Loss of the INI1 tumor suppressor does not impair the expression of multiple BRG1-dependent genes or the assembly of SWI/SNF enzymes

The INI1/hSNF5 tumor suppressor is an integral component of mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling enzymes that contain SNF2 family ATPases BRM (Brahma) or BRG1 (Brahma Related Gene 1) and that contribute to the regulation of many genes. Genetic studies of yeast SWI/SNF enzyme revealed similar phenotypes when single or multiple components of the enzyme were deleted, indicating a requirement for each subunit. To address the contribution of INI1 in the regulation of SWI/SNF-dependent genes in mammalian cells, we examined the expression of multiple BRG1-dependent, constitutively expressed genes in INI1-deficient cancer cell lines. At least one INI1-deficient line expressed each gene, and reintroduction of INI1 had negligible effects on expression levels. Lack of INI1 also did not prevent interferon gamma (IFNgamma)-mediated induction of CIITA, which is BRG1 dependent, and GBP-1, which is BRG1 enhanced, and reintroduction of INI1 had minimal effects. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that BRG1 inducibly binds to the CIITA promoter despite the absence of INI1. Unlike yeast deleted for the INI1 homologue, SWI/SNF enzymes in INI1-deficient cells were largely intact. Thus in human cells, SWI/SNF enzyme complex formation and the expression of many BRG1-dependent genes are independent of INI1.     

The tumour suppressor hSNF5/INI1 controls the differentiation potential of malignant rhabdoid cells

Malignant rhabdoid tumours (MRT) are highly aggressive cancers of early childhood that arise in different organs or tissues. The unifying criterion for these tumours is the presence of inactivating mutations of the hSNF5/INI1 tumour suppressor gene which encodes a core subunit of the chromatin remodelling SWI/SNF complex. Using a variety of markers we analysed the phenotypic traits of MON and DEV cell lines derived respectively from an undifferentiated abdominal MRT and from a brain MRT. DEV cells express spontaneously a wide range of neural and glial markers. It can be induced to differentiate into the neural lineage following hSNF5/INI1 expression with appearance of neurite processes, strong increase of neural markers and decrease of glial markers. A less pronounced neural differentiation is also observed with MON cells, which possess more primitive polyphenotypic features with positivity for markers from the three embryonic layers. Finally, we show that the neural differentiation of rat PC12 cells in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF) is strongly impaired when hSNF5/INI1 expression is inhibited by RNA interference. Altogether these results indicate that hSNF5/INI1 is an essential subunit for SWI/SNF-dependant induction of neural differentiation programs. Further experiments should enable documentation of whether it provides instructive or permissive signals for differentiation.     

A key role of the hSNF5/INI1 tumour suppressor in the control of the G1-S transition of the cell cycle

The hSNF5/INI1 gene encodes a member of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complexes. It was recently identified as a tumour suppressor gene mutated in sporadic and hereditary Malignant Rhabdoid Tumours (MRT). However, the role of hSNF5/INI1 loss-of-function in tumour development is still unknown. Here, we show that the ectopic expression of wild-type hSNF5/INI1, but not that of truncated versions, leads to a cell cycle arrest by inhibiting the entry into S phase of MRT cells. This G1 arrest is associated with down-regulation of a subset of E2F targets including cyclin A, E2F1 and CDC6. This arrest can be reverted by coexpression of cyclin D1, cyclin E or viral E1A, whereas it cannot be counteracted by pRB-binding deficient E1A mutants. Moreover, hSNF5/INI1 is not able to arrest cells lacking a functional pRB. These observations suggest that the hSNF5/INI1-induced G1 arrest is dependent upon the presence of a functional pRB. However, the observation that a constitutively active pRB can efficiently arrest MRT cells indicates that hSNF5/INI1, at the difference of the ATPase subunits of the SWI/SNF complex, is dispensable for pRB function. Altogether, these data show that hSNF5/INI1 is a potent regulator of the entry into S phase, an effect that may account for its tumour suppressor role.     

Dependence on PI3K/Akt signaling for malignant rhabdoid tumor cell survival

Purpose  Malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT), although rare, are one of the most aggressive pediatric malignancies. Loss of INI1, a tumor suppressor gene and member of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, is a recurrent genetic characteristic of these tumors and an important diagnostic marker. We have previously demonstrated a novel interaction between the serine/threonine kinase Akt and INI1, as well as other SWI/SNF subunits. This, coupled with experiments in the literature suggesting that the PI3K/Akt pathway is dysregulated in MRT cells, caused us to investigate the activation and importance of this pathway in this tumor type. Methods  In this study, we used MTT assays to evaluate the sensitivity of MRT cell lines to PI3K inhibition. Western blot analysis and Raf pulldown assays were used to examine potential mechanisms of PI3K/Akt dysregulation. Results  Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway caused a significant reduction in the survival of the four MRT cell lines tested, and three cell lines demonstrated constitutively active Akt. Two of these constitutively active Akt cell lines abundantly expressed IGF-1R and an inhibitor of IGF-1R, NVP-AEW541, reduced Akt phosphorylation in one of them. The third constitutively active Akt cell line appeared to express a mutant IGF-1R. Conclusions  Our data suggests that the PI3K/Akt pathway is a crucial means of maintaining the survival and growth of MRT cells. The cells therefore employ various mechanisms to stimulate this pathway, and growth factor receptor dysregulation appears to be a common method. Drugs that inhibit the PI3K pathway or interfere with IGF autocrine loops may be of great value in treating MRT, which is largely resistant to conventional chemotherapeutic approaches.     

Oncogenic roles of SMARCB1/INI1 and its deficient tumors

SMARCB1/INI1 is one of the core subunit proteins of the ATP‐dependent SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, and is identified as a potent and bona fide tumor suppressor. Interactions have been demonstrated between SMARCB1/INI1 and key proteins in various pathways related to tumor proliferation and progression: the p16‐RB pathway, WNT signaling pathway, sonic hedgehog signaling pathway and Polycomb pathway. Initially, no detectable SMARCB1/INI1 protein expression was found in malignant rhabdoid tumor cells, whereas all other kinds of tumor cells and non‐tumorous tissue showed SMARCB1/INI1 protein expression. Therefore, immunohistochemical testing for the SMARCB1/INI1 antibody has been considered useful in confirming the histologic diagnosis of malignant rhabdoid tumors. However, recently, aberrant expression of SMARCB1/INI1 has been found in various tumors such as epithelioid sarcomas, schwannomatosis, synovial sarcomas, and so on. In addition, it has been reported that aberrant expression can be classified into three patterns: complete loss, mosaic expression and reduced expression. Although the various pathways related to mechanisms of tumorigenesis and tumor proliferation are complexly intertwined, the clarification of these mechanisms may contribute to therapeutic strategies in SMARCB1/INI1‐deficient tumors. In terms of pathological classifications, SMARCB1/INI1‐deficient tumors may be re‐classified by genetic backgrounds.     

SMARCB1/INI1 tumor suppressor gene is frequently inactivated in epithelioid sarcomas

Epithelioid sarcoma is a rare soft tissue neoplasm of uncertain lineage that usually arises in the distal extremities of adults, presents a high rate of recurrences and metastases and frequently poses diagnostic dilemmas. The recently reported large-cell "proximal-type" variant is characterized by increased aggressiveness, deep location, preferential occurrence in proximal/axial regions of older patients, and rhabdoid features. Previous cytogenetic studies indicated that the most frequent alterations associated with this tumor entity affect chromosome 22. In this study, combined spectral karyotyping, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and array-based comparative genomic hybridization analyses of two proximal-type cases harboring a rearrangement involving 10q26 and 22q11 revealed that the 22q11 breakpoints were located in a 150-kb region containing the SMARCB1/INI1 gene, and that homozygous deletion of the gene was present in the tumor tissue. The SMARCB1/INI1 gene encodes for an invariant subunit of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex and has been previously reported to act as a tumor suppressor gene frequently inactivated in infantile malignant rhabdoid tumors. We analyzed SMARCB1/INI1 gene status in nine additional epithelioid sarcoma cases (four proximal types and five conventional types) and altogether we identified deletions of SMARCB1/INI1 gene in 5 of 11 cases, all proximal types. We confirmed and further extended the number of cases with SMARCB1/INI1 inactivation to 6 of 11 cases, by real-time quantitative PCR analysis of mRNA expression and by SMARCB1/INI1 immunohistochemistry. Overall, these results point to SMARCB1/INI1 gene involvement in the genesis and/or progression of epithelioid sarcomas. Analysis of larger series of epithelioid sarcomas will be necessary to highlight putative clinically relevant features related to SMARCB1/INI1 inactivation.     

The 3p21 candidate tumor suppressor gene BAF180 is normally expressed in human lung cancer

BAF180 encoding a subunit of the human SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex maps to 3p21, in a region where frequent allele loss has been detected in lung cancer. BAF180 can be mutated and has tumor suppressing properties in breast cancer. In addition, another member of this complex, hSNF5/INI1, is a known tumor suppressor gene (TSG) for malignant rhabdoid and childhood central nervous system tumors. Thus, BAF180 is a strong candidate TSG for lung cancer. The objective of this study was to determine whether BAF180 mRNA or protein expression was inactivated or abnormal in lung cancers to prompt detailed DNA promoter methylation or mutational analyses. In 30 non-small-cell and 26 small-cell lung cancer cell lines, most of which had 3p21 allele loss, BAF180 mRNA and protein expression were evaluated by RT-PCR using three sets of primers and Western blotting using two anti-BAF180 antibodies. In all cases, BAF180 was expressed and no abnormal size BAF180 protein was detected. Finally, we found no amino-acid sequence coding mutations in five non-small-cell and five small-cell lung cancer cell lines, while we did find a new splicing isoform of BAF180 (AY281068). We conclude that abnormalities of BAF180 are not frequently involved in the pathogenesis of lung cancer.     

SWI/SNF染色质重塑复合体及其与肿瘤病理生理相关性的研究进展

SWI/SNF复合体是具有ATP酶活性的染色质结构重塑复合体,通过调控核小体空间位置、结构的方式产生相应表观遗传学效应。SWI/SNF复合体表观遗传学效应主要涉及细胞增殖、分化及DNA修复等过程,其有序进行密切相关复合体的完整性。体细胞内,累及SWI/SNF复合体编码基因的失能性突变可造成其亚基缺失,并破坏相关细胞生理活动的有序进行。最终,导致多种肿瘤的发生与进展。全基因组测序示,SWI/SNF复合体编码基因失能性突变比例在泛癌组织中达25%,略低于经典抑癌基因TP53编码基因突变率(26%)。SWI/SNF复合体内亚基缺失所产生的促癌效应具有多层次性。在表观遗传学层面,亚基缺失可阻遏SWI/SNF复合体有效拮抗多种癌症相关表观遗传学效应因子,如PRC合体的转录效应。导致细胞去分化或过度增殖。在基因组层面,由于SWI/SNF复合体参与以同源重组修复为主的DNA修复进程,可导致基因组不稳定及癌症相关突变的累积。此外,亚基缺失可转变SWI/SNF复合体功能表观遗传学功能,致使其以“残余”效应促进肿瘤进展。由于SWI/SNF复合体部分亚基在细胞生理功能上存在互补性且密切参与DNA双链修复途径,靶向其特定亚基或使用PARP抑制剂,可产生合成致死效应而有效抑制SWI/SNF复合体缺陷肿瘤进展。部分SWI/SNF复合体缺陷肿瘤,如ARID1A缺陷型,其肿瘤免疫微环境存在显著抑制状态,使其对肿瘤免疫治疗存在良好的敏感性。     

Highly penetrant,rapid tumorigenesis through conditional inversion of the tumor suppressor gene Snf5

Recent data suggest the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex may also act as a tumor suppressor. Utilizing a reversibly inactivating conditional allele, we demonstrate that loss of Snf5/Ini1/Baf47/SmarcB1, a core subunit of SWI/SNF, results in highly penetrant cancer predisposition with 100% of mice developing mature CD8(+) T cell lymphoma or rare rhabdoid tumors with a median onset of only 11 weeks. Notably, while loss of Snf5 predisposes to aggressive cancers, it is also required for survival of virtually all nonmalignant cells in vivo. Reversible gene targeting demonstrates a critical and specific role for Snf5 in tumor suppression, provides a novel system in which to explore the genetic pathways involved in tumor suppression by Swi/Snf, and should be of wide use in evaluating other essential tumor suppressor genes.     

Snf5 tumor suppressor couples chromatin remodeling, checkpoint control, and chromosomal stability

SNF5 is a core subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex. Mammalian SNF5 is essential for normal cell viability, and loss or mutation of the human SNF gene is the molecular basis for familial malignant rhabdoid tumorigenesis. Previous studies have suggested that SNF5 suppresses cancer by signaling through the p16Ink4a and retinoblastoma tumor suppressors to negatively regulate cell cycle progression from G0/G1 into S phase. A recent paper in Genes & Development (Vries et al., 2005) reports that human SNF5 also signals via the p16INK4a-Rb-E2F pathway to regulate chromosomal stability, suggesting a new function for this chromatin remodeling protein in tumor suppression.