Dataset Information

Membrane-bound TGF-beta on tumor-associated mesenchymal stem-like cells initiates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human colorectal cancer

ABSTRACT: Growing evidence indicates that tumor-associated stroma plays a negative role in human colorectal cancer (CRC). Nature of specific stromal cell populations involved and mechanisms underlying their negative impact remain to be fully understood. In this study we describe the expansion from human primary CRCs of a mesenchymal cell population, referred to as tumor-associated stromal cells (TASCs), resembling bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in morphology, phenotypes and differentiation potential. We found that, upon co-culture with tumor cells, TASCs acquire membrane-bound TGF-mbTGF-expression, a phenomenon mediated by v6 integrin. MbTGF-expression proved to be critical for triggering epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor cells, eventually leading to enhanced dissemination of circulating tumor cells and increased metastasis formation, in an orthotopic mouse model. Our data identify CRC-associated mesenchymal stem-like cells as critical EMT initiators and suggest mbTGF- as potential novel therapeutic target.

INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (human)

TISSUE(S): Stem Cell, Cell Culture

DISEASE(S): Colon Cancer

SUBMITTER: Alexander Schmidt

LAB HEAD: Alexander Schmidt

PROVIDER: PXD005796 | Pride | 2022-05-19

REPOSITORIES: Pride

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Publications

Identification of TPM2 and CNN1 as Novel Prognostic Markers in Functionally Characterized Human Colon Cancer-Associated Stromal Cells.

Mele Valentina V Basso Camilla C Governa Valeria V Glaus Garzon Jesus F JF Muraro Manuele G MG Däster Silvio S Nebiker Christian A CA Mechera Robert R Bolli Martin M Schmidt Alexander A Geiger Roger R Spagnoli Giulio C GC Christoforidis Dimitri D Majno Pietro E PE Borsig Lubor L Iezzi Giandomenica G

Cancers 20220416 8

Stromal infiltration is associated with poor prognosis in human colon cancers. However, the high heterogeneity of human tumor-associated stromal cells (TASCs) hampers a clear identification of specific markers of prognostic relevance. To address these issues, we established short-term cultures of TASCs and matched healthy mucosa-associated stromal cells (MASCs) from human primary colon cancers and, upon characterization of their phenotypic and functional profiles in vitro and in vivo, we identif ...[more]

PMID: 35454931

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Project description:Purpose: WNT signaling activation in colorectal cancers (CRCs) occurs mainly through APC inactivation or, more uncommonly, β-catenin activation. Both processes promote β-catenin nuclear accumulation, which transcriptionally up-regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes. Experimental Design: We investigated β-catenin localization, downstream gene expression, and phenotypic alterations in HCT116 cells containing a wild-type (HCT116-WT) or mutant β-catenin allele (HCT116-MT), or parental cells with both WT and mutant alleles (HCT116-P). We then analyzed β-catenin localization and associated phenotypes in CRC tissues. Results: Wild-type β-catenin mainly localized at the cell membrane, whereas mutant showed predominantly nuclear localization; membranous, cytoplasmic, and nuclear localization was observed in HCT116-P cells. Microarray analysis revealed significant down-regulation of Claudin-7 and E-cadherin in HCT116-MT vs. HCT116-WT cells. Claudin-7 was also down-regulated in HCT116-P vs. HCT116-WT cells, although E-cadherin expression was unaffected. Altered expression of cell-cell junction-related molecules led to tight junction (TJ) impairment in HCT116-P, and dual loss of TJs and adherens junctions (AJs) in HCT116-MT. TJ loss increased migration and invasion activities of HCT116-WT, whereas AJ loss was required to further up-regulate these activities in HCT116-P. Immunohistochemistry analysis of 101 stage III CRC tissues revealed high nuclear β-catenin expression (≥30% of tumor cells) in 15 (14.9%) samples, low nuclear expression (1-29%) in 53 (52.5%) samples, and undetectable nuclear expression in 33 (32.6%) samples, with a trend toward more frequent down-regulation of Claudin-7 and E-cadherin, and increased metastasis in CRCs with high vs. low nuclear β-catenin. Conclusions: β-catenin activation and nuclear translocation induce EMT progression by modifying cell-cell junctions, and are associated with aggressive behaviors of CRCs.

Project description:Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily signaling is a prime inducer of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMT) that foster cancer cell invasion and metastasis, a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Yet, TGFβ signaling is frequently inactivated in human tumor entities including colorectal cancer (CRC) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) with a high proportion of mutations incapacitating SMAD4, which codes for a transcription factor (TF) central to canonical TGFβ and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. Beyond its role in initiating EMT, SMAD4 was reported to crucially contribute to subsequent gene regulatory events during EMT execution. It is therefore widely assumed that SMAD4-mutant (SMAD4mut) cancer cells are unable to undergo EMT. Here, we scrutinized this notion and probed for potential SMAD4-independent EMT execution using SMAD4mut CRC cell lines. We show that SMAD4mut cells exhibit morphological changes, become invasive, and regulate EMT marker genes upon induction of the EMT-TF SNAIL1. Furthermore, SNAIL1-induced EMT in SMAD4mut cells was found to be entirely independent of TGFβ/BMP receptor activity. Global assessment of the SNAIL1‑dependent transcriptome confirmed the manifestation of an EMT gene regulatory program in SMAD4mut cells highly related to established EMT signatures. Finally, analyses of human tumor transcriptomes showed that SMAD4 mutations are not underrepresented in mesenchymal tumor samples and that expression patterns of EMT‑associated genes are similar in SMAD4mut and SMAD4 wild-type cases. Altogether, our findings reveal considerable plasticity of gene regulatory networks operating in EMT execution and establish that EMT is not categorically precluded in SMAD4mut tumors, which is relevant for their diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation. To identify genes regulated during EMT execution in HT29 cells, two clonal HT29 cell populations (4F5 and 3C2) overexpressing Snail1-HA in a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible manner, as well as control cells were treated with Dox for different periods of time.

Dataset Information

Membrane-bound TGF-beta on tumor-associated mesenchymal stem-like cells initiates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human colorectal cancer

Publications

Identification of TPM2 and CNN1 as Novel Prognostic Markers in Functionally Characterized Human Colon Cancer-Associated Stromal Cells.

Similar Datasets

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