Project description:DNA methylation profiling of four DLD1 colorectal cancer cell derivatives that recapitulate EMT/MET transitions during metastasis. The Illumina Infinium 450k Human DNA methylation Beadchip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 450,000 CpGs.
Project description:microRNA profiling of a cellular model of colorectal cancer progression, which is based on four defined derivates of a CRC cell line that resulted from EMT/MET transitions and phenotypically recapitulate the metastatic cascade: epithelial-like primary tumor, mesenchymal-like tumor cells growing in soft agar or as colonospheres, and mouse xenografts of the latter resulting in lung-metastasis comprised of epithelial-state cells.
Project description:RNA profiling of a cellular model of colorectal cancer progression, which is based on four defined derivates of a CRC cell line that resulted from EMT/MET transitions and phenotypically recapitulate the metastatic cascade: epithelial-like primary tumor, mesenchymal-like tumor cells growing in soft agar or as colonospheres, and mouse xenografts of the latter resulting in lung-metastasis comprised of epithelial-state cells.
Project description:H3K4me3, H3K27me3, and H3K79me3 profiling of a cellular model of colorectal cancer progression, which is based on four defined derivates of a CRC cell line that resulted from EMT/MET transitions and phenotypically recapitulate the metastatic cascade: epithelial-like primary tumor, mesenchymal-like tumor cells growing in soft agar or as colonospheres, and mouse xenografts of the latter resulting in lung-metastasis comprised of epithelial-state cells.
Project description:Our goal was to assess gene expression changes that occur when Lymphoid Enhancer Factor-1 (LEF-1) promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the primary mechanism of tumor metastasis. To observe this phenomenon without interference from other signaling pathways, we selected DLD1 colon carcinoma cells (ATCC) which contain a mutation in APC. APC is a necessary component of a ubiquitin protein complex (including GSK-3beta, Axin, etc.) that is responsible for degrading cytoplasmic beta-catenin. Therefore, sufficient levels of LEF-1 can be easily activated by forming complexes with the abundant beta-catenin located in the cytoplasm of DLD1 cells. These complexes can then promote transcription of genes that stimulate EMT. We treated DLD1 cells with an adenoviral LEF-1 expression construct, which induced EMT within 48 hours. RNA was then extracted from these cells along with untreated DLD1 cells, then subjected to microarray analysis. From this analysis, we acquired several gene expression profiles by which epithelial colon carcinoma cells transform to an invasive, mesenchymal phenotype to initiate metastasis. Keywords: epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor metastasis, cancer progression, epithelial cell plasticity
Project description:Our goal was to assess gene expression changes that occur when Lymphoid Enhancer Factor-1 (LEF-1) promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the primary mechanism of tumor metastasis. To observe this phenomenon without interference from other signaling pathways, we selected DLD1 colon carcinoma cells (ATCC) which contain a mutation in APC. APC is a necessary component of a ubiquitin protein complex (including GSK-3beta, Axin, etc.) that is responsible for degrading cytoplasmic beta-catenin. Therefore, sufficient levels of LEF-1 can be easily activated by forming complexes with the abundant beta-catenin located in the cytoplasm of DLD1 cells. These complexes can then promote transcription of genes that stimulate EMT. We treated DLD1 cells with an adenoviral LEF-1 expression construct, which induced EMT within 48 hours. RNA was then extracted from these cells along with untreated DLD1 cells, then subjected to microarray analysis. From this analysis, we acquired several gene expression profiles by which epithelial colon carcinoma cells transform to an invasive, mesenchymal phenotype to initiate metastasis. Experiment Overall Design: DLD1 cells were treated with an adenoviral LEF-1 expression construct as described by Kim et al. (2002). Total RNA was extracted from both untreated and treated DLD1 cells using the RNeasy mini extraction kit (Qaigen). RNA amplification, biotin labeling, microarray hybridization, and fluidics were performed following the eukaryotic sample and array processing protocol (Affymetrix). Chips were scanned using an Affymetrix Gene Array Scanner (Hewlett-Packard). Raw data was compiled using Microarray Suite 5.0 software (Affymetrix).
Project description:We have generated and employed reversible and irreversible EMT models of murine breast cancer cells to identify the key players establishing cell state transitions during a reversible and an irreversible EMT. We demonstrate that the Mbd3/NuRD complex, involving histone deacetylases (HDACs) and Tet2 hydroxylase, acts as an epigenetic block in epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. These epigenetic modifiers keep breast cancer cells in a stable mesenchymal state, and their pharmacological inhibition or genetic ablation leads to a mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) and represses primary tumor growth and metastasis formation of highly aggressive, mesenchymal breast cancer cells.
Project description:Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic process that relies on cellular plasticity; an EMT/MET axis is critical for metastatic colonization of carcinomas. Unlike epithelial programming, regulation of mesenchymal programming is not well understood in EMT. Here we describe the first microRNA that enhances exclusively mesenchymal programming. We demonstrate that microRNA-424 is up-regulated early during a TWIST1/SNAI1-induced EMT, and that it causes cells to express mesenchymal genes without affecting epithelial genes, resulting in a mixed/intermediate EMT. Further, microRNA-424 increases motility, decreases adhesion and induces a growth arrest, changes associated with a complete EMT. Patient microRNA-424 levels positively associate with TWIST1/2 and EMT-like gene signatures and is increased in primary tumors versus matched normal breast. However, microRNA-424 is down-regulated in metastases versus matched primary tumors. Correspondingly, microRNA-424 decreases tumor initiation and is post-transcriptionally down-regulated in macrometastases in mice. RNA-seq identified microRNA-424 regulates numerous genes associated with EMT and breast cancer stemness including the novel miR-424 target, TGFBR3, which regulates mesenchymal phenotypes without influencing miR-424 effects on tumor-initiating phenotypes; instead, we show that ERK signaling is critical for such tumor-initiating effects of miR-424. These findings suggest microRNA-424 plays distinct roles downstream of EMT-inducing factors, facilitating earlier stages, but repressing later stages, of metastasis. Examination of mRNA levels in MCF12A human breast cell lines that stably over-expressed miR-424 or an empty vector (EV) control. Each group has three replicates.