ZCCHC13-mediated induction of human liver cancer is associated with the modulation of DNA methylation and the AKT/ERK signaling pathway

Epigenetics of nonobstructive azoospermia

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) is a severe and heterogeneous form of male factor infertility caused by dysfunction of spermatogenesis. Although various factors are well defined in the disruption of spermatogenesis, not all aspects due to the heterogeneity of the disorder have been determined yet. In this review, we focus on the recent findings and summarize the current data on epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and different metabolites produced during methylation and demethylation and various types of small noncoding RNAs involved in the pathogenesis of different groups of NOA.

Research Progress on the Role of Epigenetic Methylation Modification in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stands as the prevailing form of primary liver cancer, characterized by a poor prognosis and high mortality rate. A pivotal factor in HCC tumorigenesis is epigenetics, specifically the regulation of gene expression through methylation. This process relies significantly on the action of proteins that modify methylation, including methyltransferases, their associated binding proteins, and demethylases. These proteins are crucial regulators, orchestrating the methylation process by regulating enzymes and their corresponding binding proteins. This orchestration facilitates the reading, binding, detection, and catalysis of gene methylation sites. Methylation ences the development, prolisignificantly influferation, invasion, and prognosis of HCC. Furthermore, methylation modification and its regulatory mechanisms activate distinct biological characteristics in HCC cancer stem cells, such as inducing cancer-like differentiation of stem cells. They also influence the tumor microenvironment (TME) in HCC, modulate immune responses, affect chemotherapy resistance in HCC patients, and contribute to HCC progression through signaling pathway feedback. Given the essential role of methylation in genetic information, it holds promise as a potential tool for the early detection of HCC and as a target to improve drug resistance and promote apoptosis in HCC cells.

Circ_0085616 contributes to the radio-resistance and progression of cervical cancer by targeting miR-541-3p/ARL2 signaling

BACKGROUND

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play crucial regulatory roles in cancer progression and the development of radio-resistance. Here, we intended to explore the role of circ_0085616 in cervical cancer progression and its associated mechanism.

METHODS

Colony formation assay was employed to analyze the radio-resistance and proliferation of cervical cancer cells. Cell proliferation ability was also assessed by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Tube formation assay was performed to analyze cell angiogenesis ability. Transwell assays were conducted to measure cell migration and invasion abilities. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was utilized to verify the target relationships. Xenograft mice model was used to analyze the role of circ_0085616 in tumor growth in vivo.

RESULTS

Circ_0085616 expression was elevated in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Circ_0085616 interference suppressed the radio-resistance, proliferation, tube formation, migration, and invasion and elevated the apoptosis rate of cervical cancer cells. Circ_0085616 acted as a sponge for microRNA-541-3p (miR-541-3p), and miR-541-3p was negatively regulated by circ_0085616 in cervical cancer cells. Circ_0085616 absence-induced changes in the behaviors of cervical cancer cells were largely overturned by anti-miR-541-3p. miR-541-3p negatively regulated ADP ribosylation factor like GTPase 2 (ARL2) expression by binding to its 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). miR-541-3p mimic-induced effects were largely reversed by pcDNA-ARL2 in cervical cancer cells. Circ_0085616 positively regulated ARL2 expression by sequestering miR-541-3p. Circ_0085616 absence significantly inhibited the tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Circ_0085616 contributed to the radio-resistance and progression of cervical cancer partly through mediating the miR-541-3p/ARL2 axis.

Molecular signatures in the progression of COVID-19 severity

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 that has infected over 642 million and killed over 6.6 million people around the globe. Underlying a wide range of clinical manifestations of this disease, from moderate to extremely severe systemic conditions, could be genes or pathways differentially expressing in the hosts. It is therefore important to gain insights into pathways involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis and host defense and thus understand the host response to this pathogen at the physiological and molecular level. To uncover genes and pathways involved in the differential clinical manifestations of this disease, we developed a novel gene co-expression network based pipeline that uses gene expression obtained from different SARS-CoV-2 infected human tissues. We leveraged the network to identify novel genes or pathways that likely differentially express and could be physiologically significant in the COVID-19 pathogenesis and progression but were deemed statistically non-significant and therefore not further investigated in the original studies. Our network-based approach aided in the identification of co-expression modules enriched in differentially expressing genes (DEGs) during different stages of COVID-19 and enabled discovery of novel genes involved in the COVID-19 pathogenesis, by virtue of their transcript abundance and association with genes expressing differentially in modules enriched in DEGs. We further prioritized by considering only those enriched gene modules that have most of their genes differentially expressed, inferred by the original studies or this study, and document here 7 novel genes potentially involved in moderate, 2 in severe, 48 in extremely severe COVID-19, and 96 novel genes involved in the progression of COVID-19 from severe to extremely severe conditions. Our study shines a new light on genes and their networks (modules) that drive the progression of COVID-19 from moderate to extremely severe condition. These findings could aid development of new therapeutics to combat COVID-19.

The distinct roles of zinc finger CCHC-type (ZCCHC) superfamily proteins in the regulation of RNA metabolism

The zinc finger CCHC-type (ZCCHC) superfamily proteins, characterized with the consensus sequence C-X₂-C-X₄-H-X₄-C, are accepted to have high-affinity binding to single-stranded nucleic acids, especially single-stranded RNAs. In human beings 25 ZCCHC proteins have been annotated in the HGNC database. Of interest is that among the family, most members are involved in the multiple steps of RNA metabolism. In this review, we focus on the diverged roles of human ZCCHC proteins on RNA transcription, biogenesis, splicing, as well as translation and degradation.

ZCCHC14 regulates proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer through the MAPK-P38 signalling pathway

ZCCHC14 is a CCHC-type zinc finger protein which is expressed in tissues in human and mouse. The function of ZCCHC14 in tumours remains unclear. In this research, we explored the expression, function and related molecular mechanisms of ZCCHC14 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Immunochemistry staining showed that ZCCHC14 was low-expressed or absent in NSCLC tissues. In NSCLC patients, the low expression of ZCCHC14 in tumour tissues was significantly correlated with TNM stage, differentiation degree and adverse clinical outcome (P < .05). The proliferation and invasion ability of cancer cells transfected with ZCCHC14 CRISPR/Ca9 KO plasmids was significantly enhanced (P < .05). Immunoblotting analysis indicated that the expression of p-P38, cyclinD1 and MMP7 were significantly up-regulated after disabling ZCCHC14 (P < .05). We used MAPK-P38 pathway inhibitor doramapimod (BIRB 796) to inhibit P38 signalling pathway activity and determined that the agent significantly disrupted the function of ZCCHC14 and hindered the proliferation and invasion of the tumour. The finding revealed that ZCCHC14 can regulate proliferation and invasion of NSCLC through the P38 pathway. ZCCHC14 plays a crucial regulatory role in the development of NSCLC and may become a zinc finger target for clinical treatment.

Specific epigenetic microenvironment and the regulation of tumor-related gene expression by trichloroethylene in human hepatocytes

Trichloroethylene (TCE), an important volatile organic solvent, causes a series of toxic damage to human. Conventional genetic mechanisms cannot fully explain its toxicity and carcinogenicity, indicative of the possible involvement of epigenetic mechanisms. Our study was intended to investigate the epigenetic toxicity and underlying mechanisms of TCE. Data showed that 0.3 mM TCE treatment for 24 h increased the growth of L-02 cells transiently. In contrast, subacute exposure to TCE inhibited cell growth and induced the genomic DNA hypomethylation and histone hyperacetylation. Further studies have revealed the TCE-induced DNA hypomethylation in the promoter regions of tumor-related genes, N-Ras, c-Jun, c-Myc, c-Fos and IGF-II, promoting their protein levels in a time-dependent manner. These results reveal there is a negative relationship existing between DNA hypomethylation and protein expression in tumor-related gene after TCE exposure under specific epigenetic microenvironment, serving as early biomarkers for TCE-associated diseases.

Diagnostic Value of the Hypomethylation of the WISP1 Promoter in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Associated with Hepatitis B Virus

Wnt1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, migration and survival. Abnormal WISP1 expression is associated with the carcinogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Aberrant DNA methylation is one of the major epigenetic alterations in HCC. However, the methylation status of the WISP1 promoter is still unclear. We therefore aimed to determine the methylation status of the WISP1 promoter and evaluate its clinical value in HCC. The study enrolled 251 participants, including 123 participants with HCC, 90 participants with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 38 healthy controls (HCs). WISP1 methylation status, mRNA levels and plasma soluble WISP1 were detected by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP), quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. We found that the methylation frequency of WISP1 in patients with HCC was significantly lower than that in patients with CHB and HCs, while the relative expression levels of WISP1 mRNA were markedly higher in patients with HCC than in patients with CHB and HCs. Furthermore, the plasma soluble WISP1 in patients with HCC was obviously lower than in that in patients with CHB and HCs. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a widely recognized biomarker to diagnose HCC which lacks enough sensitivity and specificity. WISP1 promoter methylation status combined with AFP significantly improved the diagnostic ability in discriminating HCC from CHB compared with AFP or WISP1 methylation status alone. In conclusion, hypomethylation of the WISP1 gene promoter may serve as a noninvasive biomarker for detecting HBV-associated HCC.

Biological significance of piRNA in liver cancer: a review

Liver cancer is one of the most common and deadly cancers in the world. In recent years, non-coding RNA has been a hot topic in liver cancer research. piRNAs (PIWI-interacting RNAs) are a new type of small non-coding RNA, which are formed by the PIWI proteins interacting with RNA. The latest research shows that piRNA and PIWI proteins are abnormally expressed in various cancers, including pancreatic, colorectal, breast, etc. piRNA plays an important regulatory role in liver cancer. In this review, we discuss the biological function of piRNAs and new progress in the development of liver cancer, and new targets and ideas for piRNA and PIWI proteins in the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer.

A novel strategy for the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and chemoresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma: DNA methylation

The cancer mortality rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second highest in the world and the therapeutic options are limited. The incidence of this deadly cancer is rising at an alarming rate because of the high degree of resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy, lack of proper, and adequate vaccination to hepatitis B, and lack of consciousness and knowledge about the disease itself and the lifestyle of the people. DNA methylation and DNA methylation-induced epigenetic alterations, due to their potential reversibility, open the access to develop novel biomarkers and therapeutics for HCC. The contribution to these epigenetic changes in HCC development still has not been thoroughly summarized. Thus, it is necessary to better understand the new molecular targets of HCC epigenetics in HCC diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. This review elaborates on recent key findings regarding molecular biomarkers for HCC early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Currently emerging epigenetic drugs for the treatment of HCC are summarized. In addition, combining epigenetic drugs with nonepigenetic drugs for HCC treatment is also mentioned. The molecular mechanisms of DNA methylation-mediated HCC resistance are reviewed, providing some insights into the difficulty of treating liver cancer and anticancer drug development.

MiR-506 Targets UHRF1 to Inhibit Colorectal Cancer Proliferation and Invasion via the KISS1/PI3K/NF-κB Signaling Axis

Background

The UHRF1 gene is an epigenetic modification factor that mediates tumor suppressor gene silencing in a variety of cancers. Related studies have reported that UHRF1 can inhibit the expression of the KISS1 gene. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying UHRF1 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still unclear. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the regulation of UHRF1 expression in CRC and to determine whether it regulates the mechanism by which KISS1 promotes CRC metastasis.

Methods

In the present study, the levels of miR-506, UHRF1 and KISS1 expression in CRC tissues and in human CRC cell lines were studied using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion assays are used to detect cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. A dual-luciferase reporter system was used to confirm the target gene of miR-506.

Results

This study found that UHRF1 protein is highly expressed in CRC tissues and negatively correlated with KISS1 protein expression. UHRF1 overexpression activates the PI3K/NF-κB signaling pathway by inhibiting the mRNA expression levels of pathway mediators. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter gene assays confirmed that miR-506 targets UHRF1.

Conclusion

This study identified the regulation of UHRF1 expression in CRC and the mechanism of CRC metastasis. UHRF1 may be a new potential target molecule for future CRC metastasis treatment.

ANO6 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in glioma through regulating the ERK signaling pathway

Purpose

Anoctamin6 (ANO6) plays a crucial role in several cancers, whereas the specific role of ANO6 in glioblastoma is unclear.

Methods

Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to analysis the correlation between ANO6 and survival rate of patients with glioblastoma. Univariate Cox regression analysis was used to analysis the correlation among ANO6 expression level,and age, gender, WHO and overall survival rate. Immunohistocemical technique, RT-PCR and western blot were used to dected the ANO6 expression. CCK8, colony formation and transwell were used to detected cell viability, cell proliferation and cell invasion in glioblastoma cells transfected with sh-ANO6 and ANO6 overexpression. In addition, after SHG-44 cells trasfected with ANO6 overexpression were ERK inhibitor (PD98059), CCK8, colony formation and transwell were used to detected cell viability, cell proliferation and cell invasion. Western blot was used to detected ERK protein level and the phosphorylation level of ERK in T89G and U87MG cells tranfected wih sh-ANO6.

Results

The results indicated that the ANO6 expression level was significantly associated with patients' age and tumor stage. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that the ANO6 expression level, age, gender and tumor stage were not related to the overall survival rate. ANO6 inhibition significantly suppressed the viability, invasion and the ability of colony formation in glioma cells, while ANO6 overexpression led to the opposite results in SHG-44 cells. ANO6 knockdown strongly inhibits the phosphorylation level and nuclear translocation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) protein to inhibit ERK signaling. ERK inhibitor significantly decreased the cell proliferation and invasion in SHG-44 cells transfected with sh-ANO6.

Conclusion

This study revealed that ANO6 activited ERK signaling pathway through promoting the nuclear translocation of ERK to increase the proliferation and invasion of glioblastoma cells.

Gene Expression and DNA Methylation Alterations During Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis-Associated Liver Carcinogenesis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive human cancers. HCC is characterized by an acquisition of multiple abnormal phenotypes driven by genetic and epigenetic alterations, especially abnormal DNA methylation. Most of the existing clinical and experimental reports provide only a snapshot of abnormal DNA methylation patterns in HCC rather than their dynamic changes. This makes it difficult to elucidate the significance of these changes in the development of HCC. In the present study, we investigated hepatic gene expression and gene-specific DNA methylation alterations in mice using the Stelic Animal Model (STAM) of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-derived liver carcinogenesis. Analysis of the DNA methylation status in aberrantly expressed epigenetically regulated genes showed the accumulation of DNA methylation abnormalities during the development of HCC, with the greatest number of aberrantly methylated genes being found in full-fledged HCC. Among these genes, only one gene, tubulin, beta 2B class IIB (Tubb2b), was increasingly hypomethylated and over-expressed during the progression of the carcinogenic process. Furthermore, the TUBB2B gene was also over-expressed and hypomethylated in poorly differentiated human HepG2 cells as compared to well-differentiated HepaRG cells. The results of this study indicate that unique gene-expression alterations mediated by aberrant DNA methylation of selective genes may contribute to the development of HCC and may have diagnostic value as the disease-specific indicator.