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Wu K, Jiang Y, Zhou W, Zhang B, Li Y, Xie F, Zhang J, Wang X, Yan M, Xu Q, Ren Z, Chen W, Cao W. Long Noncoding RNA RC3H2 Facilitates Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Targeting MicroRNA-101-3p/EZH2 Axis in OSCC. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2020; 20:97-110. [PMID: 32163895 PMCID: PMC7066035 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2020.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In our previous studies, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been proven to be a key oncogenic driver in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, the regulatory mechanisms on EZH2 remain poorly understood in OSCC. Here, through multi-transcriptomics, bioinformatics analysis, and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), the co-expression network of long noncoding RNA RC3H2 (RC3H2), microRNA-101-3p (miR-101-3p), and EZH2 were screened and validated as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism in OSCC. Silencing of RC3H2 inhibited OSCC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion in vitro and reduced the expression of EZH2 and H3K27Me3, whereas RC3H2 overexpression significantly promoted OSCC cell growth, colony formation, migration, invasion, and xenograft tumor growth in vivo and increased the expression of EZH2 and H3K27Me3. A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay verified that RC3H2 was predominately localized to the cytoplasm. RNA pull-down and luciferase activity assays showed that miR-101-3p was physically bound to RC3H2 as well as EZH2, and its inhibitor reversed the inhibitory effect of RC3H2 knockdown on progression of OSCC. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that RC3H2 as completive endogenous RNA sponging miR-101-3p targets EZH2 and facilitates OSCC cells' malignant behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Wu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingying Jiang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Department of Dentistry, Affiliated Hospital, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261031, China
| | - Wenkai Zhou
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Bolin Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Xie
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Ming Yan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Qin Xu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Zhenhu Ren
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China.
| | - Wantao Chen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Wei Cao
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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Jin M, Yang Z, Ye W, Yu X, Hua X. Prognostic significance of histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2015; 10:857-862. [PMID: 26622583 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2015.3319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been reported to be associated with certain malignant phenotypes in cervical cancer. However, clinicopathological parameters and clinical outcomes of EZH2 in cervical cancer, particularly in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) remain largely unknown. The retrospective cohort comprising of 117 consecutive patients with CSCC was incorporated into a tissue microarray which also included 23 paired normal tissues. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between EZH2 expression and clinicopathological implications. Aberrant overexpression of EZH2 was frequently observed in CSCCs as compared with adjacent normal tissues (P=0.0005). Expression of EZH2 is associated with poor tumor differentiation grade (P=0.020) and lymphovascular invasion (P=0.012). Univariate analysis revealed that the patients with CSCC whose tumors exhibited higher EZH2 levels had inferior overall survival (OS) compared to those whose tumors expressed lower EZH2 (log rank P=0.004). In the multivariate analysis, EZH2 expression was an independent predictor of OS (hazard ratio = 1.836, 95% confidence interval: 1.090-2.993, P=0.022). EZH2 overexpression is common in the development of CSCC and is a promising prognostic predictor for patients with CSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minfei Jin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, P.R. China
| | - Zujing Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, P.R. China
| | - Weiping Ye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, P.R. China
| | - Xiaowei Yu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 220023, P.R. China
| | - Xiaolin Hua
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, P.R. China
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Feng Z, Xu Q, Chen W. Epigenetic and genetic alterations-based molecular classification of head and neck cancer. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2012; 12:279-90. [PMID: 22468818 DOI: 10.1586/erm.12.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The long-term survival rates for patients diagnosed with advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) remain poor. Many perplexing factors, including etiology and comorbidity, lead to different molecular malfunctions of HNC cells and determine the prognosis of the disease. Traditional diagnostic methods are limited in that they fail to provide an effective classification diagnosis, such as a more precise prediction of prognosis and decisions for personalized treatment regimens. Recently, molecular biology techniques, especially epigenetic and genetic techniques, have been developed that have enabled us to gain a greater insight into the molecular pathways underlying the cancers. Translating the research into a format that will facilitate effective molecular classification, support personalized treatment and determine prognosis remains a challenge. In this review, the authors provide an overview of cancer epigenetic and genetic alterations, tissue banks, and several promising biomarkers or candidates that may ultimately prove to be beneficial in a clinical setting for patients with HNC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhien Feng
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai 200011, China
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Cao W, Feng Z, Cui Z, Zhang C, Sun Z, Mao L, Chen W. Up-regulation of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 is associated positively with cyclin D1 overexpression and poor clinical outcome in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer 2012; 118:2858-71. [PMID: 21989926 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.26575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2011] [Revised: 09/01/2011] [Accepted: 09/02/2011] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The authors previously observed that enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) overexpression was associated significantly with the development of oral cancer. In the current study, they investigated whether EZH2 can function as a prognostic predictor for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS Expression levels of EZH2 in HNSCC cells were detected using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot analyses. In addition, the effects of EZH2 ablation on the proliferation and invasion of HNSCC cells were investigated through small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown. Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate EZH2 and cyclin D1 expression in 46 HNSCC samples, and the expression levels also were re-evaluated in 124 independent samples by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS EZH2 expression was elevated remarkably in HNSCC specimens and cell lines. Upon EZH2 silencing, the proliferation and invasion of HNSCC cells were remarkably suppressed. EZH2 expression frequently was correlated with cyclin D1 expression (P = .034) and tumor differentiation (P = .020). In addition, both EZH2 messenger RNA levels and EZH2 protein levels were strongly associated with signs of histologic severity (P = .012 and P = .032, respectively). Univariate analysis revealed that high EZH2 expression was associated with worse overall survival (P = .001) and disease-free survival (P = .002). The combined expression of EZH2 and cyclin D1 had superior prognostic ability for patients with HNSCC than the expression of either marker alone. In multivariate analysis, EZH2 expression was identified as an independent predictor of overall and disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS The current results indicated that EZH2 is an independent prognostic indicator for patients with HNSCC. In addition, an analysis of the combined expression of EZH2 and cyclin D1 can serve as a more powerful prognostic predictor for patients with HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cao
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Cao W, Younis RH, Li J, Chen H, Xia R, Mao L, Chen W, Ren H. EZH2 promotes malignant phenotypes and is a predictor of oral cancer development in patients with oral leukoplakia. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2011; 4:1816-24. [PMID: 21697275 PMCID: PMC3677701 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-11-0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Oral leukoplakia (OL) is the most common premalignancy in the oral cavity. A small proportion of OLs progresses to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). To assess OSCC risk of OLs, we investigated the role of the transcriptional repressor enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in oral tumorigenesis and its clinical implication as an OSCC risk predictor. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure EZH2 expression in OLs from 76 patients, including 37 who later developed OSCC and 39 who did not. EZH2 expression was associated with clinicopathologic parameters and clinical outcomes. To determine the biological role of EZH2 in OL, EZH2 level was reduced using EZH2 siRNAs in Leuk-1 cells, its impact on cell cycle, anchorage-dependent/independent growth, and invasion was assessed. We observed strong EZH2 expression in 34 (45%), moderate expression in 26 (34%), and weak/no expression in 16 (21%) of the OLs. The higher EZH2 levels were strongly associated with dysplasia (P < 0.001) and OSCC development (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis indicated that EZH2 expression was the only independent factor for OSCC development (P < 0.0001). At 5 years after diagnosis, 80% of patients whose OLs expressed strong EZH2 developed OSCC whereas only 24% patients with moderate and none with weak/no EZH2 expression did so (P < 0.0001). In Leuk-1 cells, EZH2 downregulation resulted in G(1) arrest; decreased invasion capability, decreased anchorage-independent growth; downregulation of cyclin D1 and upregulation of p15(INK4B). Our data suggest that EZH2 plays an important role in OL malignant transformation and may be a biomarker in predicting OSCC development in patients with OLs.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Blotting, Western
- Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/etiology
- Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology
- Cell Adhesion
- Cell Cycle
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Movement
- Cell Proliferation
- Cohort Studies
- DNA-Binding Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
- DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Immunoenzyme Techniques
- Leukoplakia, Oral/complications
- Leukoplakia, Oral/metabolism
- Leukoplakia, Oral/pathology
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Mouth Neoplasms/etiology
- Mouth Neoplasms/metabolism
- Mouth Neoplasms/pathology
- Neoplasm Invasiveness
- Phenotype
- Polycomb Repressive Complex 2
- Prognosis
- RNA, Small Interfering/genetics
- Transcription Factors/antagonists & inhibitors
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cao
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, School of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
- Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Maryland Dental School, 650 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Rania H. Younis
- Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Maryland Dental School, 650 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Jiang Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, School of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Haiyan Chen
- Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Maryland Dental School, 650 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Ronghui Xia
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, School of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
- Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Maryland Dental School, 650 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Li Mao
- Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Maryland Dental School, 650 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Wantao Chen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, School of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Hening Ren
- Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Maryland Dental School, 650 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
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