PMCID
PMC11398422

Distinct phenotypic consequences of cholangiocarcinoma-associated FGFR2 alterations depend on biliary epithelial cell state.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Authors
Abstract

Epithelial cancers disrupt tissue architecture and are often driven by mutations in genes that play important roles in normal epithelial morphogenesis. The intrahepatic biliary system is an epithelial tubular network that forms within the developing liver via the initiation and expansion of apical lumens. Intrahepatic biliary tumors (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma) commonly harbor activating genomic alterations in the FGFR2 receptor tyrosine kinase, which plays important roles in epithelial morphogenesis in other developmental settings. Using a physiologic and quantitative 3D model we demonstrate that FGFR signaling is important for biliary morphogenesis and that oncogenic FGFR2 fusions and in-frame deletions disrupt biliary architecture. Importantly, we show that the trafficking of and signaling from the FGFR2 mutants, as well as their phenotypic impacts, are governed by the epithelial state of the cell. Unexpectedly, we also found that distinct tumor-driving FGFR2 mutants disrupt biliary morphogenesis in completely different and clinically relevant ways, informing our understanding of morphogenesis and tumorigenesis and highlighting the importance of convergent studies of both.

Year of Publication
2025
Journal
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Date Published
09/2025
ISSN
2692-8205
DOI
10.1101/2024.08.30.610360
PubMed ID
39282270
Links