FoxA1 and FoxA2 drive gastric differentiation and suppress squamous identity in NKX2-1-negative lung cancer

SA Camolotto, S Pattabiraman, TL Mosbruger, A Jones… - Elife, 2018 - elifesciences.org
SA Camolotto, S Pattabiraman, TL Mosbruger, A Jones, VK Belova, G Orstad, M Streiff…
Elife, 2018elifesciences.org
Changes in cancer cell identity can alter malignant potential and therapeutic response. Loss
of the pulmonary lineage specifier NKX2-1 augments the growth of KRAS-driven lung
adenocarcinoma and causes pulmonary to gastric transdifferentiation. Here, we show that
the transcription factors FoxA1 and FoxA2 are required for initiation of mucinous NKX2-1-
negative lung adenocarcinomas in the mouse and for activation of their gastric differentiation
program. Foxa1/2 deletion severely impairs tumor initiation and causes a proximal shift in …
Changes in cancer cell identity can alter malignant potential and therapeutic response. Loss of the pulmonary lineage specifier NKX2-1 augments the growth of KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinoma and causes pulmonary to gastric transdifferentiation. Here, we show that the transcription factors FoxA1 and FoxA2 are required for initiation of mucinous NKX2-1-negative lung adenocarcinomas in the mouse and for activation of their gastric differentiation program. Foxa1/2 deletion severely impairs tumor initiation and causes a proximal shift in cellular identity, yielding tumors expressing markers of the squamocolumnar junction of the gastrointestinal tract. In contrast, we observe downregulation of FoxA1/2 expression in the squamous component of both murine and human lung adenosquamous carcinoma. Using sequential in vivo recombination, we find that FoxA1/2 loss in established KRAS-driven neoplasia originating from SPC-positive alveolar cells induces keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas. Thus, NKX2-1, FoxA1 and FoxA2 coordinately regulate the growth and identity of lung cancer in a context-specific manner.
eLife