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Dasgupta A, Nandi S, Gupta S, Roy S, Das C. To Ub or not to Ub: The epic dilemma of histones that regulate gene expression and epigenetic cross-talk. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2024; 1867:195033. [PMID: 38750882 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2024.195033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
A dynamic array of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate diverse cellular processes in the eukaryotic chromatin. Among them, histone ubiquitination is particularly complex as it alters nucleosome surface area fostering intricate cross-talk with other chromatin modifications. Ubiquitin signaling profoundly impacts DNA replication, repair, and transcription. Histones can undergo varied extent of ubiquitination such as mono, multi-mono, and polyubiquitination, which brings about distinct cellular fates. Mechanistic studies of the ubiquitin landscape in chromatin have unveiled a fascinating tapestry of events that orchestrate gene regulation. In this review, we summarize the key contributors involved in mediating different histone ubiquitination and deubiquitination events, and discuss their mechanism which impacts cell transcriptional identity and DNA damage response. We also focus on the proteins bearing epigenetic reader modules critical in discerning site-specific histone ubiquitination, pivotal for establishing complex epigenetic crosstalk. Moreover, we highlight the role of histone ubiquitination in different human diseases including neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. Overall the review elucidates the intricate orchestration of histone ubiquitination impacting diverse cellular functions and disease pathogenesis, and provides insights into the current challenges of targeting them for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Dasgupta
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India; Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA
| | - Sandhik Nandi
- Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Sayan Gupta
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Siddhartha Roy
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Chandrima Das
- Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India.
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2
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Liu Z, Fan K, Abudukeremu A, Gao M, Tan X, Mao X, Li X, Ma W, Ma X, Li C, Yang Y, Tu K, Chen J, Zhang Y, Guan Y. LIMA1 links the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF40 to lipid metabolism. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:298. [PMID: 38909032 PMCID: PMC11193757 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02072-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
LIMA1 is a LIM domain and Actin binding 1 protein that acts as a skeleton protein to promote cholesterol absorption, which makes it an ideal target for interfering with lipid metabolism. However, the detailed regulation of LIMA1 remains unclear. Here, we identified that ring finger protein 40 (RNF40), an E3 ubiquitin ligase previously known as an epigenetic modifier to increase H2B ubiquitination, mediated the ubiquitination of LIMA1 and thereby promoted its degradation in a proteasome-dependent manner. Fraction studies revealed that the 1-166aa fragment of LIMA1 was indispensable for the interaction with RNF40, and at least two domains of RNF40 might mediate the association of RNF40 with LIMA1. Notably, treatment with simvastatin dramatically decreased the levels of CHO and TG in control cells rather than cells with overexpressed LIMA1. Moreover, RNF40 significantly decreased lipid content, which could be reversed by LIMA1 overexpression. These findings suggest that E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF40 could directly target LIMA1 and promote its protein degradation in cytoplasm, leading to the suppression of lipid accumulation mediated by LIMA1. Collectively, this study unveils that RNF40 is a novel E3 ubiquitin ligase of LIMA1, which underpins its high therapeutic value to combat dysregulation of lipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Second Medical College, Karamay, Xinjiang, China
| | - Kexin Fan
- The Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Aikedaimu Abudukeremu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Min Gao
- The Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinyue Tan
- The Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaojuan Mao
- The Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Wenting Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Xusheng Ma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Second Medical College, Karamay, Xinjiang, China
| | - Caolong Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Second Medical College, Karamay, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yinglai Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Second Medical College, Karamay, Xinjiang, China
| | - Kangsheng Tu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Obstetrics, Xi 'an New Chang 'an Maternity Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yilei Zhang
- The Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Yaqun Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
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Cox RM, Papoulas O, Shril S, Lee C, Gardner T, Battenhouse AM, Lee M, Drew K, McWhite CD, Yang D, Leggere JC, Durand D, Hildebrandt F, Wallingford JB, Marcotte EM. Ancient eukaryotic protein interactions illuminate modern genetic traits and disorders. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.26.595818. [PMID: 38853926 PMCID: PMC11160598 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.26.595818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
All eukaryotes share a common ancestor from roughly 1.5 - 1.8 billion years ago, a single-celled, swimming microbe known as LECA, the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor. Nearly half of the genes in modern eukaryotes were present in LECA, and many current genetic diseases and traits stem from these ancient molecular systems. To better understand these systems, we compared genes across modern organisms and identified a core set of 10,092 shared protein-coding gene families likely present in LECA, a quarter of which are uncharacterized. We then integrated >26,000 mass spectrometry proteomics analyses from 31 species to infer how these proteins interact in higher-order complexes. The resulting interactome describes the biochemical organization of LECA, revealing both known and new assemblies. We analyzed these ancient protein interactions to find new human gene-disease relationships for bone density and congenital birth defects, demonstrating the value of ancestral protein interactions for guiding functional genetics today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael M Cox
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Ophelia Papoulas
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Shirlee Shril
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Chanjae Lee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Tynan Gardner
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Anna M Battenhouse
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Muyoung Lee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kevin Drew
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Claire D McWhite
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - David Yang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Janelle C Leggere
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Dannie Durand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 5th Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Friedhelm Hildebrandt
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Edward M Marcotte
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Lin CT, Ting RT, Ou YH, Shao TL, Lee MC. Protein degradation of Lsd1 is mediated by Bre1 yet opposed by Lsd1-interacting lncRNAs during fly follicle development. iScience 2024; 27:109683. [PMID: 38655201 PMCID: PMC11035368 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Tissue development, homeostasis, and repair all require efficient progenitor expansion. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (Lsd1) maintains plastic epigenetic states to promote progenitor proliferation while overexpressed Lsd1 protein causes oncogenic gene expression in cancer cells. However, the precise regulation of Lsd1 protein expression at the molecular level to drive progenitor differentiation remains unclear. Here, using Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis as our experimental system, we discovered molecular machineries that modify Lsd1 protein stability in vivo. Through genetic and biochemical analyses, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, Bre1, was identified as required for follicle progenitor differentiation, likely by mediating Lsd1 protein degradation. Interestingly, specific Lsd1-interacting long non-coding RNAs (LINRs) were found to antagonize Bre1-mediated Lsd1 protein degradation. The intricate interplay discovered among the Lsd1 complex, LINRs and Bre1 provides insight into how Lsd1 protein stability is fine-tuned to underlie progenitor differentiation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Ting Lin
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Info & Research Bldg, Rm 904, #155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong St, Taipei City 112, Taiwan
| | - Ruei-Teng Ting
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Info & Research Bldg, Rm 904, #155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong St, Taipei City 112, Taiwan
| | - Yang-Hsuan Ou
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Info & Research Bldg, Rm 904, #155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong St, Taipei City 112, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ling Shao
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Info & Research Bldg, Rm 904, #155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong St, Taipei City 112, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chia Lee
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Info & Research Bldg, Rm 904, #155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong St, Taipei City 112, Taiwan
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Liu K, Fu J, Guo K, Maghsoudloo M, Cheng J, Fu J. The ENG/VEGFα Pathway Is Likely Affected by a Nonsense Variant of Endoglin (ENG)/CD105, Causing Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia Type 1 (HHT1) in a Chinese Family. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:304. [PMID: 38540362 PMCID: PMC10970080 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), also called Rendu-Osler syndrome, is a group of rare genetic diseases characterized by autosomal dominance, multisystemic vascular dysplasia, and age-related penetrance. This includes arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in the skin, brain, lung, liver, and mucous membranes. The correlations between the phenotype and genotype for HHT are not clear. An HHT Chinese pedigree was recruited. Whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis, Sanger verification, and co-segregation were conducted. Western blotting was performed for monitoring ENG/VEGFα signaling. As a result, a nonsense, heterozygous variant for ENG/CD105: c.G1169A:p. Trp390Ter of the proband with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia type 1 (HHT1) was identified, which co-segregated with the disease in the M666 pedigree. Western blotting found that, compared with the normal levels associated with non-carrier family members, the ENG protein levels in the proband showed approximately a one-half decrease (47.4% decrease), while levels of the VEGFα protein, in the proband, showed approximately a one-quarter decrease (25.6% decrease), implying that ENG haploinsufficiency, displayed in the carrier of this variant, may affect VEGFα expression downregulation. Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses further supported TGFβ/ENG/VEGFα signaling, implying ENG regulation in the blood vessels. Thus, next-generation sequencing including WES should provide an accurate strategy for gene diagnosis, therapy, genetic counseling, and clinical management for rare genetic diseases including that in HHT1 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (K.L.); (J.F.); (K.G.); (M.M.); (J.C.)
| | - Jiewen Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (K.L.); (J.F.); (K.G.); (M.M.); (J.C.)
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Kan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (K.L.); (J.F.); (K.G.); (M.M.); (J.C.)
| | - Mazaher Maghsoudloo
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (K.L.); (J.F.); (K.G.); (M.M.); (J.C.)
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (K.L.); (J.F.); (K.G.); (M.M.); (J.C.)
| | - Junjiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (K.L.); (J.F.); (K.G.); (M.M.); (J.C.)
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Dong B, Wang X, Song X, Wang J, Liu X, Yu Z, Zhou Y, Deng J, Wu Y. RNF20 contributes to epigenetic immunosuppression through CDK9-dependent LSD1 stabilization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2307150121. [PMID: 38315842 PMCID: PMC10873621 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307150121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) plays a critical role in transcription initiation and is essential for maintaining gene silencing at heterochromatic loci. Inhibition of CDK9 increases sensitivity to immunotherapy, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We now report that RNF20 stabilizes LSD1 via K29-mediated ubiquitination, which is dependent on CDK9-mediated phosphorylation. This CDK9- and RNF20-dependent LSD1 stabilization is necessary for the demethylation of histone H3K4, then subsequent repression of endogenous retrovirus, and an interferon response, leading to epigenetic immunosuppression. Moreover, we found that loss of RNF20 sensitizes cancer cells to the immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-PD-1 in vivo and that this effect can be rescued by the expression of ectopic LSD1. Our findings are supported by the observation that RNF20 levels correlate with LSD1 levels in human breast cancer specimens. This study sheds light on the role of RNF20 in CDK9-dependent LSD1 stabilization, which is crucial for epigenetic silencing and immunosuppression. Our findings explore the potential importance of targeting the CDK9-RNF20-LSD1 axis in the development of new cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Dong
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
| | - Xinzhao Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiang Song
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
- First Clinical Medical College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianlin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
| | - Xia Liu
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
| | - Zhiyong Yu
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yongkun Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
- First Clinical Medical College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong250355, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiong Deng
- Medical Research Institute, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou256600, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yadi Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
- Markey Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY40508
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7
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Xu F, Chen A, Pan S, Wu Y, He H, Han Z, Lu L, Orgil B, Chi X, Yang C, Jia S, Yu C, Mi J. Systems genetics analysis reveals the common genetic basis for pain sensitivity and cognitive function. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14557. [PMID: 38421132 PMCID: PMC10850811 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing evidence of a strong correlation between pain sensitivity and cognitive function under both physiological and pathological conditions. However, the detailed mechanisms remain largely unknown. In the current study, we sought to explore candidate genes and common molecular mechanisms underlying pain sensitivity and cognitive function with a transcriptome-wide association study using recombinant inbred mice from the BXD family. METHODS The pain sensitivity determined by Hargreaves' paw withdrawal test and cognition-related phenotypes were systematically analyzed in 60 strains of BXD mice and correlated with hippocampus transcriptomes, followed by quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and systems genetics analysis. RESULTS The pain sensitivity showed significant variability across the BXD strains and co-varies with cognitive traits. Pain sensitivity correlated hippocampual genes showed a significant involvement in cognition-related pathways, including glutamatergic synapse, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, QTL mapping identified a genomic region on chromosome 4, potentially regulating the variation of pain sensitivity. Integrative analysis of expression QTL mapping, correlation analysis, and Bayesian network modeling identified Ring finger protein 20 (Rnf20) as the best candidate. Further pathway analysis indicated that Rnf20 may regulate the expression of pain sensitivity and cognitive function through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, particularly through interactions with genes Ppp2r2b, Ppp2r5c, Col9a3, Met, Rps6, Tnc, and Kras. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that pain sensitivity is associated with genetic background and Rnf20-mediated PI3K-Akt signaling may involve in the regulation of pain sensitivity and cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuyi Xu
- Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Molecular Targeting and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentBinzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Anran Chen
- The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Shuijing Pan
- Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Molecular Targeting and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentBinzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Yingying Wu
- Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Molecular Targeting and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentBinzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Hongjie He
- Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Molecular Targeting and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentBinzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Zhe Han
- Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Molecular Targeting and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentBinzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Lu Lu
- University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | | | - XiaoDong Chi
- Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Molecular Targeting and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentBinzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Cunhua Yang
- Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Molecular Targeting and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentBinzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Shushan Jia
- Department of AnesthesiologyYanTai Affiliated Hospital of BinZhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Cuicui Yu
- The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Jia Mi
- Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Molecular Targeting and Intelligent Diagnosis and TreatmentBinzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
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8
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Szczepanek J, Tretyn A. MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of Histone-Modifying Enzymes in Cancer: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1590. [PMID: 38002272 PMCID: PMC10669115 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, significant advances in molecular research have provided a deeper understanding of the intricate regulatory mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis. MicroRNAs, short non-coding RNA sequences, exert substantial influence on gene expression by repressing translation or inducing mRNA degradation. In the context of cancer, miRNA dysregulation is prevalent and closely associated with various stages of carcinogenesis, including initiation, progression, and metastasis. One crucial aspect of the cancer phenotype is the activity of histone-modifying enzymes that govern chromatin accessibility for transcription factors, thus impacting gene expression. Recent studies have revealed that miRNAs play a significant role in modulating these histone-modifying enzymes, leading to significant implications for genes related to proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in cancer cells. This article provides an overview of current research on the mechanisms by which miRNAs regulate the activity of histone-modifying enzymes in the context of cancer. Both direct and indirect mechanisms through which miRNAs influence enzyme expression are discussed. Additionally, potential therapeutic implications arising from miRNA manipulation to selectively impact histone-modifying enzyme activity are presented. The insights from this analysis hold significant therapeutic promise, suggesting the utility of miRNAs as tools for the precise regulation of chromatin-related processes and gene expression. A contemporary focus on molecular regulatory mechanisms opens therapeutic pathways that can effectively influence the control of tumor cell growth and dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Szczepanek
- Centre for Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, ul. Wilenska 4, 87-100 Torun, Poland
| | - Andrzej Tretyn
- Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, ul. Lwowska 1, 87-100 Torun, Poland;
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9
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Prokakis E, Jansari S, Boshnakovska A, Wiese M, Kusch K, Kramm C, Dullin C, Rehling P, Glatzel M, Pantel K, Wikman H, Johnsen SA, Gallwas J, Wegwitz F. RNF40 epigenetically modulates glycolysis to support the aggressiveness of basal-like breast cancer. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:641. [PMID: 37770435 PMCID: PMC10539310 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06157-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most difficult breast cancer subtype to treat due to the lack of targeted therapies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are strongly enriched in TNBC lesions and are responsible for the rapid development of chemotherapy resistance and metastasis. Ubiquitin-based epigenetic circuits are heavily exploited by CSCs to regulate gene transcription and ultimately sustain their aggressive behavior. Therefore, therapeutic targeting of these ubiquitin-driven dependencies may reprogram the transcription of CSC and render them more sensitive to standard therapies. In this work, we identified the Ring Finger Protein 40 (RNF40) monoubiquitinating histone 2B at lysine 120 (H2Bub1) as an indispensable E3 ligase for sustaining the stem-cell-like features of the growing mammary gland. In addition, we found that the RNF40/H2Bub1-axis promotes the CSC properties and drug-tolerant state by supporting the glycolytic program and promoting pro-tumorigenic YAP1-signaling in TNBC. Collectively, this study unveils a novel tumor-supportive role of RNF40 and underpins its high therapeutic value to combat the malignant behavior of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelos Prokakis
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of General, Visceral & Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Shaishavi Jansari
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Angela Boshnakovska
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maria Wiese
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Kusch
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, Functional Auditory Genomics Group, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christof Kramm
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian Dullin
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter Rehling
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Klaus Pantel
- Institute of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Harriet Wikman
- Institute of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Steven A Johnsen
- Department of General, Visceral & Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- The Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Julia Gallwas
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Florian Wegwitz
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of General, Visceral & Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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10
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Li J, Zhao J, Gan X, Wang Y, Jiang D, Chen L, Wang F, Xu J, Pei H, Huang J, Chen X. The RPA-RNF20-SNF2H cascade promotes proper chromosome segregation and homologous recombination repair. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2303479120. [PMID: 37155876 PMCID: PMC10193940 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303479120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The human tumor suppressor Ring finger protein 20 (RNF20)-mediated histone H2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub) is essential for proper chromosome segregation and DNA repair. However, what is the precise function and mechanism of RNF20-H2Bub in chromosome segregation and how this pathway is activated to preserve genome stability remain unknown. Here, we show that the single-strand DNA-binding factor Replication protein A (RPA) interacts with RNF20 mainly in the S and G2/M phases and recruits RNF20 to mitotic centromeres in a centromeric R-loop-dependent manner. In parallel, RPA recruits RNF20 to chromosomal breaks upon DNA damage. Disruption of the RPA-RNF20 interaction or depletion of RNF20 increases mitotic lagging chromosomes and chromosome bridges and impairs BRCA1 and RAD51 loading and homologous recombination repair, leading to elevated chromosome breaks, genome instability, and sensitivities to DNA-damaging agents. Mechanistically, the RPA-RNF20 pathway promotes local H2Bub, H3K4 dimethylation, and subsequent SNF2H recruitment, ensuring proper Aurora B kinase activation at centromeres and efficient loading of repair proteins at DNA breaks. Thus, the RPA-RNF20-SNF2H cascade plays a broad role in preserving genome stability by coupling H2Bub to chromosome segregation and DNA repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimin Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Frontier Science Centre of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jingyu Zhao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Frontier Science Centre of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiaoli Gan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Frontier Science Centre of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yanyan Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Frontier Science Centre of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Donghao Jiang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Frontier Science Centre of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Frontier Science Centre of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Fangwei Wang
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jingyan Xu
- Department of Hematology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Huadong Pei
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057
| | - Jun Huang
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xuefeng Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Frontier Science Centre of Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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11
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Du J, Fu J, Zhang W, Zhang L, Chen H, Cheng J, He T, Fu J. Effect of DPP4/CD26 expression on SARS‑CoV‑2 susceptibility, immune response, adenosine (derivatives m 62A and CD) regulations on patients with cancer and healthy individuals. Int J Oncol 2023; 62:41. [PMID: 36799191 PMCID: PMC9946808 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2023.5489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The worldwide COVID‑19 pandemic was brought on by a new coronavirus (SARS Cov‑2). A marker/receptor called Dipeptidyl peptidase 4/CD26(DPP4/CD26) may be crucial in determining susceptibility to tumors and coronaviruses. However, the regulation of DPP4 in COVID‑invaded cancer patients and its role on small molecule compounds remain unclear. The present study used the Human Protein Atlas, Monaco, and Schmiedel databases to analyze the expression of DPP4 in human tissues and immune cells. The association between DPP4 expression and survival in various tumor tissues was compared using GEPIA 2. The DNMIVD database was used to analyze the correlation between DPP4 expression and promoter methylation in various tumors. On the cBioPortal network, the frequency of DPP4 DNA mutations in various cancers was analyzed. The correlation between DPP4 expression and immunomodulators was analyzed by TISIDB database. The inhibitory effects of cordycepin (CD), N6, N6‑dimethyladenosine (m62A) and adenosine (AD) on DPP4 in cancer cells were evaluated. DPP4 was mainly expressed in endocrine tissue, followed by gastrointestinal tract, female tissue (mainly in placenta), male tissue (mainly in prostate and seminal vesicle), proximal digestive tract, kidney, bladder, liver, gallbladder and respiratory system. In immune cells, DPP4 mRNA was mainly expressed in T cells, and its expression was upregulated in esophageal carcinoma, kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), lung adenocarcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, prostate adenocarcinoma, stomach adenocarcinoma, thyroid carcinoma and thymoma. However, it was downregulated in breast invasive carcinoma, kidney chromophobe, lung squamous cell carcinoma and skin cutaneous melanoma. Thus, DPP4 is involved in viral invasion in most types of cancer. The expression of DPP4 could be inhibited by CD, m62A and AD in different tumor cells. Moreover, CD significantly inhibited the formation of GFP‑positive syncytial cells. In vivo experiments with AD injection further showed that AD significantly inhibited lymphocyte activating factor 3 expression. These drugs may have potential to treat COVID‑19 by targeting DPP4. Thus, DPP4 may be medically significant for SARS‑CoV‑2‑infected cancer patients, providing prospective novel targets and concepts for the creation of drugs against COVID‑19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaman Du
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Jiewen Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Wenqian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Lianmei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China,Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Huaian No. 1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, Jiangsu 223300, P.R. China
| | - Hanchun Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Tao He
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China,Institute for Cancer Medicine and Basic Medical School, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China,Correspondence to: Professor Junjiang Fu or Professor Tao He, Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, 3-319 Zhongshan Road, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China, E-mail: , E-mail:
| | - Junjiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China,Correspondence to: Professor Junjiang Fu or Professor Tao He, Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, 3-319 Zhongshan Road, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China, E-mail: , E-mail:
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12
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The Systematic Analyses of RING Finger Gene Signature for Predicting the Prognosis of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:2466006. [PMID: 36199791 PMCID: PMC9529411 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2466006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RING finger (RNF) proteins are frequently dysregulated in human malignancies and are tightly associated with tumorigenesis. However, the expression profiles of RNF genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their relations with prognosis remain undetermined. Here, we aimed at constructing a prognostic model according to RNF genes for forecasting the outcomes of HCC patients using the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program. We collected HCC datasets to validate the values of our model in predicting prognosis of HCC patients from International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) platform. Then, functional experiments were carried out to explore the roles of the representative RNF in HCC progression. A total of 107 differentially expressed RNFs were obtained between TCGA-HCC tumor and normal tissues. After comprehensive evaluation, a prognostic signature composed of 11 RNFs (RNF220, RNF25, TRIM25, BMI1, RNF216P1, RNF115, RNF2, TRAIP, RNF157, RNF145, and RNF19B) was constructed based on TCGA cohort. Then, the Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were employed to evaluate predictive power of the prognostic model in testing cohort (TCGA) and validation cohort (ICGC). The KM and ROC curves illustrated the good predictive power in testing and validation cohort. The areas under the ROC curve are 0.77 and 0.76 in these two cohorts, respectively. Among the prognostic signature genes, BMI1 was selected as a representative for functional study. We found that BMI1 protein level was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues. Moreover, the inhibitor of BMI1, PTC-209, displayed an excellent anti-HCC effect in vitro. Enrichment analysis of BMI1 downstream targets showed that BMI1 might be involved in tumor immunotherapy. Together, our overall analyses revealed that the 11-RNFs prognostic signature might provide us latent chances for evaluating HCC prognosis and developing novel HCC therapy.
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13
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Cheng J, Fu J, Tan Q, Liu Z, Guo K, Zhang L, He J, Zhou B, Liu X, Li D, Fu J. The regulation of ISG20 expression on SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients and healthy individuals. Front Immunol 2022; 13:958898. [PMID: 36177004 PMCID: PMC9513371 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.958898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
ISG20 inhibits viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 invasion; however, details of its expression and regulation with viral susceptibility remain to be elucidated. The present study analyzed ISG20 expression, isoform information, survival rate, methylation patterns, immune cell infiltration, and COVID-19 outcomes in healthy and cancerous individuals. Cordycepin (CD) and N6, N6-dimethyladenosine (m62A) were used to treat cancer cells for ISG20 expression. We revealed that ISG20 mRNA expression was primarily located in the bone marrow and lymphoid tissues. Interestingly, its expression was significantly increased in 11 different types of cancer, indicating that cancer patients may be less vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among them, higher expression of ISG20 was associated with a long OS in CESC and SKCM, suggesting that ISG20 may be a good marker for both viral prevention and cancer progress. ISG20 promoter methylation was significantly lower in BLCA, READ, and THCA tumor tissues than in the matched normal tissues, while higher in BRCA, LUSC, KIRC, and PAAD. Hypermethylation of ISG20 in KIRC and PAAD tumor tissues was correlated with higher expression of ISG20, suggesting that methylation of ISG20 may not underlie its overexpression. Furthermore, ISG20 expression was significantly correlated with immune infiltration levels, including immune lymphocytes, chemokine, receptors, immunoinhibitors, immunostimulators, and MHC molecules in pan-cancer. STAD exhibited the highest degree of ISG20 mutations; the median progression-free survival time in months for the unaltered group was 61.84, while it was 81.01 in the mutant group. Isoforms ISG20-001 and ISG20−009 showed the same RNase_T domain structure, demonstrating the functional roles in tumorigenesis and SARS-CoV-2 invasion inhibition in cancer patients. Moreover, CD and m62A increase ISG20 expression in various cancer cell lines, implying the antiviral/anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic potential. Altogether, this study highlighted the value of combating cancer by targeting ISG20 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and small molecules extracted from traditional Chinese medicines, such as CD, may have potential as anti-SARS-CoV-2 and anticancer agents by promoting ISG20 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingliang Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jiewen Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Qi Tan
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhiying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Kan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Lianmei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Huaian No. 1 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai’an, China
| | - Jiayue He
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Baixu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Junjiang Fu, ; Dabing Li, ; Xiaoyan Liu,
| | - Dabing Li
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Basic Medical School, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Junjiang Fu, ; Dabing Li, ; Xiaoyan Liu,
| | - Junjiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Junjiang Fu, ; Dabing Li, ; Xiaoyan Liu,
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14
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Oss-Ronen L, Sarusi T, Cohen I. Histone Mono-Ubiquitination in Transcriptional Regulation and Its Mark on Life: Emerging Roles in Tissue Development and Disease. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152404. [PMID: 35954248 PMCID: PMC9368181 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation plays an essential role in driving precise transcriptional programs during development and homeostasis. Among epigenetic mechanisms, histone mono-ubiquitination has emerged as an important post-transcriptional modification. Two major histone mono-ubiquitination events are the mono-ubiquitination of histone H2A at lysine 119 (H2AK119ub), placed by Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), and histone H2B lysine 120 mono-ubiquitination (H2BK120ub), placed by the heteromeric RNF20/RNF40 complex. Both of these events play fundamental roles in shaping the chromatin epigenetic landscape and cellular identity. In this review we summarize the current understandings of molecular concepts behind histone mono-ubiquitination, focusing on their recently identified roles in tissue development and pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Idan Cohen
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-8-6477593; Fax: +972-8-6477626
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15
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Li L, Gan YP, Peng H. RAMP2-AS1 inhibits CXCL11 expression to suppress malignant phenotype of breast cancer by recruiting DNMT1 and DNMT3B. Exp Cell Res 2022; 416:113139. [PMID: 35390315 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2022.113139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women populations. METHODS RAMP2-AS1 and CXCL11 expression in breast cancer tissues and cells were determined using RT-qPCR or Western blot. RIP analysis confirmed the interaction between DNMT1, DNMT3B and RAMP2-AS1. ChIP assay verified that RAMP2-AS1 recruited DNMT1 and DNMT3B to the promoter region of CXCL11. FISH detected the sub-localization of RAMP2-AS1 in breast cancer cells. Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) tested the methylation level of CXCL11. The cell viability, proliferation, migration and apoptosis were assessed by CCK-8, colony formation, transwell and flow cytometry assays, respectively. IHC was performed to evaluate the expression of Ki67, CXCL11, MMP2 in tumor tissues. RESULTS The level of RAMP2-AS1 was decreased in breast cancer tissues and cells, whereas CXCL11 was highly expressed. Patients with decreased RAMP2-AS1 had a poor prognosis. RAMP2-AS1 inhibited breast cancer cell malignant phenotype. Besides, RAMP2-AS1 regulated the methylation of CXCL11 by recruiting DNMT1 and DNMT3B to the promoter region of CXCL11. RAMP2-AS1 overexpression suppressed the malignant phenotype through CXCL11 and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION RAMP2-AS1 suppresses breast cancer malignant phenotype via DNMT1 and DNMT3B mediated inhibition of CXCL11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, PR China.
| | - Ya-Ping Gan
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Hui Peng
- Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, PR China
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16
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Smiline Girija AS. Protean role of epigenetic mechanisms and their impact in regulating the Tregs in TME. Cancer Gene Ther 2022; 29:661-664. [PMID: 34321625 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-021-00371-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Constitutive expression of Foxp3+ Tregs in the tumor microenvironment (TME) specifically renders immune suppression in the tumor tissues. Being highly stable and self-tolerant, Tregs may be influenced by various epigenetic-associated mechanisms while exhibiting their functions. DNA methylation, histone acetylation, epigenetic silencing, alteration in chromatin networks, etc., are some of the main factors underlying the epigenetic-based Treg cell functional modulations in the TME. The possible reasons on why these epigenetic modulations should be specifically targeted are thus discussed, so that enhanced anti-tumor immunity in TME can be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Smiline Girija
- Department of Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, 600 077, India.
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17
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Lei JH, Zhang L, Wang Z, Peltier R, Xie Y, Chen G, Lin S, Miao K, Deng CX, Sun H. FGFR2-BRD4 Axis Regulates Transcriptional Networks of Histone 3 Modification and Synergy Between Its Inhibitors and PD-1/PD-L1 in a TNBC Mouse Model. Front Immunol 2022; 13:861221. [PMID: 35547739 PMCID: PMC9084888 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.861221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic reprogramming is an independent mode of gene expression that often involves changes in the transcription and chromatin structure due to tumor initiation and development. In this study, we developed a specifically modified peptide array and searched for a recognized epigenetic reader. Our results demonstrated that BRD4 is not only an acetylation reader but of propionylation as well. We also studied the quantitative binding affinities between modified peptides and epigenetic regulators by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Furthermore, we introduced the Fgfr2-S252W transgenic mouse model to confirm that this acetylation is associated with the activation of c-Myc and drives tumor formation. Targeted disruption of BRD4 in Fgfr2-S252W mouse tumor cells also confirmed that BRD4 is a key regulator of histone 3 acetylation. Finally, we developed a tumor slice culture system and demonstrated the synergy between immune checkpoint blockade and targeted therapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). These data extend our understanding of epigenetic reprogramming and epigenetics-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh Haipeng Lei
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macau SAR, China.,Ministry of Education (MOE) Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.,Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macau SAR, China.,Department of Vascular Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhenyi Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Heifei, China
| | - Raoul Peltier
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yusheng Xie
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ganchao Chen
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shiqi Lin
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macau SAR, China.,Ministry of Education (MOE) Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Kai Miao
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macau SAR, China.,Ministry of Education (MOE) Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Chu-Xia Deng
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macau SAR, China.,Ministry of Education (MOE) Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Hongyan Sun
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
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18
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Chen J, Liao Y, Li R, Luo M, Wu G, Tan R, Xiao Z. Immunotherapeutic Significance of a Prognostic Alternative Splicing Signature in Bladder Cancer. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2022; 21:15330338221090093. [PMID: 35509211 PMCID: PMC9083046 DOI: 10.1177/15330338221090093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Bladder cancer is the fourth most common malignancy in men in the United States. Aberrant alternative splicing (AS) events are involved in the carcinogenesis, but the association between AS and bladder cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to construct an AS-based prognostic signature and elucidate the role of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and the response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy in bladder cancer. Methods: Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to detect prognosis-related AS events. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox analyses were employed to build prognostic signatures. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, multivariate Cox regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were conducted to validate the prognostic signatures. Then, the Estimation of Stromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data (ESTIMATE) and tumor immune estimation resource (TIMER) databases were searched and the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and CIBERSORT method were performed to uncover the context of TIME in bladder cancer. The Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) web tool and pRRophetic algorithm were used to predict the response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Finally, we constructed a correlation network between splicing factors (SFs) and survival-related AS events. Results: A total of 4684 AS events were significantly associated with overall survival in patients with bladder cancer. Eight prognostic signatures of bladder cancer were established, and a clinical survival prediction model was built. In addition, the consolidated prognostic signature was closely related to immune infiltration and the response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Furthermore, the correlation identified EIF3A, DDX21, SDE2, TNPO1, and RNF40 as hub SFs, and function analysis found ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis is correlated most significantly with survival-associated AS events. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the prognostic value of AS for patients with bladder cancer and reveal pivotal players of AS events in the context of TIME and the response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, which may be important for patient management and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Chen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, 34706University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Yangjie Liao
- 504354The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Rui Li
- 22494Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Mingjiang Luo
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, 34706University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Guanlin Wu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, 58305Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruirong Tan
- 22494Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,International Center for Translational Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhihong Xiao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, 34706University of South China, Hengyang, China
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19
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Zhou J, Imani S, Shasaltaneh MD, Liu S, Lu T, Fu J. PIK3CA hotspot mutations p. H1047R and p. H1047L sensitize breast cancer cells to thymoquinone treatment by regulating the PI3K/Akt1 pathway. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 49:1799-1816. [PMID: 34816327 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06990-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nigella sativa (N. sativa) exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimetastatic and antinociceptive effects and has been used to treat dozens of diseases. Thymoquinone (TQ) is an important and active component isolated from N. sativa seeds. Inhibition of cancer-associated activating PIK3CA mutations is a new prospective targeted therapy in personalized metastatic breast cancer (MBC). TQ is reported to be an effective inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt1 pathway in MBC. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antitumor effect of TQ in the context of two PIK3CA hotspot mutations, p. H1047R and p. H1047L. METHODS AND RESULTS Molecular dynamics, free energy landscapes and principal component analyses were also used to survey the mechanistic effects of the p. H1047R and p. H1047L mutations on the PI3K/Akt1 pathway. Our findings clearly confirmed that the p. H1047R and p. H1047L mutants could reduce the inhibitory effect of ΔNp63α on the kinase domain of PIK3CA, resulting in increased activity of PI3K downstream signals. Structurally, the partial disruption of the interaction between the ΔNp63α DNA binding domain and the PIK3CA kinase domain at residues 114-359 and 797-1068 destabilizes the conformation of the activation loop and modifies the PIK3CA/ΔNp63α complex. Alongside these structural changes, we found that TQ treatment resulted in high PI3K/Akt1 pathway inhibition in p. H1047R and p. H1047L-expressing cells versus wild-type cells. CONCLUSIONS These two PIK3CA hotspot mutations therefore not only contribute to tumor progression in patients with MBC but may also serve as targets for the development of novel small molecule therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Saber Imani
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | | | - Shuguang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Tao Lu
- Research Center for Science, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Junjiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
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20
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Cai H, Chen H, Huang Q, Zhu JM, Ke ZB, Lin YZ, Zheng QS, Wei Y, Xu N, Xue XY. Ubiquitination-Related Molecular Subtypes and a Novel Prognostic Index for Bladder Cancer Patients. Pathol Oncol Res 2021; 27:1609941. [PMID: 34776794 PMCID: PMC8585742 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2021.1609941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To develop and validate ubiquitination-related molecular subtypes and a novel prognostic index using ubiquitination-related genes (URGs) for patients with bladder cancer (BCa). Materials and Methods: We downloaded the clinical data and transcriptome data of BCa from TCGA and GEO database. Consensus clustering analysis was conducted to identify ubiquitination-related molecular subtypes for BCa. Besides, we performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to develop a novel prognostic URGs-related index for BCa. We conducted internal and external verification in TCGA cohort and GEO cohort, respectively. Furthermore, the associations of ubiquitination-related molecular subtypes and prognostic index with tumor immune environment were also investigated. Results: A total of four ubiquitination-related molecular subtypes of BCa were finally identified. These four molecular subtypes had significantly different clinical characteristics, prognosis, PD-L1 expression level and tumor microenvironment. Besides, we developed a novel prognostic index using six URGs (including HLA-A, TMEM129, UBE2D1, UBE2N, UBE2T and USP5). The difference in OS between high and low-risk group was statistically significant in training cohort, testing cohort, and validating cohort. The area under ROC curve (AUC) for OS prediction was 0.736, 0.723, and 0.683 in training cohort, testing cohort, and validating cohort, respectively. Multivariate survival analysis showed that this index was an independent predictor for OS. This prognostic index was especially suitable for subtype 1 and 3, older, male, high grade, AJCC stage III-IV, stage N0, stage T3-4 BCa patients. Conclusions: This study identified a total of four ubiquitination-related molecular subtypes with significantly different tumor microenvironment, prognosis, clinical characteristics and PD-L1 expression level. Besides, a novel ubiquitination-related prognostic index for BCa patients was developed and successfully verified, which performed well in predicting prognosis of BCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Cai
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hang Chen
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qi Huang
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jun-Ming Zhu
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Bin Ke
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yun-Zhi Lin
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qing-Shui Zheng
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yong Wei
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ning Xu
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Cancer, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xue-Yi Xue
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
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21
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Li D, Liu X, Zhang L, He J, Chen X, Liu S, Fu J, Fu S, Chen H, Fu J, Cheng J. COVID-19 disease and malignant cancers: The impact for the furin gene expression in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:3954-3967. [PMID: 34671211 PMCID: PMC8495395 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.63072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Furin is a proprotein convertase that activates different kinds of regulatory proteins, including SARS-CoV-2 spike protein which contains an additional furin-specific cleavage site. It is essential in predicting cancer patients' susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and the disease outcomes due to varying furin expressions in tumor tissues. In this study, we analyzed furin's expression, methylation, mutation rate, functional enrichment, survival rate and COVID-19 outcomes in normal and cancer tissues using online databases, and our IHC. As a result, furin presented with biased expression profiles in normal tissues, showing 12.25-fold higher than ACE2 in the lungs. The furin expression in tumors were significantly increased in ESCA and TGCT, and decreased in DLBC and THYM, indicating furin may play critical mechanistic functions in COVID-19 viral entry into cells in these cancer patients. Line with furin over/downexpression, furin promoter hypo-/hyper-methylation may be the regulatory cause of disease and lead to pathogenesis of ESCA and THYM. Furthermore, presence of FURIN-201 isoform with functional domains (P_proprotein, Peptidase_S8 and S8_pro-domain) is highest in all cancer types in comparison to other isoforms, demonstrating its use in tumorigenesis and SARS-Cov-2 entry into tumor tissues. Furin mutation frequency was highest in UCES, and its mutation might elevate ACE2 expression in LUAD and UCEC, reduce ACE2 expression in COAD, elevate HSPA5 expression in PAAD, and elevate TMPRSS2 expression in BRCA. These results showed that furin mutations mostly increased expression of ACE2, HSPA5, and TMPRSS2 in certain cancers, indicating furin mutations might facilitate COVID-19 cell entry in cancer patients. In addition, high expression of furin was significantly inversely correlated with long overall survival (OS) in LGG and correlated with long OS in COAD and KIRC, indicating that it could be used as a favorable prognostic marker for cancer patients' survival. GO and KEGG demonstrated that furin was mostly enriched in genes for metabolic and biosynthetic processes, retinal dehydrogenase activity, tRNA methyltransferase activity, and genes involving COVID-19, further supporting its role in COVID-19 and cancer metabolism. Moreover, Cordycepin (CD) inhibited furin expression in a dosage dependent manner. Altogether, furin's high expression might not only implies increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and higher severity of COVID-19 symptoms in cancer patients, but also it highlights the need for cancer treatment and therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. CD might have a potential to develop an anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug through inhibiting furin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dabing Li
- Basic Medical School, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China.,Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Lianmei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, the Affiliated Huaian No. 1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an 223300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jiayue He
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xianmao Chen
- Basic Medical School, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China.,Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Shuguang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jiewen Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Shangyi Fu
- School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston 77030, Texas, USA.,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston 77030, Texas, USA
| | - Hanchun Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, China
| | - Junjiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China.,Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
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22
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Wu Y, Xiang Q, Lv X, Xiang X, Feng Z, Tian S, Tang J, Xiang T, Gong J. C2orf40 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma through interaction with UBR5. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 36:2581-2591. [PMID: 33576531 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.15441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) urgently needs a marker for early diagnosis and targeted treatment. C2orf40 has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in many cancers. However, the precise role and regulatory mechanism by C2orf40 contribute to HCC remain elusive and merit exploration. METHODS Reverse-transcription PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, and methylation-specific PCR were used to detect expression and methylation of C2orf40 in HCC cell lines or tissues. The effects of C2orf40 in liver cancer cells were examined via colony formation, CCK8, transwell, and flow cytometric assays. The effect of C2orf40 on tumorigenesis in vivo was determined by xenografts and immunohistochemical analysis. Western blot, indirect immunofluorescence, Co-IP, and cycloheximide (CHX) were used to further investigate the potential mechanism of C2orf40. RESULTS The down-regulation of C2orf40 in hepatocellular cancer tissue samples is often related to the degree of methylation of its promoter CpG. The recovery of C2orf40 expression in HCC cell lines can induce G0/G1 phase arrest and apoptosis and also inhibit cell migration and invasion by reversing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, C2orf40 can increase the expression of p21 through interaction with UBR5. CONCLUSIONS Low expression levels of C2orf40 are related to the hypermethylation of its promoter. C2orf40 can inhibit HCC through UBR5-dependent or p53-independent mechanisms. C2orf40 may be a diagnostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qin Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoqin Lv
- Laboratory Animal Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xia Xiang
- Laboratory Animal Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhihao Feng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shaorong Tian
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingxiu Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianping Gong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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23
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Huang R, Zhou PK. DNA damage repair: historical perspectives, mechanistic pathways and clinical translation for targeted cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:254. [PMID: 34238917 PMCID: PMC8266832 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00648-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 289] [Impact Index Per Article: 96.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic instability is the hallmark of various cancers with the increasing accumulation of DNA damage. The application of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in cancer treatment is typically based on this property of cancers. However, the adverse effects including normal tissues injury are also accompanied by the radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Targeted cancer therapy has the potential to suppress cancer cells' DNA damage response through tailoring therapy to cancer patients lacking specific DNA damage response functions. Obviously, understanding the broader role of DNA damage repair in cancers has became a basic and attractive strategy for targeted cancer therapy, in particular, raising novel hypothesis or theory in this field on the basis of previous scientists' findings would be important for future promising druggable emerging targets. In this review, we first illustrate the timeline steps for the understanding the roles of DNA damage repair in the promotion of cancer and cancer therapy developed, then we summarize the mechanisms regarding DNA damage repair associated with targeted cancer therapy, highlighting the specific proteins behind targeting DNA damage repair that initiate functioning abnormally duo to extrinsic harm by environmental DNA damage factors, also, the DNA damage baseline drift leads to the harmful intrinsic targeted cancer therapy. In addition, clinical therapeutic drugs for DNA damage and repair including therapeutic effects, as well as the strategy and scheme of relative clinical trials were intensive discussed. Based on this background, we suggest two hypotheses, namely "environmental gear selection" to describe DNA damage repair pathway evolution, and "DNA damage baseline drift", which may play a magnified role in mediating repair during cancer treatment. This two new hypothesis would shed new light on targeted cancer therapy, provide a much better or more comprehensive holistic view and also promote the development of new research direction and new overcoming strategies for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixue Huang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ping-Kun Zhou
- Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, China.
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24
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Shen S, Wei C, Fu J. RNA-Sequencing Reveals Heat Shock 70-kDa Protein 6 (HSPA6) as a Novel Thymoquinone-Upregulated Gene That Inhibits Growth, Migration, and Invasion of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Front Oncol 2021; 11:667995. [PMID: 34017687 PMCID: PMC8129564 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.667995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Breast cancer has become the first highest incidence which surpasses lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer, and the second highest mortality among women worldwide. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a key component from black seed oil and has anti-cancer properties in a variety of tumors, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was conducted with and without TQ treatment in TNBC cell line BT-549. Gene Ontology (GO) function classification annotation, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses for these genes were conducted. Western blot and semi-quantitative RT-PCR were used to verify the regulated gene. Functional assays by overexpression or knocking down were performed for HSPA6 and its mediator TQ for inhibiting growth, migration and invasion of TNBC cells. The regulatory mechanisms and prognosis for HSPA6 for breast cancer survival were conducted through bioinformatics and online databases. Results As a result, a total of 141 downregulated and 28 upregulated genes were identified and 18 differentially expressed genes, which might be related to carcinomas, were obtained. Interestingly, GO and KEGG pathway showed their roles on anti-cancer and anti-virus. Further analysis found that the HSPA6 gene was the high significantly upregulated gene, and showed to inhibit TNBC cell growth, migration and invasion. High expression of HSPA6 was positively correlated with long overall survival (OS) in patients with breast cancer, indicating the tumor-suppressive roles for HSPA6. But DNA methylation of HSPA6 may not be the regulatory mechanism for HSPA6 mRNA upregulation in breast cancer tissues, although the mRNA levels of HSPA6 were increased in these cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. Moreover, TQ enhanced the inhibitory effect of migration and invasion when HSPA6 was overexpressed; while HSPA6 was knocked down, TQ attenuated the effects of HSPA6-promoted migration and invasion, demonstrating a partially dependent manner through HSPA6 by TQ treatment. Conclusion We have successfully identified a novel TQ-targeted gene HSPA6, which shows the inhibitory effects on growth, migration and invasion in TNBC cells. Therefore, identification of HSPA6 not only reveals a new TQ regulatory mechanism, but also provides a novel candidate gene for clinical management and treatment of breast cancer, particularly for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyi Shen
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Chunli Wei
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Junjiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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25
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Cheng J, Zhou J, Fu S, Fu J, Zhou B, Chen H, Fu J, Wei C. Prostate adenocarcinoma and COVID-19: The possible impacts of TMPRSS2 expressions in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:4157-4165. [PMID: 33609069 PMCID: PMC8013364 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
TMPRSS2 (OMIM: 602060) is a cellular protease involved in many physiological and pathological processes, and it facilitates entry of viruses such as SARS‐CoV‐2 into host cells. It is important to predict the prostate's susceptibility to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in cancer patients and the disease outcome by assessing TMPRSS2 expression in cancer tissues. In this study, we conducted the expression profiles of the TMPRSS2 gene for COVID‐19 in different normal tissues and PRAD (prostate adenocarcinoma) tumour tissues. TMPRSS2 is highly expressed in normal tissues including the small intestine, prostate, pancreas, salivary gland, colon, stomach, seminal vesicle and lung, and is increased in PRAD tissues, indicating that SARS‐CoV‐2 might attack not only the lungs and other normal organs, but also in PRAD cancer tissues. Hypomethylation of TMPRSS2 promoter may not be the mechanism for TMPRSS2 overexpression in PRAD tissues and PRAD pathogenesis. TMPRSS2 expresses eleven isoforms in PRAD tissues, with the TMPRSS2‐001 isoform expressed highest and followed by TMPRSS2‐201. Further isoform structures prediction showed that these two highly expressed isoforms have both SRCR_2 and Trypsin (Tryp_SPc) domains, which may be essential for TMPRSS2 functional roles for tumorigenesis and entry for SARS‐CoV‐2 in PRAD patients. Analyses of functional annotation and enrichment in TMPRSS2 showed that TMPRSS2 is mostly enriched in regulation of viral entry into host cells, protein processing and serine‐type peptidase activity. TMPRSS2 is also associated with prostate gland cancer cell expression, different complex(es) formation, human influenza and carcinoma, pathways in prostate cancer, influenza A, and transcriptional misregulation in cancer. Altogether, even though high expression of TMPRSS2 may not be favourable for PRAD patient's survival, increased expression in these patients should play roles in susceptibility of the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and clinical severity for COVID‐19, highlighting the value of protective actions of PRAD cases by targeting or androgen‐mediated therapeutic strategies in the COVID‐19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingliang Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.,Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Ju Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Shangyi Fu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiewen Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Baixu Zhou
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanchun Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Junjiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Chunli Wei
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Oncology, the Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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