Estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) mutations have been identified in hormone therapy resistant breast cancer and primary endometrial cancer. Analyses in breast cancer suggests that mutant ESR1 exhibits estrogen independent activity. In endometrial cancer, ESR1 mutations are associated with worse outcomes and less obesity, however experimental investigation of these mutations has not been performed. Using a unique CRISPR/Cas9 strategy, we introduced the D538G mutation, a common endometrial cancer mutation that alters the ligand binding domain of ESR1, while epitope tagging the endogenous locus. We discovered estrogen-independent mutant ESR1 genomic binding that is significantly altered from wildtype ESR1. The D538G mutation impacted expression, including a large set of non-estrogen regulated genes, and chromatin accessibility, with most affected loci bound by mutant ESR1. Mutant ESR1 is unique from constitutive ESR1 activity as mutant-specific changes are not recapitulated with prolonged estrogen exposure. Overall, D538G mutant ESR1 confers estrogen-independent activity while causing additional regulatory changes in endometrial cancer cells that are distinct from breast cancer cells. Overall design: RNA-seq was used to study the effects of the D538G mutation on gene expression
Estrogen-independent molecular actions of mutant estrogen receptor 1 in endometrial cancer.
Cell line, Treatment, Subject, Time
View SamplesSteroid hormone receptors are simultaneously active in many tissues and capable of altering each other's function. Estrogen receptor ? (ER) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) are expressed in the uterus and their ligands have opposing effects on uterine growth. In endometrial tumors expressing high levels of ER, we surprisingly found that expression of GR is associated with poor prognosis. Dexamethasone reduced normal uterine growth in vivo; however, this growth inhibition was abolished in estrogen-induced endometrial hyperplasia. We observed low genomic binding site overlap when ER and GR are induced with their respective ligands; however, upon simultaneous induction they co-occupy more sites. GR binding is significantly altered by estradiol with GR recruited to ER bound loci that become more accessible upon estradiol induction. Gene expression responses to co-treatment were more similar to estradiol, but with novel regulated genes. Our results suggest phenotypic and molecular interplay between ER and GR in endometrial cancer. Overall design: ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, and RNA-seq data collected from endometrial cancer cell lines induced with dexamethasone, estradiol, or the combination
FFPEcap-seq: a method for sequencing capped RNAs in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples.
Cell line, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesGenetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) of cancer are powerful tools to study multiple aspects of caner biology. We developed a novel GEMM for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) by genetically combining overexpression of Sox2 with loss of Lkb1: Rosa26LSL-Sox2-IRES-GFP;Lkb1fl/fl (SL). We compared gene expression profiles of SL lung tumors with normal mouse lung tissue, mouse lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) tumors from KrasLSL-G12D/+;Trp53fl/fl (KP), mouse LSCC tumors from Lkb1fl/fl;Ptenfl/fl (LP) model as well as Lenti-Sox2-Cre Lkb1fl/fl. Overall design: Tumors were isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples by microdissection and nucleic acid isolation was performed followed by single-read or paired-end RNA sequencing.
The Lineage-Defining Transcription Factors SOX2 and NKX2-1 Determine Lung Cancer Cell Fate and Shape the Tumor Immune Microenvironment.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesTumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) can be conditioned to become “N2” pro-tumorigenic neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment. TANs have been shown to acquire N2 features and promote multiple aspects of tumor growth in mouse models of many cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer. We developed a novel mouse model for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC): Rosa26LSL-Sox2-IRES-GFP;Nkx2-1fl/fl;Lkb1fl/fl (SNL). SNL mice develop tumors with short latency of ~3 months and SNL tumors have high neutrophil infiltration similar to other LSCC mouse models. We employed this novel model and single-cell RNA-sequencing to profile TANs in SNL lung tumors in comparison to peripheral blood neutrophils (PBNs) from tumor-bearing SNL mice. Overall design: Flow cytometry sorted neutrophils (CD45+CD11B+LY6G+) from freshly isolated SNL lung tumors or peripheral blood from tumor-bearing mice were single-cell RNA sequenced with 10X Genomics.
The Lineage-Defining Transcription Factors SOX2 and NKX2-1 Determine Lung Cancer Cell Fate and Shape the Tumor Immune Microenvironment.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesMyc expression cooperates with Rb1 and Trp53 loss in mouse lungs to generate rapid, aggressive, highly metastatic and neuroendocrine-low tumors that are similar to human variant subset of SCLC with high NEUROD1 expression. Targeted drug screening reveals that mouse and human MYC-driven SCLC are vulnerable to Aurora kinase inhibition in combination with chemotherapy in vivo. Overall design: Tumor formation is induced by infecting the conditional Rb1 fl/fl; Trp53 fl/fl, LSL-Myc (T58A) and Rb1 fl/fl; Trp53 fl/fl, p130 fl/fl GEMMs with adenoviruses with Cgrp promoter driving Cre recombinase. The tumors were macro-dissected from lungs. RNA was extracted from fresh or flash frozen tumors and subjected to single end RNA sequencing.
MYC Drives Progression of Small Cell Lung Cancer to a Variant Neuroendocrine Subtype with Vulnerability to Aurora Kinase Inhibition.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesCharacterization of the underlying genetic defects in patients with a rare and peculiar phenotype is challenging. Here we have utilized whole genome expression profiling, and identified a homozygous germline mutation in the DDB2 gene in a patient with several facial tumors. The feasibility of using blood derived RNA, diminishing costs of the technology, and the limited number of samples needed provide this approach a powerful new tool that may substantially aid in such gene identification efforts.
Blood-derived gene-expression profiling in unravelling susceptibility to recessive disease.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesPiriformospora indica, an endophytic fungus of Sebacinales, colonizes the roots of many plant species including Arabidopsis thaliana. The symbiotic interaction promotes plant per-formance, growth and resistance/tolerance against abiotic and biotic stress. We demonstrate that exudated compounds from the fungus activate stress and defense responses in the Arabidopsis roots and shoots before the two partners are in physical contact. They induce stomata closure, stimulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, stress-related phytohormone accumulation and activate defense and stress genes in the roots and/or shoots. Once a physical contact is established, the stomata re-open, ROS and phytohormone levels decline, and the gene expression pattern indicates a shift from defense to mutualistic interaction.
The interaction of Arabidopsis with Piriformospora indica shifts from initial transient stress induced by fungus-released chemical mediators to a mutualistic interaction after physical contact of the two symbionts.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesMolecular prognostic assays, such as Oncotype DX, are increasingly incorporated into the management of patients with invasive breast carcinoma. BreastPRS is a new molecular assay developed and validated from a meta-analysis of publically available genomic datasets. We applied the assay to matched fresh-frozen (FF) and formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor samples to translate the assay to FFPE. A linear relationship of the BreastPRS prognostic score was observed between tissue preservation formats. BreastPRS recurrence scores were compared with Oncotype DX recurrence scores from 246 patients with invasive breast carcinoma and known Oncotype DX results. Using this series, a 120-gene linear discriminant algorithm (LDA) was trained to predict Oncotype DX risk groups and then applied to series of untreated, node-negative, estrogen receptor (ER) positive patients from previously published studies with known clinical outcomes. Correlation of recurrence score and risk group between Oncotype DX and BreastPRS was statistically significant (P<0.0001). 59 of 260 (23%) patients from four previously published studies were classified as intermediate-risk when the 120-gene LDA was applied. BreastPRS reclassified the 59 patients into binary risk groups (high vs. low-risk). 23 (39%) patients were classified as low-risk 36 (61%) as high-risk [P=0.029, HR: 3.64, 95% CI: 1.40 to 9.50]. At 10 years from diagnosis, the low-risk group had a 90% recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate, compared to 60% for the high-risk group. BreastPRS recurrence score is comparable to Oncotype DX and can reclassify Oncotype DX intermediate-risk patients into two groups with significant differences in RFS. Further studies are needed to validate these findings.
BreastPRS is a gene expression assay that stratifies intermediate-risk Oncotype DX patients into high- or low-risk for disease recurrence.
Disease stage
View Samples183 breast tumors from the Helsinki Univerisity Central Hospital with survival information
Variants on the promoter region of PTEN affect breast cancer progression and patient survival.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesVolunteers were assessed at study entry, the day of the third vaccination and 24, 72 hours, two weeks after vaccination, and 5 days after challenge. 13/39 vaccinees were protected and 26/39 were not protected. Eleven vaccinees exhibited delayed onset of parasitemia. All infectivity controls developed parasitemia. Prediction Analysis of Microarrays (PAM-R) identified genes corresponding with protection. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) identified sets of genes associated with protection after the third immunization, before challenge.
Expression of genes associated with immunoproteasome processing of major histocompatibility complex peptides is indicative of protection with adjuvanted RTS,S malaria vaccine.
Specimen part
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