SHARP1 suppresses breast cancer metastasis by promoting degradation of hypoxia-inducible factors

The molecular determinants of malignant cell behaviours in breast cancer remain only partially understood. Here we show that SHARP1 (also known as BHLHE41 or DEC2) is a crucial regulator of the invasive and metastatic phenotype in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer. SHARP1 is regulated by the p63 metastasis suppressor and inhibits TNBC aggressiveness through inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and HIF-2α (HIFs). SHARP1 opposes HIF-dependent TNBC cell migration in vitro, and invasive or metastatic behaviours in vivo. SHARP1 is required, and sufficient, to limit expression of HIF-target genes. In primary TNBC, endogenous SHARP1 levels are inversely correlated with those of HIF targets. Mechanistically, SHARP1 binds to HIFs and promotes HIF proteasomal degradation by serving as the HIF-presenting factor to the proteasome. This process is independent of pVHL (von Hippel-Lindau tumour suppressor), hypoxia and the ubiquitination machinery. SHARP1 therefore determines the intrinsic instability of HIF proteins to act in parallel to, and cooperate with, oxygen levels. This work sheds light on the mechanisms and pathways by which TNBC acquires invasiveness and metastatic propensity.     

Haem oxygenase is synthetically lethal with the tumour suppressor fumarate hydratase

Fumarate hydratase (FH) is an enzyme of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) that catalyses the hydration of fumarate into malate. Germline mutations of FH are responsible for hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal-cell cancer (HLRCC). It has previously been demonstrated that the absence of FH leads to the accumulation of fumarate, which activates hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) at normal oxygen tensions. However, so far no mechanism that explains the ability of cells to survive without a functional TCA cycle has been provided. Here we use newly characterized genetically modified kidney mouse cells in which Fh1 has been deleted, and apply a newly developed computer model of the metabolism of these cells to predict and experimentally validate a linear metabolic pathway beginning with glutamine uptake and ending with bilirubin excretion from Fh1-deficient cells. This pathway, which involves the biosynthesis and degradation of haem, enables Fh1-deficient cells to use the accumulated TCA cycle metabolites and permits partial mitochondrial NADH production. We predicted and confirmed that targeting this pathway would render Fh1-deficient cells non-viable, while sparing wild-type Fh1-containing cells. This work goes beyond identifying a metabolic pathway that is induced in Fh1-deficient cells to demonstrate that inhibition of haem oxygenation is synthetically lethal when combined with Fh1 deficiency, providing a new potential target for treating HLRCC patients.     

Colorectal cancer: mutations in a signalling pathway

Protein kinases are enzymes that are important for controlling cellular growth and invasion, and their malfunction is implicated in the development of some tumours. We analysed human colorectal cancers for genetic mutations in 340 serine/threonine kinases and found mutations in eight genes, including in three members of the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) pathway. The discovery of this mutational activation of a key cell-signalling pathway may provide new targets for therapeutic intervention.     

NUMB controls p53 tumour suppressor activity

NUMB is a cell fate determinant, which, by asymmetrically partitioning at mitosis, controls cell fate choices by antagonising the activity of the plasma membrane receptor of the NOTCH family. NUMB is also an endocytic protein, and the NOTCH-NUMB counteraction has been linked to this function. There might be, however, additional functions of NUMB, as witnessed by its proposed role as a tumour suppressor in breast cancer. Here we describe a previously unknown function for human NUMB as a regulator of tumour protein p53 (also known as TP53). NUMB enters in a tricomplex with p53 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase HDM2 (also known as MDM2), thereby preventing ubiquitination and degradation of p53. This results in increased p53 protein levels and activity, and in regulation of p53-dependent phenotypes. In breast cancers there is frequent loss of NUMB expression. We show that, in primary breast tumour cells, this event causes decreased p53 levels and increased chemoresistance. In breast cancers, loss of NUMB expression causes increased activity of the receptor NOTCH. Thus, in these cancers, a single event-loss of NUMB expression-determines activation of an oncogene (NOTCH) and attenuation of the p53 tumour suppressor pathway. Biologically, this results in an aggressive tumour phenotype, as witnessed by findings that NUMB-defective breast tumours display poor prognosis. Our results uncover a previously unknown tumour suppressor circuitry.     

RNA干涉及其在肿瘤研究中的应用

RNAi是双链RNA介导的转录后基因沉默的过程，是一种高效的高特异性抑制基因表达的新途径。通过双链小干涉RNA(siRNA)与一系列蛋白质结合形成siRNA诱导的沉默复合体(RISC)并活化，然后，RISC对靶基因进行识别、降解。与反义方法相比，siRNA具有更好的抑制效果。RNAi的应用将为癌症的基因治疗提供新的方法。     

A microRNA regulon that mediates endothelial recruitment and metastasis by cancer cells

Metastatic progression of cancer is a complex and clinically daunting process. We previously identified a set of human microRNAs (miRNAs) that robustly suppress breast cancer metastasis to lung and bone and which display expression levels that predict human metastasis. Although these findings revealed miRNAs as suppressors of cell-autonomous metastatic phenotypes, the roles of non-coding RNAs in non-cell-autonomous cancer progression processes remain unknown. Here we reveal that endogenous miR-126, an miRNA silenced in a variety of common human cancers, non-cell-autonomously regulates endothelial cell recruitment to metastatic breast cancer cells, in vitro and in vivo. It suppresses metastatic endothelial recruitment, metastatic angiogenesis and metastatic colonization through coordinate targeting of IGFBP2, PITPNC1 and MERTK--novel pro-angiogenic genes and biomarkers of human metastasis. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) secreted by metastatic cells recruits endothelia by modulating IGF1-mediated activation of the IGF type-I receptor on endothelial cells; whereas c-Mer tyrosine kinase (MERTK) receptor cleaved from metastatic cells promotes endothelial recruitment by competitively antagonizing the binding of its ligand GAS6 to endothelial MERTK receptors. Co-injection of endothelial cells with breast cancer cells non-cell-autonomously rescues their miR-126-induced metastatic defect, revealing a novel and important role for endothelial interactions in metastatic initiation. Through loss-of-function and epistasis experiments, we delineate an miRNA regulatory network's individual components as novel and cell-extrinsic regulators of endothelial recruitment, angiogenesis and metastatic colonization. We also identify the IGFBP2/IGF1/IGF1R and GAS6/MERTK signalling pathways as regulators of cancer-mediated endothelial recruitment. Our work further reveals endothelial recruitment and endothelial interactions in the tumour microenvironment to be critical features of metastatic breast cancer.     

基于网络药理学和分子对接探究三棱-莪术抗乳腺癌的作用机制

运用网络药理学和分子对接探究三棱-莪术药对抗乳腺癌的有效活性成分及分子机制。通过中药系统药理学数据库与分析平台检索并筛选出三棱、莪术的有效活性成分和对应作用靶点,运用OMIM数据库、GeneCards数据库检索乳腺癌的疾病靶点。运用Cytoscape 3.7.2软件绘制药物-成分-疾病-靶点网络图。利用STRING数据库构建蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用(protein- protein interaction,PPI)网络,使用Cytoscape中MCODE插件进行分析并筛选出前10个核心靶点。借助DAVID数据库对作用靶点进行基因本体及京都基因与基因组百科全书(Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes, KEGG)通路富集分析,并绘制成分-靶点-通路网络图。最后通过AutoDock Vina等软件进行分子对接,验证核心成分与核心靶点的相互作用。结果表明,通过筛选得出7种活性成分、73个作用靶点,三棱-莪术与乳腺癌共同靶点43个。核心成分为常春藤皂苷元、β-谷甾醇、芒柄花黄素、豆甾醇、反式软骨酸,PPI网络显示其核心靶点为JUN、CASP3、PTGS2、ESR1、MPK14、PPARG、SIRT1、NOS3、TGFB1、NOS2。KEGG富集分析得到72条通路,根据P值筛选出与乳腺癌相关的前20条,主要涉及PI3K-Akt通路、VEGF通路、p53通路、MAPK通路等。分子对接显示活性成分与核心靶点之间有较好的结合力。研究表明三棱-莪术药对抗乳腺癌具有多成分、多靶点、多通路的特点,为该药对在临床中的应用提供了理论依据。     

RNAi-mediated gene silencing in non-human primates

The opportunity to harness the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to silence disease-causing genes holds great promise for the development of therapeutics directed against targets that are otherwise not addressable with current medicines. Although there are numerous examples of in vivo silencing of target genes after local delivery of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), there remain only a few reports of RNAi-mediated silencing in response to systemic delivery of siRNA, and there are no reports of systemic efficacy in non-rodent species. Here we show that siRNAs, when delivered systemically in a liposomal formulation, can silence the disease target apolipoprotein B (ApoB) in non-human primates. APOB-specific siRNAs were encapsulated in stable nucleic acid lipid particles (SNALP) and administered by intravenous injection to cynomolgus monkeys at doses of 1 or 2.5 mg kg(-1). A single siRNA injection resulted in dose-dependent silencing of APOB messenger RNA expression in the liver 48 h after administration, with maximal silencing of >90%. This silencing effect occurred as a result of APOB mRNA cleavage at precisely the site predicted for the RNAi mechanism. Significant reductions in ApoB protein, serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were observed as early as 24 h after treatment and lasted for 11 days at the highest siRNA dose, thus demonstrating an immediate, potent and lasting biological effect of siRNA treatment. Our findings show clinically relevant RNAi-mediated gene silencing in non-human primates, supporting RNAi therapeutics as a potential new class of drugs.     

Prevalence of off-target effects in Drosophila RNA interference screens

RNA interference (RNAi) in both plants and animals is mediated by small RNAs of approximately 21-23 nucleotides in length for regulation of target gene expression at multiple levels through partial sequence complementarities. Combined with widespread genome sequencing, experimental use of RNAi has the potential to interrogate systematically all genes in a given organism with respect to a particular function. However, owing to a tolerance for mismatches and gaps in base-pairing with targets, small RNAs could have up to hundreds of potential target sequences in a genome, and some small RNAs in mammalian systems have been shown to affect the levels of many messenger RNAs besides their intended targets. The use of long double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) in Drosophila, where Dicer-mediated processing produces small RNAs inside cells, has been thought to reduce the probability of such 'off-target effects' (OTEs). Here we show, however, that OTEs mediated by short homology stretches within long dsRNAs are prevalent in Drosophila. We have performed a genome-wide RNAi screen for novel components of Wingless (Wg) signal transduction in Drosophila S2R + cells, and found few, if any, legitimate candidates. Rather, many of the top candidates exert their effects on Wg response through OTEs on known pathway components or through promiscuous OTEs produced by tandem trinucleotide repeats present in many dsRNAs and genes. Genes containing such repeats are over-represented in candidate lists from published screens, suggesting that they represent a common class of false positives. Our results suggest simple measures to improve the reliability of genome-wide RNAi screens in Drosophila and other organisms.     

线粒体去乙酰化酶SIRT3与衰老疾病

线粒体去乙酰化酶SIRT3是酵母Sir2同源蛋白,通过对线粒体多种蛋白质赖氨酸的去乙酰化修饰,它可以调控多种代谢过程,如脂肪酸的β-氧化作用、TCA循环、氧化磷酸化等.SIRT3可参与氧化应激反应,降低细胞内ROS水平;也可以作为一种肿瘤抑制因子,促进细胞的凋亡.在某些乳腺癌细胞中,SIRT3表达下调.敲除SIRT3或者SIRT3表达降低,可影响与代谢相关的衰老性疾病如心脏疾病、癌症等的发生.论文总结了近年去乙酰化酶SIRT3在代谢调控及癌症细胞凋亡中的分子机制以及SIRT3与心脏疾病、癌症的相互关系,希望为衰老疾病的预防和治疗提供一定的理论基础.     

利用RNAi技术鉴定哈茨木霉聚酮合酶基因pkst-1的功能

哈茨木霉(Trichoderma harzianum)是优良的生物防治真菌,能产生抗生性聚酮化合物(polyketides).目前没有关于催化木霉聚酮化合物合成的聚酮合成酶(polyketide synthase,PKS)的相关编码基因的报道,这限制了对聚酮化合物代谢合成途径的研究.该研究通过融合PCR技术获得哈茨木霉的聚酮合成酶pkst-1基因的编码区序列,成功构建了RNAi介导的pkst-1基因沉默表达载体,使pkst-1基因的表达量在mRNA水平上显著降低.pkst-1基因失活使转化子发酵液产生了类似基因敲除的抑菌效果,降低了哈茨木霉抑菌能力,研究表明pkst-1基因编码催化抗生性聚酮化合物合成的关键酶.此外,RNA干扰技术在研究中的成功应用为哈茨木霉或其它丝状真菌的次级代谢合成途径相关基因的功能鉴定提供新的研究思路.     

乳腺癌-冠心病共享生物标志物筛选

运用生物信息学方法筛选乳腺癌-冠心病标志物,为乳腺癌诱发的冠心病治疗提供潜在的作用靶点.从基因表达数据库(gene expression omnibus,GEO)中下载乳腺癌和冠心病相关表达谱芯片数据,使用GEO2R筛选差异表达基因,依据Venn图交集获取差异共表达基因,通过DAVID网站进行基因功能注释(gene ontology,GO)及京都基因与基因组百科全书(Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes,KEGG)生物功能富集分析,STRING网站和Cytoscape 3.7.2软件进行蛋白互作分析.GE-PIA和Kaplan-Meier Plotter进行对乳腺癌患者hub基因mRNA表达水平和预后分析.结果表明:2个数据集筛选得到差异表达基因286个,基于在乳腺癌中mRNA显著性表达水平筛选出45个基因.GO功能富集分析发现差异表达基因主要在泛素蛋白转移酶活性、糖蛋白结合、泛素蛋白连接酶结合等生物学过程发挥作用.KEGG分析显示差异基因主要参与缝隙连接、肾素分泌、5-羟色胺能突触、谷氨酸能突触、血管平滑肌收缩、血小板活化、癌细胞蛋白多糖等多条信号通路.基因mRNA表达水平和预后分析显示NLN、POSTN、MAPT、MYO6、MAP1B、FBXO31、KIT、PIK3R1等8个与冠心病相关的hub基因参与乳腺癌的发生、发展过程.NLN、POSTN、MAPT、MYO6、MAP1B、FBXO31、KIT、PIK3R1可作为检测乳腺癌诱导冠心病的潜在标志物.     

Regulation of cancer cell migration and bone metastasis by RANKL

Bone metastases are a frequent complication of many cancers that result in severe disease burden and pain. Since the late nineteenth century, it has been thought that the microenvironment of the local host tissue actively participates in the propensity of certain cancers to metastasize to specific organs, and that bone provides an especially fertile 'soil'. In the case of breast cancers, the local chemokine milieu is now emerging as an explanation for why these tumours preferentially metastasize to certain organs. However, as the inhibition of chemokine receptors in vivo only partially blocks metastatic behaviour, other factors must exist that regulate the preferential metastasis of breast cancer cells. Here we show that the cytokine RANKL (receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand) triggers migration of human epithelial cancer cells and melanoma cells that express the receptor RANK. RANK is expressed on cancer cell lines and breast cancer cells in patients. In a mouse model of melanoma metastasis, in vivo neutralization of RANKL by osteoprotegerin results in complete protection from paralysis and a marked reduction in tumour burden in bones but not in other organs. Our data show that local differentiation factors such as RANKL have an important role in cell migration and the tissue-specific metastatic behaviour of cancer cells.     

Somatic misexpression of germline P granules and enhanced RNA interference in retinoblastoma pathway mutants

Caenorhabditis elegans homologues of the retinoblastoma (Rb) tumour suppressor complex specify cell lineage during development. Here we show that mutations in Rb pathway components enhance RNA interference (RNAi) and cause somatic cells to express genes and elaborate perinuclear structures normally limited to germline-specific P granules. Furthermore, particular gene inactivations that disrupt RNAi reverse the cell lineage transformations of Rb pathway mutants. These findings suggest that mutations in Rb pathway components cause cells to revert to patterns of gene expression normally restricted to germ cells. Rb may act by a similar mechanism to transform mammalian cells.     

Synthetic lethal screen identification of chemosensitizer loci in cancer cells

Abundant evidence suggests that a unifying principle governing the molecular pathology of cancer is the co-dependent aberrant regulation of core machinery driving proliferation and suppressing apoptosis. Anomalous proteins engaged in support of this tumorigenic regulatory environment most probably represent optimal intervention targets in a heterogeneous population of cancer cells. The advent of RNA-mediated interference (RNAi)-based functional genomics provides the opportunity to derive unbiased comprehensive collections of validated gene targets supporting critical biological systems outside the framework of preconceived notions of mechanistic relationships. We have combined a high-throughput cell-based one-well/one-gene screening platform with a genome-wide synthetic library of chemically synthesized small interfering RNAs for systematic interrogation of the molecular underpinnings of cancer cell chemoresponsiveness. NCI-H1155, a human non-small-cell lung cancer line, was employed in a paclitaxel-dependent synthetic lethal screen designed to identify gene targets that specifically reduce cell viability in the presence of otherwise sublethal concentrations of paclitaxel. Using a stringent objective statistical algorithm to reduce false discovery rates below 5%, we isolated a panel of 87 genes that represent major focal points of the autonomous response of cancer cells to the abrogation of microtubule dynamics. Here we show that several of these targets sensitize lung cancer cells to paclitaxel concentrations 1,000-fold lower than otherwise required for a significant response, and we identify mechanistic relationships between cancer-associated aberrant gene expression programmes and the basic cellular machinery required for robust mitotic progression.     

Mutations of the BRAF gene in human cancer

Cancers arise owing to the accumulation of mutations in critical genes that alter normal programmes of cell proliferation, differentiation and death. As the first stage of a systematic genome-wide screen for these genes, we have prioritized for analysis signalling pathways in which at least one gene is mutated in human cancer. The RAS RAF MEK ERK MAP kinase pathway mediates cellular responses to growth signals. RAS is mutated to an oncogenic form in about 15% of human cancer. The three RAF genes code for cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinases that are regulated by binding RAS. Here we report BRAF somatic missense mutations in 66% of malignant melanomas and at lower frequency in a wide range of human cancers. All mutations are within the kinase domain, with a single substitution (V599E) accounting for 80%. Mutated BRAF proteins have elevated kinase activity and are transforming in NIH3T3 cells. Furthermore, RAS function is not required for the growth of cancer cell lines with the V599E mutation. As BRAF is a serine/threonine kinase that is commonly activated by somatic point mutation in human cancer, it may provide new therapeutic opportunities in malignant melanoma.