Fbxw7 is a driver of uterine carcinosarcoma by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Abstract

Uterine carcinosarcoma is an aggressive variant of endometrial carcinoma characterized by unusual histologic features including discrete malignant epithelial and mesenchymal components (carcinoma and sarcoma). Recent studies have confirmed a monoclonal origin, and comprehensive genomic characterizations have identified mutations such as <i>Tp53</i> and <i>Pten</i> However, the biological origins and specific combination of driver events underpinning uterine carcinosarcoma have remained mysterious. Here, we explored the role of the tumor suppressor <i>Fbxw7</i> in endometrial cancer through defined genetic model systems. Inactivation of <i>Fbxw7</i> and <i>Pten</i> resulted in the formation of precancerous lesions (endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia) and well-differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinomas. Surprisingly, all adenocarcinomas eventually developed into definitive uterine carcinosarcomas with carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements including heterologous differentiation, yielding a faithful genetically engineered model of this cancer type. Genomic analysis showed that most tumors spontaneously acquired <i>Trp53</i> mutations, pointing to a triad of pathways (p53, PI3K, and Fbxw7) as the critical combination underpinning uterine carcinosarcoma, and to Fbxw7 as a key driver of this enigmatic endometrial cancer type. Lineage tracing provided formal genetic proof that the uterine carcinosarcoma cell of origin is an endometrial epithelial cell that subsequently undergoes a prominent epithelial-mesenchymal transition underlying the attainment of a highly invasive phenotype specifically driven by Fbxw7.