EDAG-1 promotes proliferation and invasion of human thyroid cancer cells by activating MAPK/Erk and AKT signal pathways

Exploring Intrinsic Disorder in Human Synucleins and Associated Proteins

In this work, we explored the intrinsic disorder status of the three members of the synuclein family of proteins-α-, β-, and γ-synucleins-and showed that although all three human synucleins are highly disordered, the highest levels of disorder are observed in γ-synuclein. Our analysis of the peculiarities of the amino acid sequences and modeled 3D structures of the human synuclein family members revealed that the pathological mutations A30P, E46K, H50Q, A53T, and A53E associated with the early onset of Parkinson's disease caused some increase in the local disorder propensity of human α-synuclein. A comparative sequence-based analysis of the synuclein proteins from various evolutionary distant species and evaluation of their levels of intrinsic disorder using a set of commonly used bioinformatics tools revealed that, irrespective of their origin, all members of the synuclein family analyzed in this study were predicted to be highly disordered proteins, indicating that their intrinsically disordered nature represents an evolutionary conserved and therefore functionally important feature. A detailed functional disorder analysis of the proteins in the interactomes of the human synuclein family members utilizing a set of commonly used disorder analysis tools showed that the human α-synuclein interactome has relatively higher levels of intrinsic disorder as compared with the interactomes of human β- and γ- synucleins and revealed that, relative to the β- and γ-synuclein interactomes, α-synuclein interactors are involved in a much broader spectrum of highly diversified functional pathways. Although proteins interacting with three human synucleins were characterized by highly diversified functionalities, this analysis also revealed that the interactors of three human synucleins were involved in three common functional pathways, such as the synaptic vesicle cycle, serotonergic synapse, and retrograde endocannabinoid signaling. Taken together, these observations highlight the critical importance of the intrinsic disorder of human synucleins and their interactors in various neuronal processes.

Cancer/testis antigen HEMGN correlated with immune infiltration serves as a prognostic biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma

HEMGN belongs to the Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs), which are expressed in various types of human cancers and have received particular attention in cancer immunotherapy. However, the potential function of HEMGN involved in lung cancer and the immune response is not yet elucidated. HEMGN expression in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) was estimated via the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), The University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer data analysis Portal (UALCAN), and Human Protein Atlas databases. The prognostic role of HEMGN was investigated by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), PrognoScan, and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases. The associations between HEMGN and clinicopathological parameters were analyzed with UALCAN database. Then, immunohistochemical and Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis were performed to further verify the associations in tissue or serum samples. Serum from patients were detected for HEMGN antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Flow cytometry was used to detect immune cell infiltration in peripheral blood of patients with LUAD. In addition, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was conducted to investigate the functional role of HEMGN. Furthermore, we obtained the somatic mutation data from the TCGA LUAD dataset and analyzed the mutation profiles with "maftools" package. Finally, we evaluated the associations between HEMGN and immune infiltration level and the characteristic markers of immune cells in TIMER, GEPIA, and CIBERSORT. The mRNA and protein expressions of HEMGN were significantly decreased in LUAD patients. High HEMGN expression was remarkably associated with better prognosis in LUAD patients. The concentration levels of anti-HEMGN antibody in LUAD were significantly higher than that in healthy individuals and were closely correlated with clinical stage. In addition, HEMGN was involved in distinct typical genomic alterations in LUAD. GSEA demonstrated that HEMGN was significantly connected with immunity and substance metabolism. Notably, HEMGN was significantly related to immune infiltrates, including B cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), and various kinds of functional T cells. Furthermore, HEMGN had a significant association with diverse immune gene markers. HEMGN can be considered as a prognostic biomarker of LUAD and is associated with immune infiltration.

Hemogen /BRG1 cooperativity modulates promoter and enhancer activation during erythropoiesis

Hemogen, also known as EDAG, is a hematopoietic tissue-specific gene that regulates the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. However, the mechanism underlying hemogen function in erythropoiesis is unknown. We found that depletion of hemogen in human CD34+ erythroid progenitor cells and HUDEP2 cells significantly reduced the expression of genes associated with heme and hemoglobin synthesis, supporting a positive role of hemogen in erythroid maturation. In human K562 cells, hemogen antagonized the occupancy of co-repressors NuRD complex and facilitated LDB1 complex-mediated chromatin looping. Hemogen recruited SWI/SNF complex ATPase BRG1 as a co-activator to regulate nucleosome accessibility and H3K27ac enrichment for promoter and enhancer activity. To ask if hemogen/BRG1 cooperativity is conserved in mammalian systems, we generated hemogen KO/KI mice and investigated hemogen/BRG1 function in murine erythropoiesis. Loss of hemogen in E12.5-E16.5 fetal liver cells impeded erythroid differentiation through reducing the production of mature erythroblasts. ChIP-seq in WT and hemogen KO animal revealed BRG1 is largely dependent on hemogen to regulate chromatin accessibility at erythroid gene promoters and enhancers. In summary, hemogen/BRG1 interaction in mammals is essential for fetal erythroid maturation and hemoglobin production through its active role in promoter and enhancer activity and chromatin organization.

Circ_PSD3 promotes the progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma via the miR-637/HEMGN axis

AIMS

In the present study, we aimed to uncover the potential functions of circular RNA (circRNA) pleckstrin and Sec7 domain containing 3 (circ_PSD3) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) development.

MAIN METHODS

The abundance of circ_PSD3, PSD3 messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA-637 (miR-637) and hemogen (HEMGN; EDAG-1) mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Flow cytometry was employed to measure cell cycle progression and cell apoptosis. Western blot assay was used to examine protein expression. The proliferation ability and motility of PTC cells were analyzed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and transwell assays, respectively. The interaction between miR-637 and circ_PSD3 or HEMGN was tested by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Animal experiments were used to explore the role of circ_PSD3 in PTC progression in vivo.

KEY FINDINGS

Circ_PSD3 was aberrantly up-regulated in PTC tumor tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Circ_PSD3 and HEMGN promoted the cell cycle progression, proliferation and metastasis and impeded the apoptosis of PTC cells. MiR-637 was a direct target of circ_PSD3, and miR-637 directly interacted with HEMGN mRNA in PTC cells. Circ_PSD3 silencing-induced effects in PTC cells were partly attenuated by the addition of anti-miR-637 or HEMGN overexpression plasmid. Circ_PSD3/miR-637/HEMGN regulated the activity of PI3K/Akt signal pathway in PTC cells. Circ_PSD3 silencing inhibited the tumor growth in vivo.

SIGNIFICANCE

Circ_PSD3 promoted the progression of PTC through regulating miR-637/HEMGN axis and activating PI3K/Akt signaling. Circ_PSD3/miR-637/HEMGN signaling axis might be a potential target for PTC therapy.

ANGPTL1 is a potential biomarker for differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosis and recurrence

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is a common type of cancer among women with an increasing worldwide incidence rate. However, there are no specific and sensitive molecular biomarkers for DTC diagnosis or prognosis. Angiopoietin-like protein 1 (ANGPTL1) may be a novel tumor suppressor in lung, breast, colorectal and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, little is known about the influence of ANGPTL1 on the malignant properties of thyroid cancer cells or DTC recurrence in patients. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of ANGPTL1 on thyroid cancer malignancy or recurrence. The present study examined the mRNA levels of ANGPTL1 in thyroid cancer and paracancerous tissues using RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The present study also determined the effects of ANGPTL1 on thyroid cancer cell proliferation using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Associations were identified among ANGPTL1 expression levels and thyroid cancer proliferation, migration and metastasis using The Cancer Genome Atlas data set and by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. The expression of ANGPTL1 in patients with DTC and without recurrence was compared in order to assess its potential as a prognostic biomarker for DTC. In addition, ANGPTL1 concentrations in the serum of patients with DTC and individuals with benign thyroid nodules were compared to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ANGPTL1 as a predictive biomarker for DTC. The results of the present study demonstrated that ANGPTL1 expression levels were lower in thyroid cancer compared with those in adjacent normal thyroid tissues. ANGPTL1 expression was observed to decrease with thyroid cancer progression. In addition, ANGPTL1 was demonstrated to inhibit thyroid cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion and ANGPTL1 expression levels were reduced in patients with DTC with recurrence compared with those in patients with non-recurrent DTC. Additionally, serum concentrations of ANGPTL1 in patients with DTC were decreased compared with those in individuals with benign thyroid nodules. In conclusion, ANGPTL1 may be a novel predictive biomarker for DTC diagnosis and recurrence in patients with DTC.

FARP1 Facilitates Cell Proliferation Through Modulating MAPK Signaling Pathway in Cutaneous Melanoma

PURPOSE

The purpose of our study was to investigate the biological functions of FARP1 gene in cutaneous melanoma.

METHODS

The mRNA expression level of FARP1 in cutaneous melanoma was analyzed based on the data obtained from ONCOMINE and The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted to explore the association between FARP1 expression and the overall survival time of patients with cutaneous melanoma. The mRNA expression of FARP1 in melanoma cells was determined by qRT-PCR. A-375 cell line with silenced FARP1 was constructed to explore its biological functions. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities were determined by CCK8 assay, wound-healing assay, and transwell assays, respectively. Western blot was performed to explore the protein expression of FARP1, pMEK, MEK, pERK, and ERK.

RESULTS

Our results showed that the expression level of FARP1 was upregulated in cutaneous melanoma tissues and cells. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that high expression of FARP1 is predictive of shorter overall survival time in patients with cutaneous melanoma. Through CCK8 assay, we found that knockdown of FARP1 in A-375 cells exhibited dramatically inhibitory effect on cell proliferation. The results of wound-healing and transwell assays revealed that the motility of A-375 cells was notably suppressed after silencing FARP1. Moreover, the relative expression levels of pMEK/MEK and pERK/ERK decreased remarkably in A-375 cells following being transfected with si-FARP1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our present results preliminary proofed that FARP1 possibly acts as a promoter in cutaneous melanoma development and possesses the potential to be a therapeutic target in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Anti-Remodeling Effects of Xanthohumol-Fortified Beer in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Mediated by ERK and AKT Inhibition

Polyphenols present in some alcoholic beverages have been linked to beneficial effects in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Polyphenols found in beer with anti-proliferative and anti-cancer properties are appealing in the context of the quasi-malignant phenotype of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Our purpose was to evaluate if the chronic ingestion of a xanthohumol-fortified beer (FB) would be able to modulate the pathophysiology of experimental PAH. Male Wistar rats with monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH (60 mg/kg) were allowed to drink either xanthohumol-fortified beer (MCT + FB) or 5.2% ethanol (MCT + SHAM) for a period 4 weeks. At the end of the protocol, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and hemodynamic recordings were performed, followed by sample collection for further analysis. FB intake resulted in a significant attenuation of the pulmonary vascular remodeling in MCT + FB animals. This improvement was paralleled with the downregulation in expression of proteins responsible for proliferation (ERK1/2), cell viability (AKT), and apoptosis (BCL-XL). Moreover, MCT + FB animals presented improved right ventricle (RV) function and remodeling accompanied by VEGFR-2 pathway downregulation. The present study demonstrates that a regular consumption of xanthohumol through FB modulates major remodeling pathways activated in experimental PAH.

Up-regulation of CKAP2L expression promotes lung adenocarcinoma invasion and is associated with poor prognosis

Aim

The purpose of this study is to consider the function of cytoskeleton-associated protein 2-like (CKAP2L) in lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) development and its prognostic value.

Methods

The mRNA expression of CKAP2L and its correlation with clinical factors in LAD patients were analyzed from the data taken from The Cancer Genome Atlas and The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University. We constructed H460 and A549 cell lines with silenced CKAP2L using RNA interference. Cell counting kit-8 assay and colony formation assays were carried out to determine the function of CKAP2L in H460 and A549 cell proliferation. Transwell and wound healing assays were applied to determine the effect of CKAP2L on H460 and A549 cell invasion and migration. The influences of CKAP2L on mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway-related proteins were tested by Western blotting.

Results

CKAP2L expression is enhanced in LAD tissues and is predictive of poor prognosis in LAD patients. High expression of CKAP2L is associated with stage (P<0.001), lymph node status (P=0.002), and metastasis (P=0.025). Depletion of CKAP2L dramatically suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of H460 and A549 cells. Moreover, the ratio of p-MEK/ MEK and p-ERK/ERK reduced obviously in A549 cells after depleting CKAP2L.

Conclusion

Our findings implied that CKAP2L might be a promoter of LAD and could serve as a predictor for LAD patients.

Divergent Hemogen genes of teleosts and mammals share conserved roles in erythropoiesis: analysis using transgenic and mutant zebrafish

Hemogen is a vertebrate transcription factor that performs important functions in erythropoiesis and testicular development and may contribute to neoplasia. Here we identify zebrafish Hemogen and show that it is considerably smaller (∼22 kDa) than its human ortholog (∼55 kDa), a striking difference that is explained by an underlying modular structure. We demonstrate that Hemogens are largely composed of 21-25 amino acid repeats, some of which may function as transactivation domains (TADs). Hemogen expression in embryonic and adult zebrafish is detected in hematopoietic, renal, neural and gonadal tissues. Using Tol2- and CRISPR/Cas9-generated transgenic zebrafish, we show that Hemogen expression is controlled by two Gata1-dependent regulatory sequences that act alone and together to control spatial and temporal expression during development. Partial depletion of Hemogen in embryos by morpholino knockdown reduces the number of erythrocytes in circulation. CRISPR/Cas9-generated zebrafish lines containing either a frameshift mutation or an in-frame deletion in a putative, C-terminal TAD display anemia and embryonic tail defects. This work expands our understanding of Hemogen and provides mutant zebrafish lines for future study of the mechanism of this important transcription factor.

Summary: Transgenic and mutant zebrafish lines were created to characterize the expression and functions of Hemogen, a transcription factor involved in the formation of red blood cells and other processes.

Verteporfin inhibits papillary thyroid cancer cells proliferation and cell cycle through ERK1/2 signaling pathway

Verteporfin, a FDA approved second-generation photosensitizer, has been demonstrated to have anticancer activity in various tumors, but not including papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). In current pre-clinical pilot study, we investigate the effect of verteporfin on proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and tumor growth of PTC. Our results indicate verteporfin attenuates cell proliferation, arrests cell cycle in G2/S phase and induces apoptosis of PTC cells. Moreover, treatment of verteporfin dramatically suppresses tumor growth from PTC cells in xenograft mouse model. We further illustrate that exposure to MEK inhibitor U0126 inactivates phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and MEK in verteporfin-treated PTC cells. These data suggest verteporfin exhibits inhibitory effect on PTC cells proliferation and cell cycle partially via ERK1/2 signalling pathway, which strongly encourages the further application of verteporfin in the treatment against PTC.

Yes-associated protein 1 promotes papillary thyroid cancer cell proliferation by activating the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway

Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) stimulates cell proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasion and metastasis in several cancers. Here, we investigated the involvement of YAP1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) by assessing YAP1 mRNA and protein levels in PTC tissues and matched normal thyroid epithelial tissues from 50 patients. YAP1 mRNA and protein levels were higher in PTC tumor tissues than in control tissues, and correlated positively with the levels of proliferation-related genes (KI67 and c-MYC). We also used lentiviral vectors to overexpress or silence YAP1 expression in the K1 PTC cell line so that we could investigate the effects of YAP1 on cancer cell proliferation. YAP1 overexpression enhanced PTC cell proliferation by activating ERK1/2 and AKT, and these effects were impaired by treating the cells with the MEK inhibitor U0126 or the AKT inhibitor GSK690693. Finally, YAP1 overexpression dramatically induced growth of tumors from PTC cells in a xenograft mouse model. These results suggest that YAP1 enhances cell proliferation in PTC, and thus may be a promising target in the treatment of PTC.