1
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Li L, Zhang P. Elevation of LEM Domain Containing 1 Predicts Poor Prognosis of NSCLC Patients and Triggers Malignant Stemness and Invasion of NSCLC Cells by Stimulating PI3K/AKT Pathway. Curr Mol Med 2024; 24:366-378. [PMID: 36967459 DOI: 10.2174/1566524023666230324135330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death globally. LEM domain containing 1 (LEMD1) function has been identified in several cancers but not in NSCLC. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the LEMD1 function in NSCLC. METHODS NSCLC tissues were obtained from 66 patients, and LEMD1 expressions were measured using quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemical assay, and Western blot. Overall survival of NSCLC patients was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Meanwhile, LEMD1 function and mechanism were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8, 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine analysis, Transwell, Sphere formation assay, and flow cytometry. Furthermore, LEMD1 function in vivo was evaluated by establishing a xenograft tumor model, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and immunohistochemical assay. RESULTS LEMD1 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and was interrelated to tumor differentiation, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis of patients. Overall survival of NSCLC patients with high LEMD1 was found to be lower than that of patients with low LEMD1. Functionally, interference with LEMD1 restrained NSCLC cell proliferation, invasion, and stemness characteristics. Mechanistically, LEMD1 facilitated the malignant phenotype of NSCLC, and 740 Y-P reversed this impact, prompting that LEMD1 aggravated NSCLC by activating PI3K/AKT pathway. Furthermore, LEMD1 knockdown hindered NSCLC proliferation in vivo. Conclusion: LEMD1 accelerated NSCLC cell proliferation, invasion, and stemness characteristics via activating PI3K/AKT pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 402177, China
| | - Pei Zhang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 402177, China
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2
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Urbini M, Bleve S, Schepisi G, Menna C, Gurioli G, Gianni C, De Giorgi U. Biomarkers for Salvage Therapy in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16872. [PMID: 38069192 PMCID: PMC10706346 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The outcome of metastatic testicular germ cell tumor patients has been dramatically improved by cisplatin-based chemotherapy combinations. However, up to 30% of patients with advanced disease relapse after first-line therapy and require salvage regimens, which include treatments with conventional-dose chemotherapy or high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation. For these patients, prognosis estimation represents an essential step in the choice of medical treatment but still remains a complex challenge. The available histological, clinical, and biochemical parameters attempt to define the prognosis, but they do not reflect the tumor's molecular and pathological features and do not predict who will exhibit resistance to the several treatments. Molecular selection of patients and validated biomarkers are highly needed in order to improve current risk stratification and identify novel therapeutic approaches for patients with recurrent disease. Biomolecular biomarkers, including microRNAs, gene expression profiles, and immune-related biomarkers are currently under investigation in testicular germ cell tumors and could potentially hold a prominent place in the future treatment selection and prognostication of these tumors. The aim of this review is to summarize current scientific data regarding prognostic and predictive biomarkers for salvage therapy in testicular germ cell tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Urbini
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy;
| | - Sara Bleve
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
| | - Giuseppe Schepisi
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
| | - Cecilia Menna
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
| | - Giorgia Gurioli
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy;
| | - Caterina Gianni
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
| | - Ugo De Giorgi
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (G.S.); (C.M.); (C.G.); (U.D.G.)
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3
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García-Andrade F, Vigueras-Villaseñor RM, Chávez-Saldaña MD, Rojas-Castañeda JC, Bahena-Ocampo IU, Aréchaga-Ocampo E, Flores-Fortis M, Díaz-Chávez J, Herrera LA, Landero-Huerta DA. Molecular Characterization of Patients with Cryptorchidism: Preliminary Search for an Expression Profile Related to That of Testicular Germ-Cell Tumors. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:3020. [PMID: 37761387 PMCID: PMC10529510 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13183020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptorchidism (CO) is a risk factor for the development of testicular germ-cell tumors (TGCT). This is supported by reports showing the persistence of gonocytes in CO patients. These cells are proposed to be related to the development of germ-cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS), which is considered the precursor stage/lesion of TGCT. Therefore, it is proposed that some patients with CO could express some molecular markers related to TGCT. In this study, we analyzed testicular tissue samples from CO, TGCT, and controls. We determined the expression of POU5F1, PLAP, and KIT by immunohistochemistry and that of the hsa-miR-371-373 cluster, hsa-miR-367, and LATS2, PTEN, and IGFR1 genes by RT-qPCR. We then carried out a bioinformatic analysis to identify other possible candidate genes as tumor biomarkers. We found that 16.7% (2/12) of the CO patients presented increased expression of POU5F1, KIT, PLAP, hsa-miR-371-373, and hsa-miR-367 and decreased expression of LATS2 and IGF1R. Finally, the genes ARID4B, GALNT3, and KPNA6 were identified as other possible candidate tumor biomarkers. This is the first report describing the expression of the hsa-miR-371-373 cluster, hsa-miR-367, LATS2, and IGF1R in the testicular tissues of two CO patients with cells immune-positive to POU5F1, PLAP, and KIT, which is similar to what is observed in TGCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola García-Andrade
- Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Ciudad de Mexico 04530, Mexico
- Posgrado en Biología Experimental, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa, Ciudad de Mexico 09310, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Ivan Uriel Bahena-Ocampo
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa, Ciudad de Mexico 09310, Mexico
| | - Elena Aréchaga-Ocampo
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Cuajimalpa, Ciudad de Mexico 05348, Mexico
| | - Mauricio Flores-Fortis
- Posgrado en Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Cuajimalpa, Ciudad de Mexico 05348, Mexico
| | - José Díaz-Chávez
- Unidad de Investigación en Cáncer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas-Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de Mexico 14080, Mexico
| | - Luis Alonso Herrera
- Unidad de Investigación en Cáncer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas-Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de Mexico 14080, Mexico
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud-Tecnológico de Monterrey, Ciudad de Mexico 14380, Mexico
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Yao X, Zhou H, Duan C, Wu X, Li B, Liu H, Zhang Y. Comprehensive characteristics of pathological subtypes in testicular germ cell tumor: Gene expression, mutation and alternative splicing. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1096494. [PMID: 36713456 PMCID: PMC9883017 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1096494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) is the most common tumor in young men, but molecular signatures, especially the alternative splicing (AS) between its subtypes have not yet been explored. Methods To investigate the differences between TGCT subtypes, we comprehensively analyzed the data of gene expression, alternative splicing (AS), and somatic mutation in TGCT patients from the TCGA database. The gene ontology (GO) enrichment analyses were used to explore the function of differentially expressed genes and spliced genes respectively, and Spearman correlation analysis was performed to explore the correlation between differential genes and AS events. In addition, the possible patterns in which AS regulates gene expression were elaborated by the ensemble database transcript atlas. And, we identified important transcription factors that regulate gene expression and AS and functionally validated them in TGCT cell lines. Results We found significant differences between expression and AS in embryonal carcinoma and seminoma, while mixed cell tumors were in between. GO enrichment analyses revealed that both differentially expressed and spliced genes were enriched in transcriptional regulatory pathways, and obvious correlation between expression and AS events was determined. By analyzing the transcript map and the sites where splicing occurs, we have demonstrated that AS regulates gene expression in a variety of ways. We further identified two pivot AS-related molecules (SOX2 and HDAC9) involved in AS regulation, which were validated in embryonal carcinoma and seminoma cell lines. Differences in somatic mutations between subtypes are also of concern, with our results suggesting that mutations in some genes (B3GNT8, CAPN7, FAT4, GRK1, TACC2, and TRAM1L1) occur only in embryonal carcinoma, while mutations in KIT, KARS, and NRAS are observed only in seminoma. Conclusions In conclusion, our analysis revealed the differences in gene expression, AS and somatic mutation among TGCT subtypes, providing a molecular basis for clinical diagnosis and precise therapy of TGCT patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyang Yao
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chen Duan
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoliang Wu
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Haoran Liu
- Stanford Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Yangjun Zhang
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Cancer Precision Diagnosis and Treatment and Translational Medicine Hubei Engineering Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Department of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Yangjun Zhang,
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5
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Donizetti A, Venditti M, Arcaniolo D, Aliperti V, Carrese AM, De Sio M, Minucci S, Caraglia M, Aniello F. The long non-coding RNA transcript, LOC100130460 (CAND1.11) gene, encodes a novel protein highly expressed in cancer cells and tumor human testis tissues. Cancer Biomark 2023; 38:343-353. [PMID: 37661873 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-230160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testis-specific genes encoding for long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) have been detected in several cancers; many produce proteins with restricted or aberrant expression patterns in normal or cancer tissues. OBJECTIVE To characterize new lncRNA involved in normal and/or pathological differentiation of testicular cells. METHODS Using bioinformatics analysis, we found that lncRNA LOC100130460 (CAND1.11) is expressed in normal and tumor testis; its expression was assessed in several human cell lines by qRT-PCR. CAND1.11 protein, produced by a single nucleotide mutation, was studied by western blot and immunofluorescence analysis on normal, classic seminoma, and Leydig cell tumor testicular tissues. RESULTS CAND1.11 gene is primate-specific; its expression was low in SH-SY5Y cells and increased when differentiated with retinoic acid treatment. CAND1.11 expression in PC3 cells was higher than in PNT2 cells. CAND1.11 protein is present in the human testis and overexpressed in testicular cancer tissues. CONCLUSIONS This report is one of the few providing evidence that a lncRNA produces a protein expressed in normal human tissues and overexpressed in several testicular cancers, suggesting its involvement in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. Although further studies are needed to validate the results, our data indicate that CAND1.11 could be a potential new prognostic biomarker to use in proliferation and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo Donizetti
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Massimo Venditti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Davide Arcaniolo
- Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia Generale e Specialistica, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy
| | - Vincenza Aliperti
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Carrese
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco De Sio
- Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia Generale e Specialistica, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy
| | - Sergio Minucci
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy
| | - Michele Caraglia
- Dipartimento di Medicina di Precisione, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesco Aniello
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
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6
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Cauchi LM, Houston BJ, Nagirnaja L, O'Connor AE, Merriner DJ, Aston KI, Schlegel PN, Conrad DF, Burke R, O'Bryan MK. Zinc finger RNA binding protein 2 (ZFR2) is not required for male fertility in the mouse. Dev Biol 2022; 489:55-61. [PMID: 35679955 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thousands of genes are expressed during spermatogenesis and male infertility has a strong genetic component. Within this study, we focus on the role of Zfr2 in male fertility, a gene previously implicated in human male fertility. To date, very little is known about the role of ZFR2 in either humans or mice. To this end, the requirement for ZFR2 in male fertility was assessed using a knockout mouse model. RESULTS Zfr2 was found to be expressed in the testes of both humans and mice. Deletion of Zfr2 was achieved via removal of exon 2 using CRISPR-Cas9 methods. The absence of Zfr2 did not result in a reduction in any fertility parameters assessed. Knockout males were capable of fostering litter sizes equal to wild type males, and there were no effects of Zfr2 knockout on sperm number or motility. We note Zfr2 knockout females were also fertile. CONCLUSIONS The absence of Zfr2 alone is not sufficient to cause a reduction in male fertility in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan M Cauchi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia; Institute for Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Brendan J Houston
- The School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
| | - Liina Nagirnaja
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, USA
| | - Anne E O'Connor
- The School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - D Jo Merriner
- The School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Kenneth I Aston
- Andrology and IVF Laboratory, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Utah, USA
| | | | - Don F Conrad
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, USA
| | - Richard Burke
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Moira K O'Bryan
- The School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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7
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Necroptosis-related lncRNA signatures determine prognosis in breast cancer patients. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11268. [PMID: 35787661 PMCID: PMC9253018 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15209-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Necroptosis is a genetically regulated form of necrotic cell death that has emerged as an important pathway in cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of breast cancer development. Nevertheless, few studies are reporting the effect of lncRNAs in necroptosis processes and the role of necroptosis-related lncRNAs (NRLs). The present study aimed to construct a prognostic model based on NRLs in breast cancer. NRLs were identified by combining expression profiling data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) with necroptosis-related genes. The non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering analysis was conducted to identify molecular subtypes of BC, and the clinical outcome and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) in the different molecular subtypes were analyzed. Four molecular subtypes based on NRLs were identified, and these four molecular subtypes could predict clinical features, prognosis, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs). A 4-NRLs signature and nomogram were established and validated its predictive capability of overall survival (OS) in breast cancer patients. Analyses of clinicopathological features, prognosis, TIICs, tumor microenvironment (TME), somatic mutations, and drug response revealed significant differences between the two risk groups. In addition, we found that low-risk patients exhibited higher levels of immune checkpoints and showed higher immunogenicity in immunophenoscore (IPS) analysis. In conclusion, we constructed a prognostic model based on the expression profile of NRLs, which may facilitate the assessment of patient prognosis, immunotherapeutic responses, and maybe a promising therapeutic target in clinical practice.
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8
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Hu G, Jiang Y, Ma J, Zhan H. Necroptosis-associated classification combined with tumor microenvironment characteristic analysis of cutaneous melanoma. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8752. [PMID: 35610275 PMCID: PMC9130269 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12676-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Necroptosis is a mode of programmed cell death that overcomes apoptotic resistance. The accurate prognosis of cutaneous melanoma is complicated to predict due to tumor heterogeneity. Necroptosis contributes to the regulation of oncogenesis and cancer immunity. We comprehensively investigated different necroptosis patterns by the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering analysis and explored the relationships among necroptosis patterns, infiltered immune cells, and tumor microenvironment (TME) scores. Two different necroptosis patterns were identified, and the two clusters could predict prognosis and immune landscape. A four-gene signature was successfully constructed and validated its predictive capability of overall survival (OS) in cutaneous melanoma patients. The prognostic value of the signature was further enhanced by incorporating other independent prognostic factors such as age and clinicopathological stages in a nomogram-based prediction model. Patients with lower risk scores tended to have better OS, higher TME score, immune checkpoints, immunophenoscore (IPS), and lower Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE), which indicated better responses to immunotherapy. In addition, the pigmentation score of the high-risk group was visibly higher than those of the low-risk group. In conclusion, the necroptosis-related signature indicated favorable predictive performance in cutaneous melanoma patients, which provides guidance for immunotherapy and provide novel insights into precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Hu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Thyroid Surgery, Huangshi Central Hospital of Edong Healthcare Group, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, Hubei, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Department of Nosocomial Infection Management, Huangshi Central Hospital of Edong Healthcare Group, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, Hubei, China
| | - Jianying Ma
- Department of Breast Surgery, Thyroid Surgery, Huangshi Central Hospital of Edong Healthcare Group, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, Hubei, China
| | - Hui Zhan
- Department of Dermatology, Huangshi Central Hospital (Pu Ai Hospital) of Edong Healthcare Group, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, No. 141, Tianjin Road, Huangshi, 435000, Hubei, China.
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9
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Shi R, Wang Z, Zhang J, Yu Z, An L, Wei S, Feng D, Wang H. N6-Methyladenosine-Related Long Noncoding RNAs as Potential Prognosis Biomarkers for Endometrial Cancer. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:8249-8262. [PMID: 34815698 PMCID: PMC8605931 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s336403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Endometrial cancer (EC) is a common gynaecologic malignancy with an increasing incidence rate and mortality in recent years. N6-methylandenosine (m6A)-related long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays a vital role in EC, emerging as one of the most abundant RNA modifications. Materials and Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and UCSC Xena were used to download data related to EC. Survival and univariate and multifactorial prognostic analyses were performed for m6A-related lncRNAs. The expression levels of the three lncRNAs were verified using q-PCR. A nomogram was used to create a clinical tool to assess overall survival. To investigate the relationship between m6A-related lncRNA and EC, we downloaded differential genes related to EC from the TCGA database and mined three m6A-related lncRNAs, namely SCARNA9, TRAF3IP2-AS1, and AL133243.2. The data were categorized into high- and low-risk groups based on m6A-associated lncRNA. Results Survival analysis revealed that the high-risk group had a lower survival rate. Survival analysis of three m6A-associated lncRNAs revealed that cases with high expression of SCARNA9 tended to have a poorer prognosis, whereas the opposite was true for TRAF3IP2-AS1, AL133243.2. Univariate and multifactorial prognostic analyses suggested statistical differences in patients’ age, FIGO stage, pathological grade, risk score, and prognosis of EC, which was confirmed by results of the separate prognostic factor analysis for the three lncRNAs. Risk status was validated as an independent prognostic indicator, and the prognostic nomogram combined patient age, pathological stage, and FIGO classification to assess 3–5-year survival. Cases from high- and low-risk groups were analysed for the tumour microenvironment and immune cell scores, and stromal cell scores were found to be lower in the high-risk group. Correlations were analysed using different databases for immune cell classification. Conclusion m6A-related lncRNAs may play a key role in the diagnosis and treatment of EC as targets of prognosis and the immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Shi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziwei Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhicheng Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Lanfen An
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Sitian Wei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Dilu Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbo Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
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10
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Zhou M, Hong S, Li B, Liu C, Hu M, Min J, Tang J, Hong L. Development and Validation of a Prognostic Nomogram Based on DNA Methylation-Driven Genes for Patients With Ovarian Cancer. Front Genet 2021; 12:675197. [PMID: 34567062 PMCID: PMC8458765 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.675197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: DNA methylation affects the development, progression, and prognosis of various cancers. This study aimed to identify DNA methylated-differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and develop a methylation-driven gene model to evaluate the prognosis of ovarian cancer (OC). Methods: DNA methylation and mRNA expression profiles of OC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression, and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. We used the R package MethylMix to identify DNA methylation-regulated DEGs and built a prognostic signature using LASSO Cox regression. A quantitative nomogram was then drawn based on the risk score and clinicopathological features. Results: We identified 56 methylation-related DEGs and constructed a prognostic risk signature with four genes according to the LASSO Cox regression algorithm. A higher risk score not only predicted poor prognosis, but also was an independent poor prognostic indicator, which was validated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the validation cohort. A nomogram consisting of the risk score, age, FIGO stage, and tumor status was generated to predict 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) in the training cohort. The joint survival analysis of DNA methylation and mRNA expression demonstrated that the two genes may serve as independent prognostic biomarkers for OS in OC. Conclusion: The established qualitative risk score model was found to be robust for evaluating individualized prognosis of OC and in guiding therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shasha Hong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bingshu Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Cheng Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jie Min
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianming Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Hong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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11
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Zhou L, Li J, Liu J, Wang A, Liu Y, Yu H, Ouyang H, Pang D. Investigation of the lncRNA THOR in Mice Highlights the Importance of Noncoding RNAs in Mammalian Male Reproduction. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9080859. [PMID: 34440063 PMCID: PMC8389704 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9080859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
THOR is a highly conserved testis-specific long noncoding RNA (lncRNA). The interaction between THOR and the development of the male reproductive system remains unclear. Herein, CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to establish a stable THOR-deficient mouse model, and the relationship between THOR and the fertility of adult male mice was investigated. The male mice in which THOR was deleted were smaller than the WT male mice. Moreover, their survival rate was reduced by 60%, their fertility was reduced by 50%, their testicular size and sperm motility were reduced by 50%, their testicular cell apoptosis was increased by 7-fold, and their ratio of female-to-male offspring was imbalanced (approximately 1:3). Furthermore, to elucidate the mechanisms of male reproductive system development, the mRNA levels of THOR targets were measured by qRT-PCR. Compared with WT mice, the THOR-deficient mice exhibited significantly decreased mRNA levels of IGF2BP1, c-MYC, IGF1, and IGF2. MEK-ERK signaling pathway expression was downregulated as determined by Western blot. We found that THOR targeted the MER-ERK signaling pathway downstream of IGF2 by binding to IGF2BP1 and affected testicular and sperm development in male mice. These results may also provide perspectives for exploring the roles of lncRNAs in human reproductive development and the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets of infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhou
- Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (L.Z.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (A.W.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Jianing Li
- Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (L.Z.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (A.W.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Jinsong Liu
- Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (L.Z.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (A.W.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Anbei Wang
- Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (L.Z.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (A.W.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Ying Liu
- Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (L.Z.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (A.W.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Hao Yu
- Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (L.Z.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (A.W.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Hongsheng Ouyang
- Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (L.Z.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (A.W.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.)
- Chongqing Research Institute, Jilin University, Chongqing 401123, China
- Correspondence: (H.O.); (D.P.)
| | - Daxin Pang
- Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (L.Z.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (A.W.); (Y.L.); (H.Y.)
- Correspondence: (H.O.); (D.P.)
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12
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Xu M, Lin B, Zheng D, Wen J, Hu W, Li C, Zhang X, Zhang X, Qu J. LEM domain containing 1 promotes thyroid cancer cell proliferation and migration by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Oncol Lett 2021; 21:442. [PMID: 33868480 PMCID: PMC8045170 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.12703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common type of endocrine malignancy in humans, and its relative incidence has increased continuously in recent years. However, the primary molecular mechanisms of thyroid tumorigenesis and progression remain unclear. Papillary TC (PTC) is the most common subtype of TC. Recent studies have reported that one of the tumorigenesis and progression mechanisms is driven by genetic alterations that regulate the TC cell signaling pathway. In the present study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on 79 paired PTC and adjacent normal thyroid tissues to further study the molecular mechanisms of TC. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression levels of LEM domain containing 1 (LEMD1) in 47 paired PTC and adjacent normal thyroid tissue samples. Initial analysis revealed that LEMD1 expression was significantly upregulated in TC tissues compared with that in normal tissues. The results of the thyroid RNA-seq datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas were consistent with the RNA-seq analysis results of the present study. High LEMD1 expression increased the risk of lymph node metastasis in patients with TC. The biological function of LEMD1 on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis was investigated in vitro via small interfering RNA and overexpression vector. Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that high LEMD1 expression was associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Western blotting revealed that LEMD1 modulated the protein expression levels of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, β-catenin and cleaved-caspase 3. In conclusion, the present results indicated that LEMD1 may drive TC cell tumorigenesis and progression by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Xu
- Department of Operating Theatre, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Bangyi Lin
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Danni Zheng
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Jialiang Wen
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Wenjing Hu
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Chunxue Li
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Xianwei Zhang
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaohua Zhang
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Jinmiao Qu
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
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13
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Zhao Z, Li M, Tan X, Xu D, Liu R. Methylation patterns partition pancreatic cancer into distinct prognostic subtypes. Future Oncol 2021; 17:2027-2039. [PMID: 33784823 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2020-0804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer, DNA methylation plays a critical role. The present study attempts to explore specific prognosis subtypes based on DNA methylation data and develop an epigenetic signature to predict the overall survival (OS) of patients with pancreatic cancer.147 samples were included in the training cohort, whereas the validation cohort included 226 samples. The 298 OS-related methylation sites in the training cohort were selected for consensus clustering, and the authors identified three subtypes with a significant difference in prognosis. Cluster1 was associated with poor OS, low-grade disease and high lymph node involvement. In addition, we identified 33 specific methylation sites in Cluster1. Subsequently, we developed a robust qualitative signature consisting of 14 methylation sites to individually predict OS in the training cohort, and the predictive accuracy of this model was confirmed in the validation cohort. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the selected genes in the model were mainly enriched in known cancer-related pathways. Patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups by the model, and a significant difference in OS was observed between these groups. Classification based on the modeling of a specific DNA methylation site can reveal the heterogeneity of pancreatic cancer and provide guidance for clinicians in predicting the prognosis of pancreatic cancer and providing personalized treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiming Zhao
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Mengyang Li
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Xianglong Tan
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Dabin Xu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China
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14
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Houston BJ, Nagirnaja L, Merriner DJ, O'Connor AE, Okuda H, Omurtag K, Smith C, Aston KI, Conrad DF, O'Bryan MK. The Sertoli cell expressed gene secernin-1 (Scrn1) is dispensable for male fertility in the mouse. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:922-931. [PMID: 33442887 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infertility is a prevalent clinical presentation for which there is likely a strong genetic component due to the thousands of genes required for spermatogenesis. Within this study we investigated the role of the gene Scrn1 in male fertility. Scrn1 is preferentially expressed in XY gonads during the period of sex determination and in adult Sertoli cells based on single cell RNA sequencing. We investigated the expression of Scrn1 in juvenile and adult tissues and generated a knockout mouse model to test its role in male fertility. RESULTS Scrn1 was expressed at all ages examined in the post-natal testis; however, its expression peaked at postnatal days 7-14 and SCRN1 protein was clearly localized to Sertoli cells. Scrn1 deletion was achieved via removal of exon 3, and its loss had no effect on male fertility or sex determination. Knockout mice were capable of siring litters of equal size to wild type counterparts and generated equal numbers of sperm with comparable motility and morphology characteristics. CONCLUSIONS Scrn1 was found to be dispensable for male fertility, but this study identifies SCRN1 as a novel marker of the Sertoli cell cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J Houston
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Liina Nagirnaja
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - D Jo Merriner
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anne E O'Connor
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hidenobu Okuda
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kenan Omurtag
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, School of Medicine, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Craig Smith
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kenneth I Aston
- Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Donald F Conrad
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Moira K O'Bryan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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15
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An Integrated Autophagy-Related Long Noncoding RNA Signature as a Prognostic Biomarker for Human Endometrial Cancer: A Bioinformatics-Based Approach. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2020:5717498. [PMID: 33381557 PMCID: PMC7755467 DOI: 10.1155/2020/5717498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Endometrial cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors, lowering the quality of life among women worldwide. Autophagy plays dual roles in these malignancies. To search for prognostic markers for endometrial cancer, we mined The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Human Autophagy Database for information on endometrial cancer and autophagy-related genes and identified five autophagy-related long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) (LINC01871, SCARNA9, SOS1-IT1, AL161618.1, and FIRRE). Based on these autophagy-related lncRNAs, samples were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups. Survival analysis showed that the survival rate of the high-risk group was significantly lower than that of the low-risk group. Univariate and multivariate independent prognostic analyses showed that patients' age, pathological grade, and FIGO stage were all risk factors for poor prognosis. A clinical correlation analysis of the relationship between the five autophagy-related lncRNAs and patients' age, pathological grade, and FIGO stage was also per https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7090-1750 formed. Histopathological assessment of the tumor microenvironment showed that the ESTIMATE, immune, and stromal scores in the high-risk group were lower than those in the low-risk group. Principal component analysis and functional annotation were performed to confirm the correlations. To further evaluate the effect of the model constructed on prognosis, samples were divided into training (60%) and validation (40%) groups, regarding the risk status as an independent prognostic risk factor. A prognostic nomogram was constructed using patients' age, pathological grade, FIGO stage, and risk status to estimate the patients' survival rate. C-index and multi-index ROC curves were generated to verify the stability and accuracy of the nomogram. From this analysis, we concluded that the five lncRNAs identified in this study could affect the incidence and development of endometrial cancer by regulating the autophagy process. Therefore, these molecules may have the potential to serve as novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers.
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16
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Zhang YP, Bao ZW, Wu JB, Chen YH, Chen JR, Xie HY, Zhou L, Wu J, Zheng SS. Cancer-Testis Gene Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Identification of Prognostic Markers and Potential Targets for Immunotherapy. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2020; 19:1533033820944274. [PMID: 32715976 PMCID: PMC7453447 DOI: 10.1177/1533033820944274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-testis genes can serve as prognostic biomarkers and valuable targets for immunotherapy in multiple tumors because of their restricted expression in testis and cancer. However, their expression pattern in hepatocellular carcinoma is still not well understood. The purpose is to comprehensively characterize the cancer-testis gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma as well as identify prognostic markers and potential targets for immunotherapy. METHODS Cancer-testis database and publicly available data sets reporting new cancer-testis genes were integrated, and then restricted them in a testis and hepatocellular carcinoma expression pattern. Pathway enrichment analysis and survival analysis were conducted to evaluate the biological function and prognostic effect of cancer-testis genes. Clustering analysis and coexpression analysis were performed to illustrate cancer-testis gene expression patterns in hepatocellular carcinoma. The association of gene expression of each cancer-testis gene to the corresponding methylation status was detected. Finally, we explored the associations between cancer-testis genes and CD8+ T-cell infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma by TISIDB, and then validated it in an independent hepatocellular carcinoma cohort with 72 patients. RESULTS A total of 59 testis-specific genes were identified highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that cancer-testis genes in hepatocellular carcinoma significantly involves in the process of cell cycle regulation. Most of the cancer-testis genes were coexpressed, and cluster analysis suggested that cancer-testis gene expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma is independent of sex, hepatitis status, and histology type. We also found that demethylation might be a regulatory mechanism of cancer-testis gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Survival analysis indicated that cancer-testis genes could predict the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, BUB1B was identified contributing to the resistance of CD8+ T-cell infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma and was an independent prognostic factor both for overall survival and disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis enables better understanding of cancer-testis genes in hepatocellular carcinoma and provides potential targets for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. Experimental and clinical studies are needed for further validations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Peng Zhang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Organ Transplantation, CAMS, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Wei Bao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing-Bang Wu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Organ Transplantation, CAMS, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Hao Chen
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Organ Transplantation, CAMS, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Ru Chen
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Organ Transplantation, CAMS, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Yang Xie
- NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Organ Transplantation, CAMS, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Zhou
- NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Organ Transplantation, CAMS, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shu-Sen Zheng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Organ Transplantation, CAMS, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
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17
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Wagatsuma T, Nagai-Okatani C, Matsuda A, Masugi Y, Imaoka M, Yamazaki K, Sakamoto M, Kuno A. Discovery of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma-Related Aberrant Glycosylations: A Multilateral Approach of Lectin Microarray-Based Tissue Glycomic Profiling With Public Transcriptomic Datasets. Front Oncol 2020; 10:338. [PMID: 32232009 PMCID: PMC7082313 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant protein glycosylation is one of the most notable features in cancerous tissues, and thereby glycoproteins with disease-relevant glycosylation alterations are fascinating targets for the development of biomarkers and therapeutic agents. For this purpose, a reliable strategy is needed for the analysis of glycosylation alterations occurring on specific glycoproteins during the progression of cancer. Here, we propose a bilateral approach combining lectin microarray-based tissue glycomic profiling and database-derived transcriptomic datasets. First, lectin microarray was used to perform differential glycomic profiling of crude extracts derived from non-tumor and tumor regions of frozen tissue sections from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This analysis revealed two notable tissue glycome alterations in PDAC samples: increases in sialylated glycans and bisecting N-acetylglucosamine and a decrease in ABO blood group antigens. To examine aberrations in the glycosylation machinery related to these glycomic alterations, we next employed public datasets of gene expression profiles in cancerous and normal pancreases provided by The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Genotype-Tissue Expression projects, respectively. In this analysis, glycosyltransferases responsible for the glycosylation alterations showed aberrant gene expression in the cancerous tissues, consistent with the tissue glycomic profiles. The correlated alterations in glycosyltransferase expression and tissue glycomics were then evaluated by differential glycan profiling of a membrane N-glycoprotein, basigin, expressed in tumor and non-tumor pancreatic cells. The focused differential glycomic profiling for endogenous basigin derived from non-tumor and cancerous regions of PDAC tissue sections demonstrated that PDAC-relevant glycan alterations of basigin closely reflected the notable features in the disease-specific alterations in the tissue glycomes. In conclusion, the present multi-omics strategy using public transcriptomic datasets and experimental glycomic profiling using a tiny amount of clinical specimens successfully demonstrated that basigin is a representative N-glycoprotein that reflects PDAC-related aberrant glycosylations. This study indicates the usefulness of large public data sets such as the gene expression profiles of glycosylation-related genes for evaluation of the highly sensitive tissue glycomic profiling results. This strategy is expected to be useful for the discovery of novel glyco-biomarkers and glyco-therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Wagatsuma
- Project for Utilizing Glycans in the Development of Innovative Drug Discovery Technologies, Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA), Tokyo, Japan.,Center for Integrated Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Glycoscience and Glycotechnology Research Group, Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Chiaki Nagai-Okatani
- Glycoscience and Glycotechnology Research Group, Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Atsushi Matsuda
- Department of Biochemistry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yohei Masugi
- Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masako Imaoka
- Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken Yamazaki
- Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michiie Sakamoto
- Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kuno
- Glycoscience and Glycotechnology Research Group, Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan
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18
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Cherian JR, Adams KV, Petrella LN. Wnt Signaling Drives Ectopic Gene Expression and Larval Arrest in the Absence of the Caenorhabditis elegans DREAM Repressor Complex. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2020; 10:863-874. [PMID: 31843805 PMCID: PMC7003081 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Establishment and maintenance of proper gene expression is a requirement for normal growth and development. The DREAM complex in Caenorhabditis elegans functions as a transcriptional repressor of germline genes in somatic cells. At 26°, DREAM complex mutants show increased misexpression of germline genes in somatic cells and High Temperature Arrest (HTA) of worms at the first larval stage. To identify transcription factors required for the ectopic expression of germline genes in DREAM complex mutants, we conducted an RNA interference screen against 123 transcription factors capable of binding DREAM target promoter loci for suppression of the HTA phenotype in lin-54 mutants. We found that knock-down of 15 embryonically expressed transcription factors suppress the HTA phenotype in lin-54 mutants. Five of the transcription factors found in the initial screen have associations with Wnt signaling pathways. In a subsequent RNAi suppression screen of Wnt signaling factors we found that knock-down of the non-canonical Wnt/PCP pathway factors vang-1, prkl-1 and fmi-1 in a lin-54 mutant background resulted in strong suppression of the HTA phenotype. Animals mutant for both lin-54 and vang-1 showed almost complete suppression of the HTA phenotype, pgl-1 misexpression, and fertility defects associated with lin-54 single mutants at 26°. We propose a model whereby a set of embryonically expressed transcription factors, and the Wnt/PCP pathway, act opportunistically to activate DREAM complex target genes in somatic cells of DREAM complex mutants at 26°.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerrin R Cherian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233
| | - Katherine V Adams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233
| | - Lisa N Petrella
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233
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19
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Chang Y, Wang X, Xu Y, Yang L, Qian Q, Ju S, Chen Y, Chen S, Qin N, Ma Z, Dai J, Ma H, Jin G, Zhang E, Wang C, Hu Z. Comprehensive characterization of cancer-testis genes in testicular germ cell tumor. Cancer Med 2019; 8:3511-3519. [PMID: 31070303 PMCID: PMC6601584 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.2223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer‐testis (CT) genes are a group of genes restrictedly expressed in testis and multiple cancers and can serve as candidate driver genes participating in the development of cancers. Our previous study identified a number of CT genes in nongerm cell tumors, but their expression pattern in testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT), a cancer type characterized by less genomic alterations, remained largely unknown. In this study, we systematically investigated the expression pattern of CT genes in TGCT samples and evaluated the transcriptome difference between TGCT and normal testis tissues, using datasets from the UCSC Xena platform, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype‐Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. Pathway enrichment analysis and survival analysis were conducted to evaluate the biological function and prognostic effect of expressed CT genes. We identified that 1036 testis‐specific expressed protein‐coding genes and 863 testis‐specific expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were expressed in TGCT samples, including 883 CT protein‐coding genes and 710 CT lncRNAs defined previously. The number of expressed CT genes was significantly higher in seminomas (P = 3.48 × 10−13) which were characterized by frequent mutations in driver genes (KIT, KRAS and NRAS). In contrast, the number of expressed CT genes showed a moderate negative correlation with the fraction of copy number altered genomes (cor = −0.28, P = 1.20 × 10−3). Unlike other cancers, our analysis revealed that 96.16% of the CT genes were down‐regulated in TGCT samples, while CT genes in stem cell maintenance related pathways were up‐regulated. Further survival analysis provided evidence that CT genes could also predict the prognosis of TGCT patients with both disease‐free interval and progression‐free interval as clinical endpoints. Taken together, our study provided a global view of CT genes in TGCT and provided evidence that CT genes played important roles in the progression and maintenance of TGCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Chang
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuewei Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yide Xu
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qufei Qian
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sihan Ju
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yao Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuaizhou Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Na Qin
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zijian Ma
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Juncheng Dai
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongxia Ma
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guangfu Jin
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Erbao Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhibin Hu
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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