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Liu L, Yin P, Yang R, Zhang G, Wu C, Zheng Y, Wu S, Liu M. Integrated bioinformatics combined with machine learning to analyze shared biomarkers and pathways in psoriasis and cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1351908. [PMID: 38863714 PMCID: PMC11165063 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1351908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Psoriasis extends beyond its dermatological inflammatory manifestations, encompassing systemic inflammation. Existing studies have indicated a potential risk of cervical cancer among patients with psoriasis, suggesting a potential mechanism of co-morbidity. This study aims to explore the key genes, pathways, and immune cells that may link psoriasis and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC). Methods The cervical squamous cell carcinoma dataset (GSE63514) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Two psoriasis-related datasets (GSE13355 and GSE14905) were merged into one comprehensive dataset after removing batch effects. Differentially expressed genes were identified using Limma and co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and machine learning random forest algorithm (RF) was used to screen the hub genes. We analyzed relevant gene enrichment pathways using GO and KEGG, and immune cell infiltration in psoriasis and CESC samples using CIBERSORT. The miRNA-mRNA and TFs-mRNA regulatory networks were then constructed using Cytoscape, and the biomarkers for psoriasis and CESC were determined. Potential drug targets were obtained from the cMAP database, and biomarker expression levels in hela and psoriatic cell models were quantified by RT-qPCR. Results In this study, we identified 27 key genes associated with psoriasis and cervical squamous cell carcinoma. NCAPH, UHRF1, CDCA2, CENPN and MELK were identified as hub genes using the Random Forest machine learning algorithm. Chromosome mitotic region segregation, nucleotide binding and DNA methylation are the major enrichment pathways for common DEGs in the mitotic cell cycle. Then we analyzed immune cell infiltration in psoriasis and cervical squamous cell carcinoma samples using CIBERSORT. Meanwhile, we used the cMAP database to identify ten small molecule compounds that interact with the central gene as drug candidates for treatment. By analyzing miRNA-mRNA and TFs-mRNA regulatory networks, we identified three miRNAs and nine transcription factors closely associated with five key genes and validated their expression in external validation datasets and clinical samples. Finally, we examined the diagnostic effects with ROC curves, and performed experimental validation in hela and psoriatic cell models. Conclusions We identified five biomarkers, NCAPH, UHRF1, CDCA2, CENPN, and MELK, which may play important roles in the common pathogenesis of psoriasis and cervical squamous cell carcinoma, furthermore predict potential therapeutic agents. These findings open up new perspectives for the diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis and squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyu Liu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Pan Yin
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ruida Yang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Guanfei Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Cong Wu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yan Zheng
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shaobo Wu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Meng Liu
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
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Ni Q, Miao Y, Li X, Yin Z, Huang H, Shi G, Shi W. Up-Regulation of MELK Promotes Cell Growth and Invasion by Accelerating G1/S Transition and Indicates Poor Prognosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-024-01143-4. [PMID: 38676754 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01143-4] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is an oncogene in many tumors, although its contribution to lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is unclear. We examined MELK expression in patient LUAD tissue and matched healthy lung tissues. We investigated the connection between MELK expression and tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and patient survival. We downregulated MELK expression using small-hairpin RNA to assess its impact on LUAD cell proliferation, clonogenicity, and invasion. We also investigated the molecular mechanism underlying these effects. MELK expression was significantly heightened in LUAD tissue as opposed to the matching healthy lung tissues. LUAD patients who had MELK overexpression had a worse prognosis. Suppression of MELK hinders proliferation, clonogenicity, and invasion of LUAD cells. The MELK suppression led to the arrest of the cell cycle's G1/S phase by reducing the cyclin E1 and cyclin D expression. Our outcomes manifest that MELK can function as a beneficial prognostic indication and a new therapy target for LUAD. MELK has an essential function in progressing LUAD, manifesting potential as a viable target for therapeutic intervention in this disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinggan Ni
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Yancheng Clinical College of Xuzhou Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Yancheng, 224000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuqing Miao
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong (Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University), Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Li
- Department of General Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, 224000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongbo Yin
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong (Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University), Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Huang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanglin Shi
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong (Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University), Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weirong Shi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong (Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University), Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China.
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Gu J, Zhou X, Xie L. Significance of Oxidative Stress in the Diagnosis and Subtype Classification of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Biochem Genet 2024; 62:193-207. [PMID: 37314550 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-023-10412-x] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a common illness of aging, and its pathophysiological process is mainly manifested by cell aging and apoptosis, an imbalance in the production and catabolism of extracellular matrix, and an inflammatory response. Oxidative stress (OS) is an imbalance that decreases the body's intrinsic antioxidant defense system and/or raises the formation of reactive oxygen species and performs multiple biological functions in the body. However, our current knowledge of the effect of OS on the progression and treatment of IVDD is still extremely limited. In this study, we obtained 35 DEGs by differential expression analysis of 437 OS-related genes (OSRGs) between IVDD patients and healthy individuals from GSE124272 and GSE150408. Then, we identified six hub OSRGs (ATP7A, MELK, NCF1, NOX1, RHOB, and SP1) from 35 DEGs, and the high accuracy of these hub genes was confirmed by constructing ROC curves. In addition, to forecast the risk of IVDD patients, we developed a nomogram. We obtained two OSRG clusters (clusters A and B) by consensus clustering based on the six hub genes. Then, 3147 DEGs were obtained by differential expression analysis in the two clusters, and all samples were further divided into two gene clusters (A and B). We investigated differences in immune cell infiltration levels between different clusters and found that most immune cells had higher infiltration levels in OSRG cluster B or gene cluster B. In conclusion, OS is important in the formation and progression of IVDD, and we believe that our work will help guide future research on OS in IVDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Gu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Xiaoyang Zhou
- Department of Spine Surgery, Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Lin Xie
- Department of Spine Surgery, Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China.
- Department of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China.
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Xie X, Chauhan GB, Edupuganti R, Kogawa T, Park J, Tacam M, Tan AW, Mughees M, Vidhu F, Liu DD, Taliaferro JM, Pitner MK, Browning LS, Lee JH, Bertucci F, Shen Y, Wang J, Ueno NT, Krishnamurthy S, Hortobagyi GN, Tripathy D, Van Laere SJ, Bartholomeusz G, Dalby KN, Bartholomeusz C. Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase is Associated with Metastasis in Triple-negative Breast Cancer. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:1078-1092. [PMID: 37377604 PMCID: PMC10281291 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has high relapse and metastasis rates and a high proportion of cancer stem-like cells (CSC), which possess self-renewal and tumor initiation capacity. MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase), a protein kinase of the Snf1/AMPK kinase family, is known to promote CSC maintenance and malignant transformation. However, the role of MELK in TNBC metastasis is unknown; we sought to address this in the current study. We found that MELK mRNA levels were higher in TNBC tumors [8.11 (3.79-10.95)] than in HR+HER2- tumors [6.54 (2.90-9.26)]; P < 0.001]. In univariate analysis, patients with breast cancer with high-MELK-expressing tumors had worse overall survival (P < 0.001) and distant metastasis-free survival (P < 0.01) than patients with low-MELK-expressing tumors. In a multicovariate Cox regression model, high MELK expression was associated with shorter overall survival after adjusting for other baseline risk factors. MELK knockdown using siRNA or MELK inhibition using the MELK inhibitor MELK-In-17 significantly reduced invasiveness, reversed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and reduced CSC self-renewal and maintenance in TNBC cells. Nude mice injected with CRISPR MELK-knockout MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited suppression of lung metastasis and improved overall survival compared with mice injected with control cells (P < 0.05). Furthermore, MELK-In-17 suppressed 4T1 tumor growth in syngeneic BALB/c mice (P < 0.001). Our findings indicate that MELK supports metastasis by promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the CSC phenotype in TNBC. Significance These findings indicate that MELK is a driver of aggressiveness and metastasis in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Xie
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Current Institution: Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Gaurav B. Chauhan
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ramakrishna Edupuganti
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Takahiro Kogawa
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jihyun Park
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Moises Tacam
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Alex W. Tan
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Mohd Mughees
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Fnu Vidhu
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Diane D. Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Juliana M. Taliaferro
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Mary Kathryn Pitner
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Luke S. Browning
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Ju-Hyeon Lee
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - François Bertucci
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Research Cancer Center, INSERM U1068, CNRS U7258, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix Marseille University, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Yu Shen
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Naoto T. Ueno
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Current Institution: Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Savitri Krishnamurthy
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gabriel N. Hortobagyi
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Debu Tripathy
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Steven J. Van Laere
- Center for Oncological Research, Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Wilrijk
- Department Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Geoffrey Bartholomeusz
- Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kevin N. Dalby
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Chandra Bartholomeusz
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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Tang BF, Yan RC, Wang SW, Zeng ZC, Du SS. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase in tumor cell and tumor microenvironment: Emerging player and promising therapeutic opportunities. Cancer Lett 2023; 560:216126. [PMID: 36933780 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is a member of the AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) protein family, which is widely and highly expressed in multiple cancer types. Through direct and indirect interactions with other proteins, it mediates various cascades of signal transduction processes and plays an important role in regulating tumor cell survival, growth, invasion and migration and other biological functions. Interestingly, MELK also plays an important role in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment, which can not only predict the responsiveness of immunotherapy, but also affect the function of immune cells to regulate tumor progression. In addition, more and more small molecule inhibitors have been developed for the target of MELK, which exert important anti-tumor effects and have achieved excellent results in a number of clinical trials. In this review, we outline the structural features, molecular biological functions, potential regulatory mechanisms and important roles of MELK in tumors and tumor microenvironment, as well as substances targeting MELK. Although many molecular mechanisms of MELK in the process of tumor regulation are still unknown, it is worth affirming that MELK is a potential tumor molecular therapeutic target, and its unique superiority and important role provide clues and confidence for subsequent basic research and scientific transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bu-Fu Tang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruo-Chen Yan
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Si-Wei Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao-Chong Zeng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Suo Du
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China.
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Structure-based virtual screening of chemical libraries as potential MELK inhibitors and their therapeutic evaluation against breast cancer. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 376:110443. [PMID: 36893906 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2023.110443] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
New targeted therapy for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an urgent need, as advanced disease responds poorly to conventional chemotherapy. Genomic and proteomic studies are currently investigating new genes and proteins as promising therapeutic targets. One of such therapeutic targets is a cell cycle regulatory kinase; Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK), overexpressed in TNBC and correlated with cancer development. We performed molecular docking for virtual screening of chemical libraries (phytochemicals/synthetic drugs) against MELK protein structure and identified 8 phytoconstituents (isoxanthorin, emodin, gamma-coniceine, quercetin, tenuazonic acid, isoliquiritigenin, kaempferol, and Nobiletin) and 8 synthetic drugs (tetrahydrofolic acid, alfuzosin, lansoprazole, ketorolac, ketoprofen, variolin B, orantinib, and firestein) as potential hits interacting with the active site residues of MELK based on bound poses, hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interactions and MM/GBSA binding free energies. ADME and drug-likeness prediction further identified few hits with high drug-likeness properties and were further tested for anti-tumorigenic potential. Two phytochemicals isoliquiritigenin and emodin demonstrated growth inhibitory effects on TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells while much lower effect was observed on non-tumorigenic MCF-10A mammary epithelial cells. Treatment with both molecules downregulated MELK expression, induced cell cycle arrest, accumulated DNA damage and enhanced apoptosis. The study identified isoliquiritigenin and emodin as potential MELK inhibitors and provides a basis for subsequent experimental validation and drug development against cancer.
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Chat V, Dagayev S, Moran U, Snuderl M, Weber J, Ferguson R, Osman I, Kirchhoff T. A genome-wide association study of germline variation and melanoma prognosis. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1050741. [PMID: 36741706 PMCID: PMC9894711 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1050741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The high mortality of cutaneous melanoma (CM) is partly due to unpredictable patterns of disease progression in patients with early-stage lesions. The reliable prediction of advanced disease risk from early-stage CM, is an urgent clinical need, especially given the recent expansion of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy to the adjuvant setting. In our study, we comprehensively investigated the role of germline variants as CM prognostic markers. Methods We performed a genome-wide association analysis in two independent cohorts of N=551 (discovery), and N=550 (validation) early-stage immunotherapy-naïve melanoma patients. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to identify associations with overall survival in the discovery group, followed by a validation analysis. Transcriptomic profiling and survival analysis were used to elucidate the biological relevance of candidate genes associated with CM progression. Results We found two independent associations of germline variants with melanoma prognosis. The alternate alleles of these two SNPs were both associated with an increased risk of death [rs60970102 in MELK: HR=3.14 (2.05-4.81), p=1.48×10-7; and rs77480547 in SH3BP4: HR=3.02 (2.02-4.52), p=7.58×10-8, both in the pooled cohort]. The addition of the combined risk alleles (CRA) of the identified variants into the prognostic model improved the predictive power, as opposed to a model of clinical covariates alone. Conclusions Our study provides suggestive evidence of novel melanoma germline prognostic markers, implicating two candidate genes: an oncogene MELK and a tumor suppressor SH3BP4, both previously suggested to affect CM progression. Pending further validation, these findings suggest that the genetic factors may improve the prognostic stratification of high-risk early-stage CM patients, and propose putative biological insights for potential therapeutic investigation of these targets to prevent aggressive outcome from early-stage melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vylyny Chat
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Department of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sasha Dagayev
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Department of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Una Moran
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Matija Snuderl
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jeffrey Weber
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Robert Ferguson
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Department of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Tomas Kirchhoff, ; Robert Ferguson,
| | - Iman Osman
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Tomas Kirchhoff
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Department of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,The Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Tomas Kirchhoff, ; Robert Ferguson,
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Identification of crucial hub genes and potential molecular mechanisms in breast cancer by integrated bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. Comput Biol Med 2022; 149:106036. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Ye J, Deng W, Zhong Y, Liu H, Guo B, Qin Z, Li P, Zhong X, Wang L. MELK predicts poor prognosis and promotes metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via activating the NF‑κB pathway. Int J Oncol 2022; 61:94. [PMID: 35730614 PMCID: PMC9256079 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2022.5384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with a low 5-year survival rate due to the lack of effective therapeutic strategies. Accumulating evidence has indicated that maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is highly expressed in several tumors and associated with tumor development. However, the biological effects of MELK in ESCC remain unknown. In the present study, cell phenotypical experiments and animal metastasis assays were performed to detect the influence of MELK knockdown in vitro and in vivo. The potential molecular mechanism of MELK-mediated ESCC metastasis was further investigated by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. The results revealed that the expression of MELK in human ESCC tissues was higher than that in adjacent normal tissues and was positively associated with the poor prognosis of patients. Reducing MELK expression resulted in growth inhibition and suppression of the invasive ability of ESCC cells in vitro and in vivo. MELK inhibition induced alterations of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated proteins. Mechanistically, MELK interacted with IκB kinase (IKK) and promoted the phosphorylation of IKK, by which MELK regulated activation of the NF-κB pathway. Collectively, the present study revealed the function and mechanism of MELK in the cell metastasis of ESCC, which may be a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiecheng Ye
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Wanying Deng
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Ying Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Baoyin Guo
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Zixi Qin
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Peiwen Li
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Xueyun Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Lihui Wang
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
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Zhang XR, Ouyang YC, Meng TG, Zhang HY, Yue W, Yan FZ, Xue Y, Schatten H, Wang ZB, Sun QY. OTSSP167 leads to follicular dysplasia and negatively affects oocyte quality in mice. Toxicology 2022; 476:153243. [PMID: 35760214 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2022.153243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OTSSP167 is an anti-tumor drug significantly inhibiting tumor growth in xenotransplantation studies using mouse breast, lung, prostate, and pancreatic cancer cell lines. Its phase I clinical trial has been completed, indicating its great potential for future treatment of solid tumors. However, its drug-related adverse effects on reproductive systems have not yet been reported. In this study, we evaluated the effects of OTSSP167 on reproduction of female mice by determining oocyte quality and follicular development. We selected four-week-old female ICR mice for a 21-day intraperitoneal injection of OTSSP167 at a dose of 5mg/kg/d. We found that OTSSP167 could block the meiotic process of oocytes, leading to a decrease in oocyte maturation and ovulated oocyte numbers, as well as a decrease in the quality of oocytes. The results showed that OTSSP167 treatment caused disordered spindle assembly, decreased mitochondria membrane potential, and increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species in oocytes. Further investigation showed that OTSSP167 induced DNA double-strand breaks, as indicated by increased levels of γH2AX in oocytes of primordial follicles and granulosa cells of growing follicles, which induced follicular atresia and decreased the numbers of follicles at various growing stages. Our study suggests that OTSSP167 treatment may have serious effects on the ovary and consequences for female cancer patients, providing strong evidence for the necessity of protecting female fertility in clinical OTSSP167 trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Ran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing
| | - Ying-Chun Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Tie-Gang Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing
| | - Feng-Ze Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing
| | - Yue Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Heide Schatten
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Zhen-Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing
| | - Qing-Yuan Sun
- Fertility Preservation Lab, Guangdong-Hong Kong Metabolism & Reproduction Joint Laboratory, Reproductive Medicine Center, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, China.
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11
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Guo Z, Zhu Z. Comprehensive analysis to identify noncoding RNAs mediated upregulation of maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) correlated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:3973-3988. [PMID: 35511171 PMCID: PMC9134958 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Object: Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is involved in the development and progression of various cancers. This work investigated the usefulness of MELK in the prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis. Methods: Information on MELK expression was obtained by pan-cancer analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The TCGA-liver hepatic cancer (TCGA-LIHC), Oncomine datasets, International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) datasets were used to investigate MELK expression in HCC. The prognostic roles of MELK in HCC were assessed by univariate and multivariate survival analyses. The underlying mechanism for noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) involved in MELK expression was investigated by in silico studies, correlation, methylation, and survival analyses. The relationships between MELK expression and immune cells, immune markers, and checkpoint markers were also analyzed. Results: (1) MELK was identified as an independent predictor of overall survival (OS) in HCC patients (MELK high vs. low expression, HR 2.469; 95% CI 1.217–5.008; p = 0.012) in a multivariate Cox analysis, with a concordance index (C-index) value of 0.727 (95% CI 0.750–0.704). (2) The noncoding RNA miR3142HG and the LINC00265/has-miR-101-3p axis were found to regulate MELK expression in HCC tissue. (3) MELK levels were linked to various immune functions, including tumor infiltration and the expression of immune checkpoints and biomarkers in HCC. Conclusion: MELK may have an oncogenic function in HCC and was found to be up-regulated by ncRNAs and associated with immune cell infiltration and unfavorable prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- ZiYi Guo
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of JinZhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Zhitu Zhu
- Department of Clinical Trial, Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics, Cancer Center of Jinzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
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12
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Maternal embryonal leucine zipper kinase immunoreactivity in atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors: a study of 50 cases. Childs Nerv Syst 2021; 37:3769-3775. [PMID: 34611764 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-021-05335-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) are aggressive embryonal neoplasms of the central nervous system that correspond to WHO grade IV and have a dismal prognosis. The latest Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States data shows that AT/RT constitutes 16.6% of all embryonal tumors in children. The molecular hallmark of this tumor is pathogenic SMARCB1 genetic alterations resulting in the loss of INI-1 immunopositivity, with fewer tumors harboring SMARCA4 (BRG1) variants. Maternal embryonal leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is a member of the Snf1/AMPK family of serine/threonine-protein kinases involved in various processes such as cell cycle regulation, self-renewal of stem cells, apoptosis, and splicing regulation. Recent studies have highlighted the involvement of MELK in AT/RT and its possible therapeutic role. The purpose of this study was to review the histological and immunohistochemical profile of AT/RT with special reference to MELK staining. In this retrospective study conducted over 6 years, all diagnosed cases of AT/RT, defined by loss of INI-1 immunopositivity, were retrieved and studied. Demographic details of patients and microscopic findings were analyzed, with special attention to histological patterns and immunohistochemistry profile including MELK immunoreactivity. There were 50 cases of AT/RT diagnosed in the specified period. Of the cases operated at our institute during this period, embryonal tumors constituted 20.6% of all pediatric brain tumors with AT/RT representing 12.6% of this subset. The median age at presentation was 3.5 years (range: 8 months-22 years) and there were three adult cases. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 1.94:1. Tumor location was distributed equally between the supratentorial and infratentorial compartments. Characteristic rhabdoid cells were identified in 70% of cases. Areas with epithelial, mesenchymal, and undifferentiated tumor cells were seen in 8%, 20%, and 52% of cases, respectively. Cells with vacuolated cytoplasm were noted in 28% of cases. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed a polyimmunophenotypic profile with immunopositivity for GFAP in 70%, Vimentin in 100%, SMA in 68%, and EMA in 88% of cases, indicating the remarkable heterogeneity of the tumor cells. MELK immunopositivity was noted in 83.33% of cases. Thus, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors are rare neoplasms. In line with other studies, we show that these tumors occur predominantly in very young children and display marked variability on histology and IHC with loss of INI-1. MELK is presumed to be an important molecule involved in cell cycle regulation, proliferation, and other critical functions. High expression of MELK in AT/RT may suggest its plausible role in neoplastic transformation of embryonic and postnatal multipotent neural progenitors which in turn could explain the diverse morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics observed in these tumors.
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13
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Haan JC, Bhaskaran R, Ellappalayam A, Bijl Y, Griffioen CJ, Lujinovic E, Audeh WM, Penault-Llorca F, Mittempergher L, Glas AM. MammaPrint and BluePrint comprehensively capture the cancer hallmarks in early-stage breast cancer patients. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2021; 61:148-160. [PMID: 34841595 PMCID: PMC9299843 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.23014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
MammaPrint® (MP) is a 70‐gene signature that stratifies early‐stage breast cancer patients into low‐ and high risk of distant relapse. Further stratification of MP risk results identifies four risk subgroups, ultra‐low (UL), low, high 1, and high 2, with specific prognostic and predictive outcomes. BluePrint® (BP) is an 80‐gene signature that classifies breast tumors as basal, luminal, or HER2 molecular subtype. To gain insight into their biological significance, we annotated the MP 70‐ and BP 80‐genes with respect to the 10 hallmarks of cancer (HoC). Furthermore, we related gene expression profiles of the extreme ends of the MP low‐ and high‐risk patients (here called, ultra‐low (UL) and ultra‐high (UH) or High2, respectively), to the 10 HoC per BP subtype by differential gene expression and pathway analysis. MP and BP gene functions reflected all 10 HoCs. Most MP and BP genes were associated with sustaining proliferative signaling, followed by genome instability and mutation categories. Based on the gene expression profiles, UL and UH subgroup pathways were down ‐or upregulated, respectively, reflecting proliferative and metastatic features, such as G2M checkpoint, DNA repair, oxidative phosphorylation, immune invasion, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, and hypoxia pathways. Notably, the UH HER2‐type was enriched in several immune signaling pathways, such as IL2/STAT5 signaling and TNFα signaling via NFκB. Our results show that MP and BP gene signatures represent and capture all 10 HoCs and highlight underlying biological processes of MP extreme samples, which might guide treatment decisions as the signature captures the full spectrum of early breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josien C Haan
- Department of Research and Development, Agendia NV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rajith Bhaskaran
- Department of Research and Development, Agendia NV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Yannick Bijl
- Department of Research and Development, Agendia NV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Frédérique Penault-Llorca
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,UMR INSERM 1240, Universite Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - Annuska M Glas
- Department of Research and Development, Agendia NV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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14
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Molecular targets and therapeutics in chemoresistance of triple-negative breast cancer. Med Oncol 2021; 39:14. [PMID: 34812991 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-021-01610-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a specific subtype of breast cancer (BC), which shows immunohistochemically negative expression of hormone receptor i.e., Estrogen receptor and Progesterone receptor along with the absence of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER2/neu). In Indian scenario the prevalence of BC is 26.3%, whereas, in West Bengal the cases are of 18.4%. But the rate of TNBC has increased up to 31% and shows 27% of total BC. Conventional chemotherapy is effective only in the initial stages but with progression of the disease the effectivity gets reduced and shown almost no effect in later or advanced stages of TNBC. Thus, TNBC patients frequently develop resistance and metastasis, due to its peculiar triple-negative nature most of the hormonal therapies also fails. Development of chemoresistance may involve various factors, such as, TNBC heterogeneity, cancer stem cells (CSCs), signaling pathway deregulation, DNA repair mechanism, hypoxia, and other molecular factors. To overcome the challenges to treat TNBC various targets and molecules have been exploited including CSCs modulator, drug efflux transporters, hypoxic factors, apoptotic proteins, and regulatory signaling pathways. Moreover, to improve the targets and efficacy of treatments researchers are emphasizing on targeted therapy for TNBC. In this review, an effort has been made to focus on phenotypic and molecular variations in TNBC along with the role of conventional as well as newly identified pathways and strategies to overcome challenge of chemoresistance.
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15
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Ectopic expression of MELK in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its correlation with epithelial mesenchymal transition. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:13048-13060. [PMID: 33962400 PMCID: PMC8148453 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely correlated to metastasis formation generation and maintenance of cancer stem cells, nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of maternal embryonic leucine-zipper kinase (MELK) in EMT regulation in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We found that there was overexpression of MELK in human OSCC tissues, and high MELK expression was correlated with lymphatic metastasis and led to poor prognosis in patients with OSCC. We also confirmed that MELK is closely correlated to the EMT process using a human OSCC tissue microarray. Additionally, MELK expression was observed to be regulated in several OSCC cell lines, and knockdown of MELK genes inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of OSCC cells in vitro. Furthermore, silencing of MELK suppressed tumour growth in vivo, and experimental research verified that MELK may augment OSCC development via mediating the Wnt/Notch signalling pathway. Our findings suggest that MELK serves as an oncogene to improve malignant development of OSCC via enhancing EMT, and MELK might be a potential target for anticancer therapeutic.
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16
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Shi J, Yang C, An J, Hao D, Liu C, Liu J, Sun J, Jiang J. KLF5-induced BBOX1-AS1 contributes to cell malignant phenotypes in non-small cell lung cancer via sponging miR-27a-5p to up-regulate MELK and activate FAK signaling pathway. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2021; 40:148. [PMID: 33931086 PMCID: PMC8086369 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-01943-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major histological subtype of lung cancer with high mortality and morbidity. A substantial amount of evidence demonstrates long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) as critical regulators in tumorigeneis and malignant progression of human cancers. The oncogenic role of BBOX1 anti-sense RNA 1 (BBOX1-AS1) has been reported in several tumors. As yet, the potential functions and mechanisms of BBOX1-AS1 in NSCLC are obscure. Methods The gene and protein expression was detected by qRT-PCR and western blot. Cell function was determined by CCK-8, colony forming, would healing and transwell assays. Bioinformatics tools, ChIP assays, dual luciferase reporters system and RNA pull-down experiments were used to examine the interaction between molecules. Subcutaneous tumor models in nude mice were established to investigate in vivo NSCLC cell behavior. Results BBOX1-AS1 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cells. High BBOX1-AS1 expression was associated with worse clinical parameters and poor prognosis. BBOX1-AS1 up-regulation was induced by transcription factor KLF5. BBOX1-AS1 deficiency resulted in an inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in vitro. Also, knockdown of BBOX1-AS1 suppressed NSCLC xenograft tumor growth in mice in vivo. Mechanistically, BBOX1-AS1 acted act as a competetive “sponge” of miR-27a-5p to promote maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) expression and activate FAK signaling. miR-27a-5p was confirmed as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC. Moreover, BBOX1-AS1-induced increase of cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT was greatly reversed due to the overexpression of miR-27a-5p. In addition, the suppressive effect of NSCLC progression owing to BBOX1-AS1 depletion was abated by the up-regulation of MELK. Consistently, BBOX1-AS1-mediated carcinogenicity was attenuated in NSCLC after treatment with a specific MELK inhibitor OTSSP167. Conclusions KLF5-induced BBOX1-AS1 exerts tumor-promotive roles in NSCLC via sponging miR-27a-5p to activate MELK/FAK signaling, providing the possibility of employing BBOX1-AS1 as a therapeutic target for NSCLC patients. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-021-01943-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Shi
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Jinlu An
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Dexun Hao
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Jumin Liu
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Junguang Jiang
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
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17
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Cao W, Jiang Y, Ji X, Guan X, Lin Q, Ma L. Identification of novel prognostic genes of triple-negative breast cancer using meta-analysis and weighted gene co-expressed network analysis. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:205. [PMID: 33708832 PMCID: PMC7940929 DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-5989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with high rates of metastasis and recurrence. Conventional clinical treatments are ineffective for it as it lacks therapeutic biomarkers. Figuring out the biomarkers related to TNBC will be beneficial for its clinical treatment and prognosis. Methods Five independent datasets downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were merged to identify differentially expressed genes between TNBC and non-TNBC samples by using the MetaDE.ES method followed by mapping the differentially expressed genes into a protein-protein interaction network. Meanwhile, the weighted gene co-expressed network analysis (WGCNA) of The Cancer Genome Atlas data was performed to screen the hub genes. The gene functional analyses were conducted by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. The correlation between gene expression level and patient overall survival was evaluated by survival analysis. Results A total of 11 differentially expressed genes (CDH1, SP1, MYC, FAF2, IFI16, MDM2, AR, DBN1, HSPB1, FLNA, YWHAB) were obtained from the protein-protein interaction network with degree >10. WGCNA revealed 5 hub genes (TPX2, CTPS1, KIF2C, MELK, CDCA8) that were significantly associated with TNBC. Cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, spliceosome were the pathways significantly enriched in these genes according to GO functionally annotated terms and KEGG pathways analysis. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the expression levels of HSPB1, IFI16, TPX2 were significantly associated with the survival time of TNBC patients (P<0.05). Conclusions A total of 16 genes significantly associated with TNBC were identified by bioinformatic analyses. Among these 16 genes, HSPB1, IFI16, TPX2 might be able to be used as biomarkers of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenning Cao
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yike Jiang
- Institute of Biomedical Health Technology and Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.,Precision Medicine and Healthcare Research Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiang Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China.,School of Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuejiao Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China.,School of Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Qianyu Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China.,Precision Medicine and Healthcare Research Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China.,Institute of Biomedical Health Technology and Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.,Precision Medicine and Healthcare Research Center, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, China.,Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, China
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18
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Zhang X, Wang J, Wang Y, Liu G, Li H, Yu J, Wu R, Liang J, Yu R, Liu X. MELK Inhibition Effectively Suppresses Growth of Glioblastoma and Cancer Stem-Like Cells by Blocking AKT and FOXM1 Pathways. Front Oncol 2021; 10:608082. [PMID: 33520717 PMCID: PMC7842085 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.608082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a devastating disease yet no effective drug treatment has been established to date. Glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs) are insensitive to treatment and may be one of the reasons for the relapse of GBM. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase gene (MELK) plays an important role in the malignant proliferation and the maintenance of GSC stemness properties of GBM. However, the therapeutic effect of targeted inhibition of MELK on GBM remains unclear. This study analyzed the effect of a MELK oral inhibitor, OTSSP167, on GBM proliferation and the maintenance of GSC stemness. OTSSP167 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and migration of GBM. OTSSP167 treatment reduced the expression of cell cycle G2/M phase-related proteins, Cyclin B1 and Cdc2, while up-regulation the expression of p21 and subsequently induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. OTSSP167 effectively prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice and inhibited tumor cell growth in in vivo mouse models. It also reduced protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation levels by OTSSP167 treatment, thereby disrupting the proliferation and invasion of GBM cells. Furthermore, OTSSP167 inhibited the proliferation, neurosphere formation and self-renewal capacity of GSCs by reducing forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) phosphorylation and transcriptional activity. Interestingly, the inhibitory effect of OTSSP167 on the proliferation of GSCs was 4-fold more effective than GBM cells. In conclusion, MELK inhibition suppresses the growth of GBM and GSCs by double-blocking AKT and FOXM1 signals. Targeted inhibition of MELK may thus be potentially used as a novel treatment for GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhang
- Institute of Nervous System Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,The Graduate School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Institute of Nervous System Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yifeng Wang
- Institute of Nervous System Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Guanzheng Liu
- Institute of Nervous System Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Huan Li
- Institute of Nervous System Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jiefeng Yu
- Institute of Nervous System Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Runqiu Wu
- Institute of Nervous System Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jun Liang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Rutong Yu
- Institute of Nervous System Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Xuejiao Liu
- Institute of Nervous System Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
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19
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PIG-1 MELK-dependent phosphorylation of nonmuscle myosin II promotes apoptosis through CES-1 Snail partitioning. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008912. [PMID: 32946434 PMCID: PMC7527206 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism(s) through which mammalian kinase MELK promotes tumorigenesis is not understood. We find that the C. elegans orthologue of MELK, PIG-1, promotes apoptosis by partitioning an anti-apoptotic factor. The C. elegans NSM neuroblast divides to produce a larger cell that differentiates into a neuron and a smaller cell that dies. We find that in this context, PIG-1 MELK is required for partitioning of CES-1 Snail, a transcriptional repressor of the pro-apoptotic gene egl-1 BH3-only. pig-1 MELK is controlled by both a ces-1 Snail- and par-4 LKB1-dependent pathway, and may act through phosphorylation and cortical enrichment of nonmuscle myosin II prior to neuroblast division. We propose that pig-1 MELK-induced local contractility of the actomyosin network plays a conserved role in the acquisition of the apoptotic fate. Our work also uncovers an auto-regulatory loop through which ces-1 Snail controls its own activity through the formation of a gradient of CES-1 Snail protein. Apoptosis is critical for the elimination of ‘unwanted’ cells. What distinguishes wanted from unwanted cells in developing animals is poorly understood. We report that in the C. elegans NSM neuroblast lineage, the level of CES-1, a Snail-family member and transcriptional repressor of the pro-apoptotic gene egl-1, contributes to this process. In addition, we demonstrate that C. elegans PIG-1, the orthologue of mammalian proto-oncoprotein MELK, plays a critical role in controlling CES-1Snail levels. Specifically, during NSM neuroblast division, PIG-1MELK controls partitioning of CES-1Snail into one but not the other daughter cell thereby promoting the making of one wanted and one unwanted cell. Furthermore, we present evidence that PIG-1MELK acts prior to NSM neuroblast division by locally activating the actomyosin network.
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20
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MELK Accelerates the Progression of Colorectal Cancer via Activating the FAK/Src Pathway. Biochem Genet 2020; 58:771-782. [DOI: 10.1007/s10528-020-09974-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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21
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McDonald IM, Graves LM. Enigmatic MELK: The controversy surrounding its complex role in cancer. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:8195-8203. [PMID: 32350113 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.013433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ser/Thr protein kinase MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase) has been considered an attractive therapeutic target for managing cancer since 2005. Studies using expression analysis have indicated that MELK expression is higher in numerous cancer cells and tissues than in their normal, nonneoplastic counterparts. Further, RNAi-mediated MELK depletion impairs proliferation of multiple cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and these growth defects can be rescued with exogenous WT MELK, but not kinase-dead MELK complementation. Pharmacological MELK inhibition with OTS167 (alternatively called OTSSP167) and NVS-MELK8a, among other small molecules, also impairs cancer cell growth. These collective results led to MELK being classified as essential for cancer proliferation. More recently, in 2017, the proliferation of TNBC and other cancer cell lines was reported to be unaffected by genetic CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MELK deletion, calling into question the essentiality of this kinase in cancer. To date, the requirement of MELK in cancer remains controversial, and mechanisms underlying the disparate growth effects observed with RNAi, pharmacological inhibition, and CRISPR remain unclear. Our objective with this review is to highlight the evidence on both sides of this controversy, to provide commentary on the purported requirement of MELK in cancer, and to emphasize the need for continued elucidation of the functions of MELK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lee M Graves
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA .,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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22
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Li H, Chen M, Yang Z, Wang Q, Wang J, Jin D, Yang X, Chen F, Zhou X, Luo K. Phillygenin, a MELK Inhibitor, Inhibits Cell Survival and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:2833-2842. [PMID: 32308417 PMCID: PMC7138621 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s238958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of cancer, with the lowest 5-year survival rate of all cancer types. Given the fast metastasis of PC and its resistance to surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and combinations thereof, it is imperative to develop more effective anti-PC drugs. Phillygenin (PHI) has been reported to exert anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti‐inflammatory properties. However, the mechanism of PHI in the development of PC is still unclear. Methods The cytotoxicity of PHI in pancreatic cancer cells was evaluated by MTT assay, and clonogenic assay was used to test the anti-proliferation of PHI. The pro-apoptotic effect of PHI was detected by flow cytometry analysis. The changes of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in pancreatic cancer cells treated with PHI were determined by Western blot. Transwell assay was used to test the migration and invasion of PC cells after treatment with PHI. Molecular docking was used to predict the potential binding site of candidate target with PHI. Results PHI could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and EMT of PC cells (PANC-1 and SW1990) and induce its apoptosis. Analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas database indicated that elevated MELK levels correlated with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of PC patients. In addition, molecular modeling showed that PHI may potentially target the catalytic domain of maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK). Overexpression of MELK muted the anti-PC effects of PHI. Conclusion PHI holds promise as a potent candidate drug for the treatment of PC via targeted MELK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongchun Li
- Department of Cadre Health, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Miao Chen
- Department of Oncology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuying Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinxian Wang
- Department of Cadre Health, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiesheng Wang
- Department of Cadre Health, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Jin
- Department of Cadre Health, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuyun Yang
- Department of Cadre Health, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuxing Chen
- Department of Cadre Health, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiumin Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Kexue Luo
- Department of Cadre Health, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
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Identification of Long Noncoding RNAs as Predictors of Survival in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Based on Network Analysis. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:8970340. [PMID: 32190687 PMCID: PMC7073484 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8970340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer observed in adult females, worldwide. Due to the heterogeneity and varied molecular subtypes of breast cancer, the molecular mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis in different subtypes of breast cancer are distinct. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be oncogenic or play important roles in cancer suppression and are used as biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we identified 134 lncRNAs and 6,414 coding genes were differentially expressed in triple-negative (TN), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2- (HER2-) positive, luminal A-positive, and luminal B-positive breast cancer. Of these, 37 lncRNAs were found to be dysregulated in all four subtypes of breast cancers. Subtypes of breast cancer special modules and lncRNA-mRNA interaction networks were constructed through weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Survival analysis of another public datasets was used to verify the identified lncRNAs exhibiting potential indicative roles in TN prognosis. Results from heat map analysis of the identified lncRNAs revealed that five blocks were significantly displayed. High expressions of lncRNAs, including LINC00911, CSMD2-AS1, LINC01192, SNHG19, DSCAM-AS1, PCAT4, ACVR28-AS1, and CNTFR-AS1, and low expressions of THAP9-AS1, MALAT1, TUG1, CAHM, FAM2011, NNT-AS1, COX10-AS1, and RPARP-AS1 were associated with low survival possibility in TN breast cancers. This study provides novel lncRNAs as potential biomarkers for the therapeutic and prognostic classification of different breast cancer subtypes.
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Chen P, Wang J, Wang X, Chen X, Li C, Tan T. Cloning, tissue distribution, expression pattern, and function of porcine maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:239. [PMID: 32309386 PMCID: PMC7154462 DOI: 10.21037/atm.2020.03.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is an atypical member of the snf1/AMPK family of serine-threonine kinases, involved in diverse physiological and pathological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, embryogenesis, cancer treatment resistance, and RNA processing. MELK is highly expressed in human cancers and is associated with more aggressive forms of astrocytoma, glioblastoma, breast cancer, and melanoma to date, no information about porcine MELK (pMELK) has been reported. Methods In this study, the pMELK coding sequence was cloned from swine spleen and characterized. We also quantitatively determined the expression of MELK in 11 tissues isolated from a piglet and determined its subcellular localization when expressed in swine umbilical vein endothelial cells (SUVEC) as a fusion protein. Moreover, we report the functional characterization of pMELK protein concerning its role in apoptosis. Results Sequencing analysis showed that full-length of pMELK is 2,072 bp with 17 exons, encoding 655 amino acids, including an S-TKc conserved domain. Comparison of pMELK with ten other mammalian species of their orthologous sequences showed >91% homology and an evolutionary distance <0.05, demonstrating that MELK is highly conserved in evolution. Relative quantification of MELK expression in 11 tissue samples isolated from 30-day-old piglets showed MELK expression in all tested organs and the highest expression in the superficial inguinal lymph node. Constructed a plasmid named pEGFP-MELK, and the fusion protein GFP-MELK was successfully expressed in SUVECs. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the subcellular distribution of the fusion protein GFP-MELK was limited to the cytoplasm. About function, Flow cytometry analysis showed that overexpression of GFP-pMELK in SUVEC cells enhances staurosporine (STS)—induced apoptosis, but not significantly different. The pMELK protein also was found to interact with porcine BCL-G and transient transfection of the recombinant plasmid pCMV-HA-pMELK into SUVEC cells stably expressing GFP-pBCL-G protein inhibited pBCL-G -induced apoptosis significantly. Conclusions The present study provided useful information on pMELK basic details and function in apoptosis offer a potential new molecular model for disease interventions and disease related to human MELK and BCL-G.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyuan Chen
- Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Jiaqiang Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xingye Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Chunling Li
- Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Taichang Tan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
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Chen L, Wei Q, Bi S, Xie S. Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase Promotes Tumor Growth and Metastasis via Stimulating FOXM1 Signaling in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2020; 10:10. [PMID: 32047721 PMCID: PMC6997270 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common gastrointestinal malignancy and is one of the most important cause of cancer related mortalities in the world. However, there is no clinically effective targeted therapeutic drugs for ESCC due to lack of valuable molecular therapeutic targets. In the present study, we investigated the biological function and molecular mechanisms of maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) in ESCC. The expression of MELK mRNA and protein was determined in cell lines and clinical samples of ESCC. MTT, focus formation and soft agar assays were carried out to measure cell proliferation and colony formation. Wound healing and transwell assays were used to assess the capacity of tumor cell migration and invasion. Nude mice models of subcutaneous tumor growth and lung metastasis were performed to examine the function of MELK in tumorigenecity and metastasis of ESCC cells. High expression of MELK was observed in ESCC cell line and human samples, especially in the metastatic tumor tissues. Moreover, overexpression of MELK promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion, and increased the expression and enzyme activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in ESCC cells. More importantly, enhanced expression of MELK greatly accelerated tumor growth and lung metastasis of ESCC cells in vivo. In contrast, knockdown of MELK by lentiviral shRNA resulted in an opposite effect both in vitro and in animal models. Mechanistically, MELK facilitated the phosphorylation of FOXM1, leading to activation of its downstream targets (PLK1, Cyclin B1, and Aurora B), and thereby promoted tumorigenesis and metastasis of ESCC cells. In conclusion, MELK enhances tumorigenesis, migration, invasion and metastasis of ESCC cells via activation of FOXM1 signaling pathway, suggesting MELK is a potential therapeutic target for ESCC patients, even those in an advanced stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Qiuren Wei
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Shuning Bi
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Songqiang Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
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Xu Q, Ge Q, Zhou Y, Yang B, Yang Q, Jiang S, Jiang R, Ai Z, Zhang Z, Teng Y. MELK promotes Endometrial carcinoma progression via activating mTOR signaling pathway. EBioMedicine 2020; 51:102609. [PMID: 31915116 PMCID: PMC7000338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.102609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is one of the most common gynecological malignancies among women. Maternal embryonic leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) is upregulated in a variety of human tumors, where it contributes to malignant phenotype and correlates with a poor prognosis. However, the biological function of MELK in EC progression remains largely unknown. Methods We explored the MELK expression in EC using TCGA and GEO databases and verified it using clinical samples by IHC methods. CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, cell cycle assay, wound healing assay and subcutaneous xenograft mouse model were generated to estimate the functions of MELK and its inhibitor OTSSP167. qRT-PCR, western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay were performed to uncover the underlying mechanism concerning MELK during the progression of EC. Findings MELK was significantly elevated in patients with EC, and high expression of MELK was associated with serous EC, high histological grade, advanced clinical stage and reduced overall survival and disease-free survival. MELK knockdown decreased the ability of cell proliferation and migration in vitro and subcutaneous tumorigenesis in vivo. In addition, high expression of MELK could be regulated by transcription factor E2F1. Moreover, we found that MELK had a direct interaction with MLST8 and then activated mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling pathway for EC progression. Furthermore, OTSSP167, an effective inhibitor, could inhibit cell proliferation driven by MELK in vivo and vitro assays. Interpretation We have explored the crucial role of the E2F1/MELK/mTORC1/2 axis in the progression of EC, which could be served as potential therapeutic targets for treatment of EC. Funding This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No:81672565), the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (Grant NO:17ZR1421400 to Dr. Zhihong Ai) and the fundamental research funds for central universities (No: 22120180595).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinyang Xu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Qiulin Ge
- Centre of assisted reproduction, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, PR China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Bikang Yang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Qin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China
| | - Shuheng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China
| | - Rongzhen Jiang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Zhihong Ai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China
| | - Zhigang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - Yincheng Teng
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, No.600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, PR China.
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Mutant P53 induces MELK expression by release of wild-type P53-dependent suppression of FOXM1. NPJ Breast Cancer 2020; 6:2. [PMID: 31909186 PMCID: PMC6941974 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-019-0143-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer, and is associated with a poor prognosis due to frequent distant metastasis and lack of effective targeted therapies. Previously, we identified maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) to be highly expressed in TNBCs as compared with ER-positive breast cancers. Here we determined the molecular mechanism by which MELK is overexpressed in TNBCs. Analysis of publicly available data sets revealed that MELK mRNA is elevated in p53-mutant breast cancers. Consistent with this observation, MELK protein levels are higher in p53-mutant vs. p53 wild-type breast cancer cells. Furthermore, inactivation of wild-type p53, by loss or mutation of the p53 gene, increases MELK expression, whereas overexpression of wild-type p53 in p53-null cells reduces MELK promoter activity and MELK expression. We further analyzed MELK expression in breast cancer data sets and compared that with known wild-type p53 target genes. This analysis revealed that MELK expression strongly correlates with genes known to be suppressed by wild-type p53. Promoter deletion studies identified a p53-responsive region within the MELK promoter that did not map to the p53 consensus response elements, but to a region containing a FOXM1-binding site. Consistent with this result, knockdown of FOXM1 reduced MELK expression in p53-mutant TNBC cells and expression of wild-type p53 reduced FOXM1 expression. ChIP assays demonstrated that expression of wild-type p53 reduces binding of E2F1 (a critical transcription factor controlling FOXM1 expression) to the FOXM1 promoter, thereby, reducing FOXM1 expression. These results show that wild-type p53 suppresses FOXM1 expression, and thus MELK expression, through indirect mechanisms. Overall, these studies demonstrate that wild-type p53 represses MELK expression by inhibiting E2F1A-dependent transcription of FOXM1 and that mutation-driven loss of wild-type p53, which frequently occurs in TNBCs, induces MELK expression by suppressing FOXM1 expression and activity in p53-mutant breast cancers.
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28
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McDonald IM, Grant GD, East MP, Gilbert TSK, Wilkerson EM, Goldfarb D, Beri J, Herring LE, Vaziri C, Cook JG, Emanuele MJ, Graves LM. Mass spectrometry-based selectivity profiling identifies a highly selective inhibitor of the kinase MELK that delays mitotic entry in cancer cells. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:2359-2374. [PMID: 31896573 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) has been implicated in the regulation of cancer cell proliferation. RNAi-mediated MELK depletion impairs growth and causes G2/M arrest in numerous cancers, but the mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood. Furthermore, the MELK inhibitor OTSSP167 has recently been shown to have poor selectivity for MELK, complicating the use of this inhibitor as a tool compound to investigate MELK function. Here, using a cell-based proteomics technique called multiplexed kinase inhibitor beads/mass spectrometry (MIB/MS), we profiled the selectivity of two additional MELK inhibitors, NVS-MELK8a (8a) and HTH-01-091. Our results revealed that 8a is a highly selective MELK inhibitor, which we further used for functional studies. Resazurin and crystal violet assays indicated that 8a decreases triple-negative breast cancer cell viability, and immunoblotting revealed that impaired growth is due to perturbation of cell cycle progression rather than induction of apoptosis. Using double-thymidine synchronization and immunoblotting, we observed that MELK inhibition delays mitotic entry, which was associated with delayed activation of Aurora A, Aurora B, and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1). Following this delay, cells entered and completed mitosis. Using live-cell microscopy of cells harboring fluorescent proliferating cell nuclear antigen, we confirmed that 8a significantly and dose-dependently lengthens G2 phase. Collectively, our results provide a rationale for using 8a as a tool compound for functional studies of MELK and indicate that MELK inhibition delays mitotic entry, likely via transient G2/M checkpoint activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Gavin D Grant
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Michael P East
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Thomas S K Gilbert
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Emily M Wilkerson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Dennis Goldfarb
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110; Institute for Informatics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Joshua Beri
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Laura E Herring
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Cyrus Vaziri
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Jeanette Gowen Cook
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Michael J Emanuele
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Lee M Graves
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599.
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29
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Cigliano A, Pilo MG, Mela M, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Pes GM, Cossu A, Evert M, Calvisi DF, Utpatel K. Inhibition of MELK Protooncogene as an Innovative Treatment for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2019; 56:E1. [PMID: 31861475 PMCID: PMC7023300 DOI: 10.3390/medicina56010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a pernicious tumor characterized by a dismal outcome and scarce therapeutic options. To substantially improve the prognosis of iCCA patients, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for development and progression of this disease is imperative. In the present study, we aimed at elucidating the role of the maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) protooncogene in iCCA. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the expression of MELK and two putative targets, Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1) and Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2), in a collection of human iCCA by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The effects on iCCA growth of both the multi-kinase inhibitor OTSSP167 and specific small-interfering RNA (siRNA) against MELK were investigated in iCCA cell lines. Results: Expression of MELK was significantly higher in tumors than in corresponding non-neoplastic liver counterparts, with highest levels of MELK being associated with patients' shorter survival length. In vitro, OTSSP167 suppressed the growth of iCCA cell lines in a dose-dependent manner by reducing proliferation and inducing apoptosis. These effects were amplified when OTSSP167 administration was coupled to the DNA-damaging agent doxorubicin. Similar results, but less remarkable, were obtained when MELK was silenced by specific siRNA in the same cells. At the molecular level, siRNA against MELK triggered downregulation of MELK and its targets. Finally, we found that MELK is a downstream target of the E2F1 transcription factor. Conclusion: Our results indicate that MELK is ubiquitously overexpressed in iCCA, where it may represent a prognostic indicator and a therapeutic target. In particular, the combination of OTSSP167 (or other, more specific MELK inhibitors) with DNA-damaging agents might be a potentially effective therapy for human iCCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Cigliano
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (M.E.); (D.F.C.); (K.U.)
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany; (M.G.P.); (M.M.); (S.R.); (F.D.)
| | - Maria Giulia Pilo
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany; (M.G.P.); (M.M.); (S.R.); (F.D.)
| | - Marta Mela
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany; (M.G.P.); (M.M.); (S.R.); (F.D.)
| | - Silvia Ribback
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany; (M.G.P.); (M.M.); (S.R.); (F.D.)
| | - Frank Dombrowski
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany; (M.G.P.); (M.M.); (S.R.); (F.D.)
| | - Giovanni Mario Pes
- Department of Clinical, Surgical, Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (G.M.P.); (A.C.)
| | - Antonio Cossu
- Department of Clinical, Surgical, Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (G.M.P.); (A.C.)
| | - Matthias Evert
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (M.E.); (D.F.C.); (K.U.)
| | - Diego Francesco Calvisi
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (M.E.); (D.F.C.); (K.U.)
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany; (M.G.P.); (M.M.); (S.R.); (F.D.)
| | - Kirsten Utpatel
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (M.E.); (D.F.C.); (K.U.)
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Liu G, Wang P, Zhang H. MiR-6838-5p suppresses cell metastasis and the EMT process in triple-negative breast cancer by targeting WNT3A to inhibit the Wnt pathway. J Gene Med 2019; 21:e3129. [PMID: 31693779 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has become a common tumor that harms women's physical and mental health, as characterized by a relatively rapid recurrence and a high incidence of brain metastasis. Research increasingly suggests that microRNAs play key roles in the progress of TNBC. However, the function of miR-6838-5p in TNBC has not yet been reported, and requires additional exploration. METHODS In the present study, we uncovered miR-6838-5p expression in TNBC cells via a quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Functionally, the impacts of up-regulated or down-regulated miR-6838-5p on TNBC invasiveness, Wnt pathway activation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated via transwell and western blot assays. Mechanical analyses were utilized to unmask the miR-6838-5p mechanism in TNBC, including luciferase reporter, western blot and RIP assays. Rescue assays manifested the miR-6838-5p/WNT3A network in TNBC invasiveness through the Wnt pathway. RESULTS Under-expressed miR-6838-5p was found in TNBC cells. Up-regulation of miR-6838-5p suppressed TNBC cell invasion, migration and blockade of the Wnt pathway. However, down-regulation of miR-6838-5p led to opposite results. Furthermore, we found, via luciferase reporter, western blot and RIP assays, that miR-6838-5p could bind with WNT3A and negatively regulate WNT3A expression. Through rescue experiments, we demonstrated that the overexpression of WNT3A partially rescued the miR-6838-5p overexpression-mediated inhibitory effect, and knockdown of WNT3A partially rescued the miR-6838-5p suppression-mediated promotive effect on the progression of TNBC. CONCLUSIONS In summary, the results of the present study indicate that miR-6838-5p suppresses cell proliferation, metastasis and the EMT process in TNBC by targeting WNT3A to inhibit the Wnt pathway, which may provide a new insight into the therapeutic strategies of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guozhu Liu
- Department 1 of Breast Surgery, Linyi Cancer Hospital, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department 1 of Breast Surgery, Linyi Cancer Hospital, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Oncological Radiotherapy, Wenzhou Central Hospital, Zhejiang Province, China
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Si M, Zhang J, Cao J, Xie Z, Shu S, Zhu Y, Lang J. Integrated Analysis To Identify Molecular Biomarkers Of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. Onco Targets Ther 2019; 12:10057-10075. [PMID: 31819501 PMCID: PMC6877452 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s228678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer-related death worldwide. Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer can significantly improve patient prognosis. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify key diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers specific for ovarian cancer. Because high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common type of ovarian cancer and accounts for the majority of deaths, we identified potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis and prognosis of HGSOC. Methods Six datasets (GSE14001, GSE18520, GSE26712, GSE27651, GSE40595, and GSE54388) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database for analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HGSOC and normal ovarian surface epithelium samples were screened via integrated analysis. Hub genes were identified by analyzing protein-protein interaction (PPI) network data. The online Kaplan-Meier plotter was utilized to evaluate the prognostic roles of these hub genes. The expression of these hub genes was confirmed with Oncomine datasets and validated by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting. Results A total of 103 DEGs in patients with HGSOC-28 upregulated genes and 75 downregulated genes-were successfully screened. Enrichment analyses revealed that the upregulated genes were enriched in cell division and cell proliferation and that the downregulated genes mainly participated in the Wnt signaling pathway and various metabolic processes. Ten hub genes were associated with HGSOC pathogenesis. Seven overexpressed hub genes were partitioned into module 1 of the PPI network, which was enriched in the cell cycle and DNA replication pathways. Survival analysis revealed that MELK, CEP55 and KDR expression levels were significantly correlated with the overall survival of HGSOC patients (P < 0.05). The RNA and protein expression levels of these hub genes were validated experimentally. Conclusion Based on an integrated analysis, we propose the further investigation of MELK, CEP55 and KDR as promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of HGSOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfei Si
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Junji Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianzhong Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhibo Xie
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan Shu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yapei Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinghe Lang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Wan X, Liu C, Lin Y, Fu J, Lu G, Lu Z. pH sensitive peptide functionalized nanoparticles for co-delivery of erlotinib and DAPT to restrict the progress of triple negative breast cancer. Drug Deliv 2019; 26:470-480. [PMID: 30957572 PMCID: PMC6462792 DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2019.1576801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a variety of drug delivery strategies have been designed for enhancing the treatment of Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), combating with TNBCs is still dramatically challenged by the selection of appropriate therapeutic targets and insufficient tumor accumulation or inner penetration of chemotherapeutics. To address these issues, the classical EGFR-inhibitor, erlotinib (EB), was selected as the model drug here and PLA-based nano-platform (NP-EB) was prepared for tumor site drug delivery. Given the significant role of Notch-EGFR interplay in raising severe resistance to EGFR inhibition of EB, gamma secretase inhibitor (GSI)-DAPT was further entrapped into the core of nanoparticles to inhibit the activation of Notch signaling (NP-EB/DART). For achieving the goal of tumor targeting drug delivery, we developed a new peptide CF and decorating it on the surface of EB/DART-dual loaded nanoparticles (CF-NP-EB/DART). Such CF peptide was designed by conjugating two separated peptide CREKA, tumor-homing peptide, and F3, cell penetrating peptide, to together via a pH-sensitive hydrazone bond. By this way, the tumor unspecific property of F3 was sealed and significantly reduced the site effects. However, after the nanoparticles reach the tumor site, the pH-sensitive linkage can be broken down by the unique acidic environment of tumor, and subsequently discovered the F3 peptide to penetrate into tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Wan
- a Department of Pharmacy, South Campus, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine , Shanghai Jiaotong University , Shanghai , People's Republic of China
| | - Chaoqian Liu
- b Department of General Surgery , Changhai Hospital The Second Military Medical University , Shanghai , People's Republic of China
| | - Yinan Lin
- a Department of Pharmacy, South Campus, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine , Shanghai Jiaotong University , Shanghai , People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Fu
- a Department of Pharmacy, South Campus, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine , Shanghai Jiaotong University , Shanghai , People's Republic of China
| | - Guohong Lu
- a Department of Pharmacy, South Campus, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine , Shanghai Jiaotong University , Shanghai , People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengmao Lu
- b Department of General Surgery , Changhai Hospital The Second Military Medical University , Shanghai , People's Republic of China
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Li Z, Sang M, Tian Z, Liu Z, Lv J, Zhang F, Shan B. Identification of key biomarkers and potential molecular mechanisms in lung cancer by bioinformatics analysis. Oncol Lett 2019; 18:4429-4440. [PMID: 31611952 PMCID: PMC6781723 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.10796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the most widespread neoplasms worldwide. To identify the key biomarkers in its carcinogenesis and development, the mRNA microarray datasets GSE102287, GSE89047, GSE67061 and GSE74706 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. GEO2R was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in lung cancer. The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery was used to analyze the functions and pathways of the DEGs, while the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins and Cytoscape were used to obtain the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Kaplan Meier curves were used to analyze the effect of the hub genes on overall survival (OS). Module analysis was completed using Molecular Complex Detection in Cytoscape, and one co-expression network of these significant genes was obtained with cBioPortal. A total of 552 DEGs were identified among the four microarray datasets, which were mainly enriched in 'cell proliferation', 'cell growth', 'cell division', 'angiogenesis' and 'mitotic nuclear division'. A PPI network, composed of 44 nodes and 886 edges, was constructed, and its significant module had 16 hub genes in the whole network: Opa interacting protein 5, exonuclease 1, PCNA clamp-associated factor, checkpoint kinase 1, hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor, maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase, non-SMC condensin I complex subunit G, centromere protein F, BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase, cyclin A2, thyroid hormone receptor interactor 13, TPX2 microtubule nucleation factor, nucleolar and spindle associated protein 1, kinesin family member 20A, aurora kinase A and centrosomal protein 55. Survival analysis of these hub genes revealed that they were markedly associated with poor OS in patients with lung cancer. In summary, the hub genes and DEGs delineated in the research may aid the identification of potential targets for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhua Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Meixiang Sang
- Hebei Cancer Research Center, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Ziqiang Tian
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Zhao Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing 100142, P.R. China
| | - Jian Lv
- Second Department of Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Baoen Shan
- Hebei Cancer Research Center, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
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Pereira‐Veiga T, Abreu M, Robledo D, Matias‐Guiu X, Santacana M, Sánchez L, Cueva J, Palacios P, Abdulkader I, López‐López R, Muinelo‐Romay L, Costa C. CTCs‐derived xenograft development in a triple negative breast cancer case. Int J Cancer 2018; 144:2254-2265. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tais Pereira‐Veiga
- Roche‐Chus Joint Unit. Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS) Spain
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Manuel Abreu
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS) Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Diego Robledo
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh Midlothian United Kingdom
| | - Xavier Matias‐Guiu
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Genetics/Oncologic Pathology GroupArnau de Vilanova University Hospital, University of Lleida Lleida Lleida Spain
- CIBERONC, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer Madrid Spain
| | - María Santacana
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Genetics/Oncologic Pathology GroupArnau de Vilanova University Hospital, University of Lleida Lleida Lleida Spain
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physic AntrophologyUniversidade de Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Juan Cueva
- Department of OncologyComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS) Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Patricia Palacios
- Department of OncologyComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS) Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Ihab Abdulkader
- Department of PathologyComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS) Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Rafael López‐López
- Roche‐Chus Joint Unit. Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS) Spain
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS) Santiago de Compostela Spain
- CIBERONC, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer Madrid Spain
- Department of OncologyComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS) Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Laura Muinelo‐Romay
- Roche‐Chus Joint Unit. Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS) Spain
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS) Santiago de Compostela Spain
- CIBERONC, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer Madrid Spain
| | - Clotilde Costa
- Roche‐Chus Joint Unit. Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS) Spain
- CIBERONC, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer Madrid Spain
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Li R, Chen H, Jiang S, Li W, Li H, Zhang Z, Hong H, Huang X, Zhao C, Lu Y, Bo X. CMTCN: a web tool for investigating cancer-specific microRNA and transcription factor co-regulatory networks. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5951. [PMID: 30473937 PMCID: PMC6237116 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are well-characterized trans-acting essential players in gene expression regulation. Growing evidence indicates that TFs and miRNAs can work cooperatively, and their dysregulation has been associated with many diseases including cancer. A unified picture of regulatory interactions of these regulators and their joint target genes would shed light on cancer studies. Although online resources developed to support probing of TF-gene and miRNA-gene interactions are available, online applications for miRNA-TF co-regulatory analysis, especially with a focus on cancers, are lacking. In light of this, we developed a web tool, namely CMTCN (freely available at http://www.cbportal.org/CMTCN), which constructs miRNA-TF co-regulatory networks and conducts comprehensive analyses within the context of particular cancer types. With its user-friendly provision of topological and functional analyses, CMTCN promises to be a reliable and indispensable web tool for biomedical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijiang Li
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hebing Chen
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Jiang
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Wanying Li
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuo Zhang
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Hong
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Chenghui Zhao
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Lu
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaochen Bo
- Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
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Wang J, Wang Y, Shen F, Xu Y, Zhang Y, Zou X, Zhou J, Chen Y. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase: A novel biomarker and a potential therapeutic target of cervical cancer. Cancer Med 2018; 7:5665-5678. [PMID: 30334367 PMCID: PMC6246930 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.1816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal embryo leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is highly expressed in a variety of malignant tumors and involved in cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, tumor formation etc However, the biological effects of MELK in cervical cancer are still uninvestigated. This study aimed to explore the expression of MELK in cervical cancer, as well as its effects on the proliferation, apoptosis, DNA damage repair on cervical cancer cell line in vitro and to provide novel ideas for further improving the clinical efficacy of cervical cancer. Immunohistochemistry, Western blot, RT‐qPCR, CCK8, and immunofluorescence techniques were used to detect the expression of MELK in cervical cancer tissues, paracancerous tissues, and cervical cancer cell lines. Several cervical cancer cell lines were treated with MELK knockdown by siRNA and MELK selective inhibitor OTSSP167. The effects on proliferation, apoptosis, and colony formation capacity, and tumor cell DNA damage repair‐related factor were detected in cell lines. Our data showed that the high expression rate of MELK in cervical cancer patients was 56.92%. MELK expression in cervical cancer samples was significantly higher than that in paraneoplastic tissues. Highly expressed MELK correlated with the cervical histopathological grading and greatly increased with the cervical histopathological grading, from normal cervix and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia to cervical cancer. Moreover, the abnormal expression of MELK was related to cervical cancer metastasis at early stage. The knockdown of MELK with siRNA and OTSSP167 had strong inhibition effects on the proliferation, apoptosis, and colony formation of cervical cancer cells. MELK knockdown could also aggravate the DNA damage of cervical cancer cells possibly by homologous recombination repair pathway. Therefore, MELK may be a predicting marker of poor prognosis of cervical cancer and may also be a new therapeutic target for cervical cancer, providing ideas for improving the therapeutic effect of cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital Affiliated Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yamei Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital Affiliated Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Fangrong Shen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital Affiliated Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yanting Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital Affiliated Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yinghui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital Affiliated Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xinwei Zou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital Affiliated Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jinhua Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital Affiliated Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Youguo Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital Affiliated Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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Kong P, Chen L, Yu M, Tao J, Liu J, Wang Y, Pan H, Zhou W, Wang S. miR-3178 inhibits cell proliferation and metastasis by targeting Notch1 in triple-negative breast cancer. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:1059. [PMID: 30333478 PMCID: PMC6192997 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-1091-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a poorer outcome than other subtypes of breast cancer, and the discovery of dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) and their role in tumor progression has provided a new avenue for elucidating the mechanism involved in TNBC. In this study, we identified that miR-3178 was significantly reduced in TNBC, and the low miR-3178 expression correlated with poor overall survival in TNBC but not in non-TNBC. The ectopic overexpression of miR-3178 suppressed TNBC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration by inhibiting the epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) transition. Notch1 was validated as the direct target gene of miR-3178, which was confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. miR-3178 decreased the expression of Notch1 and restoration of Notch1 expression attenuated the inhibitory effects of miR-3178 on cell proliferation, metastasis, and the EMT in TNBC. miR-3178 inhibited cell proliferation and metastasis by targeting Notch1 in TNBC, and the restoration of miR-3178 might be a potential therapeutic strategy for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Kong
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, 210029, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lie Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, 210029, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Muxin Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, 210029, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Tao
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, 210029, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiawei Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, 210029, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, 210029, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hong Pan
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, 210029, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Wenbin Zhou
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, 210029, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Shui Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, 210029, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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