Project description:Oncocytic variants of follicular thyroid carcinomas show a near-homozygous genome. Remarkably, homozygosity of chromosome 7 has never been observed which suggests that retention of heterozygosity is essential for cells. We hypothesized that cell survival genes are genetically imprinted on either of two copies of chromosome 7 which thwarts loss of heterozygosity at this chromosome in cancer cells. We identified 6 genes on chromosome 7 which demonstrated allele-specific expression. Subsequent knockdown of gene expression showed that CALCR, COPG2, GRB10, KLF14, MEST and PEG10 were essential for cancer cell survival resulting in reduced cell proliferation, G1-phase arrest and increased apoptosis. We propose that imprinted cell survival genes provide a genetic basis for retention of chromosome 7 heterozygosity in cancer cells.
Project description:<p>BRCA1 mutations are a hallmark of hereditary ovarian cancer, strongly linked to deficiencies in homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair and impaired DNA replication fork protection. However, its roles in cancer progression beyond maintaining genomic integrity remain poorly understood. Through metabolomics approaches, we found BRCA1-deficiency strikingly increased choline metabolism. Loss of BRCA1 promotes choline uptake through upregulating choline transporter-like protein 4 (CTL4). BRCA1 directly binds and recruits EZH2-mediated H3K27Me3 deposition to CTL4 promoter. CTL4 was therefore overexpressed in ovarian cancer tissues with BRCA1 mutations. Furthermore, BRCA1-deficiency significantly promotes ovarian cancer invasion, while inhibition of CTL4 reverses the high metastatic potential of BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer cells, suggesting the functionality and specificity of CTL4 as a therapeutic target. Additionally, we discovered that phosphocholine, the choline metabolite increased by CTL4 overexpression, interacted with and stabilized the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition inducer FAM3C in BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer cells. Importantly, we identified a potent CTL4 inhibitor, DT-13, which significantly reduces choline metabolism and effectively suppresses metastasis in BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancers. Therefore, our study uncovers a mechanism underlying metastasis in BRCA1-deficient cancers and identifies CTL4 as a therapeutic target for metastatic ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1 mutations.</p>
Project description:41 lung adenocarcinoma from never-smokers hybridized on Illumina SNP arrays on 13 HumanCNV370-Quadv3 chips. High-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization analysis of lung adenocarcinoma in 41 never smokers for identification of new minimal common regions (MCR) of gain or loss. The SNP array analysis validated copy-number aberrations and revealed that RB1 and WRN were altered by recurrent copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity.The present study has uncovered new aberrations containing cancer genes. The oncogene FUS is a candidate gene in the 16p region that is frequently gained in never smokers. Multiple genetic pathways defined by gains of MYC, deletions of RB1 and WRN or gains on 7p and 7q are involved in lung adenocarcinoma in never smokers. A 'Cartes d'Identite des Tumeurs' (CIT) project from the French National League Against Cancer (http://cit.ligue-cancer.net) 41 samples hybridized on Illumina SNP arrays. Submitter : Fabien PETEL petelf@ligue-cancer.net . Project leader : Pr Pierre FOURET pierre.fouret@psl.aphp.fr
Project description:Gene methylation profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells comparing HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs cells with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)- and HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs. hTERT may increase gene methylation in MSCs. Goal was to determine the effects of different transfected genes on global gene methylation in MSCs.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of human mesenchymal stem cells comparing normoxic MSCs cells with hypoxic MSCs cells. Hypoxia may inhibit senescence of MSCs during expansion. Goal was to determine the effects of hypoxia on global MSCs gene expression.