Network of mutually repressive metastasis regulators can promote cell heterogeneity and metastatic transitions
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Authors: Lee, Jiyoung; Lee, Jinho; Farquhar, Kevin S.; Yun, Jieun; Frankenberger, Casey A.; Bevilacqua, Elena; Yeung, Kam; Kim, Eun-Jin; Balazsi, Gabor; Rosner, Marsha Rich
Abstract
The sources and consequences of nongenetic variability in metastatic progression are largely unknown. To address these questions, we characterized a transcriptional regulatory network for the metastasis suppressor Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP). We previously showed that the transcription factor BACH1 is negatively regulated by RKIP and promotes breast cancer metastasis. Here we demonstrate that BACH1 acts in a double-negative (overall positive) feedback loop to inhibit RKIP transcription in breast cancer cells. BACH1 also negatively regulates its own transcription. Analysis of the BACH1 network reveals the existence of an inverse relationship between BACH1 and RKIP involving both monostable and bistable transitions that can potentially give rise to nongenetic variability. Single-cell analysis confirmed monostable and bistable-like behavior. Treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors or depletion of the polycomb repressor enhancer of zeste homolog 2 altered relative RKIP and BACH1 levels in a manner consistent with a prometastatic state. Together, our results suggest that the mutually repressive relationship between metastatic regulators such as RKIP and BACH1 can play a key role in determining metastatic progression in cancer.
BACH1 Promotes Temozolomide Resistance in Glioblastoma through Antagonizing the Function of p53
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Authors: Nie, Er; Jin, Xin; Wu, Weining; Yu, Tianfu; Zhou, Xu; Zhi, Tongle; Shi, Zhumei; Zhang, Junxia; Liu, Ning; You, Yongping
Abstract
The acquisition of drug resistance is a persistent clinical problem limiting the successful treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). However, the molecular mechanisms by which initially chemoresponsive tumors develop therapeutic resistance remain poorly understood. In this study, we report that BACH1, a heme-binding protein that participates in transcriptional repression or activation, was significantly upregulated in glioblastoma tissues. Overexpression of BACH1 in GBM cells conferred resistance to temozolomide, whereas its inhibition markedly sensitized resistant cells to temozolomide in vitro and in vivo. Further investigation revealed that BACH1 activation significantly enhanced the expression of MGMT, and depletion of p53 disrupted the effects of BACH1 on MGMT and temozolomide resistance. P53 sequesters SP1 to prevent its binding to the MGMT promoter region and thus inhibits MGMT expression. Moreover, BACH1 overexpression impaired the association between p53 and SP1 via competitive binding p53, and antagonized the impact of p53 on MGMT expression. Finally, we found that BACH1 low expression correlated with better prognosis in GBM patients undergoing temozolomide therapy, especially in patients with wild-type TP53. Collectively, our findings identify a potential mechanism by which wild-type TP53 GBM cells develop resistance to temozolomide and suggest that targeting this pathway may be beneficial for overcoming resistance.