Biology subjects

Torrano, V.

Publications and source records attributed to Torrano, V..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Loss of PGC1α drives extracellular matrix remodelling in prostate cancer through CTHRC1

Despite the high curation rate of localized prostate cancer, the fraction of patients that progress to metastasis still accounts for thousands of deaths worldwide, underscoring the need to identify early molecular events that prime tumours for aggressive disease. Here, we demonstrate that loss of the metabolic transcriptional coactivator PGC1 drives early extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling in PCa, functionally linking epithelial transcriptional programs to tumour-microenvironment interactions. Using genetically engineered mouse models, we show that combined deletion of Pten and Pgc1 induces early activation of ECM-related transcriptional programs, increased collagen deposition, and a transition towards an aligned collagen fibre architecture--hallmarks of aggressive disease--prior to metastatic dissemination. Consistently, human prostate tumours with low PGC1 expression display increased collagen deposition, supporting the clinical relevance of these findings. Restoration of PGC1 expression in prostate cancer cells suppresses cell adhesion to multiple ECM substrates, disrupts collagen organization, and impairs tumour growth in a transcription-dependent manner. Through integrative matrisome proteomics and transcriptomics, we identify the secreted glycoprotein CTHRC1 as a key downstream effector that enhances the prognostic value of PGC1 in PCa patients. Functional loss- and gain-of-function studies establish CTHRC1 expression as both necessary and sufficient to restore ECM adhesion, cytoskeletal organization, collagen architecture, and tumorigenic capacity in PGC1-expressing cells. Importantly, recombinant CTHRC1 rescues adhesion defects, indicating that its extracellular pool mediates this phenotype, whereas deglycosylation abolishes its pro-adhesive function, revealing a mechanistic requirement for glycosylation. Collectively, our findings uncover an early, cell-intrinsic ECM remodelling program driven by PGC1 loss and identify the PGC1-CTHRC1 axis as a mechanistic and clinically relevant regulator of PCa aggressiveness.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Secreted spermidine synthase reveals a paracrine role for PGC1a-induced growth suppression in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the fifth cause of death by cancer worldwide, second in incidence in the male population. The definition of the molecular basis of its development and the oncogenic signals driving lethality continue to be important objectives in prostate cancer research. Prior work from others and us has demonstrated that loss of PGC1 expression results in a metabolic, signaling and transcriptional reprogramming that supports the development of metastatic disease. However, we do not fully understand the spectrum of tumor suppressive effects regulated by this co-regulator. Here we show that PGC1 governs non-cell autonomous paracrine tumor suppression in prostate cancer. A systematic analysis of the transcriptional landscapes associated to PGC1 loss of expression revealed that PGC1 alters the expression of genes encoding for secreted proteins. Cell secretome studies corroborated that PGC1-dependent ERR regulation in prostate cancer cells suppresses the growth of tumor cells exposed to their conditioned media. The integration of in vitro and in vivo secretomics data and genetic perturbation assays revealed spermidine synthase as a transcriptional target of PGC1 and mediator of a paracrine metabolic growth suppressive effect. Moreover, the activity of the regulatory axis PGC1-ERR-SRM was reflected in patients and had prognostic value. Altogether, this work provides unprecedented evidence of the non-cell autonomous tumor suppression role of PGC1, which broadens the view of this co-regulator as a multifactorial tumor suppressor in prostate cancer.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Persistent confined migration confers permanent nuclear and functional changes in migrating cells.

Nuclear deformability plays a critical role in cell migration. During this process, the remodeling of internal components of the nucleus has a direct impact on DNA damage and cell behavior; however, how persistent migration promotes nuclear changes leading to phenotypical and functional consequences remains poorly understood. Here, we described that the persistent migration through physical barriers was sufficient to promote permanent modifications in migratory-altered cells. We found that lamin B1 altered its localization, concomitant with morphological and transcriptional changes. Migratory-altered cells showed alterations in cellular functions such as DNA repair and cell migration. We applied biochemical and biophysical approaches to identify that confined conditions altered the biomechanical response of the nucleus. Mechanistically, we determined that actin dynamics controlled the redistribution of lamin, and the basal levels of DNA damage in migratory-altered cells. Our observations reveal a novel role for confined cell conditions in consistent nuclear and genomic alterations that might handle the genetic instability and cellular heterogeneity in aging diseases and cancer. HighlightsO_LIPersistent confined migration promotes permanent mophological changes. C_LIO_LILamin B1 is redistribution in the nucleus of migratory altered cells. C_LIO_LIMigratory-altered cells exhibit transcriptional and functional changes related to cell migration and survival. C_LIO_LIActin polymerization controls nuclear changes induced by cell migration. C_LI

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Integrative analysis of transcriptomic and clinical data uncovers the tumor suppressive activity of MITF in prostate cancer.

The dysregulation of gene expression is an enabling hallmark of cancer. Computational analysis of transcriptomics data from human cancer specimens, complemented with exhaustive clinical annotation, provides an opportunity to identify core regulators of the tumorigenic process. Here we exploit well-annotated clinical datasets of prostate cancer for the discovery of transcriptional regulators relevant to prostate cancer. Following this rationale, we identify Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) as a prostate tumor suppressor among a subset of transcription factors. Importantly, we further interrogate transcriptomics and clinical data to refine MITF perturbation-based empirical assays and unveil Crystallin Alpha B (CRYAB) as an unprecedented direct target of the transcription factor that is, at least in part, responsible for its tumor suppressive activity in prostate cancer. This evidence was supported by the enhanced prognostic potential of a signature based on the concomitant alteration of MITF and CRYAB in prostate cancer patients. In sum, our study provides proof-of-concept evidence of the potential of the bioinformatics screen of publicly available cancer patient databases as discovery platforms, and demonstrates that the MITF-CRYAB axis controls prostate cancer biology.

cancer biology↗