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Xu Y, Yu C, Zhang H, Wang T, Liu Y, Wu L, Zhong S, Hong Z. Downregulation of Brf1 Induces Liver Failure and Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Promoting Apoptosis. J Cancer 2024; 15:5577-5593. [PMID: 39308682 PMCID: PMC11414613 DOI: 10.7150/jca.97277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are closely related to abnormal apoptosis. Brf1 is highly expressed in HCC and has clinical prognostic value. Here, attenuation of Brf1-induced apoptosis was found, and the related mechanism was explored. In the study, general bioinformatics data for Brf1 were obtained from The Human Protein Atlas (HPA). Analyses of the clinical prognostic value of Brf1 in HCC were performed with the Xiantao Academic web server using R software. The basic data were obtained from the GTEx database and TCGA database. Brf1 conditional knockout mice were obtained by repeated mating of C57BL/6 Brf1LoxP/LoxP and C57BL/6 NS5A-alb-Cre-ERT2 mice and verified by genotyping. Liver function measurements, hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to explore the cause of mouse death after Brf1 knockout. The Brf1 knockdown HCC cell model was generated using lentiviral vector-based shRNA transduction. Cell proliferation assays, plate colony formation assays, anchorage-independent colony formation assays and mouse subcutaneous tumor models were used to evaluate the progression of HCC. Western blot (WB) analysis, flow cytometry, and TUNEL assays were used to detect apoptosis. DNA sequencing, transcriptomics, and proteomics analyses were carried out to explore the antiapoptotic mechanism of Brf1. We found that Brf1 was highly expressed in HCC and had clinical prognostic value. Brf1 knockout led to liver failure and hepatocyte apoptosis in mice. Downregulation of Brf1 slowed HCC cell proliferation, colony growth, and mouse subcutaneous tumor growth and increased the sensitivity of HCC cells to apoptosis induced by chemotherapy drugs. The expression of Brf1 was positively related to that of the apoptosis gene Bcl-2. The sequencing, transcriptomics and proteomics analyses consistently showed that energy metabolism played an important role in Brf1 function, that protein-protein interaction was the primary mode, and that organelles such as mitochondria were the main sites. In Conclusions, downregulation of Brf1 inhibits HCC development by inducing apoptosis. Energy metabolism plays an important role in Brf1 function. These results provide a scientific basis for combating HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Xu
- Key laboratory of functional and clinical translational medicine, Fujian Province University, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, Fujian Province,China
| | - Chundong Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian Province, China
| | - Hongbin Zhang
- Endoscopy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, Fujian Province, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xinglin District of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361022, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yujian Liu
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic and Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, Fujian Province, China
| | - Lupeng Wu
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic and Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, Fujian Province, China
| | - Shuping Zhong
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Zaifa Hong
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic and Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, Fujian Province, China
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Zheng L, Lin Y, Zhong S. ROS Signaling-Mediated Novel Biological Targets: Brf1 and RNA Pol III Genes. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2021; 2021:5888432. [PMID: 34646425 PMCID: PMC8505076 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5888432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Biomolecule metabolism produces ROS (reactive oxygen species) under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Dietary factors (alcohol) and carcinogens (EGF, DEN, and MNNG) also induce the release of ROS. ROS often causes cell stress and tissue injury, eventually resulting in disorders or diseases of the body through different signaling pathways. Normal metabolism of protein is critically important to maintain cellular function and body health. Brf1 (transcript factor II B-related factor 1) and its target genes, RNA Pol III genes (RNA polymerase III-dependent genes), control the process of protein synthesis. Studies have demonstrated that the deregulation of Brf1 and its target genes is tightly linked to cell proliferation, cell transformation, tumor development, and human cancers, while alcohol, EGF, DEN, and MNNG are able to induce the deregulation of these genes through different signaling pathways. Therefore, it is very important to emphasize the roles of these signaling events mediating the processes of Brf1 and RNA Pol III gene transcription. In the present paper, we mainly summarize our studies on signaling events which mediate the deregulation of these genes in the past dozen years. These studies indicate that Brf1 and RNA Pol III genes are novel biological targets of ROS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liling Zheng
- First Hospital of Quanzhou Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, China
| | - Yongluan Lin
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shuping Zhong
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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