MiR-429 Involves in the Pathogenesis of Colorectal Cancer via Directly Targeting LATS2

Exploring the Key Signaling Pathways and ncRNAs in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer to be diagnosed, and it has a substantial mortality rate. Despite numerous studies being conducted on CRC, it remains a significant health concern. The disease-free survival rates notably decrease as CRC progresses, emphasizing the urgency for effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. CRC development is caused by environmental factors, which mostly lead to the disruption of signaling pathways. Among these pathways, the Wingless/Integrated (Wnt) signaling pathway, Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) signaling pathway, Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway, and p53 signaling pathway are considered to be important. These signaling pathways are also regulated by non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). They have emerged as crucial regulators of gene expression in CRC by changing their expression levels. The altered expression patterns of these ncRNAs have been implicated in CRC progression and development, suggesting their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic targets. This review provides an overview of the five key signaling pathways and regulation of ncRNAs involved in CRC pathogenesis that are studied to identify promising avenues for diagnosis and treatment strategies.

5'-Isoforms of miR-1246 Have Distinct Targets and Stronger Functional Impact Compared with Canonical miR-1246 in Colorectal Cancer Cells In Vitro

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a multifactorial disease involving genetic and epigenetic factors, such as miRNAs. Sequencing-based studies have revealed that miRNAs have many isoforms (isomiRs) with modifications at the 3'- and 5'-ends or in the middle, resulting in distinct targetomes and, consequently, functions. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the putative targets and functional role of miR-1246 and its two 5'-isoforms (ISO-miR-1246_a and ISO-miR-1246_G) in vitro. Commercial Caco-2 cells of CRC origin were analyzed for the expression of WT-miR-1246 and its 5'-isoforms using small RNA sequencing data, and the overabundance of the two miR-1246 isoforms was determined in cells. The transcriptome analysis of Caco-2 cells transfected with WT-miR-1246, ISO-miR-1246_G, and ISO-miR-1246_a indicated the minor overlap of the targetomes between the studied miRNA isoforms. Consequently, an enrichment analysis showed the involvement of the potential targets of the miR-1246 isoforms in distinct signaling pathways. Cancer-related pathways were predominantly more enriched in dysregulated genes in ISO-miR-1246_G and ISO-miR-1246_a, whereas cell cycle pathways were more enriched in WT-miR-1246. The functional analysis of WT-miR-1246 and its two 5'-isoforms revealed that the inhibition of any of these molecules had a tumor-suppressive role (reduced cell viability and migration and promotion of early cell apoptosis) in CRC cells. However, the 5'-isoforms had a stronger effect on viability compared with WT-miR-1246. To conclude, this research shows that WT-miR-1246 and its two 5'-isoforms have different targetomes and are involved in distinct signaling pathways but collectively play an important role in CRC pathogenesis.

KLF15 transcriptionally activates LINC00689 to inhibit colorectal cancer development

Colorectal cancer is a grievous health concern, we have proved long non-coding RNA LINC00689 is considered as a potential diagnosis biomarker for colorectal cancer, and it is necessary to further investigate its upstream and downstream mechanisms. Here, we show that KLF15, a transcription factor, exhibits the reduced expression in colorectal cancer. KLF15 suppresses the proliferative and metastatic capacities of colorectal cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo by transcriptionally activating LINC00689. Subsequently, LINC00689 recruits PTBP1 protein to enhance the stability of LATS2 mRNA in the cytoplasm. This stabilization causes the suppression of the YAP1/β-catenin pathway and its target downstream genes. Our findings highlight a regulatory network involving KLF15, LINC00689, PTBP1, LATS2, and the YAP1/β-catenin pathway in colorectal cancer, shedding light on potential therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer therapy.

The E3 ubiquitin ligase SCF (FBXW10)-mediated LATS2 degradation regulates angiogenesis and liver metastasis in colorectal cancer

F-box and WD repeat domain containing 10 (FBXW10) is a member of the FBXW subgroup that contains the WD40 domain. FBXW10 has been rarely reported in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its mechanism is unclear. To investigate the role of FBXW10 in CRC, we conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments. Through the database and our clinical samples, we found that FBXW10 expression was up-regulated in CRC, and it was positively correlated with CD31 expression. CRC patients with high FBXW10 expression levels had a poor prognosis. Overexpression of FBXW10 up-regulated cell proliferation, migration and vascular formation, while knockdown of FBXW10 had the opposite effects. Studies on the mechanism of FBXW10 in CRC showed that FBXW10 could ubiquitinate large tumor suppressor kinase 2 (LATS2) and promote its degradation with the Fbox region of FBXW10 played an essential role in this process. In vivo studies demonstrated that knockout of FBXW10 inhibited tumor proliferation and reduced liver metastasis. In conclusion, our study proved that FBXW10 was significantly overexpressed in CRC and was involved in the pathogenesis of CRC by affecting angiogenesis and liver metastasis. Mechanistically, FBXW10 degraded LATS2 through ubiquitination. Therefore, FBXW10-LATS2 can be used as a therapeutic target for CRC in subsequent studies.

Non Coding RNAs as Regulators of Wnt/β-Catenin and Hippo Pathways in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited cardiomyopathy histologically characterized by the replacement of myocardium by fibrofatty infiltration, cardiomyocyte loss, and inflammation. ACM has been defined as a desmosomal disease because most of the mutations causing the disease are located in genes encoding desmosomal proteins. Interestingly, the instable structures of these intercellular junctions in this disease are closely related to a perturbed Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Imbalance in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling and also in the crosslinked Hippo pathway leads to the transcription of proadipogenic and profibrotic genes. Aiming to shed light on the mechanisms by which Wnt/β-catenin and Hippo pathways modulate the progression of the pathological ACM phenotype, the study of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has emerged as a potential source of actionable targets. ncRNAs comprise a wide range of RNA species (short, large, linear, circular) which are able to finely tune gene expression and determine the final phenotype. Some share recognition sites, thus referred to as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), and ensure a coordinating action. Recent cancer research studies regarding the key role of ceRNAs in Wnt/β-catenin and Hippo pathways modulation pave the way to better understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying ACM.

Recent insight into the role and therapeutic potential of YAP/TAZ in gastrointestinal cancers

With the rapid development of cancer treatment, gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are still the most prevalent malignancies with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Dysregulation of the Hippo signaling pathway has been recognized to play a critical role during cancer development and adopted for monitoring disease progression and therapy response. Despite the well-documented tumor proliferation and metastasis, recent efforts in two core Hippo components, Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), have identified as the driving forces behind cancer metabolism, stemness, tumor immunity, and therapy resistance. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which YAP/TAZ facilitates the tumorigenesis and progression of GI cancer, and identifying novel therapeutic strategies for targeting YAP/TAZ are crucial to GI cancer treatment and prevention. In this study, we summarize the latest findings on the function and regulatory mechanisms of YAP/TAZ in GI cancers, and highlight the translational significance of targeting YAP/TAZ for cancer therapies.

The Hippo Pathway Effector Transcriptional Co-activator With PDZ-Binding Motif Correlates With Clinical Prognosis and Immune Infiltration in Colorectal Cancer

The transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) is a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway. It has been identified as an oncogene in certain tumor types; however, the function and role of TAZ in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been illustrated. Here, we aimed to analyze the expression and role of TAZ in CRC. In this study, we investigated the expression level of TAZ in 127 CRC and matched adjacent normal tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and analyzed its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics in CRC. Moreover, we further analyzed the role of TAZ in the CRC-associated immunology using integrative bioinformatic analyses. The cBioPortal and WebGestalt database were used to analyze the co-expressed genes and related pathways of TAZ in CRC by gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyses. Meanwhile, the correlations between TAZ and the infiltrating immune cells and gene markers were analyzed by TIMER database. Our study revealed that TAZ expression is higher in CRC tissues than in matched adjacent non-tumor tissues. In addition, CRC patients with higher TAZ expression demonstrated poor overall survival (OS) and recurrent-free survival rates as compared to CRC patients with lower expression of TAZ. Furthermore, the TAZ expression was identified to closely associate with the immune infiltration of CD4 + T, CD8 + T, and B cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that TAZ may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in CRC.

The interplay between noncoding RNA and YAP/TAZ signaling in cancers: molecular functions and mechanisms

The Hippo signaling pathway was found coordinately modulates cell regeneration and organ size. Its dysregulation contributes to uncontrolled cell proliferation and malignant transformation. YAP/TAZ are two critical effectors of the Hippo pathway and have been demonstrated essential for the initiation or growth of most tumors. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, have been shown to play critical roles in the development of many cancers. In the past few decades, a growing number of studies have revealed that ncRNAs can directly or indirectly regulate YAP/TAZ signaling. YAP/TAZ also regulate ncRNAs expression in return. This review summarizes the interactions between YAP/TAZ signaling and noncoding RNAs together with their biological functions on cancer progression. We also try to describe the complex feedback loop existing between these components.

EPDR1, Which Is Negatively Regulated by miR-429, Suppresses Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Progression via PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the main pathological type of ovarian cancer. In this study, we found that ependymin-related 1 (EPDR1) was remarkably downregulated in EOC tissues, and low EPDR1 expression was associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, metastasis, and poor prognosis. We confirmed that EPDR1 overexpression dramatically suppressed EOC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, EPDR1 inhibited EOC tumorigenesis and progression, at least in part, through the repression of the PI3K (Phosphoinositide 3-kinase)/AKT (AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase 1) signaling pathway. Furthermore, the expression and function of EPDR1 were regulated by miR-429, as demonstrated by luciferase reporter assays and rescue experiments. In conclusion, our study validated that EPDR1, negatively regulated by miR-429, played an important role as a tumor-suppressor gene in EOC development via inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway. The miR-429/EPDR1 axis might provide novel therapeutic targets for individualized treatment of EOC patients in the future.