How metastases develop is not well understood and no genetic mutations have been reported as specific metastatic drivers.Here we have addressed the idea that epigenetic reprogramming by GLI-regulated pluripotent stemn...How metastases develop is not well understood and no genetic mutations have been reported as specific metastatic drivers.Here we have addressed the idea that epigenetic reprogramming by GLI-regulated pluripotent stemness factors promotes metastases.Using primary human colon cancer cells engrafted in mice,we find that transient expression of OCT4,SOX2,KLF41/2 cMYC establishes an enhanced pro-metastatic state in the primary tumor that is stable through sequential engraftments and is transmitted through clonogenic cancer stem cells.Metastatic reprogramming alters NANOG methylation and stably boosts NANOG and NANOGP8 expression.Metastases and reprogrammed EMT-like phenotypes require endogenous NANOG,but enhanced NANOG is not sufficient to induce these phenotypes.Finally,reprogrammed tumors enhance GLI2,and we show that GLI2high and AXIN2low,which are markers of the metastatic transition of colon cancers,are prognostic of poor disease outcome in patients.We propose that metastases arise through epigenetic reprogramming of cancer stem cells within primary tumors.展开更多
基金funded by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation,the Swiss Cancer League,the European Union grant HEALING,a James McDonnell 21st Century Brain Cancer Award,and funds from the Departement d’Instruction Publique de la Republique et Canton de Geneve,Switzerland。
文摘How metastases develop is not well understood and no genetic mutations have been reported as specific metastatic drivers.Here we have addressed the idea that epigenetic reprogramming by GLI-regulated pluripotent stemness factors promotes metastases.Using primary human colon cancer cells engrafted in mice,we find that transient expression of OCT4,SOX2,KLF41/2 cMYC establishes an enhanced pro-metastatic state in the primary tumor that is stable through sequential engraftments and is transmitted through clonogenic cancer stem cells.Metastatic reprogramming alters NANOG methylation and stably boosts NANOG and NANOGP8 expression.Metastases and reprogrammed EMT-like phenotypes require endogenous NANOG,but enhanced NANOG is not sufficient to induce these phenotypes.Finally,reprogrammed tumors enhance GLI2,and we show that GLI2high and AXIN2low,which are markers of the metastatic transition of colon cancers,are prognostic of poor disease outcome in patients.We propose that metastases arise through epigenetic reprogramming of cancer stem cells within primary tumors.
