Replication stress and FOXM1 drive radiation induced genomic instability and cell transformation

PLoS One. 2020 Nov 30;15(11):e0235998. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235998. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

In contrast to the vast majority of research that has focused on the immediate effects of ionizing radiation, this work concentrates on the molecular mechanism driving delayed effects that emerge in the progeny of the exposed cells. We employed functional protein arrays to identify molecular changes induced in a human bronchial epithelial cell line (HBEC3-KT) and osteosarcoma cell line (U2OS) and evaluated their impact on outcomes associated with radiation induced genomic instability (RIGI) at day 5 and 7 post-exposure to a 2Gy X-ray dose, which revealed replication stress in the context of increased FOXM1b expression. Irradiated cells had reduced DNA replication rate detected by the DNA fiber assay and increased DNA resection detected by RPA foci and phosphorylation. Irradiated cells increased utilization of homologous recombination-dependent repair detected by a gene conversion assay and DNA damage at mitosis reflected by RPA positive chromosomal bridges, micronuclei formation and 53BP1 positive bodies in G1, all known outcomes of replication stress. Interference with the function of FOXM1, a transcription factor widely expressed in cancer, employing an aptamer, decreased radiation-induced micronuclei formation and cell transformation while plasmid-driven overexpression of FOXM1b was sufficient to induce replication stress, micronuclei formation and cell transformation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bronchi / metabolism
  • Bronchi / pathology*
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / pathology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • DNA Damage
  • DNA Replication*
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells / pathology*
  • Forkhead Box Protein M1 / genetics
  • Forkhead Box Protein M1 / metabolism*
  • Genomic Instability / radiation effects*
  • Humans
  • Radiation, Ionizing
  • Stress, Physiological*

Substances

  • FOXM1 protein, human
  • Forkhead Box Protein M1

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Department of Defense grant W81XWH-17-1-0187 to PWD/EW and supported by US National Institute of Health Intramural Research Program Projects: Z1AES103328 to PWD. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.