1
|
Wang K, Liu CY, Fang B, Li B, Li YH, Xia QQ, Zhao Y, Cheng XL, Yang SM, Zhang MH, Wang K. The function and therapeutic potential of transfer RNA-derived small RNAs in cardiovascular diseases: A review. Pharmacol Res 2024; 206:107279. [PMID: 38942340 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) molecules derived from tRNA, including tRNA derived fragments (tRFs) and tRNA halfs (tiRNAs). tsRNAs can affect cell functions by participating in gene expression regulation, translation regulation, intercellular signal transduction, and immune response. They have been shown to play an important role in various human diseases, including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Targeted regulation of tsRNAs expression can affect the progression of CVDs. The tsRNAs induced by pathological conditions can be detected when released into the extracellular, giving them enormous potential as disease biomarkers. Here, we review the biogenesis, degradation process and related functional mechanisms of tsRNAs, and discuss the research progress and application prospects of tsRNAs in different CVDs, to provide a new perspective on the treatment of CVDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Maternal & Fetal Medicine of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan 250014, China; Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Cui-Yun Liu
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Bo Fang
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Bo Li
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Ying-Hui Li
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Qian-Qian Xia
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Xue-Li Cheng
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Su-Min Yang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, China.
| | - Mei-Hua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Maternal & Fetal Medicine of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan 250014, China.
| | - Kun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Maternal & Fetal Medicine of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan 250014, China; Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang Q, Ying X, Huang Q, Wang Z, Duan S. Exploring the role of tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) in disease: implications for HIF-1 pathway modulation. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00109-024-02458-0. [PMID: 38850298 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-024-02458-0] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
The tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) can be categorized into two main groups: tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs (tiRNAs). Each group possesses specific molecular sizes, nucleotide compositions, and distinct physiological functions. Notably, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), a transcriptional activator dependent on oxygen, comprises one HIF-1β subunit and one HIF-α subunit (HIF-1α/HIF-2α/HIF-3α). The activation of HIF-1 plays a crucial role in gene transcription, influencing key aspects of cancer biology such as angiogenesis, cell survival, glucose metabolism, and invasion. The involvement of HIF-1α activation has been demonstrated in numerous human diseases, particularly cancer, making HIF-1 an attractive target for potential disease treatments. Through a series of experiments, researchers have identified two tiRNAs that interact with the HIF-1 pathway, impacting disease development: 5'tiRNA-His-GTG in colorectal cancer (CRC) and tiRNA-Val in diabetic retinopathy (DR). Specifically, 5'tiRNA-His-GTG promotes CRC development by targeting LATS2, while tiRNA-Val inhibits Sirt1, leading to HIF-1α accumulation and promoting DR development. Clinical data have further indicated that certain tsRNAs' expression levels are associated with the prognosis and pathological features of CRC patients. In CRC tumor tissues, the expression level of 5'tiRNA-His-GTG is significantly higher compared to normal tissues, and it shows a positive correlation with tumor size. Additionally, KEGG analysis has revealed multiple tRFs involved in regulating the HIF-1 pathway, including tRF-Val-AAC-016 in diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and tRF-1001 in pathological ocular angiogenesis. This comprehensive article reviews the biological functions and mechanisms of tsRNAs related to the HIF-1 pathway in diseases, providing a promising direction for subsequent translational medicine research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qurui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China
| | - Xiaowei Ying
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China
| | - Qinyuan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China
| | - Zehua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China
| | - Shiwei Duan
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310015, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhou M, He X, Zhang J, Mei C, Zhong B, Ou C. tRNA-derived small RNAs in human cancers: roles, mechanisms, and clinical application. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:76. [PMID: 38622694 PMCID: PMC11020452 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01992-2] [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: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are a new type of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) produced by the specific cleavage of precursor or mature tRNAs. tsRNAs are involved in various basic biological processes such as epigenetic, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and translation regulation, thereby affecting the occurrence and development of various human diseases, including cancers. Recent studies have shown that tsRNAs play an important role in tumorigenesis by regulating biological behaviors such as malignant proliferation, invasion and metastasis, angiogenesis, immune response, tumor resistance, and tumor metabolism reprogramming. These may be new potential targets for tumor treatment. Furthermore, tsRNAs can exist abundantly and stably in various bodily fluids (e.g., blood, serum, and urine) in the form of free or encapsulated extracellular vesicles, thereby affecting intercellular communication in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Meanwhile, their abnormal expression is closely related to the clinicopathological features of tumor patients, such as tumor staging, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis of tumor patients; thus, tsRNAs can be served as a novel type of liquid biopsy biomarker. This review summarizes the discovery, production, and expression of tsRNAs and analyzes their molecular mechanisms in tumor development and potential applications in tumor therapy, which may provide new strategies for early diagnosis and targeted therapy of tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manli Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Xiaoyun He
- Departments of Ultrasound Imaging, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Cheng Mei
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Xiangya Hospital, Clinical Transfusion Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
| | - Baiyun Zhong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
| | - Chunlin Ou
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chen Q, Li D, Jiang L, Wu Y, Yuan H, Shi G, Liu F, Wu P, Jiang K. Biological functions and clinical significance of tRNA-derived small fragment (tsRNA) in tumors: Current state and future perspectives. Cancer Lett 2024; 587:216701. [PMID: 38369004 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216701] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
A new class of noncoding RNAs, tsRNAs are not only abundant in humans but also have high tissue specificity. Recently, an increasing number of studies have explored the correlations between tsRNAs and tumors, showing that tsRNAs can affect biological behaviors of tumor cells, such as proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis, by modulating protein translation, RNA transcription or posttranscriptional regulation. In addition, tsRNAs are widely distributed and stably expressed, which endows them with broad application prospects in diagnosing and predicting the prognosis of tumors, and they are expected to become new biomarkers. However, notably, the current research on tsRNAs still faces problems that need to be solved. In this review, we describe the characteristics of tsRNAs as well as their unique features and functions in tumors. Moreover, we also discuss the potential opportunities and challenges in clinical applications and research of tsRNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qun Chen
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Danrui Li
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Luyang Jiang
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Wu
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hao Yuan
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guodong Shi
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fengyuan Liu
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pengfei Wu
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Kuirong Jiang
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cabrelle C, Giorgi FM, Mercatelli D. Quantitative and qualitative detection of tRNAs, tRNA halves and tRFs in human cancer samples: Molecular grounds for biomarker development and clinical perspectives. Gene 2024; 898:148097. [PMID: 38128792 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.148097] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs playing a central role during protein synthesis. Besides translation, growing evidence suggests that in many contexts, precursor or mature tRNAs can also be processed into smaller fragments playing many non-canonical regulatory roles in different biological pathways with oncogenic relevance. Depending on the source, these molecules can be classified as tRNA halves (also known as tiRNAs) or tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), and furtherly divided into 5'-tRNA and 3'-tRNA halves, or tRF-1, tRF-2, tRF-3, tRF-5, and i-tRF, respectively. Unlike DNA and mRNA, high-throughput sequencing of tRNAs is challenging, because of technical limitations of currently developed sequencing methods. In recent years, different sequencing approaches have been proposed allowing the quantification and identification of an increasing number of tRNA fragments with critical functions in distinct physiological and pathophysiological processes. In the present review, we discussed pros and cons of recent advances in different sequencing methods, also introducing the expanding repertoire of bioinformatics tool and resources specifically focused on tRNA research and discussing current issues in the study of these small RNA molecules. Furthermore, we discussed the potential value of tRNA fragments as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for different types of cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Cabrelle
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | | | - Daniele Mercatelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Salehi M, Kamali MJ, Rajabzadeh A, Minoo S, Mosharafi H, Saeedi F, Daraei A. tRNA-derived fragments: Key determinants of cancer metastasis with emerging therapeutic and diagnostic potentials. Arch Biochem Biophys 2024; 753:109930. [PMID: 38369227 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2024.109930] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Metastasis is a significant clinical challenge responsible for cancer mortality and non-response to treatment. However, the molecular mechanisms driving metastasis remain unclear, limiting the development of efficient diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Recent breakthroughs in cancer biology have discovered a group of small non-coding RNAs called tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), which play a critical role in the metastatic behavior of various tumors. tRFs are produced from cleavage modifications of tRNAs and have different functional classes based on the pattern of these modifications. They perform post-transcriptional regulation through microRNA-like functions, displacing RNA-binding proteins, and play a role in translational regulation by inducing ribosome synthesis, translation initiation, and epigenetic regulation. Tumor cells manipulate tRFs to develop and survive the tumor mass, primarily by inducing metastasis. Multiple studies have demonstrated the potential of tRFs as therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic targets for tumor metastasis. This review discusses the production and function of tRFs in cells, their aberrant molecular contributions to the metastatic environment, and their potential as promising targets for anti-metastasis treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Salehi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran; Student Research Committee, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Javad Kamali
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Aliakbar Rajabzadeh
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Shima Minoo
- Department of Dentistry, Khorasgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Saeedi
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abdolreza Daraei
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
La Ferlita A, Alaimo S, Nigita G, Distefano R, Beane JD, Tsichlis PN, Ferro A, Croce CM, Pulvirenti A. tRFUniverse: A comprehensive resource for the interactive analyses of tRNA-derived ncRNAs in human cancer. iScience 2024; 27:108810. [PMID: 38303722 PMCID: PMC10831894 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
tRNA-derived ncRNAs are a heterogeneous class of non-coding RNAs recently proposed to be active regulators of gene expression and be involved in many diseases, including cancer. Consequently, several online resources on tRNA-derived ncRNAs have been released. Although interesting, such resources present only basic features and do not adequately exploit the wealth of knowledge available about tRNA-derived ncRNAs. Therefore, we introduce tRFUniverse, a novel online resource for the analysis of tRNA-derived ncRNAs in human cancer. tRFUniverse presents an extensive collection of classes of tRNA-derived ncRNAs analyzed across all the TCGA and TARGET tumor cohorts, NCI-60 cell lines, and biological fluids. Moreover, public AGO CLASH/CLIP-Seq data were analyzed to identify the molecular interactions between tRNA-derived ncRNAs and other transcripts. Importantly, tRFUniverse combines in a single resource a comprehensive set of features that we believe may be helpful to investigate the involvement of tRNA-derived ncRNAs in cancer biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro La Ferlita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Salvatore Alaimo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Knowmics Lab, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nigita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rosario Distefano
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Joal D. Beane
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Philip N. Tsichlis
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alfredo Ferro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Knowmics Lab, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Carlo M. Croce
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alfredo Pulvirenti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Knowmics Lab, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Li N, Yao S, Yu G, Lu L, Wang Z. tRFtarget 2.0: expanding the targetome landscape of transfer RNA-derived fragments. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D345-D350. [PMID: 37811890 PMCID: PMC10767876 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
tRFtarget 1.0 (http://trftarget.net/) is a platform consolidating both computationally predicted and experimentally validated binding sites between transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and target genes (or transcripts) across multiple organisms. Here, we introduce a newly released version of tRFtarget 2.0, in which we integrated 6 additional tRF sources, resulting in a comprehensive collection of 2614 high-quality tRF sequences spanning across 9 species, including 1944 Homo sapiens tRFs and one newly incorporated species Rattus norvegicus. We also expanded target genes by including ribosomal RNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and coding genes >50 kb in length. The predicted binding sites have surged up to approximately 6 billion, a 20.5-fold increase than that in tRFtarget 1.0. The manually curated publications relevant to tRF targets have increased to 400 and the gene-level experimental evidence has risen to 232. tRFtarget 2.0 introduces several new features, including a web-based tool that identifies potential binding sites of tRFs in user's own datasets, integration of standardized tRF IDs, and inclusion of external links to contents within the database. Additionally, we enhanced website framework and user interface. With these improvements, tRFtarget 2.0 is more user-friendly, providing researchers a streamlined and comprehensive platform to accelerate their research progress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ningshan Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen & Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Siqiong Yao
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- SJTU-Yale Joint Center of Biostatistics and Data Science, National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Guangjun Yu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen & Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
| | - Lingeng Lu
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Zuoheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Yu M, Yi J, Qiu Q, Yao D, Li J, Yang J, Mi C, Zhou L, Lu B, Lu W, Ying K, Chen W, Chen E, Zhang H, Lu Z, Lu Y, Liu P. Pan-cancer tRNA-derived fragment CAT1 coordinates RBPMS to stabilize NOTCH2 mRNA to promote tumorigenesis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113408. [PMID: 37943661 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113408] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are a class of small non-coding regulatory RNAs that are involved in the pathophysiology of many diseases. However, the role of tRFs in cancer progression remains largely elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a pan-cancer 3'-tRF, CAT1 (cancer associated tRF 1), is ubiquitously upregulated in tumors and associated with poor prognosis of a variety of cancers, including lung cancer. The upregulated CAT1 in cancer cells binds to RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS) and displaces NOTCH2 association from RBPMS, thereby inhibiting the subsequent CCR4-NOT deadenylation-complex-mediated NOTCH2 mRNA decay. The CAT1-enhanced NOTCH2 expression promotes lung cancer cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. In addition, plasma CAT1 levels are substantially increased in patients with lung cancer compared to non-cancer control subjects. Our findings reveal an intrinsic connection between cancer-specific upregulation of CAT1 and cancer progression, show the regulation of NOTCH signaling in cancer by a 3'-tRF, and highlight its great clinical potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengqian Yu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Jiani Yi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Qiongzi Qiu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Dongxia Yao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Juze Yang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Chunyi Mi
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Liyuan Zhou
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Bingjian Lu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
| | - Weiguo Lu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
| | - Kejing Ying
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
| | - Wantao Chen
- Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Enguo Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
| | - Honghe Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Research Unit of Intelligence Classification of Tumor Pathology and Precision Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
| | - Zhimin Lu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China.
| | - Yan Lu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China.
| | - Pengyuan Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China; Department of Physiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pinzaru AM, Tavazoie SF. Transfer RNAs as dynamic and critical regulators of cancer progression. Nat Rev Cancer 2023; 23:746-761. [PMID: 37814109 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00611-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) have been historically viewed as non-dynamic adaptors that decode the genetic code into proteins. Recent work has uncovered dynamic regulatory roles for these fascinating molecules. Advances in tRNA detection methods have revealed that specific tRNAs can become modulated upon DNA copy number and chromatin alterations and can also be perturbed by oncogenic signalling and transcriptional regulators in cancer cells or the tumour microenvironment. Such alterations in the levels of specific tRNAs have been shown to causally impact cancer progression, including metastasis. Moreover, sequencing methods have identified tRNA-derived small RNAs that influence various aspects of cancer progression, such as cell proliferation and invasion, and could serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or putative therapeutic targets in various cancers. Finally, there is accumulating evidence, including from genetic models, that specific tRNA synthetases - the enzymes responsible for charging tRNAs with amino acids - can either promote or suppress tumour formation. In this Review, we provide an overview of how deregulation of tRNAs influences cancer formation and progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Pinzaru
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Sohail F Tavazoie
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Gan L, Song H, Ding X. Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) in gastric cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1184615. [PMID: 37503324 PMCID: PMC10369188 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1184615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are newly discovered noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). According to the specific cleavage of nucleases at different sites of tRNAs, the produced tsRNAs are divided into tRNA-derived stress-inducible RNAs (tiRNAs) and tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs). tRFs and tiRNAs have essential biological functions, such as mRNA stability regulation, translation regulation and epigenetic regulation, and play significant roles in the occurrence and development of various tumors. Although the roles of tsRNAs in some tumors have been intensively studied, their roles in gastric cancer are still rarely reported. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the generation and classification of tsRNAs, their biological functions, and their roles in gastric cancer. Sixteen articles investigating dysregulated tsRNAs in gastric cancer are summarized. The roles of 17 tsRNAs are summarized, of which 9 were upregulated and 8 were downregulated compared with controls. Aberrant regulation of tsRNAs was closely related to the main clinicopathological factors of gastric cancer, such as lymph node metastasis, Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage, tumor size, and vascular invasion. tsRNAs participate in the progression of gastric cancer by regulating the PTEN/PI3K/AKT, MAPK, Wnt, and p53 signaling pathways. The available literature suggests the potential of using tsRNAs as clinical biomarkers for gastric cancer diagnosis and prognosis and as therapeutic targets for gastric cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Gan
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Haojun Song
- The Gastroenterology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- The Biobank of The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Xiaoyun Ding
- The Gastroenterology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Di Fazio A, Gullerova M. An old friend with a new face: tRNA-derived small RNAs with big regulatory potential in cancer biology. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:1625-1635. [PMID: 36759729 PMCID: PMC10133234 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02191-4] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) essential for protein translation. Emerging evidence suggests that tRNAs can also be processed into smaller fragments, tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), a novel class of sncRNAs with powerful applications and high biological relevance to cancer. tsRNAs biogenesis is heterogeneous and involves different ribonucleases, such as Angiogenin and Dicer. For many years, tsRNAs were thought to be just degradation products. However, accumulating evidence shows their roles in gene expression: either directly via destabilising the mRNA or the ribosomal machinery, or indirectly via regulating the expression of ribosomal components. Furthermore, tsRNAs participate in various biological processes linked to cancer, including apoptosis, cell cycle, immune response, and retroviral insertion into the human genome. It is emerging that tsRNAs have significant therapeutic potential. Endogenous tsRNAs can be used as cancer biomarkers, while synthetic tsRNAs and antisense oligonucleotides can be employed to regulate gene expression. In this review, we are recapitulating the regulatory roles of tsRNAs, with a focus on cancer biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Di Fazio
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Monika Gullerova
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Gong M, Deng Y, Xiang Y, Ye D. The role and mechanism of action of tRNA-derived fragments in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:62. [PMID: 36964534 PMCID: PMC10036988 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01079-3] [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: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and death worldwide. While various factors are established as causing malignant tumors, the mechanisms underlying cancer development remain poorly understood. Early diagnosis and the development of effective treatments for cancer are important research topics. Transfer RNA (tRNA), the most abundant class of RNA molecules in the human transcriptome, participates in both protein synthesis and cellular metabolic processes. tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are produced by specific cleavage of pre-tRNA and mature tRNA molecules, which are highly conserved and occur widely in various organisms. tRFs were initially thought to be random products with no physiological function, but have been redefined as novel functional small non-coding RNA molecules that help to regulate RNA stability, modulate translation, and influence target gene expression, as well as other biological processes. There is increasing evidence supporting roles for tRFs in tumorigenesis and cancer development, including the regulation of tumor cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and drug resistance. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms by which tRFs impact these processes has potential to inform malignant tumor diagnosis and treatment. Further, tRFs are expected to become new biological markers for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction in patients with tumors, as well as a targets for precision cancer therapies. Video abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengdan Gong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yongqin Deng
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yizhen Xiang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dong Ye
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
U A, Viswam P, Kattupalli D, Eppurathu Vasudevan S. Elucidation of transfer RNAs as stress regulating agents and the experimental strategies to conceive the functional role of tRNA-derived fragments in plants. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2023; 43:275-292. [PMID: 35382663 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2022.2026288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
In plants, the transfer RNAs (tRNAs) exhibit their profound influence in orchestrating diverse physiological activities like cell growth, development, and response to several surrounding stimuli. The tRNAs, which were known to restrict their function solely in deciphering the codons, are now emerging as frontline defenders in stress biology. The plants that are constantly confronted with a huge panoply of stresses rely on tRNA-mediated stress regulation by altering the tRNA abundance, curbing the transport of tRNAs, fragmenting the mature tRNAs during stress. Among them, the studies on the generation of transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and their biological implication in stress response have attained huge interest. In plants, the tRFs hold stable expression patterns and regulate biological functions under diverse environmental conditions. In this review, we discuss the fate of plant tRNAs upon stress and thereafter how the tRFs are metamorphosed into sharp ammunition to wrestle with stress. We also address the various methods developed to date for uncovering the role of tRFs and their function in plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aswathi U
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Transdisciplinary Biology Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Pooja Viswam
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Transdisciplinary Biology Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Divya Kattupalli
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Transdisciplinary Biology Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Liu W, Yu M, Cheng S, Zhou X, Li J, Lu Y, Liu P, Ding S. tRNA-Derived RNA Fragments Are Novel Biomarkers for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Tumor Subtypes in Prostate Cancer. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:981-999. [PMID: 36661724 PMCID: PMC9857875 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30010075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) are a novel class of small ncRNA that are derived from precursor or mature tRNAs. Recently, the general relevance of their roles and clinical values in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and recurrence have been increasingly highlighted. However, there has been no specific systematic study to elucidate any potential clinical significance for these tRFs in prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD), one of the most common and malignant cancers that threatens male health worldwide. Here, we investigate the clinical value of 5'-tRFs in PRAD. METHODS Small RNA sequencing data were analyzed to discover new 5'-tRFs biomarkers for PRAD. Machine learning algorithms were used to identify 5'-tRF classifiers to distinguish PRAD tumors from normal tissues. LASSO and Cox regression analyses were used to construct 5'-tRF prognostic predictive models. NMF and consensus clustering analyses were performed on 5'-tRF profiles to identify molecular subtypes of PRAD. RESULTS The overall levels of 5'-tRFs were significantly upregulated in the PRAD tumor samples compared to their adjacent normal samples. tRF classifiers composed of 13 5'-tRFs achieved AUC values as high as 0.963, showing high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing PRAD tumors from normal samples. Multiple 5'-tRFs were identified as being associated with the PRAD prognosis. The tRF score, defined by a set of eight 5'-tRFs, was highly predictive of survival in PRAD patients. The combination of tRF and Gleason scores showed a significantly better performance than the Gleason score alone, suggesting that 5'-tRFs can offer PRAD patients additional and improved prognostic information. Four molecular subtypes of the PRAD tumor were identified based on their 5'-tRF expression profiles. Genetically, these 5'-tRFs PRAD tumor subtypes exhibited distinct genomic landscapes in tumor cells. Clinically, they showed marked differences in survival and clinicopathological features. CONCLUSIONS 5'-tRFs are potential clinical biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and classification of tumor subtypes on a molecular level. These can help clinicians formulate personalized treatment plans for PRAD patients and may have similar potential applications for other disease types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weigang Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, The Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mengqian Yu
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Sheng Cheng
- Department of Urology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Xiaoxu Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women’s Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Jia Li
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yan Lu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women’s Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310013, China
| | - Pengyuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310013, China
- Department of Physiology and Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Shiping Ding
- Department of Cell Biology, The Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hou J, Li Q, Wang J, Lu W. tRFs and tRNA Halves: Novel Cellular Defenders in Multiple Biological Processes. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:5949-5962. [PMID: 36547066 PMCID: PMC9777342 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44120405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
tRNA fragments derived from angiogenin or Dicer cleavage are referred to as tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and tRNA halves. tRFs and tRNA halves have been identified in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes and are precisely cleaved at specific sites on either precursor or mature tRNA transcripts rather than via random degradation. tRFs and tRNA halves are highly involved in regulating transcription and translation in a canonical or non-canonical manner in response to cellular stress. In this review, we summarize the biogenesis and types of tRFs and tRNA halves, clarify the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of tRNA fragments in both physiological and pathological processes with a particular focus on their cytoprotective roles in defending against oxidation and apoptosis, and highlight their potential application as biomarkers in determining cell fate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiani Hou
- Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Animal Breeding & Reproduction Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- Key Lab of the Animal Production, Product Quality and Security, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Qianqing Li
- Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Animal Breeding & Reproduction Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- Key Lab of the Animal Production, Product Quality and Security, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Animal Breeding & Reproduction Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- Key Lab of the Animal Production, Product Quality and Security, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (W.L.); Tel.: +86-0431-84533525; Fax: +861-0431-84533525
| | - Wenfa Lu
- Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Animal Breeding & Reproduction Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- Key Lab of the Animal Production, Product Quality and Security, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (W.L.); Tel.: +86-0431-84533525; Fax: +861-0431-84533525
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ren J, Wu X, Shang FF, Qi Y, Tang Z, Wen C, Cao W, Cheng Q, Tan L, Chen H, Zhou HH, Zou H. The tRNA-Cys-GCA Derived tsRNAs Suppress Tumor Progression of Gliomas via Regulating VAV2. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:8708312. [PMID: 36426134 PMCID: PMC9681550 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8708312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The tsRNAs (tRNA-derived small RNAs) are new types of small noncoding RNAs derived from tRNAs. Gliomas are well-known malignant brain tumors. The study focused on tsRNA characterizations within gliomas. Datasets processing, bioinformatics analyses, and visualizations were performed with the packages of Python and R. Cell proliferations were demonstrated via CCK8 assays and colony formation assays, and in vivo xenograft experiments. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the binding of tsRNA with its targets. Via using bioinformatics approaches, the hundreds of tsRNAs with available expression abundance were identified in gliomas dataset, most of them derived from D-loop or T-loop fragments of tRNAs. Among tsRNAs derived from tRNA-Cys-GCA, tRFdb-3003a and tRFdb-3003b (tRFdb-3003a/b) were remarkably down-regulated in gliomas. The survival outcome of gliomas patients with low tRFdb-3003a/b expressions was notably worse than that of high-expression patients. In glioma cells, tRFdb-3003a could suppress cells proliferation and colony formation ability. In vivo, tRFdb-3003a suppressed the tumor growth of xenograft gliomas. Enrichment analyses displayed the tRFdb-3003a-related mRNAs were enriched in the specific GO terms, spliceosome and autophagy pathways, and three GSEA molecular signatures. Mechanically, 3'-UTR regions of VAV2 mRNA were predicted to contain the binding positions of tRFdb-3003a/b, tRFdb-3003a and tRFdb-3003b was effective to reduce the relative luciferase activity of cells with VAV2 wild-type reporter. Overexpression of tRFdb-3003a/b could down-regulated the expression levels of VAV2 protein and mRNA in glioma cells. The tRNA-Cys-GCA derived tRFdb-3003a and tRFdb-3003b might act as key player in tumor progressions of gliomas; tRFdb-3003a/b might directly bind to VAV2 and regulate VAV2 expressions in gliomas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Ren
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Xiaoling Wu
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Fei-Fei Shang
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yingqiang Qi
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Zhurong Tang
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Chunjie Wen
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Weiguo Cao
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Quan Cheng
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008 Hunan, China
| | - Lihong Tan
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Huan Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Hong-Hao Zhou
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008 Hunan, China
| | - Hecun Zou
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Xu D, Qiao D, Lei Y, Zhang C, Bu Y, Zhang Y. Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs): Versatile regulators in cancer. Cancer Lett 2022; 546:215842. [PMID: 35964819 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) represent a novel class of regulatory small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), produced by the specific cleavage of transfer RNAs (tRNAs). In recent years, pilot studies one after the other have uncovered the critical roles of tsRNAs in various fundamental biological processes as well as in the development of human diseases including cancer. Based on the newly updated hallmarks of cancer, we provide a comprehensive review regarding the dysregulation, functional implications and complicated molecular mechanisms of tsRNAs in cancer. In addition, the potential technical challenges and future prospects in the fields of tsRNA research are discussed in this review.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China; Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Deqian Qiao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China; Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Yunlong Lei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China; Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Chundong Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China; Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Youquan Bu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China; Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China; Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Hashemi M, Hasani S, Hajimazdarany S, Mirmazloomi SR, Makvandy S, Zabihi A, Goldoost Y, Gholinia N, Kakavand A, Tavakolpournegari A, Salimimoghadam S, Nabavi N, Zarrabi A, Taheriazam A, Entezari M, Hushmandi K. Non-coding RNAs targeting notch signaling pathway in cancer: From proliferation to cancer therapy resistance. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 222:1151-1167. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.09.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
20
|
Liu D, Wu C, Wang J, Zhang L, Sun Z, Chen S, Ding Y, Wang W. Transfer RNA-derived fragment 5'tRF-Gly promotes the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by direct targeting of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:3476-3488. [PMID: 35879647 PMCID: PMC9530880 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA-derived fragments are a group of small noncoding single-stranded RNA that play essential roles in multiple diseases. However, their biological functions in carcinogenesis are not well understood. In this study, 5'tRF-Gly was found to have significantly high expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the upregulation of 5'tRF-Gly was positively correlated with tumor size and tumor metastasis. Overexpression of 5'tRF-Gly induced increased growth rate and metastasis in HCC cells in vitro and in nude mice, while knockdown showed the opposite effect. Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) was confirmed to be a direct target of 5'tRF-Gly in HCC. In addition, the cytological effect of CEACAM1 knockdown proved to be similar to the overexpression of 5'tRF-Gly. Moreover, attenuation of CEACAM1 expression rescued the 5'tRF-Gly-mediated promoting effects on HCC cells. These data show that 5'tRF-Gly is a new tumor-promoting factor and could be a potential diagnostic biomarker or new therapeutic target for HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dekai Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Chengdong Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Jingjie Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Lufei Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Zhongquan Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Shihong Chen
- Department of Clinical MedicineWenzhou Medical CollegeWenzhouChina
| | - Yuan Ding
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Weilin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
George S, Rafi M, Aldarmaki M, ElSiddig M, Al Nuaimi M, Amiri KMA. tRNA derived small RNAs—Small players with big roles. Front Genet 2022; 13:997780. [PMID: 36199575 PMCID: PMC9527309 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.997780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past 2 decades, small non-coding RNAs derived from tRNA (tsRNAs or tRNA derived fragments; tRFs) have emerged as new powerful players in the field of small RNA mediated regulation of gene expression, translation, and epigenetic control. tRFs have been identified from evolutionarily divergent organisms from Archaea, the higher plants, to humans. Recent studies have confirmed their roles in cancers and other metabolic disorders in humans and experimental models. They have been implicated in biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants as well. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on tRFs including types of tRFs, their biogenesis, and mechanisms of action. The review also highlights recent studies involving differential expression profiling of tRFs and elucidation of specific functions of individual tRFs from various species. We also discuss potential considerations while designing experiments involving tRFs identification and characterization and list the available bioinformatics tools for this purpose.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suja George
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammed Rafi
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maitha Aldarmaki
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed ElSiddig
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mariam Al Nuaimi
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khaled M. A. Amiri
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- *Correspondence: Khaled M. A. Amiri,
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Chu X, He C, Sang B, Yang C, Yin C, Ji M, Qian A, Tian Y. Transfer RNAs-derived small RNAs and their application potential in multiple diseases. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:954431. [PMID: 36072340 PMCID: PMC9441921 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.954431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of tRNAs is best known as adapter components of translational machinery. According to the central dogma of molecular biology, DNA is transcribed to RNA and in turn is translated into proteins, in which tRNA outstands by its role of the cellular courier. Recent studies have led to the revision of the canonical function of transfer RNAs (tRNAs), which indicates that tRNAs also serve as a source for short non-coding RNAs called tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs). tsRNAs play key roles in cellular processes by modulating complicated regulatory networks beyond translation and are widely involved in multiple diseases. Herein, the biogenesis and classification of tsRNAs were firstly clarified. tsRNAs are generated from pre-tRNAs or mature tRNAs and are classified into tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and tRNA halves (tiRNA). The tRFs include five types according to the incision loci: tRF-1, tRF-2, tRF-3, tRF-5 and i-tRF which contain 3′ tiRNA and 5′ tiRNA. The functions of tsRNAs and their regulation mechanisms involved in disease processes are systematically summarized as well. The mechanisms can elaborate on the specific regulation of tsRNAs. In conclusion, the current research suggests that tsRNAs are promising targets for modulating pathological processes, such as breast cancer, ischemic stroke, respiratory syncytial virus, osteoporosis and so on, and maintain vital clinical implications in diagnosis and therapeutics of various diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Chu
- Lab for Bone Metabolism, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Special Medicine and Health Engineering, Key Lab for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, Research Center for Special Medicine and Health Systems Engineering, NPU-UAB Joint Laboratory for Bone Metabolism, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, SN, China
| | - Chenyang He
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Bo Sang
- Lab for Bone Metabolism, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Special Medicine and Health Engineering, Key Lab for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, Research Center for Special Medicine and Health Systems Engineering, NPU-UAB Joint Laboratory for Bone Metabolism, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, SN, China
| | - Chaofei Yang
- Lab for Bone Metabolism, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Special Medicine and Health Engineering, Key Lab for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, Research Center for Special Medicine and Health Systems Engineering, NPU-UAB Joint Laboratory for Bone Metabolism, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, SN, China
| | - Chong Yin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Academician (expert) Workstation, Lab of Epigenetics and RNA Therapy, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Mili Ji
- Lab for Bone Metabolism, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Special Medicine and Health Engineering, Key Lab for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, Research Center for Special Medicine and Health Systems Engineering, NPU-UAB Joint Laboratory for Bone Metabolism, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, SN, China
| | - Airong Qian
- Lab for Bone Metabolism, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Special Medicine and Health Engineering, Key Lab for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, Research Center for Special Medicine and Health Systems Engineering, NPU-UAB Joint Laboratory for Bone Metabolism, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, SN, China
- *Correspondence: Airong Qian, ; Ye Tian,
| | - Ye Tian
- Lab for Bone Metabolism, Xi’an Key Laboratory of Special Medicine and Health Engineering, Key Lab for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, Research Center for Special Medicine and Health Systems Engineering, NPU-UAB Joint Laboratory for Bone Metabolism, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, SN, China
- *Correspondence: Airong Qian, ; Ye Tian,
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Gu X, Zhang Y, Qin X, Ma S, Huang Y, Ju S. Transfer RNA-derived small RNA: an emerging small non-coding RNA with key roles in cancer. Exp Hematol Oncol 2022; 11:35. [PMID: 35658952 PMCID: PMC9164556 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00290-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) promote protein translation by binding to the corresponding amino acids and transporting them to the ribosome, which is essential in protein translation. tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are derived fragments of tRNAs that are cleaved explicitly under certain conditions. An increasing amount of research has demonstrated that tsRNAs have biological functions rather than just being degradation products. tsRNAs can exert functions such as regulating gene expression to influence cancer progression. Their dysregulation is closely associated with various cancers and can serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for cancer. This review summarizes the generation, classification, and biological functions of tsRNAs, and highlights the roles of tsRNAs in different cancers and their applications as tumor markers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinliang Gu
- Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Xisi Road, No. 20, Nantong, China.,Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Xisi Road, No. 20, Nantong, China.,Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xinyue Qin
- Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Xisi Road, No. 20, Nantong, China.,Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Shuo Ma
- Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Xisi Road, No. 20, Nantong, China.,Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yuejiao Huang
- Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, China. .,Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Xisi Road, No. 20, Nantong, China.
| | - Shaoqing Ju
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Xisi Road, No. 20, Nantong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Fu BF, Xu CY. Transfer RNA-Derived Small RNAs: Novel Regulators and Biomarkers of Cancers. Front Oncol 2022; 12:843598. [PMID: 35574338 PMCID: PMC9096126 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.843598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are conventional non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) with a length between18 and 40 nucleotides (nt) playing a crucial role in treating various human diseases including tumours. Nowadays, with the use of high-throughput sequencing technologies, it has been proven that certain tsRNAs are dysregulated in multiple tumour tissues as well as in the blood serum of cancer patients. Meanwhile, data retrieved from the literature show that tsRNAs are correlated with the regulation of the hallmarks of cancer, modification of tumour microenvironment, and modulation of drug resistance. On the other side, the emerging role of tsRNAs as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis is promising. In this review, we focus on the specific characteristics and biological functions of tsRNAs with a focus on their impact on various tumours and discuss the possibility of tsRNAs as novel potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bi-Fei Fu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| | - Chao-Yang Xu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
High Expression of a tRNAPro Derivative Associates with Poor Survival and Independently Predicts Colorectal Cancer Recurrence. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10051120. [PMID: 35625858 PMCID: PMC9138872 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10051120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most lethal cause of cancer-related deaths in Europe. Fragments of tRNAPro are conserved among vertebrates, characterized by pleiotropic regulatory functions and have been found to discriminate colorectal tumors from normal colorectal mucosa. In the current study, we investigated the prognostic utility of 5′-tiRNA-ProTGG levels in CRC. For this purpose, total RNA was extracted from 155 malignant colorectal tumors and 74 adjacent non-cancerous tissue specimens, polyadenylated and reverse-transcribed using an oligo-dT adapter as primer. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to assess the levels of 5′-tiRNA-ProTGG. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that high 5′-tiRNA-ProTGG levels predict both poor disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of CRC patients. Of note, high 5′-tiRNA-ProTGG levels retain their unfavorable prognostic value in patients with rectal cancer and/or moderately differentiated CRC (grade II). More importantly, multivariate cox regression analysis highlighted that the overexpression of 5′-tiRNA-ProTGG constitutes an adverse prognostic factor predicting short-term relapse of CRC patients independently of the established prognosticators in CRC. Finally, bioinformatics analysis unveiled a potentially critical role of 5′-tiRNA-ProTGG regarding the maintenance of cellular homeostasis, signaling, cell communication, and cellular motility.
Collapse
|
26
|
Study of tRNA-Derived Fragment tRF-20-S998LO9D in Pan-Cancer. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:8799319. [PMID: 35571614 PMCID: PMC9098303 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8799319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective The purpose is to study the effect of tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) on pan-cancer through bioinformatics. Methods The expression information of tRF-20-S998LO9D, a type of tRF-5, was retrieved through MINTbase in pan-cancer and verified by qPCR. We preliminarily explored the effect of tRF-20-S998LO9D on cell proliferation in breast cancer and lung cancer cell lines. Then an online KM-plotter provided by OncotRF was used to discover the prognostic significance. GO/KEGG analyses were executed to predict the potential mechanism of tRF-20-S998LO9D in cancer. Results We found that tRF-20-S998LO9D was highly expressed in a variety of cancers like breast invasive carcinoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, kidney renal clear cell carcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, and uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. Inhibition of tRF-20-S998LO9D led to reduced cell proliferation in breast cancer (MCF-7) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (SK-MES-1) cells. Elevated tRF-20-S998LO9D indicated poor prognosis in a variety of cancers. tRF-20-S998LO9D might be involved in multiple cancer-related pathways. Conclusion We concluded that tRF-20-S998LO9D was upregulated and negatively correlated with prognosis of a variety of cancers. It may be a potential cancer-promoting marker in pan-cancer.
Collapse
|
27
|
Williams AM, Jensen DM, Pan X, Liu P, Liu J, Huls S, Regner KR, Iczkowski KA, Wang F, Li J, Gallan AJ, Wang T, Baker MA, Liu Y, Lalehzari N, Liang M. Histologically resolved small RNA maps in primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis indicate progressive changes within glomerular and tubulointerstitial regions. Kidney Int 2022; 101:766-778. [PMID: 35114200 PMCID: PMC8940673 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2021.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Pathological heterogeneity is common in clinical tissue specimens and complicates the interpretation of molecular data obtained from the specimen. As a typical example, a kidney biopsy specimen often contains glomeruli and tubulointerstitial regions with different levels of histological injury, including some that are histologically normal. We reasoned that the molecular profiles of kidney tissue regions with specific histological injury scores could provide new insights into kidney injury progression. Therefore, we developed a strategy to perform small RNA deep sequencing analysis for individually scored glomerular and tubulointerstitial regions in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded kidney needle biopsies. This approach was applied to study focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), the leading cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. Large numbers of small RNAs, including microRNAs, 3'-tRFs, 5'-tRFs, and mitochondrial tRFs, were differentially expressed between histologically indistinguishable tissue regions from patients with FSGS and matched healthy controls. A majority of tRFs were upregulated in FSGS. Several small RNAs were differentially expressed between tissue regions with different histological scores in FSGS. Notably, with increasing levels of histological damage, miR-21-5p was upregulated progressively and miR-192-5p was downregulated progressively in glomerular and tubulointerstitial regions, respectively. This study marks the first genome scale molecular profiling conducted in histologically characterized glomerular and tubulointerstitial regions. Thus, substantial molecular changes in histologically normal kidney regions in FSGS might contribute to initiating tissue injury or represent compensatory mechanisms. In addition, several small RNAs might contribute to subsequent progression of glomerular and tubulointerstitial injury, and histologically mapping small RNA profiles may be applied to analyze tissue specimens in any disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Marie Williams
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - David M Jensen
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Pan
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Department of Mathematics, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pengyuan Liu
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jing Liu
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sean Huls
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kevin R Regner
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kenneth A Iczkowski
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Feng Wang
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Junhui Li
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Alexander J Gallan
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Tao Wang
- Division of Biostatistics, Institute of Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Maria Angeles Baker
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Yong Liu
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Nava Lalehzari
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Mingyu Liang
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Weng Q, Wang Y, Xie Y, Yu X, Zhang S, Ge J, Li Z, Ye G, Guo J. Extracellular vesicles-associated tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs): biogenesis, biological functions, and their role as potential biomarkers in human diseases. J Mol Med (Berl) 2022; 100:679-695. [PMID: 35322869 PMCID: PMC9110440 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-022-02189-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Traditionally, transfer RNAs (tRNAs) specifically decoded messenger RNA (mRNA) and participated in protein translation. tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), also known as tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), are generated by the specific cleavage of pre- and mature tRNAs and are a class of newly defined functional small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs). Following the different cleavage positions of precursor or mature tRNA, tRFs are classified into seven types, 5′-tRNA half, 3′-tRNA half, tRF-1, 5′U-tRF, 3′-tRF, 5′-tRF, and i-tRF. It has been demonstrated that tRFs have a diverse range of biological functions in cellular processes, which include inhibiting protein translation, modulating stress response, regulating gene expression, and involvement in cell cycles and epigenetic inheritance. Emerging evidences have indicated that tRFs in extracellular vesicles (EVs) seem to act as regulatory molecules in various cellular processes and play essential roles in cell-to-cell communication. Furthermore, the dysregulation of EV-associated tRFs has been associated with the occurrence and progression of a variety of cancers and they can serve as novel potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. In this review, the biogenesis and classification of tRFs are summarized, and the biological functions of EV-associated tRFs and their roles as potential biomarkers in human diseases are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyan Weng
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Yaoyao Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Xiuchong Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Shuangshuang Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Jiaxin Ge
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China
| | - Zhe Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China
| | - Guoliang Ye
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China. .,Institute of Digestive Diseases of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China.
| | - Junming Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, 315211, China. .,Institute of Digestive Diseases of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Liu B, Cao J, Wang X, Guo C, Liu Y, Wang T. Deciphering the tRNA-derived small RNAs: origin, development, and future. Cell Death Dis 2021; 13:24. [PMID: 34934044 PMCID: PMC8692627 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04472-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), a novel category of small noncoding RNAs, are enzymatically cleaved from tRNAs. Previous reports have shed some light on the roles of tsRNAs in the development of human diseases. However, our knowledge about tsRNAs is still relatively lacking. In this paper, we review the biogenesis, classification, subcellular localization as well as action mechanism of tsRNAs, and discuss the association between chemical modifications of tRNAs and the production and functions of tsRNAs. Furthermore, using immunity, metabolism, and malignancy as examples, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of tsRNAs in diseases and evaluate the potential of tsRNAs as new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. At the same time, we compile and introduce several resource databases that are currently publicly available for analyzing tsRNAs. Finally, we discuss the challenges associated with research in this field and future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Liu
- Research Center for Molecular Oncology and Functional Nucleic Acids, School of Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, 453003, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China.
| | - Jinling Cao
- Research Center for Molecular Oncology and Functional Nucleic Acids, School of Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, 453003, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Xiangyun Wang
- Research Center for Molecular Oncology and Functional Nucleic Acids, School of Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, 453003, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Chunlei Guo
- Research Center for Molecular Oncology and Functional Nucleic Acids, School of Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, 453003, Xinxiang, Henan, PR China
| | - Yunxia Liu
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Tianjiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Sahlolbei M, Fattahi F, Vafaei S, Rajabzadeh R, Shiralipour A, Madjd Z, Kiani J. Relationship Between Low Expressions of tRNA-Derived Fragments with Metastatic Behavior of Colorectal Cancer. J Gastrointest Cancer 2021; 53:862-869. [PMID: 34837147 DOI: 10.1007/s12029-021-00773-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignant tumors and highly heterogeneous diseases. More recently, RNA expression profiles have been used as prognostic cancer markers. In this regard, the expression of small non-coding RNAs like tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) in tumor tissue has potential diagnostic values in metastatic cancer. METHOD Sixty postoperative CRC tissue samples, consisting of 30 cancers and 30 adjacent normal tissues, were collected from cancer patients. We evaluated MINTbase database to select tRNA-derived fragments. The expression levels of miR-1280, miR1308, tRNA-ValAAC/CAC, and tRNA-AspGTC were measured by TaqMan quantitative reverse transcription PCR technology. Also, we have evaluated the correlation between the levels of tRFs gene expression and clinicopathological of CRC disease. RESULT The three tRFs derived from tRF/miR-1280, tRNA-ValAAC/CAC, and tRNA-AspGTC downregulated in tumor tissues (all, p < 0.0001). These tRFs have lower expression in stage IV in comparison with stage III. The tRFs derived from tRNA-ValAAC (p = 0.005) and tRNA-AspGTC (p = 0.034) showed the decreased expression in CRC patients with distant metastasis. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrated that low expression of tRF/miR-1280, tRNA-ValAAC/CAC, and tRNA-AspGTC was significantly associated with metastatic stage and more aggressive tumor behavior of CRC disease. Our finding promising the potential of using tRFs as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Sahlolbei
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Fahimeh Fattahi
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Vafaei
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rezvan Rajabzadeh
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Aref Shiralipour
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar Kiani
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
DBtRend: A Web-Server of tRNA Expression Profiles from Small RNA Sequencing Data in Humans. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12101576. [PMID: 34680971 PMCID: PMC8535304 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA (tRNA), a key component of the translation machinery, plays critical roles in stress conditions and various diseases. While knowledge regarding the importance of tRNA function is increasing, its biological roles are still not well understood. There is currently no comprehensive database or web server providing the expression landscape of tRNAs across a variety of human tissues and diseases. Here, we constructed a user-friendly and interactive database, DBtRend, which provides a profile of mature tRNA expression across various biological conditions by reanalyzing the small RNA or microRNA sequencing data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and NCBI's Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) in humans. Users can explore not only the expression values of mature individual tRNAs in the human genome, but also those of isodecoders and isoacceptors based on our specific pipelines. DBtRend provides the expressed patterns of tRNAs, the differentially expressed tRNAs in different biological conditions, and the information of samples or patients, tissue types, and molecular subtype of cancers. The database is expected to help researchers interested in functional discoveries of tRNAs.
Collapse
|
32
|
Zhou Y, Hu J, Liu L, Yan M, Zhang Q, Song X, Lin Y, Zhu D, Wei Y, Fu Z, Hu L, Chen Y, Li X. Gly-tRF enhances LCSC-like properties and promotes HCC cells migration by targeting NDFIP2. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:502. [PMID: 34537070 PMCID: PMC8449465 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02102-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Accumulating evidence demonstrates that tRFs (tRNA-derived small RNA fragments) and tiRNAs (tRNA-derived stress-induced RNA), an emerging category of regulatory RNA molecules derived from transfer RNAs (tRNAs), are dysregulated in in various human cancer types and play crucial roles. However, their roles and mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) are still unknown. Methods The expression of glycine tRNA-derived fragment (Gly-tRF) was measured by qRT-PCR. Flow cytometric analysis and sphere formation assays were used to determine the properties of LCSCs. Transwell assays and scratch wound assays were performed to detect HCC cell migration. Western blotting was conducted to evaluate the abundance change of Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins. Dual luciferase reporter assays and signalling pathway analysis were performed to explore the underlying mechanism of Gly-tRF functions. Results Gly-tRF was highly expressed in HCC cell lines and tumour tissues. Gly-tRF mimic increased the LCSC subpopulation proportion and LCSC-like cell properties. Gly-tRF mimic promoted HCC cell migration and EMT. Loss of Gly-tRF inhibited HCC cell migration and EMT. Mechanistically, Gly-tRF decreased the level of NDFIP2 mRNA by binding to the NDFIP2 mRNA 3′ UTR. Importantly, overexpression of NDFIP2 weakened the promotive effects of Gly-tRF on LCSC-like cell sphere formation and HCC cell migration. Signalling pathway analysis showed that Gly-tRF increased the abundance of phosphorylated AKT. Conclusions Gly-tRF enhances LCSC-like cell properties and promotes EMT by targeting NDFIP2 and activating the AKT signalling pathway. Gly-tRF plays tumor-promoting role in HCC and may lead to a potential therapeutic target for HCC. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-021-02102-8.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Zhou
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jinjing Hu
- Gansu Province Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, Lanzhou, 730000, China.,School of Life Science of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Lu Liu
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Mengchao Yan
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Qiyu Zhang
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China.,Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiaojing Song
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China.,Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yan Lin
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Dan Zhu
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yongjian Wei
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Zongli Fu
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Liming Hu
- School of Life Science of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yue Chen
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xun Li
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China. .,Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China. .,Gansu Province Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Li X, Liu X, Zhao D, Cui W, Wu Y, Zhang C, Duan C. tRNA-derived small RNAs: novel regulators of cancer hallmarks and targets of clinical application. Cell Death Discov 2021; 7:249. [PMID: 34537813 PMCID: PMC8449783 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-021-00647-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
tRNAs are a group of conventional noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) with critical roles in the biological synthesis of proteins. Recently, tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) were found to have important biological functions in the development of human diseases including carcinomas, rather than just being considered pure degradation material. tsRNAs not only are abnormally expressed in the cancer tissues and serum of cancer patients, but also have been suggested to regulate various vital cancer hallmarks. On the other hand, the application of tsRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets is promising. In this review, we focused on the basic characteristics of tsRNAs, and their biological functions known thus far, and explored the regulatory roles of tsRNAs in cancer hallmarks including proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, tumor microenvironment, drug resistance, cancer stem cell phenotype, and cancer cell metabolism. In addition, we also discussed the research progress on the application of tsRNAs as tumor biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xizhe Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road 87th, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China.,Hunan Engineering Research Center for Pulmonary Nodules Precise Diagnosis & Treatment, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Xianyu Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road 87th, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China.,Hunan Engineering Research Center for Pulmonary Nodules Precise Diagnosis & Treatment, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Deze Zhao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road 87th, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China.,Hunan Engineering Research Center for Pulmonary Nodules Precise Diagnosis & Treatment, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Weifang Cui
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road 87th, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China.,Hunan Engineering Research Center for Pulmonary Nodules Precise Diagnosis & Treatment, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Yingfang Wu
- Centre of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road 87th, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Chunfang Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road 87th, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China. .,Hunan Engineering Research Center for Pulmonary Nodules Precise Diagnosis & Treatment, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China.
| | - Chaojun Duan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road 87th, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China. .,Hunan Engineering Research Center for Pulmonary Nodules Precise Diagnosis & Treatment, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China. .,Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Lung Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Polacek N, Ivanov P. The regulatory world of tRNA fragments beyond canonical tRNA biology. RNA Biol 2021; 17:1057-1059. [PMID: 32715957 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1785196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Polacek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern , Bern, Switzerland
| | - Pavel Ivanov
- Division of Rheumatology, Immunity, and Inflammation, Brigham and Women's Hospital , Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Li J, Zhu L, Cheng J, Peng Y. Transfer RNA-derived small RNA: A rising star in oncology. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 75:29-37. [PMID: 34029740 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) participate in protein synthesis through delivering amino acids to the ribosome. Nevertheless, recent studies revealed that tRNAs can undergo cleavage by endoribonucleases to generate a heterogeneous class of small RNAs, designated as tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs). Accumulating evidence demonstrates that tsRNAs play an important role in many biological processes, and their dysregulation is associated with the progression of diseases including cancer. Abnormally expressed tsRNAs contribute to tumor initiation and development through distinct mechanisms, such as transcriptional regulation and RNA interference. In this review, we briefly summarize the current knowledge regarding classification, biogenesis and biological function of tsRNAs. Moreover, we highlight the dysregulation and critical roles of tsRNAs in cancer and discuss their potentials as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Lei Zhu
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Yong Peng
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Pan X, Geng X, Liu Y, Yu M, Mishra MK, Xu X, Ding X, Liu P, Liang M. Transfer RNA Fragments in the Kidney in Hypertension. Hypertension 2021; 77:1627-1637. [PMID: 33775129 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.121.16994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Pan
- Department of Mathematics, Shanghai Normal University, China (X.P.).,Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (X.P., X.G., Y.L., M.K.M., P.L., M.L.)
| | - Xuemei Geng
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (X.P., X.G., Y.L., M.K.M., P.L., M.L.).,Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Kidney and Dialysis, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Kidney and Blood Purification, Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, China (X.G., X.X., X.D.)
| | - Yong Liu
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (X.P., X.G., Y.L., M.K.M., P.L., M.L.)
| | - Mengqian Yu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China (M.Y., P.L.)
| | - Manoj K Mishra
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (X.P., X.G., Y.L., M.K.M., P.L., M.L.)
| | - Xialian Xu
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Kidney and Dialysis, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Kidney and Blood Purification, Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, China (X.G., X.X., X.D.)
| | - Xiaoqiang Ding
- Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Kidney and Dialysis, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Kidney and Blood Purification, Shanghai Medical Center of Kidney Disease, China (X.G., X.X., X.D.)
| | - Pengyuan Liu
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (X.P., X.G., Y.L., M.K.M., P.L., M.L.).,Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China (M.Y., P.L.)
| | - Mingyu Liang
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (X.P., X.G., Y.L., M.K.M., P.L., M.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Zuo Y, Zhu L, Guo Z, Liu W, Zhang J, Zeng Z, Wu Q, Cheng J, Fu X, Jin Y, Zhao Y, Peng Y. tsRBase: a comprehensive database for expression and function of tsRNAs in multiple species. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:D1038-D1045. [PMID: 33068436 PMCID: PMC7778983 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are a class of novel small RNAs, ubiquitously present in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. It has been reported that tsRNAs exhibit spatiotemporal expression patterns and can function as regulatory molecules in many biological processes. Current tsRNA databases only cover limited organisms and ignore tsRNA functional characteristics. Thus, integrating more relevant tsRNA information is helpful for further exploration. Here, we present a tsRNA database, named tsRBase, which integrates the expression pattern and functional information of tsRNAs in multiple species. In tsRBase, we identified 121 942 tsRNAs by analyzing more than 14 000 publicly available small RNA-seq data covering 20 species. This database collects samples from different tissues/cell-lines, or under different treatments and genetic backgrounds, thus helps depict specific expression patterns of tsRNAs under different conditions. Importantly, to enrich our understanding of biological significance, we collected tsRNAs experimentally validated from published literatures, obtained protein-binding tsRNAs from CLIP/RIP-seq data, and identified targets of tsRNAs from CLASH and CLEAR-CLIP data. Taken together, tsRBase is the most comprehensive and systematic tsRNA repository, exhibiting all-inclusive information of tsRNAs from diverse data sources of multiple species. tsRBase is freely available at http://www.tsrbase.org.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanli Zuo
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.,Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lei Zhu
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Zhixin Guo
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Wenrong Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Jiting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhen Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qingbin Wu
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Xin Fu
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Yang Jin
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Yun Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yong Peng
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Avcilar-Kucukgoze I, Kashina A. Hijacking tRNAs From Translation: Regulatory Functions of tRNAs in Mammalian Cell Physiology. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:610617. [PMID: 33392265 PMCID: PMC7773854 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.610617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer tRNAs (tRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that are highly conserved in all kingdoms of life. Originally discovered as the molecules that deliver amino acids to the growing polypeptide chain during protein synthesis, tRNAs have been believed for a long time to play exclusive role in translation. However, recent studies have identified key roles for tRNAs and tRNA-derived small RNAs in multiple other processes, including regulation of transcription and translation, posttranslational modifications, stress response, and disease. These emerging roles suggest that tRNAs may be central players in the complex machinery of biological regulatory pathways. Here we overview these non-canonical roles of tRNA in normal physiology and disease, focusing largely on eukaryotic and mammalian systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irem Avcilar-Kucukgoze
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Anna Kashina
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
tRNA-Derived Fragments (tRFs) in Bladder Cancer: Increased 5'-tRF-LysCTT Results in Disease Early Progression and Patients' Poor Treatment Outcome. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123661. [PMID: 33291319 PMCID: PMC7762106 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Bladder cancer (BlCa) management relies on lifelong surveillance strategies with invasive interventions that adversely affect patients’ quality-of-life and lead to a high economic burden for healthcare systems. Exploitation of bladder tumors’ molecular background could lead to modern precision medicine. tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), rather than degradation debris, are novel functional small ncRNAs that have emerged as key regulators of cellular homeostasis. This is the first study of the clinical utility of tRFs in BlCa. Using in silico analysis of the TCGA-BLCA project, we identified 5′-tRF-LysCTT (5′-tRF of tRNALysCTT) to be significantly deregulated in BlCa, and we have studied its clinical value in our cohort of 230 BlCa patients. Elevated 5′-tRF-LysCTT levels were significantly associated with aggressive tumor phenotype as well as early disease progression and poor treatment outcome. Integration of 5′-tRF-LysCTT with established disease markers resulted in superior prediction of patients’ prognosis, supporting personalized treatment and monitoring decisions. Abstract The heterogeneity of bladder cancer (BlCa) prognosis and treatment outcome requires the elucidation of tumors’ molecular background towards personalized patients’ management. tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), although originally considered as degradation debris, represent a novel class of powerful regulatory non-coding RNAs. In silico analysis of the TCGA-BLCA project highlighted 5′-tRF-LysCTT to be significantly deregulated in bladder tumors, and 5′-tRF-LysCTT levels were further quantified in our screening cohort of 230 BlCa patients. Recurrence and progression for non-muscle invasive (NMIBC) patients, as well as progression and patient’s death for muscle-invasive (MIBC) patients, were used as clinical endpoint events. TCGA-BLCA were used as validation cohort. Bootstrap analysis was performed for internal validation and the clinical net benefit of 5′-tRF-LysCTT on disease prognosis was assessed by decision curve analysis. Elevated 5′-tRF-LysCTT was associated with unfavorable disease features, and significant higher risk for early progression (multivariate Cox: HR = 2.368; p = 0.033) and poor survival (multivariate Cox: HR = 2.151; p = 0.032) of NMIBC and MIBC patients, respectively. Multivariate models integrating 5′-tRF-LysCTT with disease established markers resulted in superior risk-stratification specificity and positive prediction of patients’ progression. In conclusion, increased 5′-tRF-LysCTT levels were strongly associated with adverse disease outcome and improved BlCa patients’ prognostication.
Collapse
|
40
|
Sun X, Yang J, Yu M, Yao D, Zhou L, Li X, Qiu Q, Lin W, Lu B, Chen E, Wang P, Chen W, Tao S, Xu H, Williams A, Liu Y, Pan X, Cowley AW, Lu W, Liang M, Liu P, Lu Y. Global identification and characterization of tRNA-derived RNA fragment landscapes across human cancers. NAR Cancer 2020; 2:zcaa031. [PMID: 34316691 PMCID: PMC8210304 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcaa031] [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: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that are abundant in many organisms, but their role in cancer has not been fully explored. Here, we report a functional genomic landscape of tRFs in 8118 specimens across 15 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas. These tRFs exhibited characteristics of widespread expression, high sequence conservation, cytoplasmic localization, specific patterns of tRNA cleavage and conserved cleavage in tissues. A cross-tumor analysis revealed significant commonality among tRF expression subtypes from distinct tissues of origins, characterized by upregulation of a group of tRFs with similar size and activation of cancer-associated signaling. One of the largest superclusters was composed of 22 nt 3'-tRFs upregulated in 13 cancer types, all of which share the activation of Ras/MAPK, RTK and TSC/mTOR signaling. tRF-based subgrouping provided clinically relevant stratifications and significantly improved outcome prediction by incorporating clinical variables. Additionally, we discovered 11 cancer driver tRFs using an effective approach for accurately exploring cross-tumor and platform trends. As a proof of concept, we performed comprehensive functional assays on a non-microRNA driver tRF, 5'-IleAAT-8-1-L20, and validated its oncogenic roles in lung cancer in vitro and in vivo. Our study also provides a valuable tRF resource for identifying diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, developing cancer therapy and studying cancer pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiwei Sun
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Juze Yang
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Mengqian Yu
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Dongxia Yao
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Liyuan Zhou
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Xufan Li
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Qiongzi Qiu
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Weiqiang Lin
- The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China
| | - Bingjian Lu
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Enguo Chen
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Ping Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China
| | - Wantao Chen
- Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Sifeng Tao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China
| | - Haiming Xu
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Anna Williams
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Yong Liu
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Pan
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Allen W Cowley
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Weiguo Lu
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Mingyu Liang
- Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Pengyuan Liu
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Yan Lu
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Yu M, Lu B, Zhang J, Ding J, Liu P, Lu Y. tRNA-derived RNA fragments in cancer: current status and future perspectives. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:121. [PMID: 32887641 PMCID: PMC7487644 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-00955-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been the focus of many studies over the last few decades, and their fundamental roles in human diseases have been well established. Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are housekeeping ncRNAs that deliver amino acids to ribosomes during protein biosynthesis. tRNA fragments (tRFs) are a novel class of small ncRNAs produced through enzymatic cleavage of tRNAs and have been shown to play key regulatory roles similar to microRNAs. Development and application of high-throughput sequencing technologies has provided accumulating evidence of dysregulated tRFs in cancer. Aberrant expression of tRFs has been found to participate in cell proliferation, invasive metastasis, and progression in several human malignancies. These newly identified functional tRFs also have great potential as new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. In this review, we focus on the major biological functions of tRFs including RNA silencing, translation regulation, and epigenetic regulation; summarize recent research on the roles of tRFs in different types of cancer; and discuss the potential of using tRFs as clinical biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis and as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengqian Yu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, 310029, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bingjian Lu
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jisong Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, 310029, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinwang Ding
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Head & Neck Cancer Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pengyuan Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, 310029, Hangzhou, China.,Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Yan Lu
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Zimta AA, Sigurjonsson OE, Gulei D, Tomuleasa C. The Malignant Role of Exosomes as Nanocarriers of Rare RNA Species. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165866. [PMID: 32824183 PMCID: PMC7461500 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, advancements in the oncology sector regarding diagnosis methods allow us to specifically detect an increased number of cancer patients, some of them in incipient stages. However, one of the main issues consists of the invasive character of most of the diagnosis protocols or complex medical procedures associated with it, that impedes part of the patients to undergo routine checkups. Therefore, in order to increase the number of cancer cases diagnosed in incipient stages, other minimally invasive alternatives must be considered. The current review paper presents the value of rare RNA species isolated from circulatory exosomes as biomarkers of diagnosis, prognosis or even therapeutic intervention. Rare RNAs are most of the time overlooked in current research in favor of the more abundant RNA species like microRNAs. However, their high degree of stability, low variability and, for most of them, conservation across species could shift the interest toward these types of RNAs. Moreover, due to their low abundance, the variation interval in terms of the number of sequences with differential expression between samples from healthy individuals and cancer patients is significantly diminished and probably easier to interpret in a clinical context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alina-Andreea Zimta
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine-Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.-A.Z.); (C.T.)
| | - Olafur Eysteinn Sigurjonsson
- The Blood Bank, Landspitali University Hospital, 121 Reykjavik, Iceland;
- School of Science and Engineering, Reykjavik University, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Diana Gulei
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine-Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.-A.Z.); (C.T.)
- Correspondence: or
| | - Ciprian Tomuleasa
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine-Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.-A.Z.); (C.T.)
- Department of Hematology, Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| |
Collapse
|