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Qiao Z, Zhang S, Hu T, Lan F, Yu D, Ge G, Li C, Fang S, Chen Q. Tet2 regulates Barx2 expression in undifferentiated and early differentiated mouse embryonic stem cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 533:1212-1218. [PMID: 33069358 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.09.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The methylcytosine oxidase TET proteins play important roles in DNA demethylation and development. In developing embryos, TET2 are upregulated during pre-implantation development, and significantly expressed in the trophectoderm and inner cell mass. In this study, we identified Barx2 as a new target of Tet2. Tet2 bound and demethylated the promoter of Barx2 in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to maintain the expression of Barx2. During mESC differentiation, Tet2 bound the promoter of Barx2 in day 4 embryonic bodies but not in day 8 EBs. However, Barx2 expression remained unchanged. Thus, Tet2 functioned as a demethylase and maintained the expression of Barx2 in undifferentiated and early differentiated mESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijun Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shiqiang Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Tao Hu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Fei Lan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Dingdang Yu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Guangbo Ge
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Changwei Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Rui Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Shengquan Fang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Qilong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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2
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Ma J, Xia LL, Yao XQ, Zheng SM, Li S, Xu LS, Sha WH, Li ZS. BARX2 expression is downregulated by CpG island hypermethylation and is associated with suppressed cell proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Oncol Rep 2020; 43:1805-1818. [PMID: 32236603 PMCID: PMC7160541 DOI: 10.3892/or.2020.7558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BarH-like homeobox 2 (BARX2), a homeobox gene, is associated with several types of cancers. The present study aimed to determine whether DNA methylation downregulates BARX2 expression and whether BARX2 is associated with suppression of gastric carcinogenesis. BARX2 protein expression in normal and cancerous gastric tissues and various gastric cancer (GC) cell lines was detected using immunohistochemical and western blot assays. BARX2 mRNA levels were detected using both reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Promoter hypermethylation in GC cells was detected using methylation-specific PCR or bisulfite DNA sequencing PCR. Effects of BARX2 expression on GC cell proliferation, clonal formation, and migration were evaluated after lentivirus-BARX2 transfection. The effect of stable BARX2 transfection on tumor formation was assessed in a nude xenograft mouse model. BARX2 was strongly expressed in the normal gastric mucosa, but weakly or not expressed in GC tissues and most GC cell lines. BARX2 expression was negatively correlated with DNMT (a marker for DNA methylation) expression in the gastric tissues. The BARX2 promoter fragment was hypermethylated in the GC cell lines. Overexpression of BARX2 significantly inhibited GC cell proliferation, clonal formation, and migration. Stable BARX2 transfection inhibited tumor formation in xenograft mice, which was correlated with decreased expression of E-cadherin, proliferation markers, and matrix metalloproteinases. In conclusion, BARX2 expression is aberrantly reduced in GC, which is associated with increased DNA methylation of its promoter. BARX2 inhibits GC cell proliferation, migration, and tumor formation, suggesting that BARX2 acts as a tumor suppressor in gastric carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ma
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, and Guangdong Provincial Geriatrics Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Ling-Ling Xia
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, P.R. China
| | - Xue-Qing Yao
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Shi-Min Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, and Guangdong Provincial Geriatrics Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Shi Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, P.R. China
| | - Li-Shu Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, and Guangdong Provincial Geriatrics Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Hong Sha
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, and Guangdong Provincial Geriatrics Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Ze-Song Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, P.R. China
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Mi Y, Zhao S, Zhou C, Weng J, Li J, Wang Z, Sun H, Tang H, Zhang X, Sun X, Peng Z, Wen Y. Downregulation of homeobox gene Barx2 increases gastric cancer proliferation and metastasis and predicts poor patient outcomes. Oncotarget 2018; 7:60593-60608. [PMID: 27533254 PMCID: PMC5312404 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Barx2 is a Bar family homeodomain transcription factor shown to play a critical role in cell adhesion and cytoskeleton remodeling, key processes in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Using quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry, we found that Barx2 is expressed at lower levels in human gastric cancer (GC) tissues than in adjacent normal mucosa. In a multivariate analysis, Barx2 expression emerged as an independent prognostic factor for disease-free and overall survival. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a trend toward even shorter overall survival in the patient group with Barx2-negative tumors, independent of advanced UICC stage and tumor relapse. Using in vitro and in vivo assays, we demonstrated that under normal conditions Barx2 inhibited GC cell proliferation and invasiveness through inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These findings indicate that reduction or loss of Barx2 dis-inhibits GC cell proliferation and invasion, and that reduction in Barx2 could serve as an independent prognostic biomarker for poor outcome in GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yushuai Mi
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China
| | - Senlin Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-581 85 Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Chongzhi Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China
| | - Junyong Weng
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China
| | - Jikun Li
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China
| | - Zhanshan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China
| | - Huimin Sun
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China
| | - Huamei Tang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, 310014 Hangzhou Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaofeng Sun
- Department of Oncology and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-581 85 Linkoping, Sweden
| | - Zhihai Peng
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China
| | - Yugang Wen
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200080 Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, SE-581 85 Linkoping, Sweden
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Mi Y, Zhao S, Zhang W, Zhang D, Weng J, Huang K, Sun H, Tang H, Zhang X, Sun X, Peng Z, Wen Y. Down-regulation of Barx2 predicts poor survival in colorectal cancer. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 478:67-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.07.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Fossmark R, Rao S, Mjønes P, Munkvold B, Flatberg A, Varro A, Thommesen L, Nørsett KG. PAI-1 deficiency increases the trophic effects of hypergastrinemia in the gastric corpus mucosa. Peptides 2016; 79:83-94. [PMID: 27038741 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2016.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The gastric hormone gastrin plays a role in organizing the gastric mucosa. Gastrin also regulates the expression of genes that have important actions in extracellular matrix modelling, including plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 which is part of the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) system. The uPA system (including PAI-1) is associated with cancer progression, fibrosis and thrombosis. Its biological role in the stomach and molecular mechanisms of action are not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of PAI-1 on the trophic changes observed in gastric corpus mucosa in hypergastrinemia using PAI-1 and/or HK-ATPase beta subunit knockout (KO) mice. HK-ATPase beta subunit KO mice were used as a model of hypergastrinemia. In 12 month old female mice, intragastric acidity and plasma gastrin were measured. The stomachs were examined for macroscopic and histological changes. In mice null for both PAI-1 and HK-ATPase beta (double KO), there was exaggerated hypergastrinemia, increased stomach weight and corpus mucosal thickness, and more pronounced trophic and architectural changes in the corpus compared with HK-ATPase beta KO mice. Genome-wide microarray expression data for the gastric corpus mucosa showed a distinct gene expression profile for the HK-ATPase beta KO mice; moreover, enrichment analysis revealed changes in expression of genes regulating intracellular processes including cytoskeleton remodelling, cell adhesion, signal transduction and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Genes differentially expressed in the double KO compared with HK-ATPase beta KO mice included the transcription factor Barx2 and the chromatin remodeler gene Tet2, which may be involved in both normal gastric physiology and development of gastric cancer. Based on the present data, we suggest that PAI-1 plays a role in maintaining gastric mucosal organization in hypergastrinemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reidar Fossmark
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Shalini Rao
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Patricia Mjønes
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Pathology, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Bjørn Munkvold
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Arnar Flatberg
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Andrea Varro
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
| | - Liv Thommesen
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Kristin G Nørsett
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; The Central Norway Regional Health Authority, Trondheim, Norway.
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Zhang Y, Zhang JX, Huang LL, He LJ, Liao YJ, Lai YR, Deng HX, Tian XP, Kung HF, Xie D, Zhu SL. Low expression of BARX2 in human primary hepatocellular carcinoma correlates with metastasis and predicts poor prognosis. Hepatol Res 2015; 45:228-37. [PMID: 24716715 DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
AIM The homeobox gene Barx2 was recently identified as a regulator of ovarian and breast cancer; however, the expression level of BARX2 and its significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. METHODS Protein and mRNA expression levels of Barx2 were examined using Western blotting and real-time PCR respectively, in paired HCC tissue and matched adjacent non-cancerous tissue from 12 patients. The expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were also detected in relation to BARX2 expression. Lastly, immunohistochemistry for BARX2 was also performed on a tissue microarray containing 231 HCC tissue samples. RESULTS We observed that BARX2 expression was lower in HCC tissues compared to matching adjacent non-cancerous tissue. The low expression level of BARX2 was significantly correlated with metrics of tumor size, tumor differentiation, clinical stage, metastasis and relapse. Furthermore, the patients with low BARX2 expression had adverse survival outcomes. Importantly, multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that low BARX2 expression was an independent marker for lower overall survival (P = 0.007). Moreover, a significant negative relationship was observed between the expression of BARX2 and markers of EMT. CONCLUSION These findings provide evidence that the low expression level of BARX2 in HCC is significantly correlated with tumor metastasis, and that BARX2 may be an independent prognostic biomarker for patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
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Makarenkova HP, Meech R. Barx homeobox family in muscle development and regeneration. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2012; 297:117-73. [PMID: 22608559 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394308-8.00004-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Homeobox transcription factors are key intrinsic regulators of myogenesis. In studies spanning several years, we have characterized the homeobox factor Barx2 as a novel marker for muscle progenitor cells and an important regulator of muscle growth and repair. In this review, we place the expression and function of Barx2 and its paralogue Barx1 in context with other muscle-expressed homeobox factors in both embryonic and adult myogenesis. We also describe the structure and regulation of Barx genes and possible gene/disease associations. The functional domains of Barx proteins, their molecular interactions, and cellular functions are presented with particular emphasis on control of genes and processes involved in myogenic differentiation. Finally, we describe the patterns of Barx gene expression in vivo and the phenotypes of various Barx gene perturbation models including null mice. We focus on the Barx2 null mouse model, which has demonstrated the critical roles of Barx2 in postnatal myogenesis including muscle maintenance during aging, and regeneration of acute and chronic muscle injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen P Makarenkova
- The Neurobiology Department, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
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Sperber SM, Dawid IB. barx1 is necessary for ectomesenchyme proliferation and osteochondroprogenitor condensation in the zebrafish pharyngeal arches. Dev Biol 2008; 321:101-10. [PMID: 18590717 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2007] [Revised: 06/02/2008] [Accepted: 06/03/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Barx1 modulates cellular adhesion molecule expression and participates in specification of tooth-types, but little is understood of its role in patterning the pharyngeal arches. We examined barx1 expression during zebrafish craniofacial development and performed a functional analysis using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides. Barx1 is expressed in the rhombencephalic neural crest, the pharyngeal arches, the pectoral fin buds and the gut in contrast to its paralogue barx2, which is most prominently expressed in the arch epithelium. Additionally, barx1 transient expression was observed in the posterior lateral line ganglia and developing trunk/tail. We show that Barx1 is necessary for proliferation of the arch osteochondrogenic progenitors, and that morphants exhibit diminished and dysmorphic arch cartilage elements due to reductions in chondrocyte differentiation and condensation. Attenuation of Barx1 results in lost arch expression of osteochondrogenic markers col2a1, runx2a and chondromodulin, as well as odontogenic marker dlx2b. Further, loss of barx1 positively influenced gdf5 and chordin, markers of jaw joint patterning. FGF signaling is required for maintaining barx1 expression, and that ectopic BMP4 induces expression of barx1 in the intermediate region of the second pharyngeal arch. Together, these results indicate an essential role for barx1 at early stages of chondrogenesis within the developing zebrafish viscerocranium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Sperber
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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