Down-regulation of tripartite-motif containing 22 expression in breast cancer is associated with a lack of p53-mediated induction

In Vitro and In Vivo Comparative Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes and Signaling Pathways in Breast Cancer Cells on Interaction with Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The interaction of breast cancer cells (BCC) with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) plays a vital role in influencing the gene expression in breast cancer cells and thereby its uncontrolled proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance. The extent of MSC governing the BCC or the extent of BCC influencing the MSC is a complex process, and the interaction strongly depends upon conditions such as the presence or absence of other cell types and in vivo tumor microenvironment or simple in vitro conditions. Hence, understanding this interaction through gene expression profiling may provide key insights about potential genes which can be targeted for breast cancer treatment. In the current study, in vitro microarray dataset and in vivo RNA-seq dataset of BCC on interaction with the MSC were downloaded from NCBI GEO database and analyzed for differentially expressed genes (DEGs), gene ontology (GO) term enrichment, and Reactome pathway analysis. To target the genes which have similar effect on both in vitro and in vivo, a comparative analysis was performed, 24 genes were commonly upregulated in both in vitro and in vivo datasets, while no common downregulated genes were observed. Out of which, 16 significant genes based upon fold change (logFC > 2) are identified for manipulating the interactions between MSC and BCC. Among them, 6 of the identified genes (FSTL1, LOX, SERPINE1, INHBA, FN1, and VEGFA) have already been reported to be upregulated in BCC on interaction with MSC by various studies. Further experiments need to be conducted to understand the role of remaining 10 identified genes (EFEMP1, IGFBP3, EDIL3, IFITM1, IGFBP4, ITGA5, SLC3A2, HRH1, PPP1R15A, and NNMT) in MSC-BCC interaction. In addition to the reported significant genes and its associated pathways, the expression of long non-coding RNA identified in this study may increase our understanding about the way MSC interacts with BCC and accelerate MSC-based treatment strategies for breast cancer.

The E3 Ligases in Cervical Cancer and Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial (EC) and cervical (CC) cancers are the most prevalent malignancies of the female reproductive system. There is a global trend towards increasing incidence and mortality, with a decreasing age trend. E3 ligases label substrates with ubiquitin to regulate their activity and stability and are involved in various cellular functions. Studies have confirmed abnormal expression or mutations of E3 ligases in EC and CC, indicating their vital roles in the occurrence and progression of EC and CC. This paper provides an overview of the E3 ligases implicated in EC and CC and discusses their underlying mechanism. In addition, this review provides research advances in the target of ubiquitination processes in EC and CC.

The roles and targeting options of TRIM family proteins in tumor

Tripartite motif (TRIM) containing proteins are a class of E3 ubiquitin ligases, which are critically implicated in the occurrence and development of tumors. They can function through regulating various aspects of tumors, such as tumor proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis and the development of drug resistance during tumor therapy. Some members of TRIM family proteins can mediate protein ubiquitination and chromosome translocation via modulating several signaling pathways, like p53, NF-κB, AKT, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin and other molecular regulatory mechanisms. The multi-domain nature/multi-functional biological role of TRIMs implies that blocking just one function or one domain might not be sufficient to obtain the desired therapeutic outcome, therefore, a detailed and systematic understanding of the biological functions of the individual domains of TRIMs is required. This review mainly described their roles and underlying mechanisms in tumorigenesis and progression, and it might shade light on a potential targeting strategy for TRIMs in tumor treatment, especially using PROTACs.

Comprehensive Analysis of Prognostic Microenvironment-Related Genes in Invasive Breast Cancer

Recent studies reveal that tumor microenvironment contributes to breast cancer (BRCA) development, progression, and therapeutic response. However, the contribution of the tumor microenvironment-related genes in routine diagnostic testing or therapeutic decision making for BRCA remains elusive. Immune/stromal/ESTIMATE scores calculated by the ESTIMATE algorithm quantify immune and stromal components in a tumor, and thus can reflect tumor microenvironment. To investigate the association of the tumor microenvironment-related genes with invasive BRCA prognosis, here we analyzed the immune/stromal/ESTIMATE scores in combination with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database in invasive BRCA. We found that immune/stromal/ESTIMATE scores were significantly correlated with the invasive BRCA clinicopathological factors. Based on the immune/stromal/ESTIMATE scores, we extracted a series of differential expression genes (DEGs) related to the tumor microenvironment. Survival analysis was further performed to identify a list of high-frequency DEGs (HF-DEGs), which exhibited prognostic value in invasive BRCA. Importantly, consistent with the results of bioinformatics analysis, immunohistochemistry results showed that high SASH3 expression was associated with a good prognosis in invasive BRCA patients. Our findings suggest that the tumor microenvironment-related HF-DEGs identified in this study have prognostic values and may serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for invasive BRCA.

The translational values of TRIM family in pan-cancers: From functions and mechanisms to clinics

Cancer is the second leading cause of human death across the world. Tripartite motif (TRIM) family, with E3 ubiquitin ligase activities in majority of its members, is reported to be involved in multiple cellular processes and signaling pathways. TRIM proteins have critical effects in the regulation of biological behaviors of cancer cells. Here, we discussed the current understanding of the molecular mechanism of TRIM proteins regulation of cancer cells. We also comprehensively reviewed published studies on TRIM family members as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in the oncogenesis, development, and progression of a variety of types of human cancers. Finally, we highlighted that certain TRIM family members are potential molecular biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and potential therapeutic targets.

Tumor suppressor p53 cross-talks with TRIM family proteins

p53 is a key tumor suppressor. As a transcription factor, p53 accumulates in cells in response to various stress signals and selectively transcribes its target genes to regulate a wide variety of cellular stress responses to exert its function in tumor suppression. In addition to tumor suppression, p53 is also involved in many other physiological and pathological processes, e.g. anti-infection, immune response, development, reproduction, neurodegeneration and aging. To maintain its proper function, p53 is under tight and delicate regulation through different mechanisms, particularly the posttranslational modifications. The tripartite motif (TRIM) family proteins are a large group of proteins characterized by the RING, B-Box and coiled-coil (RBCC) domains at the N-terminus. TRIM proteins play important roles in regulation of many fundamental biological processes, including cell proliferation and death, DNA repair, transcription, and immune response. Alterations of TRIM proteins have been linked to many diseases including cancer, infectious diseases, developmental disorders, and neurodegeneration. Interestingly, recent studies have revealed that many TRIM proteins are involved in the regulation of p53, and at the same time, many TRIM proteins are also regulated by p53. Here, we review the cross-talk between p53 and TRIM proteins, and its impact upon cellular biological processes as well as cancer and other diseases.

Knockdown of TRIM22 Relieves Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reoxygenation-Induced Apoptosis and Inflammation Through Inhibition of NF-κB/NLRP3 Axis

Tripartite motif-containing 22 (TRIM22) has been documented to participate in numerous cellular activities during human diseases. However, whether TRIM22 is involved in the regulation of neuronal survival during the progression of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unknown. In the present study, treatment of HCN-2 cells with oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) markedly upregulated TRIM22 expression. A significant increase in TRIM22 expression was observed in the ischemic cortex tissues from middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion mice. OGD/R inhibited the viability and induced the apoptosis of HCN-2 cells, which was accompanied by an increase in caspase-3 activity and an increase in LDH release. Furthermore, OGD/R increased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation, as evidenced by increases in NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain and cleaved caspase-1 expression and caspase-1 activity. However, these changes induced by OGD/R were blocked by silencing of TRIM22. In addition, TRIM22 regulated NF-κB activity in HCN-2 cells undergoing OGD/R stimulation. Furthermore, inhibition of NF-κB by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate inhibited OGD/R-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in HCN-2 cells. Taken together, silencing of TRIM22 protects neurons against OGD/R-induced apoptosis and inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effect of TRIM22 knockdown was the consequence of inhibition of NF-κB/NLRP3 axis. TRIM22 may be a potential target for treating cerebral I/R injury.

TRIM22 inhibits endometrial cancer progression through the NOD2/NF‑κB signaling pathway and confers a favorable prognosis

Endometrial cancer (EnC) is a malignant gynecological tumor commonly observed in developed countries, specifically among post‑menopausal women. Although numerous patients with EnC receive promising prognoses, those with advanced or metastatic disease often have a poor prognosis and an impaired quality of life. Tripartite motif‑containing 22 (TRIM22) has been confirmed to play many crucial roles in different biological processes, from inflammatory to tumorigenesis. However, the multifaceted roles of TRIM22 in EnC remain uncharacterized. Herein, comparing normal endometrial tissues with tumor tissues obtained from patients, it was concluded that TRIM22 expression was decreased in tumor tissues. However, the overexpression of TRIM22 served to inhibit the migratory, invasive, proliferative and cell cycle activity of EnC cells. Moreover, the knockdown of TRIM22 increased the migratory, invasive, and proliferative activity of the EnC cells. Furthermore, it was found that TRIM22 effectively suppressed EnC progression through the nucleotide binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2)/nuclear factor (NF)‑κB pathway. The data also demonstrated that TRIM22 functions as an inhibitor of EnC tumor xenograft growth in vivo. Overall, the findings of the present study define a novel regulatory role for TRIM22 in EnC progression. Moreover, TRIM22 may serve as an important prognostic predictor for EnC.

Retracted Article: TRIM22 functions as an oncogene in gliomas through regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

The tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) family is a group of proteins that are implicated in a plethora of pathological conditions. TRIM22 has been found to be involved in various cancers; however, the role of TRIM22 in gliomas has not been reported. The present study aimed to evaluate the expression pattern of TRIM22 and its function in gliomas. TRIM22 expressions in glioma tissues and cell lines were measured by RT-PCR and western blot analysis. To knockdown TRIM22 by small hairpin RNAs (shTRIM22), the U118 cells were transfected with pLKO.1-shTRIM22 plasmid or pLKO.1 plasmid. Cell proliferation was measured using CCK-8 assay. Transwell assays were performed to evaluate the migration and invasion. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was assessed by detecting the expressions of E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin with western blot analysis. A xenograft mouse model was established to evaluate the effect of TRIM22 silencing on tumor growth in vivo. The expressions of β-catenin, cyclin D1, and c-Myc were analyzed by western blot analysis. TRIM22 was significantly overexpressed in glioma tissues and cell lines. In vitro studies demonstrated that TRIM22 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Additionally, TRIM22 silencing increased the expressions of E-cadherin, and decreased the expressions of N-cadherin and vimentin. Nude mouse xenograft assay showed that TRIM22 silencing inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, silencing of TRIM22 inhibited the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Treatment with LiCl, an activator of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, attenuated the effects of shTRIM22 on U118 cells. Silencing of TRIM22 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as repressing the EMT process in glioma cells. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway was involved in the effect of TRIM22.

TRIM22 knockdown suppresses chronic myeloid leukemia via inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway

Tripartite motif-containing 22 (TRIM22) is reported to participate in numerous cellular activities. Recent studies confirm that TRIM22 is a target gene for P53, and inhibits clonogenic growth of leukemic U-937 cells. The current study aims to discover the effect of TRIM22 in progression of human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and explore the related mechanism. TRIM22 was knocked down by siRNA transfection in CML cell K562. We observed that TRIM22 knockdown decreased proliferation and invasion in K562 cells. TRIM22 knockdown significantly induced cell cycle arrest by regulating the level of CDK4, Cyclin D1, P70S6K, and P53 in K562 cell. Moreover, loss of TRIM22 also promoted apoptosis through modulation of Bcl-2, Bax and active Caspase 3 in K562 cell. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TRIM22 knockdown inhibited the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway by decreasing the level of the phosphorylated form p-Akt and p-mTOR in K562 cell. In conclusion, loss of TRIM22 suppresses the progression and invasion of CML through regulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, suggesting that TRIM22 might be as a potential target for the treatment strategy of CML.

TRIM22 confers poor prognosis and promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition through regulation of AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling in non-small cell lung cancer

Expression pattern and biological roles of TRIM22 remains unknown in most human cancers. The present study aims to discover its clinical significance and function in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Immunohistochemistry was used to examine TRIM22 expression in 126 cases of NSCLC specimens. TRIM22 protein was upregulated in 70/126 (55.6%) non-small cell lung cancer tissues compared with normal lung tissue. TRIM22 overexpression was associated with advanced TNM stage, positive nodal metastasis and poor prognosis. Plasmid and siRNA transfection were performed in lung cancer cell lines. TRIM22 overexpression promoted proliferation, colony formation and invasion in A549 cells. While its depletion exhibited the opposite effects in H1299 cell line. TRIM22 overexpression promoted cell cycle progression through regulation of cyclin D1, cyclin E and p27. TRIM22 also changed the expression of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers including E-cadherin N-cadherin, Vimentin and Snail. Furthermore, TRIM22 activated PI3K/AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin oncogenic signaling pathways. Treatment with PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and β-catenin siRNA blocked the effects of TRIM22 on EMT in TRIM22-overexpressing cells. In conclusion,TRIM22 serves as an important oncoprotein and a promoter of cell proliferation and invasion through AKT/ GSK3β/β-catenin induced EMT in NSCLC.

Bioinformatics analysis of the prognostic value of Tripartite Motif 28 in breast cancer

Tripartite motif containing 28 (TRIM28) is a transcriptional regulator acting as an essential corepressor for Krüppel-associated box zinc finger domain-containing proteins in multiple tissue and cell types. An increasing number of studies have investigated the function of TRIM28; however, its prognostic value in breast cancer (BC) remains unclear. In the present study, the expression of TRIM28 was identified to be significantly higher in cancerous compared with healthy tissue samples. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that TRIM28 expression was significantly correlated with several clinicopathological characteristics of patients with BC, such as p53 mutation, tumor recurrence and Elston grade of the tumor. In addition, a protein-protein interaction network was created to illustrate the interactions of TRIM28 with other proteins. The prognostic value of TRIM28 in patients with BC was investigated using the Kaplan-Meier Plotter database, which revealed that high expression of TRIM28 is a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with BC. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that TRIM28 provides a survival advantage to patients with BC and is a novel prognostic biomarker, in addition to being a therapeutic target for the treatment of BC.

TRIMming p53's anticancer activity

Several TRIM proteins control abundance and activity of p53. Along this route, TRIM proteins have a serious impact on carcinogenesis and prognosis for cancer patients. In the past years, a significant increase has been made in our understanding of how the TRIM protein family controls p53 activity.

Identification of TRIM22 as a progesterone-responsive gene in Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells

Progesterone plays important roles in implantation and maintains pregnancy. It antagonizes estrogen-mediated cell proliferation and promotes differentiation in the uterus. The action of progesterone is mediated by specific receptors, namely, the progesterone receptors (PRs). We generated two Ishikawa cell clones stably expressing PR isoform A (PR-A) and identified progesterone-responsive genes using cDNA microarray analysis. Fifteen genes were identified as progesterone-responsive gene candidates by microarray analysis and their progesterone-responsiveness was shown by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. Out of these 15 genes, we focused on TRIM22. A database search revealed a progesterone response element (PRE) located from the -25 to -11 bp region upstream of TRIM22 exon 1. This PRE had a 1-bp mismatch in the consensus PRE sequence. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that the interaction of PR with the TRIM22 PRE region increased in a hormone-dependent manner. The progesterone-dependent enhancer activity of TRIM22 PRE was demonstrated using a luciferase assay. Based on these results, we propose that TRIM22 is a direct target gene of PR and that it can mediate progesterone actions in uterine cells.

Effects of altered expression and activity levels of CK1δ and ɛ on tumor growth and survival of colorectal cancer patients

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer related death worldwide due to high apoptotic resistance and metastatic potential. Because mutations as well as deregulation of CK1 isoforms contribute to tumor development and tumor progression, CK1 has become an interesting drug target. In this study we show that CK1 isoforms are differently expressed in colon tumor cell lines and that growth of these cell lines can be inhibited by CK1-specific inhibitors. Furthermore, expression of CK1δ and ɛ is changed in colorectal tumors compared to normal bowel epithelium, and high CK1ɛ expression levels significantly correlate with prolonged patients' survival. In addition to changes in CK1δ and ɛ expression, mutations within exon 3 of CK1δ were detected in colorectal tumors. These mutations influence ATP binding resulting in changes in kinetic parameters of CK1δ. Overexpression of these mutants in HT29 cells alters their ability to grow anchorage independently. Consistent with these results, these CK1δ mutants lead to differences in proliferation rate and tumor size in xenografts due to changes in gene expression, especially in genes involved in regulation of cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. In summary, our results provide evidence that changes in the expression levels of CK1 isoforms in colorectal tumors correlate with patients' survival. Furthermore, CK1 mutants affect growth and proliferation of tumor cells and induce tumor growth in xenografts, leading to the assumption that CK1 isoforms provide interesting targets for the development of novel effective therapeutic concepts to treat colorectal cancer.

Secreted frizzled‑related protein 2 is epigenetically silenced and functions as a tumor suppressor in oral squamous cell carcinoma

The role of epigenetic inactivation of secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2) and its functions in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain to be elucidated. The present study demonstrated that SFRP2 mRNA was detected in 97.96% of tumor-adjacent normal tissues, while its expression was only detected in 16.33% of the tumor samples. In addition, the loss of SFRP2 expression was associated with hypermethylation of its promoter. As expected, the overexpression of SFRP2 in OSCC cell lines (Tca8113) suppressed cell proliferation and arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase. Overexpression of SFRP2 also effectively repressed tumor growth in xenograft animals. Mechanistic investigations revealed that SFRP2 inhibited the development of OSCC in vitro and in vivo through an increase in the expression levels of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and a decrease in the expression level of cyclin D1, a direct read-out gene of active Wnt signaling. In addition, an increase in the expression of β-catenin was observed in the Tca8113/SFRP2 cells and in the animal models overexpressing SFRP2. Therefore, the results of the present study provide insight into the role of SFRP2 as a functional tumor suppressor in the development of OSCC through inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway. Further studies on the precise mechanisms underlying the inhibition of Wnt signaling by SFRP2 and its association with β-catenin are required.