SP1-DLEU1-miR-4429 feedback loop promotes cell proliferative and anti-apoptotic abilities in human glioblastoma

Succinylation modification-mediated upregulation of Sp1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the most prevalent malignant tumors globally, characterized by high incidence and mortality rates. Despite ongoing research, the underlying molecular mechanisms of HCC development are not yet fully understood. Utilizing bioinformatic analysis, real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and Western blot assays, we identified that the expression of specificity protein 1 (Sp1) was significantly elevated in HCC cells compared to normal cells. Knockdown of the Sp1 gene led to a marked reduction in the viability and clonogenic potential of HCC cells. Further investigation revealed that the succinylation level of Sp1 was also increased in HCC cells. The upregulation of Sp1 expression was attributed to its succinylation, mediated by KAT2A, with lysine (K)562 identified as the succinylation site. Additionally, KAT2A and Sp1 were found to influence the upregulation of mTOR phosphorylation. Collectively, these findings suggest that KAT2A-promoted succinylation of Sp1 enhances the proliferative capacity of HCC cells by activating the mTOR pathway, providing a theoretical foundation for potential therapeutic strategies against HCC.

Analysis and validation of aging-related genes in prognosis and immune function of glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a common malignant brain tumor with poor prognosis and high mortality. Numerous reports have identified the correlation between aging and the prognosis of patients with GBM. The purpose of this study was to establish a prognostic model for GBM patients based on aging-related gene (ARG) to help determine the prognosis of GBM patients.

METHODS

143 patients with GBM from The Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA), 218 patients with GBM from the Chinese Glioma Genomic Atlas (CGGA) of China and 50 patients from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were included in the study. R software (V4.2.1) and bioinformatics statistical methods were used to develop prognostic models and study immune infiltration and mutation characteristics.

RESULTS

Thirteen genes were screened out and used to establish the prognostic model finally, and the risk scores of the prognostic model was an independent factor (P < 0.001), which indicated a good prediction ability. In addition, there are significant differences in immune infiltration and mutation characteristics between the two groups with high and low risk scores.

CONCLUSION

The prognostic model of GBM patients based on ARGs can predict the prognosis of GBM patients. However, this signature requires further investigation and validation in larger cohort studies.

Particulate Matters Affecting lncRNA Dysregulation and Glioblastoma Invasiveness: In Silico Applications and Current Insights

With a reported rise in global air pollution, more than 50% of the population remains exposed to toxic air pollutants in the form of particulate matters (PMs). PMs, from various sources and of varying sizes, have a significant impact on health as long-time exposure to them has seen a correlation with various health hazards and have also been determined to be carcinogenic. In addition to disrupting known cellular pathways, PMs have also been associated with lncRNA dysregulation-a factor that increases predisposition towards the onset or progression of cancer. lncRNA dysregulation is further seen to mediate glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) progression. The vast array of information regarding cancer types including GBM and its various precursors can easily be obtained via innovative in silico approaches in the form of databases such as GEO and TCGA; however, a need to obtain selective and specific information correlating anthropogenic factors and disease progression-in the case of GBM-can serve as a critical tool to filter down and target specific PMs and lncRNAs responsible for regulating key cancer hallmarks in glioblastoma. The current review article proposes an in silico approach in the form of a database that reviews current updates on correlation of PMs with lncRNA dysregulation leading to GBM progression.

Screening seven hub genes associated with prognosis and immune infiltration in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and deadly primary brain tumor in adults. Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges have been raised because of poor prognosis. Gene expression profiles of GBM and normal brain tissue samples from GSE68848, GSE16011, GSE7696, and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were downloaded. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by differential expression analysis and obtained 3,800 intersected DEGs from all datasets. Enrichment analysis revealed that the intersected DEGs were involved in the MAPK and cAMP signaling pathways. We identified seven different modules and 2,856 module genes based on the co-expression analysis. Module genes were used to perform Cox and Kaplan-Meier analysis in TCGA to obtain 91 prognosis-related genes. Subsequently, we constructed a random survival forest model and a multivariate Cox model to identify seven hub genes (KDELR2, DLEU1, PTPRN, SRBD1, CRNDE, HPCAL1, and POLR1E). The seven hub genes were subjected to the risk score and survival analyses. Among these, CRNDE may be a key gene in GBM. A network of prognosis-related genes and the top three differentially expressed microRNAs with the largest fold-change was constructed. Moreover, we found a high infiltration of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and T helper 17 cells in GBM. In conclusion, the seven hub genes were speculated to be potential prognostic biomarkers for guiding immunotherapy and may have significant implications for the diagnosis and treatment of GBM.

lncRNA DLEU1 Modulates Proliferation, Inflammation, and Extracellular Matrix Degradation of Chondrocytes through Regulating miR-671-5p

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the development of osteoarthritis. However, the expression, function, and mechanism of DLEU1 in OA development remain largely unclear. The present reference demonstrates that DLEU1 is overexpressed in OA specimens compared to control cartilages. Inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 induce DLEU1 expression in chondrocytes. Ectopic expression of DLEU1 induces chondrocyte proliferation, degradation of ECM, and inflammation mediators such as IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α secretion. Moreover, we demonstrated that DLEU1 targets miR-671-5p expression in chondrocytes. Overexpression of DLEU1 suppresses miR-671-5p expression in chondrocytes. The expression of miR-671-5p is decreased in OA specimens compared to control cartilages. There is a negative correlation between the expression of miR-671-5p and DLEU1 in OA specimens. Inflammatory mediators IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 suppress miR-671-5p expression in OA specimens. Elevated expression of miR-671-5p suppresses chondrocyte proliferation, degradation of ECM, and secretion of inflammation mediators. DLEU1 overexpression promotes chondrocytes proliferation, degradation of ECM, and secretion of inflammation mediators via regulating miR-671-5p. These results suggested that DLEU1 acts as one destructive role in OA development via regulating miR-671-5p.

Molecular Insights and Prognosis Associated With RBM8A in Glioblastoma

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most invasive brain tumors, and it is associated with high rates of recurrence and mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of RBM8A in GBM and the potential influence of its expression on the disease.

Methods: Levels of RBM8A mRNA in GBM patients and controls were examined in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), GSE16011 and GSE90604 databases. GBM samples in TCGA were divided into RBM8A^high and RBM8A^low groups. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between GBM patients and controls were identified, as were DEGs between RBM8A^high and RBM8A^low groups. DEGs common to both of these comparisons were analyzed for coexpression and regression analyses. In addition, we identified potential effects of RBM8A on competing endogenous RNAs, immune cell infiltration, methylation modifications, and somatic mutations.

Results: RBM8A is expressed at significantly higher levels in GBM than control samples, and its level correlates with tumor purity. We identified a total of 488 mRNAs that differed between GBM and controls as well as between RBM8A^high and RBM8A^low groups, which enrichment analysis revealed to be associated mainly with neuroblast proliferation, and T cell immune responses. We identified 174 mRNAs that gave areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve >0.7 among coexpression module genes, of which 13 were significantly associated with overall survival of GBM patients. We integrated 11 candidate mRNAs through LASSO algorithm, then nomogram, risk score, and decision curve analyses were analyzed. We found that RBM8A may compete with DLEU1 for binding to miR-128-1-5p, and aberrant RBM8A expression was associations with tumor infiltration by immune cells. Some mRNAs associated with GBM prognosis also appear to be methylated or mutated.

Conclusions: Our study strongly links RBM8A expression to GBM pathobiology and patient prognosis. The candidate mRNAs identified here may lead to therapeutic targets against the disease.

New Insights into LINC00346 and its Role in Disease

Accumulating evidence has shown that long intergenic non-protein-coding RNA 346 (LINC00346) functions as an oncogene in the tumorigenesis of several cancers. The expression level of LINC00346 has been shown to be obviously correlated with prognosis, lymphoma metastasis, histological grade, TNM stage, tumor size and pathologic stage. LINC00346 has been found to regulate specific cellular functions by interacting with several molecules and signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize recent evidence concerning the role of LINC00346 in the occurrence and development of diseases. We also discuss the potential clinical utility of LINC00346, thereby providing new insight into the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In addition, we further discuss the potential clinical utility of LINC00346 in the diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment of diseases.

Non-Coding RNAs and Brain Tumors: Insights Into Their Roles in Apoptosis

A major terrifying ailment afflicting the humans throughout the world is brain tumor, which causes a lot of mortality among pediatric and adult solid tumors. Several major barriers to the treatment and diagnosis of the brain tumors are the specific micro-environmental and cell-intrinsic features of neural tissues. Absence of the nutrients and hypoxia trigger the cells' mortality in the core of the tumors of humans' brains: however, type of the cells' mortality, including apoptosis or necrosis, has been not found obviously. Current studies have emphasized the non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) since their crucial impacts on carcinogenesis have been discovered. Several investigations suggest the essential contribution of such molecules in the development of brain tumors and the respective roles in apoptosis. Herein, we summarize the apoptosis-related non-coding RNAs in brain tumors.

microRNA-4429-5p suppresses the malignant development of colon cancer by targeting matrix metalloproteinase 16

Colon cancer has been recognized as the major reason for global cancer-associated mortality. microRNA (miRNA, miR)-4429-5p has been documented to act as a tumor-suppressive miRNA in some cancers, but its effect on colon cancer remains elusive. In this study, the biological effects of miR-4429-5p were investigated both in vitro by MTT, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), wound healing, and transwell assays and in vivo by a xenograft mice model. Western blot, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and dual-luciferase assay were used to identify the binding of miR-4429-5p on matrix metalloproteinase 16 (MMP16) 3'-UTR. Our results suggested that overexpression of miR-4429-5p hindered colon cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas knockdown of miR-4429-5p exhibited the opposite effect in colon cancer cells. Mechanistically, miR-4429-5p directly bound to the 3'-UTR of MMP16 and led to inhibition of MMP16 protein. Overexpression of miR-4429-5p inhibited colon tumor growth by targeting MMP16. Taken together, our study revealed that miR-4429-5p prevented colon cancer progression through targeting MMP16, indicating miR-4429-5p as a promising target for treatment improvement for colon cancer.

Knockdown of lncRNA DLEU1 inhibits the tumorigenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma via regulation of miR‑149‑5p/CDK6 axis

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a frequent malignant tumor worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to play key roles in different types of cancer, including OSCC. It was previously reported that lncRNA deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 1 (DLEU1) is notably upregulated in OSCC; however, the role of DLEU1 in OSCC remains unclear. Gene and protein expression levels in OSCC cells were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting, respectively, in the present study. A Transwell assay was performed to measure cell migration and invasion. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis, and the dual-luciferase reporter assay was applied to confirm the interaction between DLEU1, microRNA (miR)-149-5p and CDK6 in OSCC cells. DLEU1 expression was negatively associated with the survival rate of patients with OSCC. In addition, silencing of DLEU1 notably inhibited the proliferation of OSCC cells by inducing apoptosis. Meanwhile, DLEU1 directly bound to miR-149-5p, and CDK6 was found to be the direct target of miR-149-5p. Furthermore, DLEU1 knockdown-induced inhibition of OSCC cell proliferation was significantly reversed by the miR-149-5p antagomir. Knockdown of lncRNA DLEU1 reversed the proliferation of OSCC cells via regulation of the miR-149-5p/CDK6 axis. Thus, DLEU1 may serve as a novel target for treating OSCC.

MicroRNA-4429 suppresses proliferation of prostate cancer cells by targeting distal-less homeobox 1 and inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Background

Emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) play multiple roles in human cancers through regulating mRNAs and distinct pathways. This paper focused on the functions of miR-4429 in prostate cancer (PCa) progression and the molecules involved.

Methods

Expression of miR-4429 in PCa tissues and cells was determined. Upregulation of miR-4429 was introduced in PCa cells to examine its role in the malignant behaviors of cells. The putative target mRNA of miR-4429 involved in PCa progression was predicted from a bioinformatic system and validated through luciferase assays. Overexpression of distal-less homeobox 1 (DLX1) was further induced in cells to validate its implication in miR-4429-mediated events. The activity of Wnt/β-catenin pathway was determined.

Results

miR-4429 was poorly expressed in PCa tissues and cells. Artificial upregulation of miR-4429 significantly reduced proliferation, growth, invasion, migration and resistance to death of cancer cells and inactivated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. DLX1 mRNA was found as a target of miR-4429. Upregulation of DLX1 restored the malignant behaviors of PCa cells which were initially suppressed by miR-4429, and it activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Conclusion

Our study highlights that miR-4429 inhibits the growth of PCa cells by down-regulating DLX1 and inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This finding may offer novel insights into PCa treatment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12894-021-00810-x.

Upregulation of Serum lncRNA DLEU1 Predicts Progression of Premalignant Endometrial Lesion and Unfavorable Clinical Outcome of Endometrial Cancer

OBJECTIVE

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in tumorigenesis. Upregulation of lncRNA deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 1 (DLEU1) has been reported in endometrial cancer (EC) tissues. This prospective study aimed to determine the potential clinical significance of serum lncRNA DLEU1 in EC.

METHODS

The serum lncRNA DLEU1 level was detected in EC patients, patients with endometrial hyperplasia and healthy controls by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Then its clinical value in EC was further evaluated.

RESULTS

Our results demonstrated that serum lncRNA DLEU1 levels were significantly increased in patients with EC, and serum lncRNA DLEU1 showed good performance for discriminating EC patients from patients with endometrial hyperplasia and healthy controls. In addition, EC patients with advanced clinicopathological features had higher circulating lncRNA DLEU1 level than those with favorable clinical characteristics. Moreover, EC patients in the high serum lncRNA DLEU1 group suffered worse overall survival and disease-free survival than those in the low serum lncRNA DLEU1 group. Furthermore, multivariate cox regression analysis displayed that the serum lncRNA DLEU1 served as an independent prognostic factor for EC.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our study suggests that serum lncRNA DLEU1 is a novel and promising biomarker for prognostic estimation of EC.

LMCD1 antisense RNA 1 (LMCD1-AS1) potentiates thyroid cancer cell growth and stemness via a positive feedback loop of LMCD1-AS1/miR-1287-5p/GLI2

Background

LMCD1 antisense RNA 1 (LMCD1-AS1) is a certified oncogene in several tumour types. However, its role in thyroid cancer (THCA) remains unknown.

Methods

The expression level of LMCD1-AS1 in THCA cells and the normal control cell was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effects of LMCD1-AS1 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis were detected by colony formation assay, EdU assay, wound healing assay and TUNEL assay. Sphere formation assay was applied to assess sphere formation ability of THCA cells. Bioinformatics analysis and mechanism experiments, including ChIP assay, RIP assay and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to evaluate the downstream and upstream molecular mechanisms of LMCD-AS1.

Results

A marked up-regulation of LMCD1-AS1 in THCA cells relative to normal control cells was found. LMCD1-AS1 silencing suppressed proliferation and migration but induced apoptosis in THCA cells. Moreover, LMCD1-AS1 knockdown reduced the sphere formation capacity of THCA cells. The transcriptional factor GLI family zinc finger 2 (GLI2) binds to LMCD1-AS1, which contributed to LMCD1-AS1 up-regulation in THCA cells. Cytoplasmic LMCD1-AS1 sponged a shared microRNA between LMCD1-AS1 and GLI2. GLI2 was inhibited bymiR-1287-5p and disinhibited by LMCD1-AS1.

Conclusions

LMCD1-AS1exerts pro-tumorigenic function through sponging miR-1287-5p to elevate GLI2 expression in THCA development, constituting a feedback loop of LMCD1-AS1/miR-1287-5p/GLI2.

Long non-coding RNA DLEUI promotes papillary thyroid carcinoma progression by sponging miR-421 and increasing ROCK1 expression

We investigated the role of long non-coding RNA DLEU1 (deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 1) in the progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). DLEU1 levels were higher in PTC cell lines (BHP5-16, TPC-1,8505C, and SW1736) and patient tissues (n=54) than in a human thyroid follicular epithelial cell line (Nthy-ori3-1) or adjacent normal thyroid tissues. High DLEU1 expression correlated positively with lymph node metastasis and advanced clinical stages in PTC patients. Bioinformatics, dual luciferase reporter, and RNA pulldown assays confirmed that DLEU1 directly binds to miR-421. Moreover, bioinformatics and dual luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-421 directly binds to the 3'untranslated region of the rho-related coiled-coil kinase 1 (ROCK1) in TPC-1 cells. PTC patient tissues and cell lines showed high ROCK1 mRNA and protein levels as well as low miR-421 levels. CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell invasion assays demonstrated that DLEU1 silencing decreases TPC-1 cell proliferation, survival and progression, but they can be rescued by miR-421 knockdown or ROCK1 overexpression. DLEU1 knockdown in TPC-1 cells decreased in vivo xenograft tumor size and weight compared to controls in nude mice. These findings demonstrate that DLEU1 promotes PTC progression by sponging miR-421 and increasing ROCK1 expression.

Long non‑coding RNA SNHG12 regulates cell proliferation, invasion and migration in endometrial cancer by targeting miR‑4429

Long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 12 (SNHG12) has been demonstrated to be oncogenic. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of SNHG12 on the progression of endometrial cancer (EC). The expression levels of SNHG12 and microRNA (miR)-4429 were assessed in EC cell lines by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Plasmids, including SNHG12 short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), shRNA negative control (NC), SNHG12 overexpression (OV), OV-NC, miR-4429 mimic and mimic-NC, were transfected into RL95-2 cells. Post-transfection, Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell Matrigel and wound-healing assays were performed to assess cell proliferation, invasion and migration, respectively. Cell cycle phase distribution was assessed by flow cytometry. The protein expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2 and MMP9 were detected by western blotting. miR-4429 target genes were predicted by bioinformatics analysis using target prediction online tools; the findings of this analysis were verified using a dual-luciferase reporter system. Identified as a target of miR-4429, SNHG12 was overexpressed in EC cell lines with decreased expression of miR-4429. Further experiments demonstrated that SNHG12 silencing and overexpression of miR-4429 markedly suppressed proliferation, migration and invasion of RL95-2 cells, arrested cells in the G₁ phase, and markedly downregulated the expression of MMP2 and MMP9. The opposite effects were observed in miR-4429 mimic-transfected RL95-2 cells after SNHG12 was overexpressed. The findings of the present study established the role of SNHG12 and miR-4429 in EC. Therefore, targeting the SNHG12/miR-4429 axis could serve as a potential future therapeutic target for treatment of EC.

miR-4429 Regulates the Proliferation, Migration, Invasion, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Cervical Cancer by Targeting FOXM1

BACKGROUND

miR-4429 acts as an inhibitor in many malignant tumors and participates in the biological processes of them, but the clinical value and potential molecular mechanism of miR-4429 in cervical cancer (CC) are still under investigation.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical value and molecular mechanism of miR-4429 in CC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A qRT-PCR assay was employed to determine the levels of miR-4429 and forkhead-box M1 (FOXM1) in CC tissues, CC cell lines (SiHa, CaSki, ME-180, and C33A) and human normal immortalized epithelial cell lines (HaCaT). The proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis abilities of ME-180 and C33A cells were detected, and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins in the cells were also determined.

RESULTS

MiR-4429 acted as a tumor suppressor gene in CC tissues and cells and was linked to lymph node metastasis and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging. The survival analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis, high FIGO staging, and low miR-4429 expression were all related to the unfavorable prognosis of the patients, and the dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that FOXM1 was the target of miR-4429. Both overexpression of miR-4429 and knock-down of FOXM1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of CCCs, and accelerated the apoptosis of them. Conversely, both knockdown of miR-4429 and overexpression of FOXM1 promoted those biological behaviors of the cells. Moreover, the rescue experiment revealed that the overexpression of FOXM1 reversed the influences of miR-4429 overexpression on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of CCCs.

CONCLUSION

miR-4429 acts as a tumor suppressor in CC and can directly target FOXM1 to regulate the proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and EMT of CCCs, so miR-4429 is expected to be a new therapeutic target for CC.