT2A-R cells, we identified RUNX2 as a direct target of the KMT2A chimeras, while it reciprocally binds the KMT2A promoter, establishing a regulatory feed-forward mechanism. Notably, RUNX2 is required for survival in immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL in vitro and in vivo. We report a direct transcriptional regulation of CXCR4 signaling by RUNX2, which thereby promotes cell migration and adhesion. Functionally, RUNX2 impacts T-ALL cell homing and exacerbates T-ALL progression to medullary and extramedullary sites. We demonstrate that RUNX2 enables these energy-demanding processes by increasing metabolic activity in T-ALL cells through positive regulation of both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Concurrently, RUNX2 upregulation results in increased mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis in T-ALL cells. As a proof of concept, immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL cells are vulnerable to pharmacological targeting of the interaction of RUNX2 with its co-factor CBFβ. In conclusion, we identify RUNX2 a dependency factor in immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL that regulates cell metabolism and disease progression
Project description:T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy with a high incidence of relapse. Here we show that Runt-related transcription factor 2, RUNX2 is upregulated in high-risk T-ALL with KMT2A rearrangements (KMT2A-R) or immature phenotype. In KMT2A-R cells, we identified RUNX2 as a direct target of the KMT2A chimeras, while it reciprocally binds the KMT2A promoter, establishing a regulatory feed-forward mechanism. Notably, RUNX2 is required for survival in immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL in vitro and in vivo. We report a direct transcriptional regulation of CXCR4 signaling by RUNX2, which thereby promotes cell migration and adhesion. Functionally, RUNX2 impacts T-ALL cell homing and exacerbates T-ALL progression to medullary and extramedullary sites. We demonstrate that RUNX2 enables these energy-demanding processes by increasing metabolic activity in T-ALL cells through positive regulation of both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Concurrently, RUNX2 upregulation results in increased mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis in T-ALL cells. As a proof of concept, immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL cells are vulnerable to pharmacological targeting of the interaction of RUNX2 with its co-factor CBFβ. In conclusion, we identify RUNX2 a dependency factor in immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL that regulates cell metabolism and disease progression
Project description:T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy with a high incidence of relapse. Here we show that Runt-related transcription factor 2, RUNX2 is upregulated in high-risk T-ALL with KMT2A rearrangements (KMT2A-R) or immature phenotype. In KMT2A-R cells, we identified RUNX2 as a direct target of the KMT2A chimeras, while it reciprocally binds the KMT2A promoter, establishing a regulatory feed-forward mechanism. Notably, RUNX2 is required for survival in immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL in vitro and in vivo. We report a direct transcriptional regulation of CXCR4 signaling by RUNX2, which thereby promotes cell migration and adhesion. Functionally, RUNX2 impacts T-ALL cell homing and exacerbates T-ALL progression to medullary and extramedullary sites. We demonstrate that RUNX2 enables these energy-demanding processes by increasing metabolic activity in T-ALL cells through positive regulation of both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Concurrently, RUNX2 upregulation results in increased mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis in T-ALL cells. As a proof of concept, immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL cells are vulnerable to pharmacological targeting of the interaction of RUNX2 with its co-factor CBFβ. In conclusion, we identify RUNX2 a dependency factor in immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL that regulates cell metabolism and disease progression
Project description:T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy with a high incidence of relapse. Here we show that Runt-related transcription factor 2, RUNX2 is upregulated in high-risk T-ALL with KMT2A rearrangements (KMT2A-R) or immature phenotype. In KMT2A-R cells, we identified RUNX2 as a direct target of the KMT2A chimeras, while it reciprocally binds the KMT2A promoter, establishing a regulatory feed-forward mechanism. Notably, RUNX2 is required for survival in immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL in vitro and in vivo. We report a direct transcriptional regulation of CXCR4 signaling by RUNX2, which thereby promotes cell migration and adhesion. Functionally, RUNX2 impacts T-ALL cell homing and exacerbates T-ALL progression to medullary and extramedullary sites. We demonstrate that RUNX2 enables these energy-demanding processes by increasing metabolic activity in T-ALL cells through positive regulation of both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Concurrently, RUNX2 upregulation results in increased mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis in T-ALL cells. As a proof of concept, immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL cells are vulnerable to pharmacological targeting of the interaction of RUNX2 with its co-factor CBFβ. In conclusion, we identify RUNX2 a dependency factor in immature and KMT2A-R T-ALL that regulates cell metabolism and disease progression
Project description:Research has already gained much insight into the roles of various members of the RUNX family of transcription factors in the development of human T- and B-cells, however the importance in human NK cell development remains unclear. In this study we discovered that NK cells predominantly express the shorter of the two principal isoforms of RUNX2, also referred to as RUNX2-I. Therefore, we overexpressed the RUNX2-I isoform in human umbilical cord blood-derived hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) and cultured them in vitro in an NK cell differentiation model. On day 14 of culture (CD56+CD94+) NK cells from RUNX2-I overexpression and control cultures were sorted, after which mRNA was isolated and transcriptome analysis was performed by RNA sequencing. Evaluation of the transcriptome in these NK cells could reveal the molecular mechanisms of the RUNX2-I isoform.