HN1 negatively influences the β-catenin/E-cadherin interaction, and contributes to migration in prostate cells

HN1 expression contributes to mitotic fidelity through Aurora A-PLK1-Eg5 axis

Hematological and neurological expressed 1 (HN1) is homolog of Jupiter protein from Drosophila melanogaster where it functions as a microtubule-associated protein. However, in mammalian cells, HN1 is associated partially with y-tubulin in centrosomes, Stathmin for stabilizing microtubules, and Cdh1 for regulating Cyclin B1 for cell cycle regulation. Moreover, HN1 overexpression leads to early mitotic exit as well. Other molecular functions and interactions of HN1 are not clear yet. Here, based on our previous analysis where HN1 was shown to cluster supernumerary centrosomes and maintain mitotic spindle assembly, we further investigated the role of HN1 in centrosome maintenance and mitotic fidelity in PC-3 prostate and MDA-MB231 mammary cancer cell lines. The maturation-associated roles of HN1 during cell division by examining the AuroraA-PLK1 axis involving a plus end kinesin, Eg5 as well as pericentriolar matrix protein (PCM1) as components of centrosomes were established. We found that HN1 co-localized to centrioles with Eg5 and Aurora A to suppress aberrant spindle formation to ensure the fidelity of centriole/centrosome duplication when overexpressed. Consistently, depleting the HN1 expression using siRNA or shRNA resulted in an increased number of dysregulated mitotic spindle structures, where Aurora A as well as PLK1 co-localizations with Eg5 and PCM1 were disrupted. Further, the PLK1 and Aurora A kinase's phosphorylations also decreased, confirming the hypothesis that the cells struggle in mitotic progression, display nuclear and cytokinetic abnormalities with supernumerary but immature mononucleated centrosomes. In summary, we described the role of HN1 in centrosome nucleation/maturation in PLK1-Eg5 axis and concomitant mitotic spindle formation in human cells.

HN1-mediated activation of lipogenesis through Akt-SREBP signaling promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and metastasis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with more than 800,000 deaths each year, and its 5-year survival rate is less than 12%. The role of the HN1 gene in HCC has remained elusive, despite its upregulation in various cancer types. In our investigation, we identified HN1's heightened expression in HCC tissues, which, upon overexpression, fosters cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, unveiling its role as an oncogene in HCC. In addition, silencing HN1 diminished the viability and metastasis of HCC cells, whereas HN1 overexpression stimulated their growth and invasion. Gene expression profiling revealed HN1 silencing downregulated 379 genes and upregulated 130 genes, and suppressive proteins associated with the lipogenic signaling pathway networks. Notably, suppressing HN1 markedly decreased the expression levels of SREBP1 and SREBP2, whereas elevating HN1 had the converse effect. This dual modulation of HN1 affected lipid formation, hindering it upon HN1 silencing and promoting it upon HN1 overexpression. Moreover, HN1 triggers the Akt pathway, fostering tumorigenesis via SREBP1-mediated lipogenesis and silencing HN1 effectively curbed HCC tumor growth in mouse xenograft models by deactivating SREBP-1, emphasizing the potential of HN1 as a therapeutic target, impacting both external and internal factors, it holds promise as an effective therapeutic strategy for HCC.

Role of hematological and neurological expressed 1 (HN1) in human cancers

Hematological and neurological expressed 1 (HN1), also known as Jupiter microtubule associated homolog 1 (JPT1), is a highly conserved protein with widespread expression in various tissues. Ectopic elevation of HN1 has been observed in multiple cancers, highlighting its role in tumorigenesis and progression. Both proteomics and transcriptomics reveal that HN1 is closely associated with severe disease progression, poor prognostic and shorter overall survival. HN1's involvement in cancer cell proliferation and metastasis has been extensively investigated. Overexpression of HN1 is associated with increased tumor growth and disease progression, while its depletion leads to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The pivotal role of HN1 in cancer progression, particularly in proliferation, migration, and invasion, underscores its significance in cancer metastasis. Validation of the efficacy and safety of HN1 inhibition, along with the development of diagnostic methods to determine HN1 expression levels in patients, is essential for the translation of HN1-targeted therapies into clinical practice. Overall, HN1 emerges as a valuable prognostic marker and therapeutic target in cancer, and further investigations hold the potential to improve patient outcomes by impeding metastasis and enhancing treatment strategies.

Knocking Down HN1 Blocks Helicobacter pylori-Induced Malignant Phenotypes in Gastric Mucosal Cells and Inhibits Gastric Cancer Cell Proliferation, Cytoskeleton Remodeling, and Migration

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is implicated in the aberrant proliferation and malignant transformation of gastric mucosal cells, heightening the risk of gastric cancer (GC). HN1 is involved in the development of various tumors. However, precise mechanistic underpinnings of HN1 promoting GC progression in H. pylori remain elusive. The study collected 79 tissue samples of GC patients, including 47 with H. pylori-positive GC and 32 H. pylori-negative controls. Using human gastric epithelial cells (GES-1) and human gastric adenocarcinoma cells (HGC-27), the effect of overexpression / knocking down of HN1 and H. pylori infection was evaluated on cell function (proliferation, migration, apoptosis), cytoskeleton, and expression of cell malignant phenotype factors that promote the malignant biological behavior of cancer cells. The expression of HN1 in GC tissues is higher than that in paracancerous tissue and is closely related to infiltration, lymphatic metastasis, distant metastasis, survival, and H. pylori infection. Downregulation of HN1 effectively hinders the ability of H. pylori strains 26695 and SS1 to promote migration of GES-1 and HGC-27 cells, while lowering the expression of key indicators associated with malignant phenotype. Downregulated GSK3B, β-catenin, and Vimentin after knockdown Integrinβ1, but HN1 expression remained largely unchanged, when HN1 and Integrinβ1 were knocked down, GSK3B, β-catenin, and Vimentin expression were considerably reduced. Our research demonstrated the crucial role of HN1 in H. pylori-induced acquisition of a malignant phenotype in GES-1 cells. Knockdown of HN1 blocked the pathogenic mechanism of H. pylori-induced GC and downregulated the expression of GSK3Β, β-catenin and Vimentin via Integrin β1.

WSB1, as an E3 ligase, restrains myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by activating β-catenin signaling via promoting GSK3β ubiquitination

BACKGROUND

Reperfusion is the most effective strategy for myocardial infarct, but induces additional injury. WD repeat and SOCS box containing protein 1 (WSB1) plays a protective role in ischemic cells. This study aims to investigate the effects of WSB1 on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury.

METHODS

The myocardial IR was induced by left anterior descending (LAD) ligation for 45 min and subsequent reperfusion. The overexpression of WSB1 was mediated by tail vein injection of AAV9 loaded with WSB1 encoding sequence two weeks before IR surgery. H9c2 myocardial cells underwent oxygen-sugar deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) to mimic IR, and transfected with WSB1 overexpression or silencing plasmid to alter the expression of WSB1.

RESULTS

WSB1 was found highly expressed in penumbra of myocardial IR rats, and the WSB1 overexpression relieved IR-induced cardio dysfunction, myocardial infarct and pathological damage, and cardiomyocyte death in penumbra. The ectopic expression of WSB1 in H9c2 myocardial cells mitigated OGD/R-caused apoptosis, and silencing of WSB1 exacerbated the apoptosis. In addition, WSB1 activated β-catenin signaling, which was deactivated under the ischemic condition. The co-immunoprecipitation results revealed that WSB1 mediated ubiquitination and degradation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) as an E3 ligase in myocardial cells. The effects of WSB1 on myocardial cells under ischemic conditions were abolished by an inhibitor of β-catenin signaling.

CONCLUSION

WSB1 activated β-catenin pathway by promoting the ubiquitination of GSK3β, and restrained IR-induced myocardial injury. These findings might provide novel insights for clinical treatment of myocardial ischemic patients.

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Acute Leukemias

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a metabolic process that confers phenotypic flexibility to cells and the ability to adapt to new functions. This transition is critical during embryogenesis and is required for the differentiation of many tissues and organs. EMT can also be induced in advanced-stage cancers, leading to further malignant behavior and chemotherapy resistance, resulting in an unfavorable prognosis for patients. Although EMT was long considered and studied only in solid tumors, it has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of hematological malignancies, including acute leukemias. Indeed, there is increasing evidence that EMT promotes the progression of acute leukemias, leading to the emergence of a more aggressive phenotype of the disease, and also causes chemotherapy resistance. The current literature suggests that the levels and activities of EMT inducers and markers can be used to predict prognosis, and that targeting EMT in addition to conventional therapies may increase treatment success in acute leukemias.

Matrine exerts an anti-tumor effect via regulating HN1 in triple breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo

The treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cannot meet medical needs, and it is urgent to find new drugs for intervention. This study aimed to investigate the anti-tumor effect of matrine on the proliferation and apoptosis of TNBC cells based on HN1 regulation in vitro and in vivo. TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-453 and HCC-1806) were treated with varying concentrations of matrine (0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 mM). CCK-8, colony formation assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry assay were employed to detect proliferation, clone formation, invasion, and apoptosis of TNBC cells. Western blot analysis was applied to detect the protein expression of apoptosis HN1. The effects of matrine on tumor growth, protein expression of HN1, and apoptosis in vivo were validated by xenograft tumor models and histology. It was found that matrine inhibited proliferation, colony formation, and invasion and promoted apoptosis of TNBC cells in vitro. HN1 expression was suppressed by matrine. HN1 overexpression perceptibly reversed the above-mentioned additive effect in vitro. In vivo experiments found that matrine inhibited tumor growth and the expression of HN1 protein but promoted the protein expression of Cleared-Caspase-3. Above all, this study demonstrated that matrine inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of TNBC cells via suppressing HN1 expression. Targeting HN1 by matrine may provide new insights into the therapeutic management of patients with TNBC.

Thirdhand Smoke May Promote Lung Adenocarcinoma Development through HN1

Thirdhand smoke (THS) refers to residual tobacco smoking pollutants that can be adsorbed to indoor surfaces and dust and persist for years after active smoking. THS-related chemicals such as N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) are tobacco-specific lung carcinogens that involved in lung cancer development and progression. In this study, we computed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between THS and paired control samples. THS-related overexpressed genes (OEs) were overlapped with OEs of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Survival analyses of these overlapped genes were performed using LUAD and LUSC data. 6 genes were selected for validation based on their expression levels and prognostic value. Hematological and neurological expressed 1 (HN1) was further selected due to its novelty in LUAD research. The potential roles of HN1 in LUAD were explored in several ways. In summary, HN1 is overexpressed in THS samples and is associated with the prognosis of patients with LUAD. It may promote cancer progression through several pathways and could serve as a potential therapeutic target especially for THS-related LUAD. In-depth mechanistic studies and clinical trials are warranted.

HN1 Is Enriched in the S-Phase, Phosphorylated in Mitosis, and Contributes to Cyclin B1 Degradation in Prostate Cancer Cells

HN1 has previously been shown as overexpressed in various cancers. In Prostate cancer, it regulates AR signaling and centrosome-related functions. Previously, in two different studies, HN1 expression has been observed as inversely correlated with Cyclin B1. However, HN1 interacting partners and the role of HN1 interactions in cell cycle pathways have not been completely elucidated. Therefore, we used Prostate cancer cell lines again and utilized both transient and stable inducible overexpression systems to delineate the role of HN1 in the cell cycle. HN1 characterization was performed using treatments of kinase inhibitors, western blotting, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, cellular fractionation, and immunoprecipitation approaches. Our findings suggest that HN1 overexpression before mitosis (post-G2), using both transient and stable expression systems, leads to S-phase accumulation and causes early mitotic exit after post-G2 overexpression. Mechanistically, HN1 interacted with Cyclin B1 and increased its degradation via ubiquitination through stabilized Cdh1, which is a co-factor of the APC/C complex. Stably HN1-expressing cells exhibited a reduced Cdt1 loading onto chromatin, demonstrating an exit from a G1 to S phenotype. We found HN1 and Cdh1 interaction as a new regulator of the Cyclin B1/CDK1 axis in mitotic regulation which can be explored further to dissect the roles of HN1 in the cell cycle.

HN1L/AP-2γ/PLK1 signaling drives tumor progression and chemotherapy resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Hematological and neurological expressed 1 like (HN1L) is a newly identified oncogene in lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma recently identified by our team, but its roles in the development and treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain incompletely cataloged. Here, using ESCC tissue array and public database analysis, we demonstrated that HN1L was highly expressed in ESCC tissues, which was associated with tumor tissue invasion, poor clinical stage and short survival for ESCC patients. Loss- and gain-of-function studies in ESCC cells revealed that HN1L enhances ESCC cell metastasis and proliferation in vitro and in mice models. Moreover, high level of HN1L reduces the sensibility of ESCC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs, such as Docetaxel. Mechanism studies revealed that HN1L activated the transcription of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) by interacting with transcription factor AP-2γ, which increased the expression of malignancy related proteins Cyclin D1 and Slug in ESCC cells. Blocking PLK1 with inhibitor BI-2356 abrogated the oncogenic function of HN1L and significantly suppressed ESCC progression by combining with chemotherapy. Therefore, this study demonstrates the vital pro-tumor role of HN1L/AP-2γ/PLK1 signaling axis in ESCC, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for ESCC patients with high HN1L by blocking PLK1.

The HN1/HMGB1 axis promotes the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma and attenuates the chemosensitivity to oxaliplatin

Hematological and neurological expressed 1 (HN1) is closely associated with the proliferation and metastasis of various tumors. However, the physiological functions and clinical significance of HN1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain indistinct. In this study, we investigated the role of HN1 in the pathogenesis of HCC and the underlying mechanism using clinical data from HCC patients, in vitro experiments utilizing HCC cell lines and in vivo animal models. We demonstrated that the overexpressed HN1 in HCC was correlated with patients' adverse outcomes. The gain and loss of function experiments indicated that HN1 could promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro. Furthermore, we found that HN1 knockdown sensitized HCC cells to oxaliplatin. Mechanically, HN1 prevented HMGB1 protein from ubiquitination and degradation via the autophagy-lysosome pathway, which was related to the interaction between HN1 protein and TRIM28 protein. In the nucleus, the downregulation of HMGB1 followed by HN1 knockdown resulted in increased DNA damage and cell death in the oxaliplatin-treated HCC cells. In the cytoplasm, HN1 regulated autophagy via HMGB1. Furthermore, HN1 knockdown in combination with HMGB1 overexpression restored the aggressive phenotypes of HCC cells and the sensitivity of these cells to oxaliplatin. HN1 knockdown inhibited the tumor growth and metastasis, and promoted the anticancer efficiency of oxaliplatin in vivo. In conclusion, our data suggest that the HN1/HMGB1 axis plays an important role in the development/progression and chemotherapy of HCC. Our findings indicate that the HN1/HMGB1 axis may be a promising therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

HN1L promotes stem cell-like properties by regulating TGF-β signaling pathway through targeting FOXP2 in prostate cancer

Dysregulated hematological and neurological expressed 1-like (HN1L) has been implicated in carcinogenesis of difference cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma and breast cancer. However, the role of HN1L in the progression of prostate cancer (PCA) remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of HN1L in stemness and progression of PCA. The expression of HN1L in PCA tissues and cells was determined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot analysis, and/or immunohistochemistry (IHC). CD133+ cells were sorted from PCA cells using magnetic fluorescence cell sorting technology and were considered as cancer stem cells (CSCs). Sphere formation assays, transwell assays, and animal experiments were conducted to assess cell stemness, migration, invasion, and in vivo tumorigenesis, respectively. The results showed that HN1L expression was higher in PCA tissues and cells as compared with normal tissues and cells, as well as in CD133+ cells as compared with CD133- cells. HN1L knockdown significantly decreased the expression levels of CSC markers including OCT4 (POU class 5 homeobox 1), CD44, and SRY-box transcription factor 2, inhibited cell migration, invasion, and tumorigenesis and decreased the number of tumor spheroids and CD133+ cell population. Furthermore, we found that HN1L could bind to forkhead box P2 (FOXP2) and positively regulated transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) expression via upregulation of FOXP2. In addition, the overexpression of TGF-β in HN1L-knockdown PCA cells increased the number of tumor spheroids and CD133+ cell population, as well as enhanced cell migration and invasion. Collectively, this study demonstrates that HN1L promotes stem cell-like properties and cancer progression by targeting FOXP2 through TGF-β signaling pathway in PCA.

Downregulation of circular RNA circ-HN1 suppressed the progression of gastric cancer through the miR-485-5p/GSK3A pathway

Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignancy with high incidence and mortality globally. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are reported to regulate cellular processes in human diseases, including GC. Herein, the functions of circ-HN1 and its molecular mechanisms were investigated. circ-HN1, miR-485-5p, and GSK3A levels in GC were measured using Real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferation was analyzed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays. Meanwhile, the migration and invasion abilities were analyzed using the transwell assay. The targeted relationship was confirmed using a luciferase reporter assay and an RNA pull-down assay. In both GC tissues and cells, circ-HN1 expression was upregulated, and its silencing suppressed cellular processes. Moreover, circ-HN1 served as a sponge of miR-485-5p, which was reduced in patients with GC and negatively regulated by circ-HN1 in GC cells. Inhibition of miR-485-4p abolished the biological functions induced by the silencing of circ-HN1. Additionally, miR-485-5p targeted GSK3A in GC, whose expression was elevated in tumor tissues and was negatively correlated with miR-485-5p in tumor cells. GSK3A rescued the inhibition of miR-485-5p in the cellular processes. In conclusion, silencing of the circ-HN1–miR-485-5p–GSK3A regulatory network inhibited GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, suggesting that circ-HN1 is a potential target for GC therapy.

Molecular mechanisms of the microRNA-132 during tumor progressions

Cancer as one of the leading causes of human deaths has always been one of the main health challenges in the world. Despite recent advances in therapeutic and diagnostic methods, there is still a high mortality rate among cancer patients. Late diagnosis is one of the main reasons for the high ratio of cancer related deaths. Therefore, it is required to introduce novel early detection methods. Various molecular mechanisms are associated with the tumor progression and metastasis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) family that has important functions in regulation of the cellular processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and tumor progression. Moreover, they have higher stability in body fluids compared with mRNAs which can be introduced as non-invasive diagnostic markers in cancer patients. MiR-132 has important functions as tumor suppressor or oncogene in different cancers. In the present review, we have summarized all of the studies which have been reported the role of miR-132 during tumor progressions. We categorized the miR-132 target genes based on their cell and molecular functions. Although, it has been reported that the miR-132 mainly functions as a tumor suppressor, it has also oncogenic functions especially in pancreatic tumors. MiR-132 mainly exerts its roles during tumor progressions by regulation of the transcription factors and signaling pathways. Present review clarifies the tumor specific molecular mechanisms of miR-132 to introduce that as an efficient non-invasive diagnostic marker in various cancers.

HN1 interacts with γ-tubulin to regulate centrosomes in advanced prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer for men worldwide with advanced forms showing supernumerary or clustered centrosomes. Hematological and neurological expressed 1 (HN1) also known as Jupiter Microtubule Associated Homolog 1 (JPT1) belongs to a small poorly understood family of genes that are evolutionarily conserved across vertebrate species. The co-expression network of HN1 from the TCGA PRAD dataset indicates the putative role of HN1 in centrosome-related processes in the context of prostate cancer. HN1 expression is low in normal RWPE-1 cells as compared to cancerous androgen-responsive LNCaP and androgen insensitive PC-3 cells. HN1 overexpression resulted in differential response for cell proliferation and cell cycle changes in RWPE-1, LNCaP, and PC-3 cells. Since HN1 overexpression increased the proliferation rate in PC-3 cells, these cells were used for functional characterization of HN1 in advanced prostate carcinogenesis. Furthermore, alterations in HN expression led to an increase in abnormal to normal nuclei ratio and increased chromosomal aberrations in PC-3 cells. We observed the co-localization of HN1 with γ-tubulin foci in prostate cancer cells, further validated by immunoprecipitation. HN1 was observed as physically associated with γ-tubulin and its depletion led to increased γ-tubulin foci and disruption in microtubule spindle assembly. Higher HN1 expression was correlated with prostate cancer as compared to normal tissues. The restoration of HN1 expression after silencing suggested that it has a role in centrosome clustering, implicating a potential role of HN1 in cell division as well as in prostate carcinogenesis warranting further studies.

HN1L promotes invasion and metastasis of the esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma

Background

Adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) refers to cancer that crosses the line of the gastroesophageal junction and includes distal esophageal cancer and proximal gastric cancer. It is characterized by early metastasis and a poor prognosis and has few treatment options. Here, we report a novel potential therapeutic target, hematological and neurological expressed 1‐like (HN1L), in AEG.

Methods

A total of 38 patients who underwent surgical resection of AEG at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Shandong Provincial Hospital from September 2018 to June 2019 were enrolled into the study. We detected the expression of HN1L in AEG and adjacent nontumor tissues by IHC staining. The clinicopathological characteristics of HN1L were statistically analyzed. Then, the expression of HN1L in different cell lines was detected by RT‐q PCR. Finally, AGS and HGC‐27 cell lines were performed to inhibit HN1L by shRNA in order to explore its role in the development of AEG.

Results

Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of HN1L in cancer tissues was higher than that in nontumor tissue (p < 0.001). High expression of HN1L was significantly correlated with TNM stage (p = 0.013) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.03). The expression of HN1L was upregulated in tumor cell lines compared with normal cell line. Additionally, Cell function studies demonstrated that lentivirus‐mediated shRNA silencing of HN1L expression could effectively reduce the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of tumor cell lines and promote their apoptosis (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

HN1L expression might contribute to the invasion and metastasis of AEG and is a promising therapeutic target.

HN1L promotes migration and invasion of breast cancer by up-regulating the expression of HMGB1

Recent reports showed that haematological and neurological expressed 1-like (HN1L) gene participated in tumorigenesis and tumour invasion. However, the expression and role of HN1L in breast cancer remain to be investigated. Here, bioinformatics, western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of HN1L in breast cancer. Wound healing, transwell assay, immunofluorescence assay and mass spectrum were used to explore the role and mechanism of HN1L on the migration and invasion of breast cancer, which was confirmed in vivo using a nude mice model. Results showed that HN1L was significantly over-expressed in breast cancer tissues, which was positively correlated with M metastasis of breast cancer patients. Silencing HN1L significantly inhibited the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells in vitro and lung metastasis in nude mice metastasis model of breast cancer. Mechanistically, HN1L interacted with HSPA9 and affected the expression of HMGB1, playing a key role in promoting the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cell. These results suggested that HN1L was an appealing drug target for breast cancer.

HN1 promotes tumor growth and metastasis of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma by interacting with STMN1

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies frequently associated with extrathyroidal extension and metastasis through pathways that remain unclear. Analysis of the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database and an independent cohort showed that the expression of hematological and neurological expressed 1 (HN1) was higher in thyroid cancers than in normal tissues, and negatively correlated with progression-free survival. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry revealed higher HN1 expression in ATC compared to healthy tissues and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). HN1 knockdown attenuated migration and invasion of ATC cells, whereas HN1 overexpression increased migration and invasion of PTC cells. HN1 reduced the acetylation of α-tubulin and promoted progression through epithelial-mesenchymal transition of ATC cells and mouse xenografts. HN1 knockdown significantly attenuated TGF-β-induced mesenchymal phenotype, and inhibited tumor formation and growth of ATC xenografts in nude mice. Loss of STMN1 decreased the malignant potential of HN1, whereas HN1 knockdown in combination with STMN1 overexpression restored the aggressive properties of ATC cells. HN1 increased STMN1 mRNA expression, and prevented STMN1 ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. These results demonstrate that HN1 interacts with STMN1 and drives ATC aggressiveness.

Circular RNA circ_HN1 facilitates gastric cancer progression through modulation of the miR-302b-3p/ROCK2 axis

Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality in the world. Circular RNA hsa_circHN1_005 (circ_HN1), also termed as hsa_circ_0045602, is reported as an oncogene in GC. However, the molecular mechanism of circ_HN1 in GC development has not been fully explored. Here, we surveyed the regulatory mechanism of circ_HN1 in GC progression. The levels of circ_HN1, miR-302b-3p, and rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) mRNA were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, colony formation, cell cycle progresion, migration, and invasion were determined by using cell counting, flow cytometry, colony formation, or transwell assays. Protein levels were detected with Western blotting. The relationship between circ_HN1 or ROCK2 and miR-302b-3p was verified via dual luciferase reporter or RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. The role of circ_HN1 in vivo was confirmed by xenograft assay. We observed that circ_HN1 and ROCK2 were upregulated while miR-302b-3p was downregulated in GC tissues and cells. Circ_HN1 silencing slowed tumor growth in vivo and impeded cell proliferation migration, invasion, and facilitated cell apoptosis in GC cells in vitro. Circ_HN1 sponged miR-302b-3p to regulate ROCK2 expression. MiR-302b-3p inhibitor reversed circ_HN1 silencing-mediated influence on the malignant behaviors of GC cells. Furthermore, ROCK2 overexpression restored miR-302b-3p mimic-mediated impacts on cell malignant behaviors in GC cells. In conclusion, circ_HN1 exerted an oncogenic role in GC through upregulating ROCK2 via sponging miR-302b-3p, offering evidence that circ_HN1 is a potential target for GC therapy.

HN1 promotes tumor associated lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis via NF-κB signaling activation in cervical carcinoma

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a critical cause for disease progression and treatment failure in cervical cancer. However, the mechanism underlying cervical cancer LNM remains unclear. In this study, HN1 was found to be dramatically upregulated in cervical cancer and patients with higher HN1 expression are more likely to exhibit a higher rate of LNM and lower survival rate. Univariate and multivariate Cox-regression analyses showed that HN1 is an independent prognostic factor in cervical cancer. Meanwhile, HN1 promotes lymphangiogenesis of cervical cancer in vitro. The in vivo experiment also indicates that HN1 enhances LNM in cervical cancer. Furthermore, we also found that HN1 activated the NF-κB signaling pathway to enhance the expression of downstream genes. Taken together, our study suggests that HN1 plays a crucial role in promoting LNM and acts as a prognostic biomarker in cervical cancer.

HNRNPA1-mediated 3' UTR length changes of HN1 contributes to cancer- and senescence-associated phenotypes

Cellular senescence has been regarded as a mechanism of tumor suppression. Studying the regulation of gene expression at various levels in cell senescence will shed light on cancer therapy. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) regulates gene expression by altering 3′ untranslated regions (3′ UTR) and plays important roles in diverse biological processes. However, whether APA of a specific gene functions in both cancer and senescence remains unclear. Here, we discovered that 3′ UTR of HN1 (or JPT1) showed shortening in cancers and lengthening in senescence, correlated well with its high expression in cancer cells and low expression in senescent cells, respectively. HN1 transcripts with longer 3′ UTR were less stable and produced less protein. Down-regulation of HN1 induced senescence-associated phenotypes in both normal and cancer cells. Patients with higher HN1 expression had lower survival rates in various carcinomas. Interestingly, down-regulating the splicing factor HNRNPA1 induced 3′ UTR lengthening of HN1 and senescence-associated phenotypes, which could be partially reversed by overexpressing HN1. Together, we revealed for the first time that HNRNPA1-mediated APA of HN1 contributed to cancer- and senescence-related phenotypes. Given senescence is a cancer prevention mechanism, our discovery indicates the HNRNPA1-HN1 axis as a potential target for cancer treatment.

CircHN1 affects cell proliferation and migration in gastric cancer

Background

Increasing evidence indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are dysregulated in human cancers. The biological roles of circRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) have not been well‐characterized.

Methods

The GEO database was used to analyze circRNA expression profile in GC. The expression level of target circRNA in tumor tissues and adjacent non‐tumor tissues was detected by reverse transcription‐quantitative PCR. Gene transfection was used to manipulate the expression of circRNAs. The biological roles of circRNAs in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined by cell counting, colony formation, transwell migration, Matrigel invasion, and mouse xenograft tumor assays. The interactions between circRNAs and miRNAs were verified by RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays.

Results

We found that circHN1 was upregulated in GC tissues and cell lines compared to adjacent non‐tumor tissues and normal gastric epithelial cells. Additionally, circHN1 silencing significantly promoted GC cell growth, colony formation, migration, and invasion, whereas circHN1 overexpression had the opposite effects. CircHN1 overexpression also suppressed gastric cancer growth in the mouse xenograft tumor model. CircHN1 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm of GC cells and could bind to AGO2. MiR‐1248 and miR‐375 were predicted to interact with circHN1 by bioinformatic analyses. MiR‐1248 and miR‐375 overexpression inhibited the activity of the circHN1 luciferase reporter.

Conclusion

CircHN1 is aberrantly expressed in GC and affects the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells by acting as miRNA sponge.

Increased expression of hematological and neurological expressed 1 (HN1) is associated with a poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and its knockdown inhibits cell growth and migration partly by down-regulation of c-Met

Hematologic and neurological expression 1 (HN1) has been reported to involved in certain cancers, but its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is largely unknown. The contribution of HN1 to HCC progression was investigated in the present study. We found that HN1 was significantly up-regulated in HCC tissues, compared with normal tissues, by analyzing the Oncomine and Human Protein Atlas database; and found that high expression of HN1 was markedly associated with worse overall survival, relapse-free survival, progression- free survival and disease-specific survival in HCC patients via exploring the Kaplan-Meier plotter database. Functional assays revealed that HN1 knockdown by siRNA induced G1 cell cycle arrest, and inhibited the growth and migration of HCC cells; accordingly, HN1 over-expression promoted HCC cells proliferation and migration. Further studies indicated that HN1 knockdown reduced the expression of cyclin D1 and CDK4, while upregulated the cell cycle inhibitor p21WAF1/Cip1. Moreover, HN1 knockdown decreased c-Met (receptor tyrosine kinase of hepatocyte growth factor) expression, and suppressed ERK activation, which is a common downstream signaling pathway triggered by c-Met; consistently, HN1 over-expression reversed these effects. Meanwhile, down-regulation of c-Met partly eliminated the effect of HN1 over-expression in HCC cells. Thus, the present findings suggested that HN1 promotes the progression of HCC to some extent by up-regulating the expression of c-Met, and may act as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

Identification of differentially expressed genes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and normal pancreatic tissues based on microarray datasets

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor with rapid progression and poor prognosis. In the present study, 11 high‑quality microarray datasets, comprising 334 tumor samples and 151 non‑tumor samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus, were screened, and integrative meta‑analysis of expression data was used to identify gene signatures that differentiate between PDAC and normal pancreatic tissues. Following the identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), two‑way hierarchical clustering analysis was performed for all DEGs using the gplots package in R software. Hub genes were then determined through protein‑protein interaction network analysis using NetworkAnalyst. In addition, functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses of all DEGs were conducted in the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery. The expression levels and Kaplan‑Meier analysis of the top 10 upregulated and downregulated genes were verified in The Cancer Genome Atlas. A total of 1,587 DEGs, including 1,004 upregulated and 583 downregulated genes, were obtained by comparing PDAC with normal tissues. Of these, hematological and neurological expressed 1, integrin subunit α2 (ITGA2) and S100 calcium‑binding protein A6 (S100A6) were the top upregulated genes, and kinesin family member 1A, Dymeclin and β‑secretase 1 were the top downregulated genes. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was performed to examine the expression levels of S100A6, KRT19 and GNG7, and the results suggested that S100A6 was significantly upregulated in PDAC compared with normal pancreatic tissues. ITGA2 overexpression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival times, whereas family with sequence similarity 46 member C overexpression was strongly associated with longer overall survival times. In addition, network‑based meta‑analysis confirmed growth factor receptor‑bound protein 2 and histone deacetylase 5 as pivotal hub genes in PDAC compared with normal tissue. In conclusion, the results of the present meta‑analysis identified PDAC‑related gene signatures, providing new perspectives and potential targets for PDAC diagnosis and treatment.

Plant MIR156 regulates intestinal growth in mammals by targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important negative regulators of genes involved in physiological and pathological processes in plants and animals. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs might regulate gene expression among different species in a cross-kingdom manner. However, the specific roles of plant miRNAs in animals remain poorly understood and somewhat. Herein, we found that plant MIR156 regulates proliferation of intestinal cells both in vitro and in vivo. Continuous administration of a high plant miRNA diet or synthetic MIR156 elevated MIR156 levels and inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in mouse intestine. Bioinformatics predictions and luciferase reporter assays indicated that MIR156 targets Wnt10b. In vitro, MIR156 suppressed proliferation by downregulating the Wnt10b protein and upregulating β-catenin phosphorylation in the porcine jejunum epithelial (IPEC-J2) cell line. Lithium chloride and an MIR156 inhibitor relieved this inhibition. This research is the first to demonstrate that plant MIR156 inhibits intestinal cell proliferation by targeting Wnt10b. More importantly, plant miRNAs may represent a new class of bioactive molecules that act as epigenetic regulators in humans and other animals.

HN1L-mediated transcriptional axis AP-2γ/METTL13/TCF3-ZEB1 drives tumor growth and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies and lacks targeted therapies. Here, we reported a novel potential therapeutic target hematological and neurological expressed 1 like (HN1L) in HCC. First, HCC tissue microarray analysis showed that HN1L was frequently up-regulated in cancer tissues than that in normal liver tissues, which significantly associated with tumor size, local invasion, distant metastases, and poor prognosis for HCC patients. Functional studies demonstrated that ectopic expression of HN1L could increase cell growth, foci formation in monolayer culture, colony formation in soft agar and tumorigenesis in nude mice. In addition, HN1L could also promote HCC metastasis by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Inversely, silencing HN1L expression with shRNA could effectively attenuate its oncogenic function. We further showed that HN1L transcriptionally up-regulated methyltransferase like 13 (METTL13) gene in an AP-2γ dependent manner, which promoted cell proliferation and metastasis by up-regulating TCF3 and ZEB1. Importantly, administration of lentivirus-mediated shRNA interfering HN1L expression could inhibit tumorigenesis and metastasis in mice. Collectively, HN1L-mediated transcriptional axis AP-2γ/METTL13/TCF3-ZEB1 promotes HCC growth and metastasis representing a promising therapeutic target in HCC treatment.

Systems pharmacology using mass spectrometry identifies critical response nodes in prostate cancer

In the United States alone one in five newly diagnosed cancers in men are prostate carcinomas (PCa). Androgen receptor (AR) status and the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signal transduction pathway are critical in PCa. After initial response to single drugs targeting these pathways resistance often emerges, indicating the need for combination therapy. Here, we address the question of efficacy of drug combinations and development of resistance mechanisms to targeted therapy by a systems pharmacology approach. We combine targeted perturbation with detailed observation of the molecular response by mass spectrometry. We hypothesize that the molecular short-term (24 h) response reveals details of how PCa cells adapt to counter the anti-proliferative drug effect. With focus on six drugs currently used in PCa treatment or targeting the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signal transduction pathway, we perturbed the LNCaP clone FGC cell line by a total of 21 treatment conditions using single and paired drug combinations. The molecular response was analyzed by the mass spectrometric quantification of 52 proteins. Analysis of the data revealed a pattern of strong responders, i.e., proteins that were consistently downregulated or upregulated across many of the perturbation conditions. The downregulated proteins, HN1, PAK1, and SPAG5, are potential early indicators of drug efficacy and point to previously less well-characterized response pathways in PCa cells. Some of the upregulated proteins such as 14-3-3 proteins and KLK2 may be useful early markers of adaptive response and indicate potential resistance pathways targetable as part of combination therapy to overcome drug resistance. The potential of 14-3-3ζ (YWHAZ) as a target is underscored by the independent observation, based on cancer genomics of surgical specimens, that its DNA copy number and transcript levels tend to increase with PCa disease progression. The combination of systematic drug perturbation combined with detailed observation of short-term molecular response using mass spectrometry is a potentially powerful tool to discover response markers and anti-resistance targets.

Metastatic prostate cancer is often treated with pharmacological agents to prevent the tumor from expanding; however, despite advances in drug development patients often die of the disease. An international research team lead by Ruedi Aebersold (ETH Zürich, Switzerland) and Chris Sander (Dana Faber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA) asked how prostate cancer cells adapt to pharmacological treatment on the molecular protein level and find a general response in their prostate cancer model. Next, they asked if similar changes are found in prostate cancer patients. Indeed, the same proteins upregulated in prostate cancer models are also upregulated in prostate cancer patients. Immediately, this has implications for patient treatment stratification and opens new avenues for drug developments in metastatic prostate cancer.

New transcriptional-based insights into the pathogenesis of desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCTs)

To gain new insights into desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCTs) by means of gene expression profiling (GEP). Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded surgical specimens obtained from seven pretreated DSRCT patients were interrogated using GEP complemented by immunohistochemistry, a cancer stem cell array, and miRNA in situ hybridisation, including the combined chimera modules miRNA-200/ZEB1 and miRNA-34/SLUG. The chimera modules divided the cases into three classes that respectively recapitulated the traits of mesenchymal epithelial reverse transition (MErT), epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), and hybrid/partial EMT. This indicates a close correlation between the reprogramming governed by EMT regulators and DSRCT biology, which was further confirmed by miRNA-21 and is consistent with the broad morphological spectrum of DSRCTs. Starting from the miRNA-200/ZEB1 axis, we also found that DSRCTs carry a signature of immunological ignorance that is not responsive to PD-L1 blockade. Evidence that the up-regulation of miRNA-200 and E-cadherin, and quite a high level of miRNA-21 expression segregate with the MErT supports the idea that, in addition to the hybrid/partial state, MErT is also enriched in stemness: the androgen-positive cases, whose stemness traits were confirmed by stem cell arrays, all fell into these two classes. Our findings also confirmed that tumoral cell PDGFRA expression correlates with desmoplasia, and demonstrated the co-expression of PDGFRA and ISLR/Meflin, another marker of pluripotency. Despite the limited number of cases, these findings provide unexpectedly relevant information concerning the pathogenesis of DSRCTs, and prove the validity of miRNA-based chimera circuit modelling in the clinico-pathological setting.

Overexpression of HN1L promotes cell malignant proliferation in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a progressive malignant disease, involving the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressors. In this study, we identified and characterized a novel oncogene hematopoietic- and neurologic-expressed sequence 1-like (HN1L) in human NSCLC. Overexpression of HN1L was frequently detected in primary NSCLC compared with their non-tumor counterparts (P < 0.001), which was significantly associated with tumor size (P = 0.022). In addition, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that upregulation of HN1L correlated with worse overall survival (P = 0.029) and disease-free survival (P = 0.011) for NSCLC patients. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that inhibition of HN1L expression with shRNA dramatically inhibited cell growth, adherent and non-adherent colony formation, and tumorigenicity in nude mice. The positive correlation of HN1L expression and Ki67 level in a large NSCLC samples further suggested the key role of HN1L in the regulation of cell growth. Further study showed that knockdown of HN1L resulted in dramatic cell cycle arrest by interfering with MAPK pathway via interacting with RASA4 protein. In conclusion, HN1L plays a crucial role in the progression of NSCLC by contributing to malignant proliferation, with possible use as a new intervention point for therapeutic strategies.

HN1 contributes to migration, invasion, and tumorigenesis of breast cancer by enhancing MYC activity

BACKGROUND

Hematological and neurological expressed 1 (HN1) is upregulated in many tumors, but the role of HN1 in breast cancer progression and its regulatory mechanism have not been well understood.

METHODS

To study the role of HN1 in the initiation and progression of breast cancer, we examined HN1 levels in breast cancer cells and tissues and analyzed the relationship between HN1 levels and patient survival. We used mammosphere formation assay, side population analysis, wound healing assay, transwell assay, soft agar formation assay, and xenografted tumor model to determine the effect of HN1 on the expansion of breast cancer stem cells, and the migration, invasion and tumorigenesis of breast cancer. To determine whether HN1 regulates MYC, we used quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis to assess the expression of MYC and their targeted genes to determine the phenotype caused by knockdown of MYC in breast cancer cell with HN1 overexpression.

RESULTS

In this study, we found that HN1 was upregulated in breast cancer tissues. Patients with high levels of HN1 expression had significantly shorter survival than those with low HN1 expression. In breast cancer cell line, ectopic overexpression of HN1 not only promoted the expansion of breast cancer stem cells, but also promoted cell migration, invasion, and tumorigenesis, while knockdown of HN1 reduced these effects. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between MYC (also known as c-MYC) level and HN1 level, mechanism analysis suggested HN1 promoted the expression of MYC and its targeted genes like CDK4, CCND1, p21, CAV1, and SFRP1. Downregulation of MYC abrogated the effect of HN1 overexpression in breast cancer cell lines.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, these data reveal that HN1 promotes the progression of breast cancer by upregulating MYC expression, and might be a therapeutic target for breast cancer.