American Association for Cancer Research
Browse

Supplementary Figure 2 from SOX9 Defines Distinct Populations of Cells in SHH Medulloblastoma but Is Not Required for Math1-Driven Tumor Formation

Download (1.24 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-04-03, 19:45 authored by Christelle Adolphe, Amanda Millar, Marija Kojic, Deborah S. Barkauskas, Anders Sundström, Fredrik J. Swartling, Soroor Hediyeh-zadeh, Chin Wee Tan, Melissa J. Davis, Laura A. Genovesi, Brandon J. Wainwright

S2. Math1CrePtchlox/Ptchlox;Math1 GFP mice display GFP expression in the majority of tumour cells

History

ARTICLE ABSTRACT

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor and there is an urgent need for molecularly targeted and subgroup-specific therapies. The stem cell factor SOX9, has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of Sonic Hedgehog medulloblastoma (SHH-MB) subgroup tumors, given its role as a downstream target of Hedgehog signaling and in functionally promoting SHH-MB metastasis and treatment resistance. However, the functional requirement for SOX9 in the genesis of medulloblastoma remains to be determined. Here we report a previously undocumented level of SOX9 expression exclusively in proliferating granule cell precursors (GCP) of the postnatal mouse cerebellum, which function as the medulloblastoma-initiating cells of SHH-MBs. Wild-type GCPs express comparatively lower levels of SOX9 than neural stem cells and mature astroglia and SOX9low GCP-like tumor cells constitute the bulk of both infant (Math1Cre:Ptch1lox/lox) and adult (Ptch1LacZ/+) SHH-MB mouse models. Human medulloblastoma single-cell RNA data analyses reveal three distinct SOX9 populations present in SHH-MB and noticeably absent in other medulloblastoma subgroups: SOX9+MATH1+ (GCP), SOX9+GFAP+ (astrocytes) and SOX9+MATH1+GFAP+ (potential tumor-derived astrocytes). To functionally address whether SOX9 is required as a downstream effector of Hedgehog signaling in medulloblastoma tumor cells, we ablated Sox9 using a Math1Cre model system. Surprisingly, targeted ablation of Sox9 in GCPs (Math1Cre:Sox9lox/lox) revealed no overt phenotype and loss of Sox9 in SHH-MB (Math1Cre:Ptch1lox/lox;Sox9lox/lox) does not affect tumor formation. Despite preclinical data indicating SOX9 plays a key role in SHH-MB biology, our data argue against SOX9 as a viable therapeutic target.

Usage metrics

    Molecular Cancer Research

    Licence

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC