Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Department of General Surgery and.
JCI Insight. 2023 Jul 24;8(14):e167310. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.167310.
The RNA-binding protein LIN28B is overexpressed in over 30% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and is associated with poor prognosis. In the present study, we unraveled a potentially novel mechanism by which LIN28B regulates colonic epithelial cell-cell junctions and CRC metastasis. Using human CRC cells (DLD-1, Caco-2, and LoVo) with either knockdown or overexpression of LIN28B, we identified claudin 1 (CLDN1) tight junction protein as a direct downstream target and effector of LIN28B. RNA immunoprecipitation revealed that LIN28B directly binds to and posttranscriptionally regulates CLDN1 mRNA. Furthermore, using in vitro assays and a potentially novel murine model of metastatic CRC, we show that LIN28B-mediated CLDN1 expression enhances collective invasion, cell migration, and metastatic liver tumor formation. Bulk RNA sequencing of the metastatic liver tumors identified NOTCH3 as a downstream effector of the LIN28B/CLDN1 axis. Additionally, genetic and pharmacologic manipulation of NOTCH3 signaling revealed that NOTCH3 was necessary for invasion and metastatic liver tumor formation. In summary, our results suggest that LIN28B promotes invasion and liver metastasis of CRC by posttranscriptionally regulating CLDN1 and activating NOTCH3 signaling. This discovery offers a promising new therapeutic option for metastatic CRC to the liver, an area where therapeutic advancements have been relatively scarce.
RNA 结合蛋白 LIN28B 在超过 30%的结直肠癌(CRC)患者中过表达,并与不良预后相关。在本研究中,我们揭示了 LIN28B 调节结肠上皮细胞-细胞连接和 CRC 转移的一个潜在新机制。通过使用 LIN28B 敲低或过表达的人 CRC 细胞(DLD-1、Caco-2 和 LoVo),我们鉴定出紧密连接蛋白 Claudin 1(CLDN1)是 LIN28B 的直接下游靶标和效应物。RNA 免疫沉淀显示 LIN28B 直接结合并转录后调节 CLDN1 mRNA。此外,通过体外测定和一种潜在的新型转移性 CRC 小鼠模型,我们表明 LIN28B 介导的 CLDN1 表达增强了集体侵袭、细胞迁移和转移性肝肿瘤的形成。转移性肝肿瘤的批量 RNA 测序鉴定出 NOTCH3 是 LIN28B/CLDN1 轴的下游效应物。此外,NOTCH3 信号的遗传和药理学操纵表明,NOTCH3 对于侵袭和转移性肝肿瘤的形成是必要的。总之,我们的研究结果表明,LIN28B 通过转录后调节 CLDN1 和激活 NOTCH3 信号促进 CRC 的侵袭和肝转移。这一发现为转移性 CRC 肝转移提供了一种有前途的新治疗选择,而这一领域的治疗进展相对较少。