Faculty Bibliography

A major impeding factor in designing effective therapies against glioblastoma (GBM) is its extensive molecular heterogeneity and the diversity of microenvironmental conditions within any given tumor. To test whether heterogeneity with the GBM stem cell (GSC) population is required to ensure tumor growth in such diverse microenvironments, we used human GBM biospecimens to examine the identity of cells marked by two established GSC markers: CD133 and activation of the Notch pathway. Using primary GBM cultures engineered to express GFP upon activation of Notch signaling, we observed only partial overlap between cells expressing cell surface CD133 and cells with Notch activation (n = 3 specimens), contrary to expectations based on prior literature. To further investigate this finding, we FACS-isolated these cell populations and characterized them. While both CD133+ (CD133 + /Notch-) and Notch+(CD133-/Notch+) cells fulfill GSC criteria, they differ vastly in their transcriptome, metabolic preferences and differentiation capacity, thus giving rise to histologically distinct tumors. CD133+ GSCs have increased expression of hypoxia-regulated and glycolytic genes, and are able to expand under hypoxia by activating anaerobic glycolysis. In contrast, Notch+ GSCs are unable to utilize anaerobic glycolysis under hypoxia, leading to decreased tumorsphere formation ability. While CD133+ GSCs give rise to histologically homogeneous tumors devoid of large tumor vessels, tumors initiated by Notch+ GSCs are marked by large perfusing vessels enveloped by pericytes. Using a lineage tracing system, we showed that pericytes are derived from Notch+ GSCs. In addition, Notch+ cells are able to give rise to all tumor lineages in vitro and in vivo, including CD133 + /Notch- cells, as opposed to Notch- populations, which have restricted differentiation capacity and do not generate Notch+ lineages. Our findings demonstrate that GSC heterogeneity is a mechanism used by tumors to sustain growth in diverse microenvironmental conditions

Intratumoral heterogeneity in glioblastoma (GBM) is exemplified by the diversity of tumor microenvironments, which include normoxic hypervascular areas and necrotic regions, which are considered hypoxic. GBM stem cells (GSCs) play a central role in tumor growth and therapy resistance. How GSCs adapt to diverse GBM microenvironments remains an important and unanswered question. We recently discovered that CD133-expressing GSCs are metabolically adept at expanding in hypoxic conditions and do not require Notch signaling for their self-renewal. Transcriptional analysis indicated that CD133+ GSCs have 17.8+/-8.8-fold enriched expression of GPR133 (n = 3 biospecimens), a member of the adhesion family of Gproteincoupled receptors. Immunostaining with GPR133 antibody revealed that GPR133 expression is restricted to hypoxic regions within GBM tumors (12/12 GBM biospecimens) and not present in normal brain. We observed that GPR133 mRNA expression correlates with hypoxia-induced transcripts, such as CA9 and VEFGA (n = 3 primary cultures). To test the hypothesis that GPR133 expression is regulated by oxygen tension, we subjected GBM cultures to 1% O2 in vitro and found that GPR133 transcript was consistently upregulated (n = 5 cultures). To examine whether GPR133 is important for GSC self-renewal, we tested the effect of shRNA-mediated knockdown on in vitro tumorsphere formation ability. GPR133 knockdown depleted CD133+ GSCs and inhibited tumorsphere formation under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions (p< 0.05). GPR133 knockdown also reduced in vivo tumorigenicity and increased survival of implanted mice (n = 3). Using colorimetric assays, we found that CD133+ GSCs have 26.2+/-12.53% higher cAMP levels compared to CD133- GBM cells (n = 3) and that GPR133 knockdown downregulated cAMP levels to 47.25+/-27.27% of scramble control (n = 3), suggesting that GPR133 signals through activation of adenylate cyclase and cAMP elevation

Cancer is a consequence of mutations in genes that control cell proliferation, differentiation and cellular homeostasis. These genes are classified into two categories: oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Together, overexpression of oncogenes and loss of tumor suppressors are the dominant driving forces for tumorigenesis. Hence, targeting oncogenes and tumor suppressors hold tremendous therapeutic potential for cancer treatment. In the last decade, the predominant cancer drug discovery strategy has relied on a traditional reductionist approach of dissecting molecular signaling pathways and designing inhibitors for the selected oncogenic targets. Remarkable therapies have been developed using this approach; however, targeting oncogenes is only part of the picture. Our understanding of the importance of tumor suppressors in preventing tumorigenesis has also advanced significantly and provides a new therapeutic window of opportunity. Given that tumor suppressors are frequently mutated, deleted, or silenced with loss-of-function, restoring their normal functions to treat cancer holds tremendous therapeutic potential. With the rapid expansion in our knowledge of cancer over the last several decades, developing effective anticancer regimens against tumor suppressor pathways has never been more promising. In this article, we will review the concept of tumor suppression, and outline the major therapeutic strategies and challenges of targeting tumor suppressor networks for cancer therapeutics.

Yeast SUV3 is a nuclear encoded mitochondrial RNA helicase that complexes with an exoribonuclease, DSS1, to function as an RNA degradosome. Inactivation of SUV3 leads to mitochondrial dysfunctions, such as respiratory deficiency; accumulation of aberrant RNA species, including excised group I introns; and loss of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Although intron toxicity has long been speculated to be the major reason for the observed phenotypes, direct evidence to support or refute this theory is lacking. Moreover, it remains unknown whether SUV3 plays a direct role in mtDNA maintenance independently of its degradosome activity. In this paper, we address these questions by employing an inducible knockdown system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with either normal or intronless mtDNA background. Expressing mutants defective in ATPase (K245A) or RNA binding activities (V272L or ΔCC, which carries an 8-amino acid deletion at the C-terminal conserved region) resulted in not only respiratory deficiencies but also loss of mtDNA under normal mtDNA background. Surprisingly, V272L, but not other mutants, can rescue the said deficiencies under intronless background. These results provide genetic evidence supporting the notion that the functional requirements of SUV3 for degradosome activity and maintenance of mtDNA stability are separable. Furthermore, V272L mutants and wild-type SUV3 associated with an active mtDNA replication origin and facilitated mtDNA replication, whereas K245A and ΔCC failed to support mtDNA replication. These results indicate a direct role of SUV3 in maintaining mitochondrial genome stability that is independent of intron turnover but requires the intact ATPase activity and the CC conserved region.