CDX2 is an amplified lineage-survival oncogene in colorectal cancer.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2012/11/13;109(46):E3196-205.

Salari K[1], Spulak ME, Cuff J, Forster AD, Giacomini CP, Huang S, Ko ME, Lin AY, van de Rijn M, Pollack JR

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PMID: 23112155DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1206004109

Impact factor: 12.779

Abstract
The mutational activation of oncogenes drives cancer development and progression. Classic oncogenes, such as MYC and RAS, are active across many different cancer types. In contrast, "lineage-survival" oncogenes represent a distinct and emerging class typically comprising transcriptional regulators of a specific cell lineage that, when deregulated, support the proliferation and survival of cancers derived from that lineage. Here, in a large collection of colorectal cancer cell lines and tumors, we identify recurrent amplification of chromosome 13, an alteration highly restricted to colorectal-derived cancers. A minimal region of amplification on 13q12.2 pinpoints caudal type homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2), a regulator of normal intestinal lineage development and differentiation, as a target of the amplification. In contrast to its described role as a colorectal tumor suppressor, CDX2 when amplified is required for the proliferation and survival of colorectal cancer cells. Further, transcriptional profiling, binding-site analysis, and functional studies link CDX2 to Wnt/β-catenin signaling, itself a key oncogenic pathway in colorectal cancer. These data characterize CDX2 as a lineage-survival oncogene deregulated in colorectal cancer. Our findings challenge a prevailing view that CDX2 is a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer and uncover an additional piece in the multistep model of colorectal tumorigenesis.
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