ATP6V0D2, a subunit associated with proton transport, serves an oncogenic role in esophagus cancer and is correlated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition

hsa_circ_0005991 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition by regulating miR-30b-3p/Cdc42EP1 axis in ovary endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease with an enigmatic pathogenesis. This work explored the function of hsa_circ_0005991 in ovarian endometriosis. High-throughput RNA-Seq was conducted in five matched ectopic (EC) and eutopic (EU) samples. Further, several types of cell function experiments were conducted. According to bioinformatics analysis, a competing endogenous RNA network was established. It included 5 circRNAs, 13 miRNAs, and 551 mRNAs. The expression levels of hsa_circ_0005991 and Cdc42EP1 were significantly elevated, while miR-30b-3p was reduced in the EC group. Upregulation of hsa_circ_0005991 raised Cdc42EP1 levels, induced EMT, and boosted Ishikawa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. hsa_circ_0005991 knockdown indicated the opposite effects. When co-transfected with miR-30b-3p mimics or inhibitors, these effects could be reversed, respectively. Western blot assays showed alterations of EMT markers in EC samples. hsa_circ_0005991/miR-30b-3p/Cdc42EP1 axis promotes the EMT process in endometriosis, which may offer a theoretical foundation for the mechanism exploration and therapy of this disease.

Distribution and Expression of Pulmonary Ionocyte-Related Factors CFTR, ATP6V0D2, and ATP6V1C2 in the Lungs of Yaks at Different Ages

In order to reveal the distribution and expression characteristics of the pulmonary ionocyte-related factors CFTR, ATP6V0D2, and ATP6V1C2 in the lungs of yaks of different ages. Explore the possible regulation of these pulmonary ionocyte-related factors in the yak lung for adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia. The localization and expression of CTFR, ATP6V0D2, and ATP6V1C2 in the lungs of newborn, juvenile, adult, and elderly yaks were studied using immunohistochemistry, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry showed that CFTR, ATP6V0D2 and ATP6V1C2 were mainly localized in the ciliated cells and club cells of the epithelial mucosal layer of the bronchus and its branches in the lungs. For the qRT-PCR, expression of CFTR, ATP6V0D2 and ATP6V1C2 in the yak lungs varied according to age. For Western blotting, CFTR expression in the newborn group was significantly higher than in the other three groups. ATP6V0D2 expression of the adult group was significantly higher. ATP6V1C2 expression was the highest in the juvenile group (p < 0.05). This study showed that ciliated cells and club cells were related to the pulmonary ionocytes in yaks. CFTR, ATP6V0D2, and ATP6V1C2 were related to adaptations of yak lungs to high altitude hypoxia, through prevention of airway damage.

Effect of Chronic Cadmium Exposure on Brain and Liver Transporters and Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes in Male and Female Mice Genetically Predisposed to Alzheimer's Disease

Cadmium (Cd) exposure is associated with increased Alzheimer's disease (AD) risks. The human Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene encodes a lipid-transporting protein that is critical for brain functions. Compared with ApoE2 and E3, ApoE4 is associated with increased AD risk. Xenobiotic biotransformation-related genes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD. However, little is known about the effects of Cd, ApoE, and sex on drug-processing genes. We investigated the Cd-ApoE interaction on the transcriptomic changes in the brains and livers of ApoE3/ApoE4 transgenic mice. Cd disrupts the transcriptomes of transporter and drug-processing genes in brain and liver in a sex- and ApoE-genotype-specific manner. Proinflammation related genes were enriched in livers of Cd-exposed ApoE4 males, whereas circadian rhythm and lipid metabolism related genes were enriched in livers of Cd-exposed ApoE3 females. In brains, Cd up-regulated the arachidonic acid-metabolizing Cyp2j isoforms only in the brains of ApoE3 mice, whereas the dysregulation of cation transporters was male-specific. In livers, several direct target genes of the major xenobiotic-sensing nuclear receptor pregnane X receptor were uniquely upregulated in Cd-exposed ApoE4 males. There was a female-specific hepatic upregulation of the steroid hormone-metabolizing Cyp2 isoforms and the bile acid synthetic enzyme Cyp7a1 by Cd exposure. The dysregulated liver transporters were mostly involved in intermediary metabolism, with the most significant response observed in ApoE3 females. In conclusion, Cd dysregulated the brain and liver drug-processing genes in a sex- and ApoE-genotype specific manner, and this may serve as a contributing factor for the variance in the susceptibility to Cd neurotoxicity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Xenobiotic biotransformation plays an important role in modulating the toxicity of environmental pollutants. The human ApoE4 allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for AD, and cadmium (Cd) is increasingly recognized as an environmental factor of AD. Very little is known regarding the interactions between Cd exposure, sex, and the genes involved in xenobiotic biotransformation in brain and liver. The present study has addressed this critical knowledge gap.

Elevated expression of RAB3B plays important roles in chemoresistance and metastatic potential of hepatoma cells

Background

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to play important roles in carcinogenesis, recurrence, metastasis, and therapy-resistance. We have successfully induced cancer stem-like sphere cells (CSLCs) which possess enhanced chemoresistance and metastatic potential. To enable the development of targeted therapy against CSLCs, we identified a gene responsible for this phenotype in CSLC.

Methods

Human hepatoma cell line SK-HEP-1 was used for CSLC induction with a unique sphere inducing medium, and HuH-7 cells were used as non-sphere forming cells in the same condition. RNA-sequencing was performed followed by validation with quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting. Knockdown experiments were done by using CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing, and the rescue experiments were performed using the expressing plasmid vector. Chemoresistance and liver metastasis of the cells, was studied following the splenic injection of cells to severely immune deficient mice and evaluated using the MTS assay. Quantification of exosomes in the medium was done using ELISA.

Results

RAB3B was identified as an up-regulated gene in both CSLCs and prognostically poor hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by RNA-sequencing. RAB3B-KD cells showed altered CSLC phenotypes such as sphere formation, chemoresistance, and metastatic potentials, and those were rescued by RAB3B complementation. Increased exosome secretion was observed in CSLCs, and it was not observed in the RAB3B-KD cells. In addition, the RAB3B expression correlated with the expression of ABCG2, APOE, LEPR, LXN, and TSPAN13.

Conclusion

The up regulation of RAB3B may play an important role in the chemoresistance and metastatic potential of CSLCs.

Comprehensive Analysis and Identification of Key Driver Genes for Distinguishing Between Esophageal Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. However, the mechanism that drives the evolution of EC is still unclear. On this basis, we identified the key genes and molecular pathways that may be related to the progression of esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma to find potential markers or therapeutic targets. Methods: GSE26886 were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among normal samples, EA, and squamous cell carcinoma were determined using R software. Then, potential functions of DEGs were determined using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). The STRING software was used to identify the most important modules in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The expression levels of hub genes were confirmed using UALCAN database. Kaplan-Meier plotters were used to confirm the correlation between hub genes and outcomes in EC. Results: In this study, we identified 1,098 genes induced in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and 669 genes were reduced in EA and ESCC, suggesting that these genes may play an important role in the occurrence and development of EC tumors. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these genes were involved in cell cycle regulation and p53 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. In addition, we identified 147 induced genes and 130 reduced genes differentially expressed in EA and ESCC. The expression of ESCC in the EA group was different from that in the control group. By PPI network analysis, we identified 10 hub genes, including GNAQ, RGS5, MAPK1, ATP1B1, HADHA, HSDL2, SLC25A20, ACOX1, SCP2, and NLN. TCGA validation showed that these genes were present in the dysfunctional samples between EC and normal samples and between EA and ESCC. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that MAPK1, ACOX1, SCP2, and NLN were associated with overall survival in patients with ESCC and EA. Conclusions: In this study, we identified a series of DEGs between EC and normal samples and between EA and ESCC samples. We also identified 10 key genes involved in the EC process. We believe that this study may provide a new biomarker for the prognosis of EA and ESCC.

Emerging insights on the role of V-ATPase in human diseases: Therapeutic challenges and opportunities

The control of the intracellular pH is vital for the survival of all organisms. Membrane transporters, both at the plasma and intracellular membranes, are key players in maintaining a finely tuned pH balance between intra- and extracellular spaces, and therefore in cellular homeostasis. V-ATPase is a housekeeping ATP-driven proton pump highly conserved among prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This proton pump, which exhibits a complex multisubunit structure based on cell type-specific isoforms, is essential for pH regulation and for a multitude of ubiquitous and specialized functions. Thus, it is not surprising that V-ATPase aberrant overexpression, mislocalization, and mutations in V-ATPase subunit-encoding genes have been associated with several human diseases. However, the ubiquitous expression of this transporter and the high toxicity driven by its off-target inhibition, renders V-ATPase-directed therapies very challenging and increases the need for selective strategies. Here we review emerging evidence linking V-ATPase and both inherited and acquired human diseases, explore the therapeutic challenges and opportunities envisaged from recent data, and advance future research avenues. We highlight the importance of V-ATPases with unique subunit isoform molecular signatures and disease-associated isoforms to design selective V-ATPase-directed therapies. We also discuss the rational design of drug development pipelines and cutting-edge methodological approaches toward V-ATPase-centered drug discovery. Diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, and even fungal infections can benefit from V-ATPase-directed therapies.