Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
4-1-2022
Journal
Gastroenterology
Abstract
Background & aims: RNF43 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is recurrently mutated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and precursor cystic neoplasms of the pancreas. The impact of RNF43 mutations on PDAC is poorly understood and autochthonous models have not been characterized sufficiently. In this study, we describe a genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) of PDAC with conditional expression of oncogenic Kras and deletion of the catalytic domain of Rnf43 in exocrine cells.
Methods: We generated Ptf1a-Cre;LSL-KrasG12D;Rnf43flox/flox (KRC) and Ptf1a-Cre; LSL-KrasG12D (KC) mice and animal survival was assessed. KRC mice were sacrificed at 2 months, 4 months, and at moribund status followed by analysis of pancreata by single-cell RNA sequencing. Comparative analyses between moribund KRC and a moribund Kras/Tp53-driven PDAC GEMM (KPC) was performed. Cell lines were isolated from KRC and KC tumors and interrogated by cytokine array analyses, ATAC sequencing, and in vitro drug assays. KRC GEMMs were also treated with an anti-CTLA4 neutralizing antibody with treatment response measured by magnetic response imaging.
Results: We demonstrate that KRC mice display a marked increase in incidence of high-grade cystic lesions of the pancreas and PDAC compared with KC. Importantly, KRC mice have a significantly decreased survival compared with KC mice. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we demonstrated that KRC tumor progression is accompanied by a decrease in macrophages, as well as an increase in T and B lymphocytes, with evidence of increased immune checkpoint molecule expression and affinity maturation, respectively. This was in stark contrast to the tumor immune microenvironment observed in the KPC PDAC GEMM. Furthermore, expression of the chemokine CXCL5 was found to be specifically decreased in KRC cancer cells by means of epigenetic regulation and emerged as a putative candidate for mediating the unique KRC immune landscape.
Conclusions: The KRC GEMM establishes RNF43 as a bona fide tumor suppressor gene in PDAC. This GEMM features a markedly different immune microenvironment compared with previously reported PDAC GEMMs and puts forth a rationale for an immunotherapy approach in this subset of PDAC cases.
Keywords
Adenocarcinoma, Animals, Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal, Disease Models, Animal, Epigenesis, Genetic, Humans, Mice, Pancreatic Neoplasms, Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras), Tumor Microenvironment, Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases, BRCA1, BRCA2, germline testing, tumor-only testing
DOI
10.1053/j.gastro.2021.12.273
PMID
34973294
PMCID
PMC8934289
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
4-1-2023
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Author MSS
Published Open-Access
yes
Included in
Bioinformatics Commons, Biomedical Informatics Commons, Gastroenterology Commons, Genetic Phenomena Commons, Medical Genetics Commons, Oncology Commons