Date of Award

12-2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program

Biomedical Sciences

Track

Cancer and Developmental Biology

Research Advisor

Linda M. Hendershot, PhD

Committee

Kevin W. Freeman, PhD Susan A. Miranda, PhD John D. Schuetz, PhD Tiffany Seagroves, PhD

Keywords

COPII; CRISPR activation, endoplasmic reticulum, osteosarcoma, procollagen

Abstract

Pediatric osteosarcoma tumors are characterized by an unusual abundance of grossly dilated endoplasmic reticulum and an immense genomic instability that has complicated identifying new effective molecular therapeutic targets. Here we report a novel molecular signature that encompasses the majority of 108 patient tumor samples, PDXs and osteosarcoma cell lines. These tumors exhibit reduced expression of four critical COPII vesicle proteins that has resulted in the accumulation of procollagen-I protein within ‘hallmark’ dilated ER. Using CRISPR activation technology, increased expression of only SAR1A and SEC24D to physiologically normal levels was sufficient to restore both collagen-I secretion and resolve dilated ER morphology to normal.

Declaration of Authorship

Declaration of Authorship is included in the supplemental files.

ORCID

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9870-4772

DOI

10.21007/etd.cghs.2021.0555

2021-026-Rachael-DOA.pdf (188 kB)
Declaration of Authorship

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