Project description:<p>The involvement of membrane-bound solute carriers (SLCs) in neoplastic transdifferentiation processes is poorly defined. Here, we examined changes in the SLC landscape during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of pancreatic cancer cells. We show that two SLCs from the organic anion/cation transporter family, SLC22A10 and SLC22A15, favor EMT via interferon (IFN) α and γ signaling activation of receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) expression. In addition, SLC22A10 and SLC22A15 allow tumor cell accumulation of glutathione to support EMT via the IFNα/γ-ROR1 axis. Moreover, a pan-SLC22A inhibitor lesinurad reduces EMT-induced metastasis and gemcitabine chemoresistance to prolong survival in mouse models of pancreatic cancer, thus identifying new vulnerabilities for human PDAC.</p>
Project description:Epithelial plasticity – reversible modulation of a cell’s epithelial and mesenchymal features – is associated with cancer metastasis and chemoresistance. This process is classically driven by a small cohort of transcription factors, several of which have been reported to functionally interact with epigenetic modifiers at the promoters of key epithelial and mesenchymal genes. However, the extent to which epigenetic changes underlie epithelial plasticity at the genomic level remains largely unknown. Here we show that genome-wide regulation of a single histone mark, H3K36me2, is critical for establishing stable epithelial-mesenchymal states in various genetic, chemical, and cellular contexts. Through targeted CRISPR-Cas9 screening, we discovered two histone-modifying enzymes involved in the writing and erasing of H3K36me2 that act reciprocally to regulate epithelial-mesenchymal identity, tumor differentiation, and metastasis. Using genetic approaches to inhibit H3K36me2, we found that modulation of the mark itself is a conserved mechanism underlying the mesenchymal state. Although H3K36me2 is distributed broadly throughout the genome, it is associated with altered enhancer activity affecting a relatively small number of genes, including those associated with master epithelial-mesenchymal regulatory factors. Our results thus outline an epigenome-scale mechanism by which a specific histone modification regulates cellular plasticity in cancer.
Project description:Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease and it is the most common type of pancreatic cancer. Majority of the pancreatic cancers harbor alterations in the Kras gene. Currently there are no approved drugs that target Kras directly and it's downstream effect on the epigenome remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the epigenetic landscape of pancreatic cancer cells which harbor the inducible KrasG12D allele. We performed RNA-seq, ChIP-seq against 6 different histone marks, ATAC-seq and RRBS to assess the changes in the epigenome after oncogenic KrasG12D induction.
Project description:H3K27ac ChIP-se and ATAC-seq were used to determine epigenetic differences between Hdac2 knockout versus Hdac2 wildtype pancreatic cancer cells.
Project description:Depletion of Zeb1 in a KPC-model for pancreatic cancer affected strongly the formation of precursor lesions, tumour grading, invasion and notably metastasis during PDAC progression. In this context, EMT is important for metastasis, but there is variability and specificity (and not redundancy) in the role and function of different EMT-inducing transcription factors.
Project description:EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) in cancer has been associated with tumour stemness, metastasis and resistance to therapy. It has recently been proposed that, rather than being a binary process, EMT occurs through distinct intermediate states. However,direct in vivo evidence supporting this possibility is still lacking. By screening a large panel of cell surface markers, we identified the existence of multiple tumour subpopulations associated with different EMT stages from epithelial to completely mesenchymal states passing through intermediate hybrid states in skin and mammary primary tumours. Although all EMT subpopulations presented similar tumour propagating cell capacity, they displayed different, invasiveness and metastatic potential. Their transcriptional and epigenetic landscapes defined by RNA-seq and ATAC-seq identified the underlying gene regulatory networks, transcription factors and signalling pathways that control these different EMT transition states. Finally, these tumour subpopulations are localized in different niches that differentially regulateEMT transition states.
Project description:Epithelial plasticity – reversible modulation of a cell’s epithelial and mesenchymal features – is associated with cancer metastasis and chemoresistance. This process is classically driven by a small cohort of transcription factors, several of which have been reported to functionally interact with epigenetic modifiers at the promoters of key epithelial and mesenchymal genes. However, the extent to which epigenetic changes underlie epithelial plasticity at the genomic level remains largely unknown. Here we show that genome-wide regulation of a single histone mark, H3K36me2, is critical for establishing stable epithelial-mesenchymal states in various genetic, chemical, and cellular contexts. Through targeted CRISPR-Cas9 screening, we discovered two histone-modifying enzymes involved in the writing and erasing of H3K36me2 that act reciprocally to regulate epithelial-mesenchymal identity, tumor differentiation, and metastasis. Using genetic approaches to inhibit H3K36me2, we found that modulation of the mark itself is a conserved mechanism underlying the mesenchymal state. Although H3K36me2 is distributed broadly throughout the genome, it is associated with altered enhancer activity affecting a relatively small number of genes, including those associated with master epithelial-mesenchymal regulatory factors. Our results thus outline an epigenome-scale mechanism by which a specific histone modification regulates cellular plasticity in cancer.