scholarly journals VHLSynthetic Lethality Signatures Uncovered by Genotype-specific CRISPR-Cas9 Screens

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Sun ◽  
Sakina Petiwala ◽  
Charles Lu ◽  
Jessica E Hutti ◽  
Min Hu ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundGenome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 essentiality screening represents a powerful approach to identify genetic vulnerabilities in cancer cells. Here, we applied this technology and designed a strategy to identify target genes that are synthetic lethal (SL) withvon Hippel-Lindau(VHL) tumor suppressor gene. Inactivation ofVHLhas been frequently found in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Its SL partners serve as potential drug targets for the development of targeted cancer therapies.ResultsWe performed parallel genome-wide CRISPR screens in two pairs of isogenic ccRCC cell lines that differ only in theVHLstatus. Comparative analyses of screening results not only confirmed a well-known role for mTOR signaling in renal carcinoma, but also identified DNA damage response and selenocysteine biosynthesis pathways as major SL targets inVHL-inactivated cancer cells. Follow-up studies provided cellular and mechanistic insights into SL interactions of these pathway genes with theVHLgene.ConclusionsUsing isogenic CRISPR screening approach, we uncovered novel biological processes that are SL withVHL, which can be exploited for drug development for ccRCC. Our CRISPR and RNA-seq datasets provide a rich resource for future investigation of the function of the VHL tumor suppressor protein. Our work demonstrates the efficiency of CRISPR-based synthetic lethality screening in human isogenic cell pairs. Similar strategies could be employed to unveil SL partners with other oncogenic drivers.

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (24) ◽  
pp. 4991-5004 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Y. Kim ◽  
William G. Kaelin

Germline inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene causes the von Hippel-Lindau hereditary cancer syndrome, and somatic mutations of this gene have been linked to the development of sporadic hemangioblastomas and clear-cell renal carcinomas. The VHL tumor suppressor protein (pVHL), through its oxygen-dependent polyubiquitylation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), plays a central role in the mammalian oxygen-sensing pathway. This interaction between pVHL and HIF is governed by post-translational prolyl hydroxylation of HIF in the presence of oxygen by a conserved family of Egl-nine (EGLN) enzymes. In the absence of pVHL, HIF becomes stabilized and is free to induce the expression of its target genes, many of which are important in regulating angiogenesis, cell growth, or cell survival. Moreover, preliminary data indicate that HIF plays a critical role in pVHL-defective tumor formation, raising the possibility that drugs directed against HIF or its downstream targets (such as vascular endothelial growth factor) might one day play a role in the treatment of hemangioblastoma and renal cell carcinoma. On the other hand, clear genotype-phenotype correlations are emerging in VHL disease and can be rationalized if pVHL has functions separate from its control of HIF.


2017 ◽  
Vol 214 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilde Schjerven ◽  
Etapong F. Ayongaba ◽  
Ali Aghajanirefah ◽  
Jami McLaughlin ◽  
Donghui Cheng ◽  
...  

Inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene encoding the transcriptional regulator Ikaros (IKZF1) is a hallmark of BCR-ABL1+ precursor B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre–B ALL). However, the mechanisms by which Ikaros functions as a tumor suppressor in pre–B ALL remain poorly understood. Here, we analyzed a mouse model of BCR-ABL1+ pre–B ALL together with a new model of inducible expression of wild-type Ikaros in IKZF1 mutant human BCR-ABL1+ pre–B ALL. We performed integrated genome-wide chromatin and expression analyses and identified Ikaros target genes in mouse and human BCR-ABL1+ pre–B ALL, revealing novel conserved gene pathways associated with Ikaros tumor suppressor function. Notably, genetic depletion of different Ikaros targets, including CTNND1 and the early hematopoietic cell surface marker CD34, resulted in reduced leukemic growth. Our results suggest that Ikaros mediates tumor suppressor function by enforcing proper developmental stage–specific expression of multiple genes through chromatin compaction at its target genes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhicheng Liu ◽  
Dongxu Lin ◽  
Linmeng Zhang ◽  
Chen Yang ◽  
Bin Guo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The emerging of targeted therapies has revolutionized the treatment modalities of advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) over the past fifteen years. However, lack of personalized treatment limits the development of effective clinical guidelines and improvement of patient prognosis. In this study, large-scale genomic profiles of ccRCC cohorts were exploited for conducting an integrative analysis. Method Based on synthetic lethality (SL), a concept that simultaneous losses of two genes cause cell death while a single loss does not, we sought to develop a computational pipeline to infer potential SL partners of ccRCC. Drug response prediction were received from three pharmacological databases to select agents which are likely to be effective in precisely treating patients with target gene mutation. Results We developed a credible method to identify SL pairs and determined a list of 72 candidate pairs which might be utilized to selectively eliminate tumors with genetic aberrations through SL partners of specific mutations. Further analysis identified BRD4 and PRKDC as novel medicine targets for patients with BAP1 mutations. After mapping these target genes to comprehensive drug datasets, two agents (BI-2536 and PI-103) were found to have considerable therapeutic potential in BAP1 mutant tumors. Conclusion Overall, our findings provide insight into the overview of ccRCC mutation patterns and offer novel opportunities for improving individualized cancer treatment.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Siudeja ◽  
Marius van den Beek ◽  
Nick Riddiford ◽  
Benjamin Boumard ◽  
Annabelle Wurmser ◽  
...  

AbstractTransposable elements (TEs) play a significant role in evolution by contributing to genetic variation through germline insertional activity. However, how TEs act in somatic cells and tissues is not well understood. Here, we address the prevalence of transposition in a somatic tissue, exploiting the Drosophila midgut as a model system. Using whole-genome sequencing of in vivo clonally expanded gut tissue, we map hundreds of high-confidence somatic TE integration sites genome-wide. We show that somatic retrotransposon insertions are associated with inactivation of the tumor suppressor Notch, likely contributing to neoplasia formation. Moreover, by applying Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing technology, as well as by mapping germline TE activity, we provide evidence suggesting tissue-specific differences in retrotransposition. By comparing somatic TE insertional activity with transcriptomic and small RNA sequencing data, we demonstrate that transposon mobility cannot be simply predicted by whole tissue TE expression levels or by small RNA pathway activity. Finally, we reveal that somatic TE insertions in the adult fly intestine are found preferentially in genic regions and open, transcriptionally active chromatin. Together, our findings provide clear evidence of ongoing somatic transposition in Drosophila and delineate previously unknown underlying features of somatic TE mobility in vivo.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (5) ◽  
pp. e2020478118
Author(s):  
Tobias Wijshake ◽  
Zhongju Zou ◽  
Beibei Chen ◽  
Lin Zhong ◽  
Guanghua Xiao ◽  
...  

Beclin 1, an autophagy and haploinsufficient tumor-suppressor protein, is frequently monoallelically deleted in breast and ovarian cancers. However, the precise mechanisms by which Beclin 1 inhibits tumor growth remain largely unknown. To address this question, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen in MCF7 breast cancer cells to identify genes whose loss of function reverse Beclin 1-dependent inhibition of cellular proliferation. Small guide RNAs targeting CDH1 and CTNNA1, tumor-suppressor genes that encode cadherin/catenin complex members E-cadherin and alpha-catenin, respectively, were highly enriched in the screen. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of CDH1 or CTNNA1 reversed Beclin 1-dependent suppression of breast cancer cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. Moreover, deletion of CDH1 or CTNNA1 inhibited the tumor-suppressor effects of Beclin 1 in breast cancer xenografts. Enforced Beclin 1 expression in MCF7 cells and tumor xenografts increased cell surface localization of E-cadherin and decreased expression of mesenchymal markers and beta-catenin/Wnt target genes. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of BECN1 and the autophagy class III phosphatidylinositol kinase complex 2 (PI3KC3-C2) gene, UVRAG, but not PI3KC3-C1–specific ATG14 or other autophagy genes ATG13, ATG5, or ATG7, resulted in decreased E-cadherin plasma membrane and increased cytoplasmic E-cadherin localization. Taken together, these data reveal previously unrecognized cooperation between Beclin 1 and E-cadherin–mediated tumor suppression in breast cancer cells.


Oncogene ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 23 (49) ◽  
pp. 8135-8145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olubunmi Afonja ◽  
Dominique Juste ◽  
Sharmistha Das ◽  
Sachiko Matsuhashi ◽  
Herbert H Samuels

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