TEAD4 promotes colorectal tumorigenesis via transcriptionally targeting YAP1

Cell Cycle. 2018;17(1):102-109. doi: 10.1080/15384101.2017.1403687. Epub 2018 Jan 4.

Abstract

TEAD4 (TEA domain family member 4) was recently revealed as an oncogenic character in tumorigenesis. However, its role remains unclear in colorectal tumorigenesis. Here, we firstly found that the expression level of TEAD4 was significantly elevated in clinical samples of colorectal adenomas (CRA) and correlated with the size and histological type of CRA. Moreover, patients with higher TEAD4 expression in normal colon mucosa are more prone to be recurrent after polypectomy. TEAD4 knockdown significantly inhibited colorectal cell proliferation in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. RNA-seq and GSEA analysis reveals TEAD4 can probably regulate Hippo pathway and further experiment confirm the downstream target gene YAP1. The subsequent ChIP-qPCR and luciferase report assay indicated that TEAD4 regulated YAP1 by direct binding and transcriptional activation. In summary, our study reveals that TEAD4 plays an important tumor-promoting role in colorectal cancer by directly targeting the YAP1, thus we suggests TEAD4 may be used as a novel biomarker in colorectal tumorigenesis and provides TEAD4/YAP1 axis as a potential therapeutic option for colorectal cancer.

Keywords: Hippo pathway; TEAD4; YAP1; colorectal adenoma; transcriptional activation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics*
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Adenoma / genetics
  • Adenoma / pathology
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Carcinogenesis / genetics
  • Carcinogenesis / metabolism*
  • Carcinogenesis / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice, Nude
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics*
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Signal Transduction
  • TEA Domain Transcription Factors
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transcription, Genetic*
  • Transcriptional Activation / genetics
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • TEA Domain Transcription Factors
  • TEAD4 protein, human
  • Transcription Factors
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins
  • YAP1 protein, human

Grants and funding

This project was supported in part by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81421001, 31371420), and Gaofeng Clinical Medicine Grant (no. 20152512, 20161309), and Scientific Research Project of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning (no. 201540240).