Expression of Genes Involved in Cellular Adhesion and Extracellular Matrix Remodeling Correlates with Poor Survival of Patients with Renal Cancer
JOURNAL OF UROLOGY
Authors: Boguslawska, Joanna; Kedzierska, Hanna; Poplawski, Piotr; Rybicka, Beata; Tanski, Zbigniew; Piekielko-Witkowska, Agnieszka
Abstract
Purpose: Renal cell carcinoma is the most common highly metastatic kidney malignancy. Adhesion has a crucial role in the metastatic process. TGF (transforming growth factor)-beta 1 is a pleiotropic cytokine that influences cancerous transformation. We hypothesized that 1) changes in the expression of adhesion related genes may influence survival rate of patients with renal cell carcinoma and 2) TGF-beta 1 may contribute to changed expression of adhesion related genes. Materials and Methods: Two-step quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction arrays were used to analyze the expression of adhesion related genes in 77 tumors and matched pair controls. The prognostic significance of genes was evaluated in TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) data on 468 patients with renal cell carcinoma. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were applied for TGF-beta 1 analysis. TGF-beta 1 mediated regulation of gene expression was analyzed by TGF-beta 1 supplementation of Caki-2 cells and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The expression of 19 genes related to adhesion and extracellular matrix remodeling was statistically significantly disturbed in renal cell carcinoma compared with controls. The 10-gene expression signature (COL1A1, COL5A1, COL11A1, FN1, ICAM1, ITGAL, ITGAM, ITGB2, THBS2 and TIMP1) correlated with poor survival (HR 2.85, p = 5.7e-10). TGF-beta 1 expression was 22 times higher in renal cell carcinoma than in controls (p < 0.0001). TGF-beta 1 induced expression of TGFBI, COL1A1, COL5A1, COL8A1, FN1, ITGA5, ITGAM and TIMP1 in a renal cell carcinoma derived cell line. Conclusions: Disturbed expression of genes involved in adhesion and extracellular matrix remodeling develops early during renal cell carcinoma carcinogenesis and correlates with poor survival. TGF-beta 1 contributes to changed expression of extracellular matrix and adhesion related genes. Bioinformatic analysis performed on a broad panel of cancers of nonkidney origin suggests that disturbed expression of genes related to extracellular matrix and adhesion may be a universal feature of cancerous progression.
TRAF4 promotes lung cancer aggressiveness by modulating tumor microenvironment in normal fibroblasts
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Authors: Kim, EunGi; Kim, Wanyeon; Lee, Sungmin; Chun, Jahyun; Kang, JiHoon; Park, Gaeul; Han, IkJoon; Yang, Hee Jung; Youn, HyeSook; Youn, BuHyun
Abstract
Normal fibroblasts surrounding tumor cells play a crucial role in cancer progression through formation of the tumor microenvironment. Because factors secreted from normal fibroblasts can modulate the tumor microenvironment, it is necessary to identify key factors associated with regulation of secreted factors and to investigate the molecular mechanisms contributing to the tumor microenvironment formation process. In this study, we found that radiation induced the expression and K63-linkage poly-ubiquitination of TRAF4 in normal lung fibroblasts. The K63-linkage poly-ubiquitinated TRAF4 formed complexes with NOX2 or NOX4 by mediating phosphorylated p47-phox in normal lung fibroblasts. Moreover, we showed that TRAF4 stabilized NOX complexes by decreasing lysosomal degradation of NOX2 and NOX4 after irradiation. NOX complexes increased endosomal ROS levels that were permeable into cytoplasm, leading to NF-.B-mediated ICAM1 up-regulation. Soluble ICAM1 was subsequently secreted into conditioned media of radiation-activated normal lung fibroblasts. The conditioned media from irradiated normal fibroblasts enhanced proliferation and epithelialmesenchymal transition of non-small cell lung cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. These results demonstrate that TRAF4 in irradiated fibroblasts is positively associated with aggressiveness of adjacent cancer cells by altering the tumor microenvironment. Thus, we suggest that regulation of TRAF4 might be a promising strategy for cancer therapy.