Apoptosis and the target genes of microRNA-21

Improvement of a predictive model of castration-resistant prostate cancer: functional genetic variants in TGFβ1 signaling pathway modulation

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men. The acquisition of castration-resistant (CR) phenotype is associated with the activation of signaling pathways mediated by growth factors. The TGFβ1 and its receptors have an important role in tumor progression, being the pro-apoptotic function modulated by the expression of TGFBR2. A single nucleotide polymorphism -875 G > A in TGFBR2 gene has been described, which may influence the expression levels of the receptor. Our purpose was to investigate the potential role of TGFBR2-875G>A in PC risk and in the response to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). TGFBR2-875G>A polymorphism was studied by allelic discrimination using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 891 patients with PC and 874 controls. A follow-up study was undertaken to evaluate response to ADT. The TGFBR2 and SMAD7 mRNA expression were analyzed by a quantitative real-time PCR. We found that TGFBR2-875GG homozygous patients present lower expression levels of TGFBR2 mRNA (AA/AG: 2(-ΔΔCT) =1.5, P=0.016). GG genotype was also associated with higher Gleason grade (OR=1.51, P=0.019) and increased risk of an early relapse after ADT (HR=1.47, P=0.024). The concordance (c) index analysis showed that the definition of profiles that contains information regarding tumor characteristics associated with genetic information present an increased capacity to predict the risk for CR development (c-index model 1: 0.683 vs model 2: 0.736 vs model 3: 0.746 vs model 4: 0.759). The TGFBR2-875G>A contribution to an early relapse in ADT patients, due to changes in mRNA expression, supports the involvement of TGFβ1 pathway in CRPC. Furthermore, according to our results, we hypothesize the potential benefits of the association of genetic information in predictive models of CR development.

Milk is not just food but most likely a genetic transfection system activating mTORC1 signaling for postnatal growth

Milk has been recognized to represent a functionally active nutrient system promoting neonatal growth of mammals. Cell growth is regulated by the nutrient-sensitive kinase mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). There is still a lack of information on the mechanisms of mTORC1 up-regulation by milk consumption. This review presents milk as a materno-neonatal relay system functioning by transfer of preferential amino acids, which increase plasma levels of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), insulin, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) for mTORC1 activation. Importantly, milk exosomes, which regularly contain microRNA-21, most likely represent a genetic transfection system enhancing mTORC1-driven metabolic processes. Whereas human breast milk is the ideal food for infants allowing appropriate postnatal growth and species-specific metabolic programming, persistent high milk signaling during adolescence and adulthood by continued cow´s milk consumption may promote mTORC1-driven diseases of civilization.

MicroRNA expression in Epstein-Barr virus-associated post-transplant smooth muscle tumours is related to leiomyomatous phenotype

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated post-transplant smooth muscle tumours (PTSMT) are rare complications. In our previous molecular analysis, we have evaluated the expression of regulatory microRNA which are known to be EBV-related (miR-146a and miR-155) but found no deregulation in PTSMT. In this current analysis, we aimed to characterize the expression profiles of several hundred microRNA. Tissue samples from PTSMT and uterine leiomyomas were analysed by quantitative real-time PCR for the expression of 365 mature microRNA. PTSMT and leiomyomas share a highly similar microRNA profile, e.g. strong expression of miR-143/miR-145 cluster and low expression of miR-200c. Among EBV-related microRNA (miR-10b, miR-21, miR-29b, miR-34a, miR-127, miR-146a, miR-155, miR-200b, miR-203 and miR-429) only miR-10b and miR-203 were significantly deregulated. The expression pattern of microRNA in PTSMT is not associated with EBV infection but reflects the leiomyomatous differentiation of the tumour cells.

Deciphering the unique microRNA signature in human esophageal adenocarcinoma

Background and Methods

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is characterized by a steep rise in incidence rates in the Western population. The unique miRNA signature that distinguishes EAC from other upper gastrointestinal cancers remains unclear. Herein, we performed a comprehensive microarray profiling for the specific miRNA signature associated with EAC. We validated this signature by qRT-PCR.

Results

Microarray analysis showed that 21 miRNAs were consistently deregulated in EAC. miR-194, miR-192, miR-200a, miR-21, miR-203, miR-205, miR-133b, and miR-31 were selected for validation using 46 normal squamous (NS), 23 Barrett’s esophagus (BE), 17 Barrett’s high grade dysplasia (HGD), 34 EAC, 33 gastric adenocarcinoma (GC), and 45 normal gastric (NG) tissues. The qRT-PCR analysis indicated that 2 miRNAs (miR-21 and miR-133b) were deregulated in both EAC and GC, and 6 miRNAs (up-regulated: miR-194, miR-31, miR-192, and miR-200a; down-regulated: miR-203 and miR-205) in EAC, as compared to BE but not in GC, indicating their potential unique role in EAC. Our data showed that miR-194, miR-192, miR-21, and miR-31 were up-regulated in BE adjacent to HGD lesions relative to isolated BE samples. Analysis of clinicopathological features indicated that down-regulation of miR-203 is significantly associated with progression and tumor stages in EAC. Interestingly, the overexpression levels of miR-194, miR-200a, and miR-192 were significantly higher in early EAC stages, suggesting that these miRNAs may be involved in EAC tumor development rather than progression.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate the presence of a unique miRNA signature for EAC. This may provide some clues for the distinct molecular features of EAC to be considered in future studies of the role of miRNAs in EAC and their utility as disease biomarkers.

Interaction of the oncogenic miR-21 microRNA and the p53 tumor suppressor pathway

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is overexpressed virtually in all human cancers and displays oncogenic activity in a transgenic murine model. Similarly, the p53 tumor suppressor gene is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer, and its loss or mutation leads to tumor formation in mice. To ascertain the role of miR-21 in the p53 pathway in vivo and to characterize their interaction in tumorigenesis, we intercrossed the miR-21 (-/-) and Trp53 (-/-) mice. We found that Trp53 (-/-) miR-21 (-/-) mice develop tumors at a slightly later age, yet show a similar tumor spectrum and survival curve as Trp53 (-/-) mice. When subjected to genotoxic agents, tissues from Trp53 (-/-) miR-21 (-/-) mice have a higher percentage of apoptotic cells. We extracted mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (MEFs) to examine the impact of miR-21 loss on p53-regulated cellular processes in Trp53 (-/-) cells. Higher cellular apoptosis and senescence were found in Trp53 (-/-) miR-21 (-/-) MEFs than in Trp53 (-/-) MEFs. In addition, loss of miR-21 sensitizes transformed Trp53 (-/-) cells to DNA damage-induced apoptosis through elevation of Pten expression. These data suggest that inhibition of miR-21 would be beneficial in apoptosis-inducing cancer therapies directed against p53-deficient tumors.

A systematic screen reveals MicroRNA clusters that significantly regulate four major signaling pathways

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are encoded in the genome as individual miRNA genes or as gene clusters transcribed as polycistronic units. About 50% of all miRNAs are estimated to be co-expressed with neighboring miRNAs. Recent studies have begun to illuminate the importance of the clustering of miRNAs from an evolutionary, as well as a functional standpoint. Many miRNA clusters coordinately regulate multiple members of cellular signaling pathways or protein interaction networks. This cooperative method of targeting could produce effects on an overall process that are much more dramatic than the smaller effects often associated with regulation by an individual miRNA. In this study, we screened 366 human miRNA minigenes to determine their effects on the major signaling pathways culminating in AP-1, NF-κB, c-Myc, or p53 transcriptional activity. By stratifying these data into miRNA clusters, this systematic screen provides experimental evidence for the combined effects of clustered miRNAs on these signaling pathways. We also verify p53 as a direct target of miR-200a. This study is the first to provide a panoramic view of miRNA clusters' effects on cellular pathways.

Oocytes selected using BCB staining enhance nuclear reprogramming and the in vivo development of SCNT embryos in cattle

The selection of good quality oocytes is crucial for in vitro fertilization and somatic cloning. Brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) staining has been used for selection of oocytes from several mammalian species. However, the effects of differential oocyte selection by BCB staining on nuclear reprogramming and in vivo development of SCNT embryos are not well understood. Immature compact cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were divided into control (not exposed to BCB), BCB+ (blue cytoplasm) and BCB- (colorless cytoplasm) groups. We found that BCB+ oocytes yielded a significantly higher somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) blastocyst rate and full term development rate of bovine SCNT embryos than the BCB- and control oocytes. BCB+ embryos (embryos developed from BCB+ oocytes) showed increased acetylation levels of histone H3 at K9 and K18 (AcH3K9, AcH3K18), and methylation levels of histone H3 at K4 (H3K4me2) than BCB- embryos (embryos developed from BCB- oocytes) at the two-cell stage. Furthermore, BCB+ embryos generated more total cells, trophectoderm (TE) cells, and inner cell mass (ICM) cells, and fewer apoptotic cells than BCB- embryos. The expression of SOX2, CDX2, and anti-apoptotic microRNA-21 were up-regulated in the BCB+ blastocysts compared with BCB- blastocysts, whereas the expression of pro-apoptotic gene Bax was down-regulated in BCB+ blastocysts. These results strongly suggest that BCB+ oocytes have a higher nuclear reprogramming capacity, and that BCB staining can be used to select developmentally competent oocytes for nuclear transfer.

Dynamic microRNA expression during the transition from right ventricular hypertrophy to failure

MicroRNAs (miRs) are small, noncoding RNAs that are emerging as crucial regulators of cardiac remodeling in left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and failure (LVF). However, there are no data on their role in right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and failure (RVF). This is a critical question given that the RV is uniquely at risk in patients with congenital right-sided obstructive lesions and in those with systemic RVs. We have developed a murine model of RVH and RVF using pulmonary artery constriction (PAC). miR microarray analysis of RV from PAC vs. control demonstrates altered miR expression with gene targets associated with cardiomyocyte survival and growth during hypertrophy (miR 199a-3p) and reactivation of the fetal gene program during heart failure (miR-208b). The transition from hypertrophy to heart failure is characterized by apoptosis and fibrosis (miRs-34, 21, 1). Most are similar to LVH/LVF. However, there are several key differences between RV and LV: four miRs (34a, 28, 148a, and 93) were upregulated in RVH/RVF that are downregulated or unchanged in LVH/LVF. Furthermore, there is a corresponding downregulation of their putative target genes involving cell survival, proliferation, metabolism, extracellular matrix turnover, and impaired proteosomal function. The current study demonstrates, for the first time, alterations in miRs during the process of RV remodeling and the gene regulatory pathways leading to RVH and RVF. Many of these alterations are similar to those in the afterload-stressed LV. miRs differentially regulated between the RV and LV may contribute to the RVs increased susceptibility to heart failure.