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Translational Therapeutics

Methylation-mediated silencing of protein kinase C zeta induces apoptosis avoidance through ATM/CHK2 inactivation in dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma

British Journal of Cancer volume 126, pages 1289–1300 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background

Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (DDCS) is an aggressive bone tumour with a poor prognosis and no effective treatment. Because changes in DNA methylation play critical roles in DDCS, we explored the roles that DNA methylation plays in oncogenesis to potentially identify an effective epigenetic treatment.

Methods

We identified genes downregulated in DDCS vs. conventional chondrosarcoma (CCS) due to DNA methylation using in silico analysis. The results were validated in DDCS clinical samples, and the molecular functions of the genes of interest were investigated in multiple chondrosarcoma cell lines (NDCS-1, SW1353, and OUMS-27). The therapeutic effect of decitabine, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, was evaluated in vitro and in vivo.

Results

PRKCZ was specifically downregulated by DNA methylation in DDCS. Overexpression of PRKCZ decreased the proliferation of NDCS-1 and SW1353 cells. PRKCZ directly bound to and activated ATM, which was followed by phosphorylation of CHK2 and subsequent apoptosis. Decitabine increased PRKCZ expression through de-methylating the promoter region of PRKCZ, which activated the ATM/CHK2 pathway and inhibited cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis.

Conclusions

Increased DNA methylation and reduced expression of PRKCZ prevents apoptosis via inactivation of the ATM/CHK2 pathway in DDCS. Decitabine-induced expression of PRKCZ represents a promising therapy for DDCS.

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Fig. 1: Bioinformatic analysis identified epigenetic silencing of PRKCZ in DDCS.
Fig. 2: Validation of DNA methylation and expression of PRKCZ.
Fig. 3: PRKCZ is suppressed in dedifferentiated component of DDCS relative to the cartilaginous component.
Fig. 4: PRKCZ overexpression decreases proliferation and induces apoptosis in NDCS-1.
Fig. 5: PRKCZ induces apoptosis through activation of the ATM/CHK2 pathway.
Fig. 6: Decitabine increases PRKCZ expression and induces apoptosis in NDCS-1.

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Data availability

Data used in the study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the technical assistance from The Research Support Center, Research Center for Human Disease Modeling, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences.

Funding

This work was supported in part by AMED (#JP20ck0106523 (MN)), Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (#JP18K16627), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (#JP21K09325), and Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up (#JP21K20838) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grant of the Clinical Research Promotion Foundation (2021).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Eijiro Shimada, Yoshihiro Matsumoto, Makoto Nakagawa, Makoto Endo, Nokitaka Setsu, Toshifumi Fujiwara, Keiichiro Iida, Akira Nabeshima, Kenichiro Yahiro, Atsushi Kimura, Takeshi Hirose, Masaya Kanahori, Ryunosuke Oyama & Yasuharu Nakashima

  2. Department of Anatomic Pathology, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Yosuke Susuki & Yoshinao Oda

  3. Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Takeshi Hirose

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Contributions

YM and YN supervised the study; YM, MN, KY, AK, TH, MK, and RO provided ideas for the research design; ES performed the in silico, in vitro, and in vivo experiments and analysed the data; YS and YO collected clinical samples of chondrosarcoma; ES wrote the original draft; YM, ME, NS, TF, KI, and AN reviewed and revised the manuscript; YM, MN, and ME acquired funding All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yoshihiro Matsumoto.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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All patients provided written informed consent before undergoing the study procedures. The Institutional Review Board at Kyushu University approved the use of human specimens for this study (approval number: 27-420). This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Shimada, E., Matsumoto, Y., Nakagawa, M. et al. Methylation-mediated silencing of protein kinase C zeta induces apoptosis avoidance through ATM/CHK2 inactivation in dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma. Br J Cancer 126, 1289–1300 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-021-01695-1

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