Long Noncoding RNA LINC01207 Promotes Colon Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Regulating miR-3125/TRIM22 Axis

Targeted regulation of miR-154-5p/Cullin2 pathway by hsa_circ_TRIM22 in promoting human papillomavirus 16 positive cervical cancer progression

Background. Tripartite motif-containing 22 (TRIM22) is characterized by a canonical RING domain with ubiquitin E3 ligase activity and is closely associated with tumorigenesis. As a product of TRIM22 transcription, whether hsa_circ_TRIM22 has a function of regulating tumorigenesis is unclear. Thus, we aimed to explore the role and mechanism of hsa_circ_TRIM22 in human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 positive cervical cancer (CC). Methods. We collected HPV16-positive cervical tissues including chronic cervicitis, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), and CC, and along with CC cell lines to detect the hsa_circ_TRIM22 level using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Hsa_circ_TRIM22 was silenced using specific short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shRNA) in CC cell lines and functional assays were performed thereafter. Mechanistically, the targeting and regulatory relationship between hsa_circ_TRIM22 and miR-154-5p were confirmed using the luciferase report assay and rescue experiments. Results. We found hsa_circ_TRIM22 expression level was significantly higher in CC cells and tissues. Further, hsa_circ_TRIM22 knockdown inhibited migration, proliferation, invasiveness, enhanced apoptosis, and slowed the cell cycle. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_TRIM22 could bind miR-154-5p and prevent miR-154-5p from reducing the levels of Cullin2 (CUL2). Notably, the application of miR-154-5p inhibitor significantly rescued hsa_circ_TRIM22-mediated tumorigenesis. Conclusions. Our observations suggest hsa_circ_TRIM22 is upregulated in HPV16-positive CC and promotes CC progression by regulating the miR-154-5p/CUL2 axis, thereby serving as a promising candidate for diagnosis and treatments of CC.

Comprehensive analysis of the prognostic and immunological signature of eight Tripartitemotif (TRIM) family molecules in human gliomas

BACKGROUND

TRIM family molecules have been identified as being involved in the tumor progression of various cancer types. Increasingly, experimental evidence indicates that some of TRIM family molecules are implicated in glioma tumorigenesis. However, the diverse genomic changes, prognostic values and immunological landscapes of TRIM family of molecules have yet to be fully determined in glioma.

METHODS

In our study, employing the comprehensive bioinformatics tools, we evaluated the unique functions of 8 TRIM members including TRIM5/17/21/22/24/28/34/47 in gliomas.

RESULTS

The expression levels of 7 TRIM members (TRIM5/21/22/24/28/34/47) were higher in glioma as well as its diverse cancer subtypes than in normal tissues, whereas the expression level of TRIM17 was the opposite, lower in the former than in the latter. In addition, survival analysis revealed that the high expression profiles of TRIM5/21/22/24/28/34/47 were associated with poor overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and progress-free interval (PFI) in glioma patients, whereas TRIM17 displayed adverse outcomes. Moreover, the 8 TRIM molecules expression as well as methylation profiles remarkably correlated with different WHO grades. And genetic alterations, including mutations and copy number alterations (CNAs), in the TRIM family were correlated with longer OS, DSS and progress-free survival (PFS) in glioma patients. Furthermore, through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis results of these 8 molecules and their related genes, we found that these molecules may change the immune infiltration of the tumor microenvironment and regulate the expression of immune checkpoint molecules (ICMs), affecting the occurrence and development of gliomas. The correlation analyses between the 8 TRIM molecules and TMB (tumor mutational burden)/MSI (microsatellite instability)/ICMs discovered that as the expression level of TRIM5/21/22/24/28/34/47 increased, the TMB score also increased significantly, while TRIM17 showed an opposite outcome. Further, a 6-gene signature (TRIM 5/17/21/28/34/47) for predicting overall survival (OS) in gliomas was built by using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and the survival and time-dependent ROC analyses all were found to perform well in testing and validation cohorts. Results of multivariate COX regression analysis showed that TRIM5/28 are both expected to become independent risk predictors to guide clinical treatment.

CONCLUSION

In general, the results indicate that TRIM5/17/21/22/24/28/34/47 might exert a crucial influence on gliomas tumorigenesis and might be putative prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for glioma patients.

LncRNA EPR regulates intestinal mucus production and protects against inflammation and tumorigenesis

The long non-coding RNA EPR is expressed in epithelial tissues, binds to chromatin and controls distinct biological activities in mouse mammary gland cells. Because of its high expression in the intestine, in this study we have generated a colon-specific conditional targeted deletion (EPR cKO) to evaluate EPR in vivo functions in mice. EPR cKO mice display epithelium hyperproliferation, impaired mucus production and secretion, as well as inflammatory infiltration in the proximal portion of the large intestine. RNA sequencing analysis reveals a rearrangement of the colon crypt transcriptome with strong reduction of goblet cell-specific factors including those involved in the synthesis, assembly, transport and control of mucus proteins. Further, colon mucosa integrity and permeability are impaired in EPR cKO mice, and this results in higher susceptibility to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis and tumor formation. Human EPR is down-regulated in human cancer cell lines as well as in human cancers, and overexpression of EPR in a colon cancer cell line results in enhanced expression of pro-apoptotic genes. Mechanistically, we show that EPR directly interacts with select genes involved in mucus metabolism whose expression is reduced in EPR cKO mice and that EPR deletion causes tridimensional chromatin organization changes.

FOXC1‑mediated TRIM22 regulates the excessive proliferation and inflammation of fibroblast‑like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis via NF‑κB signaling pathway

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common systemic autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology, which threatens public health. The regulatory role of tripartite motif-containing 22 (TRIM22) has been reported in multiple types of cancers and disease, but not in RA. The aim of the present study was therefore to elucidate the potential roles and underlying mechanisms of TRIM22 in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) in RA. The Gene Expression Omnibus database was used to examine TRIM22 mRNA expression levels in synovial tissue samples of patients with RA and healthy controls. TRIM22 and forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) mRNA and protein expression levels in normal FLSs and RA-FLSs were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting, respectively. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to assess cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis was analyzed using flow cytometry. The migratory and invasive abilities of RA-FLSs were assessed using Transwell assays. Western blotting was used to analyze the protein expression levels of apoptosis-related factors, MMP2, MMP9 and NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins. Inflammatory factors levels were assessed via ELISA and RT-qPCR. Furthermore, the JASPAR database, chromatin immunoprecipitation and the dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to determine the interaction between FOXC1 and the TRIM22 promoter. The results of the present study demonstrated that TRIM22 expression levels were significantly elevated in the synovial tissue samples of patients with RA and RA-FLSs. Moreover, FOXC1 was also significantly overexpressed in RA-FLSs. TRIM22 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion and the inflammatory response, whereas cell apoptosis was significantly increased. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that FOXC1 may have positively mediated TRIM22 expression via binding to the TRIM22 promoter. Moreover, FOXC1 overexpression significantly reversed the outcome of TRIM22 knockdown on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and inflammation of RA-FLSs. FOXC1 overexpression also significantly reversed the inactivation of the NF-κB signaling pathway caused by TRIM22 knockdown. In summary, the present study demonstrated that TRIM22 was potentially activated via FOXC1, which contributed to the progression of RA via the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Role of TRIM22 in ulcerative colitis and its underlying mechanisms

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a common chronic recurrent inflammatory disease, which seriously threatens human life and health. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the role of tripartite motif-containing (TRIM)22 in UC and its potential mechanism. C57BL/6 mice and HT-29 cell models of UC were constructed using 2% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS). The protein and mRNA expression levels were detected by western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, respectively. Cell transfection was performed to overexpress Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), or knockdown KLF2, TRIM22 and TRIM30 expression. The levels of inflammatory factors were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Cell Counting Kit-8 and TUNEL staining assay were employed to assess cell viability and apoptosis. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were performed to determine the binding ability of the TRIM22 promoter to KLF2. The results revealed that DSS increased the expression levels of TRIM22 in HT-29 cells and TRIM30 in mice. Short hairpin RNA (sh)-TRIM30 could inhibit the NF-κB pathway, and reduce the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ. Furthermore, KLF2 expression was downregulated in the cell model of UC, and the luciferase assay confirmed that the 3′ untranslated region of TRIM22 was a direct target of KLF2. The ChIP assay also verified the binding of KLF2 with the TRIM22 promoter. Notably, knockdown of KLF2 reversed the enhancing effects of sh-TRIM22 on the viability of DSS-treated HT-29 cells. In addition, compared with in the DSS + sh-TRIM22 group, the protein expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-NF-κB and p-IκBα were increased in the DSS + sh-TRIM22 + sh-KLF2 group, as were the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ. In conclusion, TRIM22 was upregulated in DSS-induced HT-29 cells. TRIM22 knockdown increased DSS-induced HT-29 cell viability and decreased apoptosis and inflammation; this was reversed by knockdown of KLF2. These findings suggested that TRIM22 may promote disease development through the NF-κB signaling pathway in UC and could be inhibited by KLF2 transcription.

Bioinformatic analysis of dysregulated circular RNAs in pediatric pulmonary hypertension linked congenital heart disease

BACKGROUND

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) may play important roles in the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension. However, the potential roles they play in childhood pulmonary arterial hypertension associated congenital heart disease (CHD) progression remains unclear.

METHODS

Thirteen human plasma samples including eight from pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to CHD patients and five from a control group were analyzed using the Arraystar Human circRNA array. The relative expression levels of five differentially expressed circRNAs in pulmonary arterial hypertension were detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. In parallel, these levels were also taken on control samples from 32 CHD patients. We used miRanda and TargetScan software packages to predict potential microRNA (miRNA)targets, which were then combined into a circRNA-miRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) network.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven circRNAs (three upregulated and 24 downregulated) were differentially expressed between the pulmonary arterial hypertension and control groups. Compared to control group levels, circ_003416 expression in the pulmonary arterial hypertension group was significantly downregulated, while circ_005372 expression, in contrast, was significantly upregulated. The differential expression of these circRNAs was mainly linked to variation in levels of oxidative phosphorylation and tight junction signaling.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified one overexpressed and one underexpressed circRNA in plasma samples from children with CHD associated pulmonary arterial hypertension. Bioinformatic analysis indicated these dysregulated circRNAs might be associated with the occurrence and regulation of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The Role of SUMO E3 Ligases in Signaling Pathway of Cancer Cells

Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)ylation is a reversible post-translational modification that plays a crucial role in numerous aspects of cell physiology, including cell cycle regulation, DNA damage repair, and protein trafficking and turnover, which are of importance for cell homeostasis. Mechanistically, SUMOylation is a sequential multi-enzymatic process where SUMO E3 ligases recruit substrates and accelerate the transfer of SUMO onto targets, modulating their interactions, localization, activity, or stability. Accumulating evidence highlights the critical role of dysregulated SUMO E3 ligases in processes associated with the occurrence and development of cancers. In the present review, we summarize the SUMO E3 ligases, in particular, the novel ones recently identified, and discuss their regulatory roles in cancer pathogenesis.

Long Noncoding Competing Endogenous RNA Networks in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly malignant disease characterized by insidious onset, rapid progress, and poor therapeutic effects. The molecular mechanisms associated with PC initiation and progression are largely insufficient, hampering the exploitation of novel diagnostic biomarkers and development of efficient therapeutic strategies. Emerging evidence recently reveals that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), extensively participate in PC pathogenesis. Specifically, lncRNAs can function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), competitively sequestering miRNAs, therefore modulating the expression levels of their downstream target genes. Such complex lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA networks, namely, ceRNA networks, play crucial roles in the biological processes of PC by regulating cell growth and survival, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis, cancer stem cell maintenance, metabolism, autophagy, chemoresistance, and angiogenesis. In this review, the emerging knowledge on the lncRNA-associated ceRNA networks involved in PC initiation and progression will be summarized, and the potentials of the competitive crosstalk as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets will be comprehensively discussed.