Syndecan-1 modulates the invasive potential of endometrioma via TGF-β signalling in a subgroup of women with endometriosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 2280-2293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sakthivignesh Ponandai-Srinivasan ◽  
Merli Saare ◽  
Nageswara Rao Boggavarapu ◽  
Caroline Frisendahl ◽  
Sophia Ehrström ◽  
...  

Abstract STUDY QUESTION What is the physiological role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) and syndecans (SDC1, SDC4) in endometriotic cells in women with endometriosis? SUMMARY ANSWER We observed an abnormal, pro-invasive phenotype in a subgroup of samples with ovarian endometriosis, which was reversed by combining gene silencing of SDC1 with the TGF-β1 treatment. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Women with endometriosis express high levels of TGF-β1 and the proteoglycan co-receptors SDC1 and SDC4 within endometriotic cysts. However, how SDC1 and SDC4 expression is regulated by TGF-β1 and the physiological significance of the high expression in endometriotic cysts remains unknown as does the potential role in disease severity. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We utilized a pre-validated panel of stem- and cancer cell-associated markers on endometriotic tissue (n = 15) to stratify subgroups of women with endometriosis. Furthermore, CD90+CD73+CD105+ (SC+) endometriotic stromal cells from these patient subgroups were explored for their invasive behaviour in vitro by transient gene inhibition of SDC1 or SDC4, both in the presence or absence of TGF-β1 treatment. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Endometriotic cyst biopsies (n = 15) were obtained from women diagnosed with ovarian endometriosis (ASRM Stage III–IV). Gene expression variability was assessed on tissue samples by applying gene clustering tools for the dataset generated from the pre-validated panel of markers. Three-dimensional (3D) spheroids from endometriotic SC+ were treated in vitro with increasing doses of TGF-β1 or the TGFBRI/II inhibitor Ly2109761 and assessed for SDC1, SDC4 expression and in vitro 3D-spheroid invasion. Transcriptomic signatures from the invaded 3D spheroids were evaluated upon combining transient gene silencing of SDC1 or SDC4, both in presence or absence of TGF-β1 treatment. Furthermore, nanoscale changes on the surface of endometriotic cells were analysed after treatment with TGF-β1 or TGFBRI/II inhibitor using atomic force microscopy. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Gene clustering analysis revealed that endometriotic tissues displayed variability in their gene expression patterns; a small subgroup of samples (2/15, Endo-hi) exhibited high levels of SDC1, SDC4 and molecules involved in TGF-β signalling (TGF-β1, ESR1, CTNNB1, SNAI1, BMI1). The remaining endometriotic samples (Endo-lo) showed a uniform, low gene expression profile. Three-dimensional spheroids derived from Endo-hi SC+ but not Endo-lo SC+ samples showed an aberrant expression of SDC1 and exhibited enhanced 3D-spheroid invasion in vitro, upon rhTGF-β1 treatment. However, this abnormal, pro-invasive response of Endo-hi SC+ was reversed upon gene silencing of SDC1 with the TGF-β1 treatment. Interestingly, transcriptomic signatures of 3D spheroids silenced for SDC1 and consecutively treated with TGF-β1, showed a down-regulation of cancer-associated pathways such as WNT and GPCR signalling. LARGE SCALE DATA Transcriptomic data were deposited in NCBI’s Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and could be retrieved using GEO series accession number: GSE135122. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION It is estimated that about 2.5% of endometriosis patients have a potential risk for developing ovarian cancer later in life. It is possible that the pro-oncogenic molecular changes observed in this cohort of endometriotic samples may not correlate with clinical occurrence of ovarian cancer later in life, thus a validation will be required. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study emphasizes the importance of interactions between syndecans and TGF-β1 in the pathophysiology of endometriosis. We believe that this knowledge could be important in order to better understand endometriosis-associated complications such as ovarian cancer or infertility. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by Cancerfonden (CAN 2016/696), Radiumhemmets Forskningsfonder (Project no. 154143 and 184033), EU MSCA-RISE-2015 project MOMENDO (691058), Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (IUT34-16), Enterprise Estonia (EU48695) and Karolinska Institute. Authors do not have any conflict of interest.

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Karolina Seborova ◽  
Alzbeta Kloudova-Spalenkova ◽  
Kamila Koucka ◽  
Petr Holy ◽  
Marie Ehrlichova ◽  
...  

The main problem precluding successful therapy with conventional taxanes is de novo or acquired resistance to taxanes. Therefore, novel experimental taxane derivatives (Stony Brook taxanes; SB-Ts) are synthesized and tested as potential drugs against resistant solid tumors. Recently, we reported alterations in ABCC3, CPS1, and TRIP6 gene expression in a breast cancer cell line resistant to paclitaxel. The present study aimed to investigate gene expression changes of these three candidate molecules in the highly resistant ovarian carcinoma cells in vitro and corresponding in vivo models treated with paclitaxel and new experimental Stony Brook taxanes of the third generation (SB-T-121605 and SB-T-121606). We also addressed their prognostic meaning in ovarian carcinoma patients treated with taxanes. We estimated and observed changes in mRNA and protein profiles of ABCC3, CPS1, and TRIP6 in resistant and sensitive ovarian cancer cells and after the treatment of resistant ovarian cancer models with paclitaxel and Stony Brook taxanes in vitro and in vivo. Combining Stony Brook taxanes with paclitaxel caused downregulation of CPS1 in the paclitaxel-resistant mouse xenograft tumor model in vivo. Moreover, CPS1 overexpression seems to play a role of a prognostic biomarker of epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients’ poor survival. ABCC3 was overexpressed in EOC tumors, but after the treatment with taxanes, its up-regulation disappeared. Based on our results, we can suggest ABCC3 and CPS1 for further investigations as potential therapeutic targets in human cancers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 5499
Author(s):  
Hannah L. Smith ◽  
Stephen A. Beers ◽  
Juliet C. Gray ◽  
Janos M. Kanczler

Treatment for osteosarcoma (OS) has been largely unchanged for several decades, with typical therapies being a mixture of chemotherapy and surgery. Although therapeutic targets and products against cancer are being continually developed, only a limited number have proved therapeutically active in OS. Thus, the understanding of the OS microenvironment and its interactions are becoming more important in developing new therapies. Three-dimensional (3D) models are important tools in increasing our understanding of complex mechanisms and interactions, such as in OS. In this review, in vivo animal models, in vitro 3D models and in ovo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) models, are evaluated and discussed as to their contribution in understanding the progressive nature of OS, and cancer research. We aim to provide insight and prospective future directions into the potential translation of 3D models in OS.


2011 ◽  
Vol 301 (4) ◽  
pp. F793-F801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abolfazl Zarjou ◽  
Shanzhong Yang ◽  
Edward Abraham ◽  
Anupam Agarwal ◽  
Gang Liu

Renal fibrosis is a final stage of many forms of kidney disease and leads to impairment of kidney function. The molecular pathogenesis of renal fibrosis is currently not well-understood. microRNAs (miRNAs) are important players in initiation and progression of many pathologic processes including diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. However, the role of miRNAs in kidney injury and repair is not well-characterized. In the present study, we found a unique miRNA signature associated with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced renal fibrosis. We found altered expression in UUO kidneys of miRNAs that have been shown to be responsive to stimulation by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 or TNF-α. Among these miRNAs, miR-21 demonstrated the greatest increase in UUO kidneys. The enhanced expression of miR-21 was located mainly in distal tubular epithelial cells. miR-21 expression was upregulated in response to treatment with TGF-β1 or TNF-α in human renal tubular epithelial cells in vitro. Furthermore, we found that blocking miR-21 in vivo attenuated UUO-induced renal fibrosis, presumably through diminishing the expression of profibrotic proteins and reducing infiltration of inflammatory macrophages in UUO kidneys. Our data suggest that targeting specific miRNAs could be a novel therapeutic approach to treat renal fibrosis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 117906441876788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn Roy ◽  
Alexander Bobbs ◽  
Rachel Sattler ◽  
Jeffrey L Kurkewich ◽  
Paige B Dausinas ◽  
...  

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are an attractive therapeutic target due to their predicted role in both metastasis and chemoresistance. One of the most commonly agreed on markers for ovarian CSCs is the cell surface protein CD133. CD133+ ovarian CSCs have increased tumorigenicity, resistance to chemotherapy, and increased metastasis. Therefore, we were interested in defining how CD133 is regulated and whether it has a role in tumor metastasis. Previously we found that overexpression of the transcription factor, ARID3B, increased the expression of PROM1 (CD133 gene) in ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in xenograft tumors. We report that ARID3B directly regulates PROM1 expression. Importantly, in a xenograft mouse model of ovarian cancer, knockdown of PROM1 in cells expressing exogenous ARID3B resulted in increased survival time compared with cells expressing ARID3B and a control short hairpin RNA. This indicated that ARID3B regulation of PROM1 is critical for tumor growth. Moreover, we hypothesized that CD133 may affect metastatic spread. Given that the peritoneal mesothelium is a major site of ovarian cancer metastasis, we explored the role of PROM1 in mesothelial attachment. PROM1 expression increased adhesion to mesothelium in vitro and ex vivo. Collectively, our work demonstrates that ARID3B regulates PROM1 adhesion to the ovarian cancer metastatic niche.


Development ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 4243-4252 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.K. Kim ◽  
M. Hebrok ◽  
D.A. Melton

The role of the notochord in inducing and patterning adjacent neural and mesodermal tissues is well established. We provide evidence that the notochord is also required for one of the earliest known steps in the development of the pancreas, an endodermally derived organ. At a developmental stage in chick embryos when the notochord touches the endoderm, removal of notochord eliminates subsequent expression of several markers of dorsal pancreas bud development, including insulin, glucagon and carboxypeptidase A. Pancreatic gene expression can be initiated and maintained in prepancreatic chick endoderm grown in vitro with notochord. Non-pancreatic endoderm, however, does not express pancreatic genes when recombined with the same notochord. The results suggest that the notochord provides a permissive signal to endoderm to specify pancreatic fate in a stepwise manner.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Gwang Sik Kim ◽  
Young Chul Lee

Med6 protein (Med6p) is a hallmark component of evolutionarily conserved Mediator complexes, and the genuine role of Med6p in Mediator functions remains elusive. For the functional analysis ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaeMed6p (scMed6p), we generated a series of scMed6p mutants harboring a small internal deletion. Genetic analysis of these mutants revealed that three regions (amino acids 33–42 (Δ2), 125–134 (Δ5), and 157–166 (Δ6)) of scMed6p are required for cell viability and are located at highly conserved regions of Med6 homologs. Notably, the Med6p-Δ2 mutant was barely detectable in whole-cell extracts and purified Mediator, suggesting a loss of Mediator association and concurrent rapid degradation. Consistent with this, the recombinant forms of Med6p having these mutations partially (Δ2) restore or fail (Δ5 and Δ6) to restore in vitro transcriptional defects caused by temperature-sensitivemed6mutation. In an artificial recruitment assay, Mediator containing a LexA-fused wild-type Med6p or Med6p-Δ5 was recruited to thelexAoperator region with TBP and activated reporter gene expression. However, the recruitment of Mediator containing LexA-Med6p-Δ6 tolexAoperator region resulted in neither TBP recruitment nor reporter gene expression. This result demonstrates a pivotal role of Med6p in the postrecruitment function of Mediator, which is essential for transcriptional activation by Mediator.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 175883592110598
Author(s):  
Inken Flörkemeier ◽  
Tamara N. Steinhauer ◽  
Nina Hedemann ◽  
Magnus Ölander ◽  
Per Artursson ◽  
...  

Background: Ovarian cancer (OvCa) constitutes a rare and highly aggressive malignancy and is one of the most lethal of all gynaecologic neoplasms. Due to chemotherapy resistance and treatment limitations because of side effects, OvCa is still not sufficiently treatable. Hence, new drugs for OvCa therapy such as P8-D6 with promising antitumour properties have a high clinical need. The benzo[ c]phenanthridine P8-D6 is an effective inductor of apoptosis by acting as a dual topoisomerase I/II inhibitor. Methods: In the present study, the effectiveness of P8-D6 on OvCa was investigated in vitro. In various OvCa cell lines and ex vivo primary cells, the apoptosis induction compared with standard therapeutic agents was determined in two-dimensional monolayers. Expanded by three-dimensional and co-culture, the P8-D6 treated cells were examined for changes in cytotoxicity, apoptosis rate and membrane integrity via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Likewise, the effects of P8-D6 on non-cancer human ovarian surface epithelial cells and primary human hepatocytes were determined. Results: This study shows a significant P8-D6-induced increase in apoptosis and cytotoxicity in OvCa cells which surpasses the efficacy of well-established drugs like cisplatin or the topoisomerase inhibitors etoposide and topotecan. Non-cancer cells were affected only slightly by P8-D6. Moreover, no hepatotoxic effect in in vitro studies was detected. Conclusion: P8-D6 is a strong and rapid inductor of apoptosis and might be a novel treatment option for OvCa therapy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hijam Nonibala ◽  
Braj Bansh Prasad Gupta

Abstract Transcription of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (aanat2) gene leads to formation of AANAT2 - the rate-limiting enzyme in melatonin synthesis pathway in photosensitive fish pineal organ. However, unlike in avian and mammalian pineal gland, there is practically no information on signal transduction pathway(s) involved in regulation of aanat2 gene transcription in the fish pineal organ. Therefore, we investigated the role of important molecular components of signalling via cAMP, cGMP, Ca2+ involving PKA, PKG, PKC, MeK and p38 MAP kinase as well as possible role of serine/threonine phosphatases, CREB and CBP using their specific inhibitors and/or activators in aanat2 gene transcription in the fish pineal organ maintained under in vitro culture-conditions. db-cAMP and db-cGMP stimulated the expression of aanat2 gene. db-cAMP- and cGMP-induced aanat2 gene expression was significantly reduced in the presence of H-89 (specific inhibitor of PKA), KT5823 (specific inhibitor of PKG), chelerythrine chloride (specific inhibitor of PKC), U0126 ethanolate (specific inhibitor of MeK) and SB 202190 monohydrochloride hydrate (specific inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase). Inhibitors of PP1 and PP2A significantly increased aanat2 gene expression as well as significantly reduced cAMP- and cGMP-induced gene transcription, while inhibitor of PP2B had no effect on aanat2 gene expression. Inhibitors of both CREB and CBP-CREB interaction completely blocked cAMP-induced aanat2 gene transcription. Based on these findings, we suggest that cAMP, cGMP and Ca2+ stimulate aanat2 gene transcription via PKA, PKG and PKC, respectively. Further, protein phosphatases and CBP-CREB-CRE pathway are actively involved in regulation of on aanat2 gene expression in the fish pineal organ.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Houghton ◽  
Angela Rodgers ◽  
Graham Rose ◽  
Kristine B. Arnvig

ABSTRACTAlmost 140 years after the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the etiological agent of tuberculosis, important aspects of its biology remain poorly described. Little is known about the role of post-transcriptional control of gene expression and RNA biology, including the role of most of the small RNAs (sRNAs) identified to date. We have carried out a detailed investigation of the M. tuberculosis sRNA, F6, and show it to be dependent on SigF for expression and significantly induced during in vitro starvation and in a mouse model of infection. However, we found no evidence of attenuation of a ΔF6 strain within the first 20 weeks of infection. A further exploration of F6 using in vitro models of infection suggests a role for F6 as a highly specific regulator of the heat shock repressor, HrcA. Our results point towards a role for F6 during periods of low metabolic activity similar to cold shock and associated with nutrient starvation such as that found in human granulomas in later stages of infection.


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