Descarpentrie Jean, Araúzo-Bravo Marcos J, He Zongsheng, François Alexia, González Álvaro, Garcia-Gallastegi Patricia, Badiola Iker, Evrard Serge, Pernot Simon, Creemers John W M, Khatib Abdel-Majid
Reprogramming tumor activitY and associaTed MicroEnvironment (RYTME), Bordeaux Institute of Oncology (BRIC)-UMR1312 Inserm, B2 Ouest, Allée Geoffroy St Hilaire CS50023, 33615 Pessac, France.
Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, C/Doctor Beguiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain.
Cancers (Basel). 2022 Feb 25;14(5):1195. doi: 10.3390/cancers14051195.
Proprotein convertases or PCs are known to regulate the malignant phenotype of colon cancer cells by different mechanisms, but their effects on cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been less widely investigated. Here, we report that PCs expression is altered in colon CSCs, and the inhibition of their activity reduced colon CSCs growth, survival, and invasion in three-dimensional spheroid cultures. In vivo, repression of PCs activity by the general PC inhibitors α1-PDX, Spn4A, or decanoyl-RVKR-chloromethylketone (CMK) significantly reduced tumor expression levels of the stem cell markers LGR5 and NANOG that are associated with reduced tumor xenografts. Further analysis revealed that reduced tumor growth mediated by specific silencing of the convertase Furin in KRAS or BRAF mutated-induced colon tumors was associated with reduced expression of LGR5 and NANOG compared to wild-type KRAS and BRAF tumors. Analysis of various calcium regulator molecules revealed that while the calcium-transporting ATPase 4 (ATP2B4) is downregulated in all the Furin-silenced colon cancer cells, the Ca-mobilizing P2Y receptors, was specifically repressed in BRAF mutated cells and ORAI1 and CACNA1H in KRAS mutated cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that PCs play an important role in the malignant phenotype of colon CSCs and stem cell markers' expression and highlight PCs repression, particularly of Furin, to target colon tumors with KRAS or BRAF mutation.
前蛋白转化酶(PCs)已知可通过不同机制调节结肠癌细胞的恶性表型,但其对癌症干细胞(CSCs)的影响尚未得到广泛研究。在此,我们报告PCs在结肠CSCs中的表达发生改变,并且在三维球体培养中抑制其活性可降低结肠CSCs的生长、存活和侵袭能力。在体内,通用PC抑制剂α1-PDX、Spn4A或癸酰-RVKR-氯甲基酮(CMK)对PCs活性的抑制显著降低了与肿瘤异种移植减少相关的干细胞标志物LGR5和NANOG的肿瘤表达水平。进一步分析表明,与野生型KRAS和BRAF肿瘤相比,在KRAS或BRAF突变诱导的结肠肿瘤中,通过特异性沉默转化酶弗林蛋白酶(Furin)介导的肿瘤生长减少与LGR5和NANOG表达降低有关。对各种钙调节分子的分析表明,虽然钙转运ATP酶4(ATP2B4)在所有弗林蛋白酶沉默的结肠癌细胞中均下调,但钙动员P2Y受体在BRAF突变细胞中特异性受抑制,而ORAI1和CACNA1H在KRAS突变细胞中受抑制。综上所述,我们的研究结果表明PCs在结肠CSCs的恶性表型和干细胞标志物表达中起重要作用,并强调抑制PCs,特别是弗林蛋白酶,以靶向KRAS或BRAF突变的结肠肿瘤。