title: The miR-27a-calreticulin axis affects drug-induced immunogenic cell death in human colorectal cancer cells.
abstract: Immunogenic cell death (ICD) evoked by chemotherapeutic agents implies emission of selected damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMP) such as cell surface exposure of calreticulin, secretion of ATP and HMGB1. We sought to verify whether miR-27a is implicated in ICD, having demonstrated that it directly targets calreticulin. To this goal, we exposed colorectal cancer cell lines, genetically modified to express high or low miR-27a levels, to two bona fide ICD inducers (mitoxantrone and oxaliplatin). Low miR-27a-expressing cells displayed more ecto-calreticulin on the cell surface and increased ATP and HMGB1 secretion than high miR-27a-expressing ones in time-course experiments upon drug exposure. A calreticulin target protector counteracted the miR-27a effects while specific siRNAs mimicked them, confirming the results reported. In addition, miR-27a negatively influenced the PERK-mediated route and the late PI3K-dependent secretory step of the unfolded protein response to endoplasmic reticulum stress, suggesting that miR-27a modulates the entire ICD program. Interestingly, upon chemotherapeutic exposure, low miR-27a levels associated with an earlier and stronger induction of apoptosis and with morphological and molecular features of autophagy. Remarkably, in ex vivo setting, under the same chemotherapeutic induction, the conditioned media from high miR-27a-expressing cells impeded dendritic cell maturation while increased the secretion of specific cytokines (interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-8) and negatively influenced CD4(+) T-cell interferon γ production and proliferation, all markers of a tumor immunoevasion strategy. In conclusion, we provide the first evidence that miR-27a impairs the cell response to drug-induced ICD through the regulatory axis with calreticulin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento 82100, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Colangelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento 82100, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Polcaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento 82100, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ziccardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento 82100, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muccillo
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IEOS-CNR), Napoli 80131, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8414-1676
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galgani
authors.affiliation: Centro Ricerche Oncologiche Mercogliano, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale - IRCCS, Mercogliano (AV) 83013, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pucci
authors.affiliation: Centro Ricerche Oncologiche Mercogliano, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale - IRCCS, Mercogliano (AV) 83013, Italy.
authors.forename: M Rita
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Milone
authors.affiliation: Centro Ricerche Oncologiche Mercogliano, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale - IRCCS, Mercogliano (AV) 83013, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budillon
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli 80131, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santopaolo
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine and Chronobiology Unit, IRCCS - "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG) 71013, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3535-7635
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzoccoli
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IEOS-CNR), Napoli 80131, Italy.|Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli 80131, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matarese
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento 82100, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sabatino
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, Benevento 82100, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colantuoni
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D037282:Calreticulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007378:Interleukins / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000494:pharmacology; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000378:metabolism; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D056811:Unfolded Protein Response / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D037282:Calreticulin; D007378:Interleukins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases