Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z7, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Division of Anatomical Pathology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; Pancreas Centre BC, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L8, Canada.
Cell Rep. 2021 Oct 12;37(2):109817. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109817.
Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNENs) are biologically and clinically heterogeneous. Here, we use a multi-omics approach to uncover the molecular factors underlying this heterogeneity. Transcriptomic analysis of 84 PNEN specimens, drawn from two cohorts, is substantiated with proteomic profiling and identifies four subgroups: Proliferative, PDX1-high, Alpha cell-like and Stromal/Mesenchymal. The Proliferative subgroup, consisting of both well- and poorly differentiated specimens, is associated with inferior overall survival probability. The PDX1-high and Alpha cell-like subgroups partially resemble previously described subtypes, and we further uncover distinctive metabolism-related features in the Alpha cell-like subgroup. The Stromal/Mesenchymal subgroup exhibits molecular characteristics of YAP1/WWTR1(TAZ) activation suggestive of Hippo signaling pathway involvement in PNENs. Whole-exome sequencing reveals subgroup-enriched mutational differences, supported by activity inference analysis, and identifies hypermorphic proto-oncogene variants in 14.3% of sequenced PNENs. Our study reveals differences in cellular signaling axes that provide potential directions for PNEN patient stratification and treatment strategies.
胰腺神经内分泌肿瘤(PNENs)在生物学和临床上具有异质性。在这里,我们使用多组学方法来揭示这种异质性的分子因素。对来自两个队列的 84 个 PNEN 标本进行转录组分析,并结合蛋白质组分析,确定了四个亚组:增殖型、PDX1 高表达型、α 细胞样型和基质/间充质型。增殖型亚组由分化良好和分化不良的标本组成,与整体生存概率较低相关。PDX1 高表达型和 α 细胞样型亚组部分类似于先前描述的亚型,我们进一步在 α 细胞样型亚组中发现了独特的与代谢相关的特征。基质/间充质型亚组表现出 YAP1/WWTR1(TAZ)激活的分子特征,提示 Hippo 信号通路参与了 PNENs。全外显子组测序揭示了亚组富集的突变差异,活性推断分析也支持这一结果,在测序的 PNENs 中发现了 14.3%的过度激活原癌基因变异。我们的研究揭示了细胞信号轴的差异,为 PNEN 患者分层和治疗策略提供了潜在的方向。