Breast and ovarian cancer (BC/OC) predisposition has been attributed to a number of high- and moderate to low-penetrance susceptibility genes. With the advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) simultaneous testing of these genes has become feasible. In this monocentric study, we report results of panel-based screening of 14 BC/OC susceptibility genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD51C, RAD51D, CHEK2, PALB2, ATM, NBN, CDH1, TP53, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2) in a group of 581 consecutive individuals from a German population with BC and/or OC fulfilling diagnostic criteria for BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing including 179 with a triple-negative tumor. Altogether we identified 106 deleterious mutations in 105 (18%) patients in 10 different genes, including seven different exon deletions. Of these 106 mutations, 16 (15%) were novel and only six were found in BRCA1/2. To further characterize mutations located in or nearby splicing consensus sites we performed RT-PCR analysis which allowed confirmation of pathogenicity in 7 of 9 mutations analyzed. In PALB2, we identified a deleterious variant in six cases. All but one were associated with early onset BC and a positive family history indicating that penetrance for PALB2 mutations is comparable to BRCA2. Overall, extended testing beyond BRCA1/2 identified a deleterious mutation in further 6% of patients. As a downside, 89 variants of uncertain significance were identified highlighting the need for comprehensive variant databases. In conclusion, panel testing yields more accurate information on genetic cancer risk than assessing BRCA1/2 alone and wide-spread testing will help improve penetrance assessment of variants in these risk genes.

Large-scale sequencing studies are rapidly identifying putative oncogenic mutations in human tumors. However, discrimination between passenger and driver events in tumorigenesis remains challenging and requires in vivo validation studies in reliable animal models of human cancer. In this study, we describe a novel strategy for in vivo validation of candidate tumor suppressors implicated in invasive lobular breast carcinoma (ILC), which is hallmarked by loss of the cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. We describe an approach to model ILC by intraductal injection of lentiviral vectors encoding Cre recombinase, the CRISPR/Cas9 system, or both in female mice carrying conditional alleles of the Cdh1 gene, encoding for E-cadherin. Using this approach, we were able to target ILC-initiating cells and induce specific gene disruption of Pten by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated somatic gene editing. Whereas intraductal injection of Cas9-encoding lentiviruses induced Cas9-specific immune responses and development of tumors that did not resemble ILC, lentiviral delivery of a Pten targeting single-guide RNA (sgRNA) in mice with mammary gland-specific loss of E-cadherin and expression of Cas9 efficiently induced ILC development. This versatile platform can be used for rapid in vivo testing of putative tumor suppressor genes implicated in ILC, providing new opportunities for modeling invasive lobular breast carcinoma in mice.

Acquired resistance to protein kinase C (PKC) modulators may explain the failure of clinical trials in patients with cancer. Herein, we established a human colon cancer cell line resistant to PEP005, a drug that inhibits PKCalpha and activates PKCdelta. Colo205-R cells, selected by stepwise exposure to PEP005, were >300-fold more resistant to PEP005 than parental Colo205-S cells and were cross-resistant to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, bryostatin, bistratene A, and staurosporine. No PKCalpha or PKCdelta mutation was detected in Colo205-S and Colo205-R cells. Changes in Colo205-R cells were reminiscent of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype. Accordingly, Colo205-R cells were more invasive than Colo205-S in Matrigel assays and in mouse xenografts. We also found an increased mRNA expression of several EMT genes, such as those encoding for transforming growth factor-beta and vimentin, along with a decreased mRNA expression of genes involved in epithelial differentiation, such as CDH1 (E-cadherin), CLDN4 (claudin 4), S100A4, and MUC1, in Colo205-R compared with Colo205-S cells in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, high expression of ET-1 was shown in Colo205-R cells and correlated with low sensitivity to PEP005 and staurosporine in a panel of 10 human cancer cell lines. Inhibition of the ET-1 receptor ETR-A with bosentan restored the antiproliferative effects of PEP005 in Colo205-R cells and decreased the invasive properties of this cell line. Exogenous exposure to ET-1 and silencing ET-1 expression using small interfering RNA modulated cell signaling in Colo205-S and Colo205-R. In summary, acquired resistance to PEP005 was associated with expression of EMT markers and activates the ET-1/ETR-A cell signaling.

Notch signaling is essential for proper lens development, however the specific requirements of individual Notch receptors have not been investigated. Here we report the lens phenotypes of Notch2 conditionally mutant mice, which exhibited severe microphthalmia, reduced pupillary openings, disrupted fiber cell morphology, eventual loss of the anterior epithelium, fiber cell dysgenesis, denucleation defects, and cataracts. Notch2 mutants also had persistent lens stalks as early as E11.5, and aberrant DNA synthesis in the fiber cell compartment by E14.5. Gene expression analyses showed that upon loss of Notch2, there were elevated levels of the cell cycle regulators Cdkn1a (p21Cip1), Ccnd2 (CyclinD2), and Trp63 (p63) that negatively regulates Wnt signaling, plus down-regulation of Cdh1 (E-Cadherin). Removal of Notch2 also resulted in an increased proportion of fiber cells, as was found in Rbpj and Jag1 conditional mutant lenses. However, Notch2 is not required for AEL proliferation, suggesting that a different receptor regulates this process. We found that Notch2 normally blocks lens progenitor cell death. Overall, we conclude that Notch2-mediated signaling regulates lens morphogenesis, apoptosis, cell cycle withdrawal, and secondary fiber cell differentiation.

p53 is an established tumor suppressor that can activate the transcription of multiple target genes. Recent evidence suggests that p53 may contribute to the regulation of cell invasion and migration. In this study, we show that the forkhead box transcription factor FOXF1 is a novel target of the p53 family because FOXF1 is upregulated by p53, TAp73 and TAp63. We show that FOXF1 is induced upon DNA damage in a p53-dependent manner. Furthermore, we identified a response element located within the FOXF1 gene that is responsive to wild-type p53, TAp73β and TAp63γ. The ectopic expression of FOXF1 inhibited cancer cell invasion and migration, whereas the inactivation of FOXF1 stimulated cell invasion and migration. We also show that FOXF1 regulates the transcriptional activity of E-cadherin (CDH1) by acting on its FOXF1 consensus binding site located upstream of the E-cadherin gene. Collectively, our results show that FOXF1 is a p53 family target gene, and our data suggest that FOXF1 and p53 form a portion of a regulatory transcriptional network that appears to have an important role in cancer cell invasion and migration.

Mutations in CDH1, encoding E-cadherin, are the underlying genetic defect in approximately one-third of the hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) families described so far. Tumours arising in these families show abnormal or absence of E-cadherin expression, following the model of tumour suppressor gene inactivation. A single study has been reported showing inactivation of the CDH1 wild-type allele in tumour cells from HDGC families either by promoter methylation or by somatic mutation. In order to find the genetic alteration responsible for the presence of diffuse gastric cancers in four members of a Caucasian family, we have screened the coding sequence of CDH1 for germline mutations and searched for the second inactivating hit in the tumour samples. In this family, we have found a germline splice-site mutation in all members affected by gastric cancer and, in one tumour, a somatic deletion affecting at least exon 8 of CDH1. Our results show that a CDH1 intragenic deletion is the second hit inactivating the wild-type allele, in one of the tumours in this family.

Mutations in the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin have been linked to familial Parkinson's disease. Parkin has also been implicated in mitosis through mechanisms that are unclear. Here we show that Parkin interacts with anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) coactivators Cdc20 and Cdh1 to mediate the degradation of several key mitotic regulators independent of APC/C. We demonstrate that ordered progression through mitosis is orchestrated by two distinct E3 ligases through the shared use of Cdc20 and Cdh1. Furthermore, Parkin is phosphorylated and activated by polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) during mitosis. Parkin deficiency results in overexpression of its substrates, mitotic defects, genomic instability, and tumorigenesis. These results suggest that the Parkin-Cdc20/Cdh1 complex is an important regulator of mitosis.

The loss of E-cadherin causes dysfunction of the cell-cell junction machinery, which is an initial step in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), facilitating cancer cell invasion and the formation of metastases. A set of transcriptional repressors of E-cadherin (CDH1) gene expression, including Snail1, Snail2 and Zeb2 mediate E-cadherin downregulation in breast cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the control of E-cadherin expression in breast cancer progression remain largely unknown. Here, by using global gene expression approaches, we uncover a novel function for Cdc42 GTPase-activating protein (CdGAP) in the regulation of expression of genes involved in EMT. We found that CdGAP used its proline-rich domain to form a functional complex with Zeb2 to mediate the repression of E-cadherin expression in ErbB2-transformed breast cancer cells. Conversely, knockdown of CdGAP expression led to a decrease of the transcriptional repressors Snail1 and Zeb2, and this correlated with an increase in E-cadherin levels, restoration of cell-cell junctions, and epithelial-like morphological changes. In vivo, loss of CdGAP in ErbB2-transformed breast cancer cells impaired tumor growth and suppressed metastasis to lungs. Finally, CdGAP was highly expressed in basal-type breast cancer cells, and its strong expression correlated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. Together, these data support a previously unknown nuclear function for CdGAP where it cooperates in a GAP-independent manner with transcriptional repressors to function as a critical modulator of breast cancer through repression of E-cadherin transcription. Targeting Zeb2-CdGAP interactions may represent novel therapeutic opportunities for breast cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of the oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients remains very poor, mainly due to their high propensity to invade and metastasize. E-cadherin reduced expression occurs in the primary step of oral tumour progression and gene methylation is a mode by which the expression of this protein is regulated in cancers. In this perspective, we investigated E-cadherin gene (CDH1) promoter methylation status in OSCC and its correlation with Ecadherin protein expression, clinicopathological characteristics and patient outcome.

METHODS

Histologically proven OSCC and paired normal mucosa were analyzed for CDH1 promoter methylation status and E-cadherin protein expression by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Colocalization of E-cadherin with epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) was evidenced by confocal microscopy and by immunoprecipitation analyses.

RESULTS

This study indicated E-cadherin protein down-regulation in OSCC associated with protein delocalization from membrane to cytoplasm. Low E-cadherin expression correlated to aggressive, poorly differentiated, high grade carcinomas and low patient survival. Moreover, protein down-regulation appeared to be due to E-cadherin mRNA downregulation and CDH1 promoter hypermethylation. In an in vitro model of OSCC the treatment with EGF caused internalization and co-localization of E-cadherin with EGFR and the addition of demethylating agents increased E-cadherin expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Low E-Cadherin expression is a negative prognostic factor of OSCC and is likely due to the hypermethylation of CDH1 promoter. The delocalization of E-cadherin from membrane to cytoplasm could be also due to the increased expression of EGFR in OSCC and the consequent increase of E-cadherin co-internalization with EGFR.

The susceptibility of brain to secondary formation from lung cancer primaries is a well-known phenomenon. In contrast, the molecular basis for invasion and metastasis to the brain is largely unknown. In the present study, 31 brain metastases that originated from primary lung carcinomas were analyzed regarding over expression of Dishevelled-1 (DVL1), Dishevelled-3 (DVL3), E-cadherin (CDH1) and beta-catenin (CTNNB1). Protein expressions and localizations were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Genetic alterations of E-cadherin were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Heteroduplex was used to investigate mutations in beta-catenin. DVL1 and DVL3 showed over expression in brain metastasis in 87.1% and 90.3% of samples respectively. Nuclear staining was observed in 54.8% of cases for DVL1 and 53.3% for DVL3. The main effector of the Wnt signaling, beta-catenin, was up-regulated in 56%, and transferred to the nucleus in 36% of metastases. When DVL1 and DVL3 were up-regulated the number of cases with nuclear beta-catenin significantly increased (p=0.0001). Down-regulation of E-cadherin was observed in 80% of samples. Genetic analysis showed 36% of samples with LOH of the CDH1. In comparison to other lung cancer pathologies, the diagnoses adenocarcinoma and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were significantly associated to CDH1 LOH (p=0.001). Microsatellite instability was detected in one metastasis from adenocarcinoma. Exon 3 of beta-catenin was not targeted. Altered expression of Dishevelled-1, Dishevelled-3, E-cadherin and beta-catenin were present in brain metastases which indicates that Wnt signaling is important and may contribute to better understanding of genetic profile conditioning lung cancer metastasis to the brain.

Rice MONOCULM 1 (MOC1) and its orthologues LS/LAS (lateral suppressor in tomato and Arabidopsis) are key promoting factors of shoot branching and tillering in higher plants. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating MOC1/LS/LAS have remained elusive. Here we show that the rice tiller enhancer (te) mutant displays a drastically increased tiller number. We demonstrate that TE encodes a rice homologue of Cdh1, and that TE acts as an activator of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) complex. We show that TE coexpresses with MOC1 in the axil of leaves, where the APC/C(TE) complex mediates the degradation of MOC1 by the ubiquitin-26S proteasome pathway, and consequently downregulates the expression of the meristem identity gene Oryza sativa homeobox 1, thus repressing axillary meristem initiation and formation. We conclude that besides having a conserved role in regulating cell cycle, APC/C(TE) has a unique function in regulating the plant-specific postembryonic shoot branching and tillering, which are major determinants of plant architecture and grain yield.

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) develop in about 20-30% of breast cancer (BC) patients. BCBM are associated with dismal prognosis not at least due to lack of valuable molecular therapeutic targets. The aim of the study was to identify new molecular biomarkers and targets in BCBM by using complementary state-of-the-art techniques.

METHODS

We compared array expression profiles of three BCBM with 16 non-brain metastatic BC and 16 primary brain tumors (prBT) using a false discovery rate (FDR) p < 0.05 and fold change (FC)>> 2. Biofunctional analysis was conducted on the differentially expressed probe sets. High-density arrays were employed to detect copy number variations (CNVs) and whole exome sequencing (WES) with paired-end reads of 150 bp was utilized to detect gene mutations in the three BCBM.

RESULTS

The top 370 probe sets that were differentially expressed between BCBM and both BC and prBT were in the majority comparably overexpressed in BCBM and included, e.g. the coding genes BCL3, BNIP3, BNIP3P1, BRIP1, CASP14, CDC25A, DMBT1, IDH2, E2F1, MYCN, RAD51, RAD54L, and VDR. A number of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) were comparably overexpressed in BCBM and included SNORA1, SNORA2A, SNORA9, SNORA10, SNORA22, SNORA24, SNORA30, SNORA37, SNORA38, SNORA52, SNORA71A, SNORA71B, SNORA71C, SNORD13P2, SNORD15A, SNORD34, SNORD35A, SNORD41, SNORD53, and SCARNA22. The top canonical pathway was entitled, role of BRCA1 in DNA damage response. Network analysis revealed key nodes as Akt, ERK1/2, NFkB, and Ras in a predicted activation stage. Downregulated genes in a data set that was shared between BCBM and prBT comprised, e.g. BC cell line invasion markers JUN, MMP3, TFF1, and HAS2. Important cancer genes affected by CNVs included TP53, BRCA1, BRCA2, ERBB2, IDH1, and IDH2. WES detected numerous mutations, some of which affecting BC associated genes as CDH1, HEPACAM, and LOXHD1.

CONCLUSIONS

Using complementary molecular genetic techniques, this study identified shared and unshared molecular events in three highly aberrant BCBM emphasizing the challenge to detect new molecular biomarkers and targets with translational implications. Among new findings with the capacity to gain clinical relevance is the detection of overexpressed snoRNAs known to regulate some critical cellular functions as ribosome biogenesis.

Mortalin/mthsp70 (HSPA9) is a stress chaperone enriched in many cancers that has been implicated in carcinogenesis by promoting cell proliferation and survival. In the present study, we examined the clinical relevance of mortalin upregulation in carcinogenesis. Consistent with high mortalin expression in various human tumors and cell lines, we found that mortalin overexpression increased the migration and invasiveness of breast cancer cells. Expression analyses revealed that proteins involved in focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt and JAK-STAT signaling, all known to play key roles in cell migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), were upregulated in mortalin-expressing cancer cells. We further determined that expression levels of the mesenchymal markers vimentin (VIM), fibronectin (FN1), β-catenin (CTNNB1), CK14 (KRT14) and hnRNP-K were also increased upon mortalin overexpression, whereas the epithelial markers E-cadherin (CDH1), CK8 (KRT8), and CK18 (KRT18) were downregulated. Furthermore, shRNA-mediated and pharmacological inhibition of mortalin suppressed the migration and invasive capacity of cancer cells and was associated with a diminished EMT gene signature. Taken together, these findings support a role for mortalin in the induction of EMT, prompting further investigation of its therapeutic value in metastatic disease models.

The ubiquitin-recognition protein Ufd1 facilitates clearance of misfolded proteins through the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway. Here we report that prolonged ER stress represses Ufd1 expression to trigger cell cycle delay, which contributes to ERAD. Remarkably, down-regulation of Ufd1 enhances ubiquitination and destabilization of Skp2 mediated by the anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome bound to Cdh1 (APC/C(Cdh1)), resulting in accumulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 and a concomitant cell cycle delay during the G1 phase that enables more efficient clearance of misfolded proteins. Mechanistically, nuclear Ufd1 recruits the deubiquitinating enzyme USP13 to counteract APC/C(Cdh1)-mediated ubiquitination of Skp2. Our data identify a coordinated cell cycle response to prolonged ER stress through regulation of the Cdh1-Skp2-p27 axis by Ufd1 and USP13.

Genes involved in normal developmental processes attract attention as mediators of tumour progression as they facilitate migration of tumour cells. EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition), an essential part of embryonic development, tissue remodelling and wound repair, is crucial for tumour metastasis. Previously, zinc transporter ZIP6 [SLC39A6; solute carrier family 39 (zinc transporter), member 6; also known as LIV-1) was linked to EMT in zebrafish gastrulation through a STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) mechanism, resulting in nuclear localization of transcription factor Snail. In the present study, we show that zinc transporter ZIP6 is transcriptionally induced by STAT3 and unprecedented among zinc transporters, and is activated by N-terminal cleavage which triggers ZIP6 plasma membrane location and zinc influx. This zinc influx inactivates GSK-3β (glycogen synthase kinase 3β), either indirectly or directly via Akt or GSK-3β respectively, resulting in activation of Snail, which remains in the nucleus and acts as a transcriptional repressor of E-cadherin (epithelial cadherin), CDH1, causing cell rounding and detachment. This was mirrored by ZIP6-transfected cells which underwent EMT, detached from monolayers and exhibited resistance to anoikis by their ability to continue proliferating even after detachment. Our results indicate a causative role for ZIP6 in cell motility and migration, providing ZIP6 as a new target for prediction of clinical cancer spread and also suggesting a ZIP6-dependent mechanism of tumour metastasis.

DOT1L has emerged as an anticancer target for MLL-associated leukaemias; however, its functional role in solid tumours is largely unknown. Here we identify that DOT1L cooperates with c-Myc and p300 acetyltransferase to epigenetically activate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulators in breast cancer progression. DOT1L recognizes SNAIL, ZEB1 and ZEB2 promoters via interacting with the c-Myc-p300 complex and facilitates lysine-79 methylation and acetylation towards histone H3, leading to the dissociation of HDAC1 and DNMT1 in the regions. The upregulation of these EMT regulators by the DOT1L-c-Myc-p300 complex enhances EMT-induced breast cancer stem cell (CSC)-like properties. Furthermore, in vivo orthotopic xenograft models show that DOT1L is required for malignant transformation of breast epithelial cells and breast tumour initiation and metastasis. Clinically, DOT1L expression is associated with poorer survival and aggressiveness of breast cancers. Collectively, we suggest that cooperative effect of DOT1L and c-Myc-p300 is critical for acquisition of aggressive phenotype of breast cancer by promoting EMT/CSC.

Up to 10% of cases of gastric cancer are familial, but so far, only mutations in CDH1 have been associated with gastric cancer risk. To identify genetic variants that affect risk for gastric cancer, we collected blood samples from 28 patients with hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) not associated with mutations in CDH1 and performed whole-exome sequence analysis. We then analyzed sequences of candidate genes in 333 independent HDGC and non-HDGC cases. We identified 11 cases with mutations in PALB2, BRCA1, or RAD51C genes, which regulate homologous DNA recombination. We found these mutations in 2 of 31 patients with HDGC (6.5%) and 9 of 331 patients with sporadic gastric cancer (2.8%). Most of these mutations had been previously associated with other types of tumors and partially co-segregated with gastric cancer in our study. Tumors that developed in patients with these mutations had a mutation signature associated with somatic homologous recombination deficiency. Our findings indicate that defects in homologous recombination increase risk for gastric cancer.

As with other solid tumor types, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has been identified as an epigenetic, as well as genetic, disease. Consequently, promoter hypermethylation, being the most important aberrant epigenetic characteristic, has been intensively investigated for its biomarker potential in this cancer type. As many of these evaluations are obscured by a heterogeneity of treatments, the current study aimed to evaluate the incidence and prognostic value of the promoter hypermethylation of TIMP3, CDH1, DAPK, RASSF1A, p16INK4A and MGMT in HNSCC treated solely by radiotherapy. In 46 patients with advanced HNSCC treated with a hybrid accelerated fractionation radiotherapy schedule, DNA extracted from pretreatment paraffin-embedded tumor biopsies was used to determine the methylation status of the genes of interest by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). The detected epigenetic silencing was related with outcome in terms of locoregional control (LRC), and overall (OS), disease-free (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Tumor biopsies revealed the epigenetic silencing of MGMT in 42.5% (17 of 40) of patients and of TIMP3 in 40.5% (17 of 42) of cases. For the remaining investigated genes, a lower methylation percentage was detected: 13.2% (5 of 38) for CDH1, 11.4% (4 of 44) for DAPK, 4.8% (2 of 42) for p16INK4A and 2.4% (1 of 41) for RASSF1A. The promoter hypermethylation of TIMP3 and CDH1 was significantly related with better LRC (p=0.009 and p=0.02, respectively), OS (p=0.005 and p=0.002, respectively), DFS (p=0.02 and p=0.004, respectively) and DSS (p=0.12 and p=0.007, respectively). In conclusion, in this representative group of 46 patients with advanced HNSCC treated by radiotherapy only, the epigenetic silencing of TIMP3 and CDH1 predicted a better outcome.

Cdh1p, a substrate specificity factor for the cell cycle-regulated ubiquitin ligase, the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), promotes exit from mitosis by directing the degradation of a number of proteins, including the mitotic cyclins. Here we present evidence that Cdh1p activity at the M/G(1) transition is important not only for mitotic exit but also for high-fidelity chromosome segregation in the subsequent cell cycle. CDH1 showed genetic interactions with MAD2 and PDS1, genes encoding components of the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint that acts at metaphase to prevent premature chromosome segregation. Unlike cdh1delta and mad2delta single mutants, the mad2delta cdh1delta double mutant grew slowly and exhibited high rates of chromosome and plasmid loss. Simultaneous deletion of PDS1 and CDH1 caused extensive chromosome missegregation and cell death. Our data suggest that at least part of the chromosome loss can be attributed to kinetochore/spindle problems. Our data further suggest that Cdh1p and Sic1p, a Cdc28p/Clb inhibitor, have overlapping as well as nonoverlapping roles in ensuring proper chromosome segregation. The severe growth defects of both mad2delta cdh1delta and pds1delta cdh1dDelta strains were rescued by overexpressing Swe1p, a G(2)/M inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinase, Cdc28p/Clb. We propose that the failure to degrade cyclins at the end of mitosis leaves cdh1delta mutant strains with abnormal Cdc28p/Clb activity that interferes with proper chromosome segregation.

The loss of the tumour suppressor E-cadherin (Cdh1) is a key event during tumourigenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) triggers EMT by inducing the expression of non-histone chromatin protein High Mobility Group A2 (HMGA2). We have previously shown that HMGA2, together with Smads, regulate a network of EMT-transcription factors (EMT-TFs) like Snail1, Snail2, ZEB1, ZEB2 and Twist1, most of which are well-known repressors of the Cdh1 gene. In this study, we show that the Cdh1 promoter is hypermethylated and epigenetically silenced in our constitutive EMT cell model, whereby HMGA2 is ectopically expressed in mammary epithelial NMuMG cells and these cells are highly motile and invasive. Furthermore, HMGA2 remodels the chromatin to favour binding of de novo DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) to the Cdh1 promoter. E-cadherin expression could be restored after treatment with the DNA de-methylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. Here, we describe a new epigenetic role for HMGA2, which follows the actions that HMGA2 initiates via the EMT-TFs, thus achieving sustained silencing of E-cadherin expression and promoting tumour cell invasion.

Gastric cancer is a global public health concern, ranking as the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality, with a 5-year survival of only 20%. Approximately 10% of gastric cancers appear to have a familial predisposition, and about half of these can be attributed to hereditary germline mutations. We review the genetic syndromes and current standards for genetic counseling, testing, and medical management for screening and treatment of gastric cancer. Recently, germline mutations in the E-cadherin/CDH1 gene have been identified in families with an autosomal dominant inherited predisposition to gastric cancer of the diffuse type. The cumulative lifetime risk of developing gastric cancer in CDH1 mutation carriers is up to 80%, and women from these families also have an increased risk for developing lobular breast cancer. Prophylactic gastrectomies are recommended in unaffected CDH1 mutation carriers, because screening endoscopic examinations and blind biopsies have proven inadequate for surveillance. In addition to this syndrome, gastric cancer risk is elevated in Lynch syndrome associated with germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes and microsatellite instability, in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome due to germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, in familial adenomatous polyposis caused by germline APC mutations, in Li-Fraumeni syndrome due to germline p53 mutations, in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome associated with germline STK11 mutations, and in juvenile polyposis syndrome associated with germline mutations in the SMAD4 and BMPR1A genes. Guidelines for genetic testing, counseling, and management of individuals with hereditary diffuse gastric cancer are suggested. A raised awareness among the physician and genetic counseling communities regarding these syndromes may allow for increased detection and prevention of gastric cancers in these high-risk individuals.

The APC(Cdh1) E3 ligase is active in the late M and G(1) phases. Geminin is a direct substrate of the APC(Cdh1) complex, and accumulates during the S, G(2), and M phases. By fusing the amino-terminal region of Geminin to fluorescent proteins, we have developed cell cycle markers that accumulate in the S/G(2)/M phases in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. These markers reveal the morphology of individual cells that have undergone DNA replication, allowing us to monitor cell growth relative to differentiation of various cell types. After electroporating the developing mouse embryos, we highlighted neuroepithelial progenitors in the S/G(2)/M phases, which possessed an elongated morphology with an apical and/or a basal attachment. We also show that nuclear localization of the ubiquitin ligase for Geminin is essential for full performance of the markers.

CDC20/CDH1 activates the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) and targets various substrates for degradation, thereby allowing the ordered progression through mitosis and G(1). We have found multiple functional CDH1 homologues in the chick. The transcripts of these novel genes are differentially localized to proliferating, differentiated, and postmitotic tissues. All four proteins bind and form a complex with APC in vitro and in cultural cells and have quantitatively different activities in mediating ubiquitination of various APC substrates. Our results suggest that multiple CDH1s may temporally and spatially regulate APC activity both within and outside of the cell cycle.

BACKGROUND

Lung cancers are the most common type of human malignancy and are intractable. Lung cancers are generally classified into four histopathological subtypes: adenocarcinoma (AD), squamous cell carcinoma (SQ), large cell carcinoma (LC), and small cell carcinoma (SC). Molecular biological characterization of these subtypes has been performed mainly using DNA microarrays. In this study, we compared the gene expression profiles of these four subtypes using twelve human lung cancer cell lines and the more reliable quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).

RESULTS

We selected 100 genes from public DNA microarray data and examined them by DNA microarray analysis in eight test cell lines (A549, ABC-1, EBC-1, LK-2, LU65, LU99, STC 1, RERF-LC-MA) and a normal control lung cell line (MRC-9). From this, we extracted 19 candidate genes. We quantified the expression of the 19 genes and a housekeeping gene, GAPDH, with qPCR, using the same eight cell lines plus four additional validation lung cancer cell lines (RERF-LC-MS, LC-1/sq, 86-2, and MS-1-L). Finally, we characterized the four subtypes of lung cancer cell lines using principal component analysis (PCA) of gene expression profiling for 12 of the 19 genes (AMY2A, CDH1, FOXG1, IGSF3, ISL1, MALL, PLAU, RAB25, S100P, SLCO4A1, STMN1, and TGM2). The combined PCA and gene pathway analyses suggested that these genes were related to cell adhesion, growth, and invasion. S100P in AD cells and CDH1 in AD and SQ cells were identified as candidate markers of these lung cancer subtypes based on their upregulation and the results of PCA analysis. Immunohistochemistry for S100P and RAB25 was closely correlated to gene expression.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that the four subtypes, represented by 12 lung cancer cell lines, were well characterized using qPCR and PCA for the 12 genes examined. Certain genes, in particular S100P and CDH1, may be especially important for distinguishing the different subtypes. Our results confirm that qPCR and PCA analysis provide a useful tool for characterizing cancer cell subtypes, and we discuss the possible clinical applications of this approach.