Regulation of tumorigenesis in oral epithelial cells by defined reprogramming factors Oct4 and Sox2.
Oct4 and Sox2 are pluripotent stem cell factors but the interplay between them in tumorigenesis is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the roles of Oct4 and Sox2 in the reprogramming of oral cancer stem cells. One or both Oct4 and Sox2 were overexpressed in immortalized oral epithelial (hTERT+-OME) cells by lentivirus transduction. In addition, Oct4 and Sox2 proteins in two oral squamous cell carcinoma cell (OSCC) lines (Cal27 and primary cultured OSCC from a T2N2M0 patient) were individually or combinedly knocked down by shRNA. The results showed that the doubly transduced (Oct4+Sox2+) cells could trigger neoplasms in immunodeficient mice after lentivirus transduction, but single transduced (Oct4+ or Sox2+) cells had no tumor formation ability. The knockdown Sox2low and knockdown Oct4lowSox2low cells resulted in decreased tumor size in the immunodeficient mice but the single knockdown Oct4low cancer cells acquired more aggressive xenografts. Our findings suggest that Oct4+Sox2+ cells may be reprogrammed cancer stem cells inducing oral carcinogenesis.
Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China.
Jinghua
J
Cai
Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University/Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China.
Baoxia
B
He
Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China.
Xinming
X
Li
Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China.
Minglei
M
Sun
Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China.
Alfred King-Yin
AK
Lam
Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China.
Bin
B
Qiao
Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China.
Weiliu
W
Qiu
D000818:Animals; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000235:genetics*; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494173:POU5F1 protein, human; C527782:SOX2 protein, human; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors