SOX2 Drives Esophageal Squamous Carcinoma by Reprogramming Lipid Metabolism and Histone Acetylation Landscape
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PROVIDER: PRJNA1280084 | ENA |
REPOSITORIES: ENA
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Project description:SOX2 is not only a pioneer transcription factor with critical roles in stem cell function and cell reprogramming but also a potent initiating oncodriver for a multitude of squamous cancers. How SOX2 exerts a potent oncogenic activity in squamous lineage is largely unknown. Here we uncovered a unique role of SOX2 in driving up global histone acetylation in various esophageal squamous cancer cells (ESCCs). Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) analyses demonstrated that knockdown of SOX2 in ESCC cells resulted in a global down-regulation of histone acetylation and impaired about half of the super-enhancers. We engineered an ESCC SOX2-dTAG cell line that allowed rapid degradation of SOX2, and subsequent ChIP-seq confirmed a role of SOX2 in promoting global histone acetylation, beside its role in promoting local histone acetylation at SOX2 binding regions. Combined metabolic and transcriptional analyses revealed two mechanisms by which SOX2 drives up global histone acetylation in ESCCs: promoting the expression of a panel of histone acetyltransferases and reducing long chain fatty acid synthesis/elongation at least in part by repressing the expression of long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 5 (ACSL5), which in turn channels acetyl-CoA to histone acetylation. We demonstrated that ACSL5 knockdown downregulated fatty acid synthesis/elongation and enhanced histone acetylation, whereas overexpression of ACSL5 resulted in lipid accumulation, histone hypoacetylation, and tumor growth inhibition. Finally, we showed that SOX2 expression correlates negatively with ACSL5 and positively with histone acetylation in clinical esophageal squamous tumors. Altogether, our study uncovers a role of SOX2 in reprogramming lipid metabolism and driving histone hyperacetylation and super-enhancer function, providing new mechanistic insights of SOX2 acting as a potent oncodriver.
2025-07-21 | GSE300317 | GEO
Project description:SOX2 is not only a pioneer transcription factor with critical roles in stem cell function and cell reprogramming but also a potent initiating oncodriver for a multitude of squamous cancers. How SOX2 exerts a potent oncogenic activity in squamous lineage is largely unknown. Here we uncovered a unique role of SOX2 in driving global histone acetylation and demonstrated that SOX2 is required for the formation of about half of the super-enhancers in esophageal squamous cancer cells (ESCCs). Combined metabolic, chromatin and transcriptional analysis revealed at least two mechanisms by which SOX2 drives histone acetylation in ESCCs: promoting the expression of a panel of histone acetyltransferases and program fatty acid metabolism, which channels acetyl-CoA to histone acetylation by promoting the expression of multiple genes in fatty acid -oxidation and by repressing the expression of long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 5 (ACSL5) involved in fatty acid synthesis. We demonstrated that ACSL5 knockdown downregulated fatty acid synthesis and enhanced histone acetylation, whereas overexpression of ACSL5 resulted in lipid accumulation, histone hypoacetylation, and tumor growth inhibition. Finally, we showed that SOX2 expression correlates negatively with ACSL5 and positively with histone acetylation in clinical esophageal squamous tumors. Altogether, our study uncovers a role of SOX2 in reprogramming lipid metabolism and driving histone hyperacetylation and super-enhancer function, providing new mechanistic insights of SOX2 acting as a potent oncodriver.
2025-07-21 | GSE256473 | GEO
Project description:SOX2 is not only a pioneer transcription factor with critical roles in stem cell function and cell reprogramming but also a potent initiating oncodriver for a multitude of squamous cancers. How SOX2 exerts a potent oncogenic activity in squamous lineage is largely unknown. Here we uncovered a unique role of SOX2 in driving global histone acetylation and demonstrated that SOX2 is required for the formation of about half of the super-enhancers in esophageal squamous cancer cells (ESCCs). Combined metabolic, chromatin and transcriptional analysis revealed at least two mechanisms by which SOX2 drives histone acetylation in ESCCs: promoting the expression of a panel of histone acetyltransferases and program fatty acid metabolism, which channels acetyl-CoA to histone acetylation by promoting the expression of multiple genes in fatty acid -oxidation and by repressing the expression of long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 5 (ACSL5) involved in fatty acid synthesis. We demonstrated that ACSL5 knockdown downregulated fatty acid synthesis and enhanced histone acetylation, whereas overexpression of ACSL5 resulted in lipid accumulation, histone hypoacetylation, and tumor growth inhibition. Finally, we showed that SOX2 expression correlates negatively with ACSL5 and positively with histone acetylation in clinical esophageal squamous tumors. Altogether, our study uncovers a role of SOX2 in reprogramming lipid metabolism and driving histone hyperacetylation and super-enhancer function, providing new mechanistic insights of SOX2 acting as a potent oncodriver.
2025-07-21 | GSE256474 | GEO
Project description:SOX2 Drives Esophageal Squamous Carcinoma by Reprogramming Lipid Metabolism and Histone Acetylation Landscape
| PRJNA1079746 | ENA
Project description:SOX2 Drives Esophageal Squamous Carcinoma by Reprogramming Lipid Metabolism and Histone Acetylation Landscape (RNA-seq)
| PRJNA1079750 | ENA
Project description:SOX2 Drives Esophageal Squamous Carcinoma by Reprogramming Lipid Metabolism and Histone Acetylation Landscape (ChIP-seq)
| PRJNA1079751 | ENA
Project description:Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) is increasingly common. EA is thought to arise from a precursor lesion, Barrett’s esophagus (BE), in which chronic bile and acid reflux from the stomach injures the esophagus and induces the esophageal squamous epithelium to transition to a mixed gastric and intestinal glandular mucosa. The molecular determinants driving this metaplasia are poorly understood. We established a biobank of human patient-derived BE organoids that recapitulated the molecular heterogeneity of BE. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, corroborated with analysis of patient tissues, pointed to BE differentiation depending on a balance between two transcription factors that govern foregut versus hindgut embryonic gastrointestinal development: SOX2 (driving esophageal and stomach differentiation) and CDX2 (driving intestinal differentiation). Using squamous-specific inducible Sox2 knockout (Krt5CreER/+; Sox2Δ/Δ;ROSA26LSLTdTomato/+) mice, we found increased basal proliferation and decreased differentiation in the foregut squamous epithelium. Remarkably, Sox2Δ/Δ mice also harbored expanded glands at the squamocolumnar junction, some of which lineage traced to Krt5-expressing cells, indicating metaplasia from squamous epithelium. CUT&RUN analysis showed SOX2 bound and promoted differentiation-associated (e.g.,Krt13) and repressed proliferation-associated (e.g., Mki67) targets. Thus, SOX2 is critical for foregut squamous epithelial differentiation and its decreased expression likely an initiating step in progression to BE and thence to EA.
2025-06-07 | PXD063992 | Pride
Project description:Lineage-survival oncogenes are targeted by gene amplification in cancers arising from the tissues where these genes play a role in normal development. Here we show that the transcription factor SOX2—previously known to be mutated in hereditary human esophageal malformations, to be necessary for normal esophageal squamous development, to promote proliferation of basal tracheal cells and to co-operate in induction of pluripotent stem cells -- acts as an amplified oncogene in squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the lung and esophagus. We identified SOX2 at a peak of genomic amplification on chromosome 3q26.33 in SCCs of both the lung and esophagus but did not find it to be significantly amplified in adenocarcinomas from these tissues. Tumors with SOX2 amplification showed higher SOX2 mRNA expression, and suppression of SOX2 by RNAi in lung and esophageal SCC cell lines revealed that SOX2 expression is required for proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. Furthermore, ectopic expression of SOX2 cooperated with FOXE1 or FGFR2 to transform immortalized tracheobronchial epithelial cells. SOX2-driven tumors showed expression of markers of both squamous differentiation and pluripotency. These observations identify SOX2 as a novel lineage survival oncogene in lung and esophageal SCC and suggest novel connections between development, pluripotency and carcinogenesis.
2009-10-04 | GSE17958 | GEO
Project description:Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) is increasingly prevalent and is thought to arise from Barrett’s esophagus (BE), a metaplastic condition in which chronic acid and bile reflux transforms the esophageal squamous epithelium into a gastric-intestinal glandular mucosa. The molecular determinants driving this metaplasia are poorly understood. We developed a human BE organoid biobank that recapitulates BE’s molecular heterogeneity. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, supported by patient tissue analysis, revealed that BE differentiation reflects a balance between SOX2 (foregut/esophageal) and CDX2 (hindgut/intestinal) transcription factors. Using squamous-specific inducible Sox2 knockout (Krt5CreER/+; Sox2∆/∆; ROSA26tdTomato/+) mice, we observed increased basal proliferation, reduced squamous differentiation, and expanded metaplastic glands at the squamocolumnar junction, some tracing back to Krt5-expressing cells. CUT&RUN analysis showed SOX2 bound and promoted differentiation-associated (e.g., Krt13) and repressed proliferation-associated (e.g., Mki67) targets. Thus, SOX2 is critical for foregut squamous epithelial differentiation and its decreased expression is likely an initiating step in progression to BE and thence to EA.
2025-06-06 | GSE297942 | GEO
Project description:Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) is increasingly prevalent and is thought to arise from Barrett’s esophagus (BE), a metaplastic condition in which chronic acid and bile reflux transforms the esophageal squamous epithelium into a gastric-intestinal glandular mucosa. The molecular determinants driving this metaplasia are poorly understood. We developed a human BE organoid biobank that recapitulates BE’s molecular heterogeneity. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, supported by patient tissue analysis, revealed that BE differentiation reflects a balance between SOX2 (foregut/esophageal) and CDX2 (hindgut/intestinal) transcription factors. Using squamous-specific inducible Sox2 knockout (Krt5CreER/+; Sox2∆/∆; ROSA26tdTomato/+) mice, we observed increased basal proliferation, reduced squamous differentiation, and expanded metaplastic glands at the squamocolumnar junction, some tracing back to Krt5-expressing cells. CUT&RUN analysis showed SOX2 bound and promoted differentiation-associated (e.g., Krt13) and repressed proliferation-associated (e.g., Mki67) targets. Thus, SOX2 is critical for foregut squamous epithelial differentiation and its decreased expression is likely an initiating step in progression to BE and thence to EA.
2025-06-06 | GSE298632 | GEO