Low mir-372 expression correlates with poor prognosis and tumor metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Identification of necroptosis genes and characterization of immune infiltration in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

BACKGROUND

The most common progressive form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is characterized by the development of cirrhosis, and requires liver transplantation. We screened for the differentially expressed necroptosis-related genes in NASH in this study, and analyzed immune infiltration through microarray and bioinformatics analysis to identify potential biomarkers, and explore the molecular mechanisms involved in NASH.

METHODS

The GSE24807 microarray dataset of NASH patients and healthy controls was downloaded, and we identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Necroptosis-related differential genes (NRDEGs) were extracted from these DEGs, and functionally annotated by enrichment analyses. The core genes were obtained by constructing gene co-expression networks using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Finally, the transcription factor (TF) regulatory network and the mRNA-miRNA network were constructed, and the infiltrating immune cell populations were analyzed with CIBERSORT.

RESULTS

We identified six necroptosis-related genes (CASP1, GLUL, PYCARD, IL33, SHARPIN, and IRF9), and they are potential diagnostic biomarkers for NASH. In particular, PYCARD is a potential biomarker for NAFLD progression. Analyses of immune infiltration showed that M2 macrophages, γδ T cells, and T follicular helper cells were associated with the immune microenvironment of NASH, which is possibly regulated by CASP1, IL33, and IRF9.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified six necroptosis-related genes in NASH, which are also potential diagnostic biomarkers. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms and immune microenvironment of NASH.

The effect of miR-372-5p regulation on CDX1 and CDX2 in the gastric cancer cell line

OBJECTIVES

MicroRNA expression disruptions play an important function in the expansion of gastric cancer. Previous investigation has indicated that miR-372-5p doing as an oncogene in several malignancies. CDX1 and CDX2, as target genes of miR-372-5p, play the role of tumor suppressors and oncogenes in gastric cancer cells, respectively. The current investigation explored the effects of miR-372-5p regulation on CDX2 and CDX1 in AGS cell lines and studied their molecular mechanism.

METHODS

hsa-miR-372-5p miRCURY LNA miRNA Inhibitors and Mimic were transfected into AGS cell line. The cell viability and cell cycle calculation were defined by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The Expression levels of miR-372-5p, CDX1, CDX2 and transfection efficiency were measured using Real-time PCR. Statistical investigation p values <0.05 were considered to be meaningful.

RESULTS

miR-372-5p particularly was upregulated in control cells and also after transfection by mimic. While its expression was reduced by the inhibitor. Upregulation of miR-372-5p remarkably increased cell growth and led to accumulation in the G2/M phase, although the inhibitor decreased cell growth and accumulation in the S phase. Accordingly, upregulation of miR-372-5p increased CDX2 and decreased CDX1 expression. By inhibition of miR-372-5p, expression of CDX2 was decreased and expression of CDX1 was increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Up and down-regulation of miR-372-5P has a potential effect on the expression levels of its target genes, CDX1 and CDX22. Accordingly, the downregulation of miR-372-5p may be assumed as a possible therapeutic target in treating gastric cancer.

Serum-Circulating microRNAs in Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis

BACKGROUND

Sporadic inclusion body myositis (s-IBM) represents a unique disease within idiopathic inflammatory myopathies with a dual myodegenerative-autoimmune physiopathology and a lack of an efficacious treatment. Circulating miRNA expression could expand our knowledge of s-IBM patho-mechanisms and provide new potential disease biomarkers. To evaluate the expression of selected pre-amplified miRNAs in the serum of s-IBM patients compared to those of a sex- and age-matched healthy control group, we enrolled 14 consecutive s-IBM patients and 8 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. By using two different normalization approaches, we found one downregulated and three upregulated miRNAs. hsa-miR-192-5p was significantly downregulated, while hsa-miR-372-3p was found to be upregulated more in the s-IBM patients compared to the level of the controls. The other two miRNAs had a very low expression levels (raw Ct data > 29). hsa-miR-192-5p and hsa-miR-372-3p were found to be significantly dysregulated in the serum of s-IBM patients. These miRNAs are involved in differentiation and regeneration processes, thus possibly reflecting pathological mechanisms in s-IBM muscles and potentially representing disease biomarkers.

MicroRNA-372 acts as a double-edged sword in human cancers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are non-coding, single-stranded, endogenous RNAs that regulate various biological processes, most notably the pathophysiology of many human malignancies. It process is accomplished by binding to 3'-UTR mRNAs and controlling gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. As an oncogene, miRNAs can either accelerate cancer progression or slow it down as a tumor suppressor. MicroRNA-372 (miR-372) has been found to have an abnormal expression in numerous human malignancies, implying that the miRNA plays a role in carcinogenesis. It is both increased and downregulated in various cancers, and it serves as both a tumor suppressor and an oncogene. This study examines the functions of miR-372 as well as the LncRNA/CircRNA-miRNA-mRNA signaling pathways in various malignancies and analyses its potential prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic implications.

PRDM16, Negatively Regulated by miR-372-3p, Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Invasion in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors. The alternation of microRNA (miRNA) expression is associated with prostate cancer progression, whereas its way to influence progression of prostate cancer remains elusive. The expression levels of PRDM16 mRNA and miR-372-3p in PCa cell lines were analyzed using qRT-PCR. The protein expression of PRDM16 in PCa cell lines was also analyzed using western blot. CCK-8, wound healing, and Transwell assays were applied to examine cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in prostate cancer cells, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was utilized to validate the interaction between miR-372-3p and PRDM16. In the present study, markedly decreased PRDM16 mRNA and protein expression levels were observed in prostate cancer cells. PRDM16 overexpression hampered cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, while silencing PRDM16 had the opposite effect. Moreover, miR-372-3p could target the regulation expression of PRDM16. Rescue experiments demonstrated that upregulating miR-372-3p conspicuously restored the inhibitory effect of increased PRDM16 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in PCa. Overall, our study clarifies the biological role of miR-372-3p/PRDM16 axis in prostate cancer progression, which may be effective biomarkers for clinical treatment of prostate cancer.

PRDM16, negatively regulated by miR-372-3p, suppresses cell proliferation and invasion in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumours. The alternation of microRNAs (miRNAs) expression is associated with prostate cancer progression, whereas its way to influence progression of prostate cancer remains elusive. The expression levels of PRDM16 mRNA and miR-372-3p in PCa cell lines were analysed using qRT-PCR. The protein expression of PRDM16 in PCa cell lines was also analysed using Western blot. CCK-8, wound healing and Transwell assays were applied to examine cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in prostate cancer cells, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was utilised to validate the interaction between miR-372-3p and PRDM16. In the present study, markedly decreased PRDM16 mRNA and protein expression levels were observed in prostate cancer cells. PRDM16 overexpression hampered cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, while silencing PRDM16 had the opposite effect. Moreover, miR-372-3p could target the regulation expression of PRDM16. Rescue experiments demonstrated that upregulating miR-372-3p conspicuously restored the inhibitory effect of increased PRDM16 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in PCa. Overall, our study clarifies the biological role of miR-372-3p/PRDM16 axis in prostate cancer progression, which may be effective biomarkers for clinical treatment of prostate cancer.

MicroRNA-372-3p Predicts Response of TACE Patients Treated with Doxorubicin and Enhances Chemosensitivity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Identification of factors to detect and improve chemotherapy.response in cancer is the main concern. microRNA-372-3p (miR-372-3p) has been demonstrated to play a crucial role in cellular proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis of various cancers including Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). However, its contribution towards Doxorubicin (Dox) chemosensitivity in HCC has never been studied.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the potential role of miR-372-3p in enhancing Dox effects on HCC cell line (HepG2). Additionally, the correlation between miR-372-3p and HCC patients who received Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) with Dox treatment has been analyzed.

METHODS

Different cell processes were elucidated by cell viability, colony formation, apoptosis and wound healing assays after miR-372-3p transfection in HepG2 cells Furthermore, the miR-372-3p level has been estimated in the blood of primary HCC patients treated with TACE/Dox by quantitative real-time PCR assay. Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis for serum miR-372-3p was constructed for its prognostic significance. Finally, the protein level of Mcl-1, the anti-apoptotic player, has been evaluated using western blot.

RESULTS

We found a significantly higher level of miR-372-3p in the blood of the responder group of HCC patients who received TACE with Dox than of non-responders. Ectopic expression of miR-372-3p reduced cell proliferation, migration and significantly induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells which was coupled with a decrease of anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that miR-372-3p acts as a tumor suppressor in HCC and can act as a predictor biomarker for drug response. Furthermore, the data referred for the first time its potential role in drug sensitivity that might be a therapeutic target for HCC.

NEAT1/hsa-miR-372-3p axis participates in rapamycin-induced lipid metabolic disorder

Rapamycin is a crucial immunosuppressive regimen for patients that have undergone liver transplantation (LT). However, one of the major side effects of rapamycin include metabolic disorders such as dyslipidemia, and the mechanism remains unknown. This study aims to explore the biomolecules that are responsible for rapamycin-induced dyslipidemia and the control strategies that can reverse the lipid metabolism disorder. In this study, data collected from LT patients, cell and mouse models treated with rapamycin were analyzed. Results showed an increase of triglycerides (TGs) induced by rapamycin. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in many vital biological processes including TG metabolism. hsa-miR-372-3p was filtered using RNA sequencing and identified as a key regulator in rapamycin-induced TGs accumulation. Using bioinformatics and experimental analyses, target genes of hsa-miR-372-3p were predicted. These genes were alkylglycerone phosphate synthase (AGPS) and apolipoprotein C4 (APOC4), which are reported to be involved in TG metabolism. LncRNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) was also identified as an upstream regulatory factor of hsa-miR-372-3p. From the results of this study, NEAT1/hsa-miR-372-3p/AGPS/APOC4 axis plays a vital role in rapamycin-disruption of lipid homeostasis. Therefore, targeting this axis is a potential therapeutic target combating rapamycin-induced dyslipidemia after LT.

Long Non-Coding HULC and miRNA-372 as Diagnostic Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Highly Upregulated in Liver Cancer (HULC) and microRNA-372 (miR-372) as biochemical markers in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and HCV-infected patients.

Methods

The present study was conducted on 100 Egyptian individuals divided into 3 groups, 40 patients with HCC and HCV infection, 40 patients only HCV-infected, and 20 individuals as normal controls. They were subject to full history taking, full clinical and laboratory examination, and assessment of HULC and miR-372 levels by real-time PCR.

Results

A statistically significant difference was found with p< 0.05 between HCC and each of HCV and control groups as regards HULC level with high mean among HCC followed by HCV patients. Our results also show a statistically significant difference with p< 0.05 between each of HCC and HCV compared to control as regards miR-372 level with low mean among HCC patients.

Conclusion

HULC could be considered as a potential non-invasive marker for detection and early diagnosis of HCC. Also, it may play an important role in the early prophylaxis and control measures to reduce the incidence of HCC. However, miR-372 cannot be considered as a reliable marker as HULC for early detection of HCC especially in HCV patients.

Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis of the Clinical Value and Biological Function of ATAD2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

ATPase family AAA domain-containing protein 2 (ATAD2), a chromatin regulator and an oncogenic transcription cofactor, is frequently overexpressed in many cancers, particularly in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). By integrating open-access online mRNA datasets and our institutional tissue data on HCC, the clinical role and functions of ATAD2 were analyzed by bioinformatic algorithms. We systematically examined ATAD2 expression in HCC based on a large sample population, integrating data from our institution and the GEO, Oncomine, and TCGA datasets. Aberrant ATAD2 expression related to pathways was identified by bioinformatic algorithms. The effects of ATAD2 downregulation on the cycle cell were also determined. A pooled analysis from 28 datasets indicated that ATAD2 overexpression was found in HCC (SMD = 8.88, 95% CI: 5.96–11.81, P < 0.001) and was correlated with poor survival. Subgroup analysis of Asian patients with a serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentration < 200 ng/ml in stage I + II showed that the ATAD2-high group had a more unfavorable overall survival (OS) rate than the ATAD2-low group. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the efficiency of ATAD2 for HCC diagnosis was considerable (area under the curve = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.86–0.91). Functional analysis based on bioinformatic algorithms demonstrated that ATAD2 participates in cell division, mitotic nuclear division, DNA replication, repair, and cell cycle processes. ATAD2 knockout in HCC cells downregulated cyclin C and cyclin D1 protein levels and resulted in G1/S phase arrest in vitro. The kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1), shugoshin 1 (SGO1), GINS complex subunit 1 (GINS1), and TPX2 microtubule nucleation factor (TPX2) genes were closely related to ATAD2 upregulation. ATAD2 may interact with TTK protein kinase (TTK) to accelerate HCC carcinogenesis. ATAD2 plays a vital role in HCC carcinogenesis by disturbing the interaction between chromatin proteins and DNA. Targeting ATAD2 represents a promising method for the development of therapeutic treatments for cancer.

Screening and verification of microRNA promoter methylation sites in hepatocellular carcinoma

The promoter methylation mode of microribonucleic acid (miRNA) plays a crucial role in the process of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to screen and verify the miRNA methylation sites associated with the overall survival (OS) and clinical characteristics of HCC patients. Methylation-related data were from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). R software was utilized to screen the methylation sites. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm was utilized to develop the miRNA promoter methylation models. Then, methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was performed with 146 HCC tissues to verify the accuracy of the vascular infiltration-related model. Additionally, we verified the functions of vascular infiltration-related miRNA by utilizing cells transfected with miR-199a-3p mimic. The model for predicting OS of HCC patients contained eight methylation sites. The Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that the model could divide HCC patients into high- and low-risk groups (P < .0001). COX regression analysis suggested that the model (P < .001; 95% CI, 1.264-2.709) and T category (P < .001; 95% CI, 1.472-3.119) were independent risk factors for affecting OS of HCC patients. The model for predicting vascular infiltration, pathological grade, and clinical stage contained 7, 10, and 9 methylation sites respectively, with their area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values 0.667, 0.745, and 0.725, respectively. The functional analysis suggested that miRNA methylation is involved in various biological processes such as WNT, MAPK, and mTOR signaling pathways. The accuracy of the vascular infiltration-related model was consistent with our previous bioinformatics assay. And upregulation of miR-199a-3p decreased migration and invasion abilities. The screened miRNA promoter methylation sites can be served as biomarkers for judging OS, vascular infiltration, pathology grade, and clinical stage. It can also provide new targets for improving the treatment and prognosis of HCC patients.

Long non-coding RNA highly up-regulated in liver cancer promotes exosome secretion

BACKGROUND

Highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) which has recently been identified as a key regulator in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, its role in the secretion of exosomes from HCC cells remains unknown.

AIM

To explore the mechanism by which HULC promotes the secretion of exosomes from HCC cells.

METHODS

Serum and liver tissue samples were collected from 30 patients with HCC who had not received chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy before surgery. HULC expression in serum exosomes and liver cancer tissues of patients was measured, and compared with the data obtained from healthy controls and tumor adjacent tissues. The effect of HULC upregulation in HCC cell lines and the relationship between HULC and other RNAs were studied using qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Nanoparticle tracking analysis was performed to detect the quantity of exosomes.

RESULTS

HULC expression in serum exosomes of patients with HCC was higher than that in serum exosomes of healthy controls, and HULC levels were higher in liver cancer tissues than in tumor adjacent tissues. The expression of HULC in serum exosomes and liver cancer tissues correlated with the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification, and HULC expression in tissues correlated with that in serum exosomes. Upregulation of HULC promoted HCC cell growth and invasion and repressed apoptosis. Notably, it also facilitated the secretion of exosomes from HCC cells. Moreover, qPCR assays showed that HULC repressed microRNA-372-3p (miR-372-3p) expression. We also identified Rab11a as a downstream target of miR-372-3p. Dual-luciferase reporter assays suggested that miR-372-3p could directly bind both HULC and Rab11a.

CONCLUSION

Our findings illustrate the importance of the HULC/miR-372-3p/Rab11a axis in HCC and provide new insights into the molecular mechanism regulating the secretion of exosomes from HCC cells.

MicroRNA-371-3 cluster as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers

Purpose: To date, increasing evidences have demonstrated that the aberrant expression of miR-371–3 cluster has been verified in various cancers and could be potentially used as a biomarker for tumor diagnosis and prognosis. To explore the role of miR-371–3 cluster in tumor diagnosis and prognosis, we conducted this study based on the published data.

Methods: We searched electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases) (Jan 1, 2007 to Jun 1, 2018). The pooled sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) of summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve were used for diagnostic values, meanwhile the pooled hazard ration (HR) and 95% CI were used to explore the prognosis capacity of miR-372 and miR-373. In addition, the publication bias of the enrolled studies was tested and a sensitivity analysis of each study was performed to evaluate the stability of the pooled result.

Results: A total of eleven eligible studies containing six eligible studies containing 870 participants for diagnosis and 1218 cancer cases for prognosis were selected for this study. For diagnosis, the pooled results revealed that the miR-371 (sensitivity: 0.85, specificity: 0.92, AUC: 0.92) and miR-373 (sensitivity: 0.81, specificity: 0.93, AUC: 0.93) could be used as diagnostic biomarkers. For prognosis, we observed that elevated miR-372 indicated poor prognosis (HR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.04–5.14), especially in the cutoff value subgroup of median (HR=2.62, 95% CI: 1.54–4.46). In addition, pooled results showed that expression of miR-373 was not related to prognosis because of the significant heterogeneity, and the high miR-373 expression presented favorable prognosis in Asians (HR=0.34, 95% CI: 0.23–0.50) after omitting the study of heterogeneity origin.

Conclusion: The current studies demonstrated that miR-371 and miR-373 could be predictive tumor diagnostic biomarkers and the expression of miR-372 and miR-373 may indicate prognosis of cancer patients.

WITHDRAWN: Prognostic biomarker AASS suppresses proliferation, migration and predicts a good survival of hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo and in vitro

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal.

Involvement of long non-coding RNA HULC (highly up-regulated in liver cancer) in pathogenesis and implications for therapeutic intervention

INTRODUCTION

HULC (highly upregulated in liver cancer) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) which is, as its name suggests, highly upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and in several other cancers. Increased HULC expression levels are strongly associated with clinicopathologic features such as tumor stages and overall survival and is a driver of tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion. Areas covered: This review addresses the discovery of HULC and discusses the consequences of HULC deregulation in cancer, the underlying molecular mechanisms and the potential of HULC as a biomarker and therapeutic target. Expert opinion: HULC is a promising candidate as a therapeutic target in cancer; however, more studies are necessary to further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism(s), especially in cancer types other than hepatocellular carcinomas. Future studies that focus on an optimized HULC-targeting approach are necessary to clarify the best strategy to target this lncRNA in vivo and in patients.

Comprehensive analysis of potential prognostic genes for the construction of a competing endogenous RNA regulatory network in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an extremely common malignant tumor with worldwide prevalence. The aim of this study was to identify potential prognostic genes and construct a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network to explore the mechanisms underlying the development of HCC.

METHODS

Integrated analysis was used to identify potential prognostic genes in HCC with R software based on the GSE14520, GSE17548, GSE19665, GSE29721, GSE60502, and the Cancer Genome Atlas databases. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway-enrichment analyses were performed to explore the molecular mechanisms of potential prognostic genes. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and lncRNAs (DELs) were screened based on the Cancer Genome Atlas database. An lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA regulatory network was constructed based on information about interactions derived from the miRcode, TargetScan, miRTarBase, and miRDB databases.

RESULTS

A total of 152 potential prognostic genes were screened that were differentially expressed in HCC tissue and significantly associated with overall survival of HCC patients. There were 13 key potential prognostic genes in the ceRNA regulatory network: eleven upregulated genes (CCNB1, CEP55, CHEK1, EZH2, KPNA2, LRRC1, PBK, RRM2, SLC7A11, SUCO, and ZWINT) and two downregulated genes (ACSL1 and CDC37L1) whose expression might be regulated by eight DEMs and 61 DELs. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that nine DELs (AL163952.1, AL359878.1, AP002478.1, C2orf48, C10orf91, CLLU1, CLRN1-AS1, ERVMER61-1, and WARS2-IT1) in the ceRNA regulatory network were significantly associated with HCC-patient prognoses.

CONCLUSION

This study identified potential prognostic genes and constructed an lncRNA- miRNA-mRNA ceRNA regulatory network of HCC, which not only has important clinical significance for early diagnoses but also provides effective targets for HCC treatments and could provide new insights for HCC-interventional strategies.

MicroRNA-372 functions as a tumor suppressor in cell invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting ATAD2 in renal cell carcinoma

In recent years, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has exhibited an increasing incidence and mortality rate worldwide. Accumulating evidence has identified that microRNAs (miRNAs) function as negative or positive regulators of many malignant tumors; however, the roles of miR-372 in RCC remain unclear. The focus of the present study was the functions of miR-372 in RCC metastasis and EMT. Data revealed that miR-372 expression levels were significantly downregulated in RCC tissue samples and cells. Moreover, the decreased expression levels were strongly associated with the poor survival rates and adverse clinical characteristics of RCC patients. Accordingly, miR-372 overexpression markedly inhibited RCC cell invasion, migration and EMT. In terms of the potential mechanisms, ATAD2, the expression of which was inversely correlated with miR-372 expression in RCC, was identified as a direct functional target of miR-372. Notably, ATAD2 silence exerted suppressive functions in RCC cells, being similar to the effects of miR-372 overexpression. In conclusion, findings of this study indicate that miR-372 repressed RCC EMT and metastasis via targeting ATAD2, suggesting that the miR-372/ATAD2 axis may be therapeutic biomarkers for RCC.

The E2F1-miR-520/372/373-SPOP Axis Modulates Progression of Renal Carcinoma

: Although renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most malignant urologic cancer, its pathogenesis remains unclear, and effective treatments for advanced RCC are still lacking. Here, we report that a novel E2F1-miR-520/372/373-SPOP axis controls RCC carcinogenesis. Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) was upregulated in over 90% of RCC tissues, whereas the miR-520/372/373 family was downregulated and correlated inversely with SPOP protein levels in RCC tissues. The miR-520/372/373 family targeted the SPOP 3'-UTR and suppressed SPOP protein expression, leading to elevation of PTEN and DUSP7 levels and, consequently, decreased proliferation, invasion/migration, and metastasis of RCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Tail-vein delivery of therapeutic miR-520/372/373 family significantly decreased both tumor size and lung metastasis ratio in mice bearing orthotopic xenograft tumors. Decreased expression of miR-520/372/373 family was mediated by transcription factor E2F1. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the E2F1-miR-520/372/373-SPOP axis functions as a key signaling pathway in RCC progression and metastasis and represents a promising opportunity for targeted therapies. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show that the E2F1-miR-520/372/373 family-SPOP axis promotes RCC progression, thereby contributing to our understanding of RCC pathogenesis and unveiling new avenues for more effective targeted therapies.

The aberrantly expressed miR-372 partly impairs sensitivity to apoptosis in parathyroid tumor cells

Parathyroid tumors deregulate microRNAs belonging to the two clusters on the chromosome 19, the C19MC and miR-371-373 clusters. Here, we report that the embryonic miR-372 is aberrantly expressed in half of parathyroid adenomas (PAds) in most of atypical adenomas and carcinomas (n = 15). Through in situ hybridization, we identified that miR-372-positive parathyroid tumor cells were scattered throughout the tumor parenchyma. In PAd-derived cells, ectopic miR-372 inhibited the expression of its targets CDKN1A/p21 and LATS2 at both mRNA and protein levels. Although the viability of parathyroid cells was not affected by miR-372 overexpression, the miRNA blunted camptothecin-induced apoptosis in primary PAd-derived cultures. miR-372 overexpression in parathyroid tumor cells increased parathormone (PTH) mRNA levels, and it positively correlated in vivo with circulating PTH levels. Conversely, the parathyroid-specific genes TBX1 and GCM2 were not affected by miR-372 mimic transfection. Finally, miR-372 dampened the Wnt pathway in parathyroid tumor cells through DKK1 upregulation. In conclusion, miR-372 is a novel mechanism exploited by a subset of parathyroid tumor cells to partially decrease sensitivity to apoptosis, to increase PTH synthesis and to deregulate Wnt signaling.

Long Noncoding RNA uc002yug.2 Activates HIV-1 Latency through Regulation of mRNA Levels of Various RUNX1 Isoforms and Increased Tat Expression

The HIV-1 reservoir is a major obstacle to complete eradication of the virus. Although many proteins and RNAs have been characterized as regulators in HIV-1/AIDS pathogenesis and latency, only a few long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be closely associated with HIV-1 replication and latency. In this study, we demonstrated that lncRNA uc002yug.2 plays a key role in HIV-1 replication and latency. uc002yug.2 potentially enhances HIV-1 replication, long terminal repeat (LTR) activity, and the activation of latent HIV-1 in both cell lines and CD4⁺ T cells from patients. Further investigation revealed that uc002yug.2 activates latent HIV-1 through downregulating RUNX1b and -1c and upregulating Tat protein expression. The accumulated evidence supports our model that the Tat protein has the key role in the uc002yug.2-mediated regulatory effect on HIV-1 reactivation. Moreover, uc002yug.2 showed an ability to activate HIV-1 similar to that of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate using latently infected cell models. These findings improve our understanding of lncRNA regulation of HIV-1 replication and latency, providing new insights into potential targeted therapeutic interventions.IMPORTANCE The latent viral reservoir is the primary obstacle to curing HIV-1 disease. To date, only a few lncRNAs, which play major roles in various biological processes, including viral infection, have been identified as regulators in HIV-1 latency. In this study, we demonstrated that lncRNA uc002yug.2 is important for both HIV-1 replication and activation of latent viruses. Moreover, uc002yug.2 was shown to activate latent HIV-1 through regulating alternative splicing of RUNX1 and increasing the expression of Tat protein. These findings highlight the potential merit of targeting lncRNA uc002yug.2 as an activating agent for latent HIV-1.

miR372 Promotes Progression of Liver Cancer Cells by Upregulating erbB-2 through Enhancement of YB-1

MicroRNAs are known to be involved in carcinogenesis. Recently, microRNA-372 (miR372) has been proven to play a substantial role in several human cancers, but its functions in liver cancer remain unclear. Herein, our results demonstrate that miR372 accelerates growth of liver cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, miR372 enhances expression of Y-box-binding protein 1 (YB-1) by targeting for phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) directly and consequently promotes phosphorylation of YB-1 via HULC looping dependent on ERK1/2 and PTEN. In particular, HULC knockdown or PTEN overexpression abrogated this miR372 action. Moreover, miR372 inhibits the degradation of β-catenin dependent on phosphorylation of YB-1 and then enhances the expression and activity of pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2) by β-catenin-LEF/TCF4 pathway. Furthermore, the loading of LEF/TCF4 on PKM2 promoter region was significantly increased in miR372 overexpressing Hep3B, and thus, glycolytic proton efflux rate (glycoPER) was significantly increased in rLV-miR372 group compared to the rLV group. Moreover, β-catenin knockdown abrogates this function of miR372. Ultimately, miR372 promotes the expression of erbB-2 through PKM2-pH3T11-acetylation on histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9Ac) pathway. Of significance, both YB-1 knockdown and erbB-2 knockdown abrogate oncogenic action of miR372. Our observations suggest that miR372 promotes liver cancer cell cycle progress by activating cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2)-cyclin E-P21/Cip1 complex through miR372-YB-1-β-catenin-LEF/TCF4-PKM2-erbB-2 axis. This study elucidates a novel mechanism for miR372 in liver cancer cells and suggests that miR372 can be used as a novel therapeutic target of liver cancer.

Long noncoding RNA PCAT-14 induces proliferation and invasion by hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inducing methylation of miR-372

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate oncogenesis by inducing methylation of CpG islands to silence target genes. Here we show that the lncRNA PCAT-14 is overexpressed in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and is associated with a poor prognosis after surgery. Our results demonstrate that PCAT-14 promotes proliferation, invasion, and cell cycle arrest in HCC cells. In addition, PCAT-14 inhibits miR-372 expression by inducing methylation of the miR-372 promoter. Simultaneously, miR-372 eliminates the effects of PCAT-14 on proliferation, invasion, and cell cycle in HCC cells. Moreover, PCAT-14 regulates expression of ATAD2 and activation of the Hedgehog pathway via miR-372. These findings indicate that PCAT-14 plays an important role in HCC, and may serve as a novel prognostic factor and therapeutic target.

Utility of miR‑133a‑3p as a diagnostic indicator for hepatocellular carcinoma: An investigation combined with GEO, TCGA, meta‑analysis and bioinformatics

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that microRNA (miR)‑133a‑3p is an important regulator of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, the diagnostic role of miR‑133a‑3p in HCC, and the potential functional pathways, were both explored based on publicly available data. Eligible microarray datasets were collected from NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and ArrayExpress database. The data related to HCC and matched adjacent normal tissues were also downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Published studies reporting the association between miR‑133a‑3p expression and HCC were reviewed from multiple databases. By combining the data derived from three sources (GEO, TCGA and published studies), the authors analyzed the comprehensive relationship between miR‑133a‑3p expression and clinicopathological features of HCC. Eventually, putative targets of miR‑133a‑3p in HCC were selected for further bioinformatics prediction. A total of eight published microarray datasets were gathered, and the pooled results demonstrated that the expression of miR‑133a‑3p in the tumor group was lower than that in normal groups [standardized mean difference (SMD)=‑0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), ‑0.74 to ‑0.35; P<0.001]. Consistently, the level of miR‑133a‑1 in HCC was reduced markedly compared to normal tissues (P<0.001) based on TCGA data, and the AUC value of low miR‑133a‑1 expression for HCC diagnosis was 0.670 (P<0.001). Furthermore, the combined SMD of all datasets (GEO, TCGA and literature) suggested that significant difference was observed between the HCC group and the normal control group, and lower miR‑133a‑3p expression in HCC group was noted (SMD=‑0.69; 95% CI, ‑1.10 to ‑0.29; P=0.001). In addition, the authors discovered five key genes of the calcium signaling pathway (NOS1, ADRA1A, ADRA1B, ADRA1D and TBXA2R) that may probably be targeted by miR‑133a‑3p in HCC. The study reveals that miR‑133a‑3p may function as a tumor suppressor in HCC. The prospective novel pathways and key genes of miR‑133a‑3p could offer potential biomarkers for HCC; however, the predictions require further confirmation.

Prognostic value of microRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis

Background

Numerous articles reported that dysregulated expression levels of miRNAs correlated with survival time of HCC patients. However, there has not been a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the accurate prognostic value of miRNAs in HCC.

Design

Meta-analysis.

Materials and Methods

Studies, published in English, estimating expression levels of miRNAs with any survival curves in HCC were identified up until 15 April, 2017 by performing online searches in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews by two independent authors. The pooled hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the correlation between miRNA expression and overall survival (OS).

Results

54 relevant articles about 16 miRNAs, with 6464 patients, were ultimately included. HCC patients with high expression of tissue miR-9 (HR = 2.35, 95% CI = 1.46–3.76), miR-21 (HR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.29–2.41), miR-34c (HR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.05–2.57), miR-155 (HR = 2.84, 95% CI = 1.46–5.51), miR-221 (HR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.02–3.04) or low expression of tissue miR-22 (HR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.63–3.21), miR-29c (HR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.10–1.65), miR-34a (HR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.30–2.59), miR-199a (HR = 2.78, 95% CI = 1.89–4.08), miR-200a (HR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.86–3.77), miR-203 (HR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.61–3.00) have significantly poor OS (P < 0.05). Likewise, HCC patients with high expression of blood miR-21 (HR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.07–2.80), miR-192 (HR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.15–5.10), miR-224 (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.14–2.12) or low expression of blood miR-148a (HR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.11–4.59) have significantly short OS (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

In conclusion, tissue miR-9, miR-21, miR-22, miR-29c, miR-34a, miR-34c, miR-155, miR-199a, miR-200a, miR-203, miR-221 and blood miR-21, miR-148a, miR-192, miR-224 demonstrate significantly prognostic value. Among them, tissue miR-9, miR-22, miR-155, miR-199a, miR-200a, miR-203 and blood miR-148a, miR-192 are potential prognostic candidates for predicting OS in HCC.

Rab14 Suppression Mediated by MiR-320a Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Migration and Invasion in Breast Cancer

We found that microRNA-320a (miR-320a) was an attractive prognostic biomarker in breast cancer (BC) previously, whereas its regulatory mechanism in BC was not well understood. Our aim was to identify miR-320a target gene, examine the clinical relationship between miR-320a and its target, and further explore the functions of its target in BC. In this study, miR-320a downstream target gene was determined in HEK-293T cells by dual luciferase reporter assay. Then western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to assess miR-320a target gene expression in fresh frozen (n=19, breast cancer and matched non-malignant adjacent tissue samples) and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) (n=130, invasive BC tissues, the same panel detected for miR-320a expression previously) breast tissues, respectively. The results suggested that miR-320a could significantly suppressed Rab14 3'-untranslated region luciferase-reporter activity, and thus Rab14 was first identified as miR-320a target in BC. In 19 matched breast tissues, 12 (63%) breast cancer tissues showed high expression of Rab14 compared with the corresponding normal tissues. Rab14 immunoreactivity was mainly detected in the cytoplasm, 77/130 (59.2%) showed high expression. Furthermore, Rab14 expression was found to be inversely correlated with miR-320a expression in fresh-frozen breast tissues as well as in FFPE invasive breast cancer samples. In addition, Rab14 expression levels were positively related to tumor size (P = 0.034), lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), distant metastasis (P = 0.001), histological grade (P = 0.035) and clinical tumor lymph-node metastasis stage (P = 0.001). Patients with higher Rab14 expression showed shorter overall survival time. Moreover, silencing of Rab14 could suppress proliferation, migration and invasion in breast cancer cell lines. Collectively, our results indicate that miR-320a could target Rab14 and that they could interact biologically in BC.

HULC: an oncogenic long non-coding RNA in human cancer

Highly up‐regulated in liver cancer (HULC) was originally identified as the most overexpressed long non‐coding RNA in hepatocellular carcinoma. Since its discovery, the aberrant up‐regulation of HULC has been demonstrated in other cancer types, including gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, osteosarcoma and hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer. Recent discoveries have also shed new light on the upstream molecular mechanisms underlying HULC deregulation. As an oncogene, HULC promotes tumorigenesis by regulating multiple pathways, such as down‐regulation of EEF1E1, promotion of abnormal lipid metabolism, and up‐regulation of sphingosine kinase 1. Pertinent to clinical practice, a genetic variant in the HULC gene has been found to alter the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma and oesophageal cancer, whereas cancer patients with high or low expression of HULC exhibit different clinical outcome. These findings highlighted the pathogenic role and clinical utility of HULC in human cancers. Further efforts are warranted to promote the development of HULC‐directed therapeutics.

microRNA-372 Suppresses Migration and Invasion by Targeting p65 in Human Prostate Cancer Cells

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors. microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis, and their roles in PCa are becoming more apparent. In this study, we found that microRNA-372 (miR-372) is downregulated in human PCa and inhibits the proliferation activity, migration, and invasion of DU145 cells. Subsequently, p65 is confirmed as a target of miR-372, and knockdown of p65 expression similarly resulted in decreased proliferation activity, migration, and invasion. CDK8, MMP-9, and prostate-specific antigen were involved in both these processes. Taken together, our results show evidence that miR-372 may function as a tumor suppressor gene by regulating p65 in PCa and may provide a strategy for blocking PCa metastasis.

A Set of miRNAs, Their Gene and Protein Targets and Stromal Genes Distinguish Early from Late Onset ER Positive Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) in young adult patients (YA) has a more aggressive biological behavior and is associated with a worse prognosis than BC arising in middle aged patients (MA). We proposed that differentially expressed miRNAs could regulate genes and proteins underlying aggressive phenotypes of breast tumors in YA patients when compared to those arising in MA patients.

OBJECTIVE

Using integrated expression analyses of miRs, their mRNA and protein targets and stromal gene expression, we aimed to identify differentially expressed profiles between tumors from YA-BC and MA-BC.

METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS

Samples of ER+ invasive ductal breast carcinomas, divided into two groups: YA-BC (35 years or less) or MA-BC (50-65 years) were evaluated. Screening for BRCA1/2 status according to the BOADICEA program indicated low risk of patients being carriers of these mutations. Aggressive characteristics were more evident in YA-BC versus MA-BC. Performing qPCR, we identified eight miRs differentially expressed (miR-9, 18b, 33b, 106a, 106b, 210, 518a-3p and miR-372) between YA-BC and MA-BC tumors with high confidence statement, which were associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics. The expression profiles by microarray identified 602 predicted target genes associated to proliferation, cell cycle and development biological functions. Performing RPPA, 24 target proteins differed between both groups and 21 were interconnected within a network protein-protein interactions associated with proliferation, development and metabolism pathways over represented in YA-BC. Combination of eight mRNA targets or the combination of eight target proteins defined indicators able to classify individual samples into YA-BC or MA-BC groups. Fibroblast-enriched stroma expression profile analysis resulted in 308 stromal genes differentially expressed between YA-BC and MA-BC.

CONCLUSION

We defined a set of differentially expressed miRNAs, their mRNAs and protein targets and stromal genes that distinguish early onset from late onset ER positive breast cancers which may be involved with tumor aggressiveness of YA-BC.

Long noncoding RNAs in viral infections

Viral infections induce strong modifications in the cell transcriptome. Among the RNAs whose expression is altered by infection are long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). LncRNAs are transcripts with potential to function as RNA molecules. Infected cells may express viral lncRNAs, cellular lncRNAs and chimeric lncRNAs formed by viral and cellular sequences. Some viruses express viral lncRNAs whose function is essential for viral viability. They are transcribed by polymerase II or III and some of them can be processed by unique maturation steps performed by host cell machineries. Some viral lncRNAs control transcription, stability or translation of cellular and viral genes. Surprisingly, similar functions can be exerted by cellular lncRNAs induced by infection. Expression of cellular lncRNAs may be altered in response to viral replication or viral protein expression. However, many cellular lncRNAs respond to the antiviral pathways induced by infection. In fact, many lncRNAs function as positive or negative regulators of the innate antiviral response. Our current knowledge about the identity and function of lncRNAs in infected cells is very limited. However, research into this field has already helped in the identification of novel cellular pathways and may help in the development of therapeutic tools for the treatment of viral infections, autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders and cancer.

Long noncoding RNAs in viral infections

Viral infections induce strong modifications in the cell transcriptome. Among the RNAs whose expression is altered by infection are long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). LncRNAs are transcripts with potential to function as RNA molecules. Infected cells may express viral lncRNAs, cellular lncRNAs and chimeric lncRNAs formed by viral and cellular sequences. Some viruses express viral lncRNAs whose function is essential for viral viability. They are transcribed by polymerase II or III and some of them can be processed by unique maturation steps performed by host cell machineries. Some viral lncRNAs control transcription, stability or translation of cellular and viral genes. Surprisingly, similar functions can be exerted by cellular lncRNAs induced by infection. Expression of cellular lncRNAs may be altered in response to viral replication or viral protein expression. However, many cellular lncRNAs respond to the antiviral pathways induced by infection. In fact, many lncRNAs function as positive or negative regulators of the innate antiviral response. Our current knowledge about the identity and function of lncRNAs in infected cells is very limited. However, research into this field has already helped in the identification of novel cellular pathways and may help in the development of therapeutic tools for the treatment of viral infections, autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders and cancer.

MiR-124 exerts tumor suppressive functions on the cell proliferation, motility and angiogenesis of bladder cancer by fine-tuning UHRF1

UHRF1, an epigenetic factor, is implicated in various cellular processes of tumorigenesis. However, the modulation of UHRF1 expression in human bladder cancer at post-transcriptional levels remains unclear. Here, we report that miR-124 suppresses expression of UHRF1 to affect the progression of human bladder cancer through competitive binding of the same region of its 3'-UTR. We show that compared with corresponding normal tissues, UHRF1 is upregulated and miR-124 is downregulated in bladder cancer tissues, demonstrating an inverse correlation of miR-124 and UHRF1. Quantitative PCR and western blot assay demonstrated that over-expression of miR-124 resulted in the suppression of UHRF1. Furthermore, luciferase assay revealed that miR-124 could control the fate of target gene UHRF1 mRNA by binding 3'-UTR. The rescue experiment confirmed that miR-124 exerted its biological functions by targeting UHRF1. miR-124 over-expression significantly attenuated cellular proliferation, migration, invasion and vasculogenic mimicry in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo. UHRF1 siRNA showed significant inhibitory effects on bladder cancer cells. Collectively, our study demonstrates that miR-124 can impair the proliferation or metastasis of human bladder cancer cells by down-regulation of UHRF1.