Hedgehog-GLI signalling promotes chemoresistance through the regulation of ABC transporters in colorectal cancer cells

Sci Rep. 2020 Aug 19;10(1):13988. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-70871-9.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death. Chemoresistance is a pivotal feature of cancer cells leading to treatment failure and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are responsible for the efflux of several molecules, including anticancer drugs. The Hedgehog-GLI (HH-GLI) pathway is a major signalling in CRC, however its role in chemoresistance has not been fully elucidated. Here we show that the HH-GLI pathway favours resistance to 5-fluorouracil and Oxaliplatin in CRC cells. We identified potential GLI1 binding sites in the promoter region of six ABC transporters, namely ABCA2, ABCB1, ABCB4, ABCB7, ABCC2 and ABCG1. Next, we investigated the binding of GLI1 using chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments and we demonstrate that GLI1 transcriptionally regulates the identified ABC transporters. We show that chemoresistant cells express high levels of GLI1 and of the ABC transporters and that GLI1 inhibition disrupts the transporters up-regulation. Moreover, we report that human CRC tumours express high levels of the ABCG1 transporter and that its expression correlates with worse patients' prognosis. This study identifies a new mechanism where HH-GLI signalling regulates CRC chemoresistance features. Our results indicate that the inhibition of Gli1 regulates the ABC transporters expression and therefore should be considered as a therapeutic option in chemoresistant patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / genetics
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / metabolism*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Fluorouracil / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Hedgehog Proteins / genetics
  • Hedgehog Proteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2
  • Oxaliplatin / pharmacology
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Protein Binding
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Zinc Finger Protein GLI1 / genetics
  • Zinc Finger Protein GLI1 / metabolism*

Substances

  • ABCC2 protein, human
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2
  • Zinc Finger Protein GLI1
  • Oxaliplatin
  • Fluorouracil