EGLN1/c-Myc Induced Lymphoid-Specific Helicase Inhibits Ferroptosis through Lipid Metabolic Gene Expression Changes

The Identification and Validation of Two Heterogenous Subtypes and a Risk Signature Based on Ferroptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Ferroptosis is essential for tumorigenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The heterogeneity of ferroptosis and its relationship with tumor microenvironment (TME) have still remain elusive.

METHODS

Based on 74 ferroptosis related genes (FRGs) and 3,933 HCC samples from 32 datasets, we comprehensively explored the heterogenous ferroptosis subtypes. The clinical significance, functional status, immune infiltration, immune escape mechanisms, and genomic alterations of different subtypes were further investigated.

RESULTS

We identified and validated two heterogeneous ferroptosis subtypes: C1 was metabolismlowimmunityhigh subtype and C2 was metabolismhighimmunitylow subtype. Compared to C2, C1 owned worse prognosis, and C1 tended to occur in the patients with clinical characteristics such as younger, female, advanced stage, higher grade, vascular invasion. C1 and C2 were more sensitive to immunotherapy and sorafenib, respectively. The immune escape mechanisms of C1 might be accumulating more immunosuppressive cells, inhibitory cytokines, and immune checkpoints, while C2 was mainly associated with inferior immunogenicity, defecting in antigen presentation, and lacking leukocytes. In addition, C1 was characterized by BAP1 mutation, MYC amplification, and SCD1 methylation, while C2 was characterized by the significant alterations in cell cycle and chromatin remodeling processes. We also constructed and validated a robust and promising signature termed ferroptosis related risk score (FRRS) for assessing prognosis and immunotherapy.

CONCLUSION

We identified and validated two heterogeneous ferroptosis subtypes and a reliable risk signature which used to assess prognosis and immunotherapy. Our results facilitated the understood of ferroptosis as well as clinical management and precise therapy of HCC.

The Significance of HOXC11 and LSH in Survival Prediction in Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Purpose

Gastric adenocarcinoma is one of the most important causes of cancer death and lacks effective treatment. Eighty-four gastric adenocarcinoma tissue samples along with the clinical information were collected. After analyzing the expression of HOXC11 and LSH in the gastric adenocarcinoma tissues, we explored the prognosis of patients and its correlation with clinical characteristics. Both HOXC11 and LSH were over-expressed in MKN-45 cell lines to verify the effect of high expression of HOXC11 and LSH on GAC.

Methods

The expression of HOXC11 and LSH in 84 cases with gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) was detected via immunohistochemistry, including 17 cases in stage I, 7 cases in stage II, 27 cases in stage III and 33 cases in stage IV. The expression levels of HOXC11 and LSH, and the clinicopathological characteristics of the samples, were also studied. Cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle and apoptosis assays were utilized for demonstrating malignancy of HOXC11 and LSH over-expressed cells.

Results

Among 84 GAC pathological samples, 12 high HOXC11 expression, and 72 showed low expression; 54.8% (46/84) high LSH expression, and 45.2% (38/84) exhibited low expression. Survival analysis of the Kaplan-Meier plotter gastric cancer datasets showed that subjects with low expression of HOXC11 and LSH had a longer survival time, with a median survival time of 40.2 and 36.4 months, while the subjects with high HOXC11 and LSH expression were only 20.5 and 10 months, respectively. Meanwhile, HOXC11 and LSH over-expressed cells showed a stronger proliferous and migratory ability, and a sped up cell cycle.

Conclusion

The high expression level of HOXC11 and LSH both manifested the poor survival prognosis of GAC patients, and more pronounced malignant phenotype in GAC cells indicated that HOXC11 and LSH can be a strong predictive factor of inferior disease-free survival. From this, we can consider that HOXC11 and LSH both have significant status in GAC stage and survival prediction.

Ferroptosis: molecular mechanisms and health implications

Cell death can be executed through different subroutines. Since the description of ferroptosis as an iron-dependent form of non-apoptotic cell death in 2012, there has been mounting interest in the process and function of ferroptosis. Ferroptosis can occur through two major pathways, the extrinsic or transporter-dependent pathway and the intrinsic or enzyme-regulated pathway. Ferroptosis is caused by a redox imbalance between the production of oxidants and antioxidants, which is driven by the abnormal expression and activity of multiple redox-active enzymes that produce or detoxify free radicals and lipid oxidation products. Accordingly, ferroptosis is precisely regulated at multiple levels, including epigenetic, transcriptional, posttranscriptional and posttranslational layers. The transcription factor NFE2L2 plays a central role in upregulating anti-ferroptotic defense, whereas selective autophagy may promote ferroptotic death. Here, we review current knowledge on the integrated molecular machinery of ferroptosis and describe how dysregulated ferroptosis is involved in cancer, neurodegeneration, tissue injury, inflammation, and infection.

A ferroptosis-related gene signature predicts overall survival in patients with lung adenocarcinoma

Aims: To elucidate the association between ferroptosis-related genes and prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Materials & methods: A ferroptosis-related gene signature was made by lasso regression analysis through the LUAD datasets of the Cancer Genome Atlas. The prognostic value of the multigene signature was externally validated in the GSE72094 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis were used to explore underlying mechanisms. Results & conclusion: We established a novel ferroptosis-related gene signature for overall survival in LUAD that was predictive in both the training and validation cohorts. Immune-related pathways were significantly enriched, and immune status differed between the high- and low-risk groups. Targeting ferroptosis is a potential therapeutic option in LUAD. These results still need to be confirmed by more studies.

Holo-lactoferrin: the link between ferroptosis and radiotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer

Rationale: Iron-saturated Lf (Holo-Lactoferrin, Holo-Lf) exhibits a superior anticancer property than low iron-saturated Lf (Apo-Lf). Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxidation products and lethal reactive oxygen species (ROS). Radiotherapy also exerts its therapeutic effect through ROS.

Methods: The effect of different iron-saturated Lf on ferroptosis and radiotherapy were tested on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line MDA-MB-231 and non-TNBC cell line MCF-7.

Results: Holo-Lf significantly increased the total iron content, promoted ROS generation, increased lipid peroxidation end product, malondialdehyde (MDA), and enhanced ferroptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells. By contrast, Apo-Lf upregulated SLC7a11 expression, increased GSH generation and inhibited ferroptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells. However, non-TNBC MCF-7 cells were resistant to Holo-Lf-induced ferroptosis because MCF-7 cells have a higher redox balance capacity than MDA-MB-231 cells. More importantly, Holo-Lf downregulated HIF-1α expression, ameliorated the hypoxia microenvironment in subcutaneous MDA-MB-231 tumors, and promoted radiation-induced DNA damage to hypoxic MDA-MB-231 cells. Finally, the efficacy of radiotherapy to MDA-MB-231 tumors was enhanced by Holo-Lf.

Conclusion: Holo-Lf could induce ferroptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells and sensitize MDA-MB-231 tumors to radiotherapy.

HELLS, a chromatin remodeler is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer and downregulation of it impairs tumor growth and sensitizes to cisplatin by reexpressing the tumor suppressor TGFBR3

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the most malignant cancer type in the digestive system with a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy such as cisplatin is the last chance for PC patients diagnosed with advanced or metastatic disease. Obtaining a deep understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying PC tumorigenesis and identifying optimal biomarkers to estimate chemotherapy sensitivity are essential for PC treatment. The chromatin remodeler HELLS was found to regulate various tumor suppressors through an epigenetic pathway in several cancers. We analyzed HELLS expression in clinical samples by Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. Next, we identified the variation in tumor growth and cisplatin sensitivity after knockdown of HELLS and explored the downstream mediators of HELLS in PC via RNA-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and gain- and loss-of-function assays. We found that HELLS is upregulated in PC tissues and correlates with advanced clinical stage and a poor prognosis, and the knockdown of HELLS leads to tumor growth arrest and increased sensitivity to cisplatin. Mechanistically, the tumor suppressor TGFBR3 is markedly reexpressed after HELLS knockdown; conversely, compromising TGFBR3 rescues HELLS knockdown-mediated effects in PC cells. Thus, our data provide evidence that HELLS can serve as a potential oncogene and suitable biomarker to evaluate chemotherapy sensitivity via epigenetically silencing the tumor suppressor TGFBR3 in PC.

Identification of a Ferroptosis-Related Signature Associated with Prognosis and Immune Infiltration in Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Ferroptosis, a new form of cell death, differs from other forms of cell death and plays a vital role in tumor progress. Our study aimed to establish a ferroptosis-related signature with prognostic value in ACC. RNA-seq data and corresponding clinical characteristics for ACC were downloaded from TCGA and GEO databases. Genes included in ferroptosis risk signature were assessed by univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis as well as lasso regression analysis. The prognostic value of the ferroptosis risk signature was assessed using K-M and ROC curves. Furthermore, we performed GSEA to discover the enriched gene sets in high-risk group. Additionally, TIMER website was applied to detect a possible connection between the signature and immune cells infiltration. ssGSEA was performed to evaluate scores of immune cells and immune-related pathways in two groups. A ferroptosis signature comprised of six genes (SLC7A11, TP53, HELLS, ACSL4, PCBP2, and HMGB1) was constructed to predict prognosis and reflect the immune infiltration in ACC. Patients in high-risk group were inclined to have worse prognosis. The ferroptosis model performed well in predicting prognosis and could be served as an independent indicator in ACC. GSEA revealed that gene sets correlated with biological processes including cell cycle, DNA replication, base excision repair, and P53 signaling pathway were highly enriched in high-risk group. In addition, we discovered that the expressional levels of hub genes were linked to six immune cells' infiltration in ACC tumor. ssGSEA revealed that contents of most immune cells significantly decreased in the high-risk group. In conclusion, the novel ferroptosis risk signature could be useful in predicting prognosis and reflecting immune infiltration in ACC. It also brings us new insights into the possible value of targeting ferroptosis during the therapy of ACC.

Development and Validation of a Combined Ferroptosis and Immune Prognostic Classifier for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Immunotherapy and sorafenib exert anti-tumor effects via ferroptosis, but reliable biomarkers for the individual treatment and prognosis prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on the ferroptosis and immune status remain lacking.

Methods

Ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) were identified by downloading data from FerrDb and by searching and reading original articles from PubMed. Immune-related genes (IRGs) were downloaded from ImmPort. Prognostic FRGs and IRGs in the GSE14520 (n = 220) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 365) datasets were identified. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression and multivariate Cox regression were used for model construction. Ferroptosis expression profiles, the infiltration of immune cells, and the somatic mutation status were analyzed and compared.

Results

Twenty-seven prognostic ferroptosis- and immune-related signatures were included to construct a comprehensive index of ferroptosis and immune status (CIFI). A subgroup of patients was identified as having a high CIFI value, which was associated with a worse prognosis. This subgroup of patients had significantly up-regulated expressions of many suppressors of ferroptosis and higher fractions of immunosuppressive cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Notably, somatic mutation analysis indicated that high-CIFI patients had higher levels of tumor heterogeneity and higher mutation frequencies of genes like TP53.

Conclusion

In this work, a novel prognostic classifier was developed based on ferroptosis- and IRGs in HCC, and this classifier could be used for prognostic prediction and the selection of patients for immunotherapies and targeted therapies.

The Molecular Mechanisms of Regulating Oxidative Stress-Induced Ferroptosis and Therapeutic Strategy in Tumors

Ferroptosis is an atypical form of regulated cell death, which is different from apoptosis, necrosis, pyroptosis, and autophagy. Ferroptosis is characterized by iron-dependent oxidative destruction of cellular membranes following the antioxidant system's failure. The sensitivity of ferroptosis is tightly regulated by a series of biological processes, the metabolism of iron, amino acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the interaction of glutathione (GSH), NADPH, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and phospholipids. Elevated oxidative stress (ROS) level is a hallmark of cancer, and ferroptosis serves as a link between nutrition metabolism and redox biology. Targeting ferroptosis may be an effective and selective way for cancer therapy. The underlying molecular mechanism of ferroptosis occurrence is still not enough. This review will briefly summarize the process of ferroptosis and introduce critical molecules in the ferroptotic cascade. Furthermore, we reviewed the occurrence and regulation of reduction-oxidation (redox) for ferroptosis in cancer metabolism. The role of the tumor suppressor and the epigenetic regulator in tumor cell ferroptosis will also be described. Finally, old drugs that can be repurposed to induce ferroptosis will be characterized, aiming for drug repurposing and novel drug combinations for cancer therapy more efficiently and economically.

Multifaceted regulation and functions of fatty acid desaturase 2 in human cancers

As an important hallmark of metabolic reprogramming in cancer, a disruption in fatty acid metabolism contributes to tumor proliferation, cell migration and invasion, and other tumor cell behaviors. In recent years, more and more studies have been conducted on fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2), the first rate-limiting enzyme for the biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These studies have found that FADS2 is abnormally expressed in cancers of the breast, lung, liver, and esophagus; melanoma; leukemia; and other malignant tumors. Furthermore, its expression is significantly correlated with tumor proliferation, cell migration and invasion, clonal formation, angiogenesis, ferroptosis, resistance to radiotherapy, histological grade, metastasis to lymph nodes, clinical stage, and prognosis. The abnormal expression of FADS2 results in an imbalance of cell membrane phospholipids, which disrupts the fluidity of the membrane structure and the transmission of signals and promotes the production of proinflammatory factors and arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites, ultimately harming human health. This article aims to systematically review the structural characteristics of FADS2; its function, expression, and mechanism of action; and the factors affecting its activity. This review also provides new ideas and strategies for the development of treatments aimed at the metabolic reprogramming of tumors.

Periodontitis-level butyrate-induced ferroptosis in periodontal ligament fibroblasts by activation of ferritinophagy

Loss of periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) is one critical issue for regenerating lost periodontal tissues. A wide variety of regulated cell death pathways, such as apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis have been proposed in the periodontitis development. The aim of the present study was to explore whether long-term periodontitis-level butyrate may trigger ferroptosis, a newly characterized iron-dependent regulated cell death in PDLFs. Here, we showed that long-term treatment of butyrate, an important short-chain fatty acid in the periodontal pocket, induces the cargo receptor nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4)-mediated ferritinophagy and ferroptosis in PDLFs. Butyrate-induced iron accumulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, glutathione depletion and lipid peroxidation in PDLFs, and the butyrate-induced ferroptosis can be blocked by the lipid peroxide scavenger ferrostatin-1. The NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy is dependent on p38/hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway activation as well as Bromodomain-containing protein (BRD) 4 and cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) coordination. These lines of evidence provide a new mechanistic insight into the mechanism of loss of PDLFs during periodontitis development, showing that periodontitis-level butyrate disrupted iron homeostasis by activation of NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy, leading to ferroptosis in PDLFs.

The cross-talk between methylation and phosphorylation in lymphoid-specific helicase drives cancer stem-like properties

Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, including chromatin modifiers, play crucial roles in the dynamic alteration of various protein properties and functions including stem-cell properties. However, the roles of Lymphoid-specific helicase (LSH), a DNA methylation modifier, in modulating stem-like properties in cancer are still not clearly clarified. Therefore, exploring PTMs modulation of LSH activity will be of great significance to further understand the function and activity of LSH. Here, we demonstrate that LSH is capable to undergo PTMs, including methylation and phosphorylation. The arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 can methylate LSH at R309 residue, meanwhile, LSH could as well be phosphorylated by MAPK1 kinase at S503 residue. We further show that the accumulation of phosphorylation of LSH at S503 site exhibits downregulation of LSH methylation at R309 residue, which eventually promoting stem-like properties in lung cancer. Whereas, phosphorylation-deficient LSH S503A mutant promotes the accumulation of LSH methylation at R309 residue and attenuates stem-like properties, indicating the critical roles of LSH PTMs in modulating stem-like properties. Thus, our study highlights the importance of the crosstalk between LSH PTMs in determining its activity and function in lung cancer stem-cell maintenance.

A Nuclear Long Non-Coding RNA LINC00618 Accelerates Ferroptosis in a Manner Dependent upon Apoptosis

Ferroptosis is primarily caused by intracellular iron catalytic activity and lipid peroxidation. The potential interplay between ferroptosis and apoptosis remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the expression of a nuclear long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), LINC00618, is reduced in human leukemia and strongly increased by vincristine (VCR) treatment. Furthermore, LINC00618 promotes apoptosis by increasing the levels of BCL2-Associated X (BAX) and cleavage of caspase-3. LINC00618 also accelerates ferroptosis by increasing the levels of lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron, two surrogate markers of ferroptosis, and decreasing the expression of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11). Interestingly, VCR-induced ferroptosis and apoptosis are promoted by LINC00618, and LINC00618 accelerates ferroptosis in a manner dependent upon apoptosis. LINC00618 attenuates the expression of lymphoid-specific helicase (LSH), and LSH enhances the transcription of SLC7A11 after the recruitment to the promoter regions of SLC7A11, further inhibiting ferroptosis. Knowledge of these mechanisms demonstrates that lncRNAs related to ferroptosis and apoptosis are critical to leukemogenesis and chemotherapy.

Metabolic Dysregulation in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fibroproliferative disorder limited to the lung. New findings, starting from our proteomics studies on IPF, suggest that systemic involvement with altered molecular mechanisms and metabolic disorder is an underlying cause of fibrosis. The role of metabolic dysregulation in the pathogenesis of IPF has not been extensively studied, despite a recent surge of interest. In particular, our studies on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid have shown that the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), the hypoxia/oxidative stress response, and changes in iron and lipid metabolism are involved in onset of IPF. These processes appear to interact in an intricate manner and to be related to different fibrosing pathologies not directly linked to the lung environment. The disordered metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and hormones has been documented in lung, liver, and kidney fibrosis. Correcting these metabolic alterations may offer a new strategy for treating fibrosis. This paper focuses on the role of metabolic dysregulation in the pathogenesis of IPF and is a continuation of our previous studies, investigating metabolic dysregulation as a new target for fibrosis therapy.

[Mechanism of Ferroptosis and Its Research Progress in Lung Cancer]

铁死亡是近年来发现的一种铁依赖性的程序性细胞死亡，这种死亡是脂质过氧化物和活性氧堆积引起的。而肺癌作为病死率最高的恶性肿瘤之一，关于肺癌中铁死亡的研究甚少。本文中我们综述了肺癌中铁死亡受抑制的研究进展，从铁死亡发生的不同途径来解释肺癌中铁死亡受抑制现象。此外，诱导铁死亡治疗癌症越来越受到重视，本文中我们介绍了四种铁死亡激活剂以及铁死亡治疗肺癌的新展望，以期为肺癌治疗提供新的思路。

The interaction between ferroptosis and lipid metabolism in cancer

Ferroptosis is a new form of programmed cell death characterized by the accumulation of iron-dependent lethal lipid peroxides. Recent discoveries have focused on alterations that occur in lipid metabolism during ferroptosis and have provided intriguing insights into the interplay between ferroptosis and lipid metabolism in cancer. Their interaction regulates the initiation, development, metastasis, therapy resistance of cancer, as well as the tumor immunity, which offers several potential strategies for cancer treatment. This review is a brief overview of the features characterizing the interaction between ferroptosis and lipid metabolism, and highlights the significance of this interaction in cancer.

Abrogation of ARF6 promotes RSL3-induced ferroptosis and mitigates gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer cells

ADP Ribosylation Factor 6 (ARF6) is a part of the RAS superfamily and regulates vesicular trafficking, remodeling of membrane lipids, and signaling pathways. Our previous study has found that ARF6, functioned as a downstream of Kras/ERK signaling pathway, could promote proliferation and Warburg effect in pancreatic cancer cells. Moreover, ARF6 is promising to be a biomarker for predicting prognosis of pancreatic cancer. Ferroptosis is a new defined iron-dependent form of nonapoptotic cell death, which is closely related to Kras mutation. Therefore, it is urgent to further explore the relationship between ARF6 and ferroptosis. Our study demonstrated that ARF6 did not directly regulate lipid peroxidation, but endowed pancreatic cancer cells to a status that is sensitive to oxidative stress, especially RSL3-induced lipid peroxidation. Further study revealed that ARF6 could also regulate gemcitabine resistance via multiple pathways. In conclusion, ARF6 has a profound effect on pancreatic cancer development.

Histone demethylase KDM3B protects against ferroptosis by upregulating SLC7A11

Ferroptosis is a type of adaptive cell death driven by cellular metabolism and iron‐dependent lipid peroxidation. Though multiple genes (including SLC7A11 and GPX4) have been demonstrated to play key roles in ferroptosis, little is known about the epigenetic regulation of this process. Here, we report that KDM3B, a histone H3 lysine 9 demethylase, can protect against ferroptosis induced by Erastin, an inhibitor of SLC7A11. KDM3B overexpression in HT‐1080 cells results in decreased histone H3 lysine 9 methylation. Furthermore, KDM3B upregulates the expression of SLC7A11 through cooperation with the transcription factor ATF4. In summary, we identify here KDM3B as a potential epigenetic regulator of ferroptosis.

The epigenetic regulators and metabolic changes in ferroptosis-associated cancer progression

Ferroptosis, a novel form of regulated cell death, is different from other types of cell death in morphology, genetics and biochemistry. Increasing evidence indicates that ferroptosis has significant implications on cell death linked to cardiomyopathy, tumorigenesis, and cerebral hemorrhage to name a few. Here we summarize current literature on ferroptosis, including organelle dysfunction, signaling transduction pathways, metabolic reprogramming and epigenetic regulators in cancer progression. With regard to organelles, mitochondria-induced cysteine starvation, endoplasmic reticulum-related oxidative stress, lysosome dysfunction and golgi stress-related lipid peroxidation all contribute to induction of ferroptosis. Understanding the underlying mechanism in ferroptosis could provide insight into the treatment of various intractable diseases including cancers.

Cancer progression is mediated by proline catabolism in non-small cell lung cancer

Dysregulated metabolism contributes to cancer initiation and progression, but the key drivers of these pathways are just being discovered. Here, we report a critical role for proline catabolism in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) is activated to reduce proline levels by the chromatin remodeling factor lymphoid-specific helicase (LSH), an epigenetic driver of NSCLC. PRODH promotes NSCLC tumorigenesis by inducing epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and IKKα-dependent inflammatory genes, including CXCL1, LCN2, and IL17C. Consistently, proline addition promotes the expression of these inflammatory genes, as well as EMT, tumor cell proliferation, and migration in vitro and tumor growth in vivo, while the depletion or inhibition of PRODH blocks these phenotypes. In summary, we reveal an essential metabolic pathway amenable to targeting in NSCLC.

Ferroptosis is controlled by the coordinated transcriptional regulation of glutathione and labile iron metabolism by the transcription factor BACH1

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent programmed cell death event, whose regulation and physiological significance remain to be elucidated. Analyzing transcriptional responses of mouse embryonic fibroblasts exposed to the ferroptosis inducer erastin, here we found that a set of genes related to oxidative stress protection is induced upon ferroptosis. We considered that up-regulation of these genes attenuates ferroptosis induction and found that the transcription factor BTB domain and CNC homolog 1 (BACH1), a regulator in heme and iron metabolism, promotes ferroptosis by repressing the transcription of a subset of the erastin-induced protective genes. We noted that these genes are involved in the synthesis of GSH or metabolism of intracellular labile iron and include glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (Gclm), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (Slc7a11), ferritin heavy chain 1 (Fth1), ferritin light chain 1 (Ftl1), and solute carrier family 40 member 1 (Slc40a1). Ferroptosis has also been previously shown to induce cardiomyopathy, and here we observed that Bach1-/- mice are more resistant to myocardial infarction than WT mice and that the severity of ischemic injury is decreased by the iron-chelator deferasirox, which suppressed ferroptosis. Our findings suggest that BACH1 represses genes that combat labile iron-induced oxidative stress, and ferroptosis is stimulated at the transcriptional level by BACH1 upon disruption of the balance between the transcriptional induction of protective genes and accumulation of iron-mediated damage. We propose that BACH1 controls the threshold of ferroptosis induction and may represent a therapeutic target for alleviating ferroptosis-related diseases, including myocardial infarction.

Compound C enhances the anticancer effect of aspirin in HER-2-positive breast cancer by regulating lipid metabolism in an AMPK-independent pathway

Various clinical studies have determined that aspirin shows anticancer effects in many human malignant cancers, including human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2)-positive breast cancer. However, the anti-tumor mechanism of aspirin has not been fully defined. The aim of this study was to determine the role of Compound C in enhancing the anticancer effect of aspirin. HER-2-positive breast cancer cell lines were treated with aspirin with or without Compound C pre-treatment; their phenotypes and mechanisms were then analyzed in vitro and in vivo. Aspirin exhibited anticancer effects in HER-2-positive breast cancer by inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis through the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Unexpectedly, pre-treatment with Compound C, a widely used AMPK inhibitor, induced robust anticancer effects in cells compared to aspirin monotherapy. This anticancer effect was not distinct in HER-2 negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and may be due to the inhibition of lipid metabolism mediated by c-myc. Besides, c-myc re-expression or palmitic acid supply could partially restored cell proliferation. Aspirin exhibits anticancer effects in HER-2-positive breast cancer by regulating lipid metabolism mediated by c-myc, and Compound C strengthens these effects in an AMPK-independent manner. Our results potentially provide a novel therapeutic strategy exploiting combined aspirin and Compound C therapy for HER-2-positive breast cancer, which acts by reducing de novo lipid synthesis.

Ferroptosis in Carcinoma: Regulatory Mechanisms and New Method for Cancer Therapy

Ferroptosis is a new form of programmed cell death with characteristic accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting from iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis is involved in many diseases, including cancer, and induction of ferroptosis has shown attractive antitumour activities. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the regulatory mechanisms of key regulators of ferroptosis, including the catalytic subunit solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), the glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), p53 and non-coding RNAs, the correlations between ferroptosis and iron homeostasis or autophagy, ferroptosis-inducing agents and nanomaterials and the diagnostic and prognostic value of ferroptosis-associated genes in TCGA data.

DNA methylation modifier LSH inhibits p53 ubiquitination and transactivates p53 to promote lipid metabolism

BACKGROUND

The stability of p53 is mainly controlled by ubiquitin-dependent degradation, which is triggered by the E3 ubiquitin ligase MDM2. The chromatin modifier lymphoid-specific helicase (LSH) is essential for DNA methylation and cancer progression as a transcriptional repressor. The potential interplay between chromatin modifiers and transcription factors remains largely unknown.

RESULTS

Here, we present data suggesting that LSH regulates p53 in cis through two pathways: prevention proteasomal degradation through its deubiquitination, which is achieved by reducing the lysine 11-linked, lysine 48-linked polyubiquitin chains (K11 and K48) on p53; and revival of the transcriptional activity of p53 by forming a complex with PKM2 (pyruvate kinase 2). Furthermore, we confirmed that the LSH-PKM2 interaction occurred at the intersubunit interface region of the PKM2 C-terminal region and the coiled-coil domains (CC) and ATP-binding domains of LSH, and this interaction regulated p53-mediated transactivation in cis in lipid metabolism, especially lipid catabolism.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that LSH is a novel regulator of p53 through the proteasomal pathway, thereby providing an alternative mechanism of p53 involvement in lipid metabolism in cancer.

Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation: Insights into the mitochondria dysregulation

NBIA (Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation) is a group of inherited neurologic disorders characterized by marked genetic heterogeneity, in which iron atypical accumulates in basal ganglia resulting in brain magnetic resonance imaging changes, histopathological abnormalities, and neuropsychiatric clinical symptoms. With the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technologies, ten candidate genes have been identified, including PANK2, PLA2G6, C19orf12, WDR45, FA2H, ATP13A2, FTL, CP, C2orf37, and COASY. They are involved in seemingly unrelated cellular pathways, such as iron homeostasis (FTL, CP), lipid metabolism (PLA2G6, C19orf12, FA2H), Coenzyme A synthesis (PANK2, COASY), and autophagy (WDR45, ATP13A2). In particular, PANK2, COASY, PLA2G6, and C19orf12 are located on mitochondria, which associate with certain subtypes of NBIA showing mitochondria dysregulation. However, the relationships among those four genes are still unclear. Therefore, this review is specifically focused on dysregulation of mitochondria in NBIA and afore-mentioned four genes, with summaries of both pathological and clinical findings.

Ferroptosis at the crossroads of cancer-acquired drug resistance and immune evasion

Ferroptosis is a recently recognized cell death modality that is morphologically, biochemically and genetically distinct from other forms of cell death and that has emerged to play an important role in cancer biology. Recent discoveries have highlighted the metabolic plasticity of cancer cells and have provided intriguing insights into how metabolic rewiring is a critical event for the persistence, dedifferentiation and expansion of cancer cells. In some cases, this metabolic reprogramming has been linked to an acquired sensitivity to ferroptosis, thus opening up new opportunities to treat therapy-insensitive tumours. However, it is not yet clear what metabolic determinants are critical for therapeutic resistance and evasion of immune surveillance. Therefore, a better understanding of the processes that regulate ferroptosis sensitivity should ultimately aid in the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies to improve cancer treatment. In this Perspectives article, we provide an overview of the known mechanisms that regulate sensitivity to ferroptosis in cancer cells and how the modulation of metabolic pathways controlling ferroptosis might reshape the tumour niche, leading to an immunosuppressive microenvironment that promotes tumour growth and progression.

LSH interacts with and stabilizes GINS4 transcript that promotes tumourigenesis in non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Elucidating mechanisms in oncogenes and epigenetic modifiers are needed to gain insights into the etiology and treatment of cancer, regulation of oncogene by chromatin modifiers at post-transcriptional level is critical and remains unclear. We have investigated the role of GINS4 in NSCLC.

Methods

The expression of chromatin modifier lymphoid-specific helicase (LSH) and GINS4 was assessed in tumor and normal tissue from 79 patients with NSCLC with clinical characteristics. HBE, A549, H358, and H522, PC9, 95C and 95D were cultured after overexpression or silencing of GIAT4RA. Cell proliferation assay, cell migration and invasion assays, plate colony formation assay, immunofluorescence assay, Operetta® high-content screening and analysis, Western blot analysis and Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay and tumor growth assay was used to address the potential interplay of between GINS4 and LSH, and the functional of GINS4.

Results

GINS4 is highly expressed in lung cancer cells and tissues, and GINS4 expression is not association with clinical risk factors, but linked with clinical stage and lymphatic metastasis status. Higher expression of GINS4 poorly linked with overall survival in lung adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, GINS4 promoted many characteristics of tumorigenesis including cell growth, clonal formation, migration and invasion, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, tumor sphere and tumor growth in vivo. Interestingly, our results demonstrated that LSH increases GINS4 expression through binding to 3’UTR region of GINS4 and stabilizing its mRNA levels. Finally, LSH overexpression rescues GINS4 knockdown-induced features.

Conclusions

GINS4 facilitates lung cancer progression by promoting key characteristics of tumor potential, and LSH epigenetically interacts with and stabilizes GINS4 transcripts.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1276-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ferroptosis is governed by differential regulation of transcription in liver cancer

Ferroptosis is an outcome of metabolic disorders and closely linked to liver cancer. However, the mechanism underlying the fine regulation of ferroptosis in liver cancer remains unclear. Here, we have identified two categories of genes: ferroptosis up-regulated factors (FUF) and ferroptosis down-regulated factors (FDF), which stimulate and suppress ferroptosis by affecting the synthesis of GSH. Furthermore, FUF are controlled by one transcription factor HIC1, while FDF controlled by another transcription factor HNF4A. Occurrence of ferroptosis might depend on the histone acetyltransferase KAT2B. Upon stimulation of ferroptosis, dissociation of KAT2B prevents HNF4A from binding to the FDF promoter. This effect happens prior to the recruitment of KAT2B to the FUF promoter, which facilitates HIC1 binding to transcribe FUF. Clinically, HIC1 and HNF4A conversely correlate with tumor stage in liver cancer. Patients with lower HIC1 and higher HNF4A exhibit poorer prognostic outcomes. Disrupting the balance between HIC1 and HNF4A might be helpful in treating liver cancer.

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Opposite gene expression profiles trigged by ferroptosis are identified.

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Reduction of GSH is the major cause of inducing ferroptosis in liver cancer cells.

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Genes related to ferroptosis are controlled by transcription factors HIC1 and HNF4A.

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Stimulation of ferroptosis breaks the balance between HIC1 and HNF4A.

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Lower HIC1 with higher HNF4A has poorer clinical outcomes in liver cancer patients.

A GPX4-dependent cancer cell state underlies the clear-cell morphology and confers sensitivity to ferroptosis

Clear-cell carcinomas (CCCs) are a histological group of highly aggressive malignancies commonly originating in the kidney and ovary. CCCs are distinguished by aberrant lipid and glycogen accumulation and are refractory to a broad range of anti-cancer therapies. Here we identify an intrinsic vulnerability to ferroptosis associated with the unique metabolic state in CCCs. This vulnerability transcends lineage and genetic landscape, and can be exploited by inhibiting glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) with small-molecules. Using CRISPR screening and lipidomic profiling, we identify the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway as a driver of this vulnerability. In renal CCCs, HIF-2α selectively enriches polyunsaturated lipids, the rate-limiting substrates for lipid peroxidation, by activating the expression of hypoxia-inducible, lipid droplet-associated protein (HILPDA). Our study suggests targeting GPX4 as a therapeutic opportunity in CCCs, and highlights that therapeutic approaches can be identified on the basis of cell states manifested by morphological and metabolic features in hard-to-treat cancers.

Ferroptosis, a new form of cell death: opportunities and challenges in cancer

Ferroptosis is a novel type of cell death with distinct properties and recognizing functions involved in physical conditions or various diseases including cancers. The fast-growing studies of ferroptosis in cancer have boosted a perspective for its usage in cancer therapeutics. Here, we review the current findings of ferroptosis regulation and especially focus on the function of ncRNAs in mediating the process of cell ferroptotic death and on how ferroptosis was in relation to other regulated cell deaths. Aberrant ferroptosis in diverse cancer types and tissues were summarized, and we elaborated recent data about the novel actors of some “conventional” drugs or natural compounds as ferroptosis inducers in cancer. Finally, we deliberate future orientation for ferroptosis in cancer cells and current unsettled issues, which may forward the speed of clinical use of ferroptosis induction in cancer treatment.

The interplay of circulating tumor DNA and chromatin modification, therapeutic resistance, and metastasis

Peripheral circulating free DNA (cfDNA) is DNA that is detected in plasma or serum fluid with a cell-free status. For cancer patients, cfDNA not only originates from apoptotic cells but also from necrotic tumor cells and disseminated tumor cells that have escaped into the blood during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Additionally, cfDNA derived from tumors, also known as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), carries tumor-associated genetic and epigenetic changes in cancer patients, which makes ctDNA a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of tumors, monitory and therapeutic evaluations, and prognostic assessments, among others, for various kinds of cancer. Moreover, analyses of cfDNA chromatin modifications can reflect the heterogeneity of tumors and have potential for predicting tumor drug resistance.

The roles and signaling pathways of prolyl-4-hydroxylase 2 in the tumor microenvironment

Tumor hypoxia is a well-known microenvironmental factor that causes cancer progression and resistance to cancer treatment. Proline hydroxylases (PHDs), a small protein family, belong to an evolutionarily conserved superfamily of dioxygenases, considered the central regulator of the molecular hypoxia response. Prolyl-4-hydroxylase 2 (PHD2), one member of PHDs family, regulates the stability of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) in response to oxygen availability. During hypoxia, the inhibition of PHD2 permits the accumulation of HIF-1α, allowing the cellular adaptation to oxygen limitation, causing activation of numerous genes, which enhances the angiogenesis, metastasis and invasiveness. Accurate regulation of oxygen homeostasis is essential, and which implies PHD2 may have a regulatory role in the pathogenesis of cancer. Although ample evidence exists for a positive correlation between HIFs and tumor formation, metastasis and poor prognosis, the function of the PHD2 in carcinogenesis is less well understood. Despite their original role as the oxygen sensors of the cell and many of the its functions are clearly conveyed through the HIF system, PHD2 is currently known to display HIF-independent and hydroxylase-independent functions in cancer cells and stroma in the control of different cellular pathways. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the structure, regulation and functions of PHD2 in cancer microenvironment.

Long noncoding RNA LINC00336 inhibits ferroptosis in lung cancer by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA

The regulatory loop between long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs has a dynamic role in transcriptional and translational regulation, and is involved in cancer. However, the regulatory circuitry between lncRNAs and microRNAs in tumorigenesis remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that a nuclear lncRNA LINC00336 is upregulated in lung cancer and functions as an oncogene by acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNAs). LINC00336 bound RNA-binding protein ELAVL1 (ELAV-like RNA-binding protein 1) using nucleotides 1901–2107 of LINC00336 and the RRM interaction domain and key amino acids (aa) of ELAVL1 (aa 101–213), inhibiting ferroptosis. Moreover, ELAVL1 increased LINC00336 expression by stabilizing its posttranscriptional level, whereas LSH (lymphoid-specific helicase) increased ELAVL1 expression through the p53 signaling pathway, further supporting the hypothesis that LSH promotes LINC00336 expression. Interestingly, LINC00336 served as an endogenous sponge of microRNA 6852 (MIR6852) to regulate the expression of cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS), a surrogate marker of ferroptosis. Finally, we found that MIR6852 inhibited cell growth by promoting ferroptosis. These data show that the network of lncRNA and ceRNA has an important role in tumorigenesis and ferroptosis.

Regulation of chromatin remodeling through RNA polymerase II stalling in the immune system

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) binds to promoter-proximal regions of inducible target genes that are controlled and not transcribed by several negative elongation factors, which is known as Pol II stalling. The occurrence of stalling is due to particular modification signatures and structural conformations of chromatin that affect Pol II elongation. The existence and physiological importance of Pol II stalling implies that there is a dynamic balance in chromatin regulation prior to endogenous or exogenous stimulation. In this review, we discuss the effects of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes and histone modification via transcriptional machinery Pol II C-terminal domain phosphorylated at serine 5 (S5P RNAPII) initiation and S2P RNAPII elongation on the expression or silence of specific genes after the production of activated or differentiated signals or cytokines. The response occurs immediately during immune cell development and function, and it also includes the generation of immunological memories. This summary suggests that the host immune response genes involve a novel mechanism of selectively regulatory chromatin remodeling, a fundamental and crucial aspect of epigenetic regulation.

Glucocorticoid-Inducible Kinase 2 Promotes Bladder Cancer Cell Proliferation, Migration and Invasion by Enhancing β-catenin/c-Myc Signaling Pathway

Background: Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignancies in urologic system. The glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 2 (SGK2) expression and function were largely unknown in cancers. Current study was aimed to investigate the role of SGK2 in bladder cancer and its potential mechanisms.

Methods: SGK2 expression was quantified by western blot (WB) in multiple bladder cancer cell lines (T24, 5637, J82 and UMUC3) compared with normal urothelial cell line (SVHUC). SGK2 knocking down and overexpression model were established by lentivirus transfection. MTT, colony formation, wound healing and transwell assay were used to assess the tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities, respectively. In addition, molecular function analysis was performed using FunRich software V3. Immunoprecipitation (IP) assay was applied to investigate the interaction between SGK2 and β-catenin at protein level. TCGA database was retrieved to verify the association between these genes and clinical tumor stage as well as prognosis among bladder cancer patients.

Results: SGK2 expression was significantly upregulated in multiple bladder cancer cell lines compared with SVHUC at protein level. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities were significantly decreased after knocking down SGK2 in J82 and UMUC3 cell lines. Inversely, cell aggressive phenotypes were significantly increased after overexpressing SGK2 in T24 cell line. Furthermore, functional analyses of SGK2 based on TCGA database showed that SGK2 related genes were involved in receptor activity, ATP binding, DNA repair protein, trans-membrane receptor activity and lipid binding. In addition, protein interaction analysis identified c-Myc was significantly enriched in SGK2 positively associated genes. The prediction was validated by WB and IP assay that SGK2 could directly bind with β-catenin at protein level to regulate their downstream gene c-Myc expression in bladder cancer to influence tumor progression. And clinical data generated from TCGA database also identified these downstream genes were significantly associated with tumor stage and survival status of bladder cancer patients.

Conclusion: Taken together, our findings suggest SGK2 promotes bladder cancer progression via mediating β-catenin/c-Myc signaling pathway, which may serve as a potential therapeutic target for bladder cancer patients.

Links Between Iron and Lipids: Implications in Some Major Human Diseases

Maintenance of iron homeostasis is critical to cellular health as both its excess and insufficiency are detrimental. Likewise, lipids, which are essential components of cellular membranes and signaling mediators, must also be tightly regulated to hinder disease progression. Recent research, using a myriad of model organisms, as well as data from clinical studies, has revealed links between these two metabolic pathways, but the mechanisms behind these interactions and the role these have in the progression of human diseases remains unclear. In this review, we summarize literature describing cross-talk between iron and lipid pathways, including alterations in cholesterol, sphingolipid, and lipid droplet metabolism in response to changes in iron levels. We discuss human diseases correlating with both iron and lipid alterations, including neurodegenerative disorders, and the available evidence regarding the potential mechanisms underlying how iron may promote disease pathogenesis. Finally, we review research regarding iron reduction techniques and their therapeutic potential in treating patients with these debilitating conditions. We propose that iron-mediated alterations in lipid metabolic pathways are involved in the progression of these diseases, but further research is direly needed to elucidate the mechanisms involved.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor activated by benzo (a) pyrene promotes SMARCA6 expression in NSCLC

Recent studies suggest that individual subunits of chromatin-remodeling complexes generate epigenetically specific signaling in tumorigenicity. The impact of environmental factors on the chromatin-remodeling factor has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. We detected the expression level of SMARCA6 (SWI/SNF2-Related, Matrix-Associated, Actin-Dependent Regulator of Chromatin, Subfamily A, Member 6) in NSCLC (Non-small-cell lung carcinoma) and measured it through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. The effects of BaP on proliferation and cell cycle progression were evaluated using MTT, colony formation and FACS analyses. Tumor growth in vivo was observed in a xenograft model. ChIP and qPCR were performed to validate that SMARCA6 was a potential target of AhR in NSCLC. As a result, BaP increased SMARCA6 expression. Smoking was linked with elevated SMARCA6 expression in NSCLC. BaP promoted cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. ChIP assay confirmed that BaP increases SMARCA6 expression via recruitment of AhR and induces SMARCA6 expression by facilitating AhR translocation to the nucleus. Furthermore, inhibition of AhR expression decreases SMARCA6 expression in NSCLC. Finally, knockdown of SMARCA6 attenuates BaP-induced cancer progression. This study demonstrates that BaP promotes proliferation by activation of AhR, which promotes SMARCA6 expression, and may identify new diagnostic and therapeutic targets in lung cancer.

A G3BP1-Interacting lncRNA Promotes Ferroptosis and Apoptosis in Cancer via Nuclear Sequestration of p53

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) have been associated with various types of cancer; however, the precise role of many lncRNAs in tumorigenesis remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that the cytosolic lncRNA P53RRA is downregulated in cancers and functions as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting cancer progression. Chromatin remodeling proteins LSH and Cfp1 silenced or increased P53RRA expression, respectively. P53RRA bound Ras GTPase-activating protein-binding protein 1 (G3BP1) using nucleotides 1 and 871 of P53RRA and the RRM interaction domain of G3BP1 (aa 177-466). The cytosolic P53RRA-G3BP1 interaction displaced p53 from a G3BP1 complex, resulting in greater p53 retention in the nucleus, which led to cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and ferroptosis. P53RRA promoted ferroptosis and apoptosis by affecting transcription of several metabolic genes. Low P53RRA expression significantly correlated with poor survival in patients with breast and lung cancers harboring wild-type p53. These data show that lncRNAs can directly interact with the functional domain of signaling proteins in the cytoplasm, thus regulating p53 modulators to suppress cancer progression.Significance: A cytosolic lncRNA functions as a tumor suppressor by activating the p53 pathway. Cancer Res; 78(13); 3484-96. ©2018 AACR.

Long non-coding RNA linc01433 promotes migration and invasion in non-small cell lung cancer

Background

For many years, lung cancer has been the most common and deadly cancer worldwide. Early diagnosis of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in particular is very difficult because the symptoms are often ignored. The five‐year survival rate is very low despite great improvements to therapy. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify prognostic biomarkers and target molecules for the clinical diagnosis and individualized treatment of NSCLC.

Methods

We performed quantitative real‐time PCR to determine the expression levels of the long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) linc01433 in NSCLC and normal matched lung tissue. Subsequently, we established cell lines with overexpression or knockdown of linc01433 to evaluate the effects on proliferation and metastasis in vitro. Epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition was examined using Western blot.

Results

Linc01433 was significantly overexpressed in NSCLC tissues compared to normal lung tissues. In addition, linc01433 levels were associated with smoking history. Linc01433 overexpression in lung cancer cells increased proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities, as well as epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition.

Conclusions

Linc01433 is a cancer‐related lncRNA that may have an oncogene‐like effect in NSCLC.

Decrease in Lymphoid Specific Helicase and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine Is Associated with Metastasis and Genome Instability

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification as a hallmark in cancer. Conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) by ten-eleven translocation (TET) family enzymes plays an important biological role in embryonic stem cells, development, aging and disease. Lymphoid specific helicase (LSH), a chromatin remodeling factor, is regarded as a reader of 5-hmC. Recent reports show that the level of 5-hmC is altered in various types of cancers. However, the change in 5-hmC levels in cancer and associated metastasis is not well defined. We report that the level of 5-hmC was decreased in metastatic tissues of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer relative to that in non-metastasis tumor tissues. Furthermore, our data show that TET2, but not TET3, interacted with LSH, whereas LSH increased TET2 expression through silencing miR-26b-5p and miR-29c-5p. Finally, LSH promoted genome stability by silencing satellite expression by affecting 5-hmC levels in pericentromeric satellite repeats, and LSH was resistant to cisplatin-induced DNA damage. Our data indicate that 5-hmC might serve as a metastasis marker for cancer and that the decreased expression of LSH is likely one of the mechanisms of genome instability underlying 5-hmC loss in cancer.