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USP11 regulates PML stability to control Notch-induced malignancy in brain tumours
The tumour suppressor PML is regulated by post-translational modification but the mechanism is unclear. Here, the authors show that PML is deubiquitinated and stabilized by USP11, which is in turn negatively regulated by the Notch signalling pathway.
- Hsin-Chieh Wu
- , Yu-Ching Lin
- & Ruey-Hwa Chen
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The miR-363-GATA6-Lgr5 pathway is critical for colorectal tumourigenesis
Lgr5 is a protein that is important for the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis. In this study, the authors demonstrate that Lgr5 is required for colorectal cancer development and its expression is regulated by the transcription factor GATA6.
- Shinnosuke Tsuji
- , Yoshihiro Kawasaki
- & Tetsu Akiyama
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A dual role for autophagy in a murine model of lung cancer
Autophagy prolongs the survival of cells in stressful conditions but its role in cancer is unclear. Here, Rao et al. show that loss of the autophagic protein Atg5 enhanced cancer incidence but impaired tumour progression in a mouse model of lung cancer.
- Shuan Rao
- , Luigi Tortola
- & Josef M. Penninger
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FOXL2 posttranslational modifications mediated by GSK3β determine the growth of granulosa cell tumours
The majority of ovarian granulosa tumours harbour the C134W mutation in FOXL2 but the mechanism of tumorigenesis is largely unknown. Here, Kim et al. show that mutant FOXL2 is hyperphosphorylated by GSK3β, which targets the protein for degradation, and find that GSK3β inhibition represses the growth of ovarian granulosa cells.
- Jae-Hong Kim
- , Yong-Hak Kim
- & Jeehyeon Bae
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Spliced MDM2 isoforms promote mutant p53 accumulation and gain-of-function in tumorigenesis
Mdm2 controls the levels of the tumour suppressor p53 in cells and p53 is often mutated in cancer. Here, Zheng et al. show that a particular Mdm2 isoform that is altered in cancer leads to elevated levels of mutant p53 protein and enhanced gain-of-function of the protein.
- Tongsen Zheng
- , Jiabei Wang
- & Wenwei Hu
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Transcription factors FOXG1 and Groucho/TLE promote glioblastoma growth
Glioblastoma cancers contain brain tumour-initiating cells and targeting these specific cells is an attractive opportunity for therapy. In this study, the authors show that FOXG1 and Groucho/TLE transcription factors are important for glioblastoma growth and might be useful therapeutic targets.
- Federica Verginelli
- , Alessandro Perin
- & Stefano Stifani
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Rb1 family mutation is sufficient for sarcoma initiation
Loss of the tumour suppressor Rb1 alone is thought to be insufficient for tumorigenesis. In this study, Liu et al. demonstrate that cells in which all three Rb1 family members are inactivated can initiate tumour formation, but only if cell survival is ensured by the retention of cell–cell contacts.
- Yongqing Liu
- , Ester Sánchez-Tilló
- & Douglas C. Dean
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Article
| Open Access
Akt-p53-miR-365-cyclin D1/cdc25A axis contributes to gastric tumorigenesis induced by PTEN deficiency
The PTEN/Akt signalling pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. Here, Guo et al. show that activation of Akt signalling results in the dysregulation of miR-365, which promotes tumorigenesis and that miR-365 reduction correlates with advance-stage tumours in gastric cancer patients.
- Shui-Long Guo
- , Hui Ye
- & Xiao Yang
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Frequency of TERT promoter mutations in human cancers
Reactivation of telomerase has been implicated in human tumorigenesis. Here, somatic mutations in the TERT promoter are reported in cancers of the central nervous system, bladder, follicular cell-derived thyroid and melanoma, thus demonstrating that TERTpromoter mutations are a frequent event in human cancer.
- João Vinagre
- , Ana Almeida
- & Paula Soares
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Gene network reconstruction reveals cell cycle and antiviral genes as major drivers of cervical cancer
As cervical tumours become more invasive, levels of episomal human papillomavirus paradoxically tend to decrease. Here the authors identify a network of antiviral and cell cycle genes that is amplified by chromosomal aberrations and promotes cervical tumour progression.
- Karina L. Mine
- , Natalia Shulzhenko
- & Andrey Morgun
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Microbiota-derived lactate accelerates colon epithelial cell turnover in starvation-refed mice
Epithelial cells in the colon mainly use microbial fermentation products as energy sources. Here Okada et al. find that lactate produced by commensal Lactobacillus murinusregulates colonic epithelial cell proliferation and show that mice are more susceptible to carcinogens when refed after a period of starvation.
- Toshihiko Okada
- , Shinji Fukuda
- & Taeko Dohi
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Elevated oncofoetal miR-17-5p expression regulates colorectal cancer progression by repressing its target gene P130
Tumorigenesis has been likened to a form of cellular reversion to the embryonic state. Ma et al.identify a foetal miRNA as an oncogenic activator of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in colorectal cancer, whose expression is negatively correlated with survival but is positively correlated with response to adjuvant chemotherapy.
- Yanlei Ma
- , Peng Zhang
- & Huanlong Qin
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Sos-mediated cross-activation of wild-type Ras by oncogenic Ras is essential for tumorigenesis
The ras family of oncogenes consists of H-ras, K-ras and N-ras, and usually only one of these genes is mutated in a given tumour type. In this study, K-ras is found to promote the activation of wild-type H-ras and N-ras in a manner dependent on the Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor Son of sevenless.
- Hao-Hsuan Jeng
- , Laura J Taylor
- & Dafna Bar-Sagi
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Article
| Open Access
Enhanced HSP70 lysine methylation promotes proliferation of cancer cells through activation of Aurora kinase B
HSP70 is a molecular chaperone that aids protein folding. In this study, HSP70 is shown to be methylated and this post-translationally modified protein is elevated in expression in human cancers and promotes the activity of Aurora kinase B.
- Hyun-Soo Cho
- , Tadahiro Shimazu
- & Ryuji Hamamoto
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Article
| Open Access
High-fat or ethinyl-oestradiol intake during pregnancy increases mammary cancer risk in several generations of offspring
Environmental factors can influence one's susceptibility to cancer, but it is not clear whether such an influence extends beyond the directly exposed generations. Here, feeding pregnant rats with a high-fat diet or a hormone derivative, the authors observe increased breast cancer risk in up to three subsequent generations.
- Sonia de Assis
- , Anni Warri
- & Leena Hilakivi-Clarke
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SUMO1 modification of PTEN regulates tumorigenesis by controlling its association with the plasma membrane
PTEN is a tumour suppressor that inhibits activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway. These authors show that PTEN is SUMOylated on two lysine residues and that this modification is required for binding to acidic phospholipids and blocking tumour formation in mice.
- Jian Huang
- , Jie Yan
- & Jianxiu Yu
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Article
| Open Access
Melanoma induction by ultraviolet A but not ultraviolet B radiation requires melanin pigment
Exposure to ultraviolet light is responsible for a large proportion of melanomas but the molecular mechanisms are unknown. In this study, melanoma is found to be induced in mice by UVA and UVB light in a pigment-dependent and -independent manner, respectively, resulting in different types of DNA damage.
- Frances P. Noonan
- , M. Raza Zaidi
- & Edward C. De Fabo
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Article
| Open Access
Cancer cells that survive radiation therapy acquire HIF-1 activity and translocate towards tumour blood vessels
Radiotherapy is used to treat many cancers but radiation-resistant cells can result in recurrence of the tumour. Here, Harada and colleagues develop a method to track cells that persist after radiation treatment and show that the cells acquire transcriptional activity of HIF-1 and move towards blood vessels.
- Hiroshi Harada
- , Masahiro Inoue
- & Masahiro Hiraoka
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Regulation of histone modification and chromatin structure by the p53–PADI4 pathway
PADI4 is an enzyme that converts arginine residues to citrulline. Here, Tanikawa and colleagues show that, in response to DNA damage, histone H4 and Lamin C are citrullinated in a p53 and PADI4-dependent manner andPadi4-dependent manner and Padi4 null mice are resistant to radiation-induced apoptosis in the thymus.
- Chizu Tanikawa
- , Martha Espinosa
- & Koichi Matsuda
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Ectopic expression of the histone methyltransferase Ezh2 in haematopoietic stem cells causes myeloproliferative disease
The histone methyltransferase Ezh2 is thought to have a dual function both as a tumour suppressor and an oncogene. Using mouse models with Ezh2 gain-of-function, Herrera-Merchanet al. show that Ezh2 expression in HSCs severely compromises hematopoietic function, leading to myeloproliferative disease.
- A. Herrera-Merchan
- , L. Arranz
- & S. Gonzalez
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Article
| Open Access
Activin enhances skin tumourigenesis and malignant progression by inducing a pro-tumourigenic immune cell response
Activin is known to have a role in wound healing, but its role in skin cancer is unknown. Antsiferovaet al. show that activin is elevated in human skin tumours, and by modulating epidermal immune cells, exacerbates tumour progression in a mouse model of skin cancer.
- Maria Antsiferova
- , Marcel Huber
- & Sabine Werner
Identification of renin progenitors in the mouse bone marrow that give rise to B-cell leukaemia