Oncogene-induced senescence is an anti-proliferative stress response program that acts as a fail-safe mechanism to limit oncogenic transformation and is regulated by the retinoblastoma protein (RB) and p53 tumor suppressor pathways. We identify the atypical E2F family member E2F7 as the only E2F transcription factor potently upregulated during oncogene-induced senescence, a setting where it acts in response to p53 as a direct transcriptional target. Once induced, E2F7 binds and represses a series of E2F target genes and cooperates with RB to efficiently promote cell cycle arrest and limit oncogenic transformation. Disruption of RB triggers a further increase in E2F7, which induces a second cell cycle checkpoint that prevents unconstrained cell division despite aberrant DNA replication. Mechanistically, E2F7 compensates for the loss of RB in repressing mitotic E2F target genes.
The atypical E2F family member E2F7 couples the p53 and RB pathways during cellular senescence.
Cell line, Treatment
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H3K4 demethylation by Jarid1a and Jarid1b contributes to retinoblastoma-mediated gene silencing during cellular senescence.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesCellular senescence is a tumor-suppressive program that involves chromatin reorganization and specific changes in gene expression that trigger an irreversible cell-cycle arrest. We have examined the effect of suppressing the histone demethylases Jarid1a and Jarid1b on the senescence-associated gene expression signatures.
H3K4 demethylation by Jarid1a and Jarid1b contributes to retinoblastoma-mediated gene silencing during cellular senescence.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Dissecting the unique role of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor during cellular senescence.
Cell line
View SamplesThe action of RB as a tumor suppressor has been difficult to define, in part, due to the redundancy of the related proteins p107 and p130. By coupling advanced RNAi technology to suppress RB, p107 or p130 with a genome wide analysis of gene expression in growing, quiescent or ras-senescent cells, we identified a unique and specific activity of RB in repressing DNA replication as cells exit the cell cycle into senescence, a tumor suppressive program.
Dissecting the unique role of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor during cellular senescence.
Cell line
View SamplesCellular senescence is a homeostatic program associated with tumor suppression, wound healing, and certain age related pathologies. Senescent cells display a repressive chromatin configuration thought to stably silence proliferation-promoting genes, while at the same time activate an unusual form of immune surveillance involving a secretory program referred to as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Here we demonstrate that senescence also involves a global remodeling of the enhancer landscape with recruitment of the chromatin reader BRD4 to newly activated super-enhancers adjacent to key SASP genes. Transcriptional profiling and functional studies indicate that BRD4 is required for the SASP and downstream paracrine signaling. Consequently, BRD4 inhibition disrupts immune cell-mediated targeting and elimination of premalignant senescent cells in vitro and in vivo. Our results identify a critical role for BRD4-bound super-enhancers in senescence immune surveillance and in the proper execution of a tumor-suppressive program. Overall design: Analysis of RNA isolated from human fibroblasts (IMR90) in proliferating, quiescent or senescent (HrasV12) conditions upon knockdown of Brd4, p65, p53, p53/RB, p16/21 or Vehicle and JQ1 treatment
BRD4 Connects Enhancer Remodeling to Senescence Immune Surveillance.
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View Samplesp53 is a frequent target for mutation in human tumors and previous studies have revealed that these missense mutant proteins can actively contribute to tumorigenesis. To elucidate how mutant p53 might contribute to mammary carcinogenesis we employed a three-dimensional (3D) culture model. In 3D culture non-malignant breast epithelial cells form structures reminiscent of acinar structures found in vivo, whereas breast cancer cells form highly disorganized and in some cases invasive structures. We found that mutant p53 depletion is sufficient to phenotypically revert breast cancer cells to a more acinar-like morphology. Genome-wide expression analysis identified the sterol biosynthesis, or mevalonate, pathway as significantly upregulated by a tumor-derived mutant p53. Using statins and sterol biosynthesis intermediates, we demonstrate that this pathway is both necessary and sufficient for the phenotypic effects of mutant p53 on breast tissue architecture. Mutant p53 associates with the sterol gene promoters at least partly via the SREBP transcription factors. Finally, p53 mutation correlates with higher levels of sterol biosynthesis genes in human breast tumors. This activity of mutant p53 not only contributes insight into breast carcinogenesis, but also implicates the mevalonate pathway as a new therapeutic target for tumors bearing such mutations in p53.
Mutant p53 disrupts mammary tissue architecture via the mevalonate pathway.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesEpigenetic pathways regulate gene expression by controlling and interpreting chromatin modifications. Cancer cells are characterized by altered epigenetic landscapes and commonly exploit the chromatin regulatory machinery to enforce oncogenic gene expression programs. While chromatin alterations are, in principle, reversible and often amendable to drug intervention, the promise of targeting such pathways therapeutically has been hampered by our limited understanding of cancer-specific epigenetic dependencies. Here we describe a non-biased approach to probe epigenetic vulnerabilities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) an aggressive hematopoietic malignancy often associated with aberrant chromatin states. By screening a custom shRNA library targeting known chromatin regulators in a genetically defined AML mouse model, we identify the bromodomain-containing protein Brd4 as a critical requirement for disease maintenance. Suppression of Brd4 using shRNAs or the small-molecule inhibitor JQ1 led to robust anti-leukemic effects in vitro and in vivo, accompanied by terminal myeloid differentiation. Extensive evaluation of JQ1-sensitivity in primary human leukemia samples and in established cell lines revealed a broad activity of this compound against diverse AML subtypes. These effects are, at least in part, due to a requirement for Brd4 in maintaining Myc expression and promoting aberrant self-renewal. Together, our results indicate that Brd4 is a promising therapeutic target in AML and identify a small molecule that efficiently targets Myc. These findings also highlight the utility of RNAi screening as a discovery platform for revealing epigenetic vulnerabilities for direct pharmacologic intervention in cancer.
RNAi screen identifies Brd4 as a therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukaemia.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Independence of repressive histone marks and chromatin compaction during senescent heterochromatic layer formation.
Sex, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesThe expansion of repressive epigenetic marks has been implicated in heterochromatin formation during embryonic development, but the general applicability of this mechanism is unclear. Here we show that nuclear rearrangement of repressive histone marks H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 into non-overlapping structural layers characterizes senescence-associated heterochromatic foci (SAHF) formation in human fibroblasts. However, the global landscape of these repressive marks remains unchanged upon SAHF formation, suggesting that in somatic cells heterochromatin can be formed through the spatial repositioning of pre-existing repressively marked histones. This model is reinforced by the correlation of pre-senescent replication timing with both the subsequent layered structure of SAHFs and the global landscape of the repressive marks, allowing us to integrate microscopic and genomic information. Furthermore, modulation of SAHF structure does not affect the occupancy of these repressive marks nor vice versa. These experiments reveal that high-order heterochromatin formation and epigenetic remodeling of the genome can be discrete events.
Independence of repressive histone marks and chromatin compaction during senescent heterochromatic layer formation.
Sex, Cell line, Treatment
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