No abstract

TGFβ induces epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation (EMT) accompanied by cellular differentiation and migration. Despite extensive transcriptomic profiling, identification of TGFβ-inducible, EMT-specific genes has met with limited success. Here, we identify a post-transcriptional pathway by which TGFβ modulates expression of EMT-specific proteins, and EMT itself. We show that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein E1 (hnRNP E1) binds a structural, 33 nucleotides (nt) TGF beta-activated translation (BAT) element in the 3’-UTR of disabled-2 (Dab2) and interleukin-like EMT inducer (ILEI) transcripts, and repress their translation. TGFβ activation leads to phosphorylation at Ser43 of hnRNP E1 by protein kinase Bβ/Akt2, inducing its release from the BAT element and translational activation of Dab2 and ILEI mRNAs. Modulation of hnRNP E1 expression or its post-translational modification alters TGFβ-mediated reversal of translational silencing of the target transcripts and EMT. These results suggest the existence of a TGFβ-inducible post-transcriptional regulon that controls EMT during development and metastatic progression of tumors.

Matrix-bound vesicles within ECM bioscaffolds provide mechanistic insight into inductive properties.

SUMMARY Transcript-selective translational regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) is directed by the hnRNP E1-containing TGFβ-activated-translational (BAT) mRNP complex. Herein, eukaryotic elongation factor-1 A1 (eEF1A1) is identified as an integral component of the BAT complex. Translational silencing of Dab2 and ILEI, two EMT-transcripts, is mediated by binding of hnRNP E1 and eEF1A1 to their 3′-UTR BAT element, whereby hnRNP E1 stalls translational elongation by inhibiting the release of eEF1A1 from the ribosomal A site. TGFβ-mediated hnRNP E1 phosphorylation, through Akt2, disrupts the BAT complex, thereby restoring translation of target EMT-transcripts. Attenuation of hnRNP E1 expression in two non-invasive breast epithelial cells (NMuMG and MCF-7) induced not only EMT, but also enabled cells to form metastatic lesions in vivo. Thus, translational regulation by TGFβ, at the elongation stage, represents a critical checkpoint coordinating the expression of EMT-transcripts required during development and in tumorigenesis and metastatic progression.

Despite functional significance of nonmuscle myosin II in cell migration and invasion, its role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) or TGF-β signaling is unknown. Analysis of normal mammary gland expression revealed that myosin IIC is expressed in luminal cells, whereas myosin IIB expression is up-regulated in myoepithelial cells that have more mesenchymal characteristics. Furthermore, TGF-β induction of EMT in nontransformed murine mammary gland epithelial cells results in an isoform switch from myosin IIC to myosin IIB and increased phosphorylation of myosin heavy chain (MHC) IIA on target sites known to regulate filament dynamics (S1916, S1943). These expression and phosphorylation changes are downstream of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-E1 (E1), an effector of TGF-β signaling. E1 knockdown drives cells into a migratory, invasive mesenchymal state and concomitantly up-regulates MHC IIB expression and MHC IIA phosphorylation. Abrogation of myosin IIB expression in the E1 knockdown cells has no effect on 2D migration but significantly reduced transmigration and macrophage-stimulated collagen invasion. These studies indicate that transition between myosin IIC/myosin IIB expression is a critical feature of EMT that contributes to increases in invasive behavior.

FAM3C/ I nterleukin- l ike E MT I nducer (ILEI) is an oncogenic member of the FAM3 cytokine family and serves essential roles in both epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and breast cancer metastasis. ILEI expression levels are regulated through a non-canonical TGFβ signaling pathway by 3’-UTR-mediated translational silencing at the mRNA level by hnRNP E1. TGFβ stimulation or silencing of hnRNP E1 increases ILEI translation and induces an EMT program that correlates to enhanced invasion and migration. Recently, EMT has been linked to the formation of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) that confer both tumor cell heterogeneity as well as chemoresistant properties. Herein, we demonstrate that hnRNP E1 knockdown significantly shifts normal mammary epithelial cells to mesenchymal BCSCs in vitro and in vivo . We further validate that modulating ILEI protein levels results in the abrogation of these phenotypes, promoting further investigation into the unknown mechanism of ILEI signaling that drives tumor progression. We identify LIFR as the receptor for ILEI, which mediates signaling through STAT3 to drive both EMT and BCSC formation. Reduction of either ILEI or LIFR protein levels results in reduced tumor growth, fewer tumor initiating cells and reduced metastasis within the hnRNP E1 knock-down cell populations in vivo . These results reveal a novel ligand-receptor complex that drives the formation of BCSCs and represents a unique target for the development of metastatic breast cancer therapies.

Biomaterials composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) provide both mechanical support and a reservoir of constructive signaling molecules that promote functional tissue repair. Recently, matrix-bound nanovesicles (MBVs) have been reported as an integral component of ECM bioscaffolds. Although liquid-phase extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been the subject of intense investigation, their similarity to MBV is limited to size and shape. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS)–based lipidomics and redox lipidomics were used to conduct a detailed comparison of liquid-phase EV and MBV phospholipids. Combined with comprehensive RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of the intravesicular cargo, we show that MBVs are a distinct and unique subpopulation of EV and a distinguishing feature of ECM-based biomaterials. The results begin to identify the differential biologic activities mediated by EV that are secreted by tissue-resident cells and deposited within the ECM.

temic expansion of ST2 + Tregs (29,30). IL-33 expressed by fibrogenic/adipogenic progenitors in skeletal muscle has also been shown to regulate skeletal muscle Treg homeostasis and support muscle regeneration (31). Related studies have suggested a direct, cardioprotective role for rIL-33 against hypertrophy resulting from cardiac overload (32) and fibrosis after myocardial infarction (33). However, delivery of rIL-33 also aggravates autoimmune eosinophilic pericarditis during coxsackievirus B3 infection (34), suggesting that IL-33 can contribute to cardiac inflammation. IL-33 expression has been reported in cardiac fibroblasts (32) and the vasculature ( 35), yet how the expression of this alarmin is modulated in cardiac allografts or impacts outcomes was unknown.Using IL-33-deficient heart grafts in a mouse chronic rejection model we have established that IL-33 stands out among identified alarmins and limits differentiation of proinflammatory macrophages to prevent chronic rejection. Specifically, transplants lacking IL-33 displayed dramatically accelerated chronic rejectionassociated vasculopathy and subsequent fibrosis orchestrated by graft-infiltrating recipient proinflammatory macrophages. IL-33expressing heart grafts in recipients with ST2-deficient macrophages also displayed increased graft infiltration by proinflammatory macrophages and accelerated graft loss. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that IL-33 promoted a reparative macrophage phenotype through a metabolic reprograming involving augmented oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and fatty acid (FA) uptake. We also revealed that IL-33 prevents proinflammatory stimuli-induced disruption of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle that shifts macrophage metabolism to anaerobic glycolysis and generates proinflammatory metabolites (36,37). Restoration of IL-33 to IL-33-deficient heart transplants using vesicles in ECM-derived hydrogel immediately after transplantation profoundly reduced the frequency of proinflammatory myeloid cells in the graft and prevented graft loss to chronic rejection. Thus, the local delivery of IL-33 in ECM-based materials after transplantation may be a practical and promising biologic for chronic rejection prophylaxis.