The specific ablation of Rb1 gene in epidermis (RbF/F;K14cre) promotes proliferation and altered differentiation but does not produce spontaneous tumour development. These phenotypic changes are associated with increased expression of E2F members and E2F-dependent transcriptional activity. Here, we have focused on the possible dependence on E2F1 gene function. We have generated mice that lack Rb1 in epidermis in an inducible manner (RbF/F;K14creERTM). These mice are indistinguishable from those lacking pRb in this tissue in a constitutive manner (RbF/F;K14cre). In an E2F1-null background (RbF/F;K14creERTM; E2F1-/- mice), the phenotype due to acute Rb1 loss is not ameliorated by E2F1 loss, but rather exacerbated, indicating that pRb functions in epidermis do not rely solely on E2F1. On the other hand, RbF/F;K14creERTM;E2F1-/- mice develope spontaneous epidermal tumours of hair follicle origin with high incidence. These tumours, which retain a functional p19arf/p53 axis, also show aberrant activation of catenin/Wnt pathway. Gene expression studies revealed that these tumours display relevant similarities with specific human tumours. These data demonstrate that the Rb/E2F1 axis exerts essential functions not only in maintaining epidermal homeostasis, but also in suppressing tumour development in epidermis, and that the disruption of this pathway may induce tumour progression through specific alteration of developmental programs.
E2F1 loss induces spontaneous tumour development in Rb-deficient epidermis.
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View SamplesThe specific ablation of Rb1 gene in stratified epithelia (RbF/F;K14cre) promotes proliferation and altered differentiation but is insufficient to produce spontaneous tumors. The pRb relative, p107, compensates some of the functions of pRb in these tissues, however RbF/F;K14cre;p107-/- mice die postnatally. Acute pRb loss in stratified epithelia, using an inducible mouse model (RbF/F;K14creERTM), shows that p107 exerts specific tumor suppressor functions in its absence. After simultaneous absence of pRb and p107, p53 transcriptional function is impaired and Pten expression is reduced. All mutant mice develop spontaneous squamous tumors carcinomas rapidly. Gene expression analysis of mouse tumors, besides supporting the impaired p53 function and the susceptibility to Akt/mTOR inhibitors, also revealed significant overlap with human squamous carcinomas. Thus, RbF/F;K14creERTM;p107-/- may constitute a new mouse model for these malignancies. Collectively, these data demonstrate the existence of a previously unreported functional connection between pRb, Pten and p53 tumor suppressors, through p107, of a particular relevance in squamous tumor development.
A novel tumor suppressor network in squamous malignancies.
Specimen part
View SamplesNANOG is a key pluripotency factor in embryonic stem cells that is frequently expressed in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). However, a direct link between NANOG and SCCs remains to be established. Here, we show that inducible overexpression of NANOG in mouse skin epithelia dramatically promotes the formation of carcinomas upon chemical carcinogenesis. Gene expression analyses in pre-malignant skin indicate that NANOG induces a large set of genes associated to stemness and to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Overall design: 4 papillomas from different control mice (CTR), and 3 papillomas from different transgenic Nanog overexpressing mice (TG)
The pluripotency factor NANOG promotes the formation of squamous cell carcinomas.
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View SamplesThe epidermal specific ablation of Trp53 gene leads to the spontaneous development of aggressive tumors in mice through a process that is accelerated by the simultaneous ablation of Rb gene. Since alterations of p53-dependent pathway are common hallmarks of aggressive, poor prognostic human cancers, these mouse models can recapitulate the molecular features of some of these human malignancies. To evaluate this possibility, gene expression microarray analysis was performed in mouse samples. The mouse tumors display increased expression of cell cycle and chromosomal instability associated genes. Remarkably, they are also enriched in human embryonic stem cell gene signatures, a characteristic feature of human aggressive tumors. Using cross-species comparison and meta-analytical approaches, we also observed that spontaneous mouse tumors display robust similarities with gene expression profiles of human tumors bearing mutated TP53, or displaying poor prognostic outcome, from multiple body tissues. We have obtained a 20-gene signature whose genes are overexpressed in mouse tumors and can identify human tumors with poor outcome from breast cancer, astrocytoma and multiple myeloma. This signature was consistently overexpressed in additional mouse tumors using microarray analysis. Two of the genes of this signature, AURKA and UBE2C, were validated in human breast and cervical cancer as potential biomarkers of malignancy. Our analyses demonstrate that these mouse models are promising preclinical tools aimed to search for malignancy biomarkers and to test targeted therapies of prospective use in human aggressive tumors and/or with p53 mutation or inactivation.
Gene expression profiling of mouse p53-deficient epidermal carcinoma defines molecular determinants of human cancer malignancy.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesObjectives: Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) is commonly altered in many human tumors, leading to the activation of p110 enzymatic activity that stimulates growth factor-independent cell growth. PIK3CA alterations such as mutation, gene amplification and overexpression are common in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and. We aim to explore how these alterations and clinical outcome are associated, as well as the molecular mechanisms involved.
Overexpression of PIK3CA in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is associated with poor outcome and activation of the YAP pathway.
Specimen part
View SamplesBladder cancer (BC) is a highly prevalent human disease in which Rb pathway inactivation and epigenetic alterations are common events. However, the connection between these two processes is still poorly understood. Here we show that the in vivo inactivation of all Rb family genes in the mouse urothelium is sufficient to initiate BC development. The characterization of the mouse tumors revealed multiple molecular features of human BC, including the activation of E2F transcription factor and subsequent Ezh2 expression, and the activation of several signaling pathways previously identified as highly relevant in urothelial tumors. Whole transcriptional characterizations of the mouse bladder tumors revealed a significant overlap with human BC samples, and a predominant role for Ezh2 in the downregulation of gene expression programs. Importantly, we determined that in human superficial BC patients, the increased tumor recurrence and progression in these recurrences is associated with increased E2F and Ezh2 expression and Ezh2-mediated gene expression repression. Collectively, our studies provide a genetically defined model for human high-grade superficial BC and demonstrate the existence of an Rb-E2F-Ezh2 axis in bladder whose disruption can promote tumor development.
In vivo disruption of an Rb-E2F-Ezh2 signaling loop causes bladder cancer.
Specimen part, Disease, Treatment
View SamplesCdk4/6 inhibitors have shown to increase overall survival in hormone-positive breast tumors, but whether other solid tumors could respond to these inhibitors has not yet defined. Here we show that Palbociclib (a Cdk4/6 specific inhibitor in clinic use) treatment exerts antiproliferative effects in vivo using a bladder cancer cell lines.
CDK4/6 Inhibitor as a Novel Therapeutic Approach for Advanced Bladder Cancer Independently of <i>RB1</i> Status.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that play important regulatory roles in many cellular pathways. MiRNAs associate with members of the Argonaute (Ago) protein family and bind to partially complementary sequences on mRNAs and induce translational repression or mRNA decay. MiRNA expression can be controlled by transcription factors and can therefore be cell type- or tissue-specific. Here we have analyzed miRNA expression profiles in murine monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages upon stimulation with LPS, LDL, eLDL and oxLDL to identify not only stimuli-specific miRNA, but also to identify a hierarchical miRNA system involving miR-155. For this, miR-155 knockout dendritic cells and macrophages were also sequenced using the same stimuli. Overall design: Sequencing of murine monocyte-derived dendritic cells and macrophages (each wild type and miR-155 knock out cells) matured and stimulated, respectively, by LPS, oxLDL, eLDL or LDL.
A miR-155-dependent microRNA hierarchy in dendritic cell maturation and macrophage activation.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesmicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that function in literally all cellular processes. miRNAs interact with Argonaute (Ago) proteins and guide them to specific target sites located in the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs leading to translational repression and deadenylation-induced mRNA degradation. Most miRNAs are processed from hairpin-structured precursors by the consecutive action of the RNase III enzymes Drosha and Dicer. However, processing of miR-451 is Dicer-independent and cleavage is mediated by the endonuclease Ago2. Here we have characterized miR-451 sequence and structure requirements for processing as well as sorting of miRNAs into different Ago proteins. Pre-miR-451 appears to be optimized for Ago2 cleavage and changes result in reduced processing. In addition, we show that the mature miR-451 only associates with Ago2 suggesting that mature miRNAs are not exchanged between different members of the Ago protein family. Based on cloning and deep sequencing of endogenous miRNAs associated with Ago1-3, we do not find evidence for miRNA sorting in human cells. However, Ago identity appears to influence the length of some miRNAs, while others remain unaffected. Overall design: Examination of miRNAs associated with endogenous human Ago1-4 in HeLa cells
microRNAs associated with the different human Argonaute proteins.
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View SamplesExon expression profiling was performed on 37 clinical DLBCL samples and subsequently analyzed using alternative splice analysis of vairance (asANOVA) implemented in Partek Genomics Suite in order to identify alternative spliced genes.
Expression of NOTCH3 exon 16 differentiates Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma into molecular subtypes and is associated with prognosis.
Treatment
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