Identification of the precise molecular pathways involved in oncogene-induced transformation may help us gain a better understanding of tumor initiation and promotion. Here, we demonstrate that SOX2+ foregut epithelial cells are prone to oncogenic transformation upon mutagenic insults, such as KrasG12D and p53 deletion. GFP-based lineage-tracing experiments indicate that SOX2+ cells are the cells-of-origin of esophagus and stomach hyperplasia. Our observations indicate distinct roles for oncogenic KRAS mutation and P53 deletion. p53 homozygous deletion is required for the acquisition of an invasive potential, and KrasG12D expression, but not p53 deletion, suffices for tumor formation. Global gene expression analysis reveals secreting factors upregulated in the hyperplasia induced by oncogenic KRAS and highlights a crucial role for the CXCR2 pathway in driving hyperplasia. Collectively, the array of genetic models presented here demonstrate that stratified epithelial cells are susceptible to oncogenic insults, which may lead to a better understanding of tumor initiation and aid in the design of new cancer therapeutics.
The development of gastritis is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. Current invasive gastritis diagnostic methods are not suitable for monitoring progress. In this work based on 78 gastritis patients and 50 healthy individuals, we observed that the variation of tongue-coating microbiota was associated with the occurrence and development of gastritis. Twenty-one microbial species were identified for differentiating tongue-coating microbiomes of gastritis and healthy individuals. Pathways such as microbial metabolism in diverse environments, biosynthesis of antibiotics and bacterial chemotaxis were up-regulated in gastritis patients. The abundance of Campylobacter concisus was found associated with the gastric precancerous cascade. Furthermore, Campylobacter concisus could be detected in tongue coating and gastric fluid in a validation cohort containing 38 gastritis patients. These observations provided biological evidence of tongue diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine, and indicated that tongue-coating microbiome could be a potential non-invasive biomarker, which might be suitable for long-term monitoring of gastritis.
Three-way junctions are characteristic structures of the tubular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network. Junctions are formed through atlastin (ATL)-mediated membrane fusion and stabilized by lunapark (Lnp). However, how Lnp is preferentially enriched at three-way junctions remains elusive. Here, we showed that Lnp loses its junction localization when ATLs are deleted. Reintroduction of ATL1 R77A and ATL3, which have been shown to cluster at the junctions, but not wild-type ATL1, relocates Lnp to the junctions. Mutations in the Nmyristoylation site or hydrophobic residues in the coiled coil (CC1) of Lnp N-terminus (NT) cause mis-targeting of Lnp. Conversely, deletion of the lunapark motif in the C-terminal zinc finger domain, which affects the homooligomerization of Lnp, does not alter its localization. Purified Lnp-NT attaches to the membrane in a myristoylation-dependent manner. The mutation of hydrophobic residues in CC1 does not affect membrane association, but compromises ATL interactions. In addition, Lnp-NT inhibits ATL-mediated vesicle fusion in vitro. These results suggest that CC1 in Lnp-NT contacts junction-enriched ATLs for proper localization; subsequently, further ATL activity is limited by Lnp after the junction is formed. The proposed mechanism ensures coordinated actions of ATL and Lnp in generating and maintaining three-way junctions.