Single-Cell Transcriptional and Epigenetic Profiles of Male Breast Cancer Nominate Salient Cancer-Specific Enhancers
Male breast cancer represents about 1% of all breast cancer diagnoses and, although there are some similarities between male and female breast cancer, the paucity of data available on male breast cancer makes it difficult to establish targeted therapies. To date, most male breast cancers (MBCs) are...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/17/13053 |
| _version_ | 1797582472927510528 |
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| author | Hyunsoo Kim Kamila Wisniewska Matthew J. Regner Aatish Thennavan Philip M. Spanheimer Hector L. Franco |
| author_facet | Hyunsoo Kim Kamila Wisniewska Matthew J. Regner Aatish Thennavan Philip M. Spanheimer Hector L. Franco |
| author_sort | Hyunsoo Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Male breast cancer represents about 1% of all breast cancer diagnoses and, although there are some similarities between male and female breast cancer, the paucity of data available on male breast cancer makes it difficult to establish targeted therapies. To date, most male breast cancers (MBCs) are treated according to protocols established for female breast cancer (FBC). Thus, defining the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape of MBC with improved resolution is critical for developing better avenues for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we present matched transcriptional (scRNA-seq) and epigenetic (scATAC-seq) profiles at single-cell resolution of two treatment naïve MBC tumors processed immediately after surgical resection. These data enable the detection of differentially expressed genes between male and female breast tumors across immune, stromal, and malignant cell types, to highlight several genes that may have therapeutic implications. Notably, <i>MYC</i> target genes and <i>mTORC1</i> signaling genes were significantly upregulated in the malignant cells of MBC compared to the female counterparts. To understand how the regulatory landscape of MBC gives rise to these male-specific gene expression patterns, we leveraged the scATAC-seq data to systematically link changes in chromatin accessibility to changes in gene expression within each cell type. We observed cancer-specific rewiring of several salient enhancers and posit that these enhancers have a higher regulatory load than lineage-specific enhancers. We highlight two examples of previously unannotated cancer-cell-specific enhancers of <i>ANXA2</i> and <i>PRDX4</i> gene expression and show evidence for super-enhancer regulation of <i>LAMB3</i> and <i>CD47</i> in male breast cancer cells. Overall, this dataset annotates clinically relevant regulatory networks in male breast tumors, providing a useful resource that expands our current understanding of the gene expression programs that underlie the biology of MBC. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:22:49Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:22:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-a669c4bf6d75475b99451811a54a78672023-11-19T08:11:44ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672023-08-0124171305310.3390/ijms241713053Single-Cell Transcriptional and Epigenetic Profiles of Male Breast Cancer Nominate Salient Cancer-Specific EnhancersHyunsoo Kim0Kamila Wisniewska1Matthew J. Regner2Aatish Thennavan3Philip M. Spanheimer4Hector L. Franco5Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USALineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USALineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USALineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USALineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USALineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USAMale breast cancer represents about 1% of all breast cancer diagnoses and, although there are some similarities between male and female breast cancer, the paucity of data available on male breast cancer makes it difficult to establish targeted therapies. To date, most male breast cancers (MBCs) are treated according to protocols established for female breast cancer (FBC). Thus, defining the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape of MBC with improved resolution is critical for developing better avenues for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we present matched transcriptional (scRNA-seq) and epigenetic (scATAC-seq) profiles at single-cell resolution of two treatment naïve MBC tumors processed immediately after surgical resection. These data enable the detection of differentially expressed genes between male and female breast tumors across immune, stromal, and malignant cell types, to highlight several genes that may have therapeutic implications. Notably, <i>MYC</i> target genes and <i>mTORC1</i> signaling genes were significantly upregulated in the malignant cells of MBC compared to the female counterparts. To understand how the regulatory landscape of MBC gives rise to these male-specific gene expression patterns, we leveraged the scATAC-seq data to systematically link changes in chromatin accessibility to changes in gene expression within each cell type. We observed cancer-specific rewiring of several salient enhancers and posit that these enhancers have a higher regulatory load than lineage-specific enhancers. We highlight two examples of previously unannotated cancer-cell-specific enhancers of <i>ANXA2</i> and <i>PRDX4</i> gene expression and show evidence for super-enhancer regulation of <i>LAMB3</i> and <i>CD47</i> in male breast cancer cells. Overall, this dataset annotates clinically relevant regulatory networks in male breast tumors, providing a useful resource that expands our current understanding of the gene expression programs that underlie the biology of MBC.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/17/13053breast cancermale breast cancersingle-cell genomicsscRNA-seqscATAC-seqintratumoral heterogeneity |
| spellingShingle | Hyunsoo Kim Kamila Wisniewska Matthew J. Regner Aatish Thennavan Philip M. Spanheimer Hector L. Franco Single-Cell Transcriptional and Epigenetic Profiles of Male Breast Cancer Nominate Salient Cancer-Specific Enhancers International Journal of Molecular Sciences breast cancer male breast cancer single-cell genomics scRNA-seq scATAC-seq intratumoral heterogeneity |
| title | Single-Cell Transcriptional and Epigenetic Profiles of Male Breast Cancer Nominate Salient Cancer-Specific Enhancers |
| title_full | Single-Cell Transcriptional and Epigenetic Profiles of Male Breast Cancer Nominate Salient Cancer-Specific Enhancers |
| title_fullStr | Single-Cell Transcriptional and Epigenetic Profiles of Male Breast Cancer Nominate Salient Cancer-Specific Enhancers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Single-Cell Transcriptional and Epigenetic Profiles of Male Breast Cancer Nominate Salient Cancer-Specific Enhancers |
| title_short | Single-Cell Transcriptional and Epigenetic Profiles of Male Breast Cancer Nominate Salient Cancer-Specific Enhancers |
| title_sort | single cell transcriptional and epigenetic profiles of male breast cancer nominate salient cancer specific enhancers |
| topic | breast cancer male breast cancer single-cell genomics scRNA-seq scATAC-seq intratumoral heterogeneity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/17/13053 |
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