Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41892368›Full record

ArticleEpigenomes2026

Mutant KRAS Heterogeneity Shapes Nuclear Architecture During Pancreatic Cancer Initiation.

Gareth Pollin, Angela J Mathison, Elise N Leverence, Thiago Milech De Assuncao, Juan Iovanna, Johnny C Hong, Michael T Zimmermann, Raul Urrutia, Gwen Lomberk

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Epigenomes, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Gareth PollinLinda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2787-6673
Angela J MathisonLinda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6763-2710
Elise N LeverenceLinda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
Thiago Milech De AssuncaoLinda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-3328-6866
Juan IovannaCentre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France.
Johnny C HongDepartment of Solid Organ Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Bon Secours Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center, Toledo, OH 43608, USA.
Michael T ZimmermannLinda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7073-0525
Raul UrrutiaLinda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1640-6780
Gwen LomberkLinda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5463-789X

Funding

STED Super-resolution Imaging SystemS10OD034247 · OD · MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN · PI LOU, XUELIN · 2024 to 2024
$1.1M
NIH HHS S10 OD034247
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) arises predominantly from activating KRAS mutations, yet individual genetic variants differ markedly in signaling output and clinical impact. G12D, the most prevalent variant, strongly drives oncogenic programs, whereas G12R signals less efficiently through the AKT and ERK pathways and is associated with longer patient survival than G12D-driven PDAC.

methodsTo elucidate how these differences influence early cellular transformation, we expressed a panel of KRAS mutants in non-cancerous pancreatic ductal epithelial cells as a model of early PDAC initiation and profiled transcriptional and phospho-proteomic responses. We next examined whether epigenetic differences translate into mutation-specific changes in nuclear organization using quantitative imaging of G12D- and G12R-expressing nuclei at 24 and 48 h.

resultsEach variant established a unique regulatory program enriched for chromatin remodelers, histone modifiers, and nuclear structural factors, indicating that variant-specific KRAS signaling rapidly develops divergent epigenetic states. Integrated transcriptomic and phospho-proteomic analyses identified G12D and G12R as the most divergent variants. G12D induced pronounced nuclear remodeling, including increased nuclear size, irregular morphology, and reorganization of the nucleolus and spliceosome, consistent with extensive chromatin and transcriptional reprogramming. In contrast, G12R elicited a weaker response, with minimal or delayed structural changes.

conclusionsTogether, these findings demonstrate that KRAS mutational context in pancreatic ductal epithelial cells shapes early transcriptional reprogramming that actively remodels nuclear architecture and nuclear sub-compartments. This work establishes nuclear structural remodeling as a structural state of KRAS-driven epigenetic dysregulation during PDAC initiation.

Indexed as

chromatinKRASnuclear architecturenucleolar organizationpancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)phospho-proteomicsspliceosomal organizationvariant heterogeneity

Identifiers

PMID41892368
PMCPMC13025234

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.