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Zhu Y, Lin J, Li Y, Luo Z. Prognostic value and immune infiltration of the NEK family in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e38961. [PMID: 39029088 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000038961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a fatal urological malignancy. Members of the never-in mitosis gene A (NIMA)-related kinase (NEK) family have been found to participate in the progression of several cancers and could be used as target genes to treat corresponding diseases. Nonetheless, the prognostic value and immune infiltration levels of NEK family genes in ccRCC remain unknown. The GSCA, TIMER, and GEPIA databases were utilized to examine the differential expression of NEK family members in ccRCC, and the Kaplan-Meier plotter was utilized to analyze the prognosis. The STRING database was used to construct a protein-protein interaction network. Analysis of function was performed by the Sangerbox tool. In addition, the relationship between NEK family genes and immune cells was explored using the TIMER and TISIDB databases. Finally, we used quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for experimental verification. Transcriptional levels of NEK2, NEK3, NEK5, NEK6, and NEK11 significantly differed between ccRCC and normal tissues. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between NEK1, NEK2, NEK4, NEK8, NEK9, and NEK10 and their clinicopathological stages in patients with ccRCC. Based on survival analysis, ccRCC patients with high transcriptional levels of NEK2, NEK3, NEK8, and NEK10 and low transcriptional levels of NEK1, NEK4, NEK5, NEK6, NEK7, NEK9, NEK11 had shorter survival times. Additionally, a significant relationship was observed between NEK family members and immune cell infiltration, immune cell markers, and immune subtypes. These results indicate that NEK family members are significantly differentially expressed in ccRCC, and a significant correlation exists between the NEK family and prognosis and immune infiltration. NEK family members may act as therapeutic targets and prognostic indicators in ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingli Zhu
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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2
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Sun JR, Kong CF, Ye YX, Wang Q, Qu XK, Jia LQ, Wu S. Integrated analysis of single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing reveals a novel signature based on NK cell marker genes to predict prognosis and immunotherapy response in gastric cancer. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7648. [PMID: 38561388 PMCID: PMC10985121 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57714-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells play essential roles in the tumor development, diagnosis, and prognosis of tumors. In this study, we aimed to establish a reliable signature based on marker genes in NK cells, thus providing a new perspective for assessing immunotherapy and the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (GC). We analyzed a total of 1560 samples retrieved from the public database. We performed a comprehensive analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of gastric cancer and identified 377 marker genes for NK cells. By performing Cox regression analysis, we established a 12-gene NK cell-associated signature (NKCAS) for the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, that assigned GC patients into a low-risk group (LRG) or a high-risk group (HRG). In the TCGA cohort, the areas under curve (AUC) value were 0.73, 0.81, and 0.80 at 1, 3, and 5 years. External validation of the predictive ability for the signature was then validated in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohorts (GSE84437). The expression levels of signature genes were measured and validated in GC cell lines by real-time PCR. Moreover, NKCAS was identified as an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. We combined this with a variety of clinicopathological characteristics (age, M stage, and tumor grade) to construct a nomogram to predict the survival outcomes of patients. Moreover, the LRG showed higher immune cell infiltration, especially CD8+ T cells and NK cells. The risk score was negatively associated with inflammatory activities. Importantly, analysis of the independent immunotherapy cohort showed that the LRG had a better prognosis and immunotherapy response when compared with the HRG. The identification of NK cell marker genes in this study suggests potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, the developed predictive signatures and nomograms may aid in the clinical management of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Rong Sun
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen-Fan Kong
- Department of Urology, The affiliated Shenzhen Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 16, Liantangxiantong Road, Shenzhen, 518009, Luohu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Xiang Ye
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin Wang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang-Ke Qu
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Qun Jia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, North 3rd East Road, Beijing, 100029, Chaoyang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Song Wu
- Department of Urology, The affiliated Shenzhen Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 16, Liantangxiantong Road, Shenzhen, 518009, Luohu, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Urology, South China Hospital, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518116, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Chen L, Ballout F, Lu H, Hu T, Zhu S, Chen Z, Peng D. Differential Expression of NEK Kinase Family Members in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma and Barrett's Esophagus. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4821. [PMID: 37835513 PMCID: PMC10571661 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has risen rapidly during the past four decades, making it the most common type of esophageal cancer in the USA and Western countries. The NEK (Never in mitosis A (NIMA) related kinase) gene family is a group of serine/threonine kinases with 11 members. Aberrant expression of NEKs has been recently found in a variety of human cancers and plays important roles in tumorigenesis, progression, and drug-resistance. However, the expression of the NEKs in EAC and its precancerous condition (Barrett's esophagus, BE) has not been investigated. In the present study, we first analyzed the TCGA and 9 GEO databases (a total of 10 databases in which 8 contain EAC and 6 contain BE) using bioinformatic approaches for NEKs expression in EAC and BE. We identified that several NEK members, such as NEK2 (7/8), NEK3 (6/8), and NEK6 (6/8), were significantly upregulated in EAC as compared to normal esophagus samples. Alternatively, NEK1 was downregulated in EAC as compared to the normal esophagus. On the contrary, genomic alterations of these NEKs are not frequent in EAC. We validated the above findings using qRT-PCR and the protein expression of NEKs in EAC cell lines using Western blotting and in primary EAC tissues using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Our data suggest that frequent upregulation of NEK2, NEK3, and NEK7 may be important in EAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Farah Ballout
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Heng Lu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Tianling Hu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Shoumin Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Zheng Chen
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Dunfa Peng
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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4
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Nguyen K, Boehling J, Tran MN, Cheng T, Rivera A, Collins-Burow BM, Lee SB, Drewry DH, Burow ME. NEK Family Review and Correlations with Patient Survival Outcomes in Various Cancer Types. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15072067. [PMID: 37046733 PMCID: PMC10093199 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Never in Mitosis Gene A (NIMA)–related kinases (NEKs) are a group of serine/threonine kinases that are involved in a wide array of cellular processes including cell cycle regulation, DNA damage repair response (DDR), apoptosis, and microtubule organization. Recent studies have identified the involvement of NEK family members in various diseases such as autoimmune disorders, malignancies, and developmental defects. Despite the existing literature exemplifying the importance of the NEK family of kinases, this family of protein kinases remains understudied. This report seeks to provide a foundation for investigating the role of different NEKs in malignancies. We do this by evaluating the 11 NEK family kinase gene expression associations with patients’ overall survival (OS) from various cancers using the Kaplan–Meier Online Tool (KMPlotter) to correlate the relationship between mRNA expression of NEK1-11 in various cancers and patient survival. Furthermore, we use the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database to identify NEK family mutations in cancers of different tissues. Overall, the data suggest that the NEK family has varying associations with patient survival in different cancers with tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting effects being tissue-dependent.
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Panchal NK, Evan Prince S. The NEK family of serine/threonine kinases as a biomarker for cancer. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:17-30. [PMID: 35037094 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-021-00782-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is defined by unrestrained cell proliferation due to impaired protein activity. Cell cycle-related proteins are likely to play a role in human cancers, including proliferation, invasion, and therapeutic resistance. The serine/threonine NEK kinases are the part of Never In Mitosis A Kinases (NIMA) family, which are less explored kinase family involved in the cell cycle, checkpoint regulation, and cilia biology. They comprise of eleven members, namely NEK1, NEK2, NEK3, NEK4, NEK5, NEK6, NEK7, NEK8, NEK9, NEK10, and NEK11, located in different cellular regions. Recent research has shown the role of NEK family in various cancers by perversely expressing. Therefore, this review aimed to provide a systematic account of our understanding of NEK kinases; structural details; and its role in the cell cycle regulation. Furthermore, we have comprehensively reviewed the NEK kinases in terms of their expression and regulation in different cancers. Lastly, we have emphasized on some of the potential NEK inhibitors reported so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagesh Kishan Panchal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632 014, India
| | - Sabina Evan Prince
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632 014, India.
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Eight Aging-Related Genes Prognostic Signature for Cervical Cancer. Int J Genomics 2023; 2023:4971345. [PMID: 36880057 PMCID: PMC9985510 DOI: 10.1155/2023/4971345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
This study searched for aging-related genes (ARGs) to predict the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer (CC). All data were obtained from Molecular Signatures Database, Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Integration, and Genotype Organization Expression. The R software was used to screen out the differentially expressed ARGs (DE-ARGs) between CC and normal tissues. A protein-protein interaction network was established by the DE-ARGs. The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted on the first extracted Molecular Complex Detection component, and a prognostic model was constructed. The prognostic model was further validated in the testing set and GSE44001 dataset. Prognosis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier curves, and accuracy of the prognostic model was assessed by receiver operating characteristic area under the curve analysis. An independent prognostic analysis of risk score and some clinicopathological factors of CC was also performed. The copy-number variant (CNV) and single-nucleotide variant (SNV) of prognostic ARGs were analyzed by the BioPortal database. A clinical practical nomogram was established to predict individual survival probability. Finally, we carried out cell experiment to further verify the prognostic model. An eight-ARG prognostic signature for CC was constructed. High-risk CC patients had significantly shorter overall survival than low-risk patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve validated the good performance of the signature in survival prediction. The Figo_stage and risk score served as independent prognostic factors. The eight ARGs mainly enriched in growth factor regulation and cell cycle pathway, and the deep deletion of FN1 was the most common CNV. An eight-ARG prognostic signature for CC was successfully constructed.
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de Castro Ferezin C, Lim Kam Sian TCC, Wu Y, Ma X, Chüeh AC, Huang C, Schittenhelm RB, Kobarg J, Daly RJ. Identification of biological pathways and processes regulated by NEK5 in breast epithelial cells via an integrated proteomic approach. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:197. [PMID: 36550548 PMCID: PMC9773587 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-01006-y] [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: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific members of the Nima-Related Kinase (NEK) family have been linked to cancer development and progression, and a role for NEK5, one of the least studied members, in breast cancer has recently been proposed. However, while NEK5 is known to regulate centrosome separation and mitotic spindle assembly, NEK5 signalling mechanisms and function in this malignancy require further characterization. To this end, we established a model system featuring overexpression of NEK5 in the immortalized breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A. MCF-10A cells overexpressing NEK5 exhibited an increase in clonogenicity under monolayer conditions and enhanced acinar size and abnormal morphology in 3D Matrigel culture. Interestingly, they also exhibited a marked reduction in Src activation and downstream signalling. To interrogate NEK5 signalling and function in an unbiased manner, we applied a variety of MS-based proteomic approaches. Determination of the NEK5 interactome by Bio-ID identified a variety of protein classes including the kinesins KIF2C and KIF22, the mitochondrial proteins TFAM, TFB2M and MFN2, RhoH effectors and the negative regulator of Src, CSK. Characterization of proteins and phosphosites modulated upon NEK5 overexpression by global MS-based (phospho)proteomic profiling revealed impact on the cell cycle, DNA synthesis and repair, Rho GTPase signalling, the microtubule cytoskeleton and hemidesmosome assembly. Overall, the study indicates that NEK5 impacts diverse pathways and processes in breast epithelial cells, and likely plays a multifaceted role in breast cancer development and progression. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila de Castro Ferezin
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Terry C. C. Lim Kam Sian
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Yunjian Wu
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Xiuquan Ma
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Anderly C. Chüeh
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Cheng Huang
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Ralf B. Schittenhelm
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Jörg Kobarg
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roger J. Daly
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
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Liu NQ, Cao WH, Wang X, Chen J, Nie J. Cyclin genes as potential novel prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in breast cancer. Oncol Lett 2022; 24:374. [PMID: 36238849 PMCID: PMC9494629 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2022.13494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nian-Qiu Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Han Cao
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
| | - Junyao Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
| | - Jianyun Nie
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Center, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
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Cimbalo A, Frangiamone M, Lozano M, Escrivá L, Vila-Donat P, Manyes L. Protective role of fermented whey and pumpkin extract against aflatoxin B 1 and ochratoxin A toxicity in Jurkat T-cells. WORLD MYCOTOXIN J 2022. [DOI: 10.3920/wmj2022.2780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The beneficial effect of fermented whey and pumpkin extract rich in carotenoids was evaluated in Jurkat cells against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) cytotoxicity through a proteomic approach. The functional ingredients were added into mycotoxin contaminated bread formulation, which were digested in vitro in order to simulate human intestinal absorption. Cell cultures were exposed during 7 days to these mycotoxins dissolved in: (a) 0.1% organic solvent (DMSO), (b) an intestinal digest of bread with pumpkin individually (PID) and (c) an intestinal digest of bread with pumpkin mixed with fermented whey (PID+WF). Extracted proteins were subjected to reduction and alkylation and subsequently a tryptic digestion in order to be analysed by liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight (LC/MS-Q-TOF). Results obtained highlighted the beneficial role of functional ingredients employed through the identification of proteins involved in several biological processes and metabolic pathways, mainly antioxidant activity, nucleosome assembly and secretory senescence phenotype. Among proteins involved in antioxidant activity, peroxiredoxin 1 and 2 stand out. Comparing the different conditions investigated, a remarkable change was observed in their expression, ranging from a repression using the standard (DMSO 0.1%), to an overexpression when treated with the functional ingredients. Similarly, after PID and PID+WF treatment, histones’ expression implicated in the metabolic pathway of nucleosome assembly, such as H2A, H2B, H2C, H3 and H4, was increased. Furthermore, the expression of protein cyclin A2, which downregulation is involved in limiting carcinogenic cells growth, was lower in presence of both functional ingredients. Based on these findings, functional ingredients can act as protectors against genomic stress caused by mycotoxins, preventing the loss of vital cell functions and paralysing the growth of carcinogenic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Cimbalo
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - M. Frangiamone
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - M. Lozano
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - L. Escrivá
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - P. Vila-Donat
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - L. Manyes
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n., 46100 Burjassot, Spain
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In Mitosis You Are Not: The NIMA Family of Kinases in Aspergillus, Yeast, and Mammals. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23074041. [PMID: 35409400 PMCID: PMC8999480 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23074041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Never in mitosis gene A (NIMA) family of serine/threonine kinases is a diverse group of protein kinases implicated in a wide variety of cellular processes, including cilia regulation, microtubule dynamics, mitotic processes, cell growth, and DNA damage response. The founding member of this family was initially identified in Aspergillus and was found to play important roles in mitosis and cell division. The yeast family has one member each, Fin1p in fission yeast and Kin3p in budding yeast, also with functions in mitotic processes, but, overall, these are poorly studied kinases. The mammalian family, the main focus of this review, consists of 11 members named Nek1 to Nek11. With the exception of a few members, the functions of the mammalian Neks are poorly understood but appear to be quite diverse. Like the prototypical NIMA, many members appear to play important roles in mitosis and meiosis, but their functions in the cell go well beyond these well-established activities. In this review, we explore the roles of fungal and mammalian NIMA kinases and highlight the most recent findings in the field.
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Gao WL, Niu L, Chen WL, Zhang YQ, Huang WH. Integrative Analysis of the Expression Levels and Prognostic Values for NEK Family Members in Breast Cancer. Front Genet 2022; 13:798170. [PMID: 35368696 PMCID: PMC8967485 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.798170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In the latest rankings, breast cancer ranks first in incidence and fifth in mortality among female malignancies worldwide. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve the prognosis and prolong the survival of breast cancer (BC) patients. The NIMA-related kinase (NEK), a group of serine/threonine kinase, is a large and conserved gene family that includes NEK1–NEK11. The NEK plays a pivotal role in the cell cycle and microtubule formation. However, an integrative analysis of the effect and prognosis value of NEK family members on BC patients is still lacking. Methods: In this study, the expression profiles of NEK family members in BC and its subgroups were analyzed using UALCAN, GEPIA2, and Human Protein Atlas datasets. The prognostic values of NEK family members in BC were evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier plotter. Co-expression profiles and genetic alterations of NEK family members were analyzed using the cBioPortal database. The function and pathway enrichment analysis of the NEK family were performed using the WebGestalt database. The correlation analysis of the NEK family and immune cell infiltration in BC was conducted using the TIMER 2.0 database. Results: In this study, we compared and analyzed the prognosis values of the NEKs. We found that NEK9 was highly expressed in normal breast tissues than BC, and NEK2, NEK6, and NEK11 were significantly highly expressed in BC than adjacent normal tissues. Interestingly, the expression levels of NEK2, NEK6, and NEK10 were not only remarkably correlated with the tumor stage but also with the molecular subtype. Through multilevel research, we found that high expression levels of NEK1, NEK3, NEK8, NEK9, NEK10, and NEK11 suggested a better prognosis value in BC, while high expression levels of NEK2 and NEK6 suggested a poor prognosis value in BC. Conclusion: Our studies show the prognosis values of the NEKs in BC. Thus, we suggest that NEKs may be regarded as novel biomarkers for predicting potential prognosis values and potential therapeutic targets of BC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Liang Gao
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Research Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast and Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, China
| | - Lei Niu
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Research Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast and Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, China
| | - Wei-Ling Chen
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Research Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast and Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, China
| | - Yong-Qu Zhang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Research Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast and Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, China
- *Correspondence: Yong-Qu Zhang, ; Wen-He Huang,
| | - Wen-He Huang
- Department of Breast-Thyroid-Surgery and Cancer Research Center, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Research Center of Clinical Medicine in Breast and Thyroid Cancers, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Endocrine-Related Cancer Precision Medicine, Xiamen, China
- *Correspondence: Yong-Qu Zhang, ; Wen-He Huang,
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12
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Yang M, Guo Y, Guo X, Mao Y, Zhu S, Wang N, Lu D. Analysis of the effect of NEKs on the prognosis of patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma based on bioinformatics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1705. [PMID: 35105934 PMCID: PMC8807624 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05728-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
NEKs are proteins that are involved in various cell processes and play important roles in the formation and development of cancer. However, few studies have examined the role of NEKs in the development of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). To address this problem, the Oncomine, UALCAN, and the Human Protein Atlas databases were used to analyze differential NEK expression and its clinicopathological parameters, while the Kaplan-Meier, cBioPortal, GEPIA, and DAVID databases were used to analyze survival, gene mutations, similar genes, and biological enrichments. The rate of NEK family gene mutation was high (> 50%) in patients with NSCLC, in which NEK2/4/6/8/ was overexpressed and significantly correlated with tumor stage and nodal metastasis status. In addition, the high expression of NEK2/3mRNA was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC, while high expression of NEK1/4/6/7/8/9/10/11mRNA was associated with good prognosis. In summary, these results suggest that NEK2/4/6/8 may be a potential prognostic biomarker for the survival of patients with NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxia Yang
- Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China
| | - Yikun Guo
- Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Guo
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Mao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410005, People's Republic of China
| | - Shijie Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China
| | - Ningjun Wang
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China.
| | - Dianrong Lu
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China.
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13
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Anuraga G, Wang WJ, Phan NN, An Ton NT, Ta HDK, Berenice Prayugo F, Minh Xuan DT, Ku SC, Wu YF, Andriani V, Athoillah M, Lee KH, Wang CY. Potential Prognostic Biomarkers of NIMA (Never in Mitosis, Gene A)-Related Kinase (NEK) Family Members in Breast Cancer. J Pers Med 2021; 11:1089. [PMID: 34834441 PMCID: PMC8625415 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11111089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer remains the most common malignant cancer in women, with a staggering incidence of two million cases annually worldwide; therefore, it is crucial to explore novel biomarkers to assess the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer patients. NIMA-related kinase (NEK) protein kinase contains 11 family members named NEK1-NEK11, which were discovered from Aspergillus Nidulans; however, the role of NEK family genes for tumor development remains unclear and requires additional study. In the present study, we investigate the prognosis relationships of NEK family genes for breast cancer development, as well as the gene expression signature via the bioinformatics approach. The results of several integrative analyses revealed that most of the NEK family genes are overexpressed in breast cancer. Among these family genes, NEK2/6/8 overexpression had poor prognostic significance in distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in breast cancer patients. Meanwhile, NEK2/6 had the highest level of DNA methylation, and the functional enrichment analysis from MetaCore and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) suggested that NEK2 was associated with the cell cycle, G2M checkpoint, DNA repair, E2F, MYC, MTORC1, and interferon-related signaling. Moreover, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) results showed that the transcriptional levels of NEK2 were positively correlated with immune infiltration of B cells and CD4+ T Cell. Collectively, the current study indicated that NEK family genes, especially NEK2 which is involved in immune infiltration, and may serve as prognosis biomarkers for breast cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangga Anuraga
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana, Surabaya 60234, Indonesia;
| | - Wei-Jan Wang
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung 40604, Taiwan;
| | - Nam Nhut Phan
- Institute for Environmental Science, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam; (N.N.P.); (N.T.A.T.)
| | - Nu Thuy An Ton
- Institute for Environmental Science, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam; (N.N.P.); (N.T.A.T.)
| | - Hoang Dang Khoa Ta
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Fidelia Berenice Prayugo
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Do Thi Minh Xuan
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Su-Chi Ku
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Yung-Fu Wu
- Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
| | - Vivin Andriani
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana, Surabaya 60234, Indonesia;
| | - Muhammad Athoillah
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana, Surabaya 60234, Indonesia;
| | - Kuen-Haur Lee
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
- Cancer Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yang Wang
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
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14
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Matossian MD, Elliott S, Van Hoang T, Burks HE, Wright MK, Alzoubi MS, Yan T, Chang T, Wathieu H, Windsor GO, Hartono AB, Lee S, Zuercher WJ, Drewry DH, Wells C, Kapadia N, Buechlein A, Fang F, Nephew KP, Collins-Burow BM, Burow ME. NEK5 activity regulates the mesenchymal and migratory phenotype in breast cancer cells. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 189:49-61. [PMID: 34196902 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06295-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Breast cancer remains a prominent global disease affecting women worldwide despite the emergence of novel therapeutic regimens. Metastasis is responsible for most cancer-related deaths, and acquisition of a mesenchymal and migratory cancer cell phenotypes contributes to this devastating disease. The utilization of kinase targets in drug discovery have revolutionized the field of cancer research but despite impressive advancements in kinase-targeting drugs, a large portion of the human kinome remains understudied in cancer. NEK5, a member of the Never-in-mitosis kinase family, is an example of such an understudied kinase. Here, we characterized the function of NEK5 in breast cancer. METHODS Stably overexpressing NEK5 cell lines (MCF7) and shRNA knockdown cell lines (MDA-MB-231, TU-BcX-4IC) were utilized. Cell morphology changes were evaluated using immunofluorescence and quantification of cytoskeletal components. Cell proliferation was assessed by Ki-67 staining and transwell migration assays tested cell migration capabilities. In vivo experiments with murine models were necessary to demonstrate NEK5 function in breast cancer tumor growth and metastasis. RESULTS NEK5 activation altered breast cancer cell morphology and promoted cell migration independent of effects on cell proliferation. NEK5 overexpression or knockdown does not alter tumor growth kinetics but promotes or suppresses metastatic potential in a cell type-specific manner, respectively. CONCLUSION While NEK5 activity modulated cytoskeletal changes and cell motility, NEK5 activity affected cell seeding capabilities but not metastatic colonization or proliferation in vivo. Here we characterized NEK5 function in breast cancer systems and we implicate NEK5 in regulating specific steps of metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven Elliott
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - T Van Hoang
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Hope E Burks
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Maryl K Wright
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Madlin S Alzoubi
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Thomas Yan
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Tiffany Chang
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Henri Wathieu
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Gabrielle O Windsor
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alifiani Bo Hartono
- Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Sean Lee
- Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - William J Zuercher
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David H Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Carrow Wells
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nirav Kapadia
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Aaron Buechlein
- Indiana University Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Fang Fang
- Indiana University Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Kenneth P Nephew
- Indiana University Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Matthew E Burow
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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15
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Li YK, Hsu HM, Lin MC, Chang CW, Chu CM, Chang YJ, Yu JC, Chen CT, Jian CE, Sun CA, Chen KH, Kuo MH, Cheng CS, Chang YT, Wu YS, Wu HY, Yang YT, Lin C, Lin HC, Hu JM, Chang YT. Genetic co-expression networks contribute to creating predictive model and exploring novel biomarkers for the prognosis of breast cancer. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7268. [PMID: 33790307 PMCID: PMC8012617 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84995-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic co-expression network (GCN) analysis augments the understanding of breast cancer (BC). We aimed to propose GCN-based modeling for BC relapse-free survival (RFS) prediction and to discover novel biomarkers. We used GCN and Cox proportional hazard regression to create various prediction models using mRNA microarray of 920 tumors and conduct external validation using independent data of 1056 tumors. GCNs of 34 identified candidate genes were plotted in various sizes. Compared to the reference model, the genetic predictors selected from bigger GCNs composed better prediction models. The prediction accuracy and AUC of 3 ~ 15-year RFS are 71.0-81.4% and 74.6-78% respectively (rfm, ACC 63.2-65.5%, AUC 61.9-74.9%). The hazard ratios of risk scores of developing relapse ranged from 1.89 ~ 3.32 (p < 10-8) over all models under the control of the node status. External validation showed the consistent finding. We found top 12 co-expressed genes are relative new or novel biomarkers that have not been explored in BC prognosis or other cancers until this decade. GCN-based modeling creates better prediction models and facilitates novel genes exploration on BC prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Kuei Li
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Huan-Ming Hsu
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Surgery, Songshan Branch of Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 11490, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Chiung Lin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Wen Chang
- School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Ming Chu
- Division of Medical Informatics, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Big Data Research Center, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung City, Taiwan.,Department of Healthcare Administration and Medical Informatics College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jia Chang
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Cell Physiology and Molecular Image Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jyh-Cherng Yu
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Ting Chen
- Division of Medical Informatics, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chen-En Jian
- Division of Medical Informatics, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-An Sun
- Big Data Research Center, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Kang-Hua Chen
- School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Hao Kuo
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Shiang Cheng
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ting Chang
- Division of Medical Informatics, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Syuan Wu
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Yi Wu
- Division of Medical Informatics, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ting Yang
- Division of Medical Informatics, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chen Lin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Center for Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Che Lin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 11490, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Hualien Armed Forces General Hospital, Xincheng, Hualien, 97144, Taiwan
| | - Je-Ming Hu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 11490, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Tien Chang
- Division of Medical Informatics, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Big Data Research Center, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
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16
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Pavan ICB, Peres de Oliveira A, Dias PRF, Basei FL, Issayama LK, Ferezin CDC, Silva FR, Rodrigues de Oliveira AL, Alves dos Reis Moura L, Martins MB, Simabuco FM, Kobarg J. On Broken Ne(c)ks and Broken DNA: The Role of Human NEKs in the DNA Damage Response. Cells 2021; 10:507. [PMID: 33673578 PMCID: PMC7997185 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
NIMA-related kinases, or NEKs, are a family of Ser/Thr protein kinases involved in cell cycle and mitosis, centrosome disjunction, primary cilia functions, and DNA damage responses among other biological functional contexts in vertebrate cells. In human cells, there are 11 members, termed NEK1 to 11, and the research has mainly focused on exploring the more predominant roles of NEKs in mitosis regulation and cell cycle. A possible important role of NEKs in DNA damage response (DDR) first emerged for NEK1, but recent studies for most NEKs showed participation in DDR. A detailed analysis of the protein interactions, phosphorylation events, and studies of functional aspects of NEKs from the literature led us to propose a more general role of NEKs in DDR. In this review, we express that NEK1 is an activator of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR), and its activation results in cell cycle arrest, guaranteeing DNA repair while activating specific repair pathways such as homology repair (HR) and DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. For NEK2, 6, 8, 9, and 11, we found a role downstream of ATR and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) that results in cell cycle arrest, but details of possible activated repair pathways are still being investigated. NEK4 shows a connection to the regulation of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair of DNA DSBs, through recruitment of DNA-PK to DNA damage foci. NEK5 interacts with topoisomerase IIβ, and its knockdown results in the accumulation of damaged DNA. NEK7 has a regulatory role in the detection of oxidative damage to telomeric DNA. Finally, NEK10 has recently been shown to phosphorylate p53 at Y327, promoting cell cycle arrest after exposure to DNA damaging agents. In summary, this review highlights important discoveries of the ever-growing involvement of NEK kinases in the DDR pathways. A better understanding of these roles may open new diagnostic possibilities or pharmaceutical interventions regarding the chemo-sensitizing inhibition of NEKs in various forms of cancer and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isadora Carolina Betim Pavan
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Andressa Peres de Oliveira
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Pedro Rafael Firmino Dias
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Fernanda Luisa Basei
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Luidy Kazuo Issayama
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Camila de Castro Ferezin
- Graduate Program in “Biologia Funcional e Molecular”, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-857, Brazil;
| | - Fernando Riback Silva
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Ana Luisa Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Lívia Alves dos Reis Moura
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Mariana Bonjiorno Martins
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
- Graduate Program in “Biologia Funcional e Molecular”, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-857, Brazil;
| | | | - Jörg Kobarg
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
- Graduate Program in “Biologia Funcional e Molecular”, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-857, Brazil;
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17
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Reticular Basement Membrane Thickness Is Associated with Growth- and Fibrosis-Promoting Airway Transcriptome Profile-Study in Asthma Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22030998. [PMID: 33498209 PMCID: PMC7863966 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22030998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Airway remodeling in asthma is characterized by reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickening, likely related to epithelial structural and functional changes. Gene expression profiling of the airway epithelium might identify genes involved in bronchial structural alterations. We analyzed bronchial wall geometry (computed tomography (CT)), RBM thickness (histology), and the bronchial epithelium transcriptome profile (gene expression array) in moderate to severe persistent (n = 21) vs. no persistent (n = 19) airflow limitation asthmatics. RBM thickness was similar in the two studied subgroups. Among the genes associated with increased RBM thickness, the most essential were those engaged in cell activation, proliferation, and growth (e.g., CDK20, TACC2, ORC5, and NEK5) and inhibiting apoptosis (e.g., higher mRNA expression of RFN34, BIRC3, NAA16, and lower of RNF13, MRPL37, CACNA1G). Additionally, RBM thickness correlated with the expression of genes encoding extracellular matrix (ECM) components (LAMA3, USH2A), involved in ECM remodeling (LTBP1), neovascularization (FGD5, HPRT1), nerve functioning (TPH1, PCDHGC4), oxidative stress adaptation (RIT1, HSP90AB1), epigenetic modifications (OLMALINC, DNMT3A), and the innate immune response (STAP1, OAS2). Cluster analysis revealed that genes linked with RBM thickness were also related to thicker bronchial walls in CT. Our study suggests that the pro-fibrotic profile in the airway epithelial cell transcriptome is associated with a thicker RBM, and thus, may contribute to asthma airway remodeling.
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Peres de Oliveira A, Kazuo Issayama L, Betim Pavan IC, Riback Silva F, Diniz Melo-Hanchuk T, Moreira Simabuco F, Kobarg J. Checking NEKs: Overcoming a Bottleneck in Human Diseases. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25081778. [PMID: 32294979 PMCID: PMC7221840 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In previous years, several kinases, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), have been linked to important human diseases, although some kinase families remain neglected in terms of research, hiding their relevance to therapeutic approaches. Here, a review regarding the NEK family is presented, shedding light on important information related to NEKs and human diseases. NEKs are a large group of homologous kinases with related functions and structures that participate in several cellular processes such as the cell cycle, cell division, cilia formation, and the DNA damage response. The review of the literature points to the pivotal participation of NEKs in important human diseases, like different types of cancer, diabetes, ciliopathies and central nervous system related and inflammatory-related diseases. The different known regulatory molecular mechanisms specific to each NEK are also presented, relating to their involvement in different diseases. In addition, important information about NEKs remains to be elucidated and is highlighted in this review, showing the need for other studies and research regarding this kinase family. Therefore, the NEK family represents an important group of kinases with potential applications in the therapy of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Peres de Oliveira
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
| | - Luidy Kazuo Issayama
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Isadora Carolina Betim Pavan
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
- Laboratório Multidisciplinar em Alimentos e Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo 13484-350, Brazil;
| | - Fernando Riback Silva
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Talita Diniz Melo-Hanchuk
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Fernando Moreira Simabuco
- Laboratório Multidisciplinar em Alimentos e Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo 13484-350, Brazil;
| | - Jörg Kobarg
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-19-3521-8143
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Melo-Hanchuk TD, Martins MB, Cunha LL, Soares FA, Ward LS, Vassallo J, Kobarg J. Expression of the NEK family in normal and cancer tissue: an immunohistochemical study. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:23. [PMID: 31906878 PMCID: PMC6945616 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-6408-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The NEK serine/threonine protein kinases are involved in cell cycle checkpoints, DNA damage repair, and apoptosis. Alterations in these pathways are frequently associated with cell malignant cellular transformations. Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant tumour in the endocrine system. Despite good treatment methods, the number of cases has increased significantly in recent years. Here, we studied the expression of NEK1, NEK2, NEK3, and NEK5 in different types of normal and malignant tissues, using tissue microarray analysis, and identified NEKs as potential markers in thyroid malignancy. METHODS The studied cases comprised multiple cancer tissue microarrays, including breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, lung, pancreas, prostate, stomach, thyroid and uterine cervix, as well as 281 patients who underwent thyroid resection for thyroid cancer or thyroid nodules. The expression of NEK1, NEK2, NEK3, and NEK5 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The expression pattern was evaluated in terms of intensity by two methods, semiquantitative and quantitative, and was compared between normal and cancer tissue. RESULTS We analysed the expression of each member of the NEK family in a tissue-dependent manner. Compared to normal tissue, most of the evaluated proteins showed lower expression in lung tumour. However, in the thyroid, the expression was higher in malignant tissue, especially for NEK 1, NEK3 and NEK5. Concerning characteristics of the thyroid tumour, such as aggressiveness, NEK1 expression was higher in tumours with multifocality and in patients with lymph node metastasis. NEK3 expression was stronger in patients with stage II, that involved metastasis. NEK5, on the other hand, showed high expression in patients with invasion and metastasis and in patients with tumour size > 4 cm. Furthermore, this work, demonstrated for the first time a high specificity and sensitivity of over-expression of NEK1 in classical and follicular variants of papillary thyroid cancer and NEK3 in tall-cell papillary thyroid cancer. CONCLUSION Taken together, the NEK protein kinases emerge as important proteins in thyroid cancer development and may help to identify malignancy and aggressiveness features during diagnosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study was retrospectively registered. www.accamargo.org.br/cientistas-pesquisadores/comite-de-etica-em-pequisa-cep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita Diniz Melo-Hanchuk
- Departamento de Bioquímica e de Biologia Tecidual, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana Bonjiorno Martins
- Departamento de Bioquímica e de Biologia Tecidual, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Leite Cunha
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular do Câncer, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Laura Sterian Ward
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular do Câncer, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Vassallo
- Departamento de Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jörg Kobarg
- Departamento de Bioquímica e de Biologia Tecidual, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. .,Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas-UNICAMP, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Inst. de Biologia, Dep. Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Rua Monteiro Lobato 255, CEP 13083-862, Campinas-SP, Brazil.
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Cai Y, Mei J, Xiao Z, Xu B, Jiang X, Zhang Y, Zhu Y. Identification of five hub genes as monitoring biomarkers for breast cancer metastasis in silico. Hereditas 2019; 156:20. [PMID: 31285741 PMCID: PMC6588910 DOI: 10.1186/s41065-019-0096-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is one of the most common endocrine cancers among females worldwide. Distant metastasis of breast cancer is causing an increasing number of breast cancer-related deaths. However, the potential mechanisms of metastasis and candidate biomarkers remain to be further explored. RESULTS The gene expression profiles of GSE102484 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to screen for the most potent gene modules associated with the metastatic risk of breast cancer, and a total of 12 modules were identified based on the analysis. In the most significant module (R2 = 0.68), 21 network hub genes (MM > 0.90) were retained for further analyses. Next, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were used to further explore the biomarkers with the most interactions in gene modules. According to the PPI networks, five hub genes (TPX2, KIF2C, CDCA8, BUB1B, and CCNA2) were identified as key genes associated with breast cancer progression. Furthermore, the prognostic value and differential expression of these genes were validated based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Kaplan-Meier (KM) Plotter. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that the mRNA expression levels of these five hub genes showed excellent diagnostic value for breast cancer and adjacent tissues. Moreover, these five hub genes were significantly associated with worse distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in the patient cohort based on KM Plotter. CONCLUSION Five hub genes (TPX2, KIF2C, CDCA8, BUB1B, and CCNA2) associated with the risk of distant metastasis were extracted for further research, which might be used as biomarkers to predict distant metastasis of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Cai
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
- Department of Bioinformatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
| | - Jie Mei
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
| | - Zhuang Xiao
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
| | - Bujie Xu
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
| | - Xiaozheng Jiang
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
| | - Yongjie Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
- Key Laboratory for Aging & Diseases of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
| | - Yichao Zhu
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166 China
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