Biology subjects

Stabile, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Stabile, R..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

A tug-of-war between the NuRD and SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers regulates the coordinated activation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and inflammation in oral cancer.

Phenotypic plasticity and inflammation, two well-established hallmarks of cancer, play key roles in local invasion and distant metastasis by enabling rapid adaptation of tumor cells to dynamic micro- environmental changes. Here, we show that in oral squamous carcinoma cell carcinoma (OSCC), the competition between the NuRD and SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes plays a pivotal role in regulating both epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) and inflammation. By perturbing these complexes, we demonstrate their opposing downstream effects on inflammatory pathways and EMP regulation. In particular, downregulation of the BRG1-specific SWI/SNF complex deregulates key inflammatory genes such as TNF- and IL6 in opposite ways when compared with loss of CDK2AP1, a key member of the NuRD complex. We show that CDK2AP1 genetic ablation triggers a pro-inflammatory secretome encompassing several chemo- and cytokines thus promoting the recruitment of monocytes into the tumor microenvironment (TME). Furthermore, CDK2AP1 deletion stimulates their differentiation into M2-like macrophages, as also validated on tumor microarrays from OSCC patient- derived tumor samples. Further analysis of the inverse correlation between CDK2AP1 expression and TME immune infiltration revealed specific downstream effects on CD68+ macrophage abundance and localization. Our study sheds light on the role of chromatin remodeling complexes in OSCC locoregional invasion and points at the potential of CDK2AP1 and other members of the NuRD and SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Phenotypic plasticity and partial EMT underlie local invasion and distant metastasis in colon cancer

Phenotypic plasticity represents the most relevant hallmark of the carcinoma cell as it bestows it with the capacity of transiently altering its morphologic and functional features while en route to the metastatic site. However, the study of phenotypic plasticity is hindered by the rarity of these events within primary lesions and by the lack of experimental models. Here, we identified a subpopulation of phenotypic plastic colon cancer cells: EpCAMlo cells are motile, invasive, chemo-resistant, and highly metastatic. EpCAMlo bulk and single-cell RNAseq analysis indicated 1. enhanced Wnt/{beta}-catenin signaling, 2. a broad spectrum of degrees of EMT activation including hybrid E/M states (partial EMT) with highly plastic features, and 3. high correlation with the CMS4 subtype, accounting for colon cancer cases with poor prognosis and a pronounced stromal component. Of note, a signature of genes specifically expressed in EpCAMlo cancer cells is highly predictive of overall survival in tumors other than CMS4, thus highlighting the relevance of quasi-mesenchymal tumor cells across the spectrum of colon cancers. Enhanced Wnt and the downstream EMT activation represent key events in eliciting phenotypic plasticity along the invasive front of primary colon carcinomas. Distinct sets of epithelial and mesenchymal genes define transcriptional trajectories through which state transitions arise. pEMT cells, often earmarked by the extracellular matrix glycoprotein SPARC together with nuclear ZEB1 and {beta}-catenin along the invasive front of primary colon carcinomas, are predicted to represent the origin of these (de)differentiation routes through biologically-distinct cellular states, and to underlie the phenotypic plasticity of colon cancer cells.

cancer biology↗