Claspin Overexpression Promotes Tumor Progression and Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome in Prostate Cancer

How CLSPN could demystify its prognostic value and potential molecular mechanism for hepatocellular carcinoma: A crosstalk study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

CLSPN, a critical component of the S-phase checkpoint in response to DNA replication stress, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple tumor types. The rising incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a significant challenge to global public health. Despite this, the specific functions of CLSPN in the development of HCC remain poorly understood.

METHODS

We systematically evaluated the expression of CLSPN, prognosis and immune infiltration in patients with HCC and identified a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network by using public database. The RT-qPCR, western blot, CCK8, transwell, flow cytometry, animal experiments, proteasome inhibition experiment, Co-IP assay and mass spectrometry were applied to explore its biological functions, post-transcriptional modifications and potential molecular mechanisms of CLSPN in HCC.

RESULTS

We verified the expression of CLSPN, and its high expression is an independent prognostic factor in HCC. The expression of CLSPN is also associated with the immune microenvironment of HCC. CLSPN silencing inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle progression of HCC cells. We established a PSMA3-AS1/hsa-miR-101-3p/CLSPN regulator axis in HCC. CLSPN was influenced by ubiquitination and was involved in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to regulate HCC progression.

CONCLUSIONS

It was the first time to comprehensively discover and identify the expression, prognosis, immunotherapy, RNAs regulator, posttranscriptional modification, and molecular mechanisms of CLSPN in HCC. These novel insights have the potential to expedite the development of personalized treatment strategies and translational medicine approaches for HCC patients.

Studying the DNA damage response pathway in hematopoietic canine cancer cell lines, a necessary step for finding targets to generate new therapies to treat cancer in dogs

Background

Dogs present a significant opportunity for studies in comparative oncology. However, the study of cancer biology phenomena in canine cells is currently limited by restricted availability of validated antibody reagents and techniques. Here, we provide an initial characterization of the expression and activity of key components of the DNA Damage Response (DDR) in a panel of hematopoietic canine cancer cell lines, with the use of commercially available antibody reagents.

Materials and methods

The techniques used for this validation analysis were western blot, qPCR, and DNA combing assay.

Results

Substantial variations in both the basal expression (ATR, Claspin, Chk1, and Rad51) and agonist-induced activation (p-Chk1) of DDR components were observed in canine cancer cell lines. The expression was stronger in the CLBL-1 (B-cell lymphoma) and CLB70 (B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia) cell lines than in the GL-1 (B-cell leukemia) cell line, but the biological significance of these differences requires further investigation. We also validated methodologies for quantifying DNA replication dynamics in hematopoietic canine cancer cell lines, and found that the GL-1 cell line presented a higher replication fork speed than the CLBL-1 cell line, but that both showed a tendency to replication fork asymmetry.

Conclusion

These findings will inform future studies on cancer biology, which will facilitate progress in developing novel anticancer therapies for canine patients. They can also provide new knowledge in human oncology.

Association of SNPs in the PAI1 Gene with Disease Recurrence and Clinical Outcome in Bladder Cancer

PURPOSE

Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most common cancer types worldwide and is characterized by a high rate of recurrence. In previous studies, we and others have described the functional influence of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI1) in bladder cancer development. While polymorphisms in PAI1 have been associated with increased risk and worsened prognosis in some cancers, the mutational status of PAI1 in human bladder tumors has not been well defined.

METHODS

In this study, we evaluated the mutational status of PAI1 in a series of independent cohorts, comprised of a total of 660 subjects.

RESULTS

Sequencing analyses identified two clinically relevant 3' untranslated region (UTR) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PAI1 (rs7242; rs1050813). Somatic SNP rs7242 was present in human BCa cohorts (overall incidence of 72%; 62% in Caucasians and 72% in Asians). In contrast, the overall incidence of germline SNP rs1050813 was 18% (39% in Caucasians and 6% in Asians). Furthermore, Caucasian patients with at least one of the described SNPs had worse recurrence-free survival and overall survival (p = 0.03 and p = 0.03, respectively). In vitro functional studies demonstrated that SNP rs7242 increased the anti-apoptotic effect of PAI1, and SNP rs1050813 was related to a loss of contact inhibition associated with cellular proliferation when compared to wild type.

CONCLUSION

Further investigation of the prevalence and potential downstream influence of these SNPs in bladder cancer is warranted.

Regulation of ATR-CHK1 signaling by ubiquitination of CLASPIN

DNA replication forks are frequently forced into stalling by persistent DNA aberrations generated from endogenous or exogenous insults. Stalled replication forks are catastrophic for genome integrity and cell survival if not immediately stabilized. The ataxia-telangiectasia and RAD3-related kinase (ATR)-CLASPIN-checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) signaling cascade is a pivotal mechanism that initiates cell-cycle checkpoints and stabilizes stalled replication forks, assuring the faithful duplication of genomic information before entry into mitosis. The timely recovery of checkpoints after stressors are resolved is also crucial for normal cell proliferation. The precise activation and inactivation of ATR-CHK1 signaling are usually efficiently regulated by turnover and the cellular re-localization of the adaptor protein CLASPIN. The ubiquitination-proteasome-mediated degradation of CLASPIN, driven by APC/CCDH1 and SCFβTrCP, results in a cell-cycle-dependent fluctuation pattern of CLASPIN levels, with peak levels seen in S/G2 phase when it functions in the DNA replisome or as an adaptor protein in ATR-CHK1 signaling under replication stress. Deubiquitination mediated by a series of ubiquitin-specific protease family proteins releases CLASPIN from proteasome-dependent destruction and activates the ATR-CHK1 checkpoint to overcome replication stress. Moreover, the non-proteolytic ubiquitination of CLASPIN also affects CHK1 activation by regulating CLASPIN localization. In this review, we discuss the functions of CLASPIN ubiquitination with specific linkage types in the regulation of the ATR-CHK1 signaling pathway. Research in this area is progressing at pace and provides promising chemotherapeutic targets.

CLSPN is a potential biomarker associated with poor prognosis in low-grade gliomas based on a multi-database analysis

BACKGROUND

The oncogene CLSPN, also known as claspin, has regulatory effects in a variety of tumours; however, it is not clear whether CLSPN is a therapeutic target in low-grade gliomas (LGG). In this study, the prognostic value of CLSPN in LGG and its role as an immunotherapeutic target were evaluated.

METHODS

Transcriptome and methylation data for thousands of patients with glioma were collected from various databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas, Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas, and Gene Expression Omnibus. Subsequently, a series of bioinformatics methods were used to evaluate the relationships between CLSPN and prognosis, clinical features, methylation status, immune cells, and molecular signaling pathways in LGG.

RESULTS

CLSPN expression levels were positively correlated with major malignant characteristics of LGG, and low expression of CLSPN was associated with a better prognosis. The methylation sites cg04263115 and cg06100291 negatively regulated the expression of CLSPN, and increased methylation levels at these sites were related to a longer survival time in patients with LGG. CLSPN was positively correlated with tumour-infiltrating immune cells and showed high copy number variation in these cells. There was a positive regulatory relationship between CLSPN expression and programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). A gene set enrichment analysis revealed that CLSPN activates a variety of cancer signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

CLSPN was identified as an independent risk factor for LGG with excellent prognostic value.

Overexpression of GINS4 is associated with poor prognosis and survival in glioma patients

Background

GINS4, an indispensable component of the GINS complex, is vital for a variety of cancer. However, no known empirical research has focused on exploring relationships between GINS4 and glioma. Thus, this study aims to understand and explain the role of GINS4 in glioma.

Method

First, we used the data in the CGGA, TCGA, GEO, GEPIA, and HPA databases to explore the expression level of GINS4 in glioma, the correlation between GINS4 expression and the clinical features of glioma, its impact on the survival of glioma patients, and verified the analysis results through RT-qPCR, IHC, and meta-analysis. Subsequently, GSEA enrichment analysis is used to find the potential molecular mechanism of GINS4 to promote the malignant process of glioma and the anti-glioma drugs that may target GINS4 screened by CMap analysis. Moreover, we further explored the influence of the GINS4 expression on the immune microenvironment of glioma patients through the TIMER database.

Results

Our results suggested that GINS4 was elevated in glioma, and the overexpression of GINS4 was connected with a vast number of clinical features. The next, GINS4 as an independent prognostic factor, which can result in an unfavorable prognosis of glioma. Once more, GINS4 may be participating in the oncogenesis of glioma through JAK-STAT signaling pathways, etc. 6-thioguanine, Doxazosin, and Emetine had potential value in the clinical application of drugs targeting GINS4. Finally, the expression exhibited a close relationship with some immune cells, especially Dendritic cells.

Conclusion

GINS4 is an independent prognostic factor that led to a poor prognosis of glioma. The present study revealed the probable underlying molecular mechanisms of GINS4 in glioma and provided a potential target for improving the prognosis of glioma.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s10020-021-00378-0.

Associations Between Tenascin-C and Testosterone Deficiency in Men with Major Depressive Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study

Background

Elevated levels of tenascin-C are linked to increased risk and severity of major depressive disorder (MDD), while testosterone shows a protective effect. The present study explored associations between serum levels of tenascin-C and testosterone in Chinese men with MDD.

Methods

Testosterone and tenascin-C levels were measured in sera of 412 men with MDD and 237 age- and sex-matched controls. Serum levels of thyroid hormone, lipids, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were also quantified. Potential associations were examined using covariance, subgroup analysis, and multivariate linear regression analyses.

Results

Significantly higher concentrations of tenascin-C were detected in sera of subjects with MDD than in controls. Among subjects with MDD, testosterone concentrations inversely correlated with tenascin-C levels. This relationship was observed when patients were stratified by age at onset; duration or severity of depression; or concentration of thyroid hormones, low- or high-density lipoprotein, or hs-CRP. The negative association remained even when the statistical model was adjusted for age, smoking status, alcohol use, and body mass index. Linear regression with bootstrap resampling confirmed that high tenascin-C levels inversely correlated with testosterone levels.

Conclusion

In men with MDD, high tenascin-C concentrations correlate with testosterone deficiency. The combination of elevated tenascin-C and testosterone deficiency may be associated with MDD progression.