Reconstructing gene regulatory networks of tumorigenesis [genex]

The mechanistic links between transcription factors and the epigenetic landscape, which coordinate the deregulation of gene networks during cell transformation are largely unknown. We used an isogenic model of stepwise tumorigenic transformation of human primary cells to monitor the progressive deregulation of gene networks upon immortalization and oncogene-induced transformation. By combining transcriptome and epigenome data for each step during transformation and by integrating transcription factor (TF) - target gene associations, we identified 142 Tfs and 24 chromatin remodelers/modifiers (CRMs), which are preferentially associated with specific co-expression paths that originate from deregulated gene programming during tumorigenesis. These Tfs are involved in the regulation of divers processes, including cell differentiation, immune response and establishment/modification of the epigenome. Unexpectedly, the analysis of chromatin state dynamics revealed patterns that distinguish groups of genes, which are not only co-regulated but also functionally related. Further decortication of TF targets enabled us to define potential key regulators of cell transformation, which are engaged in RNA metabolism and chromatin remodelling. Our study suggests a direct implication of CRMs in oncogene-induced tumorigenesis and identifies new CRMs involved in this process. This is the first comprehensive view of gene regulatory networks that are altered during the process of stepwise human cellular tumorigenesis in a virtually isogenic system.

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Malysheva V, Mendoza-Parra MA, Saleem MA, Gronemeyer H