Abstract
Abstract Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is noted to have a NOTCH mutation rate of 20% within the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset consistent with tumor suppressor gene status. However, NOTCH genes are also upregulated in wild type HNSCC and show signs of downstream activation in a substantial proportion of HNSCC. In this study, we aimed to further explore the potential for NOTCH pathways to be activated in HNSCC. Material and Methods mRNA sequence of TCGA data includes 520 HNSCC tumors and 46 normal tissues. We used 447 HNSCC excluding 73 tumors with NOTCH mutations. The activated groups of NOTCH downstream genes were defined as tumors with expression 1 standard deviation above the mean of normal tissue. We used four HNSCC cell lines (SKN3, Cal27, SCC61, SCC090) to ascertain the results of the TCGA analysis in vitro. Result In TCGA analysis, HEY1 activated HNSCC had significant more expression of NOTCH pathway genes. In particular NOTCH4 had the most significant correlation with HEY1 activation among NOTCH receptors. To confirm this result in vitro, HEY1 expression was compared between si-control and si-NOTCH4 of SKN3, Cal27, SCC61 and SCC090. As expected, HEY1 expression in all si-NOTCH4 treated cell lines were significant decreased. Next, we examined the relationship about NOTCH4 and an epithelial mesenchymal transition phenotype (EMT). Using TCGA data, we found that mesenchymal marker genes were significantly increased in high NOTCH4 group. In vitro experiments, si-NOTCH4 cells decreased mesenchymal marker gene expression such as Fibronectin and TWIST1. We also examined HEY1 function. Similar to NOTCH4, it was found that HEY1 is significantly related to EMT in silico and in vitro. Conclusion The NOTCH4-HEY1 pathway is significantly upregulated in HNSCC and induces EMT. Citation Format: Takahito Fukusumi, Theresa W. Guo, Shuling Ren, Akihiro Sakai, Mizuo Ando, Sunny Haft, Chao Liu, Joseph A. Califano. NOTCH - HEY1 pathway induces EMT in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1332. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1332
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