Induction of Chromosome Instability by Activation of Yes-Associated Protein and Forkhead Box M1 in Liver Cancer

• Published in: Gastroenterology (New York, N.Y. 1943) Vol. 152; no. 8; pp. 2037 - 2051.e22
• Main Authors: Weiler, Sofia M.E, Pinna, Federico, Wolf, Thomas, Lutz, Teresa, Geldiyev, Aman, Sticht, Carsten, Knaub, Maria, Thomann, Stefan, Bissinger, Michaela, Wan, Shan, Rössler, Stephanie, Becker, Diana, Gretz, Norbert, Lang, Hauke, Bergmann, Frank, Ustiyan, Vladimir, Kalin, Tatiana V, Singer, Stephan, Lee, Ju-Seog, Marquardt, Jens U, Schirmacher, Peter, Kalinichenko, Vladimir V, Breuhahn, Kai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.06.2017
• Subjects: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing - antagonists & inhibitors; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing - genetics; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing - metabolism; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - genetics; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Cell Division; Chromosomal Instability; CIN; Disease Models, Animal; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Forkhead Box Protein M1 - antagonists & inhibitors; Forkhead Box Protein M1 - genetics; Forkhead Box Protein M1 - metabolism; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - genetics; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Muscle Proteins - metabolism; Phenotype; Phosphoproteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Phosphoproteins - genetics; Phosphoproteins - metabolism; Porphyrins - pharmacology; Prognosis; RNA Interference; Signal Transduction; Thiostrepton - pharmacology; Time Factors; Tissue Array Analysis; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transcriptome; Transfection; Tumorigenesis; Verteporfin; DMSO; TEA domain; YAP; small interfering RNA; co-immunoprecipitation; phosphate-buffered saline; ChIP; FOXM1; phospho-histone 2AX; dimethyl sulfoxide; Tumorigenesis; LIHC; Chromosomal Instability; Cell Division; hepatocellular carcinoma; polymerase chain reaction; _; PBS; chromatin-immunoprecipitation; Signal Transduction; CIN; HCC; siRNA; Co-IP; TCGA; Yes-associated protein; TEAD; transgenic Yes-associated protein; pH2Ax; forkhead box M1; PCR; YAPtg
• DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.02.018
• ISSN: 0016-5085

Background & Aims Many different types of cancer cells have chromosome instability. The hippo pathway leads to phosphorylation of the transcriptional activator yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1, YAP), which regulates proliferation and has been associated with the development of liver cancer. We investigated the effects of hippo signaling via YAP on chromosome stability and hepatocarcinogenesis in human beings and mice. Methods We analyzed transcriptome data from 242 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to search for gene signatures associated with chromosomal instability; we investigated associations with overall survival time and cancer recurrence using Kaplan–Meier curves. We analyzed changes in expression of these signature genes, at messenger RNA and protein levels, after small interfering RNA–mediated silencing of YAP in Sk-Hep1, SNU182, HepG2, or pancreatic cancer cells, as well as incubation with thiostrepton (an inhibitor of forkhead box M1 [FOXM1]) or verteporfin (inhibitor of the interaction between YAP and TEA domain transcription factor 4 [TEAD4]). We performed co-immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments. We collected liver tissues from mice that express a constitutively active form of YAP (YAPS127A ) and analyzed gene expression signatures and histomorphologic parameters associated with chromosomal instability. Mice were given injections of thiostrepton and livers were collected and analyzed by immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, histology, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. We performed immunohistochemical analyses on tissue microarrays of 105 HCCs and 7 nontumor liver tissues. Results Gene expression patterns associated with chromosome instability, called CIN25 and CIN70, were detected in HCCs from patients with shorter survival time or early cancer recurrence. TEAD4 and YAP were required for CIN25 and CIN70 signature expression via induction and binding of FOXM1. Disrupting the interaction between YAP and TEAD4 with verteporfin, or inhibiting FOXM1 with thiostrepton, reduced the chromosome instability gene expression patterns. Hyperplastic livers and tumors from YAPS127A mice had increased CIN25 and CIN70 gene expression patterns, aneuploidy, and defects in mitosis. Injection of YAPS127A mice with thiostrepton reduced liver overgrowth and signs of chromosomal instability. In human HCC tissues, high levels of nuclear YAP correlated with increased chromosome instability gene expression patterns and aneuploidy. Conclusions By analyzing cell lines, genetically modified mice, and HCC tissues, we found that YAP cooperates with FOXM1 to contribute to chromosome instability. Agents that disrupt this pathway might be developed as treatments for liver cancer. Transcriptome data are available in the Gene Expression Omnibus public database (accession numbers: GSE32597 and GSE73396 ).