Stage pT1 bladder cancer (BC) shows highly diverse outcomes. Predictive markers are required to stratify patients for personalized treatment. The present study aimed to validate immune response quantification as a prognostic marker. Patients with pT1 BC (n = 167) treated by transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) were enrolled. Formaldehyde-fixed paraffin-embedded material was stained for CD3 and CD8. Corresponding T cells were counted in three regions with the highest immune response. Numbers of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) and lymphocyte aggregates (LA) were quantified. High CD3+ stroma T-cell infiltration was associated with improved survival (p = 0.045), especially in the G3 subgroup (p = 0.01). Cluster with higher immune response showed less recurrence (p = 0.034) and favorable overall survival (OS) (p = 0.019). In contrast, higher CD3+ and CD8+ tumor T-cell infiltration seemed to have a negative impact on prognosis. TLS and LA were more frequently observed in G3 tumors, indicating an increased anti-tumoral immune response. We proved the role of immune cell infiltration and showed that higher infiltration numbers of CD3+ (not CD8+) lymphocytes in the stroma are associated with favorable outcome. Immune cell quantification could be used as a marker to help stratify patients’ risk and therefore, to optimize patients’ management and follow-up examination as well as possible therapies.

Non-centrosomal microtubule organizing centers (MTOC) are pivotal for the function of multiple cell types, but the processes initiating their formation are unknown. Here, we find that the transcription factor myogenin is required in murine myoblasts for the localization of MTOC proteins to the nuclear envelope. Moreover, myogenin is sufficient in fibroblasts for nuclear envelope MTOC (NE-MTOC) formation and centrosome attenuation. Bioinformatics combined with loss- and gain-of-function experiments identified induction of AKAP6 expression as one central mechanism for myogenin-mediated NE-MTOC formation. Promoter studies indicate that myogenin preferentially induces the transcription of muscle- and NE-MTOC-specific isoforms of Akap6 and Syne1, which encodes nesprin-1α, the NE-MTOC anchor protein in muscle cells. Overexpression of AKAP6β and nesprin-1α was sufficient to recruit endogenous MTOC proteins to the nuclear envelope of myoblasts in the absence of myogenin. Taken together, our results illuminate how mammals transcriptionally control the switch from a centrosomal MTOC to an NE-MTOC and identify AKAP6 as a novel NE-MTOC component in muscle cells.

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Non-centrosomal microtubule organizing centers (ncMTOC) are pivotal for the function of multiple cell types, but the processes initiating their formation are unknown. Here, we find that the transcription factor myogenin is required in myoblasts for recruiting centrosomal proteins. Moreover, myogenin is sufficient in fibroblasts for ncMTOC formation and centrosome attenuation. Bioinformatics combined with loss- and gain-of-function experiments identified induction of AKAP6 expression as one central mechanism for myogenin-mediated ncMTOC formation. Promoter studies indicate that myogenin preferentially induces the transcription of muscle- and ncMTOC-specific isoforms of Akap6 and Syne1, which encodes nesprin-1α, the ncMTOC anchor protein in muscle cells. Overexpression of AKAP6β and nesprin-1α was sufficient to recruit endogenous centrosomal proteins to the nuclear envelope of myoblasts in the absence of myogenin. Taken together, our results illuminate how mammals transcriptionally control the switch from a centrosomal MTOC to an ncMTOC and identify AKAP6 as a novel ncMTOC component in muscle cells.

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