Search

2012/2013 High Mobility Group A (HMGA1a, HMGA1b and HMGA2) proteins are architectural nuclear factors, physiological expressed during embryonic development and re-expressed at high levels following neoplastic transformation, playing essential functions in both these processes thanks to their particular plasticity and consequently multifunctionality. HMGA are involved in a wide number of cellular processes, including Epithelial-Mesenchymal transition (EMT), a biologic developmental process characterized by the conversion of epithelial cells to motile mesenchymal ones, with increased capacity of migration and invasion. EMT plays a key role during the progression of different tumours, including breast cancer and also HMGA have been linked to these processes in the acquisition of tumourigenic features. Consequently taking advantage of different breast cancer cell lines to recreate an "EMT model" we have investigated the role of HMGA proteins in EMT and breast carcinoma. We have developed a cellular model, stable for the overexpression of HMGA1 using the human breast cancer cell line MCF7. We have explored different aspects of tumourigenesis, performing transwell migration and invasion assays, demonstrating that cells with high levels of HMGA1 migrate and invade at a higher and significant level in comparison to control cells. Moreover this data was also confirmed with the development of an inducible cell line for HMGA1 overexpression. Therefore we have examined the expression status of different genes, including several specific EMT markers at mRNA level with Real Time PCR, observing a pre-malignant change towards mesenchymal status. We have investigated the response after DNA damage induced by doxorubicin drug, by colony formation assay, demonstrating that HMGA1 overexpressing cells confer a survival advantage to the cells, being able to survive and form a significant higher number of colonies in respect to control cells. Therefore to study deeper the role of HMGA in EMT, we have developed other two cellular systems, a human cellular model of EMT in MDA-MB-468 human breast carcinoma cells treated with Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) and the well known EMT model, elicited by Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) in murine mammary epithelial NMuMG cells, in which HMGA2 is functionally determinant. We have demonstrated by Real Time PCR of EMT markers, Western Blot analyses and immunofluorescence the effective reliability of these cellular models, confirmed also by a dramatic change in morphology of treated cells, towards a mesenchymal phenotype. Concluding we have interestingly observed that overexpression of HMGA1 could confer some tumourigenic features (i.e. migration, invasion) and survival advantage to the cells in the MCF7 model after a cellular DNA damage induction; therefore we have different suggestions that HMGA are involved in EMT in other different cellular models. Le proteine HMGA (HMGA1a, HMGA1b e HMGA2), definite come fattori architetturali della cromatina, sono fisiologicamente espresse ad alti livelli nel corso dello sviluppo embrionale diminuendo gradualmente la loro espressione nel corso del differenziamento. Sono coinvolte, oltre all'aspetto fisiologico, anche in diverse condizioni patologiche, essendo ad esempio ri-espresse ad alti livelli nel corso della trasformazione neoplastica, esercitando funzioni essenziali grazie alla loro alta plasticità, alle peculiari caratteristiche biochimiche e conseguente multifunzionalità. Le proteine HMGA utilizzano diversi meccanismi per esercitare la loro funzione nell'acquisire capacità trasformanti, inclusa la transizione epitelio-mesenchimale. Questo processo biologico, primariamente identificato come fattore chiave dello sviluppo embrionale, è risultato di essere di fondamentale importanza anche nella trasformazione tumorale. Mediante questo meccanismo una cellula epiteliale, mediante molteplici cambiamenti genetici e biochimici acquisisce caratteristiche tipiche di uno "stato mesenchimale", caratterizzato ad esempio da un'aumentata capacità invasiva e migratoria. La transizione epitelio-mesenchimale esercita un ruolo chiave nel corso della progressione di diverse tipologie tumorali, incluso il cancro al seno, a cui in particolare anche le proteine HMGA sono state associate. L'obiettivo della Tesi è quindi quello di studiare il ruolo delle proteine HMGA nella transizione epitelio-mesenchimale e in particolare nel cancro al seno. A questo scopo abbiamo sviluppato diversi modelli cellulari di transizione epitelio-mesenchimale. Il primo modello ha previsto la creazione di un sistema stabile di over-espressione della proteina HMGA1 nella linea epiteliale di tumore al seno MCF7. Abbiamo analizzato diversi aspetti della tumorigenesi mediante saggi di migrazione ed invasione in transwell, dimostrando come alti livelli della proteina HMGA1 inducano un aumento di entrambi i processi rispetto ad una condizione di controllo. Inoltre i dati di migrazione sono stati confermati in un sistema inducibile per la over-espressione di HMGA1 nella stessa linea cellulare MCF7 e da saggi condotti in condizione di deplezione di HMGA1 attraverso strategie di silenziamento, dimostrando ulteriormente come la migrazione sia un fenomeno HMGA1 dipendente. Abbiamo inoltre esaminato lo stato di espressione di diversi geni, inclusi specifici marker di transizione epitelio-mesenchimale, mediante analisi di Real Time PCR, osservando un cambiamento verso una condizione di tipo pre-maligno e di parziale transizione ad uno stato mesenchimale. Inoltre è stata verificata la risposta al danno indotto da doxorubicina mediante saggio di colony formation, dimostrando come cellule over-esprimenti HMGA1 possiedano un vantaggio in termini di sopravvivenza e di numero di colonie formate, rispetto alle cellule di controllo. Per approfondire ulteriormente il ruolo esercitato dalle HMGA nella transizione epitelio-mesenchimale, sono stati sviluppati altri due modelli cellulari, uno nella linea epiteliale umana di cancro al seno MDA-MB-468 trattata con EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor), l'altro nella linea cellulare murina mammaria di tipo epiteliale NMuMG, trattata con TGF-β (Transforming Growth Factor-β), in cui l'azione di HMGA2 è stato dimostrato avere un ruolo determinante. Mediante analisi di Real Time PCR di marker di transizione epitelio-mesenchimale, di Western Blot e di immunofluorescenza abbiamo dimostrato l'effettiva solidità di questi modelli cellulari, confermato anche dal fatto che è possibile apprezzare un consistente cambio morfologico verso un fenotipo mesenchimale e una concomitante over-espressione delle proteine HMGA. Da questi modelli è stato quindi possibile evincere come le HMGA siano coinvolte nell'acquisizione di caratteristiche di tipo tumorale anche mediante processi di transizione epitelio-mesenchimale e come questi modelli siano utili al fine di semplificare network molecolari. XXV Ciclo 1984

High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) is an architectural chromatin factor involved in the regulation of gene expression and a master regulator in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). In TNBC, HMGA1 is overexpressed and coordinates a gene network that controls cellular processes involved in tumour development, progression, and metastasis formation. Here, we find that the expression of HMGA1 and of the microtubule-destabilizing protein stathmin correlates in breast cancer (BC) patients. We demonstrate that HMGA1 depletion leads to a downregulation of stathmin expression and activity on microtubules resulting in decreased TNBC cell motility. We show that this pathway is mediated by the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27kip1 (p27). Indeed, the silencing of HMGA1 expression in TNBC cells results both in an increased p27 protein stability and p27-stathmin binding. When the expression of both HMGA1 and p27 is silenced, we observe a significant rescue in cell motility. These data, obtained in cellular models, were validated in BC patients. In fact, we find that patients with high levels of both HMGA1 and stathmin and low levels of p27 have a statistically significant lower survival probability in terms of relapse-free survival (RFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) with respect to the patient group with low HMGA1, low stathmin, and high p27 expression levels. Finally, we show in an in vivo xenograft model that depletion of HMGA1 chemo-sensitizes tumour cells to paclitaxel, a drug that is commonly used in TNBC treatments. This study unveils a new interaction among HMGA1, p27, and stathmin that is critical in BC cell migration. Moreover, our data suggest that taxol-based treatments may be more effective in reducing the tumour burden when tumour cells express low levels of HMGA1.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is an infrequent but highly lethal disease, almost invariably treated with platinum‐based therapies. Improving the response to platinum represents a great challenge, since it could significantly impact on patient survival. Here, we report that silencing or pharmacological inhibition of CDK6 increases EOC cell sensitivity to platinum. We observed that, upon platinum treatment, CDK6 phosphorylated and stabilized the transcription factor FOXO3, eventually inducing ATR transcription. Blockage of this pathway resulted in EOC cell death, due to altered DNA damage response accompanied by increased apoptosis. These observations were recapitulated in EOC cell lines in vitro , in xenografts in vivo , and in primary tumor cells derived from platinum‐treated patients. Consistently, high CDK6 and FOXO3 expression levels in primary EOC predict poor patient survival. Our data suggest that CDK6 represents an actionable target that can be exploited to improve platinum efficacy in EOC patients. As CDK4/6 inhibitors are successfully used in cancer patients, our findings can be immediately transferred to the clinic to improve the outcome of EOC patients.

Snail is a target of USP1 that links platinum response to metastasis in ovarian cancer., Resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy is a common event in patients with cancer, generally associated with tumor dissemination and metastasis. Whether platinum treatment per se activates molecular pathways linked to tumor spreading is not known. Here, we report that the ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (USP1) mediates ovarian cancer cell resistance to platinum, by regulating the stability of Snail, which, in turn, promotes tumor dissemination. At the molecular level, we observed that upon platinum treatment, USP1 is phosphorylated by ATM and ATR and binds to Snail. Then, USP1 de-ubiquitinates and stabilizes Snail expression, conferring resistance to platinum, increased stem cell–like features, and metastatic ability. Consistently, knockout or pharmacological inhibition of USP1 increased platinum sensitivity and decreased metastatic dissemination in a Snail-dependent manner. Our findings identify Snail as a USP1 target and open the way to a novel strategy to overcome platinum resistance and more successfully treat patients with ovarian cancer.

The HMGA1 architectural transcription factor is an oncogene overexpressed in the vast majority of human cancers. HMGA1 is a highly connected node in the nuclear molecular network and the key aspect of HMGA1 involvement in cancer development is that HMGA1 simultaneously confers cells multiple oncogenic hits, ranging from global chromatin structural and gene expression modifications up to the direct functional alterations of key cellular proteins. Interestingly, HMGA1 also modulates DNA damage repair pathways. In this work, we provide evidences linking HMGA1 with Non-Homologous End Joining DNA repair. We show that HMGA1 is in complex with and is a substrate for DNA-PK. HMGA1 enhances Ligase IV activity and it counteracts the repressive histone H1 activity towards DNA ends ligation. Moreover, breast cancer cells overexpressing HMGA1 show a faster recovery upon induction of DNA double-strand breaks, which is associated with a higher survival. These data suggest that resistance to DNA-damaging agents in cancer cells could be partially attributed to HMGA1 overexpression thus highlighting the relevance of considering HMGA1 expression levels in the selection of valuable and effective pharmacological regimens.

High Mobility Group A are non-histone nuclear proteins that regulate chromatin plasticity and accessibility, playing an important role both in physiology and pathology. Their activity is controlled by transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms. In this study we provide evidence for a novel modulatory mechanism for HMGA functions. We show that HMGAs are complexed in vivo with the histone chaperone nucleophosmin (NPM1), that this interaction requires the histone-binding domain of NPM1 and that NPM1 modulates both DNA-binding affinity and specificity of HMGAs. By focusing on two human genes whose expression is directly regulated by HMGA1, the Insulin receptor (INSR) and the Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) genes, we demonstrated that occupancy of their promoters by HMGA1 was NPM1-dependent, reflecting a mechanism in which the activity of these cis-regulatory elements is directly modulated by NPM1 leading to changes in gene expression. HMGAs need short stretches of AT-rich nucleosome-free regions to bind to DNA. Therefore, many putative HMGA binding sites are present within the genome. Our findings indicate that NPM1, by exerting a chaperoning activity towards HMGAs, may act as a master regulator in the control of DNA occupancy by these proteins and hence in HMGA-mediated gene expression.