Investigation of microRNA expression signatures in HCC via microRNA Gene Chip and bioinformatics analysis

MiR-297 inhibits tumour progression of liver cancer by targeting PTBP3

Whereas increasing evidences demonstrate that miR-297 contributes to the tumour development and progression, the role of miR-297 and its underlying molecular mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was still unclear. Here, we reported that the expression of miR-297 increased significantly in hepG2 cells after the treatment of the conditioned medium of human amniotic epithelial cells(hAECs) which can inhibit the proliferation and migration of hepG2. And the overexpression of miR-297 inhibits the cell proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cell lines in vitro and suppressed the tumorigenesis of HCC in vivo. Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 3 (PTBP3) was identified as a direct target gene of miR-297 in HCC cell lines, and mediated the function of miR-297 in HCC cells. In clinical samples, miR-297 levels have a tendency to decrease, but there are no statistically significant differences. Furthermore, in vitro cell experiments confirmed that overexpression of miR-297 could inhibit the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by down-regulating PTBP3 expression, thereby inhibiting the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. In conclusion, our results revealed that miR-297 could down-regulate the expression of PTBP3 and inhibit the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thereby preventing HCC growth, migration and invasion.

Identification of G6PC as a potential prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma based on bioinformatics analysis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has high mortality and incidence rates around the world with limited therapeutic options. There is an urgent need for identification of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for early diagnosis and predicting patient survival with HCC. Several studies (GSE102083, GSE29722, GSE101685, and GSE112790) from the GEO database in HCC were screened and analyzed by GEO2R, gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were conducted with the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. The protein-protein interaction network was plotted and the module analysis was performed using Search Tool for the Retrieval of Inter-acting Genes/Proteins database and Cytoscape. The expression and survival of key genes were identified using UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier Plotter and ONCOMINE online databases, and the immune infiltration level of key genes was analyzed via the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. Through database analysis, eight key genes were finally screened out, and the expressions of cyclin-dependent kinase regulatory subunit 2 and glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic (G6PC), which were closely related to the survival of HCC patients, was detected by using UALCAN. Further analysis on the differential expression of G6PC in multiple cancerous tumors and normal tissues revealed low expression in many solid tumors by Oncomine and TIMER. In addition, Kaplan-Meier plotter and UALCAN database analysis to access diseases prognosis suggested that low expression of G6PC was significantly associated with poor overall survival in HCC patients. Finally, TIMER database analysis showed a significant negative correlation between G6PC and infiltration levels of six kinds of immune cells. The somatic copy number alterations of G6PC were associated with B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophages, dentritic cells and neutrophils. These bioinformatic data identified G6PC as a potential key gene in the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.

Hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor antisense RNA 1 promotes hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating miR-627-3p/High Mobility Group AT-hook 2 axis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy in the world, with high mortality and poor prognosis. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the key factors implicated in the occurrence of HCC. Increasing evidence suggests that miRNAs play important roles in the development and metastasis of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC). Here, we performed CCK8 (Cell count kit-8), EdU (5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine) incorporation assay, wound-healing assay, transwell assay to study the changes in the cellular phenotype. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down experiment, RT-qPCR and western blotting were employed to study molecular mechanism. In addition, we also constructed a mouse HCC xenograft model to verify the functional role of HMMR-AS1/miR-627-3p/HMGA2 signal axis in vivo. Our study demonstrated that HMMR-AS1 was highly expressed in HCC tissues and cell lines, suggesting its implication in the progression of HCC. In addition, in vitro experiments showed that high HMMR-AS1 expression facilitated the migration, invasion, and proliferation of HCC cells. We further revealed that HMMR-AS1 promoted the malignant phenotype of HCC cells by regulating miR-627-3p/HMGA2 axis. Together, our data suggest that HMMR-AS1 regulates HBV-HCC progression via miR-627-3p/HMGA2 axis.

Construction of transgenic detection system of Brassica napus L. based on single nucleotide polymorphism chip

Brassica napus L. is a vital oil crop in China. As auxiliary tools for rapeseed breeding, transgenic technologies play a considerable role in heterosis, variety improvement, and pest resistance. Research on transgenic detection technologies is of great significance for the introduction, supervision, and development of transgenic rapeseed in China. However, the transgenic detection methods currently in use are complex and time-consuming, with low output. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip can effectively overcome such limitations. In the present study, we collected 40 transgenic elements and designed 291 probes. The probe sequences were submitted to Illumina Company, and the Infinium chip technology was used to prepare SNP chips. In the present Brassica napus transgenic detection experiment, 84 high-quality probes of 17 transgenic elements were preliminarily screened, and genotyping effect was optimised for the probe signal value. Ultimately, a transgenic detection system for B. napus was developed. The developed system has the advantages of simple operation, minimal technical errors, and stable detection outcomes. A transgenic detection sensitivity test revealed that the probe designed could accurately detect 1% of transgenic samples and had high detection sensitivity. In addition, in repeatability tests, the CaMV35S promoter coefficient of variation was approximately 3.58%. Therefore, the SNP chip had suitable repeatability in transgene detection. The SNP chip developed could be used to construct transgenic detection systems for B. napus.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-03062-6.