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Yuan H, Chen C, Li H, Qu G, Chen L, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Zhao Q, Lian C, Ji A, Hou X, Liu X, Jiang K, Zhu Y, He Y. Role of a novel circRNA-CGNL1 in regulating pancreatic cancer progression via NUDT4-HDAC4-RUNX2-GAMT-mediated apoptosis. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:27. [PMID: 38297362 PMCID: PMC10829403 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01923-7] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer (PC) is an extremely malignant tumor with low survival rate. Effective biomarkers and therapeutic targets for PC are lacking. The roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cancers have been explored in various studies, however more work is needed to understand the functional roles of specific circRNAs. In this study, we explore the specific role and mechanism of circ_0035435 (termed circCGNL1) in PC. METHODS qRT-PCR analysis was performed to detect circCGNL1 expression, indicating circCGNL1 had low expression in PC cells and tissues. The function of circCGNL1 in PC progression was examined both in vitro and in vivo. circCGNL1-interacting proteins were identified by performing RNA pulldown, co-immunoprecipitation, GST-pulldown, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS Overexpressing circCGNL1 inhibited PC proliferation via promoting apoptosis. CircCGNL1 interacted with phosphatase nudix hydrolase 4 (NUDT4) to promote histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) dephosphorylation and subsequent HDAC4 nuclear translocation. Intranuclear HDAC4 mediated RUNX Family Transcription Factor 2 (RUNX2) deacetylation and thereby accelerating RUNX2 degradation. The transcription factor, RUNX2, inhibited guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase (GAMT) expression. GAMT was further verified to induce PC cell apoptosis via AMPK-AKT-Bad signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS We discovered that circCGNL1 can interact with NUDT4 to enhance NUDT4-dependent HDAC4 dephosphorylation, subsequently activating HDAC4-RUNX2-GAMT-mediated apoptosis to suppress PC cell growth. These findings suggest new therapeutic targets for PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreas Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital With Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, P. R. China
- Pancreas Institute, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuang Chen
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Huai'an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Huai'an, China
| | - Haonan Li
- Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Gexi Qu
- Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Luyao Chen
- Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Yaxing Liu
- Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreas Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital With Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Zhao
- Heping Hospital, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Changhong Lian
- Heping Hospital, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Aifang Ji
- Heping Hospital, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | | | - Xinjian Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kuirong Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreas Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital With Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, P. R. China.
- Pancreas Institute, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yi Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreas Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital With Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, P. R. China.
- Pancreas Institute, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yuan He
- Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China.
- Heping Hospital, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China.
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Zhang C, Zhang C, Liu X, Sun W, Liu H. Circular RNA PGPEP1 induces colorectal cancer malignancy and immune escape. Cell Cycle 2023; 22:1743-1758. [PMID: 37424115 PMCID: PMC10446806 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2023.2225923] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent gastrointestinal tumor globally. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as regulatory players in the pathogenesis of CRC. However, it is unclear whether hsa_circ_0050102 (circPGPEP1) affects the malignant progression and immune escape in CRC. METHODS Bioinformatics analysis and circRNA in vivo precipitation experiments were performed to analyze and identify circRNAs that mediate immune escape in CRC. Using luciferase reporter assay, RIP, RNA pull-down assay, and FISH, the interaction between circPGPEP1, miR-515-5p, and nuclear factor of activated T-cell 5 (NFAT5) was identified. The functional role of circPGPEP1/miR-515-5p/NFAT5 axis in CRC anti-tumor immunity was investigated by co-culture assay, CFSE assay, and flow cytometry of CRC cells and T cells. RESULTS circPGPEP1 was a stable circRNA that was highly expressed in CRC. Functionally, circPGPEP1 silencing not only effectively inhibited CRC cell proliferation, migration, EMT, and immune escape and promoted apoptosis in vitro, but also inhibited CRC tumor growth and immune escape in vivo. In terms of the regulatory mechanism, circIGF2BP3 competitively upregulated NFAT5 expression by sponging miR-515-5p. Furthermore, functional rescue experiments showed that circPGPEP1 acted in CRC by regulating the miR-515-5p/NFAT5 axis. CONCLUSION Collectively, circPGPEP1 exerts an oncogene role in CRC by regulating the miR-515-5p/NFAT5 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - ChengZhao Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - XinLu Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - WenShuo Sun
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - HuanRan Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
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Yang J, He W, Gu L, Zhu L, Liang T, Liang X, Zhong Q, Zhang R, Nan A, Su L. CircFOXP1 alleviates brain injury after acute ischemic stroke by regulating STAT3/apoptotic signaling. Transl Res 2023; 257:15-29. [PMID: 36787831 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
According to previous studies, circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in multiple pathological processes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, the relationship between circFOXP1 and IS has not yet been reported. Here, we found that circFOXP1 expression was significantly decreased in the peripheral blood of AIS patients compared to controls and was associated with the severity and prognosis of AIS. Functionally, knockdown and overexpression of circFOXP1 promoted and inhibited apoptotic signaling, respectively, following oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) treatment in vitro. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated circFOXP1 overexpression attenuated neurological deficits and improved functional recovery after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) treatment in vivo. Mechanistically, decreased QKI expression inhibited circFOXP1 biogenesis under hypoxic conditions. Decreased circFOXP1 expression accelerated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) protein degradation by binding to and increasing STAT3 protein ubiquitination, ultimately aggravating brain injury after cerebral ischemia by activating apoptotic signaling. In summary, our study is the first to reveal that circFOXP1 alleviates brain injury after cerebral ischemia by regulating STAT3/apoptotic signaling, which provides a potentially novel therapeutic target for AIS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialei Yang
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Wanting He
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Lian Gu
- First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Lulu Zhu
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Tian Liang
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Xueying Liang
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qingqing Zhong
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Ruirui Zhang
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Aruo Nan
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
| | - Li Su
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
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Wang X, Wang G, Wu Z, Dong Y, Shi Y, Yang F, Chen X, Wang J, Du S, Xu H, Zheng Y. Exosomal circ-PTPN22 and circ-ADAMTS6 mark T cell exhaustion and neutrophil extracellular traps in Asian intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 31:151-163. [PMID: 36700045 PMCID: PMC9841234 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a liver tumor featured by challenges of non-invasive early diagnosis and a higher prevalence rate in Asian countries. These characteristics necessitate the development of liquid biopsy and immunotherapy methods to improve the prognosis of patients with ICC. Herein, we conducted a pilot study on the transcriptome of tumor tissues, adjacent normal tissues, and plasma exosomes of Asian patients with ICC from northern and southern China. We identified a subgroup of immunogenic Asian ICC, which is different from Caucasian ICC and is characterized by T cell exhaustion and neutrophil extracellular traps. The levels of circ-PTPN22 (hsa_circ_0110529) and circ-ADAMTS6 (hsa_circ_0072688), potential circRNA biomarkers, were elevated in the ICC tumor tissues and plasma exosomes of this subgroup than in the other subgroups and normal controls. These circRNAs were derived from post-transcriptional backsplicing of PTPN22 and ADAMTS6 that were expressed in T cells and endothelial cells, respectively, in the ICC microenvironment. Our results revealed a subgroup of Asian ICC characterized by T cell exhaustion and neutrophil extracellular traps and marked by elevated levels of circ-PTPN22 and circ-ADAMTS6 in tumor tissues and plasma exosomes. This subgroup is potentially detectable by plasma exosomal circRNAs and treatable with immune checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuezhu Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China,Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China
| | - Guanqun Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zilong Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410005, China
| | - Yucheng Dong
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China,Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yue Shi
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China,Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China
| | - Xinyu Chen
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China,Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410005, China
| | - Shunda Du
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China
| | - Haifeng Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China,Corresponding author Haifeng Xu, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), No.1 Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China.
| | - Yongchang Zheng
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100730, China,Corresponding author Yongchang Zheng, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), No.1 Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China.
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Prognostic, Diagnostic, and Clinicopathological Significance of Circular RNAs in Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246187. [PMID: 36551673 PMCID: PMC9777076 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor with a high mortality rate. It is urgent to find optimal molecular targets for the early diagnosis and treatment of PC. Here, we aimed to systematically analyze the prognostic, diagnostic, and clinicopathological significance of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in PC. Relevant studies were screened through PubMed, Web of Science, and other databases. The prognostic value of PC-associated circRNAs was assessed using the composite hazard ratio (HR), the diagnostic performance was assessed using the area under the summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve (AUC), and the correlation with clinicopathological characteristics using the composite odds ratio (OR) was explored. In our study, 48 studies were included: 34 for prognosis, 11 for diagnosis, and 30 for correlation with clinicopathological characteristics. For prognosis, upregulated circRNAs were associated with poorer overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.02) and disease-free survival/progression-free survival (HR = 1.84) while downregulated circRNAs were associated with longer OS (HR = 0.55). Notably, the combination of circRNAs, including hsa_circ_0064288, hsa_circ_0000234, hsa_circ_0004680, hsa_circ_0071036, hsa_circ_0000677, and hsa_circ_0001460, was associated with worse OS (HR = 2.35). For diagnosis, the AUC was 0.83, and the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.79 and 0.73, respectively. For clinicopathologic characteristics, upregulated circRNAs were associated with poorer tumor differentiation, more nerve and vascular invasion, higher T stage, lymphatic metastasis, distant metastasis, advanced TNM stage, and higher preoperative CA19-9 level. In contrast, downregulated circRNAs were negatively associated with PC differentiation and lymphatic metastasis. Overall, our results showed that circRNAs are closely related to the prognosis and clinicopathological characteristics of PC patients and could be utilized for early diagnosis; thus, they are promising biomarkers for clinical application in PC.
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Seimiya T, Otsuka M, Fujishiro M. Roles of circular RNAs in the pathogenesis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1023332. [PMID: 36467402 PMCID: PMC9712786 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1023332] [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: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs are single-stranded RNAs with a covalently closed structure formed by the process of back-splicing. Aberrant expression of circular RNAs contributes to the pathogenesis of a wide range of cancers. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers due to diagnostic difficulties and limited therapeutic options. Circular RNAs are emerging as novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer. Moreover, recent advances in the therapeutic application of engineered circular RNAs have provided a promising approach to overcoming pancreatic cancer. This review discusses the roles of circular RNAs in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer and in potential treatment applications and their usefulness as diagnostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Motoyuki Otsuka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Carlos-Reyes Á, Romero-Garcia S, Contreras-Sanzón E, Ruiz V, Prado-Garcia H. Role of Circular RNAs in the Regulation of Immune Cells in Response to Cancer Therapies. Front Genet 2022; 13:823238. [PMID: 35186039 PMCID: PMC8847670 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.823238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are a class of small endogenous noncoding RNA that are formed by means of either the spliceosome or lariat-type splicing. CircRNAs have multiple regulatory functions and have been detected in different cell types, like normal, tumor and immune cells. CircRNAs have been suggested to regulate T cell functions in response to cancer. CircRNAs can enter into T cells and promote the expression of molecules that either trigger antitumoral responses or promote suppression and the consequent evasion to the immune response. Additionally, circRNAs may promote tumor progression and resistance to anticancer treatment in different types of neoplasias. In this minireview we discuss the impact of circRNAs and its function in the regulation of the T-cells in immune response caused by cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángeles Carlos-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Onco-Inmunobiologia, Departamento de Enfermedades Crónico-Degenerativas, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Mexico, Mexico
| | | | | | - Víctor Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Heriberto Prado-Garcia
- Laboratorio de Onco-Inmunobiologia, Departamento de Enfermedades Crónico-Degenerativas, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Mexico, Mexico
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