Alternative cleavage and polyadenylation during colorectal cancer development

Regulation of alternative polyadenylation isoforms of Timp2 is an effector event of RAS signaling in cell transformation

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) generates mRNA isoforms with different lengths of the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR). The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2) plays a key role in extracellular matrix remodeling under various developmental and disease conditions. Both human and mouse genes encoding TIMP2 contain two highly conserved 3'UTR APA sites, leading to mRNA isoforms that differ substantially in 3'UTR size. APA of Timp2 is one of the most significantly regulated events in multiple cell differentiation lineages. Here we show that Timp2 APA is highly regulated in transformation of NIH3T3 cells by the oncogene HRAS G12V . Perturbations of isoform expression with long 3'UTR isoform-specific knockdown or genomic removal of the alternative UTR (aUTR) region indicate that the long 3'UTR isoform contributes to the secreted Timp2 protein much more than the short 3'UTR isoform. The short and long 3'UTR isoforms differ in subcellular localization to endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Strikingly, Timp2 aUTR enhances secreted protein expression but no effect on intracellular proteins in reporter assays. Furthermore, downregulation of Timp2 long isoform mitigates gene expression changes elicited by HRAS G12V . Together, our data indicate that regulation of Timp2 protein expression through APA isoform changes is an integral part of RAS-mediated cell transformation and 3'UTR isoforms of Timp2 can have distinct impacts on expression of secreted vs. intracellular proteins.

A Developmental Mechanism to Regulate Alternative Polyadenylation in an Adult Stem Cell Lineage

Alternative Cleavage and Polyadenylation (APA) often results in production of mRNA isoforms with either longer or shorter 3'UTRs from the same genetic locus, potentially impacting mRNA translation, localization and stability. Developmentally regulated APA can thus make major contributions to cell-type-specific gene expression programs as cells differentiate. During Drosophila spermatogenesis, approximately 500 genes undergo APA when proliferating spermatogonia differentiate into spermatocytes, producing transcripts with shortened 3' UTRs, leading to profound stage-specific changes in the proteins expressed. The molecular mechanisms that specify usage of upstream polyadenylation sites in spermatocytes are thus key to understanding the changes in cell state. Here, we show that upregulation of PCF11 and Cbc, the two components of Cleavage Factor II (CFII), orchestrates APA during Drosophila spermatogenesis. Knock down of PCF11 or cbc in spermatocytes caused dysregulation of APA, with many transcripts normally cleaved at a proximal site in spermatocytes now cleaved at their distal site, as in spermatogonia. Forced overexpression of CFII components in spermatogonia switched cleavage of some transcripts to the proximal site normally used in spermatocytes. Our findings reveal a developmental mechanism where changes in expression of specific cleavage factors can direct cell-type-specific APA at selected genes.

CPSF3 regulates alternative polyadenylation of CNIH2 to promote esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression

Alternative polyadenylation (APA), an important post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism, is aberrantly activated in cancer，but how APA functions in tumorigenesis remains elusive. We analyzed APA events in RNA-seq data in TCGA and reported 3'UTR alterations associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patient prognosis and gene expression changes involving loss of tumor-suppressive miRNA binding sites. Moreover, we investigated the expression and function of cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 3 (CPSF3), a key APA regulator in ESCC. By immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR, we found that CPSF3 was highly expressed in ESCC tissues and associated with poor patient prognosis. Overexpression of CPSF3 enhanced, while knockdown of CPSF3 inhibited ESCC cell proliferation and migration in vitro and in vivo, as determined by colony formation, transwell assays and animal experiments. Iso-Seq and RNA-seq data analysis indicated that knockdown of CPSF3 favored use of the distal poly (A) site in the 3'UTR of Cornichon family AMPA receptor auxiliary protein 2 (CNIH2), resulting in a long-3'UTR CNIH2 isoform that produced less CNIH2 protein due to miR-125a-5p targeting and downregulating CNIH2 mRNA through a miR-125a-5p binding site in the long CNIH2 mRNA 3'UTR. Moreover, CPSF3-induced ESCC tumorigenicity was mediated by CNIH2. Taken together, CPSF3 promotes ESCC progression by upregulating CNIH2 expression through loss of miR-125a-5p-mediated CNIH2 repression through alternative splicing and polyadenylation of the CNIH2 mRNA 3'UTR.

Alternative polyadenylation landscape of longissimus dorsi muscle with high and low intramuscular fat content in cattle

Intramuscular fat content is one of the most important factors affecting beef quality. However, the role of alternative polyadenylation (APA) in intramuscular fat deposition remains unclear. We compared APA events in muscle samples from high and low intramuscular fat (IMF) cattle, based on RNA-seq data. A total of 363 significant APAs were identified. Notably, the number of shortened 3'UTR events exceeded the number of lengthened 3'UTR events, and genes associated with shortened 3'UTR events were enriched in fatty acid metabolism-related pathways. Most APA events had alternative 3'UTR (aUTR) lengths of 200 to 300 bp. As the 3'UTR lengthened, the aUTR also lengthened (R2 = 0.79). These findings indicate that genes with longer 3'UTRs are more likely to be regulated by APA in the muscle of cattle with high IMF. To determine whether the identified APA events drove alterations in the expression of fat deposition-related genes, we analyzed the relationship between APA events and differentially expressed genes and identified several genes critical for fat deposition (e.g., PFKL and SLC1A5). Since miRNAs usually bind to the 3'UTR region of protein-coding genes and affect gene expression, we constructed an miRNA-APA network to detect several key miRNAs that may regulate fat deposition. We identified 10 important miRNAs that affect changes in IMF content, which may be gained (gained miRNA-binding sites) or lost (lost miRNA-binding sites) owing to 187 differential APA events. Our study characterized the APA profiles of cattle with high and low intramuscular fat content and provided further insights into the relationship between APA, miRNA, and fat deposition.

Extensible benchmarking of methods that identify and quantify polyadenylation sites from RNA-seq data

The tremendous rate with which data is generated and analysis methods emerge makes it increasingly difficult to keep track of their domain of applicability, assumptions, limitations, and consequently, of the efficacy and precision with which they solve specific tasks. Therefore, there is an increasing need for benchmarks, and for the provision of infrastructure for continuous method evaluation. APAeval is an international community effort, organized by the RNA Society in 2021, to benchmark tools for the identification and quantification of the usage of alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites from short-read, bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data. Here, we reviewed 17 tools and benchmarked eight on their ability to perform APA identification and quantification, using a comprehensive set of RNA-seq experiments comprising real, synthetic, and matched 3'-end sequencing data. To support continuous benchmarking, we have incorporated the results into the OpenEBench online platform, which allows for continuous extension of the set of methods, metrics, and challenges. We envisage that our analyses will assist researchers in selecting the appropriate tools for their studies, while the containers and reproducible workflows could easily be deployed and extended to evaluate new methods or data sets.

Identification of Epigenetically Regulated Genes Distinguishing Intracranial from Extracranial Melanoma Metastases

Despite remarkable advances in treating patients with metastatic melanoma, the management of melanoma brain metastases remains challenging. Recent evidence suggests that epigenetic reprogramming is an important mechanism for the adaptation of melanoma cells to the brain environment. In this study, the methylomes and transcriptomes of a cohort of matched melanoma metastases were evaluated by integrated omics data analysis. The identified 38 candidate genes displayed distinct promoter methylation and corresponding gene expression changes in intracranial compared with extracranial metastases. The 11 most promising genes were validated on protein level in both tumor and surrounding normal tissue using immunohistochemistry. In accordance with the underlying promoter methylation and gene expression changes, a significantly different protein expression was confirmed for STK10, PDXK, WDR24, CSSP1, NMB, RASL11B, phosphorylated PRKCZ, PRKCZ, and phosphorylated GRB10 in the intracranial metastases. The observed changes imply a distinct intracranial phenotype with increased protein kinase B phosphorylation and a higher frequency of proliferating cells. Knockdown of PRKCZ or GRB10 altered the expression of phosphorylated protein kinase B and decreased the viability of a brain-specific melanoma cell line. In summary, epigenetically regulated cancer-relevant alterations were identified that provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that discriminate brain metastases from other organ metastases, which could be exploited by targeting the affected signaling pathways.

Extensible benchmarking of methods that identify and quantify polyadenylation sites from RNA-seq data

The tremendous rate with which data is generated and analysis methods emerge makes it increasingly difficult to keep track of their domain of applicability, assumptions, and limitations and consequently, of the efficacy and precision with which they solve specific tasks. Therefore, there is an increasing need for benchmarks, and for the provision of infrastructure for continuous method evaluation. APAeval is an international community effort, organized by the RNA Society in 2021, to benchmark tools for the identification and quantification of the usage of alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites from short-read, bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data. Here, we reviewed 17 tools and benchmarked eight on their ability to perform APA identification and quantification, using a comprehensive set of RNA-seq experiments comprising real, synthetic, and matched 3'-end sequencing data. To support continuous benchmarking, we have incorporated the results into the OpenEBench online platform, which allows for seamless extension of the set of methods, metrics, and challenges. We envisage that our analyses will assist researchers in selecting the appropriate tools for their studies. Furthermore, the containers and reproducible workflows generated in the course of this project can be seamlessly deployed and extended in the future to evaluate new methods or datasets.

Pro-inflammatory polarization and colorectal cancer modulate alternative and intronic polyadenylation in primary human macrophages

Introduction

Macrophages are essential cells of the immune system that alter their inflammatory profile depending on their microenvironment. Alternative polyadenylation in the 3'UTR (3'UTR-APA) and intronic polyadenylation (IPA) are mechanisms that modulate gene expression, particularly in cancer and activated immune cells. Yet, how polarization and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells affect 3'UTR-APA and IPA in primary human macrophages was unclear.

Methods

In this study, we isolated primary human monocytes from healthy donors, differentiated and polarized them into a pro-inflammatory state and performed indirect co-cultures with CRC cells. ChrRNA-Seq and 3'RNA-Seq was performed to quantify gene expression and characterize new 3'UTR-APA and IPA mRNA isoforms.

Results

Our results show that polarization of human macrophages from naïve to a pro-inflammatory state causes a marked increase of proximal polyA site selection in the 3'UTR and IPA events in genes relevant to macrophage functions. Additionally, we found a negative correlation between differential gene expression and IPA during pro-inflammatory polarization of primary human macrophages. As macrophages are abundant immune cells in the CRC microenvironment that either promote or abrogate cancer progression, we investigated how indirect exposure to CRC cells affects macrophage gene expression and 3'UTR-APA and IPA events. Co-culture with CRC cells alters the inflammatory phenotype of macrophages, increases the expression of pro-tumoral genes and induces 3'UTR-APA alterations. Notably, some of these gene expression differences were also found in tumor-associated macrophages of CRC patients, indicating that they are physiologically relevant. Upon macrophage pro-inflammatory polarization, SRSF12 is the pre-mRNA processing gene that is most upregulated. After SRSF12 knockdown in M1 macrophages there is a global downregulation of gene expression, in particular in genes involved in gene expression regulation and in immune responses.

Discussion

Our results reveal new 3'UTR-APA and IPA mRNA isoforms produced during pro-inflammatory polarization of primary human macrophages and CRC co-culture that may be used in the future as diagnostic or therapeutic tools. Furthermore, our results highlight a function for SRSF12 in pro-inflammatory macrophages, key cells in the tumor response.

Alternative splicing affects synapses in the hippocampus of offspring after maternal fructose exposure during gestation and lactation

Increased fructose over-intake is a global issue. Maternal fructose exposure during gestation and lactation can impair brain development in offspring. However, the effect on synapses is still unknown. For the diversification of RNA and biological functions, alternative splicing (AS) and alternative polyadenylation (APA) are essential. We constructed a maternal high-fructose diet model by administering 13% and 40% fructose water. The student's t-test analyzed the results of RT-qPCR. All other results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance. The animal behavior experiment results revealed that conditioning and associative memory had been damaged. The proteins that form synapses were consistently low-expressed. In addition, compared with the control group, the Oxford Nanopore Technologies platform's full-length RNA-sequencing identified 298 different spliced genes (DSGs) and 51 differentially expressed alternative splicing (DEAS) genes in the 13% fructose group. 313 DSGs and 74 DEAS genes were in the 40% fructose group. Enrichment analysis based on these altered genes revealed some enlightening items and pathways. Our findings demonstrated the transcriptome mechanism underlying maternal fructose exposure during gestation and lactation and impaired synapse function during the transcripts' editing.

Relationship between NUDT21 mediated alternative polyadenylation process and tumor

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a molecular process that generates diversity at the 3' end of RNA polymerase II transcripts from over 60% of human genes. APA and microRNA regulation are both mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. As a key molecular mechanism, Alternative polyadenylation often results in mRNA isoforms with the same coding sequence but different lengths of 3' UTRs, while microRNAs regulate gene expression by binding to specific mRNA 3' UTRs. Nudix Hydrolase 21 (NUDT21) is a crucial mediator involved in alternative polyadenylation (APA). Different studies have reported a dual role of NUDT21 in cancer (both oncogenic and tumor suppressor). The present review focuses on the functions of APA, miRNA and their interaction and roles in development of different types of tumors.NUDT21 mediated 3' UTR-APA changes can be used to generate specific signatures that can be used as potential biomarkers in development and disease. Due to the emerging role of NUDT21 as a regulator of the aforementioned RNA processing events, modulation of NUDT21 levels may be a novel viable therapeutic approach.

CFIm-mediated alternative polyadenylation safeguards the development of mammalian pre-implantation embryos

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) gives rise to transcripts with distinct 3' untranslated regions (3' UTRs), thereby affecting the fate of mRNAs. APA is strongly associated with cell proliferation and differentiation status, and thus likely plays a critical role in the embryo development. However, the pattern of APA in mammalian early embryos is still unknown. Here, we analyzed the 3' UTR lengths in human and mouse pre-implantation embryos using available single cell RNA-seq datasets and explored the underlying mechanism driving the changes. Although human and mouse early embryos displayed distinct patterns of 3' UTR changing, RNA metabolism pathways were involved in both species. The 3' UTR lengths are likely determined by the abundance of the cleavage factor I complex (CFIm) components NUDT21 and CPSF6 in the nucleus. Importantly, depletion of either component resulted in early embryo development arrest and 3' UTR shortening. Collectively, these data highlight an essential role for APA in the development of mammalian early embryos.

The transcriptional terminator XRN2 and the RNA-binding protein Sam68 link alternative polyadenylation to cell cycle progression in prostate cancer

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) yields transcripts differing in their 3'-end, and its regulation is altered in cancer, including prostate cancer. Here we have uncovered a mechanism of APA regulation impinging on the interaction between the exonuclease XRN2 and the RNA-binding protein Sam68, whose increased expression in prostate cancer is promoted by the transcription factor MYC. Genome-wide transcriptome profiling revealed a widespread impact of the Sam68/XRN2 complex on APA. XRN2 promotes recruitment of Sam68 to its target transcripts, where it competes with the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor for binding to strong polyadenylation signals at distal ends of genes, thus promoting usage of suboptimal proximal polyadenylation signals. This mechanism leads to 3' untranslated region shortening and translation of transcripts encoding proteins involved in G1/S progression and proliferation. Thus, our findings indicate that the APA program driven by Sam68/XRN2 promotes cell cycle progression and may represent an actionable target for therapeutic intervention.

Cancer cells hijack RNA processing to rewrite the message

Typically, cancer is thought to arise due to DNA mutations, dysregulated transcription and/or aberrant signalling. Recently, it has become clear that dysregulated mRNA processing, mRNA export and translation also contribute to malignancy. RNA processing events result in major modifications to the physical nature of mRNAs such as the addition of the methyl-7-guanosine cap, the removal of introns and the addition of polyA tails. mRNA processing is a critical determinant for the protein-coding capacity of mRNAs since these physical changes impact the efficiency by which a given transcript can be exported to the cytoplasm and translated into protein. While many of these mRNA metabolism steps were considered constitutive housekeeping activities, they are now known to be highly regulated with combinatorial and multiplicative impacts i.e. one event will influence the capacity to undergo others. Furthermore, alternative splicing and/or cleavage and polyadenylation can produce transcripts with alternative messages and new functionalities. The coordinated processing of groups of functionally related RNAs can potently re-wire signalling pathways, modulate survival pathways and even re-structure the cell. As postulated by the RNA regulon model, combinatorial regulation of these groups is achieved by the presence of shared cis-acting elements (known as USER codes) which recruit machinery for processing, export or translation. In all, dysregulated RNA metabolism in cancer gives rise to an altered proteome that in turn elicits biological responses related to malignancy. Studies of these events in cancer revealed new mechanisms underpinning malignancies and unearthed novel therapeutic opportunities. In all, cancer cells coopt RNA processing, export and translation to support their oncogenic activity.

APA-Scan: detection and visualization of 3'-UTR alternative polyadenylation with RNA-seq and 3'-end-seq data

Background

The eukaryotic genome is capable of producing multiple isoforms from a gene by alternative polyadenylation (APA) during pre-mRNA processing. APA in the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of mRNA produces transcripts with shorter or longer 3′-UTR. Often, 3′-UTR serves as a binding platform for microRNAs and RNA-binding proteins, which affect the fate of the mRNA transcript. Thus, 3′-UTR APA is known to modulate translation and provides a mean to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Current bioinformatics pipelines have limited capability in profiling 3′-UTR APA events due to incomplete annotations and a low-resolution analyzing power: widely available bioinformatics pipelines do not reference actionable polyadenylation (cleavage) sites but simulate 3′-UTR APA only using RNA-seq read coverage, causing false positive identifications. To overcome these limitations, we developed APA-Scan, a robust program that identifies 3′-UTR APA events and visualizes the RNA-seq short-read coverage with gene annotations.

Methods

APA-Scan utilizes either predicted or experimentally validated actionable polyadenylation signals as a reference for polyadenylation sites and calculates the quantity of long and short 3′-UTR transcripts in the RNA-seq data. APA-Scan works in three major steps: (i) calculate the read coverage of the 3′-UTR regions of genes; (ii) identify the potential APA sites and evaluate the significance of the events among two biological conditions; (iii) graphical representation of user specific event with 3′-UTR annotation and read coverage on the 3′-UTR regions. APA-Scan is implemented in Python3. Source code and a comprehensive user’s manual are freely available at https://github.com/compbiolabucf/APA-Scan.

Result

APA-Scan was applied to both simulated and real RNA-seq datasets and compared with two widely used baselines DaPars and APAtrap. In simulation APA-Scan significantly improved the accuracy of 3′-UTR APA identification compared to the other baselines. The performance of APA-Scan was also validated by 3′-end-seq data and qPCR on mouse embryonic fibroblast cells. The experiments confirm that APA-Scan can detect unannotated 3′-UTR APA events and improve genome annotation.

Conclusion

APA-Scan is a comprehensive computational pipeline to detect transcriptome-wide 3′-UTR APA events. The pipeline integrates both RNA-seq and 3′-end-seq data information and can efficiently identify the significant events with a high-resolution short reads coverage plots.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12859-022-04939-w.

Developmentally regulated alternate 3' end cleavage of nascent transcripts controls dynamic changes in protein expression in an adult stem cell lineage

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) generates transcript isoforms that differ in the position of the 3' cleavage site, resulting in the production of mRNA isoforms with different length 3' UTRs. Although widespread, the role of APA in the biology of cells, tissues, and organisms has been controversial. We identified >500 Drosophila genes that express mRNA isoforms with a long 3' UTR in proliferating spermatogonia but a short 3' UTR in differentiating spermatocytes due to APA. We show that the stage-specific choice of the 3' end cleavage site can be regulated by the arrangement of a canonical polyadenylation signal (PAS) near the distal cleavage site but a variant or no recognizable PAS near the proximal cleavage site. The emergence of transcripts with shorter 3' UTRs in differentiating cells correlated with changes in expression of the encoded proteins, either from off in spermatogonia to on in spermatocytes or vice versa. Polysome gradient fractionation revealed >250 genes where the long 3' UTR versus short 3' UTR mRNA isoforms migrated differently, consistent with dramatic stage-specific changes in translation state. Thus, the developmentally regulated choice of an alternative site at which to make the 3' end cut that terminates nascent transcripts can profoundly affect the suite of proteins expressed as cells advance through sequential steps in a differentiation lineage.

Precise gene models using long-read sequencing reveal a unique poly(A) signal in Giardia lamblia

During pre-mRNA processing, the poly(A) signal is recognized by a protein complex that ensures precise cleavage and polyadenylation of the nascent transcript. The location of this cleavage event establishes the length and sequence of the 3' UTR of an mRNA, thus determining much of its post-transcriptional fate. Using long-read sequencing, we characterize the polyadenylation signal and related sequences surrounding Giardia lamblia cleavage sites for over 2600 genes. We find that G. lamblia uses an AGURAA poly(A) signal, which differs from the mammalian AAUAAA. We also describe how G. lamblia lacks common auxiliary elements found in other eukaryotes, along with the proteins that recognize them. Further, we identify 133 genes with evidence of alternative polyadenylation. These results suggest that despite pared-down cleavage and polyadenylation machinery, 3' end formation still appears to be an important regulatory step for gene expression in G. lamblia.

Template-Independent Poly(A)-Tail Decay and RNASEL as Potential Cellular Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer Development

Simple Summary

The ultimate need in cancer tissue is to adapt translation machinery to accelerated protein synthesis in a rapidly proliferating environment. Our study was designed with the aim of integrating fundamental and clinical research to find new biomarkers for prostate cancer (PC) with clinical usefulness for the stratification prediction of healthy tissue transition into malignant phenotype. This study revealed: (i) an entirely novel mechanism of the regulatory influence of Poly(A) deadenylase in mRNAs translational activity and the 3′ mRNA untranslated region (3′UTR) length in cancer tissue and its regulation by the poly(A) decay; (ii) the RNASEL interrelationship with the inflammatory pattern of PC and corresponding tumor-adjacent and healthy tissue; and (iii) the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of these enzymes. The proposed manuscript is based on the use of specific biochemical and immunoassay methods with the principal research adapted for the use of tissue specimens.

Abstract

The post-transcriptional messenger RNA (mRNA) decay and turnover rate of the template-independent poly(A) tail, localized at the 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) of mRNA, have been documented among subtle mechanisms of uncontrolled cancer tissue growth. The activity of Poly(A) deadenylase and the expression pattern of RNASEL have been examined. A total of 138 prostate tissue specimens from 46 PC patients (cancer specimens, corresponding adjacent surgically healthy tissues, and in their normal counterparts, at least 2 cm from carcinoma) were used. For the stratification prediction of healthy tissue transition into malignant phenotype, the enzyme activity of tumor-adjacent tissue was considered in relation to the presence of microfocal carcinoma. More than a four-times increase in specific enzyme activity (U/L g.prot) was registered in PC on account of both the dissociation of its inhibitor and genome reprogramming. The obtained ROC curve and Youden index showed that Poly(A) deadenylase identified PC with a sensitivity of 93.5% and a specificity of 94.6%. The RNASEL expression profile was raised significantly in PC, but the sensitivity was 40.5% and specificity was 86.9%. A significantly negative correlation between PC and control tissue counterparts with a higher expression pattern in lymphocyte-infiltrated samples were reported. In conclusion, significantly upregulated Poly(A) deadenylase activity may be a checkpoint for the transition of precancerous lesion to malignancy, while RNASEL may predict chronic inflammation.

Alternative polyadenylation associated with prognosis and therapy in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most widely spread cancers globally. Aberrant alternative polyadenylation (APA) plays a role in cancer onset and its progression. Consequently, this study focused on highlighting the role of APA events and signals in the prognosis of patients with CRC. The APA events, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), somatic mutations, copy number variants (CNVs), and clinical information of the CRC cohort were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and UCSC (University of California-Santa Cruz) Xena database. The whole set was sorted into two sets: a training set and a test set in a ratio of 7:3. 197 prognosis-related APA events were collected by performing univariate Cox regression signature in patients with CRC. Subsequently, a signature for APA events was established by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox analysis. The risk scores were measured for individual patients on the basis of the signature and patients were sorted into two groups; the high-risk group and the low-risk group as per their median risk scores. Kaplan–Meier curves, principal component analysis (PCA), and time-dependent receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves revealed that the signature was able to predict patient prognosis effectively and further validation was provided in the test set and the whole set. The high-risk and low-risk groups displayed various distributions of mutations and CNVs. Tumor mutation burden (TMB) alone and in combination with the signature predicted the prognosis of CRC patients, but the gene frequencies of TMBs and CNVs did not change in the low- and high-risk groups. Moreover, immunotherapy and chemotherapy treatments showed different responses to PD-1 inhibitors and multiple chemotherapeutic agents in the low and high-risk groups based on the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) and genomics of drugs sensitivity in cancer (GDSC) databases. This study may help in understanding the potential roles of APA in CRC, and the signature for prognosis-related APA events can work as a potential predictor for survival and treatment in patients with CRC.

An analysis of the role of HnRNP C dysregulation in cancers

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins C (HnRNP C) is part of the hnRNP family of RNA-binding proteins. The relationship between hnRNP C and cancers has been extensively studied, and dysregulation of hnRNP C has been found in many cancers. According to existing public data, hnRNP C could promote the maturation of new heterogeneous nuclear RNAs (hnRNA s, also referred to as pre-mRNAs) into mRNAs and could stabilize mRNAs, controlling their translation. This paper reviews the regulation and dysregulation of hnRNP C in cancers. It interacts with some cancer genes and other biological molecules, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs). Even directly binds to them. The effects of hnRNP C on biological processes such as alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification differ among cancers. Its main function is regulating stability and level of translation of cancer genes, and the hnRNP C is regarded as a candidate biomarker and might be valuable for prognosis evaluation.

MCL1 alternative polyadenylation is essential for cell survival and mitochondria morphology

Alternative polyadenylation in the 3' UTR (3' UTR-APA) is a mode of gene expression regulation, fundamental for mRNA stability, translation and localization. In the immune system, it was shown that upon T cell activation, there is an increase in the relative expression of mRNA isoforms with short 3' UTRs resulting from 3' UTR-APA. However, the functional significance of 3' UTR-APA remains largely unknown. Here, we studied the physiological function of 3' UTR-APA in the regulation of Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 (MCL1), an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family essential for T cell survival. We found that T cells produce two MCL1 mRNA isoforms (pA1 and pA2) by 3' UTR-APA. We show that upon T cell activation, there is an increase in both the shorter pA1 mRNA isoform and MCL1 protein levels. Moreover, the less efficiently translated pA2 isoform is downregulated by miR-17, which is also more expressed upon T cell activation. Therefore, by increasing the expression of the more efficiently translated pA1 mRNA isoform, which escapes regulation by miR-17, 3' UTR-APA fine tunes MCL1 protein levels, critical for activated T cells' survival. Furthermore, using CRISPR/Cas9-edited cells, we show that depletion of either pA1 or pA2 mRNA isoforms causes severe defects in mitochondria morphology, increases apoptosis and impacts cell proliferation. Collectively, our results show that MCL1 alternative polyadenylation has a key role in the regulation of MCL1 protein levels upon T cell activation and reveal an essential function for MCL1 3' UTR-APA in cell viability and mitochondria dynamics.

Cleavage factor Im 25 as a potential biomarker for prognosis of colorectal cancer

Background

Cleavage factor Im 25 (CFIm25) affects the prognosis and progression of cancer by regulating alternative polyadenylation; however, its role in colorectal cancer remains unclear.

Methods

A standard EnVision tissue microarray was used to evaluate the expression of CFIm25 by immunohistochemistry in 363 patients with colorectal cancer. The correlation between CFIm25 expression and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed using the χ² test. Univariate analysis was used to study the relationship between clinicopathological characteristics and patient prognosis. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox regression model to identify independent prognostic factors for patients with colorectal cancer.

Results

Statistical analysis revealed that CFIm25 expression was significantly associated with vascular invasion (P=0.000), serous invasion (P=0.007), pT stage (P=0.016), and clinical stage (P=0.007). Age, vascular invasion, nerve invasion, serosal invasion, differentiation, clinical stage, recurrence, and CFIm25 expression were significantly correlated with the survival time of colorectal cancer patients (P<0.05). The mean overall survival rate in colorectal cancer patients with decreased CFIm25 expression was only 88.53 months, compared with 110.69 months in the high expression group (P=0.000). Decreased CFIm25 expression indicated a worse prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer. Further analysis by the Cox multivariate model showed that CFIm25 (HR, 0.543; 95% CI: 0.372–0.792; P=0.002) and serosa invasion (HR, 1.470; 95% CI: 1.032–2.094; P=0.033) are independent prognostic factors for colorectal cancer.

Conclusions

Decreased CFIm25 expression indicates a worse prognosis of colorectal cancer patients and could be a novel target for the treatment of colorectal cancer in the future.

Keywords

Polyadenylation; survival analysis; colorectal cancer (CRC); CFIm25

Alternative polyadenylation: An enigma of transcript length variation in health and disease

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a molecular mechanism during a pre-mRNA processing that involves usage of more than one polyadenylation site (PA-site) generating transcripts of varying length from a single gene. The location of a PA-site affects transcript length and coding potential of an mRNA contributing to both mRNA and protein diversification. This variation in the transcript length affects mRNA stability and translation, mRNA subcellular and tissue localization, and protein function. APA is now considered as an important regulatory mechanism in the pathophysiology of human diseases. An important consequence of the changes in the length of 3'-untranslated region (UTR) from disease-induced APA is altered protein expression. Yet, the relationship between 3'-UTR length and protein expression remains a paradox in a majority of diseases. Here, we review occurrence of APA, mechanism of PA-site selection, and consequences of transcript length variation in different diseases. Emerging evidence reveals coordinated involvement of core RNA processing factors including poly(A) polymerases in the PA-site selection in diseases-associated APAs. Targeting such APA regulators will be therapeutically significant in combating drug resistance in cancer and other complex diseases. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > 3' End Processing RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease Translation > Regulation.

Comprehensive analysis of alternative splicing profiling reveals novel events associated with prognosis and the infiltration of immune cells in prostate cancer

Background

Alternative splicing (AS) is believed to play a vital role in tumor development. Therefore, comprehensive investigation of AS and its biological function in prostate cancer (PCa) is crucial.

Methods

The AS profiling of 489 patients with PCa was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) SpliceSeq database. Bioinformatics tools were used to describe splicing associations and build prognostic models. Unsupervised clustering of the determined prognostic AS events and the relationship with immune characteristics were also explored.

Results

In total, 20,723 AS events were detected and 2,805 were identified in PCa. In the regulatory networks, the data suggested a significant correlation between splicing factor (SF) expression and AS events. To stratify the progression risk of PCa patients, prognostic models were constructed using splicing patterns. Six AS events were screened out as independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival. Based on the gene features, we constructed the combined prognostic predictors model, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for this model reached a high area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.729793, indicating a favorable ability to predict patient outcomes. Through unsupervised clustering analysis, the correlations between AS-based clusters and prognosis as well as immune characteristics were revealed. The correlation analysis on TIMER revealed the relationship between gene expression and immune cell infiltration.

Conclusions

This in-depth genome-wide analysis of the AS profiling in PCa revealed unique AS events associated with cancer progression and the infiltration of immune cells, with potential for predicting outcomes and therapeutic responses.

Alternative 3' UTRs play a widespread role in translation-independent mRNA association with the endoplasmic reticulum

Transcripts encoding membrane and secreted proteins are known to associate with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through translation. Here, using cell fractionation, polysome profiling, and 3' end sequencing, we show that transcripts differ substantially in translation-independent ER association (TiERA). Genes in certain functional groups, such as cell signaling, tend to have significantly higher TiERA potentials than others, suggesting the importance of ER association for their mRNA metabolism, such as localized translation. The TiERA potential of a transcript is determined largely by size, sequence content, and RNA structures. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) isoforms can have distinct TiERA potentials because of changes in transcript features. The widespread 3' UTR lengthening in cell differentiation leads to greater transcript association with the ER, especially for genes that are capable of expressing very long 3' UTRs. Our data also indicate that TiERA is in dynamic competition with translation-dependent ER association, suggesting limited space on the ER for mRNA association.

Identification of key methylation differentially expressed genes in posterior fossa ependymoma based on epigenomic and transcriptome analysis

Background

Posterior fossa ependymoma (EPN-PF) can be classified into Group A posterior fossa ependymoma (EPN-PFA) and Group B posterior fossa ependymoma (EPN-PFB) according to DNA CpG island methylation profile status and gene expression. EPN-PFA usually occurs in children younger than 5 years and has a poor prognosis.

Methods

Using epigenome and transcriptome microarray data, a multi-component weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to systematically identify the hub genes of EPN-PF. We downloaded two microarray datasets (GSE66354 and GSE114523) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The Limma R package was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and ChAMP R was used to analyze the differential methylation genes (DMGs) between EPN-PFA and EPN-PFB. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed using the Metascape database.

Results

GO analysis showed that enriched genes were significantly enriched in the extracellular matrix organization, adaptive immune response, membrane raft, focal adhesion, NF-kappa B pathway, and axon guidance, as suggested by KEGG analysis. Through WGCNA, we found that MEblue had a significant correlation with EPN-PF (R = 0.69, P = 1 × 10^–08) and selected the 180 hub genes in the blue module. By comparing the DEGs, DMGs, and hub genes in the co-expression network, we identified five hypermethylated, lower expressed genes in EPN-PFA (ATP4B, CCDC151, DMKN, SCN4B, and TUBA4B), and three of them were confirmed by IHC.

Conclusion

ssGSEA and GSVA analysis indicated that these five hub genes could lead to poor prognosis by inducing hypoxia, PI3K-Akt-mTOR, and TNFα-NFKB pathways. Further study of these dysmethylated hub genes in EPN-PF and the pathways they participate in may provides new ideas for EPN-PF treatment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-021-02834-1.

On the function and relevance of alternative 3'-UTRs in gene expression regulation

Messanger RNA (mRNA) isoforms with alternative 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTRs) are produced by alternative polyadenylation (APA), which occurs during transcription in most eukaryotic genes. APA fine-tunes gene expression in a cell-type- and cellular state-dependent manner. Selection of an APA site entails the binding of core cleavage and polyadenylation factors to a particular polyadenylation site localized in the pre-mRNA and is controlled by multiple regulatory determinants, including transcription, pre-mRNA cis-regulatory sequences, and protein factors. Alternative 3'-UTRs serve as platforms for specific RNA binding proteins and microRNAs, which regulate gene expression in a coordinated manner by controlling mRNA fate and function in the cell. Genome-wide studies illustrated the full extent of APA prevalence and revealed that specific 3'-UTR profiles are associated with particular cellular states and diseases. Generally, short 3'-UTRs are associated with proliferative and cancer cells, and long 3'-UTRs are mostly found in polarized and differentiated cells. Fundamental new insights on the physiological consequences of this widespread event and the molecular mechanisms involved have been revealed through single-cell studies. Publicly available comprehensive databases that cover all APA mRNA isoforms identified in many cellular states and diseases reveal specific APA signatures. Therapies tackling APA mRNA isoforms or APA regulators may be regarded as innovative and attractive tools for diagnostics or treatment of several pathologies. We highlight the function of APA and alternative 3'-UTRs in gene expression regulation, the control of these mechanisms, their physiological consequences, and their potential use as new biomarkers and therapeutic tools. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > 3' End Processing RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.

Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specific Factor 1 Promotes Tumor Progression via Alternative Polyadenylation and Splicing in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is an important post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism required for cleavage and polyadenylation (CPA) of the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) of mRNAs. Several aberrant APA events have been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying APA remain unclear. In this study, we found that the expression of cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 1 (CPSF1), a major component of the CPA complex, was significantly increased in HCC tissues and correlated with unfavorable survival outcomes. Knockdown of CPSF1 inhibited HCC cell proliferation and migration, whereas overexpression of CPSF1 caused the opposite effect. Based on integrative analysis of Iso-Seq and RNA-seq data from HepG2.2.15 cells, we identified a series of transcripts with differential 3′ UTR lengths following the knockdown of CPSF1. These transcripts were related to the biological functions of gene transcription, cytoskeleton maintenance, and endomembrane system transportation. Moreover, knockdown of CPSF1 induced an increase in alternative splicing (AS) events in addition to APA. Taken together, this study provides new insights into our understanding of the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in HCC and implies that CPSF1 may be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.

Alternative Polyadenylation: a new frontier in post transcriptional regulation

Polyadenylation of pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) specific sites and termination of their downstream transcriptions are signaled by unique sequence motif structures such as AAUAAA and its auxiliary elements. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is an important post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism that processes RNA products depending on its 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) specific sequence signal. APA processing can generate several mRNA isoforms from a single gene, which may have different biological functions on their target gene. As a result, cellular genomic stability, proliferation capability, and transformation feasibility could all be affected. Furthermore, APA modulation regulates disease initiation and progression. APA status could potentially act as a biomarker for disease diagnosis, severity stratification, and prognosis forecast. While the advance of modern throughout technologies, such as next generation-sequencing (NGS) and single-cell sequencing techniques, have enriched our knowledge about APA, much of APA biological process is unknown and pending for further investigation. Herein, we review the current knowledge on APA and how its regulatory complex factors (CFI/IIm, CPSF, CSTF, and RBPs) work together to determine RNA splicing location, cell cycle velocity, microRNA processing, and oncogenesis regulation. We also discuss various APA experiment strategies and the future direction of APA research.

PCBP2 Posttranscriptional Modifications Induce Breast Cancer Progression via Upregulation of UFD1 and NT5E

It is commonly accepted that cellular protein levels are primarily determined by mRNA levels. However, discordance between protein and mRNA expression has been implicated in many pathologic conditions including oncogenesis. The mechanisms involved in this discordance are complicated and far from understood. In this study, it was observed that the expression levels of poly(C) binding protein 2 (PCBP2) mRNA and protein were diametric in breast normal and cancer cell lines, paraffin-embedded and fresh tissue specimens, consistent with data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium. Moreover, PCBP2 protein expression was significantly associated with disease progression and poor outcome in patients with breast cancer. Depletion of PCBP2 protein inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and in vivo tumor growth and metastasis. Forced expression of PCBP2 exhibited the opposite effect. Mechanistically, it was demonstrated that PCBP2 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) was subject to alternative splicing and polyadenylation (APA) in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Non-full-length 3'UTR PCBP2 transcripts yielded more protein than the full-length 3'UTR transcripts and enhanced the oncogenic and metastatic capacities of human breast cancer cells. Furthermore, UFD1 and NT5E were identified as genes downstream of PCBP2. PCBP2 promoted oncogenicity of breast cancer cells via upregulation of the expression of UFD1 and NT5E by direct binding to their 3'UTR-B portions. IMPLICATIONS: Findings demonstrate that APA of PCBP2 3'UTR contributes to its increased expression with subsequent promotion of breast cancer progression by regulating UFD1 and NT5E. VISUAL OVERVIEW: http://mcr.aacrjournals.org/content/molcanres/19/1/86/F1.large.jpg.

Dissecting the heterogeneity of the alternative polyadenylation profiles in triple-negative breast cancers

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive malignancy with high heterogeneity. However, the alternative polyadenylation (APA) profiles of TNBC remain unknown. Here, we aimed to define the characteristics of the APA events at post-transcription level among TNBCs. Methods: Using transcriptome microarray data, we analyzed APA profiles of 165 TNBC samples and 33 paired normal tissues. A pooled short hairpin RNA screen targeting 23 core cleavage and polyadenylation (C/P) genes was used to identify key C/P factors. Results: We established an unconventional APA subtyping system composed of four stable subtypes: 1) luminal androgen receptor (LAR), 2) mesenchymal-like immune-activated (MLIA), 3) basal-like (BL), 4) suppressed (S) subtypes. Patients in the S subtype had the worst disease-free survival comparing to other patients (log-rank p = 0.021). Enriched clinically actionable pathways and putative therapeutic APA events were analyzed among each APA subtype. Furthermore, CPSF1 and PABPN1 were identified as the master C/P factors in regulating APA events and TNBC proliferation. The depletion of CPSF1 or PABPN1 weakened cell proliferation, enhanced apoptosis, resulted in cell cycle redistribution and a reversion of APA events of genes associated with tumorigenesis, proliferation, metastasis and chemosensitivity in breast cancer. Conclusions: Our findings advance the understanding of tumor heterogeneity regulation in APA and yield new insights into therapeutic target identification in TNBC.

Requirement for cleavage factor IIm in the control of alternative polyadenylation in breast cancer cells

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) determines stability, localization and translation potential of the majority of mRNA in eukaryotic cells. The heterodimeric mammalian cleavage factor II (CF II_m) is required for pre-mRNA 3' end cleavage and is composed of the RNA kinase hClp1 and the termination factor hPcf11; the latter protein binds to RNA and the RNA polymerase II carboxy-terminal domain. Here, we used siRNA mediated knockdown and poly(A) targeted RNA sequencing to analyze the role of CF II_m in gene expression and APA in estrogen receptor positive MCF7 breast cancer cells. Identified gene ontology terms link CF II_m function to regulation of growth factor activity, protein heterodimerization and the cell cycle. An overlapping requirement for hClp1 and hPcf11 suggested that CF II_m protein complex was involved in the selection of proximal poly(A) sites. In addition to APA shifts within 3' untranslated regions (3'-UTRs), we observed shifts from promoter proximal regions to the 3'-UTR facilitating synthesis of full-length mRNAs. Moreover, we show that several truncated mRNAs that resulted from APA within introns in MCF7 cells cosedimented with ribosomal components in an EDTA sensitive manner suggesting that those are translated into protein. We propose that CF II_m contributes to the regulation of mRNA function in breast cancer.

Emerging Roles of RNA 3'-end Cleavage and Polyadenylation in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Therapy of Human Disorders

A crucial feature of gene expression involves RNA processing to produce 3′ ends through a process termed 3′ end cleavage and polyadenylation (CPA). This ensures the nascent RNA molecule can exit the nucleus and be translated to ultimately give rise to a protein which can execute a function. Further, alternative polyadenylation (APA) can produce distinct transcript isoforms, profoundly expanding the complexity of the transcriptome. CPA is carried out by multi-component protein complexes interacting with multiple RNA motifs and is tightly coupled to transcription, other steps of RNA processing, and even epigenetic modifications. CPA and APA contribute to the maintenance of a multitude of diverse physiological processes. It is therefore not surprising that disruptions of CPA and APA can lead to devastating disorders. Here, we review potential CPA and APA mechanisms involving both loss and gain of function that can have tremendous impacts on health and disease. Ultimately we highlight the emerging diagnostic and therapeutic potential CPA and APA offer.

Alternative Polyadenylation Modification Patterns Reveal Essential Posttranscription Regulatory Mechanisms of Tumorigenesis in Multiple Tumor Types

Among various risk factors for the initiation and progression of cancer, alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a remarkable endogenous contributor that directly triggers the malignant phenotype of cancer cells. APA affects biological processes at a transcriptional level in various ways. As such, APA can be involved in tumorigenesis through gene expression, protein subcellular localization, or transcription splicing pattern. The APA sites and status of different cancer types may have diverse modification patterns and regulatory mechanisms on transcripts. Potential APA sites were screened by applying several machine learning algorithms on a TCGA-APA dataset. First, a powerful feature selection method, minimum redundancy maximum relevancy, was applied on the dataset, resulting in a feature list. Then, the feature list was fed into the incremental feature selection, which incorporated the support vector machine as the classification algorithm, to extract key APA features and build a classifier. The classifier can classify cancer patients into cancer types with perfect performance. The key APA-modified genes had a potential prognosis ability because of their significant power in the survival analysis of TCGA pan-cancer data.

DNA Methylation Regulates Alternative Polyadenylation via CTCF and the Cohesin Complex

Dysregulation of DNA methylation and mRNA alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) are both prevalent in cancer and have been studied as independent processes. We discovered a DNA methylation-regulated APA mechanism when we compared genome-wide DNA methylation and polyadenylation site usage between DNA methylation-competent and DNA methylation-deficient cells. Here, we show that removal of DNA methylation enables CTCF binding and recruitment of the cohesin complex, which, in turn, form chromatin loops that promote proximal polyadenylation site usage. In this DNA demethylated context, either deletion of the CTCF binding site or depletion of RAD21 cohesin complex protein can recover distal polyadenylation site usage. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we authenticated the relationship between DNA methylation and mRNA polyadenylation isoform expression in vivo. This DNA methylation-regulated APA mechanism demonstrates how aberrant DNA methylation impacts transcriptome diversity and highlights the potential sequelae of global DNA methylation inhibition as a cancer treatment.

FNDC3B 3'-UTR shortening escapes from microRNA-mediated gene repression and promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression

Alternative polyadenylation (APA), which induces shortening of the 3'-UTR, is emerging as an important feature in cancer development and progression. Nevertheless, the effects and mechanisms of APA-induced 3'-UTR shortening in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain largely unclear. Fibronectin type III domain containing 3B (FNDC3B) tended to use proximal polyadenylation site and produce shorter 3'-UTR according to our previous sequencing study. Herein, we found that FNDC3B with shorter 3'-UTR could escape from miRNA-mediated gene repression, and caused its increased expression in NPC. Knocking down of FNDC3B inhibited NPC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of FNDC3B, especially those with shorter 3'-UTR, promoted NPC progression. Furthermore, the mechanism study revealed that FNDC3B could bind to and stabilize myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) to activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In addition, MYH9 could reverse the inhibitory effects of FNDC3B knockdown in NPC. Altogether, our results suggested that the 3'-UTR shortening of FNDC3B mRNA mediated its overexpression in NPC and promoted NPC progression by targeting MYH9. This newly identified FNDC3B-MYH9-Wnt/β-catenin axis could represent potential targets for individualized treatment in NPC.

Star-PAP controlled alternative polyadenylation coupled poly(A) tail length regulates protein expression in hypertrophic heart

Alternative polyadenylation (APA)-mediated 3′-untranslated region (UTR) shortening is known to increase protein expression due to the loss of miRNA regulatory sites. Yet, mRNAs with longer 3′-UTR also show enhanced protein expression. Here, we identify a mechanism by which longer transcripts generated by the distal-most APA site leads to increased protein expression compared to the shorter transcripts and the longer transcripts are positioned to regulate heart failure (HF). A Star-PAP target gene, NQO1 has three poly(A) sites (PA-sites) at the terminal exon on the pre-mRNA. Star-PAP selects the distal-most site that results in the expression of the longest isoform. We show that the NQO1 distal-specific mRNA isoform accounts for the majority of cellular NQO1 protein. Star-PAP control of the distal-specific isoform is stimulated by oxidative stress and the toxin dioxin. The longest NQO1 transcript has increased poly(A) tail (PA-tail) length that accounts for the difference in translation potentials of the three NQO1 isoforms. This mechanism is involved in the regulation of cardiac hypertrophy (CH), an antecedent condition to HF where NQO1 downregulation stems from the loss of the distal-specific transcript. The loss of NQO1 during hypertrophy was rescued by ectopic expression of the distal- but not the proximal- or middle-specific NQO1 mRNA isoforms in the presence of Star-PAP expression, and reverses molecular events of hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes.

MicroRNAs as Emerging Regulators of Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment

A myriad of signaling molecules in a heuristic network of the tumor microenvironment (TME) pose a challenge and an opportunity for novel therapeutic target identification in human cancers. MicroRNAs (miRs), due to their ability to affect signaling pathways at various levels, take a prominent space in the quest of novel cancer therapeutics. The role of miRs in cancer initiation, progression, as well as in chemoresistance, is being increasingly investigated. The canonical function of miRs is to target mRNAs for post-transcriptional gene silencing, which has a great implication in first-order regulation of signaling pathways. However, several reports suggest that miRs also perform non-canonical functions, partly due to their characteristic non-coding small RNA nature. Examples emerge when they act as ligands for toll-like receptors or perform second-order functions, e.g., to regulate protein translation and interactions. This review is a compendium of recent advancements in understanding the role of miRs in cancer signaling and focuses on the role of miRs as novel regulators of the signaling pathway in the TME.

The Butterfly Effect of RNA Alterations on Transcriptomic Equilibrium

: Post-transcriptional regulation plays a key role in modulating gene expression, and the perturbation of transcriptomic equilibrium has been shown to drive the development of multiple diseases including cancer. Recent studies have revealed the existence of multiple post-transcriptional processes that coordinatively regulate the expression and function of each RNA transcript. In this review, we summarize the latest research describing various mechanisms by which small alterations in RNA processing or function can potentially reshape the transcriptomic landscape, and the impact that this may have on cancer development.

hnRNPC regulates cancer-specific alternative cleavage and polyadenylation profiles

Alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) can occur at more than half of all human genes, greatly enhancing the cellular repertoire of mRNA isoforms. As these isoforms can have altered stability, localisation and coding potential, deregulation of APA can disrupt gene expression and this has been linked to many diseases including cancer progression. How APA generates cancer-specific isoform profiles and what their physiological consequences are, however, is largely unclear. Here we use a subcellular fractionation approach to determine the nuclear and cytoplasmic APA profiles of successive stages of colon cancer using a cell line-based model. Using this approach, we show that during cancer progression specific APA profiles are established. We identify that overexpression of hnRNPC has a critical role in the establishment of APA profiles characteristic for metastatic colon cancer cells, by regulating poly(A) site selection in a subset of genes that have been implicated in cancer progression including MTHFD1L.

Post-transcriptional Regulation of Colorectal Cancer: A Focus on RNA-Binding Proteins

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health problem with an estimated 1. 8 million new cases worldwide. To date, most CRC studies have focused on DNA-related aberrations, leaving post-transcriptional processes under-studied. However, post-transcriptional alterations have been shown to play a significant part in the maintenance of cancer features. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are uprising as critical regulators of every cancer hallmark, yet little is known regarding the underlying mechanisms and key downstream oncogenic targets. Currently, more than a thousand RBPs have been discovered in humans and only a few have been implicated in the carcinogenic process and even much less in CRC. Identification of cancer-related RBPs is of great interest to better understand CRC biology and potentially unveil new targets for cancer therapy and prognostic biomarkers. In this work, we reviewed all RBPs which have a role in CRC, including their control by microRNAs, xenograft studies and their clinical implications.

Cell Cycle Kinase Polo Is Controlled by a Widespread 3' Untranslated Region Regulatory Sequence in Drosophila melanogaster

Alternative polyadenylation generates transcriptomic diversity, although the physiological impact and regulatory mechanisms involved are still poorly understood. The cell cycle kinase Polo is controlled by alternative polyadenylation in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR), with critical physiological consequences. Here, we characterized the molecular mechanisms required for polo alternative polyadenylation. We identified a conserved upstream sequence element (USE) close to the polo proximal poly(A) signal. Transgenic flies without this sequence show incorrect selection of polo poly(A) signals with consequent downregulation of Polo expression levels and insufficient/defective activation of Polo kinetochore targets Mps1 and Aurora B. Deletion of the USE results in abnormal mitoses in neuroblasts, revealing a role for this sequence in vivo We found that Hephaestus binds to the USE RNA and that hephaestus mutants display defects in polo alternative polyadenylation concomitant with a striking reduction in Polo protein levels, leading to mitotic errors and aneuploidy. Bioinformatic analyses show that the USE is preferentially localized upstream of noncanonical polyadenylation signals in Drosophila melanogaster genes. Taken together, our results revealed the molecular mechanisms involved in polo alternative polyadenylation, with remarkable physiological functions in Polo expression and activity at the kinetochores, and disclosed a new in vivo function for USEs in Drosophila melanogaster.

IMP1 3' UTR shortening enhances metastatic burden in colorectal cancer

The RNA-binding protein insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IMP1) is overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC); however, evidence for a direct role for IMP1 in CRC metastasis is lacking. IMP1 is regulated by let-7 microRNA, which binds in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of the transcript. The availability of binding sites is in part controlled by alternative polyadenylation, which determines 3' UTR length. Expression of the short 3' UTR transcript (lacking all microRNA sites) results in higher protein levels and is correlated with increased proliferation. We used in vitro and in vivo model systems to test the hypothesis that the short 3' UTR isoform of IMP1 promotes CRC metastasis. Herein we demonstrate that 3' UTR shortening increases IMP1 protein expression and that this in turn enhances the metastatic burden to the liver, whereas expression of the long isoform (full length 3' UTR) does not. Increased tumor burden results from elevated tumor surface area driven by cell proliferation and cell survival mechanisms. These processes are independent of classical apoptosis pathways. Moreover, we demonstrate the shifts toward the short isoform are associated with metastasis in patient populations where IMP1-long expression predominates. Overall, our work demonstrates that different IMP1 expression levels result in different functional outcomes in CRC metastasis and that targeting IMP1 may reduce tumor progression in some patients.

A PolH Transcript with a Short 3'UTR Enhances PolH Expression and Mediates Cisplatin Resistance

Platinum-based anticancer drugs are widely used as a first-line drug for cancers, such as non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and bladder cancer. However, the efficacy is limited due to intrinsic or acquired resistance to these drugs. DNA polymerase eta (PolH, Polη) belongs to the Y-family of DNA polymerases and mediates DNA translesion synthesis, a major mechanism for DNA damage tolerance. Here, we showed that a high level of PolH is associated with cisplatin resistance in lung and bladder cancer. Consistent with this, loss of PolH markedly attenuates cisplatin resistance in both cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant lung cancer cells. Interestingly, we found that due to the presence of multiple polyadenylation sites, alternative polyadenylation (APA) produces three major PolH transcripts with various lengths of 3'untranslated region (3'UTR; 427-/2516-/6245-nt). We showed that the short PolH transcript with 427-nt 3'UTR is responsible for high expression of PolH in various cisplatin-resistant lung and bladder cancer cell lines. Importantly, loss of the short PolH transcript significantly sensitizes cancer cells to cisplatin treatment. Moreover, we found that miR-619 selectively inhibits the ability of the long PolH transcript with 6245-nt 3'UTR to produce PolH protein and, subsequently, PolH-dependent cell growth. Together, our data suggest that PolH expression is controlled by APA and that the short PolH transcript produced by APA can escape miR-619-mediated repression and, subsequently, confers PolH-mediated cisplatin resistance. SIGNIFICANCE: A short PolH transcript produced by alternative polyadenylation escapes repression by miR-619 and confers resistance to cisplatin.

Cleavage factor 25 deregulation contributes to pulmonary fibrosis through alternative polyadenylation

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and deadly disease with a poor prognosis and few treatment options. Pathological remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by myofibroblasts is a key factor that drives disease pathogenesis, although the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) has recently been shown to play a major role in cellular responses to stress by driving the expression of fibrotic factors and ECMs through altering microRNA sensitivity, but a connection to IPF has not been established. Here, we demonstrate that CFIm25, a global regulator of APA, is down-regulated in the lungs of patients with IPF and mice with pulmonary fibrosis, with its expression selectively reduced in alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) positive fibroblasts. Following the knockdown of CFIm25 in normal human lung fibroblasts, we identified 808 genes with shortened 3'UTRs, including those involved in the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway, the Wnt signaling pathway, and cancer pathways. The expression of key pro-fibrotic factors can be suppressed by CFIm25 overexpression in IPF fibroblasts. Finally, we demonstrate that deletion of CFIm25 in fibroblasts or myofibroblast precursors using either the Col1a1 or the Foxd1 promoter enhances pulmonary fibrosis after bleomycin exposure in mice. Taken together, our results identified CFIm25 down-regulation as a novel mechanism to elevate pro-fibrotic gene expression in pulmonary fibrosis.

Differential genome-wide profiling of alternative polyadenylation sites in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by high-throughput sequencing

Background

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a widespread phenomenon in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression that generates mRNAs with alternative 3′-untranslated regions (3’UTRs). APA contributes to the pathogenesis of various diseases, including cancer. However, the potential role of APA in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains largely unknown.

Methods

A strategy of sequencing APA sites (SAPAS) based on second-generation sequencing technology was carried out to explore the global patterns of APA sites and identify genes with tandem 3’UTRs in samples from 6 NPC and 6 normal nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue (NNET). Sequencing results were then validated using quantitative RT-PCR in a larger cohort of 16 NPC and 16 NNET samples.

Results

The sequencing data showed that the use of tandem APA sites was prevalent in NPC, and numerous genes with APA-switching events were discovered. In total, we identified 195 genes with significant differences in the tandem 3’UTR length between NPC and NNET; including 119 genes switching to distal poly (A) sites and 76 genes switching to proximal poly (A) sites. Several gene ontology (GO) terms were enriched in the list of genes with switched APA sites, including regulation of cell migration, macromolecule catabolic process, protein catabolic process, proteolysis, small conjugating protein ligase activity, and ubiquitin-protein ligase activity.

Conclusions

APA site-switching events are prevalent in NPC. APA-mediated regulation of gene expression may play an important role in the development of NPC, and more detailed studies targeting genes with APA-switching events may contribute to the development of novel future therapeutic strategies for NPC.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12929-018-0477-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genome-wide profiling reveals cancer-related genes with switched alternative polyadenylation sites in colorectal cancer

Background

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is an important post-transcriptional regulation in eukaryotic cells. It plays considerable roles in many biological processes and diseases, such as cell differentiation, proliferation and cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, which is among the top five in incidence and mortality of all cancers in China. Although there have been some studies on the APA of CRC, the normal and carcinoma samples used for genome-wide profiling were not matched. The purpose of this study was to obtain genes with switched 3′-untranslated region (UTR) that may be associated with intracellular regulation of CRC by analyzing APA patterns of strict control groups from clinical patients.

Materials and methods

CRC and matched normal tissues were acquired from surgical specimens from three CRC patients. Their libraries of 3′-terminal fragments of mRNA with poly(A) tails were constructed by 3T-seq technology and sequenced by Illumina Hiseq X Ten. APA patterns of cancer and matched normal tissues were analyzed by bioinformatics analysis, and a representative gene, GPI, was verified by quantitative reverse transcription PCR.

Results

Overall, we identified 35,076 poly(A) sites in total. Compared to the matched normal tissues, we detected 350, 405 and 375 genes with significantly APA-mediated 3′-UTR alteration in cancer tissues of three patients, respectively. Forty-seven genes with switched 3′-UTR were shared in all three patients. In addition, most of these genes have shortened 3′-UTRs, some of which were associated with cancers, such as GPI.

Conclusion

Our studies found several genes with switched 3′-UTR in CRC patients, which may provide some important clues for more in-depth study of the cellular regulation in CRC from the perspective of post-transcriptional regulation. It may also help in the search for new biomarkers of CRC.

Integrative 3' Untranslated Region-Based Model to Identify Patients with Low Risk of Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Operable Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is the standard surgical staging approach for operable triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with clinically negative axillae. In this study, we sought to develop a model to predict TNBC patients with negative nodal involvement, who would benefit from the exemption of the axillary staging surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) profiles using microarray data of TNBC from two Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. Samples from GSE31519 were divided into training set (n = 164) and validation set (n = 163), and GSE76275 was used to construct testing set (n = 164). We built a six-member 3'UTR panel (ADD2, COL1A1, APOL2, IL21R, PKP2, and EIF4G3) using an elastic net model to estimate the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM). Receiver operating characteristic and logistic analyses were used to assess the association between the panel and LNM status.

RESULTS

The six-member 3'UTR-panel showed a high distinguishing power with an area under the curve of 0.712, 0.729, and 0.708 in the training, validation, and testing sets, respectively. After adjustment by tumor size, the 3'UTR panel retained significant predictive power in the training, validation, and testing sets (odds ratio = 4.93, 4.58, and 3.59, respectively; p < .05 for all). A combinatorial analysis of the 3'UTR panel and tumor size yielded an accuracy of 97.2%, 100%, and 100% in training, validation, and testing set, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study established an integrative 3'UTR-based model as a promising predictor for nodal negativity in operable TNBC. Although a prospective study is needed to validate the model, our results may permit a no axillary surgery option for selected patients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Currently, sentinel lymph node biopsy is the standard approach for surgical staging in breast cancer patients with negative axillae. Prediction estimation for lymph node metastasis of breast cancer relies on clinicopathological characteristics, which is unreliable, especially in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)-a highly heterogeneous disease. The authors developed and validated an effective prediction model for the lymph node status of patients with TNBC, which integrates 3'UTR markers and tumor size. This is the first 3'UTR-based model that will help identify TNBC patients with low risk of nodal involvement who are most likely to benefit from exemption axillary surgery.

Androgen-dependent alternative mRNA isoform expression in prostate cancer cells

Background: Androgen steroid hormones are key drivers of prostate cancer. Previous work has shown that androgens can drive the expression of alternative mRNA isoforms as well as transcriptional changes in prostate cancer cells. Yet to what extent androgens control alternative mRNA isoforms and how these are expressed and differentially regulated in prostate tumours is unknown. Methods: Here we have used RNA-Seq data to globally identify alternative mRNA isoform expression under androgen control in prostate cancer cells, and profiled the expression of these mRNA isoforms in clinical tissue. Results: Our data indicate androgens primarily switch mRNA isoforms through alternative promoter selection. We detected 73 androgen regulated alternative transcription events, including utilisation of 56 androgen-dependent alternative promoters, 13 androgen-regulated alternative splicing events, and selection of 4 androgen-regulated alternative 3' mRNA ends. 64 of these events are novel to this study, and 26 involve previously unannotated isoforms. We validated androgen dependent regulation of 17 alternative isoforms by quantitative PCR in an independent sample set. Some of the identified mRNA isoforms are in genes already implicated in prostate cancer (including LIG4, FDFT1 and RELAXIN), or in genes important in other cancers (e.g. NUP93 and MAT2A). Importantly, analysis of transcriptome data from 497 tumour samples in the TGCA prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) cohort identified 13 mRNA isoforms (including TPD52, TACC2 and NDUFV3) that are differentially regulated in localised prostate cancer relative to normal tissue, and 3 ( OSBPL1A, CLK3 and TSC22D3) which change significantly with Gleason grade and  tumour stage. Conclusions: Our findings dramatically increase the number of known androgen regulated isoforms in prostate cancer, and indicate a highly complex response to androgens in prostate cancer cells that could be clinically important.