Intestinal cancer stem cells marked by Bmi1 or Lgr5 expression contribute to tumor propagation via clonal expansion

Sci Rep. 2017 Feb 8:7:41838. doi: 10.1038/srep41838.

Abstract

Although the existence of cancer stem cells in intestine tumors has been suggested, direct evidence has not been yet provided. Here, we showed, using the multicolor lineage-tracing method and mouse models of intestinal adenocarcinoma and adenoma that Bmi1- or Lgr5- positive tumorigenic cells clonally expanded in proliferating tumors. At tumor initiation and during tumor propagation in the colon, the descendants of Lgr5-positive cells clonally proliferated to form clusters. Clonal analysis using ubiquitous multicolor lineage tracing revealed that colon tumors derived from Lgr5-positive cells were monoclonal in origin but eventually merged with neighboring tumors, producing polyclonal tumors at the later stage. In contrast, the origin of small intestine tumors was likely polyclonal, and during cancer progression some clones were eliminated, resulting in the formation of monoclonal tumors, which could merge similar to colon tumors. These results suggest that in proliferating intestinal neoplasms, Bmi1- or Lgr5-positive cells represent a population of cancer stem cells, whereas Lgr5-positive cells also function as cells-of-origin for intestinal tumors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Clonal Evolution*
  • Intestinal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Intestinal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Intestinal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 / genetics*
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / genetics*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Bmi1 protein, mouse
  • Lgr5 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1