RESUMO
The effect of grainyhead-like transcription factor 3 (GRHL3) on cancer development depends on the cancer subtypes as shown in tumor entities such as colorectal or oral squamous cell carcinomas. Here, we analyzed the subtype-specific role of GRHL3 in bladder carcinogenesis, comparing common urothelial carcinoma (UC) with squamous bladder cancer (sq-BLCA). We examined GRHL3 mRNA and protein expression in cohorts of patient samples, its prognostic role and its functional impact on tumorigeneses in different molecular and histopathological subtypes of bladder cancer. We showed for GRHL3 a reverse expression in squamous and urothelial bladder cancer subtypes. Stably GRHL3-overexpressing EJ28, J82, and SCaBER in vitro models revealed a tumor-suppressive function in squamous and an oncogenic role in the urothelial cancer cells affecting cell and colony growth, and migratory and invasive capacities. Transcriptomic profiling demonstrated highly subtype-specific GRHL3-regulated expression networks coined by the enrichment of genes involved in integrin-mediated pathways. In SCaBER, loss of ras homolog family member A (RHOA) GTPase activity was demonstrated to be associated with co-regulation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E family member 3 (EIF4E3), a potential tumor suppressor gene. Thus, our data provide for the first time a detailed insight into the role of the transcription factor GRHL3 in different histopathological subtypes of bladder cancer.
Assuntos
Carcinogênese , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Fatores de Transcrição , Neoplasias da Bexiga Urinária , Neoplasias da Bexiga Urinária/genética , Neoplasias da Bexiga Urinária/patologia , Neoplasias da Bexiga Urinária/metabolismo , Humanos , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Carcinogênese/genética , Carcinogênese/patologia , Feminino , Masculino , Proteína rhoA de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Proteína rhoA de Ligação ao GTP/genética , Movimento Celular/genética , Proliferação de Células/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/metabolismo , Prognóstico , Fator de Iniciação 4E em Eucariotos/metabolismo , Fator de Iniciação 4E em Eucariotos/genética , IdosoRESUMO
This study aims at analyzing the impact of the pharmacological inhibition of DNA damage response (DDR) targets (DNA-PK and ATR) on radiosensitization of bladder cancer cell lines of different molecular/histological subtypes. Applying DNA-PK (AZD7648) and ATR (Ceralasertib) inhibitors on SCaBER, J82 and VMCUB-1 bladder cancer cell lines, we revealed sensitization upon ionizing radiation (IR), i.e., the IC50 for each drug shifted to a lower drug concentration with increased IR doses. In line with this, drug exposure retarded DNA repair after IR-induced DNA damage visualized by a neutral comet assay. Western blot analyses confirmed specific inhibition of targeted DDR pathways in the analyzed bladder cancer cell lines, i.e., drugs blocked DNA-PK phosphorylation at Ser2056 and the ATR downstream mediator CHK1 at Ser317. Interestingly, clonogenic survival assays indicated a cell-line-dependent synergism of combined DDR inhibition upon IR. Calculating combined index (CI) values, with and without IR, according to the Chou-Talalay method, confirmed drug- and IR-dose-specific synergistic CI values. Thus, we provide functional evidence that DNA-PK and ATR inhibitors specifically target corresponding DDR pathways retarding the DNA repair process at nano-molar concentrations. This, in turn, leads to a strong radiosensitizing effect and impairs the survival of bladder cancer cells.
