Biology subjects

Raynal, V.

Publications and source records attributed to Raynal, V..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Wnt signaling promotes inflammation and EMT-associated gene expression in mesenchymal TNBC

Aberrant activation of the Wnt signaling pathway in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is linked to treatment resistance and recurrence, yet its role in tumoral heterogeneity remains unclear. We developed Wnt reporter cell lines from two mesenchymal TNBC models (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-436) using a Tcf/Lef-eGFP vector and observed intra- and inter-tumoral variation in Wnt activity. Paired Wnt-positive and Wnt-negative TNBC cell lines were established and profiled by RNA-Seq. Integrative analyses revealed that Wnt-positive cells consistently upregulate genes involved in epithelial-to- mesenchymal transition, inflammation (e.g., IL6/JAK/STAT3, TNF via NF-{kappa}B), and extracellular matrix remodeling. A 55-gene Wnt signature common to both nutrient conditions captured these features. Wnt-related gene sets were also enriched in the Mesenchymal-like Immune-Altered subtype of 699 primary TNBC tumors. These findings highlight the role of basal Wnt activity in driving pro-tumorigenic transcriptional programs in TNBC and provide new insight into its contribution to subtype-specific disease features.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2024

An extra-glycolytic function for hexokinase 2 as an RNA-binding protein regulating SOX10 mRNA translation in melanoma

Several studies have reported the importance of aerobic glycolysis in melanoma development. Although metabolic benefits of glycolysis have been extensively described in tumor cells, the extra-metabolic functions linked to this energetic pathway in melanoma growth and proliferation have not been clearly established yet. Recently, some key glycolytic enzymes, such as GAPDH and PKM2, were reported to regulate mRNA translation. Translational control of gene expression is considered as a critical effector in cancer biology, representing a highly promising area of research. Here, we report that Hexokinase 2 (HK2), a glucose kinase that catalyzes the first step of glycolysis, is an RNA binding protein (RBP) that regulates mRNA translation in melanoma. We show that siRNA-mediated HK2 depletion changes the translational landscape of melanoma cells. Polysome profiling experiments and RNA-Seq indicate that the translational regulation exerted by HK2 is partly independent of the metabolic status or the glycolytic pathway. We found that HK2 specifically regulates the translation of the mRNA encoding SOX10, a transcription factor implicated in the regulation of tumor initiation, maintenance and progression in melanoma. RNA-protein interaction assays, including crosslinking immunoprecipitation (CLIP), indicate that HK2 is an RBP whose interaction with RNA is independent of its hexokinase activity or subcellular localization. We also show that HK2 specifically associates with the 5 untranslated region (5UTR) of the SOX10 mRNA, and that several deletions in this region decreases both HK2-SOX10 mRNA association and SOX10 5 UTR-mediated translation. We further show that HK2-dependent SOX10 translational regulation is involved in melanoma cell proliferation and colony formation. Collectively, our data highlight a non-metabolic function of HK2, indicating that melanoma cells may enhance glycolysis for purposes beyond simple anabolism.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Interplay between intrinsic reprogramming potential and microenvironment controls neuroblastoma cell plasticity and identity

Two cell identities, noradrenergic and mesenchymal, have been characterized in neuroblastoma cell lines according to their epigenetic landscapes relying on specific circuitries of transcription factors. Yet, their relationship and relative contribution in patient tumors remain poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that the knock-out of GATA3, but not of PHOX2A or PHOX2B, in noradrenergic cells induces a mesenchymal phenotype. Our results document spontaneous plasticity in several models between both identities and show that plasticity relies on epigenetic reprogramming. We demonstrate that an in vivo microenvironment provides a powerful pressure towards a noradrenergic identity for these models. Consistently, tumor cells with a mesenchymal identity are not detected in a series of PDX models. Further study of the intra-tumor noradrenergic heterogeneity reveals two distinct cell populations exhibiting features of chromaffin-like or sympathoblast-like cells. This work emphasizes that both external cues of the environment and intrinsic factors control plasticity and cell identity in neuroblastoma.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Transcriptional programs define intratumoral heterogeneity of Ewing sarcoma at single cell resolution

EWSR1-FLI1, the chimeric oncogene specific for Ewing sarcoma (EwS), induces a cascade of signaling events leading to cell transformation. However, it remains elusive how genetically homogeneous EwS cells can drive heterogeneity of transcriptional programs. Here, we combined independent component analysis of single cell RNA-sequencing data from diverse cell types and model systems with time-resolved mapping of EWSR1-FLI1 binding sites and of open chromatin regions to characterize dynamic cellular processes associated with EWSR1-FLI1 activity. We thus defined an exquisitely specific and direct, super-enhancer-driven EWSR1-FLI1 program. In EwS tumors, cell proliferation was associated with a well-defined range of EWSR1-FLI1 activity; moreover, cells with a high EWSR1-FLI1 activity presented a strong oxidative phosphorylation metabolism. In contrast, a subpopulation of cells from below and above optimal EWSR1-FLI1 activity was characterized by increased hypoxia. Overall, our study reveals sources of intratumoral heterogeneity within Ewing tumors.

cancer biology↗