| 1. |
- Herdenberg, Carl, 1982-
(författare)
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Molecular and physiological functions of LRIG proteins and netrin-1 in health and disease
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains (LRIG) gene family has three members, LRIG1, LRIG2, and LRIG3, that encode three structurally similar transmembrane proteins. LRIG1 is a receptor tyrosine kinase regulator, tumor suppressor, and stem cell marker in the skin, intestine, and brain. LRIG2 and LRIG3 have been less studied but shown to interact with LRIG1. The different roles and mechanisms of action of LRIG proteins have not yet been fully elucidated. In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), the LRIG homolog SMA-10 regulates bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling; however, this function has not been demonstrated for mammalian LRIG proteins. In mice, the gene encoding the neurodevelopmental guidance cue netrin-1, Ntn1, interacts with Lrig3 in inner ear development. The physical interactions between LRIG proteins and other proteins are mostly unknown. Here, we describe an LRIG1-centered protein interaction network that regulates growth factor receptor levels. The LRIG1 interactome comprised LRIG2 and LRIG3 as well as many unanticipated proteins. An unbiased pathological examination of female mice with different Lrig3 genotypes (homozygous, heterozygous, or knockout) revealed a reduced incidence of spontaneous fatty liver and lymphocytic hyperplasia of the spleen in Lrig3-null mice. Female Lrig3-null mice also had a lower incidence of microvesicular cytoplasm in the liver after eight weeks on a high-fat diet. To further explore the molecular and physiological functions of LRIG proteins, we generated Lrig-null (Lrig1-/-;Lrig2-/-;Lrig3-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), which displayed a deficiency in adipogenesis caused by impaired BMP signaling. LRIG1 and LRIG3, but not LRIG2, sensitized cells to BMP and rescued the adipogenesis deficiency in Lrig-null MEFs. In C. elegans, the LRIG homolog sma-10 was needed for proper lipid accumulation. By analyzing data from the UK Biobank and GENiAL cohort, we found that certain LRIG1 gene variants were associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) yet protected against type 2 diabetes. This effect was probably mediated by altered adipocyte morphology. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated ablation of Ntn1 revealed that the BMP-promoting function of LRIG1 and LRIG3 was opposed by netrin-1, which functioned as an inhibitor of BMP signaling via its receptor neogenin.In summary, the present thesis describes a novel LRIG protein interaction network, the regulation of BMP signaling by LRIG proteins and netrin-1, and an important function of LRIG proteins in regulating fat metabolism with implications for human metabolic health.
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| 2. |
- Lidström, Tommy, 1982-
(författare)
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Immunosuppressive and metastasis-promoting matrisome proteins in pancreatic cancer : the role of galectin 4 and SERPINB5
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In Sweden 1200-1300 people are diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) every year. Late diagnosis, together with poor treatment response and resistance to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy, contributes to the poor prognosis of the disease. PDAC is characterized by abundant deposits of extracellular matrix, which mainly includes structural proteins including collagens, proteoglycans, cell-binding glycoproteins, carbohydrates, and secreted proteins, all constituting the matrisome of the tumor. The matrisome protects cancer cells and affects the outcome. Several highly expressed matrisome proteins are involved in oncogenesis, including the processes of immunosuppression and metastasis formation, therefore contributing to the poor prognosis. In this thesis the pathophysiological role of several matrisome proteins in PDAC tumor progression was studied. Unbiased analysis of matrisome proteins in PDAC tumors revealed increased levels of cancer cell-derived secreted proteins compared to normal healthy control tissue. Subsequently, differentially expressed candidate proteins, with known cellular functions in other disease but hitherto uncharacterized role in PDAC progression, were selected.Serine protease inhibitor clade B member 5 (SERPINB5), agrin, and cystatin B (CSTB), were selected for the study described in paper I based on their known roles in the metastasis formation process in other types of cancers. SERPINB5, agrin and CSTB were found to increase metastasis in models of PDAC by affecting epithelial to mesenchymal transition, ECM degradation and extravasation. In PDAC tumors, high levels of extracellular SERPINB5 correlated to reduced overall survival. Galectin 4 (Gal 4) was selected for the study described in paper II based on its known immunosuppressive effects. Gal 4 is highly expressed in PDAC and was found to inhibit T cell infiltration and induce apoptosis in CD8+ T cells by binding to CD3 on the surface of T cells. Gal 4 was associated with better survival in PDAC patients and correlated to higher activation and cytolytic effect of CD8+ T cells.The relation between gal 4 and other immunosuppressive proteins was studied in paper III. Analysis of available datasets revealed that gal 4 expression correlates with other cancer cell-derived immunosuppressive proteins of the galectin family, galectin 3 and galectin 9, while negatively correlating with the stroma-derived factors galectin-1 and TGFBI.Findings in this thesis show that targeting of matrisome proteins in PDAC can be a promising therapy strategy. Blocking extracellular SERPINB5 could result in reduced metastasis and increased survival. Blocking intracellular gal 4 could increase anti-tumor immunity and synergize with checkpoint inhibition therapy.The identified co-expression and coregulation of different immunosuppressive proteins indicate that different tumors can be classified based on their predominant immunosuppressive mechanisms. Following this classification in individual patients, combinations of therapies against different immunosuppressive mechanisms could represent a promising strategy to introduce effective immunotherapies for PDAC patients.
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| 3. |
- Thomasson, Marcus, 1973-
(författare)
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Expression and prognostic value of LRIG1 and the EGF-receptor family in renal cell and prostate cancer
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family consists of four (EGFR, ErbB2, Erbb3, and ErbB4) receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) whose signalling is important for physiological and malignant cellular functions such as proliferation, survival, migration, and differentiation. EGFR and ErbB2 in particular are established oncogenes in many solid tumours and are targets for anti-cancer treatment. LRIG1 (leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains-1) is a protein that negatively regulates the EGFR-family, and other RTKs and is a proposed tumour suppressor. This thesis examines the expression of the EGFR-family members and LRIG1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and in prostate cancer (PC). In RCC, up-regulation of EGFR was shown for all RCC types analysed: clear cell (ccRCC), papillary (pRCC), and chromophobe (chRCC). ErbB2 was down-regulated in ccRCC. ErbB3 expression was low in non-neoplastic kidney and not significantly altered in RCC. ErbB4 was strongly down-regulated in the vast majority of RCCs of all types. LRIG1 was down-regulated in ccRCC. No prognostic value was found for any of these factors in RCC. In prostate cancer cells, LRIG1 was shown to be up-regulated by androgen stimulation and suppressed the growth of prostate cancer cells. In prostate cancer, the expression and prognostic value of LRIG1 was investigated in two patient series, one with untreated patients and one with patients who had undergone prostatectomy. In the untreated patient series, LRIG1 correlated with malignancy grade (Gleason score) and poor outcome for patients (both cancer specific and overall survival), being an independent prognostic factor. In contrast, in the series of patients who had undergone prostatectomy, LRIG1 expression correlated with a good outcome (overall survival). Thus in RCC, there were alterations in gene-expression of the EGFR-family members and LRIG1 between kidney cortex and RCC and between the RCC types. Despite few associations with clinical factors, these alterations are likely to be of biological importance. In prostate cancer LRIG1 was up-regulated by androgen stimulation and inhibited cell proliferation. LRIG1 expression had prognostic value in prostate cancer, maybe as a secondary marker of androgen receptor activation or because of growth inhibition of prostate cancer cells. Contradicting findings in untreated patients and patients treated with prostatectomy poses the question of whether the prognostic value of LRIG1 and other markers vary depending on the specific biological and clinical circumstances in the materials studied.
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| 4. |
- Faraz, Mahmood, 1978-
(författare)
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Investigations of Leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domain-proteins 1 and 2 (LRIG1 and LRIG2) and their genes in cancer
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The mammalian leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains (LRIG) gene family consists of three different members, LRIG1, LRIG2, and LRIG3. These genes are expressed in all human and mouse tissues analyzed to date. All LRIG proteins share similar and evolutionary conserved structural domains including a leucine-rich repeat domain, three immunoglobulin-like domains, a transmembrane domain, and a cytosolic tail. Since the discovery of this family, around 20 years ago, various research groups have shown the importance of this family in cancer biology and prognosis. The aim of this thesis was to further investigate the role of LRIG1 and LRIG2 in cancer.To investigate the roles of LRIG1 and LRIG2 in physiology and gliomagenesis, we generated Lrig1- and Lrig2-deficient mice and induced platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB)-driven gliomagenesis. We studied the effects of Lrig2 ablation on mouse development and survival and investigated if the ablation of Lrig1 or Lrig2 affects the incidence or malignancy of induced gliomas. We also investigated if Lrig2 ablation affects Pdgfr signaling in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Additionally, we analyzed the effects of ectopic LRIG1 expression in human primary glioblastoma cell lines TB101 and TB107, in vivo and in vitro. We reported no macroscopic anatomical defect but reduced growth and increased spontaneous mortality rate in Lrig2-deficient mice. However, the Lrig2-deficient mice were protected against the induced gliomagenesis. Lrig2-deficient MEFs showed faster kinetics of induction of immediate-early genes in response to PDGFB stimulation, whereas the phosphorylations of Pdgfra, Pdgfrb, Erk1/2, and Akt1 appeared unaltered. Lrig1-heterozygote mice showed a higher incidence of high-grade tumors (grade IV) compared to wildtype mice, demonstrating a haploinsufficient function of Lrig1. LRIG1 overexpression suppressed TB107 cell invasion in vivo and in vitro, which was partially mediated through the suppression of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase.To identify LRIG1-interacting proteins, we used the yeast-two hybrid system and data-mined the Bio-Plex network of high throughput protein-protein interaction database. To study the function of interactors, we used a triple co-transfection system to overexpress LRIG1 and PDGFRA and downregulate endogenous levels of interactors by short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), simultaneously. This analysis demonstrated that CNPY3, CNPY4, GAL3ST1, GML, HLA-DRA, LRIG2, LRIG3, LRRC40, PON2, RAB4A, and ZBTB16 were important for the PDGFRA-downregulating function of LRIG1.To investigate the clinical significance of LRIG1 copy number alterations (CNAs) in breast cancer, we used droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to analyze 423 breast cancer tumors. We found that LRIG1 CNAs were significantly different in steroid-receptor-positive vs steroid-receptor-negative tumors and in ERBB2-amplified vs ERBB2-non-amplified tumors. In the whole cohort, patients with LRIG1 loss or gain had a worse metastasis-free survival than patients with normal LRIG1 copy numbers, however, among the early-stage breast cancer subgroup, this difference was not significant. In summary, Lrig1 behaved like a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor gene in malignant glioma, whereas Lrig2 appeared to promote malignant glioma. Our functional analysis of LRIG1 interactome uncovered several unanticipated and novel proteins that might be important for the regulation of receptor tyrosine kinases by LRIG1. LRIG1 CNAs predicted metastasis-free survival time in breast cancer. Hopefully, our findings might lead to a better understanding of the regulation of growth factor signaling and its importance in cancer biology and prognosis.
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| 5. |
- Holmlund, Camilla, 1969-
(författare)
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Identification and investigations of leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains protein 2 (LRIG2)
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) constitute a family of proteins controlling cell growth and proliferation and whose activities are tightly controlled in normal cells. LRIG1 is a negative regulator of RTK signaling and is a proposed tumor suppressor. The aim of this thesis was to identify and study possible paralogs of LRIG1. By using the basic local alignment search tool and cDNA cloning, a human mRNA sequence with similarity to LRIG1 was identified and named LRIG2. By fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, LRIG2 was found to reside on chromosome 1p13. The LRIG2 amino acid sequence was 47% identical to LRIG1, and the predicted protein domain organization was the same as that of LRIG1. Antibodies against LRIG2 were developed and the apparent molecular weight of the protein was determined to be 132 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis. The sub-cellular localization was studied by cell surface biotinylation experiments and confocal fluorescence laser microscopy, which revealed that LRIG2 resided at the cell surface and in the cytoplasm. The expression patterns of LRIG2 mRNA, during development and in adult tissues, were evaluated using whole-mount in situ hybridization and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, respectively. In E10.5, E11.5 and E12.5 mouse embryos, the Lrig2 expression domains were both overlapping and unique as compared to the expression domains of Lrig1 and the third family member, Lrig3. In adult human tissues, the most prominent LRIG2 mRNA expression was found in skin, uterus and ovary. To study the developmental and physiological role of LRIG2, Lrig2 knock-out mice were generated. The knock-out mice were born at Mendelian frequencies without any apparent morphological abnormalities. However, Lrig2 knock-out mice showed reduced body weight between 5 days and 12-15 weeks of age, increased mortality, and impaired reproductive capacity. To study the role of LRIG2 as a prognostic factor in oligodendroglioma, LRIG2 expression was analyzed in 65 human oligodendrogliomas by immunohistochemistry. Cytoplasmic LRIG2 expression was an independent prognostic factor associated with poor oligodendroglioma patient survival. The possible functional role of LRIG2 in oligodendroglioma biology was further investigated using the RCAS/tv-a mouse model. Tumors resembling human oligodendroglioma were induced by intracranial injection of PDGFB carrying RCAS retroviruses into newborn Ntv-a mice. Lrig2 wild-type animals developed tumors at a higher frequency and of higher malignancy than the Lrig2 knock-out mice. This result supports the notion that LRIG2 promotes PDGF-induced oligodendroglioma genesis. A possible molecular mechanism was revealed as LRIG2 overexpression increased PDGFRa levels in transfected cells. In summary, we identified a new gene named LRIG2, showed that it is expressed in a variety of tissues during development and in adulthood, knocked it out and found that it was required for proper animal growth, health, and reproduction. We also found that Lrig2 expression promoted PDGF-induced oligodendroglioma genesis and was associated with poor oligodendroglioma patient survival, possibly via a PDGFRa stabilizing function.
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| 6. |
- Karlsson, Terese, 1979-
(författare)
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The expression and molecular functions of LRIG proteins in cancer and psoriasis
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains (LRIG) family consists of three integral membrane proteins that are important in human cancer. LRIG1 is a negative regulator of growth factor signaling. Its expression is associated with longer survival in several cancer types, and the gene has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor. The roles of LRIG2 and LRIG3 are less well known. The aim of this thesis was to improve our understanding of the expression and function of the LRIG protein family in psoriasis and cancer.To investigate their expression in psoriasis, the mRNA levels and subcellular localization of the LRIG proteins were analyzed and compared between normal and psoriatic human skin. There were no differences in the LRIG mRNA levels between psoriatic and normal skin samples. However, the subcellular localization of all three LRIG proteins differed between psoriatic and normal skin.To study the physiological and molecular functions of Lrig2, we generated Lrig2E12-/- mice. These mice were viable and born at a Mendelian rate, but Lrig2E12-/- mice had an increased rate of spontaneous mortality and a transient reduction in growth rate compared to Lrig2 wild-type (wt) mice. In an orthotopic platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)B-driven brain tumor mouse model, we studied the effect of Lrig2 on gliomagenesis. All Lrig2 wt mice developed tumors; 82% developed grade II/III tumors, and 18% developed grade IV tumors. Only 77% of the Lrig2E12-/- mice developed tumors, and they were all grade II/III tumors. Thus, Lrig2 increased the incidence and malignancy rates of PDGFB-driven gliomas. We then analyzed the effect of Lrig2 on Pdgf receptor (Pdgfr) signaling. Lrig2 had no effect on Pdgfr steady-state levels, the starvation-induced up-regulation of Pdgfrs, the phosphorylation of Pdgfrs, primary cilium formation or the PDGFBB-induced phosphorylation of Akt or Erk1/2. However, the kinetics of induction of the immediate-early genes Fos and Egr2 were altered, resulting in a more rapid induction in Lrig2E12-/- cells.We then analyzed the clinical and biological importance of LRIG1 in lung cancer. In a human lung cancer tissue micro-array (TMA), LRIG1 expression was found to be an independent positive prognostic factor for adenocarcinoma. To study the importance of Lrig1 regarding lung cancer development in vivo, we used an inducible EGFRL858R-driven mouse lung cancer model. The mice developed diffuse lung adenocarcinoma, and the tumor burden was greater in Lrig1-/- mice than in Lrig1+/+ mice (p = 0.025) at 60 days. The human lung cancer cell line H1975, with either normal or Tet-induced expression of LRIG1, was injected into the flanks of Balb/cA nude mice. Tumors formed by LRIG1-overexpressing cells were smaller than those formed by parental cells, further indicating that LRIG1 is important during lung tumor formation or growth. In vitro, LRIG1 suppressed the proliferation of H1975 cells and down-regulated the phosphorylation of MET and RET.To investigate the molecular functions of LRIG proteins further, we performed a yeast two-hybrid (YTH) screen using a peptide from the cytosolic tail of LRIG3 as bait. This screen identified LMO7 and LIMCH1 as prominent interaction partners for LRIG3. Proximity ligation assays showed that LMO7 interacted with all of the LRIG proteins at endogenous expression levels. LMO7 and LIMCH1 were expressed in all human tissues analyzed. Their expression was dramatically decreased in lung cancer compared to normal lung tissue. The expression of LMO7 was analyzed in a human lung cancer TMA. LMO7 was expressed in respiratory epithelial cells in normal lungs. However, LMO7 was only expressed in a quarter of the lung tumors. LMO7 expression was found to be an independent negative prognostic factor for lung cancer.In summary, we found that the LRIG proteins were redistributed in psoriatic skin. In a mouse glioma model, Lrig2 promoted oligodendroglioma genesis. LRIG1 was an independent positive prognostic factor in human lung cancer. Lrig1 ablation increased the tumor size in an EGFRL858R-driven lung cancer mouse model. LRIG1 expression decreased the tumor growth of human lung cancer cells in a xenograft mouse model. LMO7 interacted with all three LRIG proteins and was an independent negative prognostic factor in human lung cancer. These data demonstrate the importance of LRIG proteins in human disease.
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| 7. |
- Kvarnbrink, Samuel, 1981-
(författare)
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LRIG1 in lung cancer : prognostic effects and mechanistic studies
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide as well as in Sweden. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the predominant form, which is largely subdivided into adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. A small minority of NSCLC cases that present with localized small tumors are curable with surgery alone, but adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended in most cases that are treated with surgery, even though it only increases the chance of cure by less than 5%. Therefore, additional biomarkers are needed to guide the clinical decision making in early-stage disease.The leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like (LRIG) family of proteins consists of three paralogous transmembrane proteins that are involved in the regulation of growth factor signaling. Of these proteins, LRIG1 is the most studied and it interacts with a wide variety of growth factor receptors and related proteins, including the epidermal growth factor (EGFR) and several others. High levels of LRIG1 have been associated with better survival in a multitude of malignant diseases, including (but not limited to) breast cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, glioma and melanoma. The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether LRIG1 was a prognostic factor in NSCLC as well, and to further characterize the biological role of LRIG proteins in this disease.To investigate the prognostic impact of LRIG proteins in NSCLC, we stained a tissue microarray (TMA) containing tumor samples from 347 surgically treated early-stage NSCLC patients for LRIG1, LRIG2 and LRIG3. LRIG1 high-expressing adenocarcinoma cases had a large and statistically significant survival benefit of 33 months compared to negative cases. Similarly, an in silico analysis of a large gene expression dataset from the Oncomine database showed that high LRIG1 mRNA expression was linked to better survival as well. Differences in survival persisted even when adjusting for known prognostic factors, meaning that LRIG1 was an independent positive prognostic marker for survival in NSCLC.A yeast two-hybrid screen was performed to search for proteins interacting with a conserved cytosolic peptide shared between all three mammalian LRIG proteins. This screen yielded hits for the paralogous proteins LIM domain only protein 7 (LMO7) and LIM and calponin homology domains-containing protein 1 (LIMCH1). LRIG1 and LRIG3 were both found to physically interact with LMO7 and LIMCH1 as assessed through immunoprecipitation techniques on overexpressed proteins. For LMO7, this could also be confirmed at endogenous protein levels using the proximity ligation assay. The 347 samples in the previously mentioned TMA were stained for LMO7. In our survival analysis, we observed no significant survival differences when looking at LMO7 alone, but the survival benefit observed for high LRIG1 was found to be limited to the subgroup that also was negative for LMO7. This means that the observed physical interaction between LRIG1 and LMO7 appears to translate to differences in patient survival.To investigate possible mechanisms underlying the observed association between high LRIG1 expression and a favorable patient survival, a panel of NSCLC cell lines was modified to overexpress LRIG1. Broadly, LRIG1 overexpression resulted in minor decreases in cellular proliferation rates and no effects on chemosensitivity or radiosensitivity. Looking across the panel of NSCLC cell lines, no clear pattern was observed regarding the effects of LRIG1 overexpression on cellular motility. However, LRIG1 overexpression significantly decreased the clonogenic potential in most cell lines. The only cell line in the panel, H1299, that formed hematogenous disseminated disease in immunodeficient mice was used to establish a mixed-population primary tumor of tagged LRIG1 overexpressing cells and control cells. The LRIG1 transduced cells were was found to be enriched in the injected primary tumor, but no significant changes in their relative abundance was observed between the metastatic sites and their corresponding primary tumors.In summary, we found that LRIG1 was an independent positive prognostic factor in early-stage NSCLC. We identified LMO7 and LIMCH1 as interaction partners for LRIG proteins and showed that the interaction between LMO7 and LRIG1 had implications for the clinical outcome in NSCLC. Furthermore, our mechanistic studies on the effects of LRIG1 overexpression on NSCLC cells suggested that the survival benefit conferred by high LRIG1 expression may be due to differences in metastatic potential. Taken together, the findings in this thesis suggest an important biological role for LRIG proteins in NSCLC.
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| 8. |
- Ljuslinder, Ingrid, 1968-
(författare)
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Studies of LRIG1 and the ERBB receptor family in breast and colorectal cancer
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The LRIG1 gene (leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin like domains-1) at chromosome 3p14 is a proposed tumour suppressor gene whose gene product negatively regulates various receptor tyrosine kinases. This function has been the basis for classifying LRIG1 as a potential tumour suppressor gene (TSG). The ERBB receptor family is important in malignant cellular functions such as proliferation, survival, adhesion, migration and differentiation. In breast cancer, amplification of the ERBB2 proto-oncogene is an important negative prognostic factor. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ERBB1), is expressed in colorectal cancer and has been correlated to a worse prognosis. Until recently, immunohistochemical analysis of EGFR expression was used to select patients suitable for treatment with EGFR targeted antibodies. This thesis characterizes LRIG1 in breast and colorectal cancer to gain further knowledge of the gene and its expression. Also, the EGFR expression in metastases and the invasive margin of colorectal cancers was investigated to correlate changes to clinical factors. Breast cancer samples and matched normal tissues were evaluated for LRIG1 and the ERBB receptors at gene, RNA and protein levels. An increase in copy number of the LRIG1 gene was evident. Also, increased LRIG1 copy number was associated with high levels of ERBB2 mRNA. Another set of breast cancer tumours were analysed for LRIG1 by FISH analysis. The results were coherent with the previous results. To further analyze the correlation to ERBB2, tumours with LRIG1 increased copy number were analysed for ERBB2. The data showed that 89% of tumours with increased LRIG1 copy number were either ERBB2 amplified or had an increased copy number of ERBB2. To investigate LRIG1 and the EGFR in colorectal cancer, the gene and protein expression was analysed by several methods in tumours and corresponding normal tissues. There were no significant changes at gene level found, but at the protein level, both over- and under expression were seen. No evident correlation between LRIG1 and EGFR expression was detected. The ERBB receptor family expression in colorectal cancer tumours and corresponding metastases was investigated to explore if the expression was altered in the metastatic lesion. The results showed that the EGFR expression was lost in the corresponding metastases in 33% of the tumours and that the same percentage of tumours gained expression in the metastases. Co-expression of the ERBB family members was also analysed; there was a significant increase of ERBB3/ERBB4 co-expression in late stage tumours. EGFR expression at the invasive margin of colorectal cancers was analysed to clarify whether expression correlated to the patient’s prognosis. Significant correlation to survival and the presence of budding was seen. In conclusion, 34% of the breast cancer tumours studied had an increased copy number of LRIG1 with a significant co-incidental increase in ERBB2 copy number. This raises the question of a functional correlation between LRIG1 and ERBB2, a finding that might be of clinical importance. The studies of EGFR and the ERBB receptors in colorectal cancer reflect the heterogeneity of EGFR expression in tumours. In addition, these findings suggest that survival of the patients correlates to an increasing EGFR expression at the invasive margin.
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| 9. |
- Nilsson, Jonas, 1974-
(författare)
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The LRIG-family: identification of novel regulators of ErbB signaling with clinical implications in astrocytoma
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Astrocytic tumors are the most common malignancies of the central nervous system, accounting for more than 60% of all primary brain tumors. The prognosis for high grade astrocytoma patients is dismal and there is no curative treatment, today. A molecular hallmark of astrocytic tumors is dysregulated receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, especially of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, ErbB1). The aim of the present thesis was to identify endogenous human proteins that downregulate the function of the ErbB1 receptor. We identified a human gene family, the leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains family (LRIG), consisting of LRIG1, LRIG2 and LRIG3, which might fulfill this criterion. Two candidates were identified, LRIG1 and LRIG2, which genes were localized to regions frequently deleted in human cancers, chromosome bands 3p14 and 1p13, respectively. LRIG1 and LRIG2 mRNA were expressed in all tissues analyzed, with high expression in brain and other organs. The LRIG mRNA were predicted to encode integral membrane proteins. Antibodies against LRIG1 and LRIG2 were developed and the protein expression was analyzed. LRIG1 was found to have an apparent molecular weight of 143 kDa and was expressed in most tissues with high expression in glandular tissues of the breast and prostate, and the peptic cells of the stomach. LRIG2 was slightly smaller and had an apparent molecular weight of 132 kDa. The LRIG proteins were localized to the cell surface and to perinuclear structures, where LRIG1 co-localized with the trans-Golgi network and early endosomes. LRIG1 was found to restrict growth factor signaling by enhancing receptor ubiquitylation and degradation. We showed that LRIG1 interacted with all four members of the ErbB family and induced their downregulation. The interaction with ErbB1 involved both the LRR-domains and the Ig-like domains of LRIG1. LRIG1 enhanced receptor degradation by recruiting the E3 ubiquitin ligase c-Cbl to the LRIG1-ErbB1 complex. LRIG1, LRIG2, and LRIG3 were expressed in glioma cell lines and tumor tissues. The LRIG expression was analyzed in 404 astrocytic tumor samples. We found that perinuclear LRIG protein expression correlated with increased survival of patients with astrocytic tumors. Especially perinuclear LRIG3 showed strong correlations with patient survival and tumor cell proliferation index. In summary, this thesis contains the discovery and characterization of human LRIG1 and LRIG2. LRIG1 was found to interact with ErbB receptors and downregulate their function. In a clinical material, expression of LRIG proteins correlated with survival in patients with astrocytic tumors.
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| 10. |
- Göstring, Lovisa, 1970-
(författare)
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Cellular Studies of HER-family Specific Affibody Molecules
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The human epidermal growth-factor like receptor (HER) family of receptor tyrosine kinases are important targets for cancer therapy. The family consists of four members - EGFR, HER2, HER3 and HER4 - that normally transfer stimulatory signals from extracellular growth factors to the intracellular signalling network. Over-activation of these receptors leads to uncontrolled cell proliferation and is seen in several types of tumours. The aim of the studies reported in this thesis was to study the uptake and effects of affibody molecules against EGFR, HER2 and HER3 in cultured cells. Affibody molecules are affinity proteins originally derived from one of the domains of protein A, and their small size and robust structure make them suitable agents for tumour targeting and therapy.Papers I and II of this thesis concern EGFR-specific affibody molecules, which were shown to be more similar to the antibody cetuximab than the natural ligand EGF in terms of cellular uptake, binding site and internalisation rate. In addition, fluorescence-based methods for the quantification of internalisation were evaluated.In the studies reported in papers III and IV, HER2-specific affibody molecules were utilised as carriers of radionuclides. Paper III reports that different cell lines exhibit different radiosensitivities to 211At-labelled affibody molecules; radiosensitivity was found to correlate with cell geometry and the rate of internalisation. Paper IV discusses the use of 17-AAG, an agent that induces HER2 internalisation and degradation, to force the internalisation of 211At- and 111In-labelled affibody molecules.Papers V and VI describe the selection and maturation of HER3-specific affibody molecules, which were found to compete with the receptor’s natural ligand, heregulin, for receptor binding. These affibody molecules were demonstrated to inhibit heregulin-induced HER3 activation and cell proliferation.The studies summarised in this paper will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of these affibody molecules and bring them one step closer to being helpful tools in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
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