Single nucleotide polymorphism in esophageal cancer related gene 1: an analysis in resected oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

Aberrant expression of the esophageal carcinoma related gene 4 as a prognostic signature for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal cancer with increasing incidence, yet the molecular biomarkers that have strong prognostic impact and also hold great therapeutic promise remain elusive.

METHODS

Data mining approaches with a set of publicly accessible databases and immunohistochemistry were used to provide a novel insight into the expression pattern and prognostic significance of the esophageal cancer-related gene (ECRG) family members in HCC.

RESULTS

We found that elevated mRNA expression levels of ECRG factors were correlated with better overall survival, relapse-free survival and progression-free survival rates in patients with HCC. Subgroup analyses showed significant associations between ECRG expression and survival outcome in select HCC patients. In addition, immunohistochemical and multivariate analysis confirmed increased ECRG4 expression as an independent prognostic indicator for survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that ECRG factors have significant impacts on the survival of HCC patients. The expression of ECRG factors may be involved in HCC progression and could serve as novel biomarkers for predicting more accurate prognosis.

Intracellular autoactivation of TMPRSS11A, an airway epithelial transmembrane serine protease

Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) are a group of enzymes participating in diverse biological processes. Some members of the TTSP family are implicated in viral infection. TMPRSS11A is a TTSP expressed on the surface of airway epithelial cells, which has been shown to cleave and activate spike proteins of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (CoVs). In this study, we examined the mechanism underlying the activation cleavage of TMPRSS11A that converts the one-chain zymogen to a two-chain enzyme. By expression in human embryonic kidney 293, esophageal EC9706, and lung epithelial A549 and 16HBE cells, Western blotting, and site-directed mutagenesis, we found that the activation cleavage of human TMPRSS11A was mediated by autocatalysis. Moreover, we found that TMPRSS11A activation cleavage occurred before the protein reached the cell surface, as indicated by studies with trypsin digestion to remove cell surface proteins, treatment with cell organelle-disturbing agents to block intracellular protein trafficking, and analysis of a soluble form of TMPRSS11A without the transmembrane domain. We also showed that TMPRSS11A was able to cleave the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. These results reveal an intracellular autocleavage mechanism in TMPRSS11A zymogen activation, which differs from the extracellular zymogen activation reported in other TTSPs. These findings provide new insights into the diverse mechanisms in regulating TTSP activation.

Modification of risk, but not survival of esophageal cancer patients by esophageal cancer-related gene 1 Arg290Gln polymorphism: a case-control study and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Esophageal cancer-related gene 1 (ECRG1) is a novel tumor suppressor gene known to affect matrix remodeling, cell growth, and differentiation. Previous studies in high incidence geographical regions of esophageal cancer (EC) have shown association of ECRG1 Arg290Gln polymorphism with risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); however, role of this variant in low incidence region is missing. So, we aimed to evaluate association of ECRG1 Arg290Gln with susceptibility and prognosis of EC patients in low-risk north Indian population.

METHODS

The genotyping of ECRG1 Arg290Gln polymorphism was done in 310 incident EC cases (including 179 follow up cases) and 310 healthy controls through polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Statistical analysis applied were binary logistic regression for risk estimation and Kaplan-Meier/log-rank test for survival analysis. Meta-analysis of published studies, exploring role of ECRG1 polymorphism in ESCC risk, was carried out using MIX 2.0 software.

RESULTS

ECRG1 Arg290Gln polymorphism significantly conferred 1.8-fold increased risk of EC in dominant model (odds ratio = 1.78, 95% confidence interval = 1.27-2.49, P = 0.001). Stratification based on clinical phenotypes showed pronounced risk in cases with ESCC histopathology and middle/lower third tumor locations. No significant interaction with environmental risk factors was observed. Meta-analysis also showed significant association of ECRG1 Arg290Gln polymorphism with risk of ESCC. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression tests suggested that ECRG1 polymorphism did not modulate survival outcome of ESCC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

ECRG1 Arg290Gln polymorphism significantly affects the susceptibility but not the prognosis of ESCC patients in low-risk north Indian population.

A novel tumor suppressor gene ECRG4 interacts directly with TMPRSS11A (ECRG1) to inhibit cancer cell growth in esophageal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The esophageal carcinoma related gene 4 (ECRG4) was initially identified and cloned from human normal esophageal epithelium in our laboratory (GenBank accession no.AF325503). ECRG4 has been described as a novel tumor suppressor gene associated with prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS

In this study, binding affinity assay in vitro and co-immunoprecipitation experiment in vivo were utilized to verify the physical interaction between ECRG4 and transmembrane protease, serine 11A (TMPRSS11A, also known as ECRG1, GenBank accession no. AF 071882). Then, p21 protein expression, cell cycle and cell proliferation regulations were examined after ECRG4 and ECRG1 co-transfection in ESCC cells.

RESULTS

We revealed for the first time that ECRG4 interacted directly with ECRG1 to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and induce cell cycle G1 phase block in ESCC. Binding affinity and co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that ECRG4 interacted directly with ECRG1 in ESCC cells. Furthermore, the ECRG4 and ECRG1 co-expression remarkably upregulatd p21 protein level by Western blot (P < 0.001), induced cell cycle G1 phase block by flow cytometric analysis (P < 0.001) and suppressed cell proliferation by MTT and BrdU assay (both P < 0.01) in ESCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

ECRG4 interacts directly with ECRG1 to upregulate p21 protein expression, induce cell cycle G1 phase block and inhibit cancer cells proliferation in ESCC.

A novel tumor suppressor gene ECRG4 interacts directly with TMPRSS11A (ECRG1) to inhibit cancer cell growth in esophageal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The esophageal carcinoma related gene 4 (ECRG4) was initially identified and cloned from human normal esophageal epithelium in our laboratory (GenBank accession no.AF325503). ECRG4 has been described as a novel tumor suppressor gene associated with prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS

In this study, binding affinity assay in vitro and co-immunoprecipitation experiment in vivo were utilized to verify the physical interaction between ECRG4 and transmembrane protease, serine 11A (TMPRSS11A, also known as ECRG1, GenBank accession no. AF 071882). Then, p21 protein expression, cell cycle and cell proliferation regulations were examined after ECRG4 and ECRG1 co-transfection in ESCC cells.

RESULTS

We revealed for the first time that ECRG4 interacted directly with ECRG1 to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and induce cell cycle G1 phase block in ESCC. Binding affinity and co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that ECRG4 interacted directly with ECRG1 in ESCC cells. Furthermore, the ECRG4 and ECRG1 co-expression remarkably upregulatd p21 protein level by Western blot (P < 0.001), induced cell cycle G1 phase block by flow cytometric analysis (P < 0.001) and suppressed cell proliferation by MTT and BrdU assay (both P < 0.01) in ESCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

ECRG4 interacts directly with ECRG1 to upregulate p21 protein expression, induce cell cycle G1 phase block and inhibit cancer cells proliferation in ESCC.