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Jin W, Yao Y, Fu Y, Lei X, Fu W, Lu Q, Tong X, Xu Q, Su W, Hu X. WTAP/IGF2BP3-mediated GBE1 expression accelerates the proliferation and enhances stemness in pancreatic cancer cells via upregulating c-Myc. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2024; 29:97. [PMID: 38961325 PMCID: PMC11223412 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-024-00611-8] [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: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most malignant cancers with highly aggressiveness and poor prognosis. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) have been indicated to be involved in PC development. Glucan Branching Enzyme 1 (GBE1) is mainly involved in cell glycogen metabolism. However, the function of GBE1 and Whether GBE1 occurs m6A modification in PC progression remains to be illustrated. METHODS The clinical prognosis of GBE1 was analyzed through online platform. The expression of GBE1 was obtained from online platform and then verified in normal and PC cell lines. Lentivirus was used to generated GBE1 stable-overexpression or knockdown PC cells. Cell Counting Kit (CCK-8), colony formation assay, sphere formation assay and flow cytometry assay were conducted to analyze cell proliferation and stemness ability in vitro. Subcutaneous and orthotopic mouse models were used to verify the function of GBE1 in vivo. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, RNA stability experiment and western blots were conducted to explore the molecular regulation of GBE1 in PC. RESULTS GBE1 was significantly upregulated in PC and associated with poor prognosis of PC patients. Functionally, GBE1 overexpression facilitated PC cell proliferation and stemness-like properties, while knockdown of GBE1 attenuated the malignancy of PC cells. Importantly, we found the m6A modification of GBE1 RNA, and WTAP and IGF2BP3 was revealed as the m6A regulators to increase GBE1 mRNA stability and expression. Furthermore, c-Myc was discovered as a downstream gene of GBE1 and functional rescue experiments showed that overexpression of c-Myc could rescue GBE1 knockdown-induced PC cell growth inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Our study uncovered the oncogenic role of GBE1/c-Myc axis in PC progression and revealed WTAP/IGF2BP3-mediated m6A modification of GBE1, which highlight the potential application of GBE1 in the targeted therapy of PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Jin
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yanru Yao
- Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuhan Fu
- Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Wen Fu
- The Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Qiliang Lu
- The Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiangmin Tong
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiuran Xu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Wei Su
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Xiaoge Hu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
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Marka S, Zografaki ME, Tsolomiti G, Kalliampakou KI, Tsolomitis A, Koumantou C, Smirlis D, Vassilaki N, Kintzios S. 2-(4-Nitrophenyl)isothiazol-3(2H)-one: A Promising Selective Agent against Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:673. [PMID: 38931341 PMCID: PMC11206498 DOI: 10.3390/ph17060673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer ranks among the most prevalent malignancies globally and stands as a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Numerous isothiazolone derivatives and analogues have been synthesized and investigated for their potential as anticancer agents; however, limited data exist regarding their efficacy against liver cancer. In the present study, two nitrophenyl-isothiazolones, the 5-benzoyl-2-(4-nitrophenyl)isothiazol-3(2H)-one (IsoA) and the 2-(4-nitrophenyl)isothiazol-3(2H)-one (IsoB), were preliminarily investigated for their cytotoxicity against hepatoma human (Huh7) cells as a liver cancer model and Immortalized Human Hepatocytes (IHHs) as a model of non-cancerous hepatocytes. IsoB, derived from IsoA after removal of the benzoyl moiety, demonstrated the highest cytotoxic effect against Huh7 cells with CC50 values of 19.3 μΜ at 24 h, 16.4 μΜ at 48 h, and 16.2 μΜ at 72 h of incubation, respectively. IsoB also exhibited selective toxicity against the liver cancerous Huh7 cells compared to IHH cells, reinforcing its role as a potent and selective anticancer agent. Remarkably, the cytotoxicity of IsoB was higher when compared with the standard chemotherapeutical agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which also failed to exhibit higher toxicity against the liver cancerous cell lines. Moreover, IsoB-treated Huh7 cells presented a noteworthy reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) after 48 and 72 h, while mitochondrial superoxide levels showed an increase after 24 h of incubation. The molecular mechanism of the IsoB cytotoxic effect was also investigated using RT-qPCR, revealing an apoptosis-mediated cell death along with tumor suppressor TP53 overexpression and key-oncogene MYCN downregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Marka
- Laboratory of Cell Technology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece; (G.T.); (C.K.)
| | - Maria-Eleftheria Zografaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece; (M.-E.Z.); (K.I.K.)
| | - Georgia Tsolomiti
- Laboratory of Cell Technology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece; (G.T.); (C.K.)
| | - Katerina I. Kalliampakou
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece; (M.-E.Z.); (K.I.K.)
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece;
| | - Athanasios Tsolomitis
- School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University, 15772 Athens, Greece;
| | - Christina Koumantou
- Laboratory of Cell Technology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece; (G.T.); (C.K.)
| | - Despina Smirlis
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Microbiology Department, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece;
| | - Niki Vassilaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece;
| | - Spyros Kintzios
- Laboratory of Cell Technology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece; (G.T.); (C.K.)
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Pan B, Ke X, Qiu J, Ye D, Zhang Z, Zhang X, Luo Y, Yao Y, Wu X, Wang X, Tang N. LAIR1-mediated resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma cells to T cells through a GSK-3β/β-catenin/MYC/PD-L1 pathway. Cell Signal 2024; 115:111039. [PMID: 38199599 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111039] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An increasing number of studies have reported the involvement of oncogenes in the regulation of the immune system. LAIR1 is an immunosuppressive molecule and its role in immune-related diseases has been mainly reported. To date, it is unclear whether LAIR1 in tumor cells is involved in immune regulation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of LAIR1 in the immune microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to seek the novel therapeutic discoveries. METHODS Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion database was used to predict the response of LAIR1 expression to immune checkpoint blockade. CD8+ T cells were co-cultured with HCC cells, and the killing efficiency of leukocytes on HCC cells was detected by flow cytometry. Flow cytometry was also used to detect the expression of inhibitory receptors. In addition, Western blot, immunofluorescence, and nucleus/cytoplasm fractionation experiments were performed to explore the molecular mechanisms by which LAIR1 created a suppressive tumor microenvironment. RESULTS LAIR1 expression in HCC was associated with worse immune prognosis and T-cell dysfunction. HCC cells overexpressing LAIR1 co-cultured with CD8+ T cells induced exhaustion of latter. Mechanism studies indicated that LAIR1 in HCC cells up-regulated the phosphorylation of β-catenin by inducing the phosphorylation of GSK-3β, leading to the impairment of the expression and the nuclear localization signal of β-catenin. Low β-catenin expression and nuclear localization signal inhibited MYC-mediated PD-L1 expression. Therefore, PD-L1 up-regulated by LAIR1 caused the exhaustion of infiltrating CD8+ T cells in HCC, which aggravated the malignant progression of HCC. CONCLUSION LAIR1 increased PD-L1 expression through the GSK-3β/β-catenin/MYC/PD-L1 pathway and promoted immune evasion of HCC cells. Targeted inhibition of LAIR1 helped to enhance the immune killing effect of CD8+ T cells in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banglun Pan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoling Ke
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jiacheng Qiu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Dongjie Ye
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhu Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxia Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yue Luo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuxin Yao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqian Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China; Cancer Center of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
| | - Nanhong Tang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Fujian Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China; Cancer Center of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Technology for Precision Medicine (Fujian Medical University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China; Lead contact.
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