ZBTB20 regulates cardiac allograft rejection through NFкB-mediated inflammation in mouse heart transplantation

The Regulation of Messenger RNAs and Biological Pathways by Long Non-Coding RNAs and Circular RNAs in Ischemic Stroke

Our aim was to evaluate the regulation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and biological pathways by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in ischemic stroke. We employed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to construct two co-expression networks for mRNAs with circRNAs and lncRNAs, respectively, to investigate their association with ischemic stroke. We compared the overlap of mRNAs and biological pathways in the stroke-associated modules of the two networks. Furthermore, we validated the association of key non-coding RNAs with the risk of ischemic stroke and poor prognosis using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Ischemic stroke patients exhibited lower eigengene expression in the turquoise module associated with lncRNAs and mRNAs, as well as in the turquoise, red, and greenyellow modules associated with circRNAs and mRNAs in ischemic stroke. In the lncRNA-mRNA network and circRNA-mRNA network, we observed a significant overlap of the 5126 mRNAs (P < 0.001) and 51 biological pathways (P < 0.001), respectively. Among the ten key non-coding RNAs, lnc-TPRG1-AS1, lnc-GUK1, and hsa_circ_RELL1 were significantly increased (P < 0.05), while hsa_circ_ZBTB20 and hsa_circ_ERBB2 were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in ischemic stroke. Additionally, ischemic stroke patients with poor functional outcome had significantly lower levels of hsa_circ_ZBTB20 and hsa_circ_ERBB2 compared to those with favorable prognosis (P < 0.05). Our findings suggest lncRNAs and circRNAs display similar biological functions in ischemic stroke. Key non-coding RNAs may be associated with the risk and clinical prognosis of ischemic stroke. These results warrant further validation in the future studies.

Short-chain fatty acids abrogate Japanese encephalitis virus-induced inflammation in microglial cells via miR-200a-3p/ZBTB20/IKβα axis

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a leading cause of viral encephalitis in humans. Survivors of this infection often develop lifelong neurological sequelae. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced in the gut are vital mediators of the gut-brain axis. We aimed to study microRNA-based mechanisms of SCFAs in an in vitro model of JEV infection. N9 microglial cells were pretreated with SCFA cocktail before JEV infection. Cytokine bead analysis, immunoblotting, and PCR were performed to analyze relevant inflammatory markers. microRNA sequencing was performed using Illumina Hiseq, and bioinformatics tools were used for differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). microRNA mimic/inhibitor experiments and luciferase assay were performed to study miRNA-target interaction. A significant reduction in monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) along with reduced expression of phospho-nuclear factor kappa B (phospho-NF-κB) was observed in SCFA conditions. Significant attenuation of histone deacetylase activity and protein expression was recorded. miRNA sequencing revealed 160 DE miRNAs in SCFA + JEV-treated cells at 6 h post-infection. WGCNA revealed miR-200a-3p, a hub miRNA significantly upregulated in SCFA conditions. Transcription factor ZBTB20 was bioinformatically predicted and validated as a gene target for miR-200a-3p. Further miRNA mimic/inhibitor assay demonstrated that miR-200-3p regulated ZBTB20 along with Iκβα that possibly dampened NF-κB signal activation downstream.

IMPORTANCE

The gut-brain axis plays a pivotal role in the physiological state of an organism. Gut microbiota-derived metabolites are known to play a role in brain disorders including neuroviral infections. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) appear to quench inflammatory markers in Japanese encephalitis virus-infected microglial cells in vitro. Mechanistically, we demonstrate the interaction between miR-200a-3p and ZBTB20 in regulating the canonical nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway via transcriptional regulation of Iκβα. Findings of this study pave the way to a better understanding of SCFA mechanisms that can be used to develop strategies against viral neuroinflammation.

Zinc Finger and BTB Domain-Containing 20: A Newly Emerging Player in Pathogenesis and Development of Human Cancers

Zinc finger and BTB domain-containing 20 (ZBTB20), which was initially identified in human dendritic cells, belongs to a family of transcription factors (TFs) with an N-terminal BTB domain and one or more C-terminal DNA-binding zinc finger domains. Under physiological conditions, ZBTB20 acts as a transcriptional repressor in cellular development and differentiation, metabolism, and innate immunity. Interestingly, multiple lines of evidence from mice and human systems have revealed the importance of ZBTB20 in the pathogenesis and development of cancers. ZBTB20 is not only a hotspot of genetic variation or fusion in many types of human cancers, but also a key TF or intermediator involving in the dysregulation of cancer cells. Given the diverse functions of ZBTB20 in both health and disease, we herein summarize the structure and physiological roles of ZBTB20, with an emphasis on the latest findings on tumorigenesis and cancer progression.

Transcription Factor Zbtb20 as a Regulator of Malignancy and Its Practical Applications

Zbtb20 (zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 20) is a transcription factor with a zinc finger DNA binding domain and a BTB domain responsible for protein-protein interaction. Recently, this TF has received attention because new data showed its pivotal involvement in normal neural development and its regulatory effects on proliferation and differentiation in different tissues. Zbtb20 was shown to increase proliferation and migration and confer resistance to apoptosis in the contexts of many malignant tumors like hepatocellular carcinoma, non-small-cell lung carcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma multiforme, breast cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia. The involvement of Zbtb20 in tumor biology is best studied in hepatocellular carcinoma, where it is a promising candidate as an immunohistochemical tumor marker or may be used in patient screening. Here we review the current data connecting Zbtb20 with malignant tumors.