Quantitative Proteomics Identify the Possible Tumor Suppressive Role of Protease-Activated Receptor-4 in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells

PARG Promotes Esophagus Cancer Cell Metastasis by Activation of the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Esophagus cancer (EC) is a highly malignant and metastatic cancer. Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG), a DNA replication and repair regulator, inhibits cancer cell replication defects. This study aimed to explore the role of PARG in EC. The biological behaviors were analyzed using MTT assay, Transwell assay, scratch test, cell adhesion assay, and western blot. PARG expression was detected using quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical assay. The regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was assessed using western blot. The results showed that PARG was highly expressed in EC tissues and cells. Knockdown of PARG suppressed cell viability, invasion, migration, adhesion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Conversely, overexpression of PARG promoted the biological behaviors mentioned above. Moreover, overexpression of PARG promoted the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway rather than the STAT and Notch pathways. XAV939, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitor, partly abolished the biological behaviors mediated by PARG overexpression. In conclusion, PARG promoted the malignant advancement of EC via activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These findings suggested that PARG might be a new therapeutic target for EC.

LZTS3/TAGLN Suppresses Cancer Progression in Human Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Through Regulating Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Actin Cytoskeleton

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have confirmed that the leucine zipper tumor suppressor (LZTS) gene family plays a vital role in modulating transcription and cell cycle control, especially in colorectal cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of leucine zipper tumor suppressor family member 3 (LZTS3) as a marker for COAD.

METHODS

Bioinformatics, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting were applied to assess the expression of LZTS3 in tissues. Gene overexpression or silencing was used to examine the biological roles of LZTS3 and validated using an in vivo nude mouse-human tumor model.

RESULTS

The results obtained in this study indicate that LZTS3 is highly expressed in COAD. RTCA, Transwell, actin stain, and in vitro transfection experiments confirmed that LZTS3 expression inhibits tumor cell proliferation and cell migration. The results obtained in the nude mouse-human tumor model are consistent with those obtained in vitro. In particular, LZTS3 may exert biological effects by targeting the NOTCH signaling pathway. Furthermore, TAGLN was demonstrated to be a downstream target of LZTS3.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to demonstrate the important role of LZTS3 in the proliferation and migration of COAD and to shed light on the molecular mechanism underlying the tumor-suppressing role of LZTS3.

Investigating on the influence mechanism of sausage of sea bass on calcium absorption and transport based on Caco-2 cell monolayer model

A monolayer Caco-2 cell model was established to explore the effects of sea bass sausage digestive juice containing phosphate on calcium ion transport. Differential proteins of Caco-2 cells treated with fish sausage juice were detected and analyzed by gene ontology (GO) functional annotation and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Results revealed that after treatment with 0.23 mg/mL digestive juice of perch sausage in vitro, Caco-2 cell viability was the highest at 72 h (99.84%). Additionally, 0.23 mg/mL digestive juice of perch sausage in vitro significantly increased calcium ion transport. The transfer volume was 1.396 μg/well. Fish sausages containing phosphate significantly affected the protein expression levels of Caco-2 cells. Two hundred one differential proteins were detected, including 114 up-regulated and 87 down-regulated proteins. The main differential proteins included P02795, Q9P0W0, Q96PU5, Q9GZT9 and Q5EBL8. The adjustment ratios of the fish sausage group were 0.7485, 1.373, 1.2535, 0.6775, and 0.809, respectively. The pathway analysis showed that phosphate affected calcium ion absorption and transport through the P02795 enrichment pathway. The fish sausage group showed that the immune-related functions of cells were affected. This study expounds the effects of water-retaining agents on the nutritional quality of aquatic products and provides theoretical support for the research and application of surimi products.

Angiogenic Factor-Based Signature Predicts Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common malignancies, and specific molecular targets are still lacking. Angiogenesis plays a central regulatory role in the growth and metastasis of malignant tumors and angiogenic factors (AFs) are involved. Although there are many studies comparing AFs and cancer, a prognostic risk model for AFs and cancer in humans has not been reported in the literature. This study aimed to identify the key AFs closely related to the process of NSCLC development, and four genes have been found, C1QTNF6, SLC2A1, PTX3, and FSTL3. Then, we constructed a novel prognostic risk model based on these four genes in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and fully analyzed the relationship with clinical features, immune infiltration, genomes, and predictors. This model had good discrimination and calibration and will perform well in predicting the prognosis of treatment in clinical practice.

PAR1 and PAR4 exert opposite effects on tumor growth and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways

BACKGROUND

Esophageal carcinogenesis is a multifactorial process in which genetic and environmental factors interact to activate intracellular signals, leading to the uncontrolled survival and growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells. The intracellular pathways of ESCC cells could be regulated by proteinase activated-receptors (PARs), which are comprised of four receptors (i.e., PAR-1, PAR-2, PAR-3, and PAR-4). Therefore, the function and possible mechanism of PAR1 and PAR4 in the progression of ECSS were explored in our study.

METHODS

First, we detected the expression levels of PAR1 and PAR4 in 27 cases of ESCC specimens and cell lines by RT-qPCR, IHC and western blot. Meanwhile, the correlation between PAR1/PAR4 expression levels, clinicopathological characteristics, and disease free survival was analyzed. Then, we constructed PAR1/PAR4 knockdown cell models and investigated the role of PAR1/PAR4 knockdown on the proliferation, apoptosis, changes of calcium flow, and metastasis of ESCC cells via MTT, flow cytometry, transwell and wound healing assays in vitro. Further, an experimental metastasis model in vivo was established to explore the role of stable PAR1/PAR4 knockdown on the growth and metastasis of ESCC cells. Finally, the role of nSMase2 in the activation of NF-κB induced by PAR4 and the role of NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways in the PAR1/PAR4-mediated tumor promoting or suppressive functions were measured by immunoprecipitation, western blot and immunofluorescence assays.

RESULTS

First, the integrated results demonstrated the expression levels of PAR1 and PAR4 are inversely proportional in ESCC. PAR1 potently enhanced tumor growth and metastasis, while PAR4 had an inhibitory effect. Further, the co-activation of STAT3 and NF-κB was involved in the PAR1 activation-induced tumor promoting effect, while only NF-κB participated in the PAR4 activation-induced tumor inhibitory effect in ESCC. To be specific, FAK/PI3K/AKT/STAT3/NF-κB signaling mediated PAR1 activation-induced tumor promoting effect and nSMase2/MAPK/NF-κB signaling mediated PAR4 activation-induced tumor inhibitory effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the study has provided new insights into the potential implication of PAR1 and PAR4 in the pathogenesis of ESCC. Besides, FAK/PI3K/AKT/STAT3/NF-κB and nSMase2/MAPK/NF-κB pathways may be novel targets for regulating tumor growth and metastasis in ESCC patients.

Glycolysis Define Two Prognostic Subgroups of Lung Adenocarcinoma With Different Mutation Characteristics and Immune Infiltration Signatures

Increasing studies have proved that malignant tumors are associated with energy metabolism. This study was aimed to explore biological variables that impact the prognosis of patients in the glycolysis-related subgroups of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). The mRNA expression profiling and mutation data in large LUAD samples were collected from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Then, we identified the expression level and prognostic value of glycolysis-related genes, as well as the fractions of 22 immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. The differences between glycolysis activity, mutation, and immune infiltrates were discussed in these groups, respectively. Two hundred fifty-five glycolysis-related genes were identified from gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), of which 43 genes had prognostic values (p < 0.05). Next, we constructed a glycolysis-related competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network which related to the survival of LUAD. Then, two subgroups of LUAD (clusters 1 and 2) were identified by applying unsupervised consensus clustering to 43 glycolysis-related genes. The survival analysis showed that the cluster 1 patients had a worse prognosis (p < 0.001), and upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are interestingly enriched in malignancy-related biological processes. The differences between the two subgroups are SPTA1, KEAP1, USH2A, and KRAS among top 10 mutated signatures, which may be the underlying mechanism of grouping. Combined high tumor mutational burden (TMB) with tumor subgroups preferably predicts the prognosis of LUAD patients. The CIBERSORT algorithm results revealed that low TMB samples were concerned with increased infiltration level of memory resting CD4+ T cell (p = 0.03), resting mast cells (p = 0.044), and neutrophils (p = 0.002) in cluster 1 and high TMB samples were concerned with increased infiltration level of memory B cells, plasma cells, CD4 memory-activated T cells, macrophages M1, and activated mast cells in cluster 2, while reduced infiltration of monocytes, resting dendritic cells, and resting mast cells was captured in cluster 2. In conclusion, significant different gene expression characteristics were pooled according to the two subgroups of LUAD. The combination of subgroups, TMB and tumor-infiltrating immune cell signature, might be a novel prognostic biomarker in LUAD.

Deciphering the Role of the Coagulation Cascade and Autophagy in Cancer-Related Thrombosis and Metastasis

Thrombotic complications are the second leading cause of death among oncology patients worldwide. Enhanced thrombogenesis has multiple origins and may result from a deregulation of megakaryocyte platelet production in the bone marrow, the synthesis of coagulation factors in the liver, and coagulation factor signaling upon cancer and the tumor microenvironment (TME). While a hypercoagulable state has been attributed to factors such as thrombocytosis, enhanced platelet aggregation and Tissue Factor (TF) expression on cancer cells, further reports have suggested that coagulation factors can enhance metastasis through increased endothelial-cancer cell adhesion and enhanced endothelial cell activation. Autophagy is highly associated with cancer survival as a double-edged sword, as can both inhibit and promote cancer progression. In this review, we shall dissect the crosstalk between the coagulation cascade and autophagic pathway and its possible role in metastasis and cancer-associated thrombosis formation. The signaling of the coagulation cascade through the autophagic pathway within the hematopoietic stem cells, the endothelial cell and the cancer cell are discussed. Relevant to the coagulation cascade, we also examine the role of autophagy-related pathways in cancer treatment. In this review, we aim to bring to light possible new areas of cancer investigation and elucidate strategies for future therapeutic intervention.

PURα mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition to promote esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression by regulating Snail2

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common lethal cancers in the world. Dysregulation of purine-rich element binding protein alpha (PURα), which contributes to the initiation of PURΑ syndrome, is reportedly involved in the progression of multiple cancers, but its function and underlying mechanisms in ESCC progression remain unclear. Here, we first demonstrated that PURα promoted cell growth, migration and invasion in ESCC both in vitro and in vivo. An immunohistochemistry assay was then performed on 225 ESCC tissues, showing that high PURα expression was positively associated with lymph node metastasis and the AJCC stage, and the ESCC patients with positive PURα expression had worse survival. In addition, RNA sequencing implied that PURα induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in ESCC, which was further confirmed by qPCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence analyses. Mechanistically, PURα enhanced the transcription of Snail2 by binding to its promoter region. Knockdown of Snail2 reversed PURα-induced EMT and inhibited the migration and invasion of ESCC cells. In conclusion, this study indicated that PURα promotes Snail2 transcriptional activity to induce EMT during ESCC progression.

PURα Promotes the Transcriptional Activation of PCK2 in Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most lethal gastrointestinal malignancies due to its characteristics of local invasion and distant metastasis. Purine element binding protein α (PURα) is a DNA and RNA binding protein, and recent studies have showed that abnormal expression of PURα is associated with the progression of some tumors, but its oncogenic function, especially in ESCC progression, has not been determined. Based on the bioinformatic analysis of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data, we found that PURα affected metabolic pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid metabolism, and we observed that it has binding peaks in the promoter of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK2). Meanwhile, PURα significantly increased the activity of the PCK2 gene promoter by binding to the GGGAGGCGGA motif, as determined though luciferase assay and ChIP-PCR/qPCR. The results of Western blotting and qRT-PCR analysis showed that PURα overexpression enhances the protein and mRNA levels of PCK2 in KYSE510 cells, whereas PURα knockdown inhibits the protein and mRNA levels of PCK2 in KYSE170 cells. In addition, measurements of the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) indicated that PURα promoted the metabolism of ESCC cells. Taken together, our results help to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which PURα activates the transcription and expression of PCK2, which contributes to the development of a new therapeutic target for ESCC.

Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome Response to Heat Stress in Kenyan Chicken Ecotypes Adapted to Low and High Altitudes Reveal Differences in Thermal Tolerance and Stress Response

Heat stress (HS) negatively affects chicken performance. Agricultural expansion will happen in regions that experience high ambient temperatures, where fast-growing commercial chickens are vulnerable. Indigenous chickens of such regions, due to generations of exposure to environmental challenges, might have higher thermal tolerance. In this study, two indigenous chicken ecotypes, from the hot and humid Mombasa (lowland) and the colder Naivasha (highland) regions, were used to investigate the effects of acute (5 h, 35°C) and chronic (3 days of 35°C for 8 h/day) HS on the cardiac and skeletal muscle, through RNA sequencing. The rectal temperature gain and the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) [False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05] were two times higher in the acute stage than in the chronic stage in both ecotypes, suggesting that cyclic exposure to HS can lead to adaptation. A tissue- and stage-specific difference in response to HS was observed, with peroxisome proliferator-activated-receptor (PPAR) signaling and mitogen-activate protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, enriched in heart and skeletal muscle, respectively, and the p53 pathway enriched only in the acute stage in both tissues. The acute and chronic stage DEGs were integrated by a region-specific gene coexpression network (GCN), and genes with the highest number of connections (hub genes) were identified. The hub genes in the lowland network were CCNB2, Crb2, CHST9, SESN1, and NR4A3, while COMMD4, TTC32, H1F0, ACYP1, and RPS28 were the hub genes in the highland network. Pathway analysis of genes in the GCN showed that p53 and PPAR signaling pathways were enriched in both low and highland networks, while MAPK signaling and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum were enriched only in the gene network of highland chickens. This shows that to dissipate the accumulated heat, to reduce heat induced apoptosis, and to promote DNA damage repair, the ecotypes activated or suppressed different genes, indicating the differences in thermal tolerance and HS response mechanisms between the ecotypes. This study provides information on the HS response of chickens, adapted to two different agro climatic environments, extending our understanding of the mechanisms of HS response and the effect of adaptation in counteracting HS.