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Kuo CY, Jhuang JY, Huang WC, Cheng SP. Aberrant Expression of Thymosin Beta-4 Correlates With Advanced Disease and BRAF V600E Mutation in Thyroid Cancer. J Histochem Cytochem 2022; 70:707-716. [PMID: 36321670 PMCID: PMC9660367 DOI: 10.1369/00221554221138370] [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: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymosin beta-4 (TMSB4X) was recently identified as a differentially expressed gene between malignant and non-malignant thyroid cells via single-cell RNA sequencing. In the present study, we aimed to study the immunostaining pattern of TMSB4X in benign and malignant thyroid neoplasms. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that normal thyroid tissue or benign thyroid disorders exhibited undetectable immunoreactivity against TMSB4X except for positive staining of inflammatory infiltrates and stromal cells associated with autoimmune thyroid disease. By contrast, overexpression of TMSB4X was observed in a variety of thyroid malignancies, including papillary, follicular, poorly differentiated, and undifferentiated thyroid cancer. Among 141 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, higher TMSB4X expression was associated with papillary tumor type, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastasis, and BRAF V600E mutation. The results were consistent with those from the public transcriptomic datasets. In summary, TMSB4X expression was aberrantly increased in various types of thyroid cancer, and higher TMSB4X expression was correlated with advanced disease characteristics. Thymosin beta-4 may be a novel downstream effector of the BRAF V600E mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Yu Kuo
- Department of Surgery, MacKay Memorial
Hospital, Taipei
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine,
MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City
| | - Jie-Yang Jhuang
- Department of Pathology, MacKay Memorial
Hospital, Taipei
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine,
MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City
| | - Wen-Chien Huang
- Department of Surgery, MacKay Memorial
Hospital, Taipei
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine,
MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City
| | - Shih-Ping Cheng
- Department of Surgery, MacKay Memorial
Hospital, Taipei
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine,
MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, MacKay
Medical College, New Taipei City
- Department of Pharmacology, School of
Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei
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Thymosin beta-4 overexpression correlates with high-risk groups in gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors: A retrospective analysis by immunohistochemistry. Pathol Res Pract 2017; 213:1139-1143. [PMID: 28756979 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) is a protein that is linked to a number of important biological actions and recently tumor progression and poor prognosis of some tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate Tβ4 expression in gastric GISTs and correlate with some clinicopathological characteristics related with prognosis and clinical outcome in order to add further data to the current literature. METHODS Tβ4 antibody was applied to the 4μm-thick paraffin sections of 57 gastric GISTs by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Tβ4 expression was found to be directly corrrelated with higher risk groups, tumor size, mitotic count, cellularity, and necrosis while it was inversely correlated with overall survival (OS) by univariate analysis (p=0.000, p=0.001, p=0.000, p=0.025, p=0.023, and p=0.042, respectively). The direct association between Tβ4 expression and risk groups were also supported by multivariate analysis (p=0.000, β=0.497, t=4.374). CONCLUSION Overexpression of Tβ4 was found to be related with predictive characteristics for tumor progression and adverse prognosis. Thus, we suggest that overexpression of Tβ4 might play a role in the progression of gastric GISTs and might be used as a potential prognostic tool as well as a target for novel therapies.
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Massimi L, Martelli C, Caldarelli M, Castagnola M, Desiderio C. Proteomics in pediatric cystic craniopharyngioma. Brain Pathol 2017; 27:370-376. [PMID: 28414889 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) is still often burdened by a poor prognosis in children as far as the risk of recurrence and the quality of life are concerned. Therefore, many efforts are now dedicated to investigate the molecular characteristics of this tumor aiming at finding new therapeutic options. ACP is prevalently a cystic lesion so that an increasing number of researches are focused on the analysis of its cystic content. In the present article, the main results of the current proteomic analysis (PA) on the ACP fluid are summarized. Both "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches have been utilized. In the bottom-up approach, proteins and peptides are enzymatically or chemically digested prior to liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses. The bottom-up approach pointed out several proteins of the inflammation (namely, α2-HS-glycoprotein, α1-antichymotrypsin and apolipoproteins) as possibly involved in the genesis and growth of the cystic component of ACP. The top-down strategy analyzes proteins and peptides in the intact state, making it particularly suitable for the identification of peptides and low molecular weight proteins and for the characterization of their possible isoforms and post-translational modifications. The top-down approach disclosed the presence of the thymosin β family. Thymosin β4, in particular, which is involved in the cytoskeleton organization and migration of several tumors, could play a role in the progression of ACP. Finally, PA was utilized to investigate alterations in cyst fluid character after treatment with interferon-α. The analyzed samples showed a progressive reduction of the levels of α-defensins (proteins involved in the inflammatory-mediated response) after the intracystic injection of interferon-α, thus reinforcing the hypothesis that inflammation contributes to ACP cyst pathogenesis. Additional studies on the solid component of ACP are still necessary to further validate the previous results and to identify possible markers for targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Massimi
- Neurochirurgia Pediatrica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Martelli
- Istituto di Biochimica e Chimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Caldarelli
- Neurochirurgia Pediatrica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Castagnola
- Istituto di Biochimica e Chimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Desiderio
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
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Huang D, Wang S, Wang A, Chen X, Zhang H. Thymosin beta 4 silencing suppresses proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer cells by repressing Notch1 activation. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2016; 48:788-94. [PMID: 27521796 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmw070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4), a pleiotropic actin-sequestering polypeptide that is involved in wound healing and developmental processes, has been reported to be strongly associated with tumorigenesis. A recent tissue microarray analysis showed that Tβ4 was highly expressed in certain tumor cells, including lung cancer. However, the exact expression pattern and the role of Tβ4 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not to our knowledge been investigated. In the present study, we confirmed that Tβ4 expression was increased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Tβ4 gene silencing in A549 and H1299 cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and decreased tumor growth in vivo Mechanistic investigations revealed a significant decrease in Notch1 activation in Tβ4 gene-silenced cells. Moreover, restoring the Notch1 expression attenuated the function of Tβ4 silencing in NSCLC cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that Tβ4 may play an oncogenic role in NSCLC progression and may be a novel molecular target for anti-NSCLC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayu Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shaohua Wang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - An Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiaofeng Chen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Huijun Zhang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
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Janarthini R, Wang X, Chen L, Gao L, Zhao L. A Tobacco-Derived Thymosin β4 Concatemer Promotes Cell Proliferation and Wound Healing in Mice. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:1973413. [PMID: 27493953 PMCID: PMC4963596 DOI: 10.1155/2016/1973413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is a peptide that is known to play important roles in protection, regeneration, and remodeling of injured tissues in humans, and that shows great promise in a range of clinical applications. However, current strategies to Tβ4 are insufficient to meet growing demand and have a number of limitations. In this current study we investigated whether expression of recombinant Tβ4 in plants, specifically in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves, represents an effective approach. To address this question, a 168 bp Tβ4 gene optimized for tobacco codon usage bias was constitutively expressed in tobacco as a 4-unit repeat concatemer, fused to a polyhistidine tag. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses were used to verify 4×Tβ4 expression in 14 transgenic tobacco lines and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis indicated 4×Tβ4 protein concentrations as high as 3 μg/g of fresh weight in the leaves. We observed that direct administration of tobacco-derived Tβ4 was more effective than Tβ4 either obtained commercially or derived from expression in Escherichia coli at promoting splenocyte proliferation in vitro and wound healing in mice through an endothelial migration assay. This study provides new insights into the development of plant-derived therapeutic proteins and their application by direct administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rylosona Janarthini
- Joint Tomato Research Institute, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Plant Biotechnology Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaolei Wang
- Joint Tomato Research Institute, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Plant Biotechnology Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lulu Chen
- Joint Tomato Research Institute, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Plant Biotechnology Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Joint Tomato Research Institute, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Plant Biotechnology Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lingxia Zhao
- Joint Tomato Research Institute, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Plant Biotechnology Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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Role of thymosin beta 4 in hair growth. Mol Genet Genomics 2016; 291:1639-46. [DOI: 10.1007/s00438-016-1207-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Martelli C, Iavarone F, D'Angelo L, Arba M, Vincenzoni F, Inserra I, Delfino D, Rossetti DV, Caretto M, Massimi L, Tamburrini G, Di Rocco C, Caldarelli M, Messana I, Castagnola M, Sanna MT, Desiderio C. Integrated proteomic platforms for the comparative characterization of medulloblastoma and pilocytic astrocytoma pediatric brain tumors: a preliminary study. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2016; 11:1668-83. [PMID: 25909245 DOI: 10.1039/c5mb00076a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A top-down/bottom-up integrated proteomic approach based on LC-MS and 2-DE analysis was applied for comparative characterization of medulloblastoma and pilocytic astrocytoma posterior cranial fossa pediatric brain tumor tissues. Although rare, primary brain tumors are the most frequent solid tumors in the pediatric age. Among them the medulloblastoma is the prevalent malignant tumor in childhood while pilocytic astrocytoma is the most common, rarely showing a malignant progression. Due to the limited availability of this kind of sample, the study was applied to pooled tumor tissues for a preliminary investigation. The results showed different proteomic profiles of the two tumors and evidenced interesting differential expression of several proteins and peptides. Top-down proteomics of acid-soluble fractions of brain tumor homogenates ascribed a potential biomarker role of malignancy to β- and α-thymosins and their truncated proteoforms and to C-terminal truncated (des-GG) ubiquitin, resulting exclusively detected or over-expressed in the highly malignant medulloblastoma. The bottom-up proteomics of the acid-soluble fraction identified several proteins, some of them in common with 2-DE analysis of acid-insoluble pellets. Peroxiredoxin-1, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A, triosephosphate isomerase, pyruvate kinase PKM, tubulin beta and alpha chains, heat shock protein HSP-90-beta and different histones characterized the medulloblastoma while the Ig kappa chain C region, serotransferrin, tubulin beta 2A chain and vimentin the pilocytic astrocytoma. The two proteomic strategies, with their pros and cons, well complemented each other in characterizing the proteome of brain tumor tissues and in disclosing potential disease biomarkers to be validated in a future study on individual samples of both tumor histotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Martelli
- Istituto di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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The Escherichia coli-derived thymosin β4 concatemer promotes cell proliferation and healing wound in mice. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 2013:241721. [PMID: 23762829 PMCID: PMC3671520 DOI: 10.1155/2013/241721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Revised: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is one of the most promising thymosins for future clinical applications, and it is anticipated that commercial demand for Tβ4 will increase. In order to develop a new approach to produce recombinant Tβ4, a 168 bp DNA (termed Tβ4) was designed based on the Tβ4 protein sequence and used to express a 4 × Tβ4 concatemer (four tandem copies of Tβ4, termed 4 × Tβ4) together with a histidine tag (6 × His) in E. coli (strain BL21). SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis were used to confirm that a recombinant 4 × Tβ4 protein of the expected size (30.87 kDa) was produced following the induction of the bacterial cultures with isopropyl β-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG). The E. coli-derived 4 × Tβ4 was purified by Ni-NTA resin, and its activities were examined with regard to both stimulating proliferation of the mice spleen cells in vitro and in vivo wound healing. The results demonstrate that these activities of the E. coli-derived recombinant 4 × Tβ4 were similar or even better than existing commercially obtained Tβ4. This production strategy therefore represents a potentially valuable approach for future commercial production of recombinant Tβ4.
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Desiderio C, Martelli C, Rossetti DV, Di Rocco C, D'Angelo L, Caldarelli M, Tamburrini G, Iavarone F, Castagnola M, Messana I, Cabras T, Faa G. Identification of thymosins β4 and β 10 in paediatric craniopharyngioma cystic fluid. Childs Nerv Syst 2013; 29:951-60. [PMID: 23503632 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-013-2069-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma is the third most recurrent paediatric brain tumour. Although histologically benign, it behaves aggressively as a malignant tumour due to invasion of the hypothalamus and visual pathways. Surgery is still the first and almost the only mode of treatment, although serious damage can occur as a consequence of tumour localization. The proteomic characterization of the intracystic tumoural fluid could contribute to the comprehension of the tumorigenesis processes and to the development of therapeutic targets to reduce cyst volume, allowing less invasive surgery and/or delay of the radical resection of the tumour mass and the collateral serious effects. METHODS Intracystic fluid was analysed by a LC-ESI-IT-MS top-down platform after acidification, deproteinization and chloroform liquid/liquid extraction. FINDINGS Thymosin β4 and β10 peptides were for the first time identified in the intracystic fluid of adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma by low- and high-resolution MS analysis coupled with LC. The two peptides showed the same distribution trend in the analysed samples. Thymosin β4 and β10 were present in 77 % of the analysed samples. These peptides were not found in the cerebrospinal fluid available for two patients. INTERPRETATION The presence of β-thymosins in the intracystic fluid of the tumour confirmed the secretion of these proteins in the extracellular environment. Due to their G-actin-sequestering activity and antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties, these peptides could be strictly involved in both tumour progression and cyst development and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Desiderio
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Rome, Italy.
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