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Heinze SD, Berger S, Engleitner S, Daube M, Hajnal A. Prolonging somatic cell proliferation through constitutive hox gene expression in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6850. [PMID: 37891160 PMCID: PMC10611754 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42644-1] [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: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
hox genes encode a conserved family of homeodomain transcription factors that are essential to determine the identity of body segments during embryogenesis and maintain adult somatic stem cells competent to regenerate organs. In contrast to higher organisms, somatic cells in C. elegans irreversibly exit the cell cycle after completing their cell lineage and the adult soma cannot regenerate. Here, we show that hox gene expression levels in C. elegans determine the temporal competence of somatic cells to proliferate. Down-regulation of the central hox gene lin-39 in dividing vulval cells results in their premature cell cycle exit, whereas constitutive lin-39 expression causes precocious Pn.p cell and sex myoblast divisions and prolongs the proliferative phase of the vulval cells past their normal point of arrest. Furthermore, ectopic expression of hox genes in the quiescent anchor cell re-activates the cell cycle and induces proliferation until young adulthood. Thus, constitutive expression of a single hox transcription factor is sufficient to prolong somatic cell proliferation beyond the restriction imposed by the cell lineage. The down-regulation of hox gene expression in most somatic cells at the end of larval development may be one cause for the absence of cell proliferation in adult C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenia D Heinze
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
- Molecular Life Science PhD Program, University and ETH Zürich, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Berger
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute for Chemical- and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, Vladimir Prelog Weg 1, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Engleitner
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
- Molecular Life Science PhD Program, University and ETH Zürich, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Daube
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alex Hajnal
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
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Chin FW, Hussin H, Chau DM, Ong TA, Yunus R, Abdul Razack AH, Yusoff K, Chan SC, Veerakumarasivam A. Differential Protein Expression Patterns of HOXA13 and HOXB13 Are Associated with Bladder Cancer Progression. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2636. [PMID: 37627895 PMCID: PMC10453033 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13162636] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer is a common urological cancer and has the highest recurrence rate of any cancer. The aim of our study was to profile and characterize the protein expression of homeobox A13 (HOXA13) and homeobox B13 (HOXB13) genes in Malaysian bladder cancer patients. The protein expression of HOXA13 and HOXB13 in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) bladder cancer tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The association between HOXA13/HOXB13 protein expression and demographic/clinicopathological characteristics of the bladder cancer patients was determined by chi-square analysis. Approximately 63.6% of the bladder cancer tissues harbored high HOXA13 expression. High HOXA13 expression was significantly associated with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, lower tumor grade, higher number of lymph node metastases, and recurrence risk. In contrast, low HOXB13 expression (including those with negative expression) was observed in 71.6% of the bladder cancer tissues analyzed. Low HOXB13 expression was significantly associated with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, higher tumor stage, tumor grade, and metastatic risk. Both HOXA13 and HOXB13 protein expression were found to be associated with bladder tumorigenesis. The putative oncogenic and tumor suppressive roles of HOXA13 and HOXB13, respectively, suggest their potential utility as biomarkers in bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fee-Wai Chin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Huzlinda Hussin
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - De-Ming Chau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Teng-Aik Ong
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Rosna Yunus
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur 50586, Malaysia
| | | | - Khatijah Yusoff
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
- Malaysia Genome and Vaccine Institute, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Kajang 43000, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Soon-Choy Chan
- Malaysia Genome and Vaccine Institute, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Kajang 43000, Selangor, Malaysia
- School of Liberal Arts, Science and Technology, Perdana University, Kuala Lumpur 50490, Malaysia
| | - Abhi Veerakumarasivam
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
- Malaysia Genome and Vaccine Institute, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Kajang 43000, Selangor, Malaysia
- School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
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Jin Q, Xu L, Wang J, Lin J, Lin H. Pan-cancer analysis of Homeobox B9 as a predictor for prognosis and immunotherapy in human tumors. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:204785. [PMID: 37301547 PMCID: PMC10292867 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although several animal and cell studies have described the association between HOXB9 and cancers, there is no pan-cancer investigation of HOXB9. In this article, we explored the expression levels and prognosis of HOXB9 in pan-cancer. We evaluated the correlation of HOXB9 expression level with the efficacy of immunotherapy. METHODS We conducted a survival analysis of HOXB9 in various types of cancer using publicly available databases. We also examined the relationship between HOXB9 expression levels and several factors including prognosis, immune infiltration, immune checkpoint genes, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, mismatch repair, and DNA methylation. TIMER2.0 tool was conducted to explore the immune cell infiltrations related to HOXB9 in this analysis. RESULTS It was discovered through a comprehensive analysis of multiple public datasets that HOXB9 expression was highly expressed in most tumor tissues and cancer cell lines and that distinct associations exist between HOXB9 expression and tumor patient prognosis. Besides, HOXB9 expression was closely associated with immune cell infiltration and checkpoint genes in many cancers. Further, HOXB9 was associated with immune cell infiltration, TMB, MSI, MMR, and DNA methylation. It was also confirmed that HOXB9 was highly expressed in clinical GBM tissues. Experiments further revealed that knockdown of HOXB9 expression could suppress proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells. CONCLUSIONS The results revealed that HOXB9, a robust tumor biomarker, has a significant prognostic value. HOXB9 may act as a new predictor to assess cancer prognosis and therapeutic efficacy of the immune in various cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingdong Jin
- The School of Clinical Medicine, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Putian City, Putian, Fujian Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Translational Tumor Medicine in Fujian Province, Putian University, Putian, Fujian Province, China
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Translational Tumor Medicine in Fujian Province, Putian University, Putian, Fujian Province, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Putian City, Putian, Fujian Province, China
| | - Junling Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Putian City, Putian, Fujian Province, China
| | - Huang Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Putian City, Putian, Fujian Province, China
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Li M, Tan T, Geng Y, Tao Y, Pan J, Zhang J, Xu Q, Shen H, Zuo L, Chen Y. HOXB13 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma progression by activating AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Ann Hepatol 2023; 28:100759. [PMID: 36179794 DOI: 10.1016/j.aohep.2022.100759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the sixth most common malignancies worldwide and is accompanied by high mortality. Homeobox B13 (HOXB13) has been shown to be involved in the development of various cancers. This study aimed to investigate the role of HOXB13 in HCC progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS The expression of HOXB13 in HCC tumor tissues was analyzed using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining . After overexpression or downregulation of HOXB13 in HCC cell lines, cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 assay and Ki67 staining and cell invasion ability were tested by transwell assay. Western blot assay was applied to analyze the effect of HOXB13 on related signaling pathways. In addition, the role of HOXB13 on HCC in vivo was explored using a HCC mouse model. IF and WB were performed to detect cell proliferation, apoptosis and related protein expression in mice tumor tissues. RESULTS The results showed that the expression of HOXB13 was significantly increased in HCC tissues compared with adjacent tissues and positively correlated with the tumor stage and survival of HCC patients. Overexpression of HOXB13 promoted the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells and up-regulated the protein expression of AKT, mTOR and MMP2. In contrast, the downregulation of HOXB13 resulted in the opposite results. In vivo experiments, HOXB13 significantly promoted tumor growth in mice bearing HCC by promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS This study suggested that HOXB13 can facilitate HCC progression by activation of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. HOXB13 may be a novel target for HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tingting Tan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu Geng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yue Tao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Pan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qin Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Han Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lingyun Zuo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China.
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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Kurihara S, Matsui H, Ohtake N, Aoki M, Sekine Y, Arai S, Koike H, Suzuki K, Miyazawa Y. Variants in HOXB13, G132E and F127C, Are Associated With Prostate Cancer Risk in Japanese Men. CANCER DIAGNOSIS & PROGNOSIS 2022; 2:542-548. [PMID: 36060024 PMCID: PMC9425588 DOI: 10.21873/cdp.10139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Several studies have reported on the relationship between HOXB13 variants and an increased prostate cancer (PC) risk. To our knowledge there are not many studies on HOXB13 mutations in Japanese patients with prostate cancer, and there many issues remain uninvestigated. We herein clarified the association between HOXB13 genetic variants and PC risk in a Japanese population. PATIENTS AND METHODS PC patients were diagnosed at the Gunma University Hospital and affiliated hospitals from 1994 to 2016. Sanger sequencing was performed on the coding regions of the HOXB13 gene in 152 familial PC (FPC) patients. Genotyping was performed on single nucleotide variants (SNVs) found in Sanger sequencing in 230 FPC patients from 152 pedigrees and 197 sporadic PC (SPC) patients and 144 controls. Allelic frequency and clinical data for each variant were studied in cases and controls. RESULTS G132E and F127C were identified in FPC patients. The frequencies of G132E and F127C were significantly higher compared to the control group (p=0.039). In three families, seven PC patients shared the G132E variant, within second-to-third-degree relatives. It was not possible to clarify to pathogenicity of each SNV alone. CONCLUSION We found two significant variants of the HOXB13 gene, G132E, F127C by analyzing and comparing gene samples from PC and non-PC patients. Furthermore, the HOXB13 G132E variant was found significantly increased in the FPC group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sota Kurihara
- Department of Urology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Matsui
- Department of Urology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan
| | | | - Masanori Aoki
- Department of Urology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Sekine
- Department of Urology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan
| | - Seiji Arai
- Department of Urology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan
| | - Hidekazu Koike
- Department of Urology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Suzuki
- Department of Urology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Miyazawa
- Department of Urology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan
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Tang C, Qiu S, Mou W, Xu J, Wang P. Excessive activation of HOXB13/PIMREG axis promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression and drug resistance. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 623:81-88. [PMID: 35878427 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.07.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor HOXB13 is bound up with the occurrence, progression and drug fast of many kinds of cancer. Nevertheless, the specific molecular mechanism of HOXB13 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unknown. This provides an obstacle to the exploration of HCC treatments targeting HOXB13. This study found that HOXB13 was up-regulated in HCC tissues. HOXB13 enhanced the multiplication and metastasis of HCC cells. It enhanced HCC cell drug and anoikis resistance. The analysis of HCC RNA seq data indicated that the expression of HOXB13 and PIMREG were positively correlated. Luciferase report assay showed that HOXB13 could activate PIMREG promoter transcription. The results of RT-qPCR and western blot showed that HOXB13 regulated the transcription of PIMREG. Western blot proved that high expression of PIMREG participated in DNA damage repair and cell cycle regulation by up-regulating RAD51, BRCA1, CDC25A, CDC25B and CDC25C and down-regulating HIPK2. This led to a significant increase in DNA repair capacity, accelerated cell cycle progression, and insensitive to DNA damage. Down-regulation of PIMREG in Hep3B cells overexpressing HOXB13 attenuated the phenotype induced by HOXB13. Therefore, HOXB13 functioned through PIMREG instead of directly regulating the transcription of RAD51, BRCA1, CDC25A, CDC25B and CDC25C. The same results were obtained in vivo. It was concluded that HOXB13 affected the expression of cell cycle and DNA repair related factors by up-regulating the transcription of PIMREG, thereby promoting the progression of HCC and enhancing the resistance of HCC to chemotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Tang
- Department of Radiology, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Shixiong Qiu
- Department of Radiology, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Wenying Mou
- Department of Radiology, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Jinming Xu
- Department of Radiology, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200090, China.
| | - Peijun Wang
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200065, China.
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Basavarajappa DS, Padam KSR, Chakrabarty S, Kumar NA, Radhakrishnan R. The Regulatory Role of HOX interacting lncRNA in Oral Cancer - An in-silico Analysis. J Oral Pathol Med 2022; 51:684-693. [PMID: 35766359 DOI: 10.1111/jop.13329] [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: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aim to elucidate the interaction of long non-coding RNAs with HOX genes and their regulatory role and potential drug candidates in oral cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS The interaction network was constructed using RNA Interactome and the RNA Interactome from the Sequencing Experiments (RISE) database. The differential expression of HOX genes and HOX interacting lncRNAs was assessed using the TCGA-HNSCC oral cancer dataset using DESeq2 R-package. Further, the functional enrichment analysis was performed for the differentially expressed HOX genes and HOX-interacting lncRNAs using Gene Ontology (GO), long non-coding RNA Set Enrichment Analysis (LncSEA), lncRNA ontology annotation extractor and repository (Lantern), and LncRNA Ontology tools. Drug-lncRNA interaction and the effect of drugs on lncRNA expression were assessed from the D-lnc tool. RESULTS A total of 78 unique interactions were identified between HOX and lncRNAs. Differential expression analysis showed 27 HOX genes and 10 HOX-interacting lncRNAs in oral cancer. HOX genes and HOX-interacting lncRNAs were involved in crucial regulatory processes like cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation and migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and cell signaling pathways. Cancer hallmark analysis from using LncSEA showed the involvement of HOTAIR, HOTTIP MIR503HG, and CDKN2B-AS1 in proliferation, migration, and invasion. Panobinostat was the common drug that influenced the expression of HOTAIR, HOTAIRM1, HOTTIP and CDKN2B-AS1. CONCLUSIONS Differentially expressed HOX-interacting lncRNAs are involved in various regulatory biological processes and cancer hallmark events in oral cancer. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The creation of interaction networks may expand the existing knowledge of oral cancer signaling pathways and the discovery of novel targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanraj Salur Basavarajappa
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Kanaka Sai Ram Padam
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Sanjiban Chakrabarty
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Naveena An Kumar
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Raghu Radhakrishnan
- Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
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Wu A, Liu J, Zhang X, Niu C, Shu G, Yin G. Comprehensive Network Analysis of Dysregulated Genes Revealed MNX1‐AS1/ hsa‐miR‐4697‐3p/ HOXB13 Axis in OC Chemotherapy Response. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:2627-2641. [PMID: 35639251 PMCID: PMC9357658 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor chemotherapy response is the main obstacle of ovarian cancer (OC) treatment. Platinum‐refractory and ‐resistant patients are associated with a worse outcome than platinum‐sensitive and partially sensitive patients, but the comprehensive similarities and differences among them are not yet clear. In this study, we analyzed the data of patients with different chemotherapy response in The Cancer Genome Atlas. We found a minority of altered genes were overlapped in refractory and resistant groups, as did the enriched pathways and Gene Ontology terms. We noticed that the neural signaling and drug metabolism enzymes were more significantly enriched and the protein–protein interaction supported these results. The transcription analysis highlighted PDX1 as the common and central transcription factor in both refractory and resistant groups. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network shared no common ceRNA pairs, indicating a major difference in noncoding RNA post‐transcriptional regulation. In the end, we validated the expression, regulation, binding, and effect on chemotherapy response for selected MNX1‐AS1/hsa‐miR‐4697‐3p/HOXB13 in OC cell lines. Our study offered a novel and comprehensive insight into chemotherapy response, and potential targets for improving chemotherapy response in OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Wu
- Department of Pathology Xiangya Hospital School of Basic Medical Sciences Central South University Changsha 410013 China
- The Second Affiliated Hospital Department of Clinical Research Center Hengyang Medical School University of South China Hengyang 421001 China
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- Department of Pathology Xiangya Hospital School of Basic Medical Sciences Central South University Changsha 410013 China
| | - Xiaojun Zhang
- Department of Pathology Xiangya Hospital School of Basic Medical Sciences Central South University Changsha 410013 China
| | - Chenxi Niu
- Department of Pathology Xiangya Hospital School of Basic Medical Sciences Central South University Changsha 410013 China
| | - Guang Shu
- Department of Pathology Xiangya Hospital School of Basic Medical Sciences Central South University Changsha 410013 China
- Department of Histology and Embryology School of Basic Medical Sciences Central South University Changsha 410013 China
| | - Gang Yin
- Department of Pathology Xiangya Hospital School of Basic Medical Sciences Central South University Changsha 410013 China
- China‐Africa Research Center of Infectious Diseases School of Basic Medical sciences Central South University Changsha 410013 China
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Morgan R, Hunter K, Pandha HS. Downstream of the HOX genes: explaining conflicting tumour suppressor and oncogenic functions in cancer. Int J Cancer 2022; 150:1919-1932. [PMID: 35080776 PMCID: PMC9304284 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The HOX genes are a highly conserved group of transcription factors that have key roles in early development, but which are also highly expressed in most cancers. Many studies have found strong associative relationships between the expression of individual HOX genes in tumours and clinical parameters including survival. For the majority of HOX genes, high tumour expression levels seem to be associated with a worse outcome for patients, and in some cases this has been shown to result from the activation of pro-oncogenic genes and pathways. However, there are also many studies that indicate a tumour suppressor role for some HOX genes, sometimes with conclusions that contradict earlier work. In this review, we have attempted to clarify the role of HOX genes in cancer by focusing on their downstream targets as identified in studies that provide experimental evidence for their activation or repression. On this basis, the majority of HOX genes would appear to have a pro-oncogenic function, with the notable exception of HOXD10, which acts exclusively as a tumour suppressor. HOX proteins regulate a wide range of target genes involved in metastasis, cell death, proliferation, and angiogenesis, and activate key cell signalling pathways. Furthermore, for some functionally related targets, this regulation is achieved by a relatively small subgroup of HOX genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Morgan
- School of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of West LondonLondonUK
| | - Keith Hunter
- Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Clinical DentistryUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Hardev S. Pandha
- Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of SurreyGuildfordUK
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Złowocka-Perłowska E, Tołoczko-Grabarek A, Lubiński J. Germline HOXB13 mutation p.G84E do not confer an increased bladder or kidney cancer risk in polish population. Hered Cancer Clin Pract 2022; 20:1. [PMID: 34983599 PMCID: PMC8728939 DOI: 10.1186/s13053-021-00208-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The role of HOXB13 in bladder and renal tumorigenesis is unclear. Our goal was to determine the prevalence of HOXB13 p.G84E mutation in bladder and kidney cancer patients from Poland. Materials and methods 1418 patients with bladder cancer and 813 cases with kidney cancer and 4497 controls were genotyped for HOXB13 p.G84E. Results p.G84E mutation of HOXB13 gene was detected in three of 1418 (0.2%) bladder cancer cases and in six of 4497 controls (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% CI 0.39–6.36; p = 0.8). Among 813 kidney cancer cases HOXB13 mutations was reported in three patients (0,4%) (odds ratio [OR], (OR = 2,8; 95% CI 0.69–11.11; p = 0.3). In cases with mutations in the HOXB13 gene, the family history of cancer was negative. Conclusion HOXB13 mutation was not associated with bladder or kidney cancer. Mutation p.G84E in HOXB13 seem not to play a role in bladder and kidney cancer development in Polish patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elżbieta Złowocka-Perłowska
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Aleksandra Tołoczko-Grabarek
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jan Lubiński
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
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Hajirnis N, Mishra RK. Homeotic Genes: Clustering, Modularity, and Diversity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:718308. [PMID: 34458272 PMCID: PMC8386295 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.718308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hox genes code for transcription factors and are evolutionarily conserved. They regulate a plethora of downstream targets to define the anterior-posterior (AP) body axis of a developing bilaterian embryo. Early work suggested a possible role of clustering and ordering of Hox to regulate their expression in a spatially restricted manner along the AP axis. However, the recent availability of many genome assemblies for different organisms uncovered several examples that defy this constraint. With recent advancements in genomics, the current review discusses the arrangement of Hox in various organisms. Further, we revisit their discovery and regulation in Drosophila melanogaster. We also review their regulation in different arthropods and vertebrates, with a significant focus on Hox expression in the crustacean Parahyale hawaiensis. It is noteworthy that subtle changes in the levels of Hox gene expression can contribute to the development of novel features in an organism. We, therefore, delve into the distinct regulation of these genes during primary axis formation, segment identity, and extra-embryonic roles such as in the formation of hair follicles or misregulation leading to cancer. Toward the end of each section, we emphasize the possibilities of several experiments involving various organisms, owing to the advancements in the field of genomics and CRISPR-based genome engineering. Overall, we present a holistic view of the functioning of Hox in the animal world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Hajirnis
- CSIR – Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, India
| | - Rakesh K. Mishra
- CSIR – Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, India
- AcSIR – Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, India
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bangalore, India
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12
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Study on HOXBs of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and Detection of New Molecular Target. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2021; 2021:5541423. [PMID: 34306077 PMCID: PMC8282400 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5541423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Our study examined the transcriptional and survival data of HOXBs in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) from the ONCOMINE database, Human Protein Atlas, and STRING website. We discovered that the expression levels of HOXB3/5/6/8/9 were significantly lower in ccRCC than in normal nephritic tissues. In ccRCC, patients with a high expression of HOXB2/5/6/7/8/9 mRNA have a higher overall survival (OS) than patients with low expression. Further analysis by the GSCALite website revealed that the methylation of HOXB3/5/6/8 in ccRCC was significantly negatively correlated to gene expression, while HOXB5/9 was positively correlated to the CCT036477 drug target. As DNA abnormal methylation is one of the mechanisms of tumorigenesis, we hypothesized that HOXB5/6/8/9 are potential therapeutic targets for patients with ccRCC. We analyzed the function of enrichment data of HOXBs in patients with ccRCC from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment and the PANTHER pathway. The results of the analysis show that the function of HOXBs might be associated with the Wnt pathway and that HOXB5/6/8/9 was coexpressed with multiple Wnt pathway classical genes and proteins, such as MYC, CTNNB, Cyclin D1 (CCND1), and tumor protein P53 (TP53), which further confirms that HOXBs inhibit the growth of renal carcinoma cells through the Wnt signaling pathway. In conclusion, our analysis of the family of HOXBs and their molecular mechanism may provide a theoretical basis for further research.
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13
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Baietti MF, Zhao P, Crowther J, Sewduth RN, De Troyer L, Debiec-Rychter M, Sablina AA. Loss of 9p21 Regulatory Hub Promotes Kidney Cancer Progression by Upregulating HOXB13. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 19:979-990. [PMID: 33619226 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-20-0705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Loss of chromosome 9p21 is observed in one-thirds of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and is associated with poorer patient survival. Unexpectedly, 9p21 LOH does not lead to decreased expression of the 9p21 tumor suppressor genes, CDKN2A and CDKN2B, suggesting alternative mechanisms of 9p-mediated tumorigenesis. Concordantly, CRISPR-mediated 9p21 deletion promotes growth of immortalized human embryonic kidney epithelial cells independently of the CDKN2A/B pathway inactivation. The 9p21 locus has a highly accessible chromatin structure, suggesting that 9p21 loss might contribute to kidney cancer progression by dysregulating genes distal to the 9p21 locus. We identified several 9p21 regulatory hubs by assessing which of the 9p21-interacting genes are dysregulated in 9p21-deleted kidney cells and ccRCCs. By focusing on the analysis of the homeobox gene 13 (HOXB13) locus, we found that 9p21 loss relieves the HOXB13 locus, decreasing HOXB13 methylation and promoting its expression. Upregulation of HOXB13 facilitates cell growth and is associated with poorer survival of patients with ccRCC. IMPLICATIONS: The results of our study propose a novel tumor suppressive mechanism on the basis of coordinated expression of physically associated genes, providing a better understanding of the role of chromosomal deletions in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Francesca Baietti
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium. .,Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peihua Zhao
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Crowther
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Raj Nayan Sewduth
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Linde De Troyer
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maria Debiec-Rychter
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Pathology, University Hospitals KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anna A Sablina
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium. .,Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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14
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Misawa A, Kondo Y, Takei H, Takizawa T. Long Noncoding RNA HOXA11-AS and Transcription Factor HOXB13 Modulate the Expression of Bone Metastasis-Related Genes in Prostate Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12020182. [PMID: 33514011 PMCID: PMC7912412 DOI: 10.3390/genes12020182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators of gene expression, which play fundamental roles in cancer development. In this study, we found that homeobox A11 antisense RNA (HOXA11-AS), a highly expressed lncRNA in cell lines derived from prostate cancer bone metastases, promoted the cell invasion and proliferation of PC3 prostate cancer cells. Transcription factor homeobox B13 (HOXB13) was identified as an upstream regulator of HOXA11-AS.HOXA11-AS regulated bone metastasis-associated C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2)/C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) signaling in both PC3 prostate cancer cells and SaOS2 osteoblastic cells. The HOXB13/HOXA11-AS axis also regulated integrin subunits (ITGAV and ITGB1) specific to prostate cancer bone metastasis. HOXB13, in combination with HOXA11-AS, directly regulated the integrin-binding sialoprotein (IBSP) promoter. Furthermore, conditioned medium containing HOXA11-AS secreted from PC3 cells could induce the expression of CCL2 and IBSP in SaOS2 osteoblastic cells. These results suggest that prostate cancer HOXA11-AS and HOXB13 promote metastasis by regulation of CCL2/CCR2 cytokine and integrin signaling in autocrine and paracrine manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Misawa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Anatomy, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan;
| | - Yukihiro Kondo
- Department of Urology, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan;
| | - Hiroyuki Takei
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan;
| | - Toshihiro Takizawa
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Anatomy, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-3-3822-2131; Fax: +81-3-5685-3052
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15
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Francis JC, Gardiner JR, Renaud Y, Chauhan R, Weinstein Y, Gomez-Sanchez C, Lefrançois-Martinez AM, Bertherat J, Val P, Swain A. HOX genes promote cell proliferation and are potential therapeutic targets in adrenocortical tumours. Br J Cancer 2020; 124:805-816. [PMID: 33214683 PMCID: PMC7884796 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01166-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the pathways that drive adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is essential to the development of more effective therapies. This study investigates the role of the transcription factor HOXB9 and other HOX factors in ACC and its treatment. Methods We used transgenic mouse models to determine the role of Hoxb9 in adrenal tumour development. Patient transcriptomic data was analysed for the expression of HOX genes and their association with disease. Drug response studies on various adrenocortical models were done to establish novel therapeutic options. Results Our human ACC dataset analyses showed high expression of HOXB9, and other HOX factors, are associated with poorer prognosis. Transgenic overexpression of Hoxb9 in the adrenal cortex of mice with activated Ctnnb1 led to larger adrenal tumours. This phenotype was preferentially observed in male mice and was characterised by more proliferating cells and an increase in the expression of cell cycle genes, including Ccne1. Adrenal tumour cells were found to be dependent on HOX function for survival and were sensitive to a specific peptide inhibitor. Conclusions These studies show Hoxb9 can promote adrenal tumour progression in a sex-dependent manner and have identified HOX factors as potential drug targets, leading to novel therapeutic approaches in ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Francis
- Division of Cancer Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, UK
| | - Jennifer R Gardiner
- Division of Cancer Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, UK
| | - Yoan Renaud
- Genétique Reproduction & Développement, CNRS UMR 6293, Inserm U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63001, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Ritika Chauhan
- Tumour Profiling Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, UK
| | - Yacob Weinstein
- The Shraga Segal Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Celso Gomez-Sanchez
- Division of Endocrinology, Medical Service, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, 1500 E. Woodrow Wilson Dr, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Lefrançois-Martinez
- Genétique Reproduction & Développement, CNRS UMR 6293, Inserm U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63001, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Jérôme Bertherat
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université Paris Descartes, UMR-S1016, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Val
- Genétique Reproduction & Développement, CNRS UMR 6293, Inserm U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63001, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Amanda Swain
- Division of Cancer Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, UK.
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16
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Prados MB, Sica MP, Miranda S. Inflammatory conditions promote a switch of oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) catalytic subunit isoform expression. Arch Biochem Biophys 2020; 693:108538. [PMID: 32810478 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2020.108538] [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: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) complex catalyzes the N-glycosylation of nascent polypeptides in the endoplasmic reticulum. Glycoproteins are critical for normal cell-cell interactions, especially during an immune response. Abnormal glycosylation is an insignia of several inflammatory diseases. However, the mechanisms that regulate the differential N-glycosylation are not fully understood. The OST complex can be assembled with one out of two catalytic subunits, STT3A or STT3B, which have different enzymatic properties. In this work, we investigated the expression of STT3A and STT3B in several mouse models such as a crossbreeding of normal and abortion-prone mice and an intestinal inflammation model. These animals were either exposed or not to acoustic stress (acute or chronic). The expression of the isoforms was analysed by immunohistochemistry and protein immunoblot. Finally, we investigated the gene regulatory elements employing public databases. Results demonstrated that inflammation alters the balance between the expression of both isoforms in the affected tissues. In homoeostatic conditions, STT3A expression predominates over STT3B, especially in epithelial cells. This relation is reversed as a consequence of inflammation. An increase in STT3B activity was associated to the generation of mannose-rich N-glycans. Accordingly, this type of N-glycans were found to decorate diverse inflamed tissues. The STT3A and STT3B genes are differentially regulated, which could account for the differences in the expression levels observed here. Our results support the idea that these isoforms could play different roles in cellular physiology. This study opens the possibility of studying the STT3A/STT3B expression ratio as a biomarker in acute inflammation or chronic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Belén Prados
- Instituto Alberto C. Taquini de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional (IATIMET), Universidad de Buenos Aires. CONICET, Marcelo T. de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Mauricio Pablo Sica
- Instituto de Energía y Desarrollo Sustentable, Centro Atómico Bariloche, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, CONICET, Av. E. Bustillo 9500, 8400 S. C. de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina; Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Centro Atómico Bariloche, Av. E. Bustillo 9500, 8400 S. C. de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina.
| | - Silvia Miranda
- Instituto Alberto C. Taquini de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional (IATIMET), Universidad de Buenos Aires. CONICET, Marcelo T. de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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17
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Hydrogen Peroxide Causes Cell Death via Increased Transcription of HOXB13 in Human Lung Epithelial A549 Cells. TOXICS 2020; 8:toxics8040078. [PMID: 32998228 PMCID: PMC7712356 DOI: 10.3390/toxics8040078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Although homeobox protein B13 (HOXB13) is an oncogenic transcription factor, its role in stress response has rarely been examined. We previously reported that knockdown of HOXB13 reduces the cytotoxicity caused by various oxidative stress inducers. Here, we studied the role of HOXB13 in cytotoxicity caused by hydrogen peroxide in human lung epithelial A549 cells. The knockdown of HOXB13 reduced hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity; however, this phenomenon was largely absent in the presence of antioxidants (Trolox or N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)). This suggests that HOXB13 may be involved in the cytotoxicity caused by hydrogen peroxide via the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hydrogen peroxide also increased both the mRNA and protein levels of HOXB13. However, these increases were rarely observed in the presence of a transcriptional inhibitor, which suggests that hydrogen peroxide increases protein levels via increased transcription of HOXB13. Furthermore, cell death occurred in A549 cells that highly expressed HOXB13. However, this cell death was mostly inhibited by treatment with antioxidants. Taken together, our findings indicate that HOXB13 may be a novel factor involved in the induction of oxidative stress, which causes cell death via intracellular ROS production.
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18
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Peng Y, Li Y, Li Y, Wu A, Fan L, Huang W, Fu C, Deng Z, Wang K, Zhang Y, Shu G, Yin G. HOXC10 promotes tumour metastasis by regulating the EMT-related gene Slug in ovarian cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:19375-19398. [PMID: 32897245 PMCID: PMC7732328 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The mortality rate of ovarian cancer is the highest among gynaecological cancers, primarily due to metastatic symptoms. Recent studies have shown that HOX genes are crucial in tumour progression, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, HOXC10 expression was examined in ovarian cancer tissues. The function of HOXC10 in ovarian cancer metastasis was investigated in vitroand via intraperitoneal injection in vivo. A total of 158 ovarian cancer patients with adequate records were enrolled for analysis. HOXC10 was associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. In vitro, HOXC10 overexpression promoted ovarian cancer cell migration. Moreover, HOXC10 positively regulated Slug expression, altering the migration ability of cancer cells. Furthermore, our study showed that miR-222-3p was a suppressor of HOXC10. In vivo, a decrease in hepatic metastasis was seen in xenograft mice harbouring tumours with stable HOXC10 overexpression after miR-222-3p agomir (an overexpression reagent) injection. This study provides the first evidence that HOXC10 promotes ovarian cancer metastasis by regulating the transcription of the EMT-related gene Slug. Moreover, we found that HOXC10 is regulated by miR-222-3p. These data highlight the crucial role of HOXC10 in enhancing ovarian cancer metastasis and may provide a therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulong Peng
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yimin Li
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Anqi Wu
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Lili Fan
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Wenli Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Chunyan Fu
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Zhenghao Deng
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Kuansong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Guang Shu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Gang Yin
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
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19
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Brotto DB, Siena ÁDD, de Barros II, Carvalho SDCES, Muys BR, Goedert L, Cardoso C, Plaça JR, Ramão A, Squire JA, Araujo LF, Silva WAD. Contributions of HOX genes to cancer hallmarks: Enrichment pathway analysis and review. Tumour Biol 2020; 42:1010428320918050. [PMID: 32456563 DOI: 10.1177/1010428320918050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeobox genes function as master regulatory transcription factors during development, and their expression is often altered in cancer. The HOX gene family was initially studied intensively to understand how the expression of each gene was involved in forming axial patterns and shaping the body plan during embryogenesis. More recent investigations have discovered that HOX genes can also play an important role in cancer. The literature has shown that the expression of HOX genes may be increased or decreased in different tumors and that these alterations may differ depending on the specific HOX gene involved and the type of cancer being investigated. New studies are also emerging, showing the critical role of some members of the HOX gene family in tumor progression and variation in clinical response. However, there has been limited systematic evaluation of the various contributions of each member of the HOX gene family in the pathways that drive the common phenotypic changes (or "hallmarks") and that underlie the transformation of normal cells to cancer cells. In this review, we investigate the context of the engagement of HOX gene targets and their downstream pathways in the acquisition of competence of tumor cells to undergo malignant transformation and tumor progression. We also summarize published findings on the involvement of HOX genes in carcinogenesis and use bioinformatics methods to examine how their downstream targets and pathways are involved in each hallmark of the cancer phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Barbosa Brotto
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ádamo Davi Diógenes Siena
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Isabela Ichihara de Barros
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Simone da Costa E Silva Carvalho
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Bruna Rodrigues Muys
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Lucas Goedert
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Cibele Cardoso
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jessica Rodrigues Plaça
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Anelisa Ramão
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jeremy Andrew Squire
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Luiza Ferreira Araujo
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Wilson Araújo da Silva
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCT/CNPq) and Center for Cell-Based Therapy, CEPID/FAPESP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Center for Integrative System Biology (CISBi), NAP/USP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Center for Medical Genomics, Clinics Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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20
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Somatic HOXB13 Expression Correlates with Metastatic Progression in Men with Localized Prostate Cancer Following Radical Prostatectomy. Eur Urol Oncol 2020; 4:955-962. [PMID: 32540218 DOI: 10.1016/j.euo.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Homeobox B13 (HOXB13) expression regulates normal prostate development and mutations are associated with prostate cancer (PCa) formation. OBJECTIVE To assess the role of HOXB13 mRNA expression in PCa progression following radical prostatectomy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Genome-wide expression profiles were queried from two retrospective prostatectomy cohorts with follow-up data (Mayo Clinic, n=780; Johns Hopkins Medical Institute [JHMI], n=355), and a prospective genomic registry (n=5239). OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Multivariable Cox regressions were used to analyze metastasis-free survival (MFS). RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS HOXB13 expression in primary PCa increased with increasing tumor grade and with high metastatic potential based on a genomic signature. The highest quartile of HOXB13 expression was associated with worse MFS compared with the lowest quartile (Mayo Clinic: adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.06, and JHMI: AHR 1.80, 95% CI 1.02-3.19). The combinations of high HOXB13 expression and low expression of its binding partner, MEIS1 (AHR 2.03, 95% CI 1.54-2.66) or MEIS2 (AHR 1.73, 95% CI 1.33-2.26), portended worse MFS. Additionally, high HOXB13 expression in combination with low MEIS1/2 expression correlated with high expression of androgen receptor-mediated genes. The retrospective nature of this study subjects the findings to a bias due to unmeasured variables. CONCLUSIONS Primary PCa tumors with increased HOXB13 expression have an increased propensity for metastases following prostatectomy, particularly in the setting of low MEIS1/2 expression. High androgen receptor output may account for worse outcomes for these tumors and suggests heightened sensitivity to androgen suppression. PATIENT SUMMARY Using genomic data from a large number of prostate cancer (PCa) tumors, we found that increased expression of homeobox B13 (HOXB13), a gene related to normal prostate development, was associated with worse outcomes following surgery for PCa. A biomarker signature suggests that these tumors would be more susceptible to androgen suppression, a common treatment for PCa. Take Home Messagece:: In multiple large cohorts, prostate cancer tumors with high homeobox B13 (HOXB13) expression and low expression of its binding partner MEIS1/2 were enriched with high androgen receptor output and had an increased propensity for metastases following surgery.
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21
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HOXB13 controls cell state through super-enhancers. Exp Cell Res 2020; 393:112039. [PMID: 32376288 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Expression of the homeodomain transcription factor HOXB13 has been demonstrated in several malignancies but its role in tumorigenesis remains elusive. We observed high levels of HOXB13 in poorly differentiated pediatric tumors including a highly aggressive childhood neoplasm - malignant rhabdoid tumor. In a xenograft model of rhabdoid tumor, knockout of HOXB13 diminished tumor growth while partial knockdown of HOXB13 promoted differentiation of tumor cells into bone. These results suggest that HOXB13 enhances rhabdoid malignancy by interfering with mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. Consistent with this hypothesis, overexpression of HOXB13 in mesenchymal progenitor cells inhibited adipogenic, myogenic, and osteogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that HOXB13 binds to super-enhancer regions regulating genes involved in differentiation and tumorigenesis.
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22
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Marlin R, Créoff M, Merle S, Jean-Marie-Flore M, Rose M, Malsa S, Promeyrat X, Martin F, Comlan G, Rabia N, Taouil T, Issoufaly I, Escarmant P, Vinh-Hung V, Béra O. Mutation HOXB13 c.853delT in Martinican prostate cancer patients. Prostate 2020; 80:463-470. [PMID: 32040869 DOI: 10.1002/pros.23960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Martinique, prostate cancer (Pca) incidence rates are nowadays among the highest worldwide with a high incidence of early-onset and familial forms. Despite the demonstration of a strong familial component, identification of the genetic basis for hereditary Pca is challenging. The HOXB13 germline variant G84E (rs138213197) was described in men of European descent with Pca risk. METHODS To investigate the potential involvement of HOXB13 mutations in Martinique, we performed sequencing of the HOXB13 coding regions of 46 index cases with early-onset Pca (before the age of 51). Additional breast cancers and controls were performed. All cancer cases analyzed in this study have been observed in the context of genetic counseling. RESULTS We identified a rare heterozygous germline variant c.853delT (p.Ter285Lysfs) rs77179853, reported only among patients of African ancestry with a minor allele frequency of 3.2%. This variant is a stop loss reported only among patients of African ancestry with a frequency of 0.2%. CONCLUSION In conclusion, we think that this study provides supplementary arguments that HOXB13 variants are involved in Pca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régine Marlin
- Department of Molecular Cancer Genetic, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Morgane Créoff
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Sylvie Merle
- Department of Methodology, Methodology and Biostatistics Unit (DRCI), University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Magalie Jean-Marie-Flore
- Department of Molecular Cancer Genetic, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Mickaelle Rose
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Sarah Malsa
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Xavier Promeyrat
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - François Martin
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Georges Comlan
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Nicolas Rabia
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Taoufiq Taouil
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Irfane Issoufaly
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Patrick Escarmant
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Vincent Vinh-Hung
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
| | - Odile Béra
- Department of Molecular Cancer Genetic, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Urology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, France
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Zuo L, Tan T, Wei C, Wang H, Tan L, Hao Y, Qian J, Chen Y, Wu C. HOXB13 expression is correlated with hepatic inflammatory activity of patients with hepatic fibrosis. J Mol Histol 2020; 51:183-189. [PMID: 32200464 DOI: 10.1007/s10735-020-09868-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a common pathological process of chronic hepatic injury, preceded by the chronic inflammation. The homeobox B13 (HOXB13) gene, a member of HOX family, plays diverse biological roles in embryonic development, carcinogenesis, and many inflammatory diseases. However, the expression of HOXB13 in chronic liver diseases including hepatic fibrosis remains to be defined. In present study, 55 patients with hepatic fibrosis, 15 patients of hepatocellular carcinoma, and 17 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Pathological specimens were collected through liver biopsy or surgical resection. The degree of hepatic inflammation (G0-G4) and fibrosis (S0-S4) of hepatic fibrosis was scored based on the modified histology activity index. Intrahepatic HOXB13 expression was analyzed using immunohistochemistry analysis. Compared with healthy subjects, both patients with hepatic fibrosis and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma exhibited significant accumulations of HOXB13+ cells in the liver (p < 0.05). Additionally, the number of HOXB13+ cell was significantly elevated along with the increment of hepatic inflammatory activities, but not fibrosis stages, among these liver fibrosis samples (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the quantity of HOXB13+ cells were also positively correlated with hepatic enzymes, alanine transaminase (r = 0.299, p = 0.041) and aspartate aminotransferase (r = 0.317, p = 0.013) in our cohort of hepatic fibrosis. In conclusion, our study identified a strong hepatic expression of HOXB13 among patients with hepatic fibrosis, which strongly associated with the degree of hepatic inflammatory activity for patients with hepatic fibrosis, suggesting an important role of HOXB13 during the pathogenesis of liver fibrogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Zuo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tingting Tan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cheng Wei
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huali Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Luxuan Tan
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yingying Hao
- Department of Intensive Care Units, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingjing Qian
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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24
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The Nuclear Protein HOXB13 Enhances Methylmercury Toxicity by Inducing Oncostatin M and Promoting Its Binding to TNFR3 in Cultured Cells. Cells 2019; 9:cells9010045. [PMID: 31878059 PMCID: PMC7017003 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Homeobox protein B13 (HOXB13), a transcription factor, is related to methylmercury toxicity; however, the downstream factors involved in enhancing methylmercury toxicity remain unknown. We performed microarray analysis to search for downstream factors whose expression is induced by methylmercury via HOXB13 in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293), which are useful model cells for analyzing molecular mechanisms. Methylmercury induced the expression of oncostatin M (OSM), a cytokine of the interleukin-6 family, and this was markedly suppressed by HOXB13 knockdown. OSM knockdown also conferred resistance to methylmercury in HEK293 cells, and no added methylmercury resistance was observed when both HOXB13 and OSM were knocked down. Binding of HOXB13 to the OSM gene promoter was increased by methylmercury, indicating the involvement of HOXB13 in the enhancement of its toxicity. Because addition of recombinant OSM to the medium enhanced methylmercury toxicity in OSM-knockdown cells, extracellularly released OSM was believed to enhance methylmercury toxicity via membrane receptors. We discovered tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF) receptor 3 (TNFR3) to be a potential candidate involved in the enhancement of methylmercury toxicity by OSM. This toxicity mechanism was also confirmed in mouse neuronal stem cells. We report, for the first time, that HOXB13 is involved in enhancement of methylmercury toxicity via OSM-expression induction and that the synthesized OSM causes cell death by binding to TNFR3 extracellularly.
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25
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Mortimer T, Wainwright EN, Patel H, Siow BM, Jaunmuktane Z, Brandner S, Scaffidi P. Redistribution of EZH2 promotes malignant phenotypes by rewiring developmental programmes. EMBO Rep 2019; 20:e48155. [PMID: 31468686 PMCID: PMC6776892 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201948155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulators are often hijacked by cancer cells to sustain malignant phenotypes. How cells repurpose key regulators of cell identity as tumour-promoting factors is unclear. The antithetic role of the Polycomb component EZH2 in normal brain and glioma provides a paradigm to dissect how wild-type chromatin modifiers gain a pathological function in cancer. Here, we show that oncogenic signalling induces redistribution of EZH2 across the genome, and through misregulation of homeotic genes corrupts the identity of neural cells. Characterisation of EZH2 targets in de novo transformed cells, combined with analysis of glioma patient datasets and cell lines, reveals that acquisition of tumorigenic potential is accompanied by a transcriptional switch involving de-repression of spinal cord-specifying HOX genes and concomitant silencing of the empty spiracles homologue EMX2, a critical regulator of neurogenesis in the forebrain. Maintenance of tumorigenic potential by glioblastoma cells requires EMX2 repression, since forced EMX2 expression prevents tumour formation. Thus, by redistributing EZH2 across the genome, cancer cells subvert developmental transcriptional programmes that specify normal cell identity and remove physiological breaks that restrain cell proliferation.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Carcinogenesis/genetics
- Carcinogenesis/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/pathology
- Chromatin/metabolism
- DNA Methylation/genetics
- Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Genes, Homeobox
- Glioma/genetics
- Glioma/pathology
- Humans
- Male
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Models, Biological
- Phenotype
- Protein Binding
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Transcription, Genetic
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Mortimer
- Cancer Epigenetics LaboratoryThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
| | | | - Harshil Patel
- Bioinformatics and BiostatisticsThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
| | | | - Zane Jaunmuktane
- Department of Clinical and Movement NeurosciencesQueen Square Brain BankUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- Division of NeuropathologyNational Hospital for Neurology and NeurosurgeryUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- Division of NeuropathologyNational Hospital for Neurology and NeurosurgeryUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Paola Scaffidi
- Cancer Epigenetics LaboratoryThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
- UCL Cancer InstituteUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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26
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Paço A, Freitas R. HOX genes as transcriptional and epigenetic regulators during tumorigenesis and their value as therapeutic targets. Epigenomics 2019; 11:1539-1552. [PMID: 31556724 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Several HOX genes are aberrantly expressed in a wide range of cancers interfering with their development and resistance to treatment. This seems to be often caused by alterations in the methylation profiles of their promoters. The role of HOX gene products in cancer is highly 'tissue specific', relying ultimately on their ability to regulate oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes, directly as transcriptional regulators or indirectly interfering with the levels of epigenetic regulators. Nowadays, different strategies have been tested the use of HOX genes as therapeutic targets for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Here, we trace the history of the research concerning the involvement of HOX genes in cancer, their connection with epigenetic regulation and their potential use as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paço
- Laboratório de Microbiologia do Solo, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada (IIFA), Universidade de Évora, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Renata Freitas
- I3S - Institute for Innovation & Health Research, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Institute for Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,ICBAS - Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
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27
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HOX Genes in High Grade Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11081107. [PMID: 31382546 PMCID: PMC6721551 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
HOX genes are highly conserved members of the homeobox superfamily that have a crucial role in determining cellular identity. High grade ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological malignancy. Our understanding of the role of HOX genes in the oncogenesis of ovarian cancer is evolving, and here we review their dysregulated expression patterns, their function in cell survival and invasion, their potential uses as biomarkers, and ways in which HOX genes are being targeted with new and existing drugs.
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28
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Wang X, Sun Y, Xu T, Qian K, Huang B, Zhang K, Song Z, Qian T, Shi J, Li L. HOXB13 promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioblastoma through transcriptional upregulation of lncRNA HOXC-AS3. J Cell Biochem 2019; 120:15527-15537. [PMID: 31062400 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.28819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
HOXB13 exerts a close relation in several human cancers. This study explored the role of HOXB13 in glioblastoma (GBM), a brain tissue with the highest aggressive rate and mortality in adults. Through microarray and immunohistochemistry analyses, HOXB13 was highly expressed in GBM tissues. Furthermore, we showed that high-level expression of HOXB13 in GBM was associated with worse survival, suggesting that HOXB13 could be a prognostic marker for patients with GBM. GBM cells U87 and U251 overexpressing HOXB13 showed enhanced proliferation, migration, and invasion relative to the control cells, while knockdown of HOXB13 led to decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities. In addition, dual-luciferase report assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction data showed that HOXB13 directly bound to HOXC-AS3 promoter. HOXC-AS3 was involved in HOXB13-induced proliferation, migration, and invasion of GBM cells. In summary, this study revealed the prognostic potential of HOXB13 in GBM. We believed that HOXB13/HOXC-AS3 signaling axis can be served as therapeutic targets for this highly aggressive cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tuoye Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kai Qian
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Baosheng Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kaixin Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Huangshan City People's Hospital, Huangshan, Anhui, China
| | - Zewu Song
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tengda Qian
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lixin Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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29
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Li B, Huang Q, Wei GH. The Role of HOX Transcription Factors in Cancer Predisposition and Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11040528. [PMID: 31013831 PMCID: PMC6520925 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11040528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeobox (HOX) transcription factors, encoded by a subset of homeodomain superfamily genes, play pivotal roles in many aspects of cellular physiology, embryonic development, and tissue homeostasis. Findings over the past decade have revealed that mutations in HOX genes can lead to increased cancer predisposition, and HOX genes might mediate the effect of many other cancer susceptibility factors by recognizing or executing altered genetic information. Remarkably, several lines of evidence highlight the interplays between HOX transcription factors and cancer risk loci discovered by genome-wide association studies, thereby gaining molecular and biological insight into cancer etiology. In addition, deregulated HOX gene expression impacts various aspects of cancer progression, including tumor angiogenesis, cell autophagy, proliferation, apoptosis, tumor cell migration, and metabolism. In this review, we will discuss the fundamental roles of HOX genes in cancer susceptibility and progression, highlighting multiple molecular mechanisms of HOX involved gene misregulation, as well as their potential implications in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
| | - Qilai Huang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
| | - Gong-Hong Wei
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, 90220 Oulu, Finland.
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30
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Tatangelo F, Di Mauro A, Scognamiglio G, Aquino G, Lettiero A, Delrio P, Avallone A, Cantile M, Botti G. Posterior HOX genes and HOTAIR expression in the proximal and distal colon cancer pathogenesis. J Transl Med 2018; 16:350. [PMID: 30541551 PMCID: PMC6292169 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1725-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidences showed that the location of the primary tumor on the right (proximal) or left (distal) side of the colon have a prognostic/predictive value for colon cancer patients. However, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis in different location of colon is still unclear. Probably an important role could be played by genes that control the spatial-temporal development of bodily structures, such as HOX genes. METHODS The main purpose of this study was to analyze the expression of the paralogous 13 HOX genes and of the HOX regulating lncRNA HOTAIR in distal and proximal CRC cases. We have carried out a Tissue Micro Array with left and right CRC samples associated with all clinical-pathological parameters of patients. The expression of HOX genes was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and the staining of HOTAIR was performed by in situ hybridization using a specifically designed LNA probe. RESULTS All paralogous 13 HOX genes and HOTAIR are silent in normal tissue and expressed in CRC samples. HOXB13, HOXC13 and HOTAIR showed a statistical association with lymph nodes metastasis (p value = 0.003, p value = 0.05, p value = 0.04). HOXB13, HOXC13 and lncRNA HOTAIR are overexpressed in right CRCs samples (p value < 0 and p value = 0.021). HOTAIR is also strongly correlated with HOXB13 (p value = 0.02) and HOXC13 (p value = 0.042) expression. CONCLUSIONS Our data highlighted an important role of posterior HOX genes in colorectal cancer carcinogenesis. Specifically, the aberrant expression of the HOXB13, HOXC13 and HOTAIR in proximal colon cancers could add an important dowel in understanding molecular mechanisms related to tumor pathogenesis in this location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Tatangelo
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Annabella Di Mauro
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Giosuè Scognamiglio
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Gabriella Aquino
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Lettiero
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Delrio
- Colorectal Cancer Surgery Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Avallone
- Abdominal Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Monica Cantile
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS, Naples, Italy.
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Scientific Direction, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
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31
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Su J, Huang YH, Cui X, Wang X, Zhang X, Lei Y, Xu J, Lin X, Chen K, Lv J, Goodell MA, Li W. Homeobox oncogene activation by pan-cancer DNA hypermethylation. Genome Biol 2018; 19:108. [PMID: 30097071 PMCID: PMC6085761 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1492-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancers have long been recognized to be not only genetically but also epigenetically distinct from their tissues of origin. Although genetic alterations underlying oncogene upregulation have been well studied, to what extent epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, can also induce oncogene expression remains unknown. RESULTS Here, through pan-cancer analysis of 4174 genome-wide profiles, including whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data from 30 normal tissues and 35 solid tumors, we discover a strong correlation between gene-body hypermethylation of DNA methylation canyons, defined as broad under-methylated regions, and overexpression of approximately 43% of homeobox genes, many of which are also oncogenes. To gain insights into the cause-and-effect relationship, we use a newly developed dCas9-SunTag-DNMT3A system to methylate genomic sites of interest. The locus-specific hypermethylation of gene-body canyon, but not promoter, of homeobox oncogene DLX1, can directly increase its gene expression. CONCLUSIONS Our pan-cancer analysis followed by functional validation reveals DNA hypermethylation as a novel epigenetic mechanism for homeobox oncogene upregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhong Su
- School of Biomedical Engineering, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325011, Zhejiang, China.
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Wenzhou Institute of Biomaterials and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325000, China.
| | - Yung-Hsin Huang
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xiaodong Cui
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xinyu Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325011, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaotian Zhang
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institution, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Yong Lei
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jianfeng Xu
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xueqiu Lin
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kaifu Chen
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jie Lv
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Margaret A Goodell
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Wei Li
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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32
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Miller KR, Patel JN, Zhang Q, Norris EJ, Symanowski J, Michener C, Sehouli J, Braicu I, Destephanis DD, Sutker AP, Jones W, Livasy CA, Biscotti C, Ganapathi RN, Tait DL, Ganapathi MK. HOXA4/HOXB3 gene expression signature as a biomarker of recurrence in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer following primary cytoreductive surgery and first-line adjuvant chemotherapy. Gynecol Oncol 2018; 149:155-162. [PMID: 29402501 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2018.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Aberrant homeobox (HOX) gene expression is reported in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), however, its prognostic significance remains unclear. METHODS HOX genes associated with progression-free survival (PFS) in a discovery cohort of primary HGSOC samples with RNA sequencing data, and those previously reported to be associated with clinical outcomes, were selected for qPCR testing in an independent training cohort of primary HGSOC samples (n=71). A prognostic model for PFS was developed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Patients were stratified into risk groups that optimized the test statistic. The model was tested in an independent HGSOC cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (n=320). The effect of selected HOX genes on drug sensitivity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation was examined in vitro. RESULTS Of 23 HOX genes tested in the training cohort, HOXA4 (HR=1.20, 95% CI=1.07-1.34, P=0.002) and HOXB3 (HR=1.09, 95% CI=1.01-1.17, P=0.027) overexpression were significantly associated with shorter PFS in multivariate analysis. Based on the optimal cutoff of the HOXA4/HOXB3 risk score, median PFS was 16.9months (95% CI=14.6-21.2months) and not reached (>80months) for patients with high and low risk scores, respectively (HR=8.89, 95% CI=2.09-37.74, P<0.001). In TCGA, the HOXA4/HOXB3 risk score was significantly associated with disease-free survival (HR=1.44, 95% CI=1.00-2.09, P=0.048). HOXA4 or HOXB3 overexpression in ovarian cancer cells decreased sensitivity to cisplatin and attenuated the generation of cisplatin-induced ROS (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS HOXA4/HOXB3 gene expression-based risk score may be useful for prognostic risk stratification and warrants prospective validation in HGSOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Miller
- Department of Cancer Pharmacology, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Jai N Patel
- Department of Cancer Pharmacology, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Eric J Norris
- Department of Cancer Pharmacology, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - James Symanowski
- Department of Biostatistics, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Chad Michener
- Women's Health and Obstetrics/Gynecology Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jalid Sehouli
- Department of Gynecology, Charité Medical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ioana Braicu
- Department of Gynecology, Charité Medical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Darla D Destephanis
- Department of Cancer Pharmacology, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Ashley P Sutker
- Department of Cancer Pharmacology, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Wendell Jones
- Bioinformatics and Clinical Systems, Q(2) Solutions - EA Genomics, 5927 S. Miami Blvd., Suite 100, Morrisville, NC 27560, USA
| | - Chad A Livasy
- Carolinas Pathology Group, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Charles Biscotti
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ram N Ganapathi
- Department of Cancer Pharmacology, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA.
| | - David L Tait
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC 28204, USA.
| | - Mahrukh K Ganapathi
- Department of Cancer Pharmacology, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA.
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HOXB4 knockdown enhances the cytotoxic effect of paclitaxel and cisplatin by downregulating ABC transporters in ovarian cancer cells. Gene 2018; 663:9-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Sui BQ, Zhang CD, Liu JC, Wang L, Dai DQ. HOXB13 expression and promoter methylation as a candidate biomarker in gastric cancer. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:8833-8840. [PMID: 29928325 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeobox b13 (HOXB13) is considered to be a tumor suppressor gene in multiple types of human cancer. The present study aimed to identify the difference in expression of HOXB13 mRNA between gastric cancer (GC) tissues and corresponding non-malignant gastric tissues. The clinical significance of HOXB13 mRNA expression was also assessed in GC and a potential association between HOXB13 mRNA expression and DNA promoter methylation was observed. The expression of HOXB13 mRNA was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and HOXB13 methylation status was assessed by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) in 5 GC cell lines and 85 paired GC and normal gastric tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to assess the survival of patients with GC. HOXB13 mRNA expression was significantly lower in primary GC tissues than in corresponding nonmalignant gastric tissues, and decreased HOXB13 expression was associated with poorer differentiation, lymph node metastasis, invasion depth and Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that HOXB13 mRNA expression was a significant prognostic indicator of GC patient survival. Furthermore, MSP revealed that the proportion of GC samples with hypermethylated HOXB13 (60.0%, 51/85) was increased compared with the corresponding nonmalignant gastric tissues (11.8%, 10/85). Decreased HOXB13 mRNA expression was due to DNA hypermethylation as following treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-dC, HOXB13 expression in the GC MKN-45 cell line was upregulated. The results of the present study indicate that decreased expression of HOXB13 mRNA was associated with tumor differentiation, depth of invasion, lymph node metastases and TNM stage in GC, and it was a significant poor prognostic factor for patients with GC. Aberrant DNA promoter methylation was a crucial reason for the downregulation of HOXB13 mRNA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bai-Qiang Sui
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
| | - Chun-Dong Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
| | - Ji-Chao Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
| | - Dong-Qiu Dai
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
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Liu B, Wang T, Wang H, Zhang L, Xu F, Fang R, Li L, Cai X, Wu Y, Zhang W, Ye L. Oncoprotein HBXIP enhances HOXB13 acetylation and co-activates HOXB13 to confer tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2018; 11:26. [PMID: 29471853 PMCID: PMC5824486 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-018-0577-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Resistance to tamoxifen (TAM) frequently occurs in the treatment of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. Accumulating evidences indicate that transcription factor HOXB13 is of great significance in TAM resistance. However, the regulation of HOXB13 in TAM-resistant breast cancer remains largely unexplored. Here, we were interested in the potential effect of HBXIP, an oncoprotein involved in the acceleration of cancer progression, on the modulation of HOXB13 in TAM resistance of breast cancer. Methods The Kaplan-Meier plotter cancer database and GEO dataset were used to analyze the association between HBXIP expression and relapse-free survival. The correlation of HBXIP and HOXB13 in ER+ breast cancer was assessed by human tissue microarray. Immunoblotting analysis, qRT-PCR assay, immunofluorescence staining, Co-IP assay, ChIP assay, luciferase reporter gene assay, cell viability assay, and colony formation assay were performed to explore the possible molecular mechanism by which HBXIP modulates HOXB13. Cell viability assay, xenograft assay, and immunohistochemistry staining analysis were utilized to evaluate the effect of the HBXIP/HOXB13 axis on the facilitation of TAM resistance in vitro and in vivo. Results The analysis of the Kaplan-Meier plotter and the GEO dataset showed that mono-TAM-treated breast cancer patients with higher HBXIP expression levels had shorter relapse-free survivals than patients with lower HBXIP expression levels. Overexpression of HBXIP induced TAM resistance in ER+ breast cancer cells. The tissue microarray analysis revealed a positive association between the expression levels of HBXIP and HOXB13 in ER+ breast cancer patients. HBXIP elevated HOXB13 protein level in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, HBXIP prevented chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA)-dependent degradation of HOXB13 via enhancement of HOXB13 acetylation at the lysine 277 residue, causing the accumulation of HOXB13. Moreover, HBXIP was able to act as a co-activator of HOXB13 to stimulate interleukin (IL)-6 transcription in the promotion of TAM resistance. Interestingly, aspirin (ASA) suppressed the HBXIP/HOXB13 axis by decreasing HBXIP expression, overcoming TAM resistance in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Our study highlights that HBXIP enhances HOXB13 acetylation to prevent HOXB13 degradation and co-activates HOXB13 in the promotion of TAM resistance of breast cancer. Therapeutically, ASA can serve as a potential candidate for reversing TAM resistance by inhibiting HBXIP expression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13045-018-0577-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianjiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Huawei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Feifei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Runping Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Leilei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoli Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China.
| | - Lihong Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China.
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Lai CY, Yu GS, Xu Y, Wu X, Heng BL, Xue YJ, Su ZX. Engrailed-2 promoter hyper-methylation is associated with its downregulation in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:6888-6894. [PMID: 29151918 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.7000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In a previous study by the present authors, it was identified that the expression of engrailed-2 (EN2) gene was downregulated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (cc-RCC). The aim of the present study was to determine whether aberrant methylation was the mechanism underlying the silencing of EN2 gene in cc-RCC. A total of forty paired cc-RCC tissues, four cc-RCC cell lines and one normal human proximal tubule epithelial cell line were evaluated for EN2 gene methylation status using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Following treatment with 5-Aza-dc, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analysis were performed to examine the expression of EN2. Furthermore, cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion assays were conducted to analyze the inhibitory effects of EN2 re-expression in 786-O cells. The results of the present study demonstrated that hyper-methylation of EN2 was identified in 12/40 cc-RCC tissues and all cc-RCC cell lines. The methylation status of the EN2 gene was revealed to be associated with histological grade and tumor size in cc-RCC. Following 5-Aza-dc treatment, demethylation of the EN2 gene was identified in 786-O cells, in conjunction with EN2 re-expression. Furthermore, re-activation of the EN2 gene markedly inhibited the proliferative and invasive capacities of cc-RCC. The results of the present study demonstrated that the EN2 gene promoter was hyper-methylated in cc-RCC, which may underlie the silencing of the EN2 gene in cc-RCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai-Yong Lai
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China.,Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical College, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P.R. China
| | - Gan-Shen Yu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Yin Xu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Xun Wu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Bao-Li Heng
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Yi-Jun Xue
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical College, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P.R. China
| | - Ze-Xuan Su
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
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37
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Tang XL, Ding BX, Hua Y, Chen H, Wu T, Chen ZQ, Yuan CH. HOXC10 Promotes the Metastasis of Human Lung Adenocarcinoma and Indicates Poor Survival Outcome. Front Physiol 2017; 8:557. [PMID: 28824453 PMCID: PMC5539290 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: As master regulator of embryonic morphogenesis, homeodomain-containing gene 10 (HOXC10) has been found to promote progression of human cancers and indicates poor survival outcome. However, the role of HOXC10 in lung adenocarcinoma still unclear. Methods: HOXC10 expression was evaluated in 63 primary lung adenocarcinoma tissues from our local hospital, and further systematically confirmed in lung cancer tissues from six GEO datasets (GSE19188, GSE31210, GSE10072, GSE7670, GSE32863, GSE30219), and Kaplan-Meier plotter database. The role of HOXC10 in lung cancer metastasis was further validated by cellular and molecular studies. Results: The expression of HOXC10 was significantly increased in human lung adenocarcinoma samples from Wuhu No.2 People's Hospital, about 4.219 times compared with normal tissues, and significantly correlated with TNM stage, lymph node, and distal metastasis. Upregulation of HOXC10 indicated a poor overall/relapse free survival of lung cancer patients from Wuhu No.2 People's Hospital, GEO datasets, and Kaplan-Meier plotter database, especially in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Knockdown or ectopic expression assays confirmed that HOXC10 enhanced the phosphorylation of PI3K, regulated the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers: MMP2/9, VCAM-1, vimentin and E-cadherin. Cellular study further confirmed that HOXC10 was required for migration, invasion and adhesion of lung cancer cells. Conclusion: These findings suggest that HOXC10 plays a pivotal role in the metastasis of human lung cancer and highlight its usefulness as a potential prognostic marker or therapeutic target in human lung adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Lei Tang
- Department of Laboratory and Nuclear Medicine, People's HospitalAnhui, China
| | - Bang-Xian Ding
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan, China
| | - Ying Hua
- Chemical and Biological Engineer, Vocational and Technical College of FuyangAnhui, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Pathology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Tao Wu
- Department of Laboratory and Nuclear Medicine, People's HospitalAnhui, China
| | - Zhang-Quan Chen
- Key Laboratory for Medical Molecular Diagnostic of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Medical UniversityDongguan, China
| | - Chun-Hui Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan, China
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HOXB9 Expression Correlates with Histological Grade and Prognosis in LSCC. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:3680305. [PMID: 28808656 PMCID: PMC5541786 DOI: 10.1155/2017/3680305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the HOX gene expression profile in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and assess whether some genes are associated with the clinicopathological features and prognosis in LSCC patients. The HOX gene levels were tested by microarray and validated by qRT-PCR in paired cancerous and adjacent noncancerous LSCC tissue samples. The microarray testing data of 39 HOX genes revealed 15 HOX genes that were at least 2-fold upregulated and 2 that were downregulated. After qRT-PCR evaluation, the three most upregulated genes (HOXB9, HOXB13, and HOXD13) were selected for tissue microarray (TMA) analysis. The correlations between the HOXB9, HOXB13, and HOXD13 expression levels and both clinicopathological features and prognosis were analyzed. Three HOX gene expression levels were markedly increased in LSCC tissues compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues (P < 0.001). HOXB9 was found to correlate with histological grade (P < 0.01) and prognosis (P < 0.01) in LSCC. In conclusion, this study revealed that HOXB9, HOXB13, and HOXD13 were upregulated and may play important roles in LSCC. Moreover, HOXB9 may serve as a novel marker of poor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target in LSCC patients.
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Brechka H, Bhanvadia RR, VanOpstall C, Vander Griend DJ. HOXB13 mutations and binding partners in prostate development and cancer: Function, clinical significance, and future directions. Genes Dis 2017; 4:75-87. [PMID: 28798948 PMCID: PMC5548135 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent and exciting discovery of germline HOXB13 mutations in familial prostate cancer has brought HOX signaling to the forefront of prostate cancer research. An enhanced understanding of HOX signaling, and the co-factors regulating HOX protein specificity and transcriptional regulation, has the high potential to elucidate novel approaches to prevent, diagnose, stage, and treat prostate cancer. Toward our understanding of HOX biology in prostate development and prostate cancer, basic research in developmental model systems as well as other tumor sites provides a mechanistic framework to inform future studies in prostate biology. Here we describe our current understanding of HOX signaling in genitourinary development and cancer, current clinical data of HOXB13 mutations in multiple cancers including prostate cancer, and the role of HOX protein co-factors in development and cancer. These data highlight numerous gaps in our understanding of HOX function in the prostate, and present numerous potentially impactful mechanistic and clinical opportunities for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Brechka
- The Committee on Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Raj R Bhanvadia
- The Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Calvin VanOpstall
- The Committee on Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Donald J Vander Griend
- The Committee on Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Surgery, Section of Urology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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40
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Bernhart SH, Kretzmer H, Holdt LM, Jühling F, Ammerpohl O, Bergmann AK, Northoff BH, Doose G, Siebert R, Stadler PF, Hoffmann S. Changes of bivalent chromatin coincide with increased expression of developmental genes in cancer. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37393. [PMID: 27876760 PMCID: PMC5120258 DOI: 10.1038/srep37393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bivalent (poised or paused) chromatin comprises activating and repressing histone modifications at the same location. This combination of epigenetic marks at promoter or enhancer regions keeps genes expressed at low levels but poised for rapid activation. Typically, DNA at bivalent promoters is only lowly methylated in normal cells, but frequently shows elevated methylation levels in cancer samples. Here, we developed a universal classifier built from chromatin data that can identify cancer samples solely from hypermethylation of bivalent chromatin. Tested on over 7,000 DNA methylation data sets from several cancer types, it reaches an AUC of 0.92. Although higher levels of DNA methylation are often associated with transcriptional silencing, counter-intuitive positive statistical dependencies between DNA methylation and expression levels have been recently reported for two cancer types. Here, we re-analyze combined expression and DNA methylation data sets, comprising over 5,000 samples, and demonstrate that the conjunction of hypermethylation of bivalent chromatin and up-regulation of the corresponding genes is a general phenomenon in cancer. This up-regulation affects many developmental genes and transcription factors, including dozens of homeobox genes and other genes implicated in cancer. Thus, we reason that the disturbance of bivalent chromatin may be intimately linked to tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan H Bernhart
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
| | - Lesca M Holdt
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Frank Jühling
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Inserm, U1110 - Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, 67000, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Christian Albrechts University &University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Kiel, Institute of Human Genetics, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Anke K Bergmann
- Christian Albrechts University &University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Kiel, Institute of Human Genetics, Kiel, 24105, Germany.,Christian Albrechts University Kiel &University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Kiel, Department of Pediatrics, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Bernd H Northoff
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Gero Doose
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Christian Albrechts University &University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Kiel, Institute of Human Genetics, Kiel, 24105, Germany.,Ulm University &Ulm University Medical Center, Institute for Human Genetics, Ulm, 89081, Germany
| | - Peter F Stadler
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, LIFE - Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,University of Vienna, Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Vienna, 1090, Austria.,Max-Planck-Institute for Mathematics in Sciences, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.,Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Steve Hoffmann
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, LIFE - Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
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Se YB, Kim SH, Kim JY, Kim JE, Dho YS, Kim JW, Kim YH, Woo HG, Kim SH, Kang SH, Kim HJ, Kim TM, Lee ST, Choi SH, Park SH, Kim IH, Kim DG, Park CK. Underexpression of HOXA11 Is Associated with Treatment Resistance and Poor Prognosis in Glioblastoma. Cancer Res Treat 2016; 49:387-398. [PMID: 27456940 PMCID: PMC5398402 DOI: 10.4143/crt.2016.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Homeobox (HOX) genes are essential developmental regulators that should normally be in the silenced state in an adult brain. The aberrant expression of HOX genes has been associated with the prognosis of many cancer types, including glioblastoma (GBM). This study examined the identity and role of HOX genes affecting GBM prognosis and treatment resistance. Materials and Methods The full series of HOX genes of five pairs of initial and recurrent human GBM samples were screened by microarray analysis to determine the most plausible candidate responsible for GBM prognosis. Another 20 newly diagnosed GBM samples were used for prognostic validation. In vitro experiments were performed to confirm the role of HOX in treatment resistance. Mediators involved in HOX gene regulation were searched using differentially expressed gene analysis, gene set enrichment tests, and network analysis. Results The underexpression of HOXA11 was identified as a consistent signature for a poor prognosis among the HOX genes. The overall survival of the GBM patients indicated a significantly favorable prognosis in patients with high HOXA11 expression (31±15.3 months) compared to the prognoses in thosewith low HOXA11 expression (18±7.3 months, p=0.03). When HOXA11 was suppressed in the GBM cell lines, the anticancer effect of radiotherapy and/or temozolomide declined. In addition, five candidate mediators (TGFBR2, CRIM1, TXNIP, DPYSL2, and CRMP1) that may confer an oncologic effect after HOXA11 suppression were identified. Conclusion The treatment resistance induced by the underexpression of HOXA11 can contribute to a poor prognosis in GBM. Further investigation will be needed to confirm the value of HOXA11 as a potential target for overcoming the treatment resistance by developing chemo- or radiosensitizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Bem Se
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ji Young Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ja Eun Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yun-Sik Dho
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin Wook Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yong Hwy Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun Goo Woo
- Department of Physiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Se-Hyuk Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Shin-Hyuk Kang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hak Jae Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Tae Min Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soon-Tae Lee
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Hong Choi
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung-Hye Park
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Il Han Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dong Gyu Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chul-Kee Park
- Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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42
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Kelly Z, Moller-Levet C, McGrath S, Butler-Manuel S, Kavitha Madhuri T, Kierzek AM, Pandha H, Morgan R, Michael A. The prognostic significance of specificHOXgene expression patterns in ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer 2016; 139:1608-17. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Kelly
- Oncology, School of Biosciences and Medicine; FHMS, Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, University of Surrey; Guildford GU2 7WG
| | - Carla Moller-Levet
- Computational & Systems Biology, School of Biosciences and Medicine; FHMS, University of Surrey; Guildford GU2 7TE
| | - Sophie McGrath
- Oncology, School of Biosciences and Medicine; FHMS, Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, University of Surrey; Guildford GU2 7WG
| | | | | | - Andrzej M. Kierzek
- Computational & Systems Biology, School of Biosciences and Medicine; FHMS, University of Surrey; Guildford GU2 7TE
| | - Hardev Pandha
- Oncology, School of Biosciences and Medicine; FHMS, Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, University of Surrey; Guildford GU2 7WG
| | - Richard Morgan
- ICT Building, Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford; West Yorkshire BD7 1DP
| | - Agnieszka Michael
- Oncology, School of Biosciences and Medicine; FHMS, Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, University of Surrey; Guildford GU2 7WG
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43
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Miller KR, Patel JN, Ganapathi MK, Tait DL, Ganapathi RN. Biological role and clinical implications of homeobox genes in serous epithelial ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2016; 141:608-615. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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44
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Yuan H, Kajiyama H, Ito S, Chen D, Shibata K, Hamaguchi M, Kikkawa F, Senga T. HOXB13 and ALX4 induce SLUG expression for the promotion of EMT and cell invasion in ovarian cancer cells. Oncotarget 2016; 6:13359-70. [PMID: 25944620 PMCID: PMC4537020 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeoproteins, a family of transcription factors that have conserved homeobox domains, play critical roles in embryonic development in a wide range of species. Accumulating studies have revealed that homeoproteins are aberrantly expressed in multiple tumors and function as either tumor promoters or suppressors. In this study, we show that two homeoproteins, HOXB13 and ALX4, are associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. HOXB13 and ALX4 formed a complex in cells, and exogenous expression of either protein promoted EMT and invasion. Conversely, depletion of either protein suppressed invasion and induced reversion of EMT. SLUG is a C2H2-type zinc-finger transcription factor that promotes EMT in various cell lines. Knockdown of HOXB13 or ALX4 suppressed SLUG expression, and exogenous expression of either protein promoted SLUG expression. Finally, we showed that SLUG expression was essential for the HOXB13- or ALX4-mediated EMT and invasion. Our results show that HOXB13/SLUG and ALX4/SLUG axes are novel pathways that promote EMT and invasion of ovarian cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Yuan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kajiyama
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Satoko Ito
- Division of Cancer Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Dan Chen
- Division of Cancer Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Kiyosumi Shibata
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Michinari Hamaguchi
- Division of Cancer Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Fumitaka Kikkawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Takeshi Senga
- Division of Cancer Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
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45
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Lai CY, Xu Y, Yu GS, Wu X, Li YF, Pan B, Heng BL, Xue YJ, Su ZX. Engrailed-2 might play an anti-oncogenic role in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma. J Mol Histol 2016; 47:229-37. [PMID: 26948025 DOI: 10.1007/s10735-016-9665-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Our preliminary study indicated that Engrailed-2 (EN2) is downregulated but also ectopically expressed in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC), and the absence of EN2 expression was associated with poor histological grade. However, the specific roles of EN2 in CCRCC have yet to be elucidated. In the present study, we examined the effects of inhibiting EN2 expression by human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and overexpressing EN2 by human clear-cell renal cells (786-O). Results showed that EN2 inhibition accelerated HK-2 cell proliferation, shortened the cell cycle, reduced apoptosis, and acted more invasively. By contrast, EN2 overexpression in 786-O cells decelerated the proliferative ability of 786-O, increased the percentage of cell apoptosis, and weakened the invasive ability. Overall, the results demonstrated that EN2 might play an anti-oncogenic role in oncogenesis and development of CCRCC, thereby maintaining the normal growth of human renal tubular epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai-Yong Lai
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huang Pu Rd, Guangzhou, 510630, China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical College, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Yin Xu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huang Pu Rd, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Gan-Shen Yu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huang Pu Rd, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Xun Wu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huang Pu Rd, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Yun-Fei Li
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huang Pu Rd, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Bin Pan
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huang Pu Rd, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Bao-Li Heng
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huang Pu Rd, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Yi-Jun Xue
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical College, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - Ze-Xuan Su
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, No. 613 Huang Pu Rd, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
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46
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KIM YOUNGRANG, KANG TAEKWON, TO PHUONGKIM, NGUYEN NGUYENTHIXUAN, CHO YOUNGSEOK, JUNG CHAEYONG, KIM MINSOO. HOXB13-mediated suppression of p21WAF1/CIP1 regulates JNK/c-Jun signaling in prostate cancer cells. Oncol Rep 2016; 35:2011-6. [DOI: 10.3892/or.2016.4563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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47
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Aquino G, Franco R, Sabatino R, Mantia EL, Scognamiglio G, Collina F, Longo F, Ionna F, Losito NS, Liguori G, Botti G, Cantile M. Deregulation of paralogous 13 HOX genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 2015; 5:3042-3055. [PMID: 26693058 PMCID: PMC4656729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Many oncogenic drivers related to the pathogenesis of OSCC have identified, but the discovery of new molecular markers for early detection of this cancer, remains one the main goals of clinical research. HOX genes regulate normal embryonic development, cell differentiation and other critical processes in eukaryotic cell life. Several studies have demonstrated that the deregulation of HOX genes play a significant role in cancer development and progression. In this study, we built a prognostic TMA with 119 OSCC samples, representative of deep and superficial part of the tumour, to investigate, the paralogous 13 HOX proteins expression, correlating them with clinicpathological parameters, outcomes and therapy information. Our results show an aberrant expression of HOX A13 and HOX D13 in OSCC pathogenesis and tumour progression. HOX A13 overexpression is related to an OSCC better prognosis (P=0.029) and better therapy response in patients treated with both radiotherapy and chemotherapy (P=0.015). HOX D13 overexpression is inversely related to an overall survival (P=0.004). These data highlight the potential prognostic role of HOX paralogous group 13 genes in OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Aquino
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Renato Franco
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Rocco Sabatino
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Elvira La Mantia
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Giosuè Scognamiglio
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Francesca Collina
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Francesco Longo
- Department of Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Franco Ionna
- Department of Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Nunzia S Losito
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Liguori
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Monica Cantile
- Department of Pathology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione Pascale”-IRCCSvia Mariano Semmola, Napoli 80131, Italy
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48
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Abstract
Despite extensive efforts to identify a clinically useful diagnostic biomarker in prostate cancer, no new test has been approved by regulatory authorities. As a result, this unmet need has shifted to biomarkers that additionally indicate presence or absence of "significant" disease. EN2 is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor secreted by prostate cancer into the urine and can be detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay. EN2 may be an ideal biomarker because normal prostate tissue and benign prostatic hypertrophic cells do not secrete EN2. This review discusses the enormous potential of EN2 to address this unmet need and provide the urologist with a simple, inexpensive, and reliable prostate cancer biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie E McGrath
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Agnieszka Michael
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Morgan
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Hardev Pandha
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.
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49
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Zhai LL, Wu Y, Cai CY, Tang ZG. Overexpression of homeobox B-13 correlates with angiogenesis, aberrant expression of EMT markers, aggressive characteristics and poor prognosis in pancreatic carcinoma. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 2015; 8:6919-6927. [PMID: 26261579 PMCID: PMC4525913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the expression of homeobox B (Hoxb)-13 and analyze its relationship with tumor angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated markers (E-cadherin and vimentin), clinicopathologic data and prognosis in pancreatic carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was applied to determine the level of Hoxb-13 expression in tumor tissues and surrounding non-tumor tissues from 85 subjects with pancreatic carcinoma. Besides, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD31, E-cadherin and vimentin were also detected in tumor tissues by immunostaining. We found that the level of Hoxb-13 expression was significantly higher in pancreatic carcinoma tissues than in paracarcinomatous tissues (P < 0.05). Hoxb-13 staining was positively correlated with VEGF (r = 0.429, P < 0.001) and microvessel density (MVD) (r = 0.454, P < 0.001). Likewise, Hoxb-13 staining was positively correlated with vimentin (r = 0.448, P < 0.001); while it was negatively correlated with E-cadherin (r = -0.405, P < 0.001). High Hoxb-13 expression was associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics, worse disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001) and worse overall survival (OS) (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that Hoxb-13 was an independent predictor for poor DFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P = 0.002). In conclusion, our data show that overexpressed Hoxb-13 is correlated with tumor angiogenesis, aberrant expression of EMT-associated markers and aggressive clinicopathological characteristics, and serves as a promising marker for unfavourable prognosis in pancreatic carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Lu Zhai
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230001, Anhui Province, People’s Republic of China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary SurgeryHefei 230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230001, Anhui Province, People’s Republic of China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary SurgeryHefei 230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chong-Yang Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230001, Anhui Province, People’s Republic of China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary SurgeryHefei 230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Tang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230001, Anhui Province, People’s Republic of China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary SurgeryHefei 230001, People’s Republic of China
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50
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Carrera M, Bitu CC, de Oliveira CE, Cervigne NK, Graner E, Manninen A, Salo T, Coletta RD. HOXA10 controls proliferation, migration and invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 2015; 8:3613-3623. [PMID: 26097543 PMCID: PMC4466930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Although HOX genes are best known for acting in the regulation of important events during embryogenesis, including proliferation, differentiation and migration, alterations in their expression patterns have been frequently described in cancers. In previous studies we analyzed the expression profile of the members of the HOX family of homeobox genes in oral samples of normal mucosa and squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and identified differently expressed genes such as HOXA10. The present study aimed to validate the increased expression of HOXA10 in OSCCs, and to investigate the effects arising from its knockdown in OSCC cells. The levels of HOXA10 mRNA were determined in human OSCC samples and cell lines by quantitative PCR, and HOXA10-mediated effects on proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion were studied in HSC-3 tongue carcinoma cells by using retrovirus-mediated RNA interference. Higher expression of HOXA10 mRNA was observed in OSCC cell lines and in tumor tissues compared to normal controls. HOXA10 knockdown significantly reduced the proliferation of the tumor cells which was accompanied by increased levels of p21. HOXA10 silencing also significantly induced the expression of EMT markers and enhanced the adhesion, migration and invasion of HSC-3 cells. No effects on cell death were observed after HOXA10 knockdown. The results of the current study confirm the overexpression of HOXA10 in OSCCs, and further demonstrate that its expression is functionally associated with several important biological processes related to oral tumorigenesis, such as proliferation, migration and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoela Carrera
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of CampinasPiracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Life Sciences, Bahia State UniversityBahia, Brazil
| | - Carolina C Bitu
- Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, and Medical Research Center, Oulu University HospitalOulu, Finland
| | | | - Nilva K Cervigne
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of CampinasPiracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Clinical, Faculty of Medicine of JundiaiJundiai, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edgard Graner
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of CampinasPiracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aki Manninen
- Oulu Center for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of OuluFinland
| | - Tuula Salo
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of CampinasPiracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, and Medical Research Center, Oulu University HospitalOulu, Finland
- Institute of Dentistry, University of HelsinkiFinland
| | - Ricardo D Coletta
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of CampinasPiracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
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