Minichromosome maintenance complex component 6 (MCM6) expression correlates with histological grade and survival in endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma

In silico functional, structural and pathogenicity analysis of missense single nucleotide polymorphisms in human MCM6 gene

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are one of the most common determinants and potential biomarkers of human disease pathogenesis. SNPs could alter amino acid residues, leading to the loss of structural and functional integrity of the encoded protein. In humans, members of the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) family play a vital role in cell proliferation and have a significant impact on tumorigenesis. Among the MCM members, the molecular mechanism of how missense SNPs of minichromosome maintenance complex component 6 (MCM6) contribute to DNA replication and tumor pathogenesis is underexplored and needs to be elucidated. Hence, a series of sequence and structure-based computational tools were utilized to determine how mutations affect the corresponding MCM6 protein. From the dbSNP database, among 15,009 SNPs in the MCM6 gene, 642 missense SNPs (4.28%), 291 synonymous SNPs (1.94%), and 12,500 intron SNPs (83.28%) were observed. Out of the 642 missense SNPs, 33 were found to be deleterious during the SIFT analysis. Among these, 11 missense SNPs (I123S, R207C, R222C, L449F, V456M, D463G, H556Y, R602H, R633W, R658C, and P815T) were found as deleterious, probably damaging, affective and disease-associated. Then, I123S, R207C, R222C, V456M, D463G, R602H, R633W, and R658C missense SNPs were found to be highly harmful. Six missense SNPs (I123S, R207C, V456M, D463G, R602H, and R633W) had the potential to destabilize the corresponding protein as predicted by DynaMut2. Interestingly, five high-risk mutations (I123S, V456M, D463G, R602H, and R633W) were distributed in two domains (PF00493 and PF14551). During molecular dynamics simulations analysis, consistent fluctuation in RMSD and RMSF values, high Rg and hydrogen bonds in mutant proteins compared to wild-type revealed that these mutations might alter the protein structure and stability of the corresponding protein. Hence, the results from the analyses guide the exploration of the mechanism by which these missense SNPs of the MCM6 gene alter the structural integrity and functional properties of the protein, which could guide the identification of ways to minimize the harmful effects of these mutations in humans.

Biomarkers for prognosis of meningioma patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Meningioma is the most common primary brain tumor and many studies have evaluated numerous biomarkers for their prognostic value, often with inconsistent results. Currently, no reliable biomarkers are available to predict the survival, recurrence, and progression of meningioma patients in clinical practice. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of immunohistochemistry-based (IHC) biomarkers of meningioma patients. A systematic literature search was conducted up to November 2023 on PubMed, CENTRAL, CINAHL Plus, and Scopus databases. Two authors independently reviewed the identified relevant studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the studies included. Meta-analyses were performed with the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and progression-free survival (PFS). The risk of bias in the included studies was evaluated using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. A total of 100 studies with 16,745 patients were included in this review. As the promising markers to predict OS of meningioma patients, Ki-67/MIB-1 (HR = 1.03, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.05) was identified to associate with poor prognosis of the patients. Overexpression of cyclin A (HR = 4.91, 95%CI 1.38 to 17.44), topoisomerase II α (TOP2A) (HR = 4.90, 95%CI 2.96 to 8.12), p53 (HR = 2.40, 95%CI 1.73 to 3.34), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (HR = 1.61, 95%CI 1.36 to 1.90), and Ki-67 (HR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.21 to 1.46), were identified also as unfavorable prognostic biomarkers for poor RFS of meningioma patients. Conversely, positive progesterone receptor (PR) and p21 staining were associated with longer RFS and are considered biomarkers of favorable prognosis of meningioma patients (HR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.88 and HR = 1.89, 95%CI 1.11 to 3.20). Additionally, high expression of Ki-67 was identified as a prognosis biomarker for poor PFS of meningioma patients (HR = 1.02, 95%CI 1.00 to 1.04). Although only in single studies, KPNA2, CDK6, Cox-2, MCM7 and PCNA are proposed as additional markers with high expression that are related with poor prognosis of meningioma patients. In conclusion, the results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that PR, cyclin A, TOP2A, p21, p53, VEGF and Ki-67 are either positively or negatively associated with survival of meningioma patients and might be useful biomarkers to assess the prognosis.

CXC chemokines: Potential biomarker and immunotherapeutic target for uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma

Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is one of the most common type of gynecological malignancies. Multiple lines of evidence indicated that CXC chemokines exerted an anti-tumor immunological role in the tumor microenvironment which were critical regulators of cancer immunity. However, the relevance of CXC chemokines in the evaluation of prognosis and immune infiltration of UCEC remains to be explored. This study utilized various online databases, including TCGA, UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, cBioPortal, TIMER2.0, TISIDB, and MethSurv to perform the analysis. Gene expression data from the TCGA-UCEC dataset indicated decreased expression of CXCL2/12 and increased expression of CXCL14/17. CXCL2/12 expression was negatively whereas CXCL14/17 expression was positively correlated with clinicopathological features of UCEC patients, including cancer stage, patients' age, weight and menopause status. Patients with higher CXCL12/14 expression corresponded with better clinical outcomes, which were not influenced by the genetic alterations. The differential expression of CXCL2/12/14/17 was not only significantly correlated with immune infiltration levels, but also the abundance of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Heatmaps of DNA methylation of CXCL2/12/14/17 were investigated, and 4 CpGs of CXCL2, 16 CpGs of CXCL12, 3 CpGs of CXCL14/17 were identified where altered methylation affected the prognosis of UCEC patients. These findings provided novel insights into the immunologic features of UCEC and might pave the way toward the prognostic evaluation and immunotherapy selection based on CXCL2/12/14/17 expression status.

Expressions of HuR, Methyl-HuR and Phospho-HuR in Endometrial Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma Are Associated with Clinical Features

HuR regulates cytoplasmic mRNA stability and translatability, with its expression correlating with adverse outcomes in various cancers. This study aimed to assess the prognostic value and pro-oncogenic properties of HuR and its post-translational isoforms methyl-HuR and phospho-HuR in endometrial adenocarcinoma. Examining 89 endometrioid adenocarcinomas, we analyzed the relationship between HuR nuclear or cytoplasmic immunostaining, tumor-cell proliferation, and patient survival. HuR cytoplasmic expression was significantly increased in grade 3 vs. grade 1 adenocarcinomas (p < 0.001), correlating with worse overall survival (OS) (p = 0.02). Methyl-HuR cytoplasmic expression significantly decreased in grade 3 vs. grade 1 adenocarcinomas (p < 0.001) and correlated with better OS (p = 0.002). Phospho-HuR nuclear expression significantly decreased in grade 3 vs. grade 1 adenocarcinomas (p < 0.001) and non-significantly correlated with increased OS (p = 0.06). Cytoplasmic HuR expression strongly correlated with proliferation markers MCM6 (rho = 0.59 and p < 0.001) and Ki67 (rho = 0.49 and p < 0.001). Conversely, these latter inversely correlated with cytoplasmic methyl-HuR and nuclear phospho-HuR. Cytoplasmic HuR expression is a poor prognosis marker in endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma, while cytoplasmic methyl-HuR and nuclear phosphoHuR expressions are markers of better prognosis. This study highlights HuR as a promising potential therapeutic target, especially in treatment-resistant tumors, though further research is needed to understand the mechanisms regulating HuR subcellular localization and post-translational modifications.

Hypoxia Induces Tumor-Derived Exosome SNHG16 to Mediate Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Progression through the miR-23b-5p/MCM6 Pathway

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of tumor-derived exosomal (EVs) SNHG16 in promoting the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). QRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of SNHG16, miR-23b-5p and MCM6 in NPC. MTT, flow cytometry and transwell were used to detect the effects of them on the proliferation, cycle, apoptosis and invasion ability of NPC. Transmission electron microscopy, Western blotting and BCA were used to verify the regulation of exosome secretion under different oxygen environments. Our results showed that hypoxia induces tumor-derived exosome SNHG16 to mediate NPC progression through the miR-23b-5p/MCM6 pathway.

De novo MCM6 variants in neurodevelopmental disorders: a recognizable phenotype related to zinc binding residues

The minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex acts as a DNA helicase during DNA replication, and thereby regulates cell cycle progression and proliferation. In addition, MCM-complex components localize to centrosomes and play an independent role in ciliogenesis. Pathogenic variants in genes coding for MCM components and other DNA replication factors have been linked to growth and developmental disorders as Meier-Gorlin syndrome and Seckel syndrome. Trio exome/genome sequencing identified the same de novo MCM6 missense variant p.(Cys158Tyr) in two unrelated individuals that presented with overlapping phenotypes consisting of intra-uterine growth retardation, short stature, congenital microcephaly, endocrine features, developmental delay and urogenital anomalies. The identified variant affects a zinc binding cysteine in the MCM6 zinc finger signature. This domain, and specifically cysteine residues, are essential for MCM-complex dimerization and the induction of helicase activity, suggesting a deleterious effect of this variant on DNA replication. Fibroblasts derived from the two affected individuals showed defects both in ciliogenesis and cell proliferation. We additionally traced three unrelated individuals with de novo MCM6 variants in the oligonucleotide binding (OB)-fold domain, presenting with variable (neuro)developmental features including autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, and epilepsy. Taken together, our findings implicate de novo MCM6 variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. The clinical features and functional defects related to the zinc binding residue resemble those observed in syndromes related to other MCM components and DNA replication factors, while de novo OB-fold domain missense variants may be associated with more variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes. These data encourage consideration of MCM6 variants in the diagnostic arsenal of NDD.

DNA replication: Mechanisms and therapeutic interventions for diseases

Accurate and integral cellular DNA replication is modulated by multiple replication-associated proteins, which is fundamental to preserve genome stability. Furthermore, replication proteins cooperate with multiple DNA damage factors to deal with replication stress through mechanisms beyond their role in replication. Cancer cells with chronic replication stress exhibit aberrant DNA replication and DNA damage response, providing an exploitable therapeutic target in tumors. Numerous evidence has indicated that posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of replication proteins present distinct functions in DNA replication and respond to replication stress. In addition, abundant replication proteins are involved in tumorigenesis and development, which act as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in some tumors, implying these proteins act as therapeutic targets in clinical. Replication-target cancer therapy emerges as the times require. In this context, we outline the current investigation of the DNA replication mechanism, and simultaneously enumerate the aberrant expression of replication proteins as hallmark for various diseases, revealing their therapeutic potential for target therapy. Meanwhile, we also discuss current observations that the novel PTM of replication proteins in response to replication stress, which seems to be a promising strategy to eliminate diseases.

A High MCM6 Proliferative Index in Atypical Meningioma Is Associated with Shorter Progression Free and Overall Survivals

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of MCM6, in comparison with Ki-67, in two series of grade 1 and 2 meningiomas, and to evaluate its correlation with methylation classes. The first cohort included 100 benign (grade 1, World Health Organization 2021) meningiomas, and the second 69 atypical meningiomas (grade 2). Immunohistochemical Ki-67 and MCM6 labeling indices (LI) were evaluated independently by two observers. Among the atypical meningiomas, 33 cases were also studied by genome-wide DNA methylation. In grade 2 meningiomas, but not grade 1, both Ki-67 and MCM6 LIs were correlated with PFS (p = 0.004 and p = 0.005, respectively; Cox univariate analyses). Additionally, MCM6 was correlated with overall survival only in univariate analysis. In a multivariate model, including mitotic index, Ki-67, MCM6, age, sex, and the quality of surgical resection, only MCM6 was correlated with PFS (p = 0.046). Additionally, we found a significant correlation between PTEN loss and high MCM6 or Ki-67 LIs. Although no correlation was found with the methylation classes and subtypes returned by the meningioma algorithm MNGv2.4., MCM6 LI was significantly correlated with the methylation of 2 MCM6 gene body loci. In conclusion, MCM6 is a relevant prognostic marker in atypical meningiomas. This reproducible and easy-to-use marker allows the identification of a highly aggressive subtype of proliferative meningiomas, characterized notably by frequent PTEN losses, which was previously reported to be sensitive to histone deacetylase inhibitors.

Comparative proteoinformatics revealed the essentials of SDS impact on HaCaT keratinocytes

There is no direct evidence supporting that SDS is a carcinogen, so to investigate this fact, we used HaCaT keratinocytes as a model of human epidermal cells. To reveal the candidate proteins and/or pathways characterizing the SDS impact on HaCaT, we proposed comparative proteoinformatics pipeline. For protein extraction, the performance of two sample preparation protocols was assessed: 0.2% SDS-based solubilization combined with the 1DE-gel concentration (Protocol 1) and osmotic shock (Protocol 2). As a result, in SDS-exposed HaCaT cells, Protocol 1 revealed 54 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) involved in the disease of cellular proliferation (DOID:14566), whereas Protocol 2 found 45 DEPs of the same disease ID. The 'skin cancer' term was a single significant COSMIC term for Protocol 1 DEPs, including those involved in double-strand break repair pathway (BIR, GO:0000727). Considerable upregulation of BIR-associated proteins MCM3, MCM6, and MCM7 was detected. The eightfold increase in MCM6 level was verified by reverse transcription qPCR. Thus, Protocol 1 demonstrated high effectiveness in terms of the total number and sensitivity of MS identifications in HaCaT cell line proteomic analysis. The utility of Protocol 1 was confirmed by the revealed upregulation of cancer-associated MCM6 in HaCaT keratinocytes induced by non-toxic concentration of SDS. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD035202.

MCM2-7 in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: MCM7 Promotes Tumor Cell Proliferation

Background

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) accounts for 60-70% of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cases. Finding more therapeutic targets for advanced ccRCC is an urgent mission. The minichromosome maintenance proteins 2-7 (MCM2-7) protein forms a stable heterohexamer and plays an important role in DNA replication in eukaryotic cells. In the study, we provide a comprehensive study of MCM2-7 genes expression and their potential roles in ccRCC.

Methods

The expression and prognosis of the MCM2-7 genes in ccRCC were analyzed using data from TCGA, GEO and ArrayExpress. MCM2-7 related genes were identified by weighted co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and Metascape. CancerSEA and GSEA were used to analyze the function of MCM2–7 genes in ccRCC. The gene effect scores (CERES) of MCM2-7, which reflects carcinogenic or tumor suppressor, were obtained from DepMap. We used clinical and expression data of MCM2-7 from the TCGA dataset and the LASSO Cox regression analysis to develop a risk score to predict survival of patients with ccRCC. The correlations between risk score and other clinical indicators such as gender, age and stage were also analyzed. Further validation of this risk score was engaged in another cohort, E-MTAB-1980 from the ArrayExpress dataset.

Results

The mRNA and protein expression of MCM2-7 were increased in ccRCC compared with normal tissues. High MCM2, MCM4, MCM6 and MCM7 expression were associated with a poor prognosis of ccRCC patients. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that MCM2-7 might influence the progress of ccRCC by regulating the cell cycle. Knockdown of MCM7 can inhibit the proliferation of ccRCC cells. A two-gene risk score including MCM4 and MCM6 can predict overall survival (OS) of ccRCC patients. The risk score was successfully verified by further using Arrayexpress cohort.

Conclusion

We analyze MCM2-7 mRNA and protein levels in ccRCC. MCM7 is determined to promote tumor proliferation. Meanwhile, our study has determined a risk score model composed of MCM2-7 can predict the prognosis of ccRCC patients, which may help future treatment strategies.

High MCM6 Expression as a Potential Prognostic Marker in Clear-cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

AIM

Minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins are involved in initiation of DNA replication and cell-cycle progression. Loss of MCM function results in genomic instability and causes carcinogenesis. Among MCM genes, the role and prognostic value of MCM6 expression in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has not been elucidated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We assessed the mRNA expression level of MCM6 using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database and investigated MCM6 protein expression by immunohistochemistry in 238 ccRCC cases.

RESULTS

High MCM6 expression was significantly associated with increasing tumor size, pT, stage, tumor necrosis, and metastasis. Furthermore, high MCM6 expression was significantly associated with shorter overall and disease-free survival, and was an independent unfavorable prognostic marker. Regarding patients with metastasis, high MCM6-expressing ccRCC conferred significantly shorter survival than for those with low expression.

CONCLUSION

A high MCM6 expression level may be a promising biomarker to predict tumor progression, metastasis, and survival in patients with ccRCC.

Systemic Analysis of the DNA Replication Regulator MCM Complex in Ovarian Cancer and Its Prognostic Value

Microliposome maintenance (MCM) 2, MCM3, MCM4, MCM5, MCM6, and MCM7 are DNA replication regulators and are involved in the progression of multiple cancer types, but their role in ovarian cancer is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to clarify the biological function and prognostic value of the MCM complex in ovarian cancer (OS) progression. We analyzed DNA alterations, mRNA and protein levels, protein structure, PPI network, functional enrichment, and prognostic value in OC based on the Oncomine, cBioPortal, TCGA, CPTAC, PDB, GeneMANIA, DAVID, KEGG, and GSCALite databases. The results indicated that the protein levels of these DNA replication regulators were increased significantly. Moreover, survival analysis showed a prognostic signature based on the MCM complex, which performed moderately well in terms of OS prognostic prediction. Additionally, protein structure, functional enrichment, and PPI network analyses indicated that the MCM complex synergistically promoted OC progression by accelerating DNA replication and the cell cycle. In conclusion, our study suggested that the MCM complex might be a potential target and prognostic marker for OC patients.

Construction of Gene Modules and Analysis of Prognostic Biomarkers for Cervical Cancer by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis

Background

Despite advances in the understanding of neoplasm, patients with cervical cancer still have a poor prognosis. Identifying prognostic markers of cervical cancer may enable early detection of recurrence and more effective treatment.

Methods

Gene expression profiling data were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After data normalization, genes with large variation were screened out. Next, we built co-expression modules by using weighted gene co-expression network analysis to investigate the relationship between the modules and clinical traits related to cervical cancer progression. Functional enrichment analysis was also applied on these co-expressed genes. We integrated the genes into a human protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to expand seed genes and build a co-expression network. For further analysis of the dataset, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to identify seed genes and their correlation to cervical cancer prognosis. Verification was further conducted by qPCR and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database to measure the expression of hub genes.

Results

Using WGCNA, we identified 25 co-expression modules from 10,016 genes in 128 human cervical cancer samples. After functional enrichment analysis, the magenta, brown, and darkred modules were selected as the three most correlated modules for cancer progression. Additionally, seed genes in the three modules were combined with a PPI network to identify 31 tumor-specific genes. Hierarchical clustering and Gepia results indicated that the expression quantity of hub genes NDC80, TIPIN, MCM3, MCM6, POLA1, and PRC1 may determine the prognosis of cervical cancer. Finally, TIPIN and POLA1 were further filtered by a LASSO model. In addition, their expression was identified by immunohistochemistry in HPA database as well as a biological experiment.

Conclusion

Our research provides a co-expression network of gene modules and identifies TIPIN and POLA1 as stable potential prognostic biomarkers for cervical cancer.

Methylation-dependent MCM6 repression induced by LINC00472 inhibits triple-negative breast cancer metastasis by disturbing the MEK/ERK signaling pathway

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to be dysregulated in multiple cancer types, which are speculated to be of vital significance in regulating several hallmarks of cancer biology. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is acknowledged as an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. In this study, we found the lncRNA LINC00472 was poorly expressed in TNBC tissues and cells. Overexpression of LINC00472 could inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. On the contrary, minichromosome maintenance complex component 6 (MCM6) was highly expressed in TNBC tissues and MDA-MB-231 cells due to suppressed methylation. LINC00472 induced site-specific DNA methylation and reduced the MCM6 expression by recruiting DNA methyltransferases into the MCM6 promoter. Since the restoration of MCM6 weakened the tumor-suppressive effect of LINC00472 on MDA-MB-231 cells, LINC00472 potentially acted as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting MCM6. In addition, in vivo experiments further substantiated that overexpression of LINC00472 inhibited tumor growth and metastasis to lungs by decreasing the expression of MCM6. Overall, the present study demonstrated that LINC00472-mediated epigenetic silencing of MCM6 contributes to the prevention of tumorigenesis and metastasis in TNBC, providing an exquisite therapeutic target for TNBC.

The DNA replication regulator MCM6: An emerging cancer biomarker and target

MCM6 is a significant DNA replication regulator that plays a crucial role in sustaining the cell cycle. In many cancer cells, MCM6 expression is enhanced. For example, persistently increased expression of MCM6 promotes the formation, development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Up- and down-regulation studies have indicated that MCM6 regulates cell cycle, proliferation, metastasis, immune response and the maintenance of the DNA replication system. MCM6 can also regulate downstream signaling such as MEK/ERK thus promoting carcinogenesis. Accordingly, MCM6 may represent a sensitive and specific biomarker to predict adverse progression and poor outcome. Furthermore, inhibition of MCM6 may be an effective cancer treatment. The present review summarizes the latest results on the inactivating and activating functions of MCM6, underlining its function in carcinogenesis. Further studies of the carcinogenic functions of MCM6 may provide novel insight into cancer biology and shed light on new approaches for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Is the standard deviation of the apparent diffusion coefficient a potential tool for the preoperative prediction of tumor grade in endometrial cancer?

BACKGROUND

The tumor histological grade is closely related to the prognosis of endometrial cancer (EC). The use of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), tumor volume, and MRI-based texture analysis has allowed exciting advances in predicting EC grade before surgery. However, whether this constitutes a simple, convenient, and powerful diagnostic method remains unknown.

PURPOSE

To explore the utility of standard deviation (SD) of the ADC (ADC_SD) for predicting the tumor grade in patients with EC.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 138 patients with EC. All patients underwent unenhanced MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The mean ADC value (ADC_mean) and SD were obtained using a freehand region of interest traced on the ADC map. Spearman's linear correlation coefficients were calculated to analyze the correlations between the indexes (including ADC_SD and the ADC_mean) and the Ki-67 index. The Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare differences in the index results among tumor grades.

RESULTS

A significant difference in ADC_SD was observed among the tumor grades (P=0.000), and the ADC_SD value was significantly higher for high-grade EC than for low-grade tumors (289.7 vs. 216.3×10^-6mm² /s, P=0.000). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between ADC_SD and the Ki-67 index (r=0.364, P=0.000). According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, ADC_SD ≥240.2×10^-6mm² /s predicted high-grade EC with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 73.1%, 80.2%, and 77.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Based on the intratumor heterogeneity of EC, ADC_SD represents a potential method for the preoperative prediction of high-grade EC, although further studies are needed.

Identification of the DNA Replication Regulator MCM Complex Expression and Prognostic Significance in Hepatic Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The microliposome maintenance (MCM) complex, MCM2-7, is revealed to be involved in multiple cellular processes and plays a key role in the development and progression of human cancers. However, the MCM complex remains poorly elaborated in hepatic carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

In the study, we found the mRNA and protein level by bioinformatics. We also explored the prognostic value, genetic alteration, interaction network, and functional enrichment of MCM2-7. The MCM expression and correlation among these MCMs in HCC cell lines were identified by western blot.

RESULTS

MCM2-7 was significantly increased in HCC tissues compared to normal liver tissues. The high level of MCM2-7 had a positive correlation with poor prognosis. However, MCM2-7 alterations were not correlated with poor OS. MCMs were both increased in HCC cell lines compared to the normal hepatocyte cell line. Furthermore, the positive correlation was found among MCMs in HCC cell lines.

CONCLUSIONS

The MCM complex was increased in HCC tissues and cell lines and negatively correlated with prognosis, which might be important biomarkers for HCC.

Minichromosome maintenance 6 complex component identified by bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the main subtype of esophageal cancer (EC), is a common lethal type of cancer with a high mortality rate. The aim of the present study was to select key relevant genes and identify potential mechanisms involved in the development of ESCC based on bioinformatics analysis. Minichromosome maintenance 6 complex component (MCM6) has been identified to be upregulated in multiple malignancies; however, its contributions to ESCC remain unclear. For the purposes of the present study, four datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE63941, GSE26886, GSE17351 and GSE77861), and the intersection of the differentially expressed genes was obtained using a Venn diagram. The protein‑protein interaction was then constructed, and the modules were verified by Cytoscape, in which the key genes have a high connectivity degree with other genes. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway were subsequently filtered out to analyze the development of ESCC. MCM6, an upregulated gene, was selected and connected with most of the other genes, for further research validation. The expression levels of MCM6 were then assessed using the Oncomine, GEPIA and UALCAN databases and validated in both ESCC tissues samples and cell lines by immunohistochemistry and RT‑qPCR. Cell counting kit‑8 (CCK‑8), flow cytometry, wound healing and Transwell assays were used to determine the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration and invasion of ESCC cells. A total of 24 genes were identified by a series of bioinformatics analyses and the results revealed that the genes were associated with DNA replication and cell cycle. Experimental validation revealed that MCM6 expression was significantly elevated in both ESCC tissues and cell lines. The results were consistent with those of bioinformatics analysis. Furthermore, the knockdown of MCM6 inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion and promoted cell apoptosis, and made cells arrested in S stage. In summary, the findings of bioinformatics analysis provided a novel hypothesis for ESCC progression. In particular, the aberrantly elevated expression of MCM6 is a potential biomarker for ESCC diagnosis and treatment.

Oral Soft Tissue Regeneration Using Nano Controlled System Inducing Sequential Release of Trichloroacetic Acid and Epidermal Growth Factor

BACKGROUND

The effect of nano controlled sequential release of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the oral soft tissue regeneration was determined.

METHODS

Hydrophobically modified glycol chitosan (HGC) nano controlled system was developed for the sequential release of TCA and EGF, and the release pattern was identified. The HGC-based nano controlled release system was injected into the critical-sized defects created in beagles' palatal soft tissues. The palatal impression and its scanned body was obtained on various time points post-injection, and the volumetric amount of soft tissue regeneration was compared among the three groups: CON (natural regeneration control group), EXP1 (TCA-loaded nano controlled release system group), EXP2 (TCA and EGF individually loaded nano controlled release system). DNA microarray analysis was performed and various soft tissue regeneration parameters in histopathological specimens were measured.

RESULTS

TCA release was highest at Day 1 whereas EGF release was highest at Day 2 and remained high until Day 3. In the volumetric measurements of impression body scans, no significant difference in soft tissue regeneration between the three groups was shown in two-way ANOVA. However, in the one-way ANOVA at Day 14, EXP2 showed a significant increase in soft tissue regeneration compared to CON. High correlation was determined between the histopathological results of each group. DNA microarray showed up-regulation of various genes and related cell signaling pathways in EXP2 compared to CON.

CONCLUSION

HGC-based nano controlled release system for sequential release of TCA and EGF can promote regeneration of oral soft tissue defects.

Ki-67 and MCM6 labeling indices are correlated with overall survival in anaplastic oligodendroglioma, IDH1-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted: a multicenter study from the French POLA network

Anaplastic oligodendroglioma (AO), IDH-mutant and 1p/19q codeleted (IDHmut+/1p19qcodel), is a high-grade glioma with only limited prognostic markers. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate, by immunohistochemistry, the prognostic value of two proliferation markers, MCM6 and Ki-67, in a large series of IDHmut+/1p19qcodel AO included in the POLA ("Prise en charge des Oligodendrogliomes Anaplasiques") French national multicenter network. We additionally examined the transcriptome obtained from this series to understand the functional pathways dysregulated with the mRNA overexpression of these two markers. The labeling indices (LI) of MCM6 and Ki-67 were obtained via computer-assisted color image analyses on immunostained AO tissues of the cohort (n = 220). Furthermore, a subgroup of AO (n = 68/220) was used to perform transcriptomic analyses. A high LI of either MCM6 (≥50%) or Ki-67 (≥15%) correlated with shorter overall survival, both in univariate (P = 0.013 and P = 0.004, respectively) and multivariate analyses (P = 0.027; multivariate Cox model including age, mitotic index, MCM6 and Ki-67). MCM6 and Ki-67 LI also correlated with overall survival in an additional retrospective cohort of 30 grade II IDHmut+/1p19qcodel oligodendrogliomas. The prognostic value of MCM6 mRNA level was confirmed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) IDHmut+/1p19qcodel gliomas. The transcriptomic approach revealed that high transcriptional expressions of MCM6 and MKI67 were both linked positively with cell cycle progression, DNA replication, mitosis, pro-neural phenotype as well as neurogenesis, and negatively with microglial cell activation, immune response, positive regulation of myelination, oligodendrocyte development, beta-amyloid binding and postsynaptic specialization. In conclusion, the overexpression of MCM6 and/or Ki-67 is independently associated to shorter overall survival in IDHmut+/1p19qcodel AO. These two easy-to-use and cost-effective markers could thus be used concurrently in routine pathology practice. Additionally, the transcriptomic analyses showed that AO with high proliferation index have down-regulated immune response and lower microglial cells activation, and bears pro-neural phenotype.

Genome-wide investigation of the clinical significance and prospective molecular mechanism of minichromosome maintenance protein family genes in patients with Lung Adenocarcinoma

Our current study is to identify clinical significance of minichromosome maintenance (MCM) gene expression in Lung Adenocarcinoma (LUAD) using genome-wide RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) dataset and bioinformatics analysis tools. The biological function and potential process for function of the MCM1-10 were identified by multiple bioinformatics analysis tools. Clinical significance and molecular mechanism of the MCM1-10 were investigated by the RNA-seq dataset of LUAD from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Functional assessment substantiated involvement of MCM1-10 in cell cycle progression and DNA replication, and co-expressed with each other. We also observed that the MCM1-10 were dysregulation in LUAD tumor tissues, and may be have diagnostic implications in LUAD. Prognosis analysis in TCGA and KM plotter cohorts suggest that high abundance of MCM5, MCM8 and MCM4 notably correlated to poor LUAD overall survival. Mechanistic exploration of MCM4, MCM5, and MCM8 by gene set enrichment analysis suggests that these genes may influence the LUAD prognosis by regulating the cell cycle, DNA replication and other multiple biological processes and pathways. In comclusion, our study suggests that MCM1-10 can serve as diagnostic biomarkers for LUAD patients. Of them, MCM4, MCM5, and MCM8 may act as potential prognostic indicators for LUAD.

Prognostic value of minichromosome maintenance mRNA expression in early-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients after pancreaticoduodenectomy

Background

The aim of the current study was to investigate the potential prognostic value of minichromosome maintenance (MCM) genes in patients with early-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) after pancreaticoduodenectomy by using the RNA-sequencing dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Methods

An RNA-sequencing dataset of 112 early-stage PDAC patients who received a pancreaticoduodenectomy was obtained from TCGA. Survival analysis was used to identify potential prognostic values of MCM genes in PDAC overall survival (OS).

Results

Through mining public databases, we observed that MCM genes (MCM2, MCM3, MCM4, MCM5, MCM6, and MCM7) were upregulated in pancreatic cancer tumor tissue and have a strong positive coexpression with each other. Multivariate survival analysis indicated that a high expression of MCM4 significantly increased the risk of death in patients with PDAC, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.655, 0.587, and 0.509 for a 1-, 2-, and 3-year PDAC OS prediction, respectively. Comprehensive survival analysis of MCM4 using stratified and joint effects survival analysis suggests that MCM4 may be an independent prognostic indicator for PDAC OS. Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that MCM4 may participate in multiple biologic processes and pathways, including DNA replication, cell cycle, tumor protein p53, and Notch signaling pathways, thereby affecting prognosis of PDAC patients.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that MCM2–7 were upregulated in pancreatic cancer tumor tissues, and mRNA expression of MCM4 may serve as an independent prognostic indicator for PDAC OS prediction after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Distinct Diagnostic and Prognostic Values of Minichromosome Maintenance Gene Expression in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: The aim of the present study was to identify diagnostic and prognostic values of minichromosome maintenance (MCM) gene expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: The biological function of the MCM genes were investigated by bioinformatics analysis. The diagnostic and prognostic values of the MCM genes were investigated by using the data of HCC patients from the GSE14520 and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases.

Results: Bioinformatics analysis of the MCM genes substantiated that MCM2-7 genes were significantly enriched in DNA replication and cell cycle, and co-expressed with each other. These genes also co-expressed in HCC tumor tissue in both the GSE14520 and TCGA cohort. We also observed that the expression of the MCM2-7 genes was increased in tumor tissue, and diagnostic receiver operating characteristic analysis of MCM2-7 indicated that these genes could serve as sensitive diagnostic markers in HCC. Survival analysis in the GSE14520 cohort suggested that expression of MCM2, MCM4, MCM5, and MCM6 were significantly associated with hepatitis B virus-related HCC overall survival (OS). However, none of the MCM genes were associated with recurrence-free survival in the GSE14520 cohort. The validation cohort of TCGA suggested that the expression of MCM2, MCM6, and MCM7 were significantly correlated with HCC OS.

Conclusion: Our study indicated that MCM2-7 genes may be potential diagnostic biomarkers in patients with HCC. Among them, MCM2 and MCM6 may serve as potential prognostic biomarkers for HCC.