SOX4 expression is associated with treatment failure and chemoradioresistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma

MicroRNAs as the pivotal regulators of cisplatin resistance in head and neck cancers

Although, there is a high rate of good prognosis in early stage head and neck tumors, about half of these tumors are detected in advanced stages with poor prognosis. A combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery is the treatment option in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Although, cisplatin (CDDP) as the first-line drug has a significant role in the treatment of HNC patients, CDDP resistance can be observed in a large number of these patients. Therefore, identification of the molecular mechanisms involved in CDDP resistance can help to reduce the side effects and also provides a better therapeutic management. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) as the post-transcriptional regulators play an important role in drug resistance. Therefore, in the present review we investigated the role of miRNAs in CDDP response of head and neck tumors. It has been reported that the miRNAs exerted their roles in CDDP response by regulation of signaling pathways such as WNT, NOTCH, PI3K/AKT, TGF-β, and NF-kB as well as apoptosis, autophagy, and EMT process. The present review paves the way to suggest a non-invasive miRNA based panel marker for the prediction of CDDP response among HNC patients. Therefore, such diagnostic miRNA based panel marker reduces the CDDP side effects and improves the clinical outcomes of these patients following an efficient therapeutic management.

FN1 promotes prognosis and radioresistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: From radioresistant HNSCC cell line to integrated bioinformatics methods

Background: Radioresistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients means response failure to current treatment. In order to screen radioresistant biomarkers and mechanisms associated with HNSCC, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with radioresistance in HNSCC were investigated.

Methods: The HNSCC cell line with radioresistance, Hep2-R, was established and detected the radiosensitivity using MTT, colony formation assay and flow cytometry analysis. Clariom™ D chip was applied to compare DEGs between Hep2 and Hep2-R groups and build the differential gene expression profiles associated with radioresistance in HNSCC. Bioinformatic analysis were used to find biological functions and pathways that related to radioresistance in HNSCC, including cell adhesion, cytochrome P450 and drug metabolism. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were selected to verify DEGs between HNSCC radioresistant cells and tissues. The representation of DEGs were validated between HNSCC patients with complete response and post-operative radiation therapy failure. In addition, we evaluated the clinical prognosis of DEGs using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.

Results: 2,360 DEGs (|Fold Change|>1.5, p < 0.05) were identified between Hep2 and Hep2-R, including 1,144 upregulated DEGs and 1,216 downregulated DEGs. They were further verified by HNSCC radioresistant cells and tissues in GEO. 13 radioresistant DEGs showed same difference in expression level between cells and tissues. By comparing 13 DEGs with HNSCC patients, upregulations of FN1, SOX4 and ETV5 were found identical with above results. Only FN1 was a prognostic indicator of HNSCC in TCGA.

Conclusion: FN1 is the potential novel biomarker for predicting poor prognosis and radioresistance in HNSCC patients. Overexpression of FN1 plays an important role in the tumorigenesis, prognosis and radioresistance of HNSCC.

Interleukin-6 mediated inflammasome activation promotes oral squamous cell carcinoma progression via JAK2/STAT3/Sox4/NLRP3 signaling pathway

Background

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been reported to be critical in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, the set of pathways that IL-6 might activate in OSCC are not fully understood.

Methods

IL-6 and Sox4 expressions were first determined with RT-qPCR, ELISA, Western blot, or immunohistochemistry in OSCC tissues, and correlations between IL-6 and Sox4 expression and patient pathological characteristics were examined, and Kaplan–Meier approach was employed for evaluating the prognostic utility in OSCC patients. CCK-8, EdU stain and colony formation assays were utilized to test cell proliferation in vitro. Mechanistically, downstream regulatory proteins of IL-6 were verified through chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter, pull-down, and the rescued experiments. Western blot was used for detecting protein expression. A nude mouse tumorigenicity assay was used to confirm the role of IL-6 and Sox4 in vivo.

Results

IL-6 was upregulated in OSCC tissues, and Sox4 expression was positively correlated with IL-6 expression. High IL-6 and Sox4 expression was closely related to tumor size, TNM stage, and a poorer overall survival. Besides, IL-6 could accelerate OSCC cell proliferation by activating inflammasome via JAK2/STAT3/Sox4/NLRP3 pathways in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, STAT3 played as a transcription factor which positively regulated Sox4, and IL-6 promotes Sox4 expression by activating JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Moreover, through the rescue experiments, we further confirmed that IL-6 could promote proliferation and NLRP3 inflammasome activation via JAK2/STAT3/Sox4 pathway in OSCC cells. Finally, knockdown of Sox4 suppressed OSCC growth in vivo, and antagonized the acceleration of IL-6 on tumor growth.

Conclusions

We confirmed that IL-6 plays an oncogenic role in OSCC progression by activating JAK2/STAT3/Sox4/NLRP3 pathway, which might be the therapeutic targets for OSCC remedy.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-022-02376-4.

miR-129-2 upregulation induces apoptosis and promotes NSCLC chemosensitivity by targeting SOX4

Background

As one of the main causes of death worldwide, the treatment of non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unsatisfactory. This study aimed to explore the role of miR‐129‐2 in cell apoptosis and NSCLC chemosensitivity.

Methods

The effect of miR‐129‐2 on NSCLC was investigated using lung cancer cell lines (A549, NCl‐H23, and HCC827), a normal lung cell line (BEAS‐2B), and NSCLC tissues and adjacent healthy tissues. The oncogene SOX4 was verified as the target gene of miR‐129‐2 by luciferase reporter assay and real‐time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

miR‐129‐2 expression was downregulated in NSCLC tissues, NCl‐H23 cells, and A549 cells. miR‐129‐2 upregulation induced apoptosis in NCl‐H23 and A549 cells. miR‐129‐2 upregulation also inhibited NSCLC in a xenograft mouse model, which was related to downregulation of SOX4 expression. Furthermore, miR‐129‐2 and SOX4 were aberrantly expressed in the cisplatin‐resistant lung cancer cell line A549/DDP, and upregulation of miR‐129‐2 expression promoted cisplatin sensitivity in A549/DDP cells.

Conclusions

In conclusion, miR‐129‐2 expression was downregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and its upregulation induced cell apoptosis and promoted NSCLC chemosensitivity by regulating SOX4. Therefore, miR‐129‐2 can serve as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target in NSCLC.

The effect of SOX4 gene 3'UTR polymorphisms on osteoporosis

Objective

This study aimed to explore the correlation between the SRY-related high-mobility-group box gene 4 (SOX4) 3′ untranslated region (UTR) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and osteoporosis susceptibility.

Methods

The study recruited 330 osteoporosis patients (the case group) and 330 non-osteoporosis patients (the control group) in Sichuan Chengdu First People’s Hospital and Zibo Central Hospital from August 2016 to August 2019. Sanger sequencing was used to analyze the genotypes of SOX4 gene rs79958549, rs139085828, and rs201335371 loci. Multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) was used to analyze the interaction between the SOX4 gene rs79958549, rs139085828, and rs201335371 loci and the clinical characteristics of the subjects.

Results

The risk of osteoporosis in the carriers of A allele at SOX4 rs79958549 was 5.40 times that in the carriers of the G allele (95% CI 3.25–8.96, P < 0.01). The risk of osteoporosis in the carriers of the A allele at SOX4 rs139085828 was 1.68 times that in the carriers of the G allele (95% CI 1.45–1.85, P < 0.01). The risk of osteoporosis in the carriers of the T allele at SOX4 rs201335371 was 0.54 times that in the carriers of the C allele (95% CI 0.43–0.69, P < 0.01). The SOX4 gene rs79958549, rs139085828, and rs201335371 A-A-C haplotype (OR = 5.14, 95% CI 2.45–10.57, P < 0.01) were associated with increased risk of osteoporosis and G-G-T haplotype was significantly associated with decreased risk of osteoporosis (OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.38–0.62, P < 0.01). The interaction among the factors of sex, smoking, drinking, rs79958549, rs201335371 was the best model for osteoporosis prediction, and the risk for osteoporosis in ‘high-risk combination’ was 2.74 times that of ‘low-risk combination’ (95% CI 1.01–7.43, P = 0.04). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk factors for osteoporosis were BMD (OR = 5.85, 95% CI 2.88–8.94, P < 0.01), T score (OR = 8.54, 95% CI 5.66–10.49, P < 0.01), Z score (OR = 3.77, 95% CI 2.15–8.50, P < 0.01), rs79958549 SNP (OR = 6.92, 95% CI 3.58–8.93, P < 0.01), and rs139085828 SNP (OR = 2.36, 95% CI 1.85–4.27, P < 0.01). The protective factor for osteoporosis was rs201335371SNP (OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.32–0.75, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The SOX4 gene SNPs rs79958549, rs139085828, and rs201335371 loci were significantly associated with osteoporosis risk.

Clinicopathological significance of SOX4 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Sex-determining region-Y-related high-mobility-group box 4 (SOX4) is associated with the metastasis and prognosis of many cancer types. However, studies on the role of SOX4 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) are few, and hence the mechanism is unclear. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) allows neoplastic cells to gain the plasticity and motility required for tumor progression and metastasis. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between SOX4 and EMT, and their relationship with clinicopathological factors and related prognosis.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the positive expression of SOX4 protein, EMT-related transcription factor protein, and related marker protein in 127 LSCC tissue samples. At the same time, data on various parameters of clinical pathology and postoperative survival were collected.

RESULTS

The positive expression rate of SOX4 and Slug in LSCC was related to pathological differentiation, Lymph node metastasis (LNM), and pathological TNM of a tumor. The expression rates of ZEB1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and β-catenin in LSCC correlated with LNM and pTNM. The expression of SOX4, combined expression of SOX4 and ZEB1, and LNM were independent prognostic factors for the total survival time of patients with LSCC.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, SOX4 was vital in the LSCC EMT process, which might be mediated by transcription factor ZEB1. SOX4 and ZEB1 might serve as potential biomarkers of metastasis and prognosis, as well as promising therapeutic targets of LSCC.

Clinicopathological significance of SOX4 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Sex-determining region-Y-related high-mobility-group box 4 (SOX4) is associated with the metastasis and prognosis of many cancer types. However, studies on the role of SOX4 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) are few, and hence the mechanism is unclear. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) allows neoplastic cells to gain the plasticity and motility required for tumor progression and metastasis. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between SOX4 and EMT, and their relationship with clinicopathological factors and related prognosis.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the positive expression of SOX4 protein, EMT-related transcription factor protein, and related marker protein in 127 LSCC tissue samples. At the same time, data on various parameters of clinical pathology and postoperative survival were collected.

RESULTS

The positive expression rate of SOX4 and Slug in LSCC was related to pathological differentiation, lymphatic invasion, and pathological tumor node metastasis (TNM) of a tumor. The expression rates of ZEB1, Twist, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and β-catenin in LSCC correlated with lymphatic invasion and pathological tumor node metastasis. The expression of SOX4, combined expression of SOX4 and ZEB1, and lymphatic invasion were independent prognostic factors for the total survival time of patients with LSCC.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, SOX4 was vital in the LSCC EMT process, which might be mediated by transcription factor ZEB1. SOX4 and ZEB1 might serve as potential biomarkers of metastasis and prognosis, as well as promising therapeutic targets of LSCC.

Effects of Maackia amurensis seed lectin (MASL) on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) gene expression and transcriptional signaling pathways

PURPOSE

Oral cancer causes over 120,000 deaths annually and affects the quality of life for survivors. Over 90% of oral cancers are derived from oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (OSCCs) which are generally resistant to standard cytotoxic chemotherapy agents. OSCC cells often exhibit increased TGFβ and PDPN receptor activity compared to nontransformed oral epithelial cells. Maackia amurensis seed lectin (MASL) can target the PDPN receptor and has been identified as a novel agent that can be used to treat oral cancer. However, mechanisms by which MASL inhibits OSCC progression are not yet clearly defined.

METHODS

Here, we performed cell migration and cytotoxicity assays to assess the effects of MASL on OSCC motility and viability at physiologically relevant concentrations. We then performed comprehensive transcriptome analysis combined with transcription factor reporter assays to investigate the how MASL affects OSCC gene expression at these concentration. Key data were then confirmed by western blotting to evaluate the effects of MASL on gene expression and kinase signaling activity at the protein level.

RESULTS

MASL significantly affected the expression of about 27% of approximately 15,000 genes found to be expressed by HSC-2 cells used to model OSCC cells in this study. These genes affected by MASL include members of the TGFβ-SMAD, JAK-STAT, and Wnt-βCTN signaling pathways. In particular, MASL decreased expression of PDPN, SOX2, and SMAD5 at the RNA and protein levels. MASL also inhibited SMAD and MAPK activity, and exhibited potential for combination therapy with doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, results from this study indicate that MASL decreases activity of JAK-STAT, TGFβ-SMAD, and Wnt-βCTN signaling pathways to inhibit OSCC growth and motility. These data suggest that further studies should be undertaken to determine how MASL may also be used alone and in combination with other agents to treat oral cancer.

Predictive value of CD8/FOXP3 ratio combined with PD-L1 expression for radiosensitivity in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx receiving definitive radiation therapy

BACKGROUND

Little is known about immune-related radiosensitivity in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx (SCC-L) treated with radiation therapy (RT).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 91 patients with SCC-L treated with RT or chemoradiation therapy and performed immunohistochemical examination to analyze PD-L1 level on tumor cells, CD4⁺ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), CD8⁺ TIL, and FOXP3⁺ TIL using pretreated biopsy specimens. The association between these immune-related parameters and radiosensitivity was evaluated.

RESULTS

Multivariate analyses showed that high CD8/FOXP3 ratio combined with negative PD-L1 expression was an independent and significant favorable predictive factor for local control, compared with the other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that high CD8/FOXP3 ratio combined with negative PD-L1 expression might be a useful biomarker of radiosensitivity in patients with SCC-L receiving definitive RT. We propose that coassessment of CD8/FOXP3 ratio and PD-L1 expression level in tumor cells can help predict potential radiosensitivity in patients with SCC-L.

MiR-34c downregulation leads to SOX4 overexpression and cisplatin resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

A major cause of disease-related death in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the development of distant metastasis (DM) despite combination chemoradiotherapy treatment. We previously identified and validated a four microRNA (miRNA) signature that is prognostic for DM. In this study, characterization of a key component of this signature, miR-34c, revealed its role in chemotherapy resistance.

Methods

Two hundred forty-six NPC patient biopsy samples were subject to comprehensive miRNA profiling and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Two human normal nasopharyngeal cell lines (immortalized; NP69 and NP460), as well as the NPC cell line C666–1, were used for miR-34c gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments. Signaling pathways were assessed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Cell viability was measured using the ATPlite assay.

Results

MiR-34c was downregulated in NPC patient samples, and confirmed in vitro to directly target SOX4, a master regulator of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). MiR-34c downregulation triggered EMT-representative changes in NP69 and NP460 whereby Snail, ZEB1, CDH2, and SOX2 were upregulated, while Claudin-1 and CDH1 were downregulated. Phenotypically, inhibition of miR-34c led to cisplatin resistance, whereas miR-34c over-expression sensitized NPC cells to cisplatin. TGFβ1 decreased miR-34c and increased SOX4 expression in vitro. The TGFβ receptor 1 inhibitor SB431542 reduced SOX4 expression and increased cisplatin sensitivity. Finally, IHC revealed that lower SOX4 expression was associated with improved overall survival in chemotherapy-treated NPC patients.

Conclusion

miR-34c is downregulated in NPC. Repression of miR-34c was shown to increase SOX4 expression, which leads to cisplatin resistance, while TGFβ1 was found to repress miR-34c expression. Taken together, our study demonstrates that inhibition of the TGFβ1 pathway could be a strategy to restore cisplatin sensitivity in NPC.

LncRNA HOTAIR enhances breast cancer radioresistance through facilitating HSPA1A expression via sequestering miR-449b-5p

Background

Breast cancer (BRCA) is the leading cause of cancer‐related death in women worldwide. Pre‐ and postoperative radiotherapy play a pivotal role in BRCA treatment but its efficacy remains limited and plagued by the emergence of radiation resistance, which aggravates patient prognosis. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)‐implicated mechanisms underlying radiation resistance are rarely reported. The aim of this study was to determine whether lncRNA HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) modulated the radiosensitivity of breast cancer through HSPA1A.

Methods

A Gammacell 40 Exactor was used for irradiation treatment. Bioinformatic tools and luciferase reporter assay were adopted to explore gene expression profile and demonstrate the interactions between lncRNA, miRNA and target mRNA 3′‐untranslated region (3′‐UTR). The expression levels of certain genes were determined by real‐time PCR and western‐blot analyses. in vitro and in vivo functional assays were conducted by cell viability and tumorigenicity assays.

Results

The levels of oncogenic lncRNA HOTAIR were positively correlated with the malignancy of BRCA but reversely correlated with the radiosensitivity of breast cancer cells. Moreover, the expression levels of HOTAIR were positively associated with those of heat shock protein family A (Hsp70) member 1A (HSPA1A) in clinical BRCA tissues and HOTAIR upregulated HSPA1A at the mRNA and protein levels in irradiated BRCA cells. Mechanistically, miR‐449b‐5p restrained HSPA1A expression through targeting the 3′‐UTR of HSPA1A mRNA, whereas HOTAIR acted as a competing sponge to sequester miR‐449b‐5p and thereby relieved the miR‐449b‐5p‐mediated HSPA1A repression. Functionally, HOTAIR conferred decreased radiosensitivity on BRCA cells, while miR‐449b‐5p overexpression or HSPA1A knockdown abrogated the HOTAIR‐enhanced BRCA growth under the irradiation exposure both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

LncRNA HOTAIR facilitates the expression of HSPA1A by sequestering miR‐449b‐5p post‐transcriptionally and thereby endows BRCA with radiation resistance.

Key points

Therapeutically, HOTAIR and HSPA1A may be employed as potential targets for BRCA radiotherapy. Our findings shed new light into the mechanism by which lncRNAs modulate the radiosensitivity of tumors.

MicroRNA-130a modulates a radiosensitivity of rectal cancer by targeting SOX4

Radioresistance poses a major challenge in the treatment of advanced rectal cancer. Therefore, understanding the detailed mechanisms of radioresistance may improve patient response to irradiation and the survival rate. To identify the novel targets that modulate the radiosensitivity of rectal cancer, we performed small RNA sequencing with human rectal cancer cell lines. Through bioinformatics analysis, we selected microRNA-310a (miR-130a) as a promising candidate to elucidate radioresistance. miR-130a was dramatically upregulated in radiosensitive rectal cancer cells and overexpression of miR-130a promotes rectal cancer cell radiosensitivity. Mechanically, miR-130a reversed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype of rectal cancer cells following inhibition of cell invasion upon irradiation. Moreover, miR-130a also inhibited the repair of irradiation-induced DNA damage followed by cell death. We identified that SOX4 was a direct target of miR-130a. Overexpression of SOX4 reversed the promotion activity of miR-130a on radiosensitivity. Together, our findings suggest that miR-130a functions as a radiosensitizer in rectal cancer and reveals a potential therapeutic target and preoperative prognostic marker for radiotherapy.

SOX5 promotes breast cancer proliferation and invasion by transactivation of EZH2

Sex determining region Y-box protein 5 (SOX5) is a transcriptional factor and serves important roles in various cancer types; however, the pathological role of SOX5 in patients with breast cancer remains unclear. In the present study, the expression and potential role of SOX5 in patients with breast cancer and in breast cancer cells was investigated. The data indicated that SOX5 was highly expressed in breast cancer tissues compared with adjacent healthy tissues, and overexpression of SOX5 was associated with a reduced overall survival rate in patients with breast cancer. Gain and loss of function studies with MTT, colony formation, wound healing and Matrigel invasion assays demonstrated that SOX5 significantly promoted breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion. The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay sequence, quantitative ChIP and luciferase reporter assays were used to identify enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2) as a downstream target gene of SOX5. Furthermore, it was determined that ectopic expression of SOX5 increased EZH2 expression at the mRNA and protein level, while the knockdown of SOX5 decreased EZH2 expression. Additionally, the biological effect of SOX5 was investigated, and it was determined to be dependent on the regulation of EZH2 expression. The present results may provide important insights into the biological significance of SOX5 serving as a candidate therapeutic target in breast cancer progression.

Retracted Article: Long noncoding RNA ANRIL knockdown increases sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer to cisplatin by regulating the miR-656-3p/SOX4 axis

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in the development of chemoresistance in many cancers. However, the effect and mechanism of lncRNA antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) on cisplatin (CDDP) resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear. The levels of ANRIL, microRNA (miR)-656-3p and sex-determining region Y-related high-mobility group box 4 (SOX4) in NSCLC tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or western blotting. Cell viability, apoptosis, migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were assessed by using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT assay), flow cytometry, trans-well assays and western blotting, respectively. The xenograft model was established using CDDP-resistant NSCLC cells. The target association between miR-656-3p and ANRIL or SOX4 was validated by luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. ANRIL expression was increased in CDDP-resistant NSCLC tissues and cells. Knockdown of ANRIL decreased cell viability, migration and EMT but induced apoptosis in CDDP-resistant NSCLC cells. Moreover, silencing of ANRIL reduced xenograft tumor growth in vivo. miR-656-3p was targeted by ANRIL and its exhaustion attenuated the suppressive role of ANRIL knockdown in CDDP resistance in NSCLC cells. SOX4 acted as a target of miR-656-3p and was positively regulated by ANRIL. Collectively, interference of ANRIL repressed CDDP resistance through promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell viability, migration and EMT by up-regulating miR-656-3p and down-regulating SOX4, indicating a new target to improve the chemotherapeutic efficacy in NSCLC.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in the development of chemoresistance in many cancers.

Upregulation of MiR-369-3p suppresses cell migration and proliferation by targeting SOX4 in Hirschsprung's disease

BACKGROUND

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a congenital digestive disease in the new born. miR-369-3p has been reported to be involved in many human diseases. However, the relationship between miR-369-3p and HSCR remains largely unknown.

METHODS

In this study, qRT-PCR was used to detect the relative expression of miR-369-3p in 60 HSCR bowel tissue samples and 47 matched controls. Bioinformatic analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed to evaluate the target for miR-369-3p. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Transwell assay, wound healing assay and flow cytometry were employed to investigate the biological function of miR-369-3p in human SH-SY5Y and 293T cell lines.

RESULTS

We found that ganglion cell numbers were remarkably reduced while miR-369-3p was significantly upregulated in HSCR tissues compared to that in adjacent normal tissues (P<0.01). Dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that the 3'-UTR of SOX4 was a direct target to miR-369-3p. Moreover, an increased level of miR-369-3p was inversely correlated with decreased levels of SOX4 mRNA and protein (P<0.05, respectively). Dysregulation of miR-369-3p and SOX4 significantly suppressed cell proliferation and migration in SH-SY5Y and 293T cell lines in vitro (P<0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that aberrant expression of miR-369-3p might play a crucial role in the development HSCR by regulating SOX4 expression, which may infer that it is an effective diagnostic target in the pathogenesis of HSCR, but investigation is still needed to explore the underlying mechanism.

SOX4: Joining the Master Regulators of Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition?

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important developmental program exploited by cancer cells to gain mesenchymal features. Transcription factors globally regulating processes during EMT are often referred as 'master regulators' of EMT, and include members of the Snail and ZEB transcription factor families. The SRY-related HMG box (SOX) 4 transcription factor can promote tumorigenesis by endowing cells with migratory and invasive properties, stemness, and resistance to apoptosis, thereby regulating key aspects of the EMT program. We propose here that SOX4 should also be considered as a master regulator of EMT, and we review the molecular mechanisms underlying its function.

Propofol Suppresses Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Migration and Invasion by Down-Regulation of Sex-Determining Region Y-box 4 (SOX4)

Background

This study was done to verify whether propofol could inhibit esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell line EC9706 cell migration and invasion by targeting SOX4.

Material/Methods

Different concentrations of propofol were co-incubated with EC9706 cells. The pcDNA-SOX4 or SOX4 siRNA plasmid was transfected into cells before the treatment with propofol 5 μg/L. The migratory and invasion ability of EC9706 cells were tested by wound-healing assay and Transwell chambers. Western blotting was used to investigate the expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, and SOX4. Gelatin zymography was employed to detect the activity of MMP2 and MMP-9.

Results

Compared with the control, the migration and invasion activity of EC9706 cells were decreased after incubation with different concentrations of propofol (P<0.01). The expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and SOX4 was decreased and that of TIMP-1 was increased in the propofol-treated EC9706 cells (P<0.01). Down-regulation of SOX4 by SOX4-siRNA had the same effect as propofol on EC9706 cells, including suppressing cell migration and invasion, inhibiting the expression and activity of MMP-2/9, and increasing the expression TIMP-1. Over-expression of SOX4 could partly abrogated propofol-mediated inhibition of EC9706 cell migration and invasion.

Conclusions

Propofol inhibits EC9706 cell migration and invasion by down-regulation of SOX4.

SOX4 Promotes Progression in OLP-Associated Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: The development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a multistep process that involves in both genetic alterations and epigenetic modifications. Previous studies suggest SOX4 might function as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor in different types of cancers. However, whether SOX4 involves in promoting the progression of oral precancer to cancer is unknown.

Methods: Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify the proteins that may be differentially expressed between oral lichen planus (OLP) and OLP-associated OSCC (OLP-OSCC) formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blotting were performed to evaluate SOX4 expression between OLP and OLP-OSCC tissues and among oral cancer cell lines and normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOKs). SOX4 siRNA was used to knock down the expression of SOX4 in UM1 oral cancer cells. MTT, cell counting, migration and Matrigel invasion assays were utilized to examine the effect of SOX4 down-regulation on proliferation, migration and invasion capacity of UM1 cells.

Results: LC-MS/MS analysis showed that 88 proteins including SOX4 were only identified in OLP-OSCC FFPE tissues when compared to OLP FFPE tissues. IHC confirmed that SOX4 expression was significantly higher in OLP-OSCC than OLP and Western blot analysis indicated that SOX4 was over-expressed in UM1/UM2 cells when compared to NHOKs. Knockdown of SOX4 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of UM1 cells (P<0.01).

Conclusions: Our study indicated that SOX4 is significantly upregulated in OLP-OSCC versus OLP tissues. In addition, down-regulation of SOX4 led to significantly reduced proliferation, migration and invasion capability of oral cancer cells. These findings suggest that SOX4 might be actively involved in the progression of OLP to OSCC.