Junction plakoglobin, a potential prognostic marker of oral squamous cell carcinoma, promotes proliferation, migration and invasion

miR-195-5p as Regulator of γ-Catenin and Desmosome Junctions in Colorectal Cancer

Desmosomes play a key role in the regulation of cell adhesion and signaling. Dysregulation of the desmosome complex is associated with the loss of epithelial cell polarity and disorganized tissue architecture typical of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to investigate and characterize the effect of miR-195-5p on desmosomal junction regulation in CRC. In detail, we proposed to investigate the deregulation of miR-195-5p and JUP, a gene target that encodes a desmosome component in CRC patients. JUP closely interacts with desmosomal cadherins, and downstream, it regulates several intracellular transduction factors. We restored the miR-195-5p levels by transient transfection in colonic epithelial cells to examine the effects of miR-195-5p on JUP mRNA and protein expression. The JUP regulation by miR-195-5p, in turn, determined a modulation of desmosome cadherins (Desmoglein 2 and Desmocollin 2). Furthermore, we focused on whether the miR-195-5p gain of function was also able to modulate the expression of key components of Wnt signaling, such as NLK, LEF1 and Cyclin D1. In conclusion, we have identified a novel mechanism controlled by miR-195-5p in the regulation of adhesive junctions, suggesting its potential clinical relevance for future miRNA-based therapy in CRC.

Knockdown of Secernin 1 inhibit cell invasion and migration by activating the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway in oral squamous cell carcinomas

Secernin-1 (SCRN1) is a regulator of exocytosis in mast cells. Recently, SCRN1 was reported to be correlated with the prognosis of colorectal cancer and gastric cancer, but its functional effects on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. Our aim was to explore the expression pattern and the migration and invasion effects of the newly identified SCRN1 in OSCC. Western blotting (WB) was performed to measure SCRN1 expression in human OSCC tissue samples and OSCC cell lines. The effects of SCRN1 on OSCC cell proliferation, invasion and migration were analyzed by cell counting kit-8 and Transwell assays. The expression levels of TGF-β, Smad3 and phosphorylated Smad3 (p-Smad3) were measured by WB. The secretion of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 was determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of SCRN1 was significantly elevated in OSCC tissues and cell lines. SCRN1 knockdown reduced the expression of TGF-β and p-Smad3 in OSCC cells. TGF-β stimulation promoted proliferation, invasion and migration and enhanced the expression of p-Smad3 and the secretion of MMP9 in SCRN1-knockdown OSCC cell lines. Our study demonstrated that SCRN1 is upregulated in OSCC. Further analyses demonstrated that SCRN1 promotes the proliferation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells via TGF-β/Smad3 signaling.

Molecular Genomic Study of Inhibin Molecule Production through Granulosa Cell Gene Expression in Inhibin-Deficient Mice

Inhibin is a molecule that belongs to peptide hormones and is excreted through pituitary gonadotropins stimulation action on the granulosa cells of the ovaries. However, the differential regulation of inhibin and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on granulosa cell tumor growth in mice inhibin-deficient females is not yet well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of inhibin and FSH on the granulosa cells of ovarian follicles at the premature antral stage. This study stimulated immature wild-type (WT) and Inhibin-α knockout (Inha−/−) female mice with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and examined hCG-induced gene expression changes in granulosa cells. Also, screening of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was performed in the two groups under study. In addition, related modules to external traits and key gene drivers were determined through Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) algorithm. The results identified a number of 1074 and 931 DEGs and 343 overlapping DEGs (ODEGs) were shared in the two groups. Some 341 ODEGs had high relevance and consistent expression direction, with a significant correlation coefficient (r2 = 0.9145). Additionally, the gene co-expression network of selected 153 genes showed 122 nodes enriched to 21 GO biological processes (BP) and reproduction and 3 genes related to genomic pathways. By using principal component analysis (PCA), the 14 genes in the regulatory network were fixed and the cumulative proportion of fitted top three principal components was 94.64%. In conclusion, this study revealed the novelty of using ODEGs for investigating the inhibin and FSH hormone pathways that might open the way toward gene therapy for granulosa cell tumors. Also, these genes could be used as biomarkers for tracking the changes in inhibin and FSH hormone from the changes in the nutrition pattern.

Paradoxical Roles of Desmosomal Components in Head and Neck Cancer

Desmosomes are intercellular adhesion complexes involved in various aspects of epithelial pathophysiology, including tissue homeostasis, morphogenesis, and disease development. Recent studies have reported that the abnormal expression of various desmosomal components correlates with tumor progression and poor survival. In addition, desmosomes have been shown to act as a signaling platform to regulate the proliferation, invasion, migration, morphogenesis, and apoptosis of cancer cells. The occurrence and progression of head and neck cancer (HNC) is accompanied by abnormal expression of desmosomal components and loss of desmosome structure. However, the role of desmosomal components in the progression of HNC remains controversial. This review aims to provide an overview of recent developments showing the paradoxical roles of desmosomal components in tumor suppression and promotion. It offers valuable insights for HNC diagnosis and therapeutics development.

Overexpression of miRNA-9 enhances galectin-3 levels in oral cavity cancers

Oral cavity cancer (OCC) is the predominant subtype of head and neck cancer (HNC) and has up to 50% mortality. Genome-wide microRNA (miR) sequencing data indicates overexpression of miR-9-5p in HNC tumours, however, the biological role of miR-9-5p in OCC is complex; it can either act as a tumour suppressor or an oncomir, regulating many target genes at the post-transcriptional level. We have investigated the overexpression of miR-9-5p in three OCC cell lines. We have evaluated its expression levels and Galectin-3 as potential biomarkers in saliva samples collected from controls and OCC patients. We found that over expression of miR-9-5p in OCC cell lines resulted in a significant reduction in cell proliferation and migration, and an increase in apoptosis, which was paralleled by an increase in Galectin-3 secretion and export of Galectin-3 protein. Our data are consistent with miR-9-5p being a modulator of Galectin-3 via the AKT/γ-catenin pathway. In addition, the positive correlation between the levels of miR-9-5p expression and secreted Galectin-3 in saliva reflects a similar relationship in vivo, and supports the utility of their integrative evaluation in OCC. Our findings indicate that both miR-9-5p and Galectin-3 are critical biomolecules in the progression of OCC.

Western Diet Induced Remodelling of the Tongue Proteome

The tongue is a heavily innervated and vascularized striated muscle that plays an important role in vocalization, swallowing and digestion. The surface of the tongue is lined with papillae which contain gustatory cells expressing various taste receptors. There is growing evidence to suggest that our perceptions of taste and food preference are remodelled following chronic consumption of Western diets rich in carbohydrate and fats. Our sensitivity to taste and also to metabolising Western diets may be a key factor in the rising prevalence of obesity; however, a systems-wide analysis of the tongue is lacking. Here, we defined the proteomic landscape of the mouse tongue and quantified changes following chronic consumption of a chow or Western diet enriched in lipid, fructose and cholesterol for 7 months. We observed a dramatic remodelling of the tongue proteome including proteins that regulate fatty acid and mitochondrial metabolism. Furthermore, the expressions of several receptors, metabolic enzymes and hormones were differentially regulated, and are likely to provide novel therapeutic targets to alter taste perception and food preference to combat obesity.