Comprehensive functional characterization of cancer-testis antigens defines obligate participation in multiple hallmarks of cancer.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26567849.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms9840 and PMC identifier 4660212.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Tumours frequently activate genes whose expression is otherwise biased to the testis, collectively known as cancer-testis antigens (CTAs). The extent to which CTA expression represents epiphenomena or confers tumorigenic traits is unknown. In this study, to address this, we implemented a multidimensional functional genomics approach that incorporates 7 different phenotypic assays in 11 distinct disease settings. We identify 26 CTAs that are essential for tumor cell viability and/or are pathological drivers of HIF, WNT or TGFβ signalling. In particular, we discover that Foetal and Adult Testis Expressed 1 (FATE1) is a key survival factor in multiple oncogenic backgrounds. FATE1 prevents the accumulation of the stress-sensing BH3-only protein, BCL-2-Interacting Killer (BIK), thereby permitting viability in the presence of toxic stimuli. Furthermore, ZNF165 promotes TGFβ signalling by directly suppressing the expression of negative feedback regulatory pathways. This action is essential for the survival of triple negative breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Thus, CTAs make significant direct contributions to tumour biology.
Medical subject headings
- Antigens, Neoplasm
- Carcinogenesis
- DNA-Binding Proteins
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Neoplasms
- Transcription Factors
- Transforming Growth Factor beta