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Biomedical subjects

Yves Pommier

Publications and source records attributed to Yves Pommier.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Peroxiredoxin 1 safeguards the nucleolar genome from oxidative damage.

Peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1) is a highly conserved, thiol-dependent peroxidase that rapidly scavenges reactive oxygen species to modulate redox signaling. PRDX1-null mice exhibited genomic instability, shortened life span, and accelerated tumorigenesis, including development of lymphomas, sarcomas, and carcinomas. Despite extensive characterization of these phenotypes, the molecular mechanism by which PRDX1 loss causes genomic instability remains poorly understood. Here, we show that PRDX1 deficiency alters nucleolar morphology, impairs RNA polymerase I (POL-I)-dependent transcription of pre-ribosomal RNAs, and triggers nucleolar genomic instability. This oxidative stress-induced nucleolar dysfunction promotes the stability of secondary DNA structures, such as RNA-DNA hybrids and G-quadruplex DNA, contributing to nucleolar genomic instability. We demonstrate that PRDX1 loss reduces nascent ribosomal RNA (rRNA) levels and impairs rRNA processing, further affecting ribosome biogenesis. Mechanistically, we established that PRDX1 loss triggers activation of the nucleolar DNA damage response characterized by activation of the DNA repair kinase ATM and elevated TCOF1 within the nucleolus. In addition, we observed recruitment of the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex subunit NBS1 to ribosomal DNA (rDNA) loci and this was further increased under oxidative stress. NBS1 accumulation correlates with the repression of rDNA transcription by POL-I, potentially delaying rRNA synthesis, and safeguarding the nucleolar genome from further oxidative damage. Collectively, these findings uncover a previously unrecognized, but critical role, for PRDX1 in maintaining nucleolar integrity and ribosomal biogenesis through redox-dependent regulation of rDNA transcription and processing machinery.

Oxidative Stress

SCLC TumorMiner: A genomics platform for small cell lung cancer precision oncology.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is among the most aggressive malignancies. Unlike many other cancers, it is not represented in The Cancer Genome Atlas, and available datasets are fragmented across institutions, disease stages, and treatment settings. RNA sequencing provides a powerful and cost-effective approach, but the high dimensionality of transcriptomic data and the heterogeneity of patient cohorts pose significant challenges. To address such challenges, we developed SCLC TumorMiner (https://discover.nci.nih.gov/SclcTumorMinerCDB/), which includes 50 tumor samples from relapsed patients at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and 154 samples from untreated patients at the University of Cologne and Tongji University. SCLC TumorMiner enables molecular classification, genomic pathway analyses, risk stratification, identification of predictive cell-surface biomarkers such as DLL3 or TROP2, and drug-response biomarkers such as SLFN11. SCLC TumorMiner illustrates profound differences between untreated and relapsed patient samples. Additionally, "MyPatient", one of SCLC TumorMiner's modules, is presented as a medical assistant application prototype.

SCLC

Lamin A/C loss promotes R-loop-mediated genomic instability and poor survival in small-cell lung cancer.

Lamin A/C (LMNA), a key component of the nuclear envelope, is essential for maintaining nuclear integrity and genome organization [W. Xie et al., Curr. Biol. 26, 2651-2658 (2016)]. While LMNA dysregulation has been implicated in genomic instability across cancer and aging, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood [S. Graziano et al., Nucleus 9, 258-275 (2018)]. Here, we define a mechanistic role for LMNA in preserving genome stability in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), a malignancy marked by extreme genomic instability [N. Takahashi et al., Cancer Res. Commun. 2, 503-517 (2022)]. LMNA depletion promotes R-loop accumulation, transcription-replication conflicts, replication stress, DNA breaks, and micronuclei formation. Mechanistically, LMNA deficiency disrupts nuclear pore complex organization, specifically reducing phenylalanine-glycine (FG)-nucleoporin incorporation, resulting in impaired RNA export and nuclear retention of RNA. LMNA expression is repressed by EZH2 and reexpressed during SCLC differentiation from neuroendocrine (NE) to non-NE states, and low LMNA levels correlate with poor clinical outcomes. These findings establish LMNA as a key regulator of nuclear transport and genome integrity, linking nuclear architecture to SCLC progression and therapeutic vulnerability.

Lamin Type A

HDAC inhibition unlocks tumor plasticity and enhances immunotherapy response in Myc-Driven Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive malignancy, accounting for approximately 15% of all lung cancer cases. Characterized by low immunogenicity, SCLC may utilize epigenetic mechanisms to evade immune detection. Here, we demonstrate that entinostat, a class I histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) upregulates immune-related genes in human SCLC cells. In vivo, we confirmed entinostat treatment increased expression of immunecheckpoint ligands and antigen presentation machinery in Myc-driven tumors in a Rb1/Trp53/MycT58A (RPM) SCLC mouse model, while shifting tumors from a neuroendocrine(NE)-high to a NE-low phenotype. Notably, combining entinostat with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy significantly enhances T-cell infiltration, suppresses tumor growth, and prolongs survival in RPM allograft models. These findings underscore the potential of entinostat to reprogram the immunological landscape and NE status of SCLC, enhance immune checkpoint blockade efficacy, and improve therapeutic outcomes.

anti-PD-1 therapy

Lamin A/C Deficiency Drives Genomic Instability and Poor Survival in Small-Cell Lung Cancer through Increased R-loop Accumulation.

Lamin A/C (LMNA), a key component of the nuclear envelope, is essential for maintaining nuclear integrity and genome organization [1]. While LMNA dysregulation has been implicated in genomic instability across cancer and aging, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood [2]. Here, we investigate LMNA's role in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), a highly aggressive malignancy characterized by extreme genomic instability [3, 4]. We demonstrate that LMNA depletion promotes R-loop accumulation, transcription-replication conflicts, replication stress, DNA breaks, and micronuclei formation. Mechanistically, LMNA loss disrupts nuclear pore complex distribution, reducing phenylalanine-glycine (FG)-nucleoporin incorporation and impairing RNA export efficiency. Furthermore, we show that LMNA expression is epigenetically repressed by EZH2 during SCLC differentiation from neuroendocrine (NE) to non-NE states. Clinically, low LMNA levels correlate with significantly worse survival in SCLC patients. These findings uncover a novel role for LMNA in safeguarding genome integrity and shaping tumor heterogeneity, with broad implications for cancer and aging.

Biological Sciences