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:Despite the high prevalence and poor outcome of patients with metastatic lung cancer, the mechanisms of tumour progression and metastasis remain largely uncharacterized. We modelled human lung adenocarcinoma, which frequently harbours activating point mutations in KRAS1 and inactivation of the p53-pathway2, using conditional alleles in mice3-5. Lentiviral-mediated somatic activation of oncogenic Kras and deletion of p53 in the lung epithelial cells of KrasLSL-G12D/+;p53flox/flox mice initiates lung adenocarcinoma development4. Although tumours are initiated synchronously by defined genetic alterations, only a subset become malignant, suggesting that disease progression requires additional alterations. Identification of the lentiviral integration sites allowed us to distinguish metastatic from non-metastatic tumours and determine the gene expression alterations that distinguish these tumour types. Cross-species analysis identified the NK-2 related homeobox transcription factor Nkx2-1 (Ttf-1/Titf1) as a candidate suppressor of malignant progression. In this mouse model, Nkx2-1-negativity is pathognomonic of high-grade poorly differentiated tumours. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments in cells derived from metastatic and non-metastatic tumours demonstrated that Nkx2-1 controls tumour differentiation and limits metastatic potential in vivo. Interrogation of Nkx2-1 regulated genes, analysis of tumours at defined developmental stages, and functional complementation experiments indicate that Nkx2-1 constrains tumours in part by repressing the embryonically-restricted chromatin regulator Hmga2. While focal amplification of NKX2-1 in a fraction of human lung adenocarcinomas has focused attention on its oncogenic function6-9, our data specifically link Nkx2-1 downregulation to loss of differentiation, enhanced tumour seeding ability, and increased metastatic proclivity. Thus, the oncogenic and suppressive functions of Nkx2-1 in the same tumour type substantiate its role as a dual function lineage factor. 23 cell lines derived from primary tumor or metastasis. 6 samples analyzed to determine the effect of Nkx2-1 knockdown on gene expression
Project description:Tissue-specific differentiation programs become dysregulated during cancer evolution. The transcription factor Nkx2-1 is a master regulator of pulmonary differentiation that is downregulated in poorly differentiated lung adenocarcinoma. Here we use conditional murine genetics to study the fate of lung epithelial cells upon loss of their master cell fate regulator. Nkx2-1 deletion in normal and neoplastic lung causes not only loss of pulmonary identity but also gastric transdifferentiation. Nkx2-1 maintains pulmonary identity by sequestering the Foxa1 transcription factor at lung-specific loci and by inhibiting Foxa1 binding to gastrointestinal targets. Murine Nkx2-1-negative lung tumors mimic the mucinous subtype of human lung adenocarcinoma, which also exhibits gastric transdifferentiation. Nkx2-1-negative lung adenocarcinomas are dependent on the gastrointestinal gene Hnf4a for efficient initiation. Thus, loss of Nkx2-1 causes transdifferentiation rather than stable dedifferentiation in vivo, suggesting that inactivation of both active and latent differentiation programs are required for tumors to reach a primitive, dedifferentiated state. ChIP-seq data from murine lung adenocarcinomas on (i) transcription factors Nkx2-1 and Foxa in Nkx2-1-deleted tumors and Nkx2-1-positive control tumors, and (ii) four histone marks in Nkx2-1-deleted tumors and Nkx2-1-positive control tumors. (All samples in duplicate and with input controls, i.e. (2 x [(3+3) + (2+8)]) - 1 = 31 samples total - 1 input control used for transcription factor and histone mark, GSM1059357)