Preclinical and clinical studies of the NEDD9 scaffold protein in cancer and other diseases

NEDD9 is transcriptionally regulated by HDAC4 and promotes breast cancer metastasis and macrophage M2 polarization via the FAK/NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is a malignancy with a generally poor prognosis. With the advancement of molecular research, we have gained deeper insights into the cellular processes that drive breast cancer development. However, the precise mechanisms remain elusive.

RESULTS

Based on the CPTAC database, we found that NEDD9 expression is up-regulated in breast cancer tissues and is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. Functional experiments showed that NEDD9 promotes tumor growth and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of NEDD9 disrupts mammary epithelial acinus formation and triggers epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells, effects that are reversed upon NEDD9 gene silencing. Mechanistically, NEDD9 upregulates its expression by inhibiting HDAC4 activity, leading to enhanced H3K9 acetylation of the NEDD9 gene promoter and activation of the FAK/NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, NEDD9 overexpression promotes IL-6 secretion, which further drives breast cancer progression. Notably, NEDD9 activation fosters the pro-tumoral M2 macrophage polarization in the tumor microenvironment. NEDD9 stimulates IL-6 secretion, polarizes monocytes towards an M2-like phenotype, and enhances BC cell invasiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that NEDD9 upregulation plays a pivotal role in breast cancer metastasis and macrophage M2 polarization via the FAK/NF-κB signaling axis. Targeting NEDD9 may offer a promising therapeutic approach for breast cancer treatment.

Non-Muscle Myosin II A: Friend or Foe in Cancer?

Non-muscle myosin IIA (NM IIA) is a motor protein that belongs to the myosin II family. The myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) gene encodes the heavy chain of NM IIA. NM IIA is a hexamer and contains three pairs of peptides, which include the dimer of heavy chains, essential light chains, and regulatory light chains. NM IIA is a part of the actomyosin complex that generates mechanical force and tension to carry out essential cellular functions, including adhesion, cytokinesis, migration, and the maintenance of cell shape and polarity. These functions are regulated via light and heavy chain phosphorylation at different amino acid residues. Apart from physiological functions, NM IIA is also linked to the development of cancer and genetic and neurological disorders. MYH9 gene mutations result in the development of several autosomal dominant disorders, such as May-Hegglin anomaly (MHA) and Epstein syndrome (EPS). Multiple studies have reported NM IIA as a tumor suppressor in melanoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; however, studies also indicate that NM IIA is a critical player in promoting tumorigenesis, chemoradiotherapy resistance, and stemness. The ROCK-NM IIA pathway regulates cellular movement and shape via the control of cytoskeletal dynamics. In addition, the ROCK-NM IIA pathway is dysregulated in various solid tumors and leukemia. Currently, there are very few compounds targeting NM IIA, and most of these compounds are still being studied in preclinical models. This review provides comprehensive evidence highlighting the dual role of NM IIA in multiple cancer types and summarizes the signaling networks involved in tumorigenesis. Furthermore, we also discuss the role of NM IIA as a potential therapeutic target with a focus on the ROCK-NM IIA pathway.

Transcription factor 7 like 2 promotes metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma via NEDD9-mediated activation of AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system, and the exact mechanism of HCC is still unclear. Transcription factor 7 like 2 (TCF7L2) plays a pivotal role in cell proliferation and stemness maintenance. However, the exact mechanism of TCF7L2 in HCC remains unclear.

METHODS

Clinical samples and public databases were used to analyze the expression and prognosis of TCF7L2 in HCC. The function of TCF7L2 in HCC was studied in vitro and in vivo. ChIP and luciferase assays were used to explore the molecular mechanism of TCF7L2. The relationship between TCF7L2 and NEDD9 was verified in HCC clinical samples by tissue microarrays.

RESULTS

The expression of TCF7L2 was upregulated in HCC, and high expression of TCF7L2 was associated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. Overexpression of TCF7L2 promoted the metastasis of HCC in vitro and in vivo, while Knockdown of TCF7L2 showed the opposite effect. Mechanically, TCF7L2 activated neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein 9 (NEDD9) transcription by binding to the -1522/-1509 site of the NEDD9 promoter region, thereby increasing the phosphorylation levels of AKT and mTOR. The combination of TCF7L2 and NEDD9 could distinguish the survival of HCC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that TCF7L2 promotes HCC metastasis by activating AKT/mTOR pathway in a NEDD9-dependent manner, suggesting that potential of TCF7L2 and NEDD9 as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for HCC.

CBF-Beta Mitigates PI3K-Alpha-Specific Inhibitor Killing through PIM1 in PIK3CA-Mutant Gastric Cancer

PIK3CA is the second most mutated gene in cancer leading to aberrant PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling and increased translation, proliferation, and survival. Some 4%-25% of gastric cancers display activating PIK3CA mutations, including 80% of Epstein-Barr virus-associated GCs. Small molecules, including pan-PI3K and dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors, have shown moderate success clinically, due to broad on-target/off-tissue effects. Thus, isoform-specific and mutant selective inhibitors have been of significant interest. However, drug resistance is a problem and has affected success of new drugs. There has been a concerted effort to define mechanisms of resistance and identify potent combinations in many tumor types, though gastric cancer is comparatively understudied. In this study, we identified modulators of the response to the PI3Kα-specific inhibitor, BYL719, in PIK3CA-mutant GCs. We found that loss of NEDD9 or inhibition of BCL-XL conferred hypersensitivity to BYL719, through increased cell-cycle arrest and cell death, respectively. In addition, we discovered that loss of CBFB conferred resistance to BYL719. CBFB loss led to upregulation of the protein kinase PIM1, which can phosphorylate and activate several overlapping downstream substrates as AKT thereby maintaining pathway activity in the presence of PI3Kα inhibition. The addition of a pan-PIM inhibitor re-sensitized resistant cells to BYL719. Our data provide clear mechanistic insights into PI3Kα inhibitor response in PIK3CA-mutant gastric tumors and can inform future work as mutant-selective inhibitors are in development for diverse tumor types.

IMPLICATIONS

Loss of either NEDD9 or BCL-XL confers hypersensitivity to PI3K-alpha inhibition whereas loss of CBFB confers resistance through a CBFB/PIM1 signaling axis.

NEDD9 Overexpression Causes Hyperproliferation of Luminal Cells and Cooperates with HER2 Oncogene in Tumor Initiation: A Novel Prognostic Marker in Breast Cancer

HER2 overexpression occurs in 10-20% of breast cancer patients. HER2+ tumors are characterized by an increase in Ki67, early relapse, and increased metastasis. Little is known about the factors influencing early stages of HER2- tumorigenesis and diagnostic markers. Previously, it was shown that the deletion of NEDD9 in mouse models of HER2 cancer interferes with tumor growth, but the role of NEDD9 upregulation is currently unexplored. We report that NEDD9 is overexpressed in a significant subset of HER2+ breast cancers and correlates with a limited response to anti-HER2 therapy. To investigate the mechanisms through which NEDD9 influences HER2-dependent tumorigenesis, we generated MMTV-Cre-NEDD9 transgenic mice. The analysis of mammary glands shows extensive ductal epithelium hyperplasia, increased branching, and terminal end bud expansion. The addition of oncogene Erbb2 (neu) leads to the earlier development of early hyperplastic benign lesions (~16 weeks), with a significantly shorter latency than the control mice. Similarly, NEDD9 upregulation in MCF10A-derived acini leads to hyperplasia-like DCIS. This phenotype is associated with activation of ERK1/2 and AURKA kinases, leading to an increased proliferation of luminal cells. These findings indicate that NEDD9 is setting permissive conditions for HER2-induced tumorigenesis, thus identifying this protein as a potential diagnostic marker for early detection.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors promote breast cancer metastasis by elevating NEDD9 expression

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) is a kind of protease that modifies histone to regulate gene expression, and is usually abnormally activated in tumors. The approved pan-HDAC inhibitors have demonstrated clinical benefits for patients in some hematologic malignancies. Only limited therapeutic success in breast cancer has been observed in clinical trials. In this study, we declare that pan-HDAC inhibitors targeting NEDD9-FAK pathway exacerbate breast cancer metastasis in preclinical models, which may severely impede their clinical success. NEDD9 is not an oncogene, however, it has been demonstrated recently that there are high level or activity changes of NEDD9 in a variety of cancer, including leukemia, colon cancer, and breast cancer. Mechanistically, pan-HDAC inhibitors enhance H3K9 acetylation at the nedd9 gene promoter via inhibition of HDAC4 activity, thus increase NEDD9 expression, and then activate FAK phosphorylation. The realization that pan-HDAC inhibitors can alter the natural history of breast cancer by increasing invasion warrants clinical attention. In addition, although NEDD9 has been reported to have a hand in breast cancer metastasis, it has not received much attention, and no therapeutic strategies have been developed. Notably, we demonstrate that FAK inhibitors can reverse breast cancer metastasis induced by upregulation of NEDD9 via pan-HDAC inhibitors, which may offer a potential combination therapy for breast cancer.

NEDD9 Restrains dsDNA Damage Response during Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Progression

DNA damaging modalities are the backbone of treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Alterations in DNA damage response (DDR) in tumor cells commonly contribute to emerging resistance to platinating agents, other targeted therapies, and radiation. The goal of this study is to identify the previously unreported role of NEDD9 scaffolding protein in controlling DDR processes and sensitivity to DNA damaging therapies. Using a siRNA-mediated approach to deplete NEDD9 in a group of human and murine KRAS/TP53-mutant NSCLC cell lines, coupled with a set of cell viability and clonogenic assays, flow cytometry analysis, and Western blotting, we evaluated the effects of NEDD9 silencing on cellular proliferation, DDR and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling, cell cycle, and sensitivity to cisplatin and UV irradiation. Using publicly available NSCLC datasets (TCGA) and an independent cohort of primary NSCLC tumors, subsequent in silico and immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses were performed to assess relevant changes in NEDD9 RNA and protein expression across different stages of NSCLC. The results of our study demonstrate that NEDD9 depletion is associated with the increased tumorigenic capacity of NSCLC cells. These phenotypes were accompanied by significantly upregulated ATM-CHK2 signaling, shifting towards a more mesenchymal phenotype in NEDD9 depleted cells and elevated sensitivity to UV-irradiation. IHC analyses revealed an association between reduced NEDD9 protein expression and a decrease in overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of the NSCLC patients. These data, for the first time, identified NEDD9 as a negative regulator of ATM kinase activity and related DDR signaling in numerous KRAS/TP53 mutated NSCLC, with its effects on the regulation of DDR-dependent EMT signaling, sensitivity to DNA damaging modalities in tumor cells, and the survival of the patients.

miR-107 is involved in the regulation of NEDD9-mediated invasion and metastasis in breast cancer

Background

As a metastasis-related protein, NEDD9 has been reported in breast cancer (BC) metastasis research. However, there are few studies on the upstream regulators of NEDD9, especially involving the potential role of miRNAs. The purpose of this study was to explain whether miR-107 potentially regulates NEDD9, which may lead to invasion and metastasis of BC.

Methods

MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were transduced with lentiviruses to construct stably transduced cells with miR-107 overexpression, miR-107 silencing or empty vectors. A luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the binding of miR-107 and NEDD9. The scratch test and Transwell assay were used to measure cell migration and invasion ability, respectively. For the study of metastasis in vivo, we injected MDA-MB-231 cells into the fat pad of nude mice to develop an orthotopic breast cancer model.

Results

We found that NEDD9 expression correlates with the prognosis of BC patients. In BC cell lines, NEDD9 was positively correlated with cell migration ability. Further research revealed that miR-107 inhibited NEDD9 expression by targeting the 3′-untranslated region of NEDD9. Overexpression of miR-107 suppressed the expression of NEDD9, thereby inhibiting the invasion, migration and proliferation of BC cells, but interference with miR-107 promoted the expression of NEDD9 as well as invasion, migration and proliferation. In an in vivo model, overexpression of miR-107 decreased the expression of NEDD9 and inhibited tumour growth, invasion and metastasis; however, these effects were reversed by inhibiting miR-107.

Conclusions

These findings indicated the potential role of miR-107 in regulating NEDD9 in the invasion, migration and proliferation of BC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09603-3.

The scaffold protein NEDD9 is necessary for leukemia-cell migration and disease progression in a mouse model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The scaffold protein NEDD9 is frequently upregulated and hyperphosphorylated in cancers, and is associated with poor clinical outcome. NEDD9 promotes B-cell adhesion, migration and chemotaxis, pivotal processes for malignant development. We show that global or B-cell-specific deletion of Nedd9 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) mouse models delayed CLL development, markedly reduced disease burden and resulted in significant survival benefit. NEDD9 was required for efficient CLL cell homing, chemotaxis, migration and adhesion. In CLL patients, peripheral NEDD9 expression was associated with adhesion and migration signatures as well as leukocyte count. Additionally, CLL lymph nodes frequently expressed high NEDD9 levels, with a subset of patients showing NEDD9 expression enriched in the CLL proliferation centers. Blocking activity of prominent NEDD9 effectors, including AURKA and HDAC6, effectively reduced CLL cell migration and chemotaxis. Collectively, our study provides evidence for a functional role of NEDD9 in CLL pathogenesis that involves intrinsic defects in adhesion, migration and homing.

Arginine Methyltransferase PRMT7 Deregulates Expression of RUNX1 Target Genes in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy with no well-established prognostic biomarkers. We examined the expression of protein arginine methyltransferases across hematological malignancies and discovered high levels of PRMT7 mRNA in T-ALL, particularly in the mature subtypes of T-ALL. The genetic deletion of PRMT7 by CRISPR-Cas9 reduced the colony formation of T-ALL cells and changed arginine monomethylation patterns in protein complexes associated with the RNA and DNA processing and the T-ALL pathogenesis. Among them was RUNX1, whose target gene expression was consequently deregulated. These results suggest that PRMT7 plays an active role in the pathogenesis of T-ALL.

NEDD9 links anaplastic thyroid cancer stemness to chromosomal instability through integrated centrosome asymmetry and DNA sensing regulation

Stemness and chromosomal instability (CIN) are two common contributors to intratumor heterogeneity and therapy relapse in advanced cancer, but their interplays are poorly defined. Here, in anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), we show that ALDH+ stem-like cancer cells possess increased CIN-tolerance owing to transcriptional upregulation of the scaffolding protein NEDD9. Thyroid patient tissues and transcriptomic data reveals NEDD9/ALDH1A3 to be co-expressed and co-upregulated in ATC. Compared to bulk ALDH- cells, ALDH+ cells were highly efficient at propagating CIN due to their intrinsic tolerance of both centrosome amplification and micronuclei. ALDH+ cells mitigated the fitness-impairing effects of centrosome amplification by partially inactivating supernumerary centrosomes. Meanwhile, ALDH+ cells also mitigated cell death caused by micronuclei-mediated type 1 interferon secretion by suppressing the expression of the DNA-sensor protein STING. Both mechanisms of CIN-tolerance were lost upon RNAi-mediated NEDD9 silencing. Both in vitro and in vivo, NEDD9-depletion attenuated stemness, CIN, cell/tumor growth, while enhancing paclitaxel effectiveness. Collectively, these findings reveal that ATC progression can involve an ALDH1A3/NEDD9-regulated program linking their stemness to CIN-tolerance that could be leveraged for ATC treatment.

NEDD9 sustains hexokinase expression to promote glycolysis

Elevated rates of glycolysis in cancer cells support tumor growth, in a process that typically depends on oncogene-induced increases in the expression and/or activity of enzymes in the glycolytic pathway. The NEDD9 scaffolding protein is upregulated in many advanced tumors, with increased NEDD9 promoting the activity of SRC and other effectors that promote invasion and metastasis. We here define a new role for NEDD9 in support of glycolysis. NEDD9 knockdown significantly impaired glycolysis in multiple lung cancer cell lines This was accompanied by post-transcriptional downregulation of steady-state levels of hexokinases (HK1 and HK2), which catalyze early steps in the glycolytic cascade, key rate limiting enzyme phosphofructokinase (PFK1), and downstream glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). In mice, protein levels of HK1, HK2, PFK1, and GAPDH were depressed in Krastm4Tyj/J/Trp53tm1Brn/J (KP) non-small cell lung tumors with null versus wild type Nedd9. Reciprocally, depletion of HK1 or HK2 elevated NEDD9 expression, as did the treatment of cells with 2-deoxyglucose (2DG), an inhibitor of glycolysis; whereas overexpression of hexokinases promoted NEDD9 dephosphorylation, associated with reduced NEDD9 activity. Together, these data for the first time suggest a negative feedback circuit involving NEDD9 and glycolytic enzymes that may contribute to NEDD9 action in promoting the aggressive growth of advanced tumors.

Aurora A and AKT Kinase Signaling Associated with Primary Cilia

Dysregulation of kinase signaling is associated with various pathological conditions, including cancer, inflammation, and autoimmunity; consequently, the kinases involved have become major therapeutic targets. While kinase signaling pathways play crucial roles in multiple cellular processes, the precise manner in which their dysregulation contributes to disease is dependent on the context; for example, the cell/tissue type or subcellular localization of the kinase or substrate. Thus, context-selective targeting of dysregulated kinases may serve to increase the therapeutic specificity while reducing off-target adverse effects. Primary cilia are antenna-like structures that extend from the plasma membrane and function by detecting extracellular cues and transducing signals into the cell. Cilia formation and signaling are dynamically regulated through context-dependent mechanisms; as such, dysregulation of primary cilia contributes to disease in a variety of ways. Here, we review the involvement of primary cilia-associated signaling through aurora A and AKT kinases with respect to cancer, obesity, and other ciliopathies.

Prognostic Significances of NEDD-9 and FOXL-1 Expression in Intestinal Type Gastric Carcinoma: an Immunohistochemical Study

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is mostly diagnosed at advanced stage, so prognosis is poor. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the molecular mechanism of GC development to design new targeted treatment to improve the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.

AIM OF THE WORK

To assess the prognostic value of NEDD-9 and FOXL-1 expression in intestinal type gastric cancer patients, as well as their relationship to clinicopathologic features of the disease and patients outcome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study; we included 50 sections from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples which included intestinal type GC and adjacent non-neoplastic gastric mucosa in the same block that were subjected to immunohistochemistry with anti-NEDD-9 and anti-FOXL-1 antibody. Patients were retrospectively followed up for about 5 years for assessment of tumor progression and survival in relation to marker expression.

RESULTS

High NEDD-9 and low FOXL-1 expression were found in intestinal type GC more than adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa (p < 0.001). NEDD-9 high expression and FOXL-1 low expression were associated with presence of helicobacter pylori gastritis (p = 0.010, 0.049), high grade (p = 0.007, 0.004), high stage (p < 0.001), presence of distant metastases (p = 0.029, 0.021), poor DFS (p = 0.003), and OS rates (< 0.001).

CONCLUSION

NEDD-9 overexpression and FOXL-1 deficiency in intestinal type GC can help in prediction of tumor prognosis and it can guide the selection of patients for future therapies in gastric carcinoma.

NEDD9 overexpression: Prognostic and guidance value in acute myeloid leukaemia

It has been demonstrated that neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein (NEDD) plays crucial roles in tumorigenesis and may serve as potential biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. However, few studies systematically investigated the expression of NEDD family members in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We systemically determined the expression of NEDD family members in AML and determined their clinical significance. We identified that NEDD9 expression was the only member among NEDD family which was significantly increased in AML. NEDD9 overexpression was more frequently classified as FAB‐M4/M5 (p = 0.008 and 0.013, respectively), hardly as FAB‐M2/M3. Moreover, NEDD9 overexpression was significantly associated with complex karyotype and TP53 mutation. The significant association between NEDD9 overexpression and survival was also observed in whole‐cohort AML and non‐M3 AML patients. Notably, AML patients with NEDD9 overexpression may benefit from hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), whereas those cases without NEDD9 overexpression did not. Finally, a total of 822 mRNAs and 31 microRNAs were found to be differentially expressed between two groups. Among the microRNAs, miR‐381 was also identified as a microRNA that could direct target NEDD9. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that NEDD9 overexpression is associated with genetic abnormalities as well as prognosis and might act as a potential biomarker guiding the choice between HSCT and chemotherapy in patients with AML after achieving complete remission.

MicroRNA-1252-5p, regulated by Myb, inhibits invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of pancreatic cancer cells by targeting NEDD9

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to be involved in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer (PAC). The expression levels and roles of miR-1252-5p in PAC remain unclear. Quantitative real-time PCR and in situ hybridization were used to detect miR-1252-5p expression in PAC cells and human tissues. We studied the gain and loss of function of miR-1252-5p in the PAC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. The direct targets of miR-1252-5p were analyzed using public databases and a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Expression levels of miR-1252-5p are downregulated in PAC cell lines and tissue samples, and its expression is negatively associated with adverse clinical features and poor prognosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments show that miR-1252-5p overexpression inhibits the proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of PAC cells, and miR-1252-5p knockdown enhances these biological behaviors. MiR-1252-5p negatively regulates neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally downregulated 9 (NEDD9) by directly binding its 3'- untranslated region. Further mechanism research revealed that the SRC/STAT3 pathway is involved in miR-1252-5p/NEDD9 mediation of PAC's biological behaviors. We also verified that Myb inhibited miR-1252-5p by directly binding at its promoter. MiR-1252-5p may act as a tumor-suppressing miRNA in PAC and may be a potential therapeutic target for PAC patients.

Susceptibility-Associated Genetic Variation in NEDD9 Contributes to Prostate Cancer Initiation and Progression

Although American men of European ancestry represent the largest population of patients with prostate cancer, men of African ancestry are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, with higher prevalence and worse outcomes. These racial disparities in prostate cancer are due to multiple factors, but variations in genomic susceptibility such as SNP may play an important role in determining cancer aggressiveness and treatment outcome. Using public databases, we have identified a prostate cancer susceptibility SNP at an intronic enhancer of the neural precursor expressed, developmentally downregulated 9 (NEDD9) gene, which is strongly associated with increased risk of patients with African ancestry. This genetic variation increased expression of NEDD9 by modulating the chromatin binding of certain transcription factors, including ERG and NANOG. Moreover, NEDD9 displayed oncogenic activity in prostate cancer cells, promoting prostate cancer tumor growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Together, our study provides novel insights into the genetic mechanisms driving prostate cancer racial disparities. SIGNIFICANCE: A prostate cancer susceptibility genetic variation in NEDD9, which is strongly associated with the increased risk of patients with African ancestry, increases NEDD9 expression and promotes initiation and progression of prostate cancer.See related commentary by Mavura and Huang, p. 3764.

Nedd9 Restrains Autophagy to Limit Growth of Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common cancer worldwide. With overall 5-year survival estimated at <17%, it is critical to identify factors that regulate NSCLC disease prognosis. NSCLC is commonly driven by mutations in KRAS and TP53, with activation of additional kinases such as SRC promoting tumor invasion. In this study, we investigated the role of NEDD9, a SRC activator and scaffolding protein, in NSCLC tumorigenesis. In an inducible model of NSCLC dependent on Kras mutation and Trp53 loss (KP mice), deletion of Nedd9 (KPN mice) led to the emergence of larger tumors characterized by accelerated rates of tumor growth and elevated proliferation. Orthotopic injection of KP and KPN tumors into the lungs of Nedd9-wild-type and -null mice indicated the effect of Nedd9 loss was cell-autonomous. Tumors in KPN mice displayed reduced activation of SRC and AKT, indicating that activation of these pathways did not mediate enhanced growth of KPN tumors. NSCLC tumor growth has been shown to require active autophagy, a process dependent on activation of the kinases LKB1 and AMPK. KPN tumors contained high levels of active LKB1 and AMPK and increased autophagy compared with KP tumors. Treatment with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine completely eliminated the growth advantage of KPN tumors. These data for the first time identify NEDD9 as a negative regulator of LKB1/AMPK-dependent autophagy during early NSCLC tumor growth. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates a novel role for the scaffolding protein NEDD9 in regulating LKB1-AMPK signaling in early stage non-small cell lung cancer, suppressing autophagy and tumor growth.

Investigating the Features of PDO Green Hams during Salting: Insights for New Markers and Genomic Regions in Commercial Hybrid Pigs

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) dry-cured hams production is greatly dependent on raw meat quality. This study was performed to identify genetic markers associated with the quality of dry-cured ham. Carcass traits of 229 heavy pigs belonging to three commercial genetic lines were registered (weight, EUROP classification). Phenotypic traits (Semimembranosus muscle ultimate pH, ham weight and lean meat content, adsorbed salt) of the corresponding thighs, undergone PDO ham process in three different plants, were measured, using a fast and non-invasive technology. Green ham weight and lean meat percentage influenced the estimated salt content and the weight loss during salting, even if the processing plant greatly affected the variability of the measured ham traits. The genomic data were obtained with the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler (GGP) 70k HD Porcine Array, using the slaughter day and the sex of the animals in the statistical analyses. The phenotypic traits were associated with the genotypes through GenAbel software. The results showed that 18 SNPs located on nine porcine chromosomes were found to be associated with nine phenotypic traits, mainly related to ham weight loss during salting. New associations were found between markers in the genes Neural Precursor Cell Expressed Developmentally Down-Regulated 9 (NEDD9, SSC7), T-Cell Lymphoma Invasion and Metastasis 2 (TIAM2, SSC1), and the ham quality traits. After validation, these SNPs may be useful to improve the quality of thighs for the production of PDO dry-cured hams.

Melatonin Inhibits the Progression of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Inducing miR-25-5p Expression by Directly Targeting NEDD9

Melatonin exerts anti-cancer roles in various types of cancers. However, to the best of our knowledge, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the role of melatonin and its underlying mechanism in OSCC. MTT, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell invasion assays proved that melatonin played anti-tumor effects in OSCC cells by inhibiting cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion in a concentration-dependent manner. The RT-qPCR analysis showed that miR-25-5p was significantly upregulated after melatonin treatment. Further, miR-25-5p might be involved in melatonin-induced inhibitory effects on the biological behavior of OSCC. The expression of miR-25-5p was decreased in tumor tissues and OSCC cells detected by RT-qPCR. MTT assay, colony formation assay, and TUNEL staining indicated miR-25-5p overexpression inhibited OSCC cell viability, proliferation, and induced OSCC cell apoptosis. Furthermore, wound healing, transwell invasion assay, and animal experiments suggested that miR-25-5p might exert suppressive effects on the migration, invasion, and tumor formation of OSCC cells, while miR-25-5p knockdown exhibited the opposite effects in OSCC cells. Bioinformatics analysis, western blot analysis, and luciferase reporter assay suggested that neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein 9 (NEDD9) was proved to be a putative target for miR-25-5p. The role of NEDD9 in inhibiting OSCC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration was verified with NEDD9 siRNA transfection. Thus, melatonin exerted anti-proliferative, anti-invasive, and anti-migrative effects on OSCC via miR-25-5p/NEDD9 pathway. Melatonin could be applied as a potential novel drug on treating OSCC.

Anti-Proliferative and Apoptosis-Promoting Effect of microRNA-125b on Pancreatic Cancer by Targeting NEDD9 via PI3K/AKT Signaling

PURPOSE

The expression of microRNA-125b (miR-125b) is low in a variety of cancers, including gastric, lung, bladder, thyroid, and esophageal cancers. However, its specific mechanism in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. This study is aimed to explore the role of miR-125b in PDAC.

METHODS

PDAC tissues and adjacent tissues were collected for miR-125b analysis by qRT-PCR. Different PDAC cell lines were cultured for miR-125b detection by qRT-PCR, and CAPAN1 cells were selected for the downstream experiments. Cell proliferation was characterized by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and 5-bromo-2-deoxyUridine (BrdU) staining. Flow cytometry was utilized for apoptosis and cell cycle changes. Cell invasion was determined by the Transwell assay and the dual-luciferase assay was utilized for validating the target gene. Western blotting was used to detect apoptosis related and PI3K/AKT signaling proteins.

RESULTS

miR-125b was significantly down-regulated in human PDAC tissues and cell lines (P < 0.05). miR-125b inhibited the growth and invasion of CAPAN1 cells, facilitated apoptosis, and blocked the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. Furthermore, miR-125 directly targeted NEDD9. The high expression of NEDD9 impaired the anti-proliferative and anti-apoptotic activity of miR-125b. miR-125b also inhibited apoptosis-related proteins and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways via NEDD9.

CONCLUSION

miR-125b decreased cell growth and invasion, and facilitated apoptosis in CAPAN1 cells through PI3K/AKT inhibition via targeting NEDD9.

Comparison of serum NEDD-9, CA 15-3, and CEA levels and PET metabolic parameters in breast cancer patients with 18 F-FDG PET / CT

OBJECTIVE Analyze the over expression of neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated protein 9 (NEDD-9) deregulated associated with a poor prognosis in various carcinomas. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between the levels of NEDD-9, CA 15-3, and CEA and PET (SUVmax, MTV40, TLG40) with the clinical parameters of patients with breast cancer (BC). METHODS One hundred and eleven patients (82 BC patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT and 29 healthy controls) were evaluated. SUVmax, MTV, and TLG of the primary tumor were compared with the molecular and histopathological subtypes. 18F-FDG, MTV, and TLG were evaluated based on the clinical data, i.e., nodal involvement, distant metastasis, ER and PR status, Ki-67, serum levels of NEDD-9, CA15-3, and CEA. We compared the NEDD-9 in the BC and healthy control groups. RESULTS The mean ± SD of SUVmax in the 82 patients was 13.0 ± 8.6. A statistically significant relationship (p = 0.022) was found between the molecular subtypes and 18F-FDG uptake. The relationship between 18F-FDG uptake and TLG measured in patients <50 years, ER-PR negativity, and HER2 positivity were statistically significant (p=0.015, 0.007, 0.046, and 0.001, respectively). MTV40, TLG40, and CA 15-3 in metastatic patients were statistically significant (p=0.004, 0.005, and 0.003, respectively). NEDD-9 in the BC group was significantly higher than in the healthy group (p=0.017). There was a positive correlation between SUVmax and Ki67 and CA 15-3; MTV40 and CEA; CA 15-3, CEA, SUVmax, and MTV40; a negative correlation was found between CEA, TLG40, and age. CONCLUSION The use of SUVmax, MTV40, and TLG40 parameters with NEDD-9 and tumor markers has been shown to provide a high diagnostic, predictive, and prognostic value for the management of BC. This is considered to be the basis of interventions focused on the treatment objectives related to NEDD-9.

NEDD9 promotes invasion and migration of colorectal cancer cell line HCT116 via JNK/EMT

Neural precursor cell-expressed, developmentally-downregulated 9 (NEDD9) is a multi-domain skeleton protein that serves an important role in the cell signaling process via modulating invasion, metastasis, proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells. The present study identified that the expression levels of NEDD9 in colorectal cancer were elevated. Therefore, the effect of downregulating the expression of NEDD9 in terms of invasion and migration of colorectal cancer cells was investigated and the role of the JNK pathway in these processes was also investigated. The data revealed that downregulation of NEDD9 and JNK inhibitors suppressed invasion and migration, decreased expression levels of phosphorylated JNK, increased the expression levels of E-cadherin and decreased the expression levels of vimentin. In summary, NEDD9 promotes invasion and migration of colorectal cancer cells via the JNK pathway.

miR-5195-3p Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis by Directly Targeting NEDD9 in Osteosarcoma

Objective: Aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRs) have associated with the development and progression of osteosarcoma (OS). In this study, the authors aimed to investigate the biological function of miR-5195-3p and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to determine the expression of miR-5195-3p in OS tissues and cell lines. Then, two OS cell lines (MG-63 and U2OS) were transfected with miR-5195-3p mimics to obtain stably miR-5195-3p overexpression cell lines. A series of functional assays, including Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry assay, and Hoechst staining were performed to analyze cell proliferation and apoptosis. Results: The authors first observed downregulation of miR-5195-3p in OS tissues and cell lines. A series of functional assays demonstrated that miR-5195-3p overexpression significantly attenuated OS cell proliferative activity and induced apoptosis. At a molecular level, the neural precursor cell which expressed developmentally downregulated protein 9 (NEDD9), was inversely correlated with the expression level of miR-5195-3p. Furthermore, ectopic expression of NEDD9 counteracted the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of miR-5195-3p overexpression in OS cells. Conclusions: In summary, the miR-5195-3p/NEDD9 axis may be a promising antitumor agent for OS.

NEDD9 overexpression predicts poor prognosis in solid cancers: a meta-analysis

Background: The oncogenicity of neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally down-regulated 9 (NEDD9) has been demonstrated in multiple cancer types. However, the prognostic value of NEDD9 in some solid cancers remains controversial. Thus, this meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between NEDD9 expression survival rates in solid tumors.

Method: Our meta-analysis included studies searched from various search engines with specific inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. Combined HRs for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) or progression-free survival (PFS) or recurrence-free survival (RFS) or cancer-specific survival (CSS) were assessed using fixed-effects and random-effects models. The source of heterogeneity was identified by subgroup analysis. Additionally, publication bias was assessed using funnel plot and Egger’s regression asymmetry test.

Result: Eighteen studies with a total of 2,476 patients were retrieved for analysis. Pooled HRs and 95% CIs were calculated. Both OS (HR=1.82; 95% CI: 1.43–2.31) and DFS/PFS/RFS/CSS (HR=2.54; 95% CI: 1.93–3.33) indicated that NEDD9 overexpression is associated with poor OS in cancer patients with solid tumors.

Conclusion: NEDD9 overexpression might be a potential marker to predict prognosis in solid cancer patients.

Effects of Intestinal Microbial⁻Elaborated Butyrate on Oncogenic Signaling Pathways

The intestinal microbiota is well known to have multiple benefits on human health, including cancer prevention and treatment. The effects are partially mediated by microbiota-produced short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, propionate and acetate. The anti-cancer effect of butyrate has been demonstrated in cancer cell cultures and animal models of cancer. Butyrate, as a signaling molecule, has effects on multiple signaling pathways. The most studied effect is its inhibition on histone deacetylase (HDAC), which leads to alterations of several important oncogenic signaling pathways such as JAK2/STAT3, VEGF. Butyrate can interfere with both mitochondrial apoptotic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. In addition, butyrate also reduces gut inflammation by promoting T-regulatory cell differentiation with decreased activities of the NF-κB and STAT3 pathways. Through PKC and Wnt pathways, butyrate increases cancer cell differentiation. Furthermore, butyrate regulates oncogenic signaling molecules through microRNAs and methylation. Therefore, butyrate has the potential to be incorporated into cancer prevention and treatment regimens. In this review we summarize recent progress in butyrate research and discuss the future development of butyrate as an anti-cancer agent with emphasis on its effects on oncogenic signaling pathways. The low bioavailability of butyrate is a problem, which precludes clinical application. The disadvantage of butyrate for medicinal applications may be overcome by several approaches including nano-delivery, analogue development and combination use with other anti-cancer agents or phytochemicals.

NEDD9 Facilitates Hypoxia-Induced Gastric Cancer Cell Migration via MICAL1 Related Rac1 Activation

Aims and Hypothesis: NEDD9 is highly expressed in gastric cancer and has a significant involvement in its pathogenesis. However, the mechanism behind hypoxia-promoted cancer cell migration and its regulation because of NEDD9 is still unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the involvement of NEDD9 in gastric cancer cell migration under hypoxia and explore the underlying potential molecular mechanisms.

Clinical Significance of Serum NEDD9 Levels in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

Introduction: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a lethal malignancy. Various diagnostic, predictive, and prognostic biomarkers have been evaluated. This study was conducted to investigate the serum levels of neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein 9 (NEDD9) in patients with PC and the relationship between tumor progression and known prognostic parameters. Materials and Methods: Serum samples were obtained on first admission before any treatment. Serum NEDD9 levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the analysis. Results: In a three year period, 32 patients with a pathologically-confirmed diagnosis of PC were enrolled in this study. The median age at diagnosis was 61 years, range 38 to 84 years; the majority of the patients in the group were men (n = 20, 62.5%). The tumor was located in the head of pancreas in 21 (65.6%) patients. Forty-one percent of 17 metastatic patients who received palliative CTx (chemotherapy) were CTx-responsive. The baseline serum NEDD9 levels were significantly higher in patients with PA than in the control group (p = 0.03). Median OS of the whole group were 27 ± 7.3 weeks. Alcohol intake, performance status, and LDH levels were found to be significant prognostic factors (p = 0.006, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). However, serum NEDD9 levels had no significantly effect on progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.71 and p = 0.58, respectively). Conclusions: NEDD9 is identified as a secretory biomarker for PC but it has no prognostic role.

SPAG9 regulates HEF1 expression and drives EMT in bladder transitional cell carcinoma via rac1 signaling pathway

Recently SPAG9 has been reported to show aberrant expressions in numerous human malignancies and act as a crucial role in tumor's proliferation and invasion. Human enhancer of filamentation 1 (HEF1, also known as CasL and NEDD9) is a non-catalytic scaffolding protein belonging to CAS (Crk-associated substrate) protein family that interacts with multiple signaling cascades. Due to the diversified function of HEF1, abnormal expression of HEF1 frequently combines with malignant phenotypes and poor prognosis. However, little is known between the relationship of SPAG9 and HEF1 in bladder tumorigenesis. In this study, expression of SPAG9 in vivo and in vitro has been detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis after transfected with SPAG9 overexpression/inhibitor vector. We also found that HEF1 expression shows consistency and is regulated by SPAG9. Overexpression of SPAG9 promotes bladder cancer cells migration through HEF1 upregulation and emerges protein level of activated Rac1. Silencing SPAG9 inhibits cell migration through HEF1 downregulation and reduces protein level of activated Rac1. Also, we found that expression of EMT marker such as E-cadherin, Vimentin is regulated by SPAG9. Considering EMT plays a crucial role in tumor cells spreading and invasion, SPAG9 and HEF1 may potentially set a new therapeutic approach to bladder cancer treatment.

Differential transcriptional changes in human alveolar epithelial A549 cells exposed to airborne PM2.5 collected from Shanghai, China

Fine particulate matters (PM_2.5) are the core pollutants of haze episode, which pose a serious threat to the human health of developing countries. However, the mechanisms involved in PM_2.5-induced hazard influence are not to fully elucidated. In the present study, human lung epithelial cells (A549) were exposed to various concentrations of PM_2.5 samples collected from Shanghai, China. Illumina RNA-Seq method with transcriptome, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were further employed to identify the detrimental effects of PM_2.5 on A549 cells in vitro. A total of 712 differentially expressed genes were obtained from global transcriptome profiling of A549 cells after PM_2.5 exposure. In addition, GO function enrichment analysis revealed that major differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the biological process of the immune system and the response to the stress. KEGG pathway analysis further proposes that infectious disease, cancers, cardiovascular disease, and immune disease pathway were the key human disease events that occur in A549 cells under PM_2.5 stress. The data obtained here shed light on the related biological process and gene signaling pathways affected by PM_2.5 exposure. This study aids our understanding of the complicated mechanisms related to PM_2.5-induced health effects and is informative for the prevention and treatment of PM_2.5-induced systemic diseases.

Comprehensive analysis of metastasis-related genes reveals a gene signature predicting the survival of colon cancer patients

Objective

The mechanism underlying colon cancer metastasis remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the genes alteration during the metastasis of colon cancer and identify genes that crucial to the metastasis and survival of colon cancer patients.

Methods

The dataset of primary and metastasis tissue of colon cancer, and dataset of high and low metastasis capability of colon cancer cells were selected as training cohort, and the overlapped differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened from the training cohort. The functional enrichment analysis for the overlapped DEGs was performed. The prognostic value of overlapped DEGs were analyzed in The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, and a gene signature was developed using genes that related to the overall survival (OS). The prognostic value of the gene signature was further confirmed in a validation cohort.

Results

A total of 184 overlapped DEGs were screened from the training cohort. Functional enrichment analysis revealed the significant gene functions and pathways of the overlapped DEGs. Four hub genes (3-oxoacid CoA-transferase 1, actinin alpha 4, interleukin 8, integrin subunit alpha 3) were identified using protein–protein network analysis. Six genes (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 9, filamin A, lamin B receptor, twinfilin actin binding protein 1, serine and arginine rich splicing factor 1) were closely related to the OS of colon cancer patients. A gene signature was developed using these six genes based on their risk score, and the validation cohort indicated that the prognostic value of this gene signature was high in the prediction of colon cancer patients.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates a gene profiles related to the metastasis of colon cancer, and identify a six-gene signature that acts as an independent biomarker on the prognosis of colon cancer.

Transcriptome-wide analysis suggests that temporal changes in the relative contributions of hyperplasia, hypertrophy and apoptosis underlie liver growth in pregnant mice

Maternal liver undergoes structural and metabolic changes during pregnancy to meet the demands of the developing fetus. In rodents, this involves increased liver weight, but the mechanism remains unclear. To address this, we analyzed the histology, gene expression, and DNA methylation of livers of nonpregnant and pregnant C57/BL6 mice. Gestational liver growth in pregnant mice was accompanied by increased hepatocyte area and lower cell density (days 14 and 18). Expression of cell proliferation markers was increased on days 14 and 18. A total of 115 genes were differentially expressed on day 14 and 123 genes on day 18 (79 on both days). Pathway analysis indicated that pregnancy involves progressive increase in cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis. This was confirmed using archived data from the FVB wild-type mouse liver transcriptome. Four differentially DNA methylated and two differentially DNA hydroxymethylated regions identified on days 14 and 18 by methylome-wide analysis, but were not associated with altered gene expression. Long interspersed nuclear element-1 hypomethylation on days 14 and 18 was accompanied by increased ten-eleven translocase-2 and decreased DNA methyltransferase 3a and 3b expression. These findings suggest that gestational liver growth involves increased mitosis and hypertrophy, and decreased apoptosis contingent on pregnancy stage. Such changes may involve repetitive sequence, but not gene specific, DNA methylation.

Immunohistochemical expression of NEDD9, E-cadherin and γ-catenin and their prognostic significance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)

Extensive research is being conducted to identify novel diagnostic, predictive and prognostic biomarkers for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), as only a few markers have been routinely used so far with limited success. Our aim was to assess the expression of neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated protein 9 (NEDD9), E-cadherin, and γ-catenin in PDAC in relation to clinicopathological parameters and patient survival. We also investigated if there is a correlation of NEDD9 expression with E-cadherin or γ-catenin. The protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry in 61 PDAC and 61 samples of normal pancreatic tissue. The log rank test and Kaplan-Meier survival curve were used for survival analysis. E-cadherin and γ-catenin expressions were reduced in PDAC, and completely retained in normal pancreatic tissue. Expression of NEDD9 was significantly increased in PDAC (strong expression in 78.7% of cases and moderate in 21.3%) and reduced in normal pancreatic tissue (strong positivity in 45.9% of cases, moderate in 31.1%, and weak in 23%). There was a positive correlation between reduced E-cadherin and γ-catenin expression in PDAC (p = 0.015). The loss or reduced expression of E-cadherin had a negative impact on patient survival (p = 0.020). A negative correlation between E-cadherin expression and tumor grade was also observed (p = 0.011). Decreased E-cadherin expression was more common in male patients with PDAC (81.3% vs. 60% for females, p = 0.005). γ-catenin and NEDD9 expressions were not statistically correlated with tumor stage and grade, gender, nor with patient survival. Our results support the role of NEDD9, E-cadherin and γ-catenin proteins in PDAC, but further research should clarify in detail their mechanism of action in pancreatic cancer.

NEDD9 promotes oncogenic signaling, a stem/mesenchymal gene signature, and aggressive ovarian cancer growth in mice

Neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally downregulated 9 (NEDD9) supports oncogenic signaling in a number of solid and hematologic tumors. Little is known about the role of NEDD9 in ovarian carcinoma (OC), but available data suggest elevated mRNA and protein expression in advanced stage high-grade cancers. We used a transgenic MISIIR-TAg mouse OC model combined with genetic ablation of Nedd9 to investigate its action in the development and progression of OC. A Nedd9-/- genotype delayed tumor growth rate, reduced incidence of ascites, and reduced expression and activation of signaling proteins including SRC, STAT3, E-cadherin, and AURKA. Cell lines established from MISIIR-TAg;Nedd9-/- and MISIIR-TAg;Nedd9+/+ mice exhibited altered migration and invasion. Growth of these cells in a syngeneic allograft model indicated that systemic Nedd9 loss in the microenvironment had little impact on tumor allograft growth, but in a Nedd9 wild-type background Nedd9-/- allografts exhibited significantly reduced growth, dissemination, and oncogenic signaling compared to Nedd9+/+ allografts. Gene expression analysis revealed that Nedd9+/+ tumors exhibited more mesenchymal "stem-like" transcriptional program, including increased expression of Aldh1a1 and Aldh1a2. Conversely, loss of Nedd9 resulted in increased expression of differentiation genes, including fallopian tube markers Foxj1, Ovgp1, and Pax8. Collectively, these data suggest that tumor cell-intrinsic Nedd9 expression promotes OC development and progression by broad induction of oncogenic protein signaling and stem/mesenchymal gene expression.

Investigation of Endogenous Retrovirus Sequences in the Neighborhood of Genes Up-regulated in a Neuroblastoma Model after Treatment with Hypoxia-Mimetic Cobalt Chloride

Human endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have been found to be associated with different diseases, e.g., multiple sclerosis (MS). Most human ERVs integrated in our genome are not competent to replicate and these sequences are presumably silent. However, transcription of human ERVs can be reactivated, e.g., by hypoxia. Interestingly, MS has been linked to hypoxia since decades. As some patterns of demyelination are similar to white matter ischemia, hypoxic damage is discussed. Therefore, we are interested in the association between hypoxia and ERVs. As a model, we used human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells after treatment with the hypoxia-mimetic cobalt chloride and analyzed differences in the gene expression profiles in comparison to untreated cells. The vicinity of up-regulated genes was scanned for endogenous retrovirus-derived sequences. Five genes were found to be strongly up-regulated in SH-SY5Y cells after treatment with cobalt chloride: clusterin, glutathione peroxidase 3, insulin-like growth factor 2, solute carrier family 7 member 11, and neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated protein 9. In the vicinity of these genes we identified large (>1,000 bp) open reading frames (ORFs). Most of these ORFs showed only low similarities to proteins from retro-transcribing viruses. However, we found very high similarity between retrovirus envelope sequences and a sequence in the vicinity of neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated protein 9. This sequence encodes the human endogenous retrovirus group FRD member 1, the encoded protein product is called syncytin 2. Transfection of syncytin 2 into the well-characterized Ewing sarcoma cell line A673 was not able to modulate the low immunostimulatory activity of this cell line. Future research is needed to determine whether the identified genes and the human endogenous retrovirus group FRD member 1 might play a role in the etiology of MS.

Overexpression of NEDD9 promotes cell invasion and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally downregulated 9 (NEDD9), is a focal adhesion scaffold protein which has been associated with metastasis in several cancers. Recent study found that NEDD9 expression was upregulated in HCC. However, the precise function of NEDD9 in HCC is still unclear. In the present study, we demonstrated that high NEDD9 expression was associated with the invasiveness of HCC in clinical samples. Moreover, by gain-and-loss function studies, we revealed that silencing of NEDD9 expression inhibited cancer cells proliferation, migration and invasion, while upregulated expression of NEDD9 promoted invasion and metastasis of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Further studies revealed that NEDD9 inversely regulated E-cadherin in HCC cells and HCC tissues, which indicated that NEDD9 might promotes the invasion and metastasis of HCC cells through the downregulation of E-cadherin, possibly by inducing EMT. On the whole, our findings thus indicate that NEDD9 may serve as a metastasis-promoting gene and potential therapeutic target for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Significance of serum neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated protein 9 in melanoma

Neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated protein 9 (NEDD9) is a promoter for various cellular functions that result in tumorigenesis. The aim of the present study was to analyse the serum levels of NEDD9 in melanoma patients in order to evaluate its prognostic, predictive and diagnostic value. Data from 112 melanoma patients were retrospectively analyzed and ELISA assays were used to measure serum NEDD9 concentration. The median serum NEDD9 levels of the patients were significantly higher compared with those of the controls. Serum NEDD9 was not found to be associated with any of the clinicopathological parameters, and was also not found to be prognostic for survival in melanoma. Therefore, serum NEDD9 may be of diagnostic value in melanoma, but its usefulness in prognosis remains controversial. The important role of NEDD9 in tumor angiogenesis necessitates efforts to elucidate its interactions with the tumor microenvironment and its potential as a therapeutic target for malignancies.

Overexpression of NEDD9 in renal cell carcinoma is associated with tumor migration and invasion

Scaffold protein neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally downregulated 9 (NEDD9) is a member of the Crk-associated substrate protein family and is known to be a biomarker in multiple cancer types. It serves a critical function in regulating cell proliferation, migration, invasion and survival. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential effects of NEDD9 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The expression of NEDD9 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. NEDD9 protein and mRNA levels were significantly upregulated in RCC tissues compared with normal tissues (P<0.001). Furthermore, the NEDD9 immunostaining level was significantly associated with primary tumor stage and tumor, node, metastasis stage (P<0.05). High NEDD9 expression resulted in significantly lower survival rates for patients compared with normal NEDD9 expression (P<0.01). In addition, wound healing and transwell assays indicated that NEDD9 depletion by small interfering RNA significantly attenuated the migration and invasion of RCC cells (P<0.001). The present data suggested that NEDD9 may be a novel target for prevention and treatment of RCC metastasis and recurrence.

NEDD9, an independent good prognostic factor in intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia patients

Intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia (IR-AML) is the largest subgroup of AML patients and is highly heterogeneous. Whereas adverse and favourable risk patients have well-established treatment protocols, IR-AML patients have not. It is, therefore, crucial to find novel factors that stratify this subgroup to implement risk-adapted strategies. The CAS (Crk-associated substrate) adaptor protein family regulates cell proliferation, survival, migration and adhesion. Despite its association with metastatic dissemination and prognosis of different solid tumors, the role of these proteins in hematological malignancies has been scarcely evaluated. Nevertheless, previous work has established an important role for the CAS family members NEDD9 or BCAR1 in the migratory and dissemination capacities of myeloid cells. On this basis, we hypothesized that NEDD9 or BCAR1 expression levels could associate with survival in IR-AML patients and become new prognostic markers. To that purpose, we assessed BCAR1 and NEDD9 gene expression in a cohort of 73 adult AML patients validating the results in an independent cohort (n = 206). We have identified NEDD9, but not BCAR1, as a new a marker for longer overall and disease-free survival, and for lower cumulative incidence of relapse. In summary, NEDD9 gene expression is an independent prognostic factor for favourable prognosis in IR-AML patients.

Structure-function studies of MICAL, the unusual multidomain flavoenzyme involved in actin cytoskeleton dynamics

MICAL (from the Molecule Interacting with CasL) indicates a family of multidomain proteins conserved from insects to humans, which are increasingly attracting attention for their participation in the control of actin cytoskeleton dynamics, and, therefore, in the several related key processes in health and disease. MICAL is unique among actin binding proteins because it catalyzes a NADPH-dependent F-actin depolymerizing reaction. This unprecedented reaction is associated with its N-terminal FAD-containing domain that is structurally related to p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase, the prototype of aromatic monooxygenases, but catalyzes a strong NADPH oxidase activity in the free state. This review will focus on the known structural and functional properties of MICAL forms in order to provide an overview of the arguments supporting the current hypotheses on the possible mechanism of action of MICAL in the free and F-actin bound state, on the modulating effect of the CH, LIM, and C-terminal domains that follow the catalytic flavoprotein domain on the MICAL activities, as well as that of small molecules and proteins interacting with MICAL.

The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid inhibits proliferation and progression of non-small cell lung cancer cells through the reactive oxygen species-mediated inactivation of the PI3K /Akt pathway

BACKGROUND

Docosahexaenoic acid(DHA) inhibits tumor growth and progression in various cancers, including lung cancer. However, the mechanisms involved remain unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the mechanism of DHA in inhibiting progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in vitro.

METHODS

The proliferation of A549 was tested by MTT, and cell apoptosis was analysed using flow cytometer. The migration and invasion were examined respectively by wound healing assay and Transwell invasion assay. The level of ROS (reactive oxygen species, ROS) was checked by DCF (dichlorodihydrofluorescein, DCF) production in cells. The apoptosis associated protein (caspase-3, PARP,Bax,Bcl-2 and survivin) and metastases associated proteins including HEF1, MMP9 and VEGF were detected by Western blot, and the same method was used in the expression of PI3K and Akt.

RESULTS

DHA inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of A549 cells. Moreover, it suppressed the invasion and metastasis of A549 cells, while downregulating the levels of metastasis-associated proteins, including HEF1, matrix metallopeptidase (MMP9), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in a dose -dependent manner. In addition, DHA inactivated Akt phosphorylation. All of these responses were associated with the accumulation of intracellular ROS. DHA downregulated the level of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, while the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) reversed the effect of DHA, which further validated our findings.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrates that DHA inhibits the development of non-small lung tumors through an ROS-mediated inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Baicalein inhibits pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and invasion via suppression of NEDD9 expression and its downstream Akt and ERK signaling pathways

Baicalein, a flavone ingredient of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is a promising anti-cancer agent. However, its potential anti-pancreatic cancer effects and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we showed that Baicalein not only induced apoptosis, but also suppressed proliferation, migration and invasion of two pancreatic cancer cell lines BxPC-3 and PANC-1 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Notably, Baicalein exhibited low toxicity to normal human liver or kidney cells. We further discovered that Baicalein suppressed BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cell proliferation and invasion through targeting the expression of NEDD9, a Cas scaffolding protein, to decrease Akt and ERK activities. Especially, Baicalein decreased Akt phosphorylation at T-308 via lowering NEDD9-dependent PDK1 expression. Overexpression of NEDD9 effectively rescued proliferation and invasion of BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells dampened by Baicalein. Taken together, our findings suggest that Baicalein is a potent remedy applied to pancreatic cancer treatment in the future.

Mechanisms for nonmitotic activation of Aurora-A at cilia

Overexpression of the Aurora kinase A (AURKA) is oncogenic in many tumors. Many studies of AURKA have focused on activities of this kinase in mitosis, and elucidated the mechanisms by which AURKA activity is induced at the G2/M boundary through interactions with proteins such as TPX2 and NEDD9. These studies have informed the development of small molecule inhibitors of AURKA, of which a number are currently under preclinical and clinical assessment. While the first activities defined for AURKA were its control of centrosomal maturation and organization of the mitotic spindle, an increasing number of studies over the past decade have recognized a separate biological function of AURKA, in controlling disassembly of the primary cilium, a small organelle protruding from the cell surface that serves as a signaling platform. Importantly, these activities require activation of AURKA in early G1, and the mechanisms of activation are much less well defined than those in mitosis. A better understanding of the control of AURKA activity and the role of AURKA at cilia are both important in optimizing the efficacy and interpreting potential downstream consequences of AURKA inhibitors in the clinic. We here provide a current overview of proteins and mechanisms that have been defined as activating AURKA in G1, based on the study of ciliary disassembly.

Downregulation of NEDD9 by apigenin suppresses migration, invasion, and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells

Apigenin is a natural flavonoid which possesses multiple anti-cancer properties such as anti-proliferation, anti-inflammation, and anti-metastasis in many types of cancers including colorectal cancer. Neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated 9 (NEDD9) is a multi-domain scaffolding protein of the Cas family which has been shown to correlate with cancer metastasis and progression. The present study investigates the role of NEDD9 in apigenin-inhibited cell migration, invasion, and metastasis of colorectal adenocarcinoma DLD1 and SW480 cells. The results show that knockdown of NEDD9 inhibited cell migration, invasion, and metastasis and that overexpression of NEDD9 promoted cell migration and invasion of DLD1 cells and SW4890 cells. Apigenin treatment attenuated NEDD9 expression at protein level, resulting in reduced phosphorylations of FAK, Src, and Akt, leading to inhibition on cell migration, invasion, and metastasis of both DLD1 and SW480 cells. The present study has demonstrated that apigenin inhibits cell migration, invasion, and metastasis through NEDD9/Src/Akt cascade in colorectal cancer cells. NEDD9 may function as a biomarker for evaluation of cancer aggressiveness and for selection of therapeutic drugs against cancer progression.

Identification of Nedd9 as a TGF-β-Smad2/3 Target Gene Involved in RANKL-Induced Osteoclastogenesis by Comprehensive Analysis

TGF-ß is a multifunctional cytokine that is involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and function. We previously reported an essential role of the TGF-ß -Smad2/3 pathways in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing, we comprehensively identified Smad2/3 target genes in bone marrow macrophages. These genes were enriched in the gene population upregulated by TGF-ß and downregulated by RANKL. Recent studies have revealed that histone modifications, such as trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and lysine 27 (H3K27me3), critically regulate key developmental steps. We identified Nedd9 as a Smad2/3 target gene whose histone modification pattern was converted from H3K4me3(+)/H3K4me27(+) to H3K4me3(+)/H3K4me27(-) by TGF-ß. Nedd9 expression was increased by TGF-ß and suppressed by RANKL. Overexpression of Nedd9 partially rescued an inhibitory effect of a TGF-ß inhibitor, while gene silencing of Nedd9 suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis were reduced and stimulatory effects of TGF-ß on RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis were partially abrogated in cells from Nedd9-deficient mice although knockout mice did not show abnormal skeletal phenotypes. These results suggest that Nedd9 is a Smad2/3 target gene implicated in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis.

A Synthetic Lethality Screen Using a Focused siRNA Library to Identify Sensitizers to Dasatinib Therapy for the Treatment of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Molecular targeted therapies have been the focus of recent clinical trials for the treatment of patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The majority have not fared well as monotherapies for improving survival of these patients. Poor bioavailability, lack of predictive biomarkers, and the presence of multiple survival pathways can all diminish the success of a targeted agent. Dasatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of the Src-family kinases (SFK) and in preclinical studies shown to have substantial activity in EOC. However, when evaluated in a phase 2 clinical trial for patients with recurrent or persistent EOC, it was found to have minimal activity. We hypothesized that synthetic lethality screens performed using a cogently designed siRNA library would identify second-site molecular targets that could synergize with SFK inhibition and improve dasatinib efficacy. Using a systematic approach, we performed primary siRNA screening using a library focused on 638 genes corresponding to a network centered on EGFR, HER2, and the SFK-scaffolding proteins BCAR1, NEDD9, and EFS to screen EOC cells in combination with dasatinib. We followed up with validation studies including deconvolution screening, quantitative PCR to confirm effective gene silencing, correlation of gene expression with dasatinib sensitivity, and assessment of the clinical relevance of hits using TCGA ovarian cancer data. A refined list of five candidates (CSNK2A1, DAG1, GRB2, PRKCE, and VAV1) was identified as showing the greatest potential for improving sensitivity to dasatinib in EOC. Of these, CSNK2A1, which codes for the catalytic alpha subunit of protein kinase CK2, was selected for additional evaluation. Synergistic activity of the clinically relevant inhibitor of CK2, CX-4945, with dasatinib in reducing cell proliferation and increasing apoptosis was observed across multiple EOC cell lines. This overall approach to improving drug efficacy can be applied to other targeted agents that have similarly shown poor clinical activity.

Serum neural precursor cell-expressed, developmentally down regulated 9 (NEDD9) level may have a prognostic role in patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Neural precursor cell-expressed, developmentally down regulated 9 (NEDD9), a member of Crk-associated substrate (CAS) family, is highly expressed in multiple cancer types and involved in cancer cell adhesion, migration and invasion. The prognostic value of NEDD9 has been evaluated before and its expression is a predictor of poor prognosis in cancer patients. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical significance of the serum levels of NEDD9 in gastric cancer (GC) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 68 patients with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of GC were enrolled into this study. Serum NEDD9 concentrations were determined by the solid-phase sandwich (ELISA) method. Twenty-eight healthy age- and sex-matched controls were included into the analysis.

RESULTS

The median age at diagnosis was 60years, range 21 to 84years. Forty-nine (72%) patients were male and cardia was the most common tumor localization (n=37, 77%) in GC patients. The most frequent histologic subtype was adenocarcinoma (n=45, 66%). Liver was the most common metastatic site in 32 patients with metastasis (n=14, 44%). Sixty-one percent of 23 metastatic patients who received palliative chemotherapy (CTx) were CTx-responsive. The median follow-up time was 8months (range 1 to 23months). At the end of the observation period, 17 patients (25%) experienced disease progression and 28 of the remaining patients (41%) died. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the whole group were 4.0±0.7months [95% confidence interval (CI)=3-5months] and 14.6±1.2months (95% CI=12-17months), respectively. One-year and 2-year OS rates were 54.4% (95% CI=41.3-67.5) and 51.2% (95% CI=37.3-65.1), respectively. The median serum NEDD9 levels of GC patients were significantly higher than controls (1339.51 vs. 1187.91pg/mL, P=0.02). There was no significant difference according to known disease-related clinicopathological or laboratory parameters (P>0.05). Serum NEDD9 levels had a significant impact on PFS (P=0.04). On the other hand, serum NEDD9 levels showed no significantly adverse effect on OS (P=0.50).

CONCLUSION

Serum NEDD9 level may be a diagnostic marker for GC patients. Moreover, our study results showed that it was elevated in GC patients and had an unfavorable prognostic effect. However, it has no predictive role on CTx response.