Transcriptome profiling of the interconnection of pathways involved in malignant transformation and response to hypoxia

In tumor tissues, hypoxia is a commonly observed feature resulting from rapidly proliferating cancer cells outgrowing the surrounding vasculature network. The four-step isogenic BJ cell model enables studies of defined steps of tumorigenesis: the normal, immortalized, transformed, and metastasizing stages. By transcriptome profiling under atmospheric and moderate hypoxic (3% O2) conditions, we observed that despite being highly similar, the four cell lines responded strikingly different to hypoxia. We demonstrate that the transcriptome adaptation to moderate hypoxia resembles the process of malignant transformation. The transformed cells displayed a distinct capability of metabolic switching, reflected in reversed gene expression patterns for several genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and glycolytic pathways. By profiling the stage-specific responses to hypoxia, we identified ASS1 as a potential prognostic marker in hypoxic tumors. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the BJ cell model for highlighting the interconnection of pathways involved in malignant transformation and hypoxic response. 16 paired-end samples in total: 4 different cell lines sequenced in duplicate across 2 conditions each.