Ewing's sarcoma precursors are highly enriched in embryonic osteochondrogenic progenitors

J Clin Invest. 2014 Jul;124(7):3061-74. doi: 10.1172/JCI72399. Epub 2014 Jun 9.

Abstract

Ewing's sarcoma is a highly malignant bone tumor found in children and adolescents, and the origin of this malignancy is not well understood. Here, we introduced a Ewing's sarcoma-associated genetic fusion of the genes encoding the RNA-binding protein EWS and the transcription factor ETS (EWS-ETS) into a fraction of cells enriched for osteochondrogenic progenitors derived from the embryonic superficial zone (eSZ) of long bones collected from late gestational murine embryos. EWS-ETS fusions efficiently induced Ewing's sarcoma-like small round cell sarcoma formation by these cells. Analysis of the eSZ revealed a fraction of a precursor cells that express growth/differentiation factor 5 (Gdf5), the transcription factor Erg, and parathyroid hormone-like hormone (Pthlh), and selection of the Pthlh-positive fraction alone further enhanced EWS-ETS-dependent tumor induction. Genes downstream of the EWS-ETS fusion protein were quite transcriptionally active in eSZ cells, especially in regions in which the chromatin structure of the ETS-responsive locus was open. Inhibition of β-catenin, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), or enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) suppressed cell growth in a murine model of Ewing's sarcoma, suggesting the utility of the current system as a preclinical model. These results indicate that eSZ cells are highly enriched in precursors to Ewing's sarcoma and provide clues to the histogenesis of Ewing's sarcoma in bone.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Neoplasms / etiology
  • Bone Neoplasms / genetics
  • Bone Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Chondrocytes / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / pathology
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Fusion
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / pathology*
  • Osteoblasts / pathology
  • Pregnancy
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Protein EWS / genetics
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / etiology
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / genetics
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / pathology*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / genetics
  • beta Catenin / genetics

Substances

  • CTNNB1 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets
  • RNA-Binding Protein EWS
  • beta Catenin