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Silva-Hurtado TJ, Inocencio JF, Yong RL. Emerging applications of hypomethylating agents in the treatment of glioblastoma (Review). Mol Clin Oncol 2024; 21:59. [PMID: 39006906 PMCID: PMC11240870 DOI: 10.3892/mco.2024.2757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA hypomethylating agents (HMAs) such as decitabine and 5-azacytidine have established roles in the treatment paradigms for myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myelogenous leukemia, where they are considered to exert their anticancer effects by restoring the expression of tumor suppressor genes. Due to their relatively favorable adverse effect profile and known ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier, applications in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) and other central nervous system malignancies are under active investigation. The present review examines the types of HMAs currently available, their known and less-understood antineoplastic mechanisms, and the evidence to date of their preclinical and clinical efficacy in glioblastoma and other solid malignancies. The present review discusses the potential synergies HMAs may have with established and emerging GBM treatments, including temozolomide, immune checkpoint inhibitors and cancer vaccines. Recent successes and setbacks in clinical trials for newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM are summarized in order to highlight opportunities for HMAs to improve therapeutic responses. Challenges for future clinical trials are also assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thenzing J. Silva-Hurtado
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Julio F. Inocencio
- Leo M. Davidoff Department of Neurosurgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Raymund L. Yong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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2
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Wang C, He J, Chen C, Luo W, Dang X, Mao L. A potential role of human esophageal cancer-related gene-4 in cardiovascular homeostasis. Gene 2024; 894:147977. [PMID: 37956966 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Human esophageal cancer related gene-4 (ECRG-4) encodes a 148-aminoacid pre-pro-peptide that can be processed tissue-dependently into multiple small peptides possessing multiple functions distinct from, similar to, or opposite to the tumor suppressor function of the full-length Ecrg4. Ecrg-4 is covalently bound to the cell surface through its signal peptide, colocalized with the innate immunity complex (TLR4-CD14-MD2), and functions as a 'sentinel' molecule in the maintenance of epithelium and leukocyte homeostasis, meaning that the presence of Ecrg-4 on the cell surface signals the maintained homeostasis, whereas the loss of Ecrg-4 due to tissue injury activates pro-inflammatory and tissue proliferative responses, and the level of Ecrg-4 gradually returns to its pre-injury level upon wound healing. Interestingly, Ecrg-4 is also highly expressed in the heart and its conduction system, endothelial cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells. Accumulating evidence has shown that Ecrg-4 is involved in cardiac rate/rhythm control, the development of atrial fibrillation, doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, the ischemic response of the heart and hypoxic response in the carotid body, the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and likely the endemic incidence of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. These preliminary discoveries suggest that Ecrg-4 may function as a 'sentinel' molecule in cardiovascular system as well. Here, we briefly review the basic characteristics of ECRG-4 as a tumor suppressor gene and its regulatory functions on inflammation and apoptosis; summarize the discoveries about its distribution in cardiovascular system and involvement in the development of CVDs, and discuss its potential as a novel therapeutic target for the maintenance of cardiovascular system homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoying Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, China
| | - Jianghui He
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, China
| | - Chunyue Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, China
| | - Wenjun Luo
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, China
| | - Xitong Dang
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, China.
| | - Liang Mao
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, China; Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
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3
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Richter M, Lalli E, Ruggiero C. Complex and pleiotropic signaling pathways regulated by the secreted protein augurin. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:69. [PMID: 37041625 PMCID: PMC10088197 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01090-8] [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: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The secreted protein augurin, the product of the tumor suppressor gene Ecrg4, has been identified as a peptide hormone in the human proteome in 2007. Since then, a number of studies have been carried out to highlight its structure and processing and its potential roles in physiopathology. Although augurin has been shown to be implicated in a variety of processes, ranging from tumorigenesis, inflammation and infection to neural stem cell proliferation, hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal axis regulation and osteoblast differentiation, the molecular mechanisms of its biological effects and the signaling pathways it regulates are still poorly characterized. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of augurin-dependent signal transduction pathways. Because of their secreted nature and the potential to be manipulated pharmacologically, augurin and its derived peptides represent attractive targets for diagnostic development and discovery of new therapeutic agents for the human diseases resulting from the deregulation of the signaling cascades they modulate. From this perspective, the characterization of the precise nature of augurin derived peptides and the identification of the receptor(s) on the cell surface conveying augurin signaling to downstream effectors are crucial to develop agonists and antagonists for this protein. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaux Richter
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire CNRS UMR 7275, Valbonne, France
- Universite Cote d'Azur, Valbonne, France
| | - Enzo Lalli
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire CNRS UMR 7275, Valbonne, France
- Universite Cote d'Azur, Valbonne, France
- Inserm, Valbonne, France
| | - Carmen Ruggiero
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire CNRS UMR 7275, Valbonne, France.
- Universite Cote d'Azur, Valbonne, France.
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4
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Li X, Hu S, Ma M, Wang P, Qi Y, Zhou Y, Zhong Z, Gao H, Bai F. Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 inhibits gastric cancer growth and metastasis by upregulating Krüppel-like factor 2 expression. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2023; 11:176. [PMID: 36923086 PMCID: PMC10009579 DOI: 10.21037/atm-23-139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Background There are a large number of people suffering from gastric cancer (GC) worldwide, so the study of biomarkers for GC is urgently needed. This study aimed to investigate the role of esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) in the growth, metastasis, and prognosis of GC and the possible underlying mechanism. Methods The expression of ECRG4 was detected in GC tissues by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. The relationships between ECRG4 expression and clinicopathological parameters of patients with GC were statistically analyzed, and Kaplan-Meier prognosis and survival curves of the patients were plotted. ECRG4 was overexpressed in the human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line (AGS) and human GC cell line 27 (HGC27), and the in vivo effects of ECRG4 overexpression on the growth, invasion, and metastasis of GC were analyzed and verified in nude mice. To identify the downstream transcription factors potentially regulated by ECRG4, ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing and differential gene expression analysis were performed on ECRG4-overexpressing cells. Quantitative PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of the downstream transcription factors targeted by ECRG4 in GC. Results The ECRG4 mRNA and protein expression levels were low in GC tissues and were associated with a poor prognosis. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that patients with low ECRG4 expression had worse prognosis and survival. Overexpression of ECRG4 inhibited the proliferation, metastasis, and invasion of GC cells. RNA sequencing analysis showed that overexpression of ECRG4 induced the upregulation of Krüppel-like factor 2. Conclusions Our findings show that ECRG4 promotes GC progression via Krüppel-like factor 2 signaling and highlight ECRG4 as a potential GC biomarker and therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximei Li
- School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, China
| | - Shengjuan Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, China
| | - Meijuan Ma
- Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, China
| | - Pengda Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yao Qi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Institute of Digestive Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,National Engineering Center for Biochip at Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Zishao Zhong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Institute of Digestive Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hengjun Gao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Institute of Digestive Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,National Engineering Center for Biochip at Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Feihu Bai
- The Gastroenterology Clinical Medical Center of Hainan Province, Haikou, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
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5
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Zhang Z, Wang W, Zhang Y, You X, Wu J. A potential link between aberrant expression of ECRG4 and atrial fibrillation. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1031128. [PMID: 36910669 PMCID: PMC9992723 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1031128] [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: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer-related gene-4 (ECRG4), a 148-amino acid propertied and new tumor suppressor, is initially cloned from the normal esophageal epithelium. ECRG4 was found to be expressed not only in esophageal tissues but also in cardiomyocytes. Previous studies demonstrated that ECRG4 is constitutively expressed in esophageal epithelial cells, and its degree of downregulation is directly proportional to prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer. In the heart, ECRG4 shows greater expression in the atria than in the ventricles, which accounts for its heterogeneity. Downregulation of ECRG4 expression level correlates with esophageal cancer, as well as myocardial injuries and arrhythmias. As a result, this review summarizes the possible susceptibility gene, ECRG4 and its associated molecular mechanisms in cancer patients with atrial fibrillation and myocardial injury. The review begins by describing ECRG4's biological background, discusses its expression in the cardiovascular system, lists the clinical and animal research related to the downregulation of ECRG4 in atrial fibrillation, and focuses on its potential role in atrial fibrillation. Downregulation of ECRG4 may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation by affecting ion channels, MMPs expression and inflammatory response. We will then discuss how ECRG4 can be used in the treatment of tumors and arrhythmias, and provide a novel possible strategy to reduce the occurrence of perioperative cardiovascular adverse events in patients with tumors such as esophageal cancer and gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuojing Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxin Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingji You
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingxiang Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Loss of Ecrg4 improves calcium oxalate nephropathy. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275972. [PMID: 36227903 PMCID: PMC9560046 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Kidney stone is one of the most frequent urinary tract diseases, affecting 10% of the population and displaying a high recurrence rate. Kidney stones are the result of salt supersaturation, including calcium and oxalate. We have previously identified Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (Ecrg4) as being modulated by hypercalciuria. Ecrg4 was initially described as a tumor suppressor gene in the esophagus. Lately, it was shown to be involved as well in apoptosis, cell senescence, cell migration, inflammation and cell responsiveness to chemotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, nothing is known about ECRG4's function in the renal tissue and its relationship with calciuria. We hypothesized that the increased expression of Ecrg4 mRNA is triggered by hypercalciuria and might modulate intratubular calcium-oxalate precipitation. In this study, we have first (i) validated the increased Ecrg4 mRNA in several types of hypercalciuric mouse models, then (ii) described the Ecrg4 mRNA expression along the nephron and (iii) assessed ECRG4's putative role in calcium oxalate nephropathy. For this, Ecrg4 KO mice were challenged with a kidney stone-inducing diet, rich in calcium and oxalate precursor. Taken together, our study demonstrates that Ecrg4's expression is restricted mainly to the distal part of the nephron and that the Ecrg4 KO mice develop less signs of tubular obstruction and less calcium-oxalate deposits. This promotes Ecrg4 as a modulator of renal crystallization and may open the way to new therapeutic possibilities against calcium oxalate nephropathy.
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Xie Z, Li W, Ai J, Xie J, Zhang X. C2orf40 inhibits metastasis and regulates chemo-resistance and radio-resistance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by influencing cell cycle and activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. J Transl Med 2022; 20:264. [PMID: 35676661 PMCID: PMC9175486 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03446-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor of epithelial origin in head and neck with high incidence rate in Southern China. C2orf40 has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in many cancers. However, the roles of C2orf40 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma has not been studied. Methods In this study, a bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed genes in NPC. The quantitative methylation levels was detected using pyrosequencing. qRT-PCR, western blotting, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression level of related RNA and proteins. Cell proliferation was detected using CCK-8 assay, and colony formation capability was detected using colony formation assays. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed using wound-healing and Transwell assays, respectively. The apoptosis level of cells was assessed using TUNEL staining. Endogenous DNA damage and repair were assessed by the comet assay. Cell cycle analyses carried out by flow cytometry. Finally, We used a xenograft nude mouse to verify the roles of C2orf40 in chemoresistance and radioresistance in vivo. Results We found that the C2orf40 expression was significantly downregulated in NPC tissues and inversely associated with a poor prognosis. In vivo and in vitro functional experiments confirmed that overexpression of C2orf40 significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of NPC cells, and promoted their sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy of NPC cells. Mechanically, the expression level of C2orf40 was negatively correlated with the expression levels of CCNE1 and CDK1. Overexpression of C2orf40 induced cell cycle arrest of NPC cells at G/M phase. In addition, C2orf40 can down-regulated the expression levels of homologous recombination-related proteins (BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD51, and CDC25A) and inhibited the activity of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Conclusion The results clarified the biological functions and mechanisms of C2orf40, as a tumor suppressor gene, in NPC, and provided a potential molecular target for improving the sensitivity of NPC to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
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8
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You Y, Hu S. Aberrant expression of the esophageal carcinoma related gene 4 as a prognostic signature for hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2022; 46:101891. [PMID: 35189425 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2022.101891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal cancer with increasing incidence, yet the molecular biomarkers that have strong prognostic impact and also hold great therapeutic promise remain elusive. METHODS Data mining approaches with a set of publicly accessible databases and immunohistochemistry were used to provide a novel insight into the expression pattern and prognostic significance of the esophageal cancer-related gene (ECRG) family members in HCC. RESULTS We found that elevated mRNA expression levels of ECRG factors were correlated with better overall survival, relapse-free survival and progression-free survival rates in patients with HCC. Subgroup analyses showed significant associations between ECRG expression and survival outcome in select HCC patients. In addition, immunohistochemical and multivariate analysis confirmed increased ECRG4 expression as an independent prognostic indicator for survival. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that ECRG factors have significant impacts on the survival of HCC patients. The expression of ECRG factors may be involved in HCC progression and could serve as novel biomarkers for predicting more accurate prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie You
- Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 750002, PR China.
| | - Shengjuan Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 750002, PR China.
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9
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Is Autophagy Always a Barrier to Cisplatin Therapy? Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12030463. [PMID: 35327655 PMCID: PMC8946631 DOI: 10.3390/biom12030463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cisplatin has long been a first-line chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer, largely for solid tumors. During the course of the past two decades, autophagy has been identified in response to cancer treatments and almost uniformly detected in studies involving cisplatin. There has been increasing recognition of autophagy as a critical factor affecting tumor cell death and tumor chemoresistance. In this review and commentary, we introduce four mechanisms of resistance to cisplatin followed by a discussion of the factors that affect the role of autophagy in cisplatin-sensitive and resistant cells and explore the two-sided outcomes that occur when autophagy inhibitors are combined with cisplatin. Our goal is to analyze the potential for the combinatorial use of cisplatin and autophagy inhibitors in the clinic.
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Long D, Chen C, Li W, Peng W, Li D, Zhou R, Dang X. Cardiac Expression of Esophageal Cancer-Related Gene-4 is Regulated by Sp1 and is a Potential Early Target of Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity. Cardiovasc Toxicol 2022; 22:404-418. [PMID: 35129819 DOI: 10.1007/s12012-022-09722-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Esophageal Cancer-Related Gene 4 (Ecrg4) expressed in cardiomyocytes and the cardiac conduction system is downregulated during cardiac ischemia and atrial fibrillation. To explore whether Ecrg4 plays any role in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity. Rats and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) were employed to study the effect of DOX on Ecrg4 transcription. Bioinformatics combined with promoter analysis were used to map the rat Ecrg4 promoter. ChIP assay was used to evaluate the binding of Sp1 to the Ecrg4 promoter. Transient transfection was used to study the effect of Sp1 on the expression of endogenous Ecrg4. DOX decreased endogenous Ecrg4 gene expression in the heart and cultured NRCMs. In silico analysis showed that the 5'UTR immediately upstream of the start codon ATG, harbors a putative promoter that is GC-rich, and contains CpG islands, multiple overlapping Sp1sites. Transcription is initiated mainly on the 'C' at - 15. Serial 5'-deletion combined with dual-luciferase assays showed that the rat Ecrg4 core promoter resides at - 1/- 800. Sp1 transactivated Ecrg4 gene, which was almost abolished by DOX. Furthermore, ChIP assay showed that Sp1 specifically bound to the Ecrg4 promoter was interrupted by DOX. Finally, DOX suppressed Sp1 protein expression, and restoration of Sp1 increased Ecrg4 expression that was resistant to DOX-induced Ecrg4 downregulation. Importantly, cardiomyocyte-specific loss of Ecrg4 significantly enriched the differentially expressed proteins in the signaling pathways commonly involved in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Our results indicate that Sp1 mediates DOX-induced suppression of Ecrg4, which may contribute indirectly to its cardiotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Long
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, 1-1 Xianglin Road, Longmatan District, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Chunyue Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, 1-1 Xianglin Road, Longmatan District, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Li
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, 1-1 Xianglin Road, Longmatan District, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Wanling Peng
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, 1-1 Xianglin Road, Longmatan District, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Dongmei Li
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, 1-1 Xianglin Road, Longmatan District, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, 1-1 Xianglin Road, Longmatan District, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
| | - Xitong Dang
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, 1-1 Xianglin Road, Longmatan District, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
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11
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You Y, Hu S. Dysregulation of ECRG4 is associated with malignant properties and of prognostic importance in human gastric cancer. Cancer Biomark 2021; 34:55-66. [PMID: 34657878 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-210334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have previously characterized esophageal carcinoma-related gene 4 (ECRG4) as a novel tumor suppressor gene, which is frequently inactivated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and breast cancer. Nevertheless, the expression status and prognostic significance of ECRG4 maintain elusive in human gastric cancer. Herein, we examined ECRG4 expression profile in gastric cancer and assessed its association with clinicopathological characteristics and patient survival. METHODS Online data mining, real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were employed to determined ECRG4 expression at transcriptional and protein levels in tumors vs. noncancerous tissues. Statistical analyses including the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the Cox hazard model were utilized to detect the impact on clinical outcome. Moreover, ECRG4 expression was silenced in gastric cancer SGC7901 cells, and cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion assays were carried out. RESULTS ECRG4 mRNA and protein levels were obviously downregulated in cancer tissues than noncancerous tissues. Statistical analyses demonstrated that low ECRG4 expression was found in 34.5% (58/168) of primary gastric cancer tissues, which was associated with higher histological grade (P= 0.018), lymph node metastasis (P= 0.011), invasive depth (P= 0.020), advanced tumor stage (P= 0.002) and poor overall survival (P< 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed ECRG4 expression is an independent prognostic predictor (P< 0.001). Silencing ECRG4 expression promoted gastric cancer cell growth and invasion. Western blot analysis revealed the anti-metastatic functions of ECRG4 by downregulating of E-cadherin and α-Catenin, as well as upregulating N-cadherin and Vimentin. CONCLUSIONS Our observations reveal that ECRG4 expression is involved in gastric cancer pathogenesis and progression, and may serve as a candidate prognostic biomarker for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie You
- Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan 750002, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan 750002, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China
| | - Shengjuan Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan 750002, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.,Endoscopy Center, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan 750002, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan 750002, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China
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12
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Huo H, Yang S, Wu H, Sun Y, Zhao R, Ye R, Yan D, Shi X, Yang J. Brain endothelial cells-derived extracellular vesicles overexpressing ECRG4 inhibit glioma proliferation through suppressing inflammation and angiogenesis. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2021; 15:1162-1171. [PMID: 34551201 DOI: 10.1002/term.3244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Esophageal cancer related gene-4 (ECRG4) has been shown to be a candidate tumor suppressor in many tumors, but its role in glioma remains poorly understood. This study aimed to explore whether extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from brain endothelial cells which overexpressed ECRG4 have anti-tumor effect on gliomas in vivo and in vitro, as well as the possible mechanism. A constructed lentivirus expressing the ECRG4 gene was transfected into the hCMEC/D3 cell line. The EVs were isolated from the cells and characterized by Western blot with exosome markers of CD9, CD63, CD81, Alix. RT-PCR and Western blot were performed to verify ECRG4 expression. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and clone formation assays were applied to detect the proliferation of glioma cells incubated with EVs expressing the ECRG4 (ECRG4-exo). The level of inflammatory cytokines and angiogenesis related factors, including nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) levels were detected by ELISA. The T98G cell xenograft mouse model was established and treated with ECRG4-EV. The tumor volume and weight were recorded. p38-MAPK, p-p38-MAPK proteins were determined by Western blot in tumor tissues. As a result, EVs can be internalized into U87MG and T98G cells. ECRG4-EV inhibited U87MG and T98G cell proliferation. ECRG4-EV also inhibited the expression of factors involved in inflammation and angiogenesis. In addition, ECRG4-EVs suppressed tumor growth and decreased the production of inflammatory cytokines through inactivation of p38-MAPK signal pathway. In conclusion, ECRG4-EVsuppresses glioma proliferation through modulating the inflammation and angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Huo
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Song Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Haotian Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Yuchen Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Ranran Zhao
- Department of Hemodialysis, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Shi Jia Zhuang City, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Ruihao Ye
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Dongdong Yan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Xuefang Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Jiankai Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
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Prieto-Vila M, Yoshioka Y, Ochiya T. Biological Functions Driven by mRNAs Carried by Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:620498. [PMID: 34527665 PMCID: PMC8435577 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.620498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, are extracellular nanovesicles released by most cells. EVs play essential roles in intercellular communication via the transport of a large variety of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids to recipient cells. Nucleic acids are the most commonly found molecules inside EVs, and due to their small size, microRNAs and other small RNAs are the most abundant nucleic acids. However, longer molecules, such as messenger RNAs (mRNAs), have also been found. mRNAs encapsulated within EVs have been shown to be transferred to recipient cells and translated into proteins, altering the behavior of the cells. Secretion of EVs is maintained not only through multiple normal physiological conditions but also during aberrant pathological conditions, including cancer. Recently, the mRNAs carried by EVs in cancer have attracted great interest due to their broad roles in tumor progression and microenvironmental remodeling. This review focuses on the biological functions driven by mRNAs carried in EVs in cancer, which include supporting tumor progression by activating cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion; inducing microenvironmental remodeling via hypoxia, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression; and promoting modulation of the microenvironment at distant sites for the generation of a premetastatic niche, collectively inducing metastasis. Furthermore, we describe the potential use of mRNAs carried by EVs as a noninvasive diagnostic tool and novel therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Takahiro Ochiya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
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14
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Ye Z, Li Y, Xie J, Feng Z, Yang X, Wu Y, Pu Y, Gao J, Xu X, Zhu Z, Li W, Chen W, Xing C. Integrated bioinformatics identifies the dysregulation induced by aberrant gene methylation in colorectal carcinoma. Genes Dis 2021; 8:521-530. [PMID: 34179314 PMCID: PMC8209361 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most common cancers, and is associated with a poor clinical outcome. The key genes and potential prognostic markers in colorectal carcinoma remain to be identified and explored for clinical application. DNA expression/methylation profiles were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to identify differentially expressed/methylated genes (DEGs and DEMs). A total of 255 genes and 372 genes were identified as being up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively, in GSE113513, GSE81558, and GSE89076. There were a total of 3350 hypermethylated genes and 443 hypomethylated genes identified in GSE48684. Twenty genes were found to be hypermethylated as well as down-regulated, and a functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were mainly involved in cancer-related pathways. Among these 20 genes, GPM6A, HAND2 and C2orf40 were related to poor outcomes in cancer patients based on a survival analysis. Concurrent decreases of GPM6A, HAND2 and C2orf40 protein expression were observed in highly-differentiated colorectal carcinoma tissues, and higher expression levels were found in undifferentiated or minimally-differentiated colorectal carcinoma tissues. In conclusion, 20 genes were found to be downregulated and hypermethylated in CRC, among which GPM6A, HAND2 and C2orf40 were explored for their potential prognostic value.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jiaming Xie
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Zhenyu Feng
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Xiaodong Yang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Yong Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Yuwei Pu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Jiawei Gao
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Xiangrong Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Zhaobi Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
| | - Chungen Xing
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215004, PR China
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15
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Glioblastoma-initiating cell heterogeneity generated by the cell-of-origin, genetic/epigenetic mutation and microenvironment. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 82:176-183. [PMID: 33453403 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) and other malignant tumours consist of heterogeneous cancer cells, including GBM-initiating cells (GICs). This heterogeneity is likely to arise from the following: different sets of genetic mutations and epigenetic modifications, which GICs gain in the transformation process; differences in cells of origin, such as stem cells, precursor cells or differentiated cells; and the cancer microenvironment, in which GICs communicate with neural cells, endothelial cells and immune cells. Furthermore, considering that various types of GICs can be generated at different time points of the transformation process, GBM very likely consists of heterogeneous GICs and their progeny. Because cancer cell heterogeneity is responsible for therapy resistance, it is crucial to develop methods of reducing such heterogeneity. Here, I summarize how GIC heterogeneity is generated in the transformation process and present how cell heterogeneity in cancer can be addressed based on recent findings.
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16
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Liang X, Gao J, Wang Q, Hou S, Wu C. ECRG4 Represses Cell Proliferation and Invasiveness via NFIC/OGN/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Bladder Cancer. Front Genet 2020; 11:846. [PMID: 32922434 PMCID: PMC7456849 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer (BCa) is a malignant tumor in the urinary system with high cancer-related mortality worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms of many genes dysregulated in BCa are still unclear. Herein, we showed that esophageal cancer-related gene-4 (ECRG4), which is downregulated in BCa tissues and cell lines, has a positive correlation with osteoglycin (OGN). Further functional experimental studies suggested that both ECRG4 and OGN inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in BCa cells. Moreover, ECRG4 acts as a tumor repressor and promotes the expression of OGN via the upregulation of nuclear factor 1 C-type (NFIC), which can bind to the promoter region of OGN and regulate its transcription. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that NFIC is downregulated in BCa tissues and has a positive correlation with ECRG4 or OGN. Esophageal cancer-related gene-4 could positively regulate the protein levels of NFIC in BCa cells. In addition, we demonstrated for the first time that ECRG4 inhibits the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway via the upregulation of OGN in BCa cells. Overall, these findings provide evidence that both ECRG4 and OGN function as tumor repressors and that overexpression of ECRG4 inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway by promoting NFIC/OGN signaling in BCa cells. Our results reveal the molecular regulatory mechanisms of the ECRG4-mediated repression of the NFIC/OGN/NF-κB signaling pathway in BCa and provide potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for BCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Liang
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Urology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Jiangang Gao
- Department of Urology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Quan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Sichuan Hou
- Department of Urology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Changli Wu
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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17
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Dorschner RA, Lee J, Cohen O, Costantini T, Baird A, Eliceiri BP. ECRG4 regulates neutrophil recruitment and CD44 expression during the inflammatory response to injury. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaay0518. [PMID: 32195341 PMCID: PMC7065879 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay0518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The complex molecular microenvironment of the wound bed regulates the duration and degree of inflammation in the wound repair process, while its dysregulation leads to impaired healing. Understanding factors controlling this response provides therapeutic targets for inflammatory disease. Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) is a candidate chemokine that is highly expressed on leukocytes. We used ECRG4 knockout (KO) mice to establish that the absence of ECRG4 leads to defective neutrophil recruitment with a delay in wound healing. An in vitro human promyelocyte model identified an ECRG4-mediated suppression of the hyaluronic acid receptor, CD44, a key receptor mediating inflammation resolution. In ECRG4 KO mouse leukocytes, there was an increase in CD44 expression, consistent with a model in which ECRG4 negatively regulates CD44 levels. Therefore, we propose a previously unidentified mechanism in which ECRG4 regulates early neutrophil recruitment and subsequent CD44-mediated resolution of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Dorschner
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jisook Lee
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Olga Cohen
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Todd Costantini
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Baird
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Brian P. Eliceiri
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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18
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Rose M, Bringezu S, Godfrey L, Fiedler D, Gaisa NT, Koch M, Bach C, Füssel S, Herr A, Hübner D, Ellinger J, Pfister D, Knüchel R, Wirth MP, Böhme M, Dahl E. ITIH5 and ECRG4 DNA Methylation Biomarker Test (EI-BLA) for Urine-Based Non-Invasive Detection of Bladder Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21031117. [PMID: 32046186 PMCID: PMC7036997 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21031117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer is one of the more common malignancies in humans and the most expensive tumor for treating in the Unites States (US) and Europe due to the need for lifelong surveillance. Non-invasive tests approved by the FDA have not been widely adopted in routine diagnosis so far. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the two putative tumor suppressor genes ECRG4 and ITIH5 as novel urinary DNA methylation biomarkers that are suitable for non-invasive detection of bladder cancer. While assessing the analytical performance, a spiking experiment was performed by determining the limit of RT112 tumor cell detection (range: 100-10,000 cells) in the urine of healthy donors in dependency of the processing protocols of the RWTH cBMB. Clinically, urine sediments of 474 patients were analyzed by using quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP) and Methylation Sensitive Restriction Enzyme (MSRE) qPCR techniques. Overall, ECRG4-ITIH5 showed a sensitivity of 64% to 70% with a specificity ranging between 80% and 92%, i.e., discriminating healthy, benign lesions, and/or inflammatory diseases from bladder tumors. When comparing single biomarkers, ECRG4 achieved a sensitivity of 73%, which was increased by combination with the known biomarker candidate NID2 up to 76% at a specificity of 97%. Hence, ITIH5 and, in particular, ECRG4 might be promising candidates for further optimizing current bladder cancer biomarker panels and platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Rose
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.B.); (L.G.); (D.F.); (N.T.G.); (M.K.); (R.K.)
- RWTH Centralized Biomaterial Bank (RWTH cBMB), Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (E.D.); Tel.: +49-241-808-9715 (M.R.); +49-241-808-8431 (E.D.); Fax: +49-241-808-2439 (M.R.); +49-241-808-2439 (E.D.)
| | - Sarah Bringezu
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.B.); (L.G.); (D.F.); (N.T.G.); (M.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Laura Godfrey
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.B.); (L.G.); (D.F.); (N.T.G.); (M.K.); (R.K.)
| | - David Fiedler
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.B.); (L.G.); (D.F.); (N.T.G.); (M.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Nadine T. Gaisa
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.B.); (L.G.); (D.F.); (N.T.G.); (M.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Maximilian Koch
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.B.); (L.G.); (D.F.); (N.T.G.); (M.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Christian Bach
- Department of Urology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (C.B.); (D.P.)
| | - Susanne Füssel
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (S.F.); (D.H.); (M.P.W.)
| | | | - Doreen Hübner
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (S.F.); (D.H.); (M.P.W.)
| | - Jörg Ellinger
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany;
| | - David Pfister
- Department of Urology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (C.B.); (D.P.)
- Department of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot Assisted and Reconstructive Urologic Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ruth Knüchel
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.B.); (L.G.); (D.F.); (N.T.G.); (M.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Manfred P. Wirth
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (S.F.); (D.H.); (M.P.W.)
| | - Manja Böhme
- Biotype GmbH, 01109 Dresden, Germany; (A.H.); (M.B.)
| | - Edgar Dahl
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.B.); (L.G.); (D.F.); (N.T.G.); (M.K.); (R.K.)
- RWTH Centralized Biomaterial Bank (RWTH cBMB), Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (E.D.); Tel.: +49-241-808-9715 (M.R.); +49-241-808-8431 (E.D.); Fax: +49-241-808-2439 (M.R.); +49-241-808-2439 (E.D.)
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19
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Dang X, Coimbra R, Mao L, Podvin S, Li X, Yu H, Costantini TW, Zeng X, Larocca D, Eliceiri BP, Baird A. Open reading frame mining identifies a TLR4 binding domain in the primary sequence of ECRG4. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:5027-5039. [PMID: 31190084 PMCID: PMC11105628 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03159-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The embedding of small peptide ligands within large inactive pre-pro-precursor proteins encoded by orphan open reading frames (ORFs) makes them difficult to identify and study. To address this problem, we generated oligonucleotide (< 100-400 base pair) combinatorial libraries from either the epidermal growth factor (EGF) ORF that encodes the > 1200 amino acid EGF precursor protein or the orphan ECRG4 ORF, that encodes a 148 amino acid Esophageal Cancer Related Gene 4 (ECRG4), a putative cytokine precursor protein of up to eight ligands. After phage display and 3-4 rounds of biopanning for phage internalization into prostate cancer epithelial cells, sequencing identified the 53-amino acid EGF ligand encoded by the 5' region of the EGF ORF and three distinct domains within the primary sequence of ECRG4: its membrane targeting hydrophobic signal peptide, an unanticipated amino terminus domain at ECRG437-63 and a C-terminus ECRG4133-148 domain. Using HEK-blue cells transfected with the innate immunity receptor complex, we show that both ECRG437-63 and ECRG4133-148 enter cells by interaction with the TLR4 immune complex but neither stimulate NFkB. Taken together, the results help establish that phage display can be used to identify cryptic domains within ORFs of the human secretome and identify a novel TLR4-targeted internalization domain in the amino terminus of ECRG4 that may contribute to its effects on cell migration, immune cell activation and tumor suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xitong Dang
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Raul Coimbra
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
| | - Liang Mao
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Sonia Podvin
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
| | - Xue Li
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Hua Yu
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Todd W Costantini
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
| | - Xiaorong Zeng
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | | | - Brian P Eliceiri
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
| | - Andrew Baird
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA.
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 98896, USA.
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20
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Encapsulation of crocetin into poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles overcomes drug resistance in human ovarian cisplatin-resistant carcinoma cell line (A2780-RCIS). Mol Biol Rep 2019; 46:6525-6532. [PMID: 31646427 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-05098-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Nanoparticles and herbal medicines have gained considerable attention in overcoming multidrug resistance through different mechanisms. In this study, the effects of poly (Lactic-co-glycolic acid)-crocetin nanoparticles (PLGA-Crt NPs) on MRP1 and MRP2 activity in a human ovarian cisplatin-resistant carcinoma cell line (A2780-RCIS) and its parental form (A2780) were evaluated. PLGA-Crt NPs were formulated and then characterized. The cytotoxic effect of Crt, PLGA-Crt NPs, and empty PLGA NPs was assessed using MTT test in A2780 and A2780-RCIS cells. The effect of PLGA-Crt NPs on MRP1 and MRP2 mRNA expression was evaluated by Real-Time qRT-PCR. The impact of PLGA-Crt NPs on the functioning of MRP transporters was assessed by the doxorubicin efflux assay. The particle size, entrapment efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC) of PLGA-Crt NPs were obtained about 239.8 ± 9 nm, 79 ± 3% and 4.9 ± 0.2%, respectively. The PLGA-Crt NPs IC50 values were obtained 104 ± 3 µM and 96 ± 2 µM in A2780 and A2780-RCIS cell lines, respectively. The Real-time RT-PCR results demonstrated the inhibition of mRNA expression of MRP2 in all studied concentrations (up to 67 ± 8% at 100 µM) in A2780-RCIS cells. PLGA-Crt NPs showed more indirect efflux inhibition (up to 70 ± 5%) compared to direct inhibition (up to 49 ± 5%). The encapsulation of crocetin into PLGA NPs can increase its inhibitory effects on drug resistance by downregulating MRP2 transporters.
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21
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Potential functions of esophageal cancer-related gene-4 in the cardiovascular system. Front Med 2019; 13:639-645. [PMID: 31468282 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-019-0701-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Esophageal cancer-related gene-4 (Ecrg4) is cloned from the normal epithelium of the esophagus. It is constitutively expressed in quiescent epithelial cells and downregulated during tumorigenesis, and Ecrg4 expression levels are inversely correlated with the malignant phenotype of tumor cells, validating that Ecrg4 is a real tumor suppressor gene. Unlike other tumor suppressor genes that usually encode membrane or intracellular proteins, Ecrg4 encodes a 148-amino acid pre-pro-peptide that is tethered on the cell surface in epithelial cells, specialized epithelial cells, and human leukocytes, where it can be processed tissue dependently into several small peptides upon cell activation. Ecrg4 is expressed in a wide variety of other cells/tissues, including cardiomyocytes and conduction system of the heart, the glomus cells of the carotid body, adrenal glands, choroid plexus, and leukocytes among others, where it exerts distinct functions, such as promoting/suppressing inflammation, inducing neuron senescence, stimulating the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, maintaining the stemness of stem cells, participating in the rhythm and rate control of the heart, and possibly gauging the responsiveness of the cardiovascular system (CVS) to hypoxia, in addition to tumor suppression. Here, we briefly review the latest discoveries on Ecrg4 and its underlying molecular mechanisms as a tumor suppressor and focus on the emerging roles of Ecrg4 in the CVS.
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22
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Huang W, Zhou R, Mao L, Deng C, Dang X. Esophageal cancer related gene-4 inhibits the migration and proliferation of oral squamous cell carcinoma through BC200 lncRNA/MMP-9 and -13 signaling pathway. Cell Signal 2019; 62:109327. [PMID: 31152845 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Esophageal cancer related gene-4 (ECRG4) inhibits the malignant phenotype of oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, the molecular mechanisms remain to be explored. Using the tongue carcinoma cell line, TCA8113 as a cell model, we showed that forced expression of ECRG4 down-regulated the expression of the BC200 long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-9 and MMP-13). Restoration of BC200 lncRNA rescued ECRG4-mediated down-regulation of MMP-9 and -13. Furthermore, over-expression of Ecrg4 inhibited cell proliferation and migration, which was abolished by forced expression of BC200 lncRNA in TCA8113 cells. Our results indicate that ECRG4 inhibits the malignant phenotype of TCA8113 cells most likely through suppression of BC200 lncRNA/MMPs signaling pathway, rationalizing that BC200 lncRNA may be a potential target for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education & Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education & Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Liang Mao
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education & Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Chenliang Deng
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Shanghai 6th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200237, China.
| | - Xitong Dang
- The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education & Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
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ECRG4 acts as a tumor suppressor gene frequently hypermethylated in human breast cancer. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20190087. [PMID: 30918105 PMCID: PMC6509063 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20190087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human breast cancer is a malignant form of tumor with a relatively high mortality rate. Although esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) is thought to be a possible potent tumor suppressor gene that acts to suppress breast cancer, its precise role in this disease is not understood. Herein, we assess the correlation between ECRG4 expression and DNA methylation, probing the potential epigenetic regulation of ECRG4 in breast cancer. We analyzed ECRG4 promoter methylation via methylation-specific PCR (MSPCR), bisulfite sequencing, and a promoter reporter assay in human breast cancer cell lines and samples. Gene expression was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), while protein levels were assessed by Western blotting. CCK8 assays were used to quantify cell growth; Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 wound healing assays were used to assess cellular migration, while flow cytometry was used to assess apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Apoptosome formation was validated via CO-IP and Western blotting. We found that human breast cancer samples exhibited increased methylation of the ECRG4 promoter and decreased ECRG4 expression. Remarkably, the down-regulation of ECRG4 was highly associated with promoter methylation, and its expression could be re-activated via 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine treatment to induce demethylation. ECRG4 overexpression impaired breast cancer cell proliferation and migration, and led to G0/G1 cell cycle phase arrest. Moreover, ECRG4 induced the formation of the Cytc/Apaf-1/caspase-9 apoptosome and promoted breast cancer cell apoptosis. ECRG4 is silenced in human breast cancer cells and cell lines, likely owing to promoter hypermethylation. ECRG4 may act as a tumor suppressor, inhibiting proliferation and migration, inducing G0/G1 phase arrest and apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.
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Nakatani Y, Kiyonari H, Kondo T. Ecrg4 deficiency extends the replicative capacity of neural stem cells in a Foxg1-dependent manner. Development 2019; 146:dev.168120. [PMID: 30745428 DOI: 10.1242/dev.168120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The self-renewal activity of neural stem cells (NSCs) has been suggested to decrease with aging, resulting in age-dependent declines in brain function, such as presbyopia and memory loss. The molecular mechanisms underlying decreases in NSC proliferation with age need to be elucidated in more detail to develop treatments that promote brain function. We have previously reported that the expression of esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (Ecrg4) was upregulated in aged NSCs, whereas its overexpression decreased NSC proliferation, suggesting a functional relationship between Ecrg4 and NSC aging. Using Ecrg4-deficient mice in which the Ecrg4 locus was replaced with the lacZ gene, we here show that Ecrg4 deficiency recovered the age-dependent decline in NSC proliferation and enhanced spatial learning and memory in the Morris water-maze paradigm. We demonstrate that the proliferation of Ecrg4-deficient NSCs was partly maintained by the increased expression of Foxg1. Collectively, these results determine Ecrg4 as a NSC aging factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Nakatani
- Division of Bio-Function Dynamics Imaging, Center for Life Science Technology, RIKEN, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kiyonari
- Animal Resource Development Unit and Genetic Engineering Team, Center for Life Science Technology, RIKEN, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Toru Kondo
- Division of Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0815, Japan
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De Luca C, Colangelo AM, Alberghina L, Papa M. Neuro-Immune Hemostasis: Homeostasis and Diseases in the Central Nervous System. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:459. [PMID: 30534057 PMCID: PMC6275309 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Coagulation and the immune system interact in several physiological and pathological conditions, including tissue repair, host defense, and homeostatic maintenance. This network plays a key role in diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) by involving several cells (CNS resident cells, platelets, endothelium, and leukocytes) and molecular pathways (protease activity, complement factors, platelet granule content). Endothelial damage prompts platelet activation and the coagulation cascade as the first physiological step to support the rescue of damaged tissues, a flawed rescuing system ultimately producing neuroinflammation. Leukocytes, platelets, and endothelial cells are sensitive to the damage and indeed can release or respond to chemokines and cytokines (platelet factor 4, CXCL4, TNF, interleukins), and growth factors (including platelet-derived growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor) with platelet activation, change in capillary permeability, migration or differentiation of leukocytes. Thrombin, plasmin, activated complement factors and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), furthermore, activate intracellular transduction through complement or protease-activated receptors. Impairment of the neuro-immune hemostasis network induces acute or chronic CNS pathologies related to the neurovascular unit, either directly or by the systemic activation of its main steps. Neurons, glial cells (astrocytes and microglia) and the extracellular matrix play a crucial function in a “tetrapartite” synaptic model. Taking into account the neurovascular unit, in this review we thoroughly analyzed the influence of neuro-immune hemostasis on these five elements acting as a functional unit (“pentapartite” synapse) in the adaptive and maladaptive plasticity and discuss the relevance of these events in inflammatory, cerebrovascular, Alzheimer, neoplastic and psychiatric diseases. Finally, based on the solid reviewed data, we hypothesize a model of neuro-immune hemostatic network based on protein–protein interactions. In addition, we propose that, to better understand and favor the maintenance of adaptive plasticity, it would be useful to construct predictive molecular models, able to enlighten the regulating logic of the complex molecular network, which belongs to different cellular domains. A modeling approach would help to define how nodes of the network interact with basic cellular functions, such as mitochondrial metabolism, autophagy or apoptosis. It is expected that dynamic systems biology models might help to elucidate the fine structure of molecular events generated by blood coagulation and neuro-immune responses in several CNS diseases, thereby opening the way to more effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro De Luca
- Laboratory of Morphology of Neuronal Network, Department of Public Medicine, University of Campania-Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Colangelo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience "R. Levi-Montalcini", Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,SYSBIO Centre of Systems Biology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Lilia Alberghina
- Laboratory of Neuroscience "R. Levi-Montalcini", Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,SYSBIO Centre of Systems Biology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Papa
- Laboratory of Morphology of Neuronal Network, Department of Public Medicine, University of Campania-Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.,SYSBIO Centre of Systems Biology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Deng P, Chang XJ, Gao ZM, Xu XY, Sun AQ, Li K, Dai DQ. Downregulation and DNA methylation of ECRG4 in gastric cancer. Onco Targets Ther 2018; 11:4019-4028. [PMID: 30034241 PMCID: PMC6049055 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s161200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) is a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene. Our study investigated the expression and function of ECRG4 in gastric cancer and highlighted the role of DNA hypermethylation at the promoter in silencing the ECRG4 expression. Methods The GSE63089 data set was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus and analyzed for differentially expressed genes. Carcinoma and para-carcinoma tissues of 102 patients with gastric cancer were collected from January 2010 to July 2011. Immunohistochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and western blot analyses were performed to evaluate the expression of ECRG4. After measuring the change in the level of ECRG4 expression, CCK-8, Transwell, and flow cytometric cell cycle assays were performed. In addition, methylation-specific PCR was performed to detect the methylation state of ECRG4, and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine was used for demethylation of ECRG4. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 17.0 software. Results We found that ECRG4 expression was downregulated in gastric cancer, and this was closely related to lymph node metastasis. After ECRG4 was silenced using a specific small interfering RNA, the BGC-823 cell line became highly aggressive and proliferative. In addition, we verified whether downregulation of ECRG4 was highly correlated with DNA methylation of the ECRG4 promoter and found that the demethylating agent 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine could effectively enhance ECRG4 expression. Conclusion The aberrant expression of ECRG4 is associated with hypermethylation in the promoter region and plays an important role in the malignancy of gastric cancer. Therefore, ECRG4 may be a potential biomarker for molecular diagnosis of gastric cancer, and the use of 5-Aza-dC to reverse the hypermethylation of ECRG4 may be a new approach to the treatment of gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Deng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Cancer Center, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China,
| | - Xiao-Jing Chang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Cancer Center, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China,
| | - Zi-Ming Gao
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiao-Yang Xu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Cancer Center, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China,
| | - An-Qi Sun
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Kai Li
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Dong-Qiu Dai
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Cancer Center, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China,
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27
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ECRG4: a new potential target in precision medicine. Front Med 2018; 13:540-546. [PMID: 30003403 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-018-0637-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Given the rapid development in precision medicine, tremendous efforts have been devoted to discovering new biomarkers for disease diagnosis and treatment. Esophageal cancer-related gene-4 (ECRG4), which is initially known as a new candidate tumor suppressor gene, is emerging as a sentinel molecule for gauging tissue homeostasis. ECRG4 is unique in its cytokine-like functional pattern and epigenetically-regulated gene expression pattern. The gene can be released from the cell membrane upon activation and detected in liquid biopsy, thus offering considerable potential in precision medicine. This review provides an updated summary on the biology of ECRG4, with emphasis on its important roles in cancer diagnosis and therapy. The future perspectives of ECRG4 as a potential molecular marker in precision medicine are also discussed in detail.
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28
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Mao L, Li X, Gong S, Yuan H, Jiang Y, Huang W, Sun X, Dang X. Serum exosomes contain ECRG4 mRNA that suppresses tumor growth via inhibition of genes involved in inflammation, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. Cancer Gene Ther 2018; 25:248-259. [PMID: 29983418 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-018-0032-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2017] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Esophageal cancer related gene-4 (Ecrg4) has been shown to be a tumor suppressor in many organs. Exosomes are naturally secreted nanosized particles that carry signal molecules including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) among others. Upon internalization, exosomes unload their cargos that in turn modulate the biology of the recipient cells. Mounting evidence has shown that exosomal miRNAs are functional. However, reports that exosomes carry functional mRNAs remain scarce. We found that serum exosomes contain ECRG4 open reading frame. To simulate serum exosomal ECRG4, stable cell line expressing ECRG4 was created, from which exosomes were isolated and characterized, and the internalization and the resulting biological effects of exosomal ECRG4 were evaluated. Results showed that serum exosomes contain higher levels of ECRG4 mRNA in healthy individuals than their cancer counterparts. Exosomal ECRG4 can be internalized and unload the encapsulated ECRG4 into recipient cells, which subsequently suppressed cell proliferation in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Mechanistically, ECRG4-containing exosomes, when internalized, suppressed the expression of genes commonly implicated in inflammation, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. Given that exosome is an ideal vehicle for therapeutics delivery and that ECRG4 is a tumor suppressor gene, the exosomal ECRG4 can be exploited as a formulation for cancer gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Mao
- Institute of Cardiovascular Research, The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
| | - Xue Li
- Institute of Cardiovascular Research, The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
| | - Shu Gong
- Department of Pathophysiology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
| | - Haiyang Yuan
- Institute of Cardiovascular Research, The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Institute of Cardiovascular Research, The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
| | - Wenjun Huang
- Institute of Cardiovascular Research, The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
| | - Xingwang Sun
- Department of Pathology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
| | - Xitong Dang
- Institute of Cardiovascular Research, The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China.
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29
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Li C, Zhang P, Jiang A, Mao JH, Wei G. A short synthetic peptide fragment of human C2ORF40 has therapeutic potential in breast cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 8:41963-41974. [PMID: 28410214 PMCID: PMC5522041 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
C2ORF40 encodes a secreted protein which is cleaved to generate soluble peptides by proteolytic processing and this process is believed to be necessary for C2ORF40 to exert cell type specific biological activity. Here, we reported a short mimic peptide of human C2ORF40 acts potential therapeutic efficacy in human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We synthesized a short peptide of human C2ORF40, named C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment and assessed its biological function on cancer cell growth, migration and tumorigenesis. Cell growth assay showed that C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment significantly suppressed cell proliferation of breast and lung cancer cells. Moreover, C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, we showed that this peptide suppressed tumorigenesis in breast tumor xenograft model. Cell cycle assay indicated that the C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment suppressed the growth of tumor cells through inducing mitotic phase arrest. In conclusion, our results firstly suggested that this short synthetic peptide of human C2ORF40 may be a candidate tumor therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyang Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Pengju Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Anli Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
| | - Jian-Hua Mao
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Guangwei Wei
- Department of Human Anatomy and Key Laboratory of Experimental Teratology, Ministry of Education, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China
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30
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Wei J, Li G, Zhang J, Zhou Y, Dang S, Chen H, Wu Q, Liu M. Integrated analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression profiles identifies potential novel biomarkers of rectal cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 7:62547-62558. [PMID: 27566576 PMCID: PMC5308745 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation was regarded as the promising biomarker for rectal cancer diagnosis. However, the optimal methylation biomarkers with ideal diagnostic performance for rectal cancer are still limited. To identify new molecular markers for rectal cancer, we mapped DNA methylation and transcriptomic profiles in the six rectal cancer and paired normal samples. Further analysis revealed the hypermethylated probes in cancer prone to be located in gene promoter. Meanwhile, transcriptome analysis presented 773 low-expressed and 1,161 over-expressed genes in rectal cancer. Correction analysis identified a panel of 36 genes with an inverse correlation between methylation and gene expression levels, including 10 known colorectal cancer related genes. From the other 26 novel marker genes, GFRA1 and GSTM2 were selected for further analysis on the basis of their biological functions. Further experiment analysis confirmed their methylation and expression status in a larger number (44) of rectal cancer samples, and ROC curves showed higher AUC than SEPT9, which has been used as a biomarker in rectal cancer. Our data suggests that aberrant DNA methylation of contiguous CpG sites in methylation array may be potential diagnostic markers of rectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiufeng Wei
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China.,Bio-Bank of Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China
| | - Guodong Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China.,Bio-Bank of Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China
| | - Jinning Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China.,Bio-Bank of Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China
| | - Yuhui Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China.,Bio-Bank of Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China
| | - Shuwei Dang
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China.,Bio-Bank of Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China
| | - Hongsheng Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China.,Bio-Bank of Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China
| | - Qiong Wu
- School of Life Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China.,Bio-Bank of Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, P.R. China
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31
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The unrecognized role of tumor suppressor genes in atrial fibrillation. Gene 2018; 642:26-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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32
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Li L, Li X, Wang W, Gao T, Shi Z. UBE2C is involved in the functions of ECRG4 on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 98:201-206. [PMID: 29268240 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.12.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
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33
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Dang X, Zeng X, Coimbra R, Eliceiri BP, Baird A. Counter regulation of ECRG4 gene expression by hypermethylation-dependent inhibition and the Sp1 transcription factor-dependent stimulation of the c2orf40 promoter. Gene 2017; 636:103-111. [PMID: 28870864 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.08.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The human cytokine precursor ECRG4 has been associated with multiple physiological, developmental and pathophysiological processes involving cell proliferation, cell migration, innate immunity, inflammation, cancer progression and metastases. Although down-regulation of ECRG4 gene expression has been largely attributed to hypermethylation of CpG islands in the 5'untranslated region of the ECRG4 promoter, the mechanisms that underlie the dynamics of its regulation have never been systematically described. Here we show that the ECRG4 gene is widely expressed in human tissues and report that its core promoter lies between the -780 to +420 base pairs relative to the ATG start codon of the ECRG4 open reading frame. This sequence, which contains several CpG islands, also includes multiple overlapping Sp1 consensus binding sequences and a putative binding site for NF-kB activation. 5'RACE of mRNA derived from human leukocytes shows that ECRG4 transcription initiates from the guanidine at -11 from the initiation ATG of the ECRG4 open reading frame. While there is no canonical TATA- or CAAT-boxes proximal to this translational initiation site, there is a distal TATA-sequence in the 5'UTR. This region was identified as the sequence targeted by hypermethylation because in vitro methylation of plasmids encoding the ECRG4 promoter abolish promoter activity and the treatment of Jurkat cells (which naturally express ECRG4) with the methylation inhibitor 5-AzaC, increases endogenous ECRG4 expression. Because ChIP assays show that Sp1 binds the ECRG4 promoter, that forced Sp1 expression trans-activates the ECRG4 promoter and Sp1 inhibition with mithramycin inhibits ECRG4 expression, we conclude that the dynamic positive and negative regulatory elements controlling ECRG4 expression include a counter regulation between promoter methylation and Sp1 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xitong Dang
- Department of Surgery, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, CA 92139, USA; Institute of Cardiovascular Research, The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - Xiaorong Zeng
- Institute of Cardiovascular Research, The Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education of China, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Raul Coimbra
- Department of Surgery, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, CA 92139, USA
| | - Brian P Eliceiri
- Department of Surgery, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, CA 92139, USA
| | - Andrew Baird
- Department of Surgery, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, CA 92139, USA.
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De Luca C, Virtuoso A, Maggio N, Papa M. Neuro-Coagulopathy: Blood Coagulation Factors in Central Nervous System Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2128. [PMID: 29023416 PMCID: PMC5666810 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18102128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood coagulation factors and other proteins, with modulatory effects or modulated by the coagulation cascade have been reported to affect the pathophysiology of the central nervous system (CNS). The protease-activated receptors (PARs) pathway can be considered the central hub of this regulatory network, mainly through thrombin or activated protein C (aPC). These proteins, in fact, showed peculiar properties, being able to interfere with synaptic homeostasis other than coagulation itself. These specific functions modulate neuronal networks, acting both on resident (neurons, astrocytes, and microglia) as well as circulating immune system cells and the extracellular matrix. The pleiotropy of these effects is produced through different receptors, expressed in various cell types, in a dose- and time-dependent pattern. We reviewed how these pathways may be involved in neurodegenerative diseases (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases), multiple sclerosis, ischemic stroke and post-ischemic epilepsy, CNS cancer, addiction, and mental health. These data open up a new path for the potential therapeutic use of the agonist/antagonist of these proteins in the management of several central nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro De Luca
- Laboratory of Neuronal Networks, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy.
| | - Assunta Virtuoso
- Laboratory of Neuronal Networks, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy.
| | - Nicola Maggio
- Department of Neurology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, 52621 Ramat Gan, Israel.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Michele Papa
- Laboratory of Neuronal Networks, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy.
- SYSBIO, Centre of Systems Biology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy.
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Li L, Wang W, Li X, Gao T. Association of ECRG4 with PLK1, CDK4, PLOD1 and PLOD2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Am J Transl Res 2017; 9:3741-3748. [PMID: 28861165 PMCID: PMC5575188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) is a tumor suppressor gene associated with the prognosis of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC). Studies have reported that ECRG4 effectively inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC cells. In the current study, ectopic expression of ECRG4 significantly induced ESCC cell apoptosis. To further understand the molecular profile of ECRG4 overexpression in ESCC cells, tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling followed by LC-MS/MS analysis was applied on samples from ECRG4 overexpressed cells and control cells. Among the identified differentially expressed proteins, four up-regulated proteins (PLK1, CDK4, PLOD1 and PLOD2) associated with cell apoptosis, cell cycle and metastasis were chosen for the further investigation. The effects of ECRG4 protein levels on the expression of these four proteins were validated by manipulating the expression of ECRG4 in ESCC cells followed by Western blotting analysis. The immunohistochemical staining results showed a significant decrease in ECRG4 levels and a notable increase in the four proteins in ESCC samples as compared to matched esophageal tissues (n=75). More importantly, the protein levels of ECRG4 had a negative association with those of PLK1, CDK4, PLOD1 and PLOD2. Thus, our data suggested that the tumor-repressor functions of ECRG4 may be associated with PLK1, CDK4, PLOD1 and PLOD2, providing important insights into the molecular mechanisms of esophageal carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linwei Li
- Department of Oncology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital (Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan University People's Hospital)Zhengzhou 450003, Henan, P. R. China
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Department of Oncology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital (Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan University People's Hospital)Zhengzhou 450003, Henan, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Oncology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital (Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan University People's Hospital)Zhengzhou 450003, Henan, P. R. China
| | - Tianhui Gao
- Department of Oncology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital (Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan University People's Hospital)Zhengzhou 450003, Henan, P. R. China
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Ge S, Xu Y, Wang H, Sun Y, Tian X, Cao Z, Lin X, Xu J, Wang Q. Downregulation of esophageal cancer-related gene 4 promotes proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:3689-3696. [PMID: 28927132 PMCID: PMC5588079 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) is a candidate tumor suppressor gene, which is involved in cell apoptosis, migration, infection and inflammation responsiveness; however, its expression level and clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. In the present study, the authors aim to evaluate the clinical significance and potential role of ECRG4 in HCC. Level of ECRG4 protein expression in HCC and peripheral tissues was investigated in tissue specimens obtained from 56 consecutive HCC patients by immunohistochemistry. Cell proliferation, cell migration and invasion regulations were examined by MTT curves, flow cytometry, Transwell assays and western blotting. ECRG4 expression was weak positive in normal liver cells but was downregulated in HCC cells in vivo or in vitro. A decreased expression of ECRG4 was associated with the age of the patients, metastasis and Ki-67 proliferation index. However, decreased ECRG4 expression was not associated with differentiation, tumor size, the presence of portal vein tumor thrombosis, satellite lesions, tumor relapse or mortality. Further investigations revealed that ectopic expression of ECRG4 inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion and promoted cell apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells, which was mediated by the regulation of BAX and B cell lymphoma-2, in addition to the upregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that ECRG4 was downregulated in HCC and served important roles in promoting cell proliferation and migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujian Ge
- Department of Science and Education, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Yali Xu
- Department of Pathology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Hongliang Wang
- Shandong Academy of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, Jinan, Shandong 250062, P.R. China
| | - Yaxin Sun
- Shandong Academy of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, Jinan, Shandong 250062, P.R. China
| | - Xiangguo Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Zhixin Cao
- Department of Pathology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Lin
- Department of Pathology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Jiawen Xu
- Department of Pathology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
| | - Qiangxiu Wang
- Department of Pathology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China
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Chen JY, Wu X, Hong CQ, Chen J, Wei XL, Zhou L, Zhang HX, Huang YT, Peng L. Downregulated ECRG4 is correlated with lymph node metastasis and predicts poor outcome for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Clin Transl Oncol 2017; 19:84-90. [PMID: 27119734 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-016-1507-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) is a new candidate tumor suppressor gene. In this retrospective study, we evaluated ECRG4 protein expression in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) under curative treatment and examined its association with pathological features and clinical outcomes as a possible biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of NPC. METHODS We enrolled 122 patients with a first diagnosis between January 2001 and December 2003. Tumor tissue and control tissue from biopsies underwent immunohistochemical staining for ECRG4. ECRG4 expression was analyzed by clinicopathological variables. After Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, we used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the predictive effect of ECRG4 expression on overall survival. RESULTS ECRG4 protein level was lower in NPC than control tissue (P < 0.01). It was inversely related to node status (P < 0.001) and clinical stage (P = 0.027). ECRG4 expression was associated with overall survival, and downregulated ECRG4 expression was an independent prognostic factor of poor survival (hazard ratio = 0.677, 95 % confidence interval 0.463-0.989, P = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS A significant NPC patients showed downregulated ECRG4 expression, which is correlated with lymph node metastasis. The marker could be an independent prognostic factor for NPC patients. The precise function of ECRG4 in the progression of NPC, especially for lymphatic metastasis, deserves further investigation, which would bring a new target for personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-Y Chen
- Oncological Research Lab, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - X Wu
- Oncological Research Lab, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - C-Q Hong
- Oncological Research Lab, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - J Chen
- Department of Radiotherapy, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - X-L Wei
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - L Zhou
- Department of Gynecologic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - H-X Zhang
- Health Care Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, 3/F, Science and Education Building, 52 Southern Dongxia Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Y-T Huang
- Health Care Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, 3/F, Science and Education Building, 52 Southern Dongxia Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - L Peng
- Clinical Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, People's Republic of China.
- Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
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Hou L, Chen M, Wang M, Cui X, Gao Y, Xing T, Li J, Deng S, Hu J, Yang H, Jiang J. Systematic analyses of key genes and pathways in the development of invasive breast cancer. Gene 2016; 593:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Moriguchi T, Kaneumi S, Takeda S, Enomoto K, Mishra SK, Miki T, Koshimizu U, Kitamura H, Kondo T. Ecrg4 contributes to the anti-glioma immunosurveillance through type-I interferon signaling. Oncoimmunology 2016; 5:e1242547. [PMID: 28123880 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1242547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (Ecrg4), a hormone-like peptide, is thought to be a tumor suppressor, however, little is known about the mechanism of how Ecrg4 suppresses tumorigenesis. Here, we show that the ecrg4 null glioma-initiating cell (GIC) line, which was generated from neural stem cells of ecrg4 knockout (KO) mice, effectively formed tumors in the brains of immunocompetent mice, whereas the transplanted ecrg4 wild type-GIC line GIC(+/+) was frequently eliminated. This was caused by host immune system including adaptive T cell responses, since depletion of CD4+, CD8+, or NK cells by specific antibodies in vivo recovered tumorigenicity of GIC(+/+). We demonstrate that Ecrg4 fragments, amino acid residues 71-132 and 133-148, which are produced by the proteolitic cleavage, induced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in microglia in vitro. Moreover, blockades of type-I interferon (IFN) signaling in vivo, either depleting IFN-α/β receptor 1 or using stat1 KO mice, abrogated the Ecrg4-dependent antitumor activity. Together, our findings indicate a major antitumor function of Ecrg4 in enhancing host immunity via type-I IFN signaling, and suggest its potential as a clinical candidate for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Moriguchi
- Division of Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shun Kaneumi
- Division of Functional immunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | | | | | - Shyam Kumar Mishra
- Department of Anti-aging and Genomics, Ehime University Proteo-Medicine Research Center , To-on, Ehime, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Miki
- Department of Anti-aging and Genomics, Ehime University Proteo-Medicine Research Center , To-on, Ehime, Japan
| | | | - Hidemitsu Kitamura
- Division of Functional immunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Toru Kondo
- Division of Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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Li L, Li X, Wang W, Gao T, Zhou Y, Lu S. Soluble purified recombinant C2ORF40 protein inhibits tumor cell growth in vivo by decreasing telomerase activity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2016; 12:2820-2824. [PMID: 27698864 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.4935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The chromosome 2 open reading frame 40 (C2ORF40) gene is a candidate tumor suppressor gene for a variety of tumors. Previous results by the present authors revealed that the C2ORF40 protein is a secreted protein. However, the exact biological function of secreted C2ORF40 protein in carcinogenesis has not been thoroughly investigated. In the present study, the signal peptide sequence of the C2ORF40 cDNA was initially removed to produce secreted recombinant human C2ORF40 protein (rhC2ORF40). Soluble rhC2ORF40 was successfully expressed and purified, which was evaluated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, for tumor-suppressing function in vivo in esophageal cancer. The present results revealed that soluble purified rhC2ORF40 was concentrated with a purity of >95%. Furthermore, rhC2ORF40 inhibited esophageal cancer cell growth in vivo in a dose-dependent manner compared with a control group (P<0.05). In addition, the present study demonstrated for the first time that rhC2ORF40 decreased telomerase activity using telomeric repeat amplification protocol-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (P<0.05), without affecting the expression levels of telomerase-component RNA (P>0.05), as shown with polymerase chain reaction. Overall, the present results demonstrated that soluble rhC2ORF40 inhibited tumor cell growth in vivo by decreasing telomerase activity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Therefore, soluble rhC2ORF40 with a high purity and biological activity may be a potential biological therapy drug for esophageal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linwei Li
- Oncology Department, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital (Henan Provincial People's Hospital), Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Oncology Department, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital (Henan Provincial People's Hospital), Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Oncology Department, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital (Henan Provincial People's Hospital), Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Tianhui Gao
- Oncology Department, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital (Henan Provincial People's Hospital), Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Oncology Department, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital (Henan Provincial People's Hospital), Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Shixin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, P.R. China
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Cai Z, Liang P, Xuan J, Wan J, Guo H. ECRG4 as a novel tumor suppressor gene inhibits colorectal cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Tumour Biol 2016; 37:9111-20. [DOI: 10.1007/s13277-015-4775-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
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You Y, Li H, Qin X, Ran Y, Wang F. Down-regulated ECRG4 expression in breast cancer and its correlation with tumor progression and poor prognosis--A short Report. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2015; 39:89-95. [PMID: 26631111 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-015-0260-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, we identified the esophageal carcinoma related gene 4 (ECRG4) as a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene and a promising therapeutic target in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In addition, we found that reduced ECRG4 expression in NPC was associated with promoter hypermethylation. The aim of the current study was to assess the expression status of the ECRG4 protein in breast cancer and to clarify its clinicopathological significance and potential prognostic implications. METHODS Western blotting was used to examine ECRG4 protein levels in 20 paired breast cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues. In addition, we performed ECRG4 immunohistochemistry on 113 clinicopathologically well-characterized breast cancer samples and assessed putative associations between its expression and overall patient survival rates. RESULTS We found that ECRG4 protein expression was significantly reduced in the breast cancer tissues compared to the noncancerous tissues. Clinicopathological analyses revealed that loss of ECRG4 protein expression, observed in 41.6 % (47/113) of the primary breast cancer tissues tested, was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.026), advanced tumor stage (P = 0.042) and unfavorable overall survival (P = 0.004). Additional multivariate analyses revealed that ECRG4 protein expression may serve as an independent prognostic factor for the prediction of patient survival (P = 0.033). CONCLUSION Our data suggest that loss of ECRG4 protein expression may be involved in tumor progression and may serve as a prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie You
- Pathological Examination and Research Center, Luohe Medical College, Luohe, 462002, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Luohe Medical College, Luohe, 462002, China
- Luohe Key Laboratory of Medical Bioengineering, Luohe Medical College, 148 Daxue-Road, Luohe, 462002, China
| | - Haijun Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Neijiang City, Neijiang, 641000, China
| | - Xin Qin
- Medical College, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441053, China
| | - Yonggang Ran
- Department of Teaching and Training, Bethune Military Medical NCO Academy of PLA, Shijiazhuang, 050081, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Luohe Key Laboratory of Medical Bioengineering, Luohe Medical College, 148 Daxue-Road, Luohe, 462002, China.
- Bioengineering Laboratory, Luohe Medical College, Luohe, 462002, China.
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Miyazaki H, Miyawaki H, Satoh Y, Saiki T, Kawauchi S, Sato S, Saitoh D. Thoracic shock wave injury causes behavioral abnormalities in mice. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2015; 157:2111-20; discussion 2120. [PMID: 26489739 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-015-2613-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is caused by complex mechanisms of systemic, local and cerebral responses to blast exposure. However, the molecular mechanisms of cognitive impairment after exposure to blast waves are not clearly known. We tested the hypothesis that thoracic injury induced functional and morphological impairment in the brain, leading to behavioral abnormalities. METHODS Mice were exposed to laser-induced shock waves (LISWs) impacting the thorax and assessed for behavioral outcome at 7 and 28 days post injury. Hippocampus and lung were collected for histopathological analysis and gene expression profiling after injury. RESULTS Thoracic injury transiently decreased the heart rate, blood pressure, peripheral oxyhemoglobin saturation and cerebral blood flow immediately after LISW exposure. Although LISWs exposure caused pulmonary contusions, hemorrhage was not apparent in the brain. At 7 and 28 days after, the injured mice exhibited impaired short-term memory and depression-like behavior compared with controls. Histological assessments showed an increase in neuronal cell death after shock wave exposure, especially in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. Moreover, shock wave exposure altered the expression of functionally relevant genes in the hippocampus at 1 h and 1 day post injury. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that the LISW-induced thoracic injury with no direct impact on the brain affected the hippocampal gene expression and led to morphological alterations, resulting in behavioral abnormalities. Therefore, body protection may be extremely important in the effective prevention against blast-induced alterations in brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromi Miyazaki
- Division of Traumatology, Research Institute, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan.
| | - Hiroki Miyawaki
- Department of Traumatology and Critical Care Medicine, National Defense Medical College Hospital, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Yasushi Satoh
- Department of Anesthesiology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Takami Saiki
- Division of Traumatology, Research Institute, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Satoko Kawauchi
- Division of Biomedical Information Sciences, Research Institute, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Shunichi Sato
- Division of Biomedical Information Sciences, Research Institute, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Daizoh Saitoh
- Division of Traumatology, Research Institute, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
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Wen Y, Hu X. Expression of esophageal carcinoma related gene 4 (ECRG4) and its clinical significance in prognosis of esophageal carcinoma. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 2015; 8:14772-14778. [PMID: 26823803 PMCID: PMC4713589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the expression level of esophageal carcinoma related gene 4 (ECRG4) in esophageal cancer tissues and the occurrence of esophageal carcinoma. 50 cases of esophageal carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues were collected as study samples. mRNA and protein expression levels of ECRG4 in tumor tissues and adjacent tissues were analyzed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The relationship between the expression level of ECRG4 and the clinical and pathological features and postoperative recurrence and survival was also analyzed. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot showed that the mRNA and protein levels of ECRG4 in esophageal cancer tissues were significantly down regulated (P<0.04). There was ECRG low expression in 74 cases and high expression in 17 cases. The expression level of ECRG4 protein in esophageal carcinoma tissues was closely related to tumor invasion level, TNM staging and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), but not related to gender, age, tumor type and differentiation degree of patients (P>0.05). The cumulative recurrence rate of patients of higher ECRG expression was significantly lower than that of patients of lower ECRG4 expression in 5 years after surgery, and the cumulative recurrence rate was 5 years (P<0.05). And the cumulative survival rate of patients with high ECRG4 expression was significantly higher than that of patients with low expression of ECRG4 in 5 years after surgery (P<0.05). In conclusion, the low expression or no expression of ECRG4 in esophageal cancer tissues was closely related to the degree of tumor invasion level, TNM staging, lymph node metastasis and recurrence and survival after surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyang Wen
- Department of Oncology, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital (The People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University)Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Xiaoshu Hu
- Department of Pathology, People’s Hospital of ZhengzhouZhengzhou 450000, China
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Costantini TW, Coimbra R, Lopez NE, Lee JG, Potenza B, Smith A, Baird A, Eliceiri BP. Monitoring Neutrophil-Expressed Cell Surface Esophageal Cancer Related Gene-4 after Severe Burn Injury. Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2015; 16:669-74. [PMID: 26460850 DOI: 10.1089/sur.2014.209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We identified recently esophageal cancer related gene-4 (ECRG4) as a candidate cytokine that is expressed on the surface of quiescent polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and shed in response to ex vivo treatment with lipopolysaccharide. To investigate the potential biologic relevance of changes in cell surface ECRG4 in human samples, we performed a pilot study to examine a population of burn patients in whom blood could be analyzed prospectively. We hypothesized that cutaneous burn injury would alter cell surface expression of ECRG4 on PMNs. METHODS Patients admitted with more than 20% total burn surface area (TBSA) (n = 10) had blood collected at the time of admission and weekly thereafter. For comparison, blood was obtained from a control group of healthy human volunteers (n = 4). We used flow cytometry to measure changes in ECRG4(+) PMNs from patients during recovery from injury. Esophageal cancer related gene-4 expression at each time point was compared with the patient's clinical status based on a Multiple Organ Dysfunction (MOD) score. RESULTS Esophageal cancer related gene-4 was detected on the PMN surface of cells collected from healthy volunteers, however, within 48 h of admission after burn injury (n = 10 patients), the number of PMNs with cell surface ECRG4 was decreased. Esophageal cancer related gene-4 expression in PMNs was re-established over the course of patient recovery, unless complications occurred. In this case, the decrease in cell surface ECRG4(+) PMNs preceded the clinical diagnosis of infectious complications and was reflected by increased organ injury scores. CONCLUSION From a small sample set, we were able to determine that PMN cell surface ECRG4 expression was decreased after burn injury and returned to baseline during recovery from injury. Although larger studies are needed to define the role of ECRG4 in human PMNs further, this report is the first assessment of cell surface ECRG4 protein in a patient population to support analogous findings in animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd W Costantini
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health Sciences , San Diego, California
| | - Raul Coimbra
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health Sciences , San Diego, California
| | - Nicole E Lopez
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health Sciences , San Diego, California
| | - Jeanne G Lee
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health Sciences , San Diego, California
| | - Bruce Potenza
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health Sciences , San Diego, California
| | - Alan Smith
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health Sciences , San Diego, California
| | - Andrew Baird
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health Sciences , San Diego, California
| | - Brian P Eliceiri
- Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burn, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health Sciences , San Diego, California
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Downregulated ECRG4 is associated with poor prognosis in renal cell cancer and is regulated by promoter DNA methylation. Tumour Biol 2015; 37:1121-9. [PMID: 26276361 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-015-3913-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) has been proposed as a putative tumor suppressor gene in several tumors. However, the role and regulation of ECRG4 in the pathogenesis of human renal cancer remain largely unknown. Our current study revealed that expression of ECRG4 is downregulated in renal cell lines and renal cancer tissues. ECRG4 expression was significantly associated with histological grade of tumors (p < 0.001), primary tumor stage (p = 0.017), and distant metastasis (p = 0.017). Low expression of ECRG4 was an independent prognostic indicator for survival of renal cancer patients. Silencing of ECRG4 expression in renal cell lines was associated with its promoter methylation. Moreover, ectopic expression of ECRG4 markedly inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in renal cancer cell lines. These results indicated that ECRG4 is frequently silenced by the methylation of promoter in renal cell cancers. ECRG4 may be a tumor suppressor in renal cancer and serve as a prognostic marker.
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Jia J, Dai S, Sun X, Sang Y, Xu Z, Zhang J, Cui X, Song J, Guo X. A preliminary study of the effect of ECRG4 overexpression on the proliferation and apoptosis of human laryngeal cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:5058-64. [PMID: 26165988 PMCID: PMC4581775 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.4059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) is a potential tumor suppressor gene isolated from human esophageal epithelial cells. Studies have shown that ECRG4 effectively inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells and induces apoptosis. However, the role of ECRG4 in laryngeal cancer has not yet been clearly defined. In this study, a human laryngeal cancer cell line stably overexpressing ECRG4 was established. The effect of ECRG4 on the proliferation and apoptosis of laryngeal cancer cells and the associated mechanisms were investigated. The Hep-2 human laryngeal carcinoma cell line exhibited a low basal level of ECRG4 expression and was selected for the present study. The eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1-ECRG4 was constructed and introduced into Hep-2 cells by transfection reagents. Western blot analysis, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining confirmed high-level expression of ECRG4. The 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and colony formation assay showed that ECRG4 over-expression suppressed the proliferative capacity of laryngeal cancer cells in vitro. Cell cycle analysis showed that ECRG4 induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Flow cytometric analysis and Hoechst staining demonstrated that overexpres-sion of ECRG4 significantly induced apoptosis. Western blot analysis confirmed that Bcl-2-associated X protein, cleaved-caspase-3 and cleaved-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase were upregulated in the apoptotic process, whereas B-cell lymphoma 2 was downregulated. In conclusion, overexpression of ECRG4 inhibited laryngeal cancer cell proliferation and induced cancer cell apoptosis. Therefore, ECRG4 exhibits potential as an effective target in gene therapy for laryngeal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Jia
- Department of Otolaryngology‑Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Song Dai
- Department of Otolaryngology, The 463 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, P.R. China
| | - Xinghe Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology, The 463 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, P.R. China
| | - Yuehong Sang
- Department of Otolaryngology, The 463 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, P.R. China
| | - Zhenming Xu
- Department of Otolaryngology, The 463 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, P.R. China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, The 463 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, P.R. China
| | - Xiaofeng Cui
- Department of Otolaryngology, The 463 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, P.R. China
| | - Jinhui Song
- Department of Otolaryngology, The 463 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, P.R. China
| | - Xing Guo
- Department of Otolaryngology‑Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
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Li X, Li L, Wang W, Yang Y, Zhou Y, Lu S. Soluble purified recombinant C2ORF40 protein inhibits esophageal cancer cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle G 1 phase block. Oncol Lett 2015; 10:1593-1596. [PMID: 26622716 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2015.3429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosome 2 open reading frame 40 (C2ORF40) plays a significant role in numerous processes, including cell differentiation, senescence, apoptosis, inflammation and neuroendocrine hormone regulation. Moreover, C2ORF40 is a candidate tumor suppressor gene in a variety of tumors, and is closely associated with prognosis. Bioinformatics analysis has indicated that pro-C2ORF40 is a secreted protein with a signal peptide. Secreted C2ORF40 protein (sC2ORF40) exists in cancer cell medium. However, thus far, the exact biological function of sC2ORF40 in carcinogenesis has not been thoroughly researched. In the present study, the signal peptide sequence of the C2ORF40 complementary DNA was initially cut off to produce secreted recombinant human C2ORF40 protein (rhC2ORF40). The soluble rhC2ORF40 was expressed, purified and examined for tumor-suppressing function for the first time. The results revealed that the soluble purified rhC2ORF40 protein was concentrated with a purity of >95%. Furthermore, the rhC2ORF40 inhibited esophageal cancer cell proliferation in vitro (P<0.05) and caused cell cycle G1 phase block, as determined by flow cytometric analysis (P<0.05). Overall, the soluble rhC2ORF40 protein with high purity and biological activity was obtained, which suppressed esophageal cancer cells proliferation by inducing cell cycle G1 phase block in vitro. Therefore, the soluble rhC2ORF40 protein could be potential biological therapy drug for esophageal carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Oncology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Linwei Li
- Department of Oncology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Department of Oncology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, P.R. China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, P.R. China
| | - Shixin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, P.R. China
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Porzionato A, Rucinski M, Macchi V, Sarasin G, Malendowicz LK, De Caro R. ECRG4 expression in normal rat tissues: expression study and literature review. Eur J Histochem 2015; 59:2458. [PMID: 26150152 PMCID: PMC4503965 DOI: 10.4081/ejh.2015.2458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 03/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The Esophageal Cancer Related Gene 4 (ECRG4) is a highly conserved tumour suppressor gene encoding various peptides (augurin, CΔ16 augurin, ecilin, argilin, CΔ16 argilin) which can be processed and secreted. In the present work, we examined ECRG4 expression and location in a wide range of rat organs and reviewed the available literature. ECRG4 mRNA was identified in all examined tissues by quantitative PCR (qPCR). ECRG4 immunoreaction was mainly cytoplasmic, and was detected in heart and skeletal muscles, smooth muscle cells showing only weak reactions. In the digestive system, ECRG4 immunostaining was stronger in the esophageal epithelium, bases of gastric glands, hepatocytes and pancreatic acinar epithelium. In the lymphatic system, immunoreactive cells were detectable in the thymus cortex, lymph node medulla and splenic red pulp. In the central and peripheral nervous systems, different neuronal groups showed different reaction intensities. In the endocrine system, ECRG4 immunoreaction was detected in the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei, hypophysis, thyroid and parathyroid glands, adrenal zona glomerularis and medulla and Leydig cells, as well as in follicular and luteal cells of the ovary. In the literature, ECRG4 has been reported to inhibit cell proliferation and increase apoptosis in various cell types. It is down-regulated, frequently due to hypermethylation, in esophageal, prostate, breast and colon cancers, together with glioma (oncosuppressor function), although it is up-regulated in papillary thyroid cancer (oncogenic role). ECRG4 expression is also higher in non-proliferating cells of the lymphatic system. In conclusion, our identification of ECRG4 in many structures suggests the involvement of ECRG4 in the tumorigenesis of other organs and also the need for further research. In addition, on the basis of the location of ECRG4 in neurons and endocrine cells and the fact that it can be secreted, its role as a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator and endocrine factor must be examined in depth in the future.
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You Y, Yang W, Qin X, Wang F, Li H, Lin C, Li W, Gu C, Zhang Y, Ran Y. ECRG4 acts as a tumor suppressor and as a determinant of chemotherapy resistance in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2015; 38:205-14. [PMID: 25707757 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-015-0223-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant type of cancer with an increasing incidence. As yet, however, molecular biomarkers with a strong diagnostic impact and a major therapeutic promise have remained elusive. Here, we identified the esophageal carcinoma related gene 4 (ECRG4) as a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene and a promising therapeutic target for NPC. METHODS RT-PCR, Western blotting, methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing were performed to assess the expression and methylation status of the ECRG4 gene in primary NPC samples, NPC-derived cell lines and patient-derived peripheral blood samples. The NPC-derived cell line CNE1 was selected for treatment with a methylation inhibitor to restore ECRG4 expression. In addition, cell proliferation, invasion and colony formation assays were performed to assess the inhibitory effects of exogenous ECRG4 expression in CNE1 cells. RESULTS Down-regulated ECRG4 expression was found to occur in 82.5% (33/40) of the primary NPC biopsies tested. This down-regulation was significantly correlated with its tumor-specific promoter methylation status (72.5%, 29/40) and was also observed in the matching peripheral blood samples from the NPC patients (57.5%, 23/40). Pharmacologic demethylation through 5-aza-dC treatment led to gene reactivation in ECRG4 methylated and silenced NPC cell lines. Moreover, exogenous expression of ECRG4 in the CNE1 cell line strongly inhibited its growth and invasive capacities, as well as its enhanced chemosensitivity to cisplatin through autophagy induction. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that methylation-mediated suppression of the ECRG4 gene occurs frequently in NPC and that restoration of its expression may have therapeutic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie You
- Department of Pharmacy, Luohe Medical College, 148 Daxue-Road, Luohe, 462002, China,
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