Involvement of the lncRNA AFAP1-AS1/microRNA-195/E2F3 axis in proliferation and migration of enteric neural crest stem cells of Hirschsprung's disease

The roles of non-coding RNAs in Hirschsprung's disease

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a congenital disorder characterized by the absence of ganglion cells in the colon, leading to various intestinal complications. The etiology of HSCR stems from complex genetic and environmental interactions, of which the intricate roles of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a key area of research. However, the roles of ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of HSCR have not been fully elucidated. In order to understand the variety of symptoms caused by HSCR and develop new therapeutic approaches, it is essential to understand the underlying biological genetic basis of HSCR. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the current understanding regarding the involvement of ncRNAs in HSCR, including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). Additionally, it provides a summary of the molecular mechanisms through which ncRNAs regulate the expression of genes related to the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of intestinal neural crest cells, thereby contributing to the advancement of HSCR research.

Sequencing Reveals miRNAs Enriched in the Developing Mouse Enteric Nervous System

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is an essential network of neurons and glia in the bowel wall. Defects in ENS development can result in Hirschsprung disease (HSCR), a life-threatening condition characterized by severe constipation, abdominal distention, bilious vomiting, and failure to thrive. A growing body of literature connects HSCR to alterations in miRNA expression, but there are limited data on the normal miRNA landscape in the developing ENS. We sequenced small RNAs (smRNA-seq) and messenger RNAs (mRNA-seq) from ENS precursor cells of mid-gestation Ednrb-EGFP mice and compared them to aggregated RNA from all other cells in the developing bowel. Our smRNA-seq results identified 73 miRNAs that were significantly enriched and highly expressed in the developing ENS, with miR-9, miR-27b, miR-124, miR-137, and miR-488 as our top 5 miRNAs that are conserved in humans. However, contrary to prior reports, our follow-up analyses of miR-137 showed that loss of Mir137 in Nestin-cre, Wnt1-cre, Sox10-cre, or Baf53b-cre lineage cells had no effect on mouse survival or ENS development. Our data provide important context for future studies of miRNAs in HSCR and other ENS diseases and highlight open questions about facility-specific factors in development.

LINC01579-204 involved in the development of Hirschsprung's disease maybe by regulating the expression of miR-203a-3p and NEFL

BACKGROUND

Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is a rare congenital digestive tract malformation in children. Roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are highlighted in various human diseases. However, knowledge on lncRNAs in HD is still limited.

METHODS

The profile of lncRNAs in 8 pairs of normal and stenosed intestinal tissue of HD patients were obtained using microarray analysis. Base on bioinformatics analysis, the level of selected LINC01579-204, NEFL and miR-203a-3p was detected by qRT-PCR in 36 pairs of normal and stenosed intestinal tissue of HD patients. Then the predictive accuracy of LINC01579-204, miR-203a-3p and NEFL level to evaluate the progression of HD patients was analyzed with receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).

RESULTS

A total of 90 differentially expressed lncRNAs were detected in normal and stenosed intestinal tissue of HD patients (|fold change| ≥ 1.5, p < 0.05). The level of LINC01579-204 and NEFL decreased and miR-203a-3p increased significantly in 36 pairs of stenosed intestinal tissue of HD patients compared to the control. A notable positive correlation was identified between LINC01579-204 and NEFL (r = 0.9681, p < 0.0001). Areas under the ROC curve of the LINC01579-204, miR-203a-3p and NEFL signature were 0.715, 0.777 and 0.829, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

LINC01579-204, miR-203a-3p, and NEFL are predicted to play important roles in the progression of HD. LINC01579-204, miR-203a-3p and NEFL had a significant overall predictive ability to identify progression of HD patients. The novel experimental and bioinformatic results achieved in this study may provide new insights into the molecular of HD.

Downregulation of hsa_circ_0000885 suppressed osteosarcoma metastasis and progression via regulating E2F3 expression and sponging miR-16-5p

Introduction

Accumulating evidence has shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) have indispensable functions during tumor progression by regulating gene expression. A previous study found that upregulation of hsa_circ_0000885 indicated a poor clinical outcome of osteosarcoma (OS). However, the regulatory mechanism of this process is unclear.

Methods

This investigation aimed to elucidate how hsa_circ_0000885 regulated OSs. The study used RT-qPCR to investigate hsa_circ_0000885 expression in OS cells. We conducted luciferase reporter assays and analyses to confirm the hsa_circ_0000885 downstream target. We transfected OS cells using different vectors and used Transwell migration, colony formation, western blotting, Matrigel invasion, proliferation, in vivo tumorigenesis, and metastasis assays to identify the role of hsa_circ_0000885 in OS.

Results

The results showed that hsa_circ_0000885 expression altered OS cell lines, and that hsa_circ_0000885 downregulation suppressed OS cell proliferation and invasion using in vivo and in vitro experiments. Luciferase reporter assays verified that miR-16-5p and E2F3 were downstream targets of hsa_circ_0000885. E2F3 overexpression or miR-16-5p inhibition reversed OS cell invasion and proliferation after silencing hsa_circ_0000885. Furthermore, hsa_circ_0000885 affected cancer stem cell differentiation by regulating miR-16-5p/E2F3.

Conclusions

Overall, the results showed that hsa_circ_0000885 downregulation suppressed OS progression and metastasis via regulating E2F3 expression and sponging miR-16-5p.

LncRNA-RMST Functions as a Transcriptional Co-regulator of SOX2 to Regulate miR-1251 in the Progression of Hirschsprung's Disease

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a congenital disorder characterized by the absence of enteric neural crest cells (ENCCs). LncRNA rhabdomyosarcoma 2-associated transcript (RMST) is essential for the growth and development of neuron. This study aimed to reveal the role of RMST in the pathogenesis of HSCR. The expression level of RMST, miR-1251, SOX2, and AHNAK was evaluated with qRT-PCR or western blot. CCK-8 and transwell assays were applied to detect cell proliferation and migration. CHIP and RIP assays were applied to determine the combination relationship between SOX2 and promoter region of miR-1251 or RMST and SOX2, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm miR-1251 targeted AHNAK. As results have shown, RMST was downregulated in the aganglionic colon of HSCR patients. The knockdown of RMST attenuated cell proliferation and migration significantly. MiR-1251, the intronic miRNA of RMST, was also low expressed in HSCR, but RMST did not alter the expression of miR-1251 directly. Furthermore, SOX2 was found to regulate the expression of miR-1251 via binding to the promoter region of miR-1251, and RMST strengthened this function by interacting with SOX2. Moreover, AHNAK was the target gene of miR-1251, which was co-regulated by RMST and SOX2. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that RMST functioned as a transcriptional co-regulator of SOX2 to regulate miR-1251 and resulted in the upregulation of AHNAK, leading to the occurrence of HSCR. The novel RMST/SOX2/miR-1251/AHNAK axis provided potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of HSCR during embryonic stage.

CircularRNA_0119872 regulates the microRNA-582-3p/E2F transcription factor 3 pathway to promote the progression of malignant melanoma

OBJECTIVES

Malignant melanoma (MM) is an invasive tumor that poses a threat to patient health. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important regulators of MM carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated the expression characteristics and biological functions of, and mechanism underlying, circ_0119872 expression in MM.

METHODS

Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to examine the circ_0119872, microRNA (miR)-582-3p, and E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) mRNA expression levels in MM tissues and cell lines. Western blotting was performed to quantify E2F3 protein expression. MM cells with circ_0119872 knockdown were established, and cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) and transwell assays were utilized to examine the function of circ_0119872 and its effects on the malignant characteristics of MM cells. The MiRDB and TargetScan databases were used to predict the target genes of miR-582-3p. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis was used to explore the biological functions of the target genes of miR-582-3p. Additionally, a dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment was performed to verify the targeting relationship between circ_0119872 and miR-582-3p as well as that between miR-582-3p and E2F3.

RESULTS

Circ_0119872 was remarkably upregulated in MM tissues and cell lines. Circ_0119872 knockdown suppressed the cell proliferation and metastasis In addition, miR-582-3p was identified as a downstream target of circ_0119872. The target genes of miR-193a-3p are involved in melanogenesis and cancer-related signaling pathways. Mechanistically, circ_0119872 facilitated MM progression by adsorbing miR-582-3p and upregulating E2F3 expression.

CONCLUSION

Circ_0119872 is an oncogenic circRNA that participates in the promotion of MM progression by regulating the miR-582-3p/E2F3 axis.

LncRNA DRAIC regulates cell proliferation and migration by affecting the miR-34a-5p/ITGA6 signal axis in Hirschsprung's disease

BACKGROUND

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a common defect in newborns, and studies have revealed that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in the progression of HSCR. This research study aims to investigate the mechanism of downregulated RNA in cancer (DRAIC) on cell proliferation and migration in HSCR.

METHODS

Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of DRAIC in HSCR bowel stenosis tissues and normal colon tissues. Cell-counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays were employed to explore whether cellular functions change after overexpression or knockdown of the DRAIC in SH-SY5Y cells and human 293T cells. Protein expression levels were determined by Western blot analysis. RNA pull-down and dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the competitive relationship of DRAIC and integrin subunit alpha 6 (ITGA6) through their association with miR-34a-5p.

RESULTS

The lncRNA DRAIC was significantly increased in colon tissue from HSCR patients. The overexpression of DRAIC inhibited SH-SY5Y cell and human 293T cell proliferation and migration. Knockdown of DRAIC, however, promoted cell proliferation and migration. The RNA pull-down and dual-luciferase reporter assays have proven the competitive relationship between DRAIC and ITGA6 through their association with miR-34a-5p. Further rescue experiments have confirmed that DRAIC regulates cell proliferation and migration by affecting the miR-34a-5p/ITGA6 signal axis in HSCR.

CONCLUSION

DRAIC promoted cell proliferation and migration by regulating the miR-34a-5p/ITGA6 signal axis in HSCR.

Long Non-Coding RNAs in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoid malignancy in adults. Although significant progress has been made in recent years to treat DLBCL patients, 30%-40% of the patients eventually relapse or are refractory to first line treatment, calling for better therapeutic strategies for DLBCL. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as a highly diverse group of non-protein coding transcripts with intriguing molecular functions in human disease, including cancer. Here, we review the current understanding of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis and progression of DLBCL to provide an overview of the field. As the current knowledge of lncRNAs in DLBCL is still in its infancy, we provide molecular signatures of lncRNAs in DLBCL cell lines to assist further lncRNA research in DLBCL.