Integrated cistromic and expression analysis of amplified NKX2-1 in lung adenocarcinoma identifies LMO3 as a functional transcriptional target

Genes Dev. 2013 Jan 15;27(2):197-210. doi: 10.1101/gad.203208.112. Epub 2013 Jan 15.

Abstract

The NKX2-1 transcription factor, a regulator of normal lung development, is the most significantly amplified gene in human lung adenocarcinoma. To study the transcriptional impact of NKX2-1 amplification, we generated an expression signature associated with NKX2-1 amplification in human lung adenocarcinoma and analyzed DNA-binding sites of NKX2-1 by genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation. Integration of these expression and cistromic analyses identified LMO3, itself encoding a transcription regulator, as a candidate direct transcriptional target of NKX2-1. Further cistromic and overexpression analyses indicated that NKX2-1 can cooperate with the forkhead box transcription factor FOXA1 to regulate LMO3 gene expression. RNAi analysis of NKX2-1-amplified cells compared with nonamplified cells demonstrated that LMO3 mediates cell survival downstream from NKX2-1. Our findings provide new insight into the transcriptional regulatory network of NKX2-1 and suggest that LMO3 is a transcriptional signal transducer in NKX2-1-amplified lung adenocarcinomas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism*
  • Adenocarcinoma / physiopathology*
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chromatin / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha / metabolism
  • Humans
  • LIM Domain Proteins / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / physiopathology*
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Chromatin
  • FOXA1 protein, human
  • Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha
  • LIM Domain Proteins
  • LMO3 protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1
  • Transcription Factors