DAL-1 attenuates epithelial-to mesenchymal transition in lung cancer

Dual role of CASP8AP2/FLASH in regulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition plasticity (EMP)

BACKGROUND

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a developmental program that consists of the loss of epithelial features concomitant with the acquisition of mesenchymal features. Activation of EMT in cancer facilitates the acquisition of aggressive traits and cancer invasion. EMT plasticity (EMP), the dynamic transition between multiple hybrid states in which cancer cells display both epithelial and mesenchymal markers, confers survival advantages for cancer cells in constantly changing environments during metastasis.

METHODS

RNAseq analysis was performed to assess genome-wide transcriptional changes in cancer cells depleted for histone regulators FLASH, NPAT, and SLBP. Quantitative PCR and Western blot were used for the detection of mRNA and protein levels. Computational analysis was performed on distinct sets of genes to determine the epithelial and mesenchymal score in cancer cells and to correlate FLASH expression with EMT markers in the CCLE collection.

RESULTS

We demonstrate that loss of FLASH in cancer cells gives rise to a hybrid E/M phenotype with high epithelial scores even in the presence of TGFβ, as determined by computational methods using expression of predetermined sets of epithelial and mesenchymal genes. Multiple genes involved in cell-cell junction formation are similarly specifically upregulated in FLASH-depleted cells, suggesting that FLASH acts as a repressor of the epithelial phenotype. Further, FLASH expression in cancer lines is inversely correlated with the epithelial score. Nonetheless, subsets of mesenchymal markers were distinctly up-regulated in FLASH, NPAT, or SLBP-depleted cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The ZEB1low/SNAILhigh/E-cadherinhigh phenotype described in FLASH-depleted cancer cells is driving a hybrid E/M phenotype in which epithelial and mesenchymal markers coexist.

The Role of Erythrocyte Membrane Protein Band 4.1-like 3 in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Novel genetic and epigenetic factors involved in the development and prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been identified. We previously observed that erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.1-like 3 (EPB41L3) increased in the lung fibroblasts of IPF patients. Thus, we investigated the role of EPB41L3 in IPF by comparing the EPB41L3 mRNA and protein expression of lung fibroblast between patients with IPF and controls. We also investigated the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in an epithelial cell line (A549) and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT) in a fibroblast cell line (MRC5) by overexpressing and silencing EPB41L3. EPB41L3 mRNA and protein levels, as measured using RT-PCR, real-time PCR, and Western blot, were significantly higher in fibroblasts derived from 14 IPF patients than in those from 10 controls. The mRNA and protein expression of EPB41L3 was upregulated during transforming growth factor-β-induced EMT and FMT. Overexpression of EPB41L3 in A549 cells using lenti-EPB41L3 transfection suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of N-cadherin and COL1A1. Treatment with EPB41L3 siRNA upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of N-cadherin. Overexpression of EPB41L3 in MRC5 cells using lenti-EPB41L3 transfection suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of fibronectin and α-SMA. Finally, treatment with EPB41L3 siRNA upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of FN1, COL1A1, and VIM. In conclusion, these data strongly support an inhibitory effect of EPB41L3 on the process of fibrosis and suggest the therapeutic potential of EPB41L3 as an anti-fibrotic mediator.

HDAC10 Inhibits Cervical Cancer Progression through Downregulating the HDAC10-microRNA-223-EPB41L3 Axis

Background

Although the tumorigenesis of cervical cancer (CC) has been widely investigated and recognized, the study of the systematic impact of histone deacetylase 10 (HDAC10), microRNA, and downstream molecular mechanisms in CC is still limited. Herein, cervical cancer, precancer lesions, and normal cervical tissues were collected to test the expression level of HDAC10, miR-223, and EPB41L3. The mechanism of HDAC10, miR-223, and EPB41L3 was interpreted in cervical cancer cells after HDAC10, miR-223, or EPB41L3 expression was altered.

Results

HDAC10 was poorly expressed in cervical cancer and precancer lesions, while miR-223 was highly expressed in cervical cancer. HDAC10 bound to miR-223, and miR-223 targeted EPB41L3. HDAC10 depressed the invasion property and tumorigenesis of cervical cancer via downregulating miR-223 and subsequently targeting EPB41L3.

Conclusion

The study clarifies that HDAC10 inhibits cervical cancer by downregulating miR-223 and subsequently targeting EPB41L3 expression, which might provide a new insight for management upon cervical cancer and precancer lesions.

The rs9953490 polymorphism of DAL-1 gene is associated with gastric cancer risk in the Han population in Northeast China

Background

DAL-1 gene was reported to inhibit proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of gastric cancer (GC) cells in our previous study. The association between the genomic variants in DAL-1 gene with risk of GC is still unclear.

Methods

In this study, 505 GC cases and 544 healthy controls (HCs) were collected to evaluate the association between six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs7240736, rs73937194, rs3817466, rs8082898, rs73381527, rs9953490) of DAL-1 gene and GC risk in the Han population in Northeast China.

Results

The TA + AA genotypes of rs9953490 were significantly associated with an increased risk in N3 compared with N0 subgroup (adjusted OR = 4.56, 95% CI = 1.49–13.98, P = 0.008), and also showed evident association with an increased risk in TNM stage III compared with stage I-II (adjusted OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.16–4.67, P = 0.017).

Conclusion

The rs9953490 of DAL-1 gene may play an important role in the occurrence and development of GC in the Han population in Northeast China.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12876-021-01929-9.

Overexpression of P4HA1 associates with poor prognosis and promotes cell proliferation and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma

Prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha 1 (P4HA1) is the core active catalytic portion of prolyl 4-hydroxylase, and has contributed to tumorigenesis in several cancers. In this study, we identified that P4HA1 mRNA and protein are both up-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Besides, overexpressed P4HA1 is correlated with poor clinical outcomes and serve as an independent prognosis biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but not lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). In vitro studies, decreased P4HA1 significantly inhibits proliferation and cell cycle, by regulating cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), cyclins and CDK inhibitor (CKI). Moreover, via inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and matrix metalloprotease (MMPs), dysregulation of P4HA1 could restrain the tumor cell invasion and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, we found that P4HA1 could enhance cell stemness and cisplatin-resistance in lung adenocarcinoma. In summary, P4HA1 plays a crucial role in the development of NSCLC and may provide a brand-new target for lung cancer treatment.

Erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.1-like 3 inhibits osteosarcoma cell invasion through regulation of Snai1-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.1-like 3 (EPB41L3) is an important membrane skeletal protein that may interact with numerous membrane proteins. Loss of EPB41L3 is reported in multiple cancer types, and it is originally identified as a tumor suppressor. In this study, through analyzing expression profiling retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset, we find that EPB41L3 is upregulated in primary osteosarcoma (OS) and osteosarcoma cell lines. Importantly, EPB41L3 may promote osteosarcoma cell proliferation and suppress osteosarcoma cell migration and invasion. Reduced EPB41L3 leads to a decrease of E-cadherin as well as an increase of N-cadherin and Vimentin, implying a prominent epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, we demonstrate that EPB41L3 inhibits the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition through destabilizing the Snai1 protein, one of the most important transcription factors of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process. Collectively, our study has first established the complex and vital roles of EPB41L3 and implicated EPB41L3 as a potential biomarker in osteosarcoma.

Pivotal roles of protein 4.1B/DAL‑1, a FERM‑domain containing protein, in tumor progression (Review)

Protein 4.1B/DAL‑1, encoded by erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.1‑like 3 (EPB41L3), belongs to the protein 4.1 superfamily, a group of proteins that share a conserved four.one‑ezrin‑radixin‑moesin (FERM) domain. Protein 4.1B/DAL‑1 serves a crucial role in cytoskeletal organization and a number of processes through multiple interactions with membrane proteins via its FERM, spectrin‑actin‑binding and C‑terminal domains. A number of studies have indicated that a loss of EPB41L3 expression is commonly observed in lung cancer, breast cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and meningiomas. DNA methylation and a loss of heterozygosity have been reported to contribute to the downregulation of EPB41L3. To date, the biological functions of protein 4.1B/DAL‑1 in carcinogenesis remain unknown. The present review summarizes the current understanding of the role of protein 4.1B/DAL‑1 in cancer and highlights its potential as a cancer diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in cancer therapeutics.

Tumor-derived Autoantibodies Identify Malignant Pulmonary Nodules

Rationale: Screening for non-small cell lung cancer is associated with earlier diagnosis and reduced mortality but also increased harm caused by invasive follow-up of benign pulmonary nodules. Lung tumorigenesis activates the immune system, components of which could serve as tumor-specific biomarkers. Objectives: To profile tumor-derived autoantibodies as peripheral biomarkers of malignant pulmonary nodules. Methods: High-density protein arrays were used to define the specificity of autoantibodies isolated from B cells of 10 resected lung tumors. These tumor-derived autoantibodies were also examined as free or complexed to antigen in the plasma of the same 10 patients and matched benign nodule control subjects. Promising autoantibodies were further analyzed in an independent cohort of 250 nodule-positive patients. Measurements and Main Results: Thirteen tumor B-cell-derived autoantibodies isolated ex vivo showed greater than or equal to 50% sensitivity and greater than or equal to 70% specificity for lung cancer. In plasma, 11 of 13 autoantibodies were present both complexed to and free from antigen. In the larger validation cohort, 5 of 13 tumor-derived autoantibodies remained significantly elevated in cancers. A combination of four of these autoantibodies could detect malignant nodules with an area under the curve of 0.74 and had an area under the curve of 0.78 in a subcohort of indeterminate (8-20 mm in the longest diameter) pulmonary nodules. Conclusions: Our novel pipeline identifies tumor-derived autoantibodies that could effectively serve as blood biomarkers for malignant pulmonary nodule diagnosis. This approach has future implications for both a cost-effective and noninvasive approach to determine nodule malignancy for widespread low-dose computed tomography screening.

Annexin 1-nuclear factor-κB-microRNA-26a regulatory pathway in the metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Annexin 1 (ANXA1) expression is associated with the malignant tumor phenotype, making it an attractive therapeutic target. However, little is known about the regulation of ANXA1 in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

We investigated the biological roles of ANXA1 in tumor growth, migration, and invasion, and explored the possibility of ANXA1 as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.

Results

Our findings revealed that ANXA1 enhanced nuclear factor (NF)‐κB activation in NSCLC cells by interaction with inhibitor of NF‐κB kinase complex subunit, IKKγ. We also found that NF‐κB could negatively regulate microRNA (miR)‐26a, and miR‐26a was regulated through the ANXA1–NF‐κB regulatory pathway. NF‐κB activation negatively regulated by miR‐26a was confirmed in NSCLC.

Conclusion

Together, these results provide evidence of the mechanisms of the ANXA1–NF‐κB–miR‐26a regulatory pathway in the invasion and migration in NSCLC.

MicroRNA-26a regulates ANXA1, rather than DAL-1, in the development of lung cancer

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and role of microRNA-26a (miR-26a) in lung cancer, and to verify whether differentially expressed in adenocarcinoma of the lung (DAL-1) is the target protein of miR-26a. mRNA expression levels of miR-26a and DAL-1 were detected using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Protein expression levels of DAL-1 and annexin A1 (ANXA1) were evaluated by western blot analysis. Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell and wound scratch healing assays were used to characterize the function of miR-26a in lung cancer cells. The association of DAL-1 with miR-26a or ANXA1 was determined by dual-luciferase reporter or two-dimensional gel electrophoresis assays. miR-26a revealed decreased expression levels in lung cancer tissues compared with normal lung tissues, and decreased expression levels in lung cancer cells compared with 16HBE cells. Inhibition of miR-26a promoted lung cancer cell growth, migration and invasion. The DAL-1 protein exhibited downregulated expression levels in lung cancer tissues. DAL-1 was not the direct target gene of miR-26a. The two-dimensional gel electrophoresis assay confirmed that DAL-1 and ANXA1 were associated proteins. Expression levels of the ANXA1 protein were increased following DAL-1 gene silencing. The altered expression level of miR-26a affected the expression of ANXA1, and not of DAL-1. miR-26a demonstrated decreased expression levels in lung cancer cells, and it has an important effect on the biological function of lung cancer cells. However, DAL-1 was not a target gene of miR-26a. As a DAL-1 associated protein, ANXA1 was regulated by miR-26a.

Placenta-specific protein 1 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in non-small cell lung cancer

Pulmonary carcinoma-associated proteins have emerged as crucial players in governing fundamental biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis in human cancers. Placenta-specific protein 1 (PLAC1) is a cancer-related protein, which is activated and upregulated in a variety of malignant tissues, including prostate cancer, gastric adenocarcinoma, colorectal, epithelial ovarian and breast cancer. However, its biological role and clinical significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development and progression are still unknown. In the present study, we found that PLAC1 was significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues, and its expression level was associated with advanced pathological stage and it was also correlated with shorter progression-free survival of lung cancer patients. Furthermore, knockdown of PLAC1 expression by siRNA inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and impaired invasive ability in NSCLC cells partly via regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related protein expression. Our findings present that increased PLAC1 could be identified as a negative prognostic biomarker in NSCLC and regulate cell proliferation and invasion. Thus, we conclusively demonstrated that PLAC1 plays a key role in NSCLC development and progression, which may provide novel insights on the function of tumor-related gene-driven tumorigenesis.

DAL-1 attenuates epithelial to mesenchymal transition and metastasis by suppressing HSPA5 expression in non-small cell lung cancer

Metastasis is the primary cause of death in lung cancer patients and EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) promotes metastasis. Previous study revealed that DAL-1 (differentially expressed in adenocarcinoma of the lung) could attenuate EMT and metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Further study proved that HSPA5 (heat shock protein 5), which has a promoting effect on EMT, could bind to DAL-1. In this study, the mRNA and protein expression levels of target molecules were detected by RTq-PCR and western blot assays, the migration and invasion abilities were examined by Transwell migration and invasion assay, and the proliferation ability was measured by CCK-8 assay. We revealed that DAL-1 was downregulated while HSPA5 was upregulated in NSCLC and found the protein of DAL-1 and HSPA5 co-localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus. We demonstrated that DAL-1 can suppress the expression of HSPA5 on mRNA and protein levels, and decrease EMT, migration, invasion and proliferation abilities by down-regulating HSPA5. Furthermore, we discovered that DAL-1 plays a role in inhibiting PI3K/Akt/Mdm2 signaling pathway by suppressing HSPA5.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in FHC-silenced cells: the role of CXCR4/CXCL12 axis

Background

Ferritin plays a central role in the intracellular iron metabolism; the molecule is a nanocage of 24 subunits of the heavy and light types. The heavy subunit (FHC) is provided of a ferroxidase activity and thus performs the key transformation of iron in a non-toxic form. Recently, it has been shown that FHC is also involved in additional not iron-related critical pathways including, among the others, p53 regulation, modulation of oncomiRNAs expression and chemokine signalling. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular mechanism by which the cell acquires a fibroblast-like phenotype along with a decreased adhesion and augmented motility. In this work we have focused our attention on the role of the FHC on EMT induction in the human cell lines MCF-7 and H460 to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods

Targeted silencing of the FHC was performed by lentiviral-driven shRNA strategy. Reconstitution of the FHC gene product was obtained by full length FHC cDNA transfection with Lipofectamine 2000. MTT and cell count assays were used to evaluate cell viability and proliferation; cell migration capability was assayed by the wound-healing assay and transwell strategy. Quantification of the CXCR4 surface expression was performed by flow cytometry.

Results

Experimental data indicated that FHC-silenced MCF-7 and H460 cells (MCF-7^shFHC, H460^shFHC) acquire a mesenchymal phenotype, accompanied by a significant enhancement of their migratory and proliferative capacity. This shift is coupled to an increase in ROS production and by an activation of the CXCR4/CXCL12 signalling pathway. We present experimental data indicating that the cytosolic increase in ROS levels is responsible for the enhanced proliferation of FHC-silenced cells, while the higher migration rate is attributable to a dysregulation of the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that induction of EMT, increased migration and survival depend, in MCF-7 and H460 cells, on the release of FHC control on two pathways, namely the iron/ROS metabolism and CXCR4/CXCL12 axis. Besides constituting a further confirmation of the multifunctional nature of FHC, this data also suggest that the analysis of FHC amount/function might be an important additional tool to predict tumor aggressiveness.

Identification and characterization of miR-96, a potential biomarker of NSCLC, through bioinformatic analysis

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The poor prognosis is partly due to lack of efficient methods for early diagnosis. MicroRNAs play roles in almost all aspects of cancer biology, and can be secreted into the circulation and serve as molecular biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancer. In the present study, we determined the expression of miR-96 and the function of its target genes in lung cancer through bioinformatic analysis. Four microRNA expression profiles of lung cancer were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus and the data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 software. Compared to the control group, expression of miR-96 was significantly increased in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (GSE51855), lung adenocarcinoma (GSE48414), stage I adenocarcinoma tissues (GSE63805) and the plasma of lung cancer patients (GSE68951). miR-96 was also elevated in six different NSCLC cell lines. However, the expression level of miR-96 was not related to the age, gender, clinical stage and histological subtype of the NSCLC patients. GO analysis of 78 predicted target genes of miR-96 showed that 42 of the obtained GO terms are highly associated with specific cellular processes including response to stimulus, signaling pathway, cell division, cell communication, cell migration and calcium signaling. KEGG results indicated that the miR-96 targets are mainly involved in the GnRH signaling pathway, long-term potentiation and insulin signaling pathway. In conclusion, miR-96, functioning as an oncogene, may play an important role in the development and progression of lung cancer. miR-96 may have the potential to serve as a molecular biomarker for the early diagnosis of NSCLC.

SPOCK1 Overexpression Confers a Poor Prognosis in Urothelial Carcinoma

Purpose:The majority deaths of cancer patients are related to metastasis, thus genes associated with cell motility interest us. SPOCK1 was elected by data mining and serial evaluation. In addition, SPOCK1 has been reported to be highly expressed in different human cancers and been related to adverse outcomes. Therefore, we validate its prognostic significance in urothelial carcinoma (UC).

Materials and Methods:Real-time RT-PCR assay was used to detect SPOCK1 transcript level in 27 urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and 27 urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC) samples. Immunohistochemistry evaluated by H-score determined SPOCK1 expressions in 340 UTUCs and 295 UBUCs. The transcript and protein expression were correlated with clinicopathological features. Further evaluations of the prognostic significance of SPOCK1 for disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS) were analyzed.

Results:The expressions of SPOCK1 in UC were higher than those in normal urothelium by immunohistochemistry. The statistical analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics and immunohistochemistry showed that the higher expression of SPOCK1 was correlated to pT status (P<0.001), lymph node metastasis (UTUC, P=0.006; UBUC, P=0.033), higher histological grade (UTUC, P<0.001; UBUC, P<0.001), vascular invasion (UTUC, P<0.001; UBUC, P<0.001), perineurial invasion (UTUC, P<0.001; UBUC, P=0.001) and frequent mitosis (UTUC, P<0.001; UBUC, P=0.001). The prognosis of SPOCK1 of UC showed high SPOCK1 expression had significantly worse DSS and MeFS.

Conclusions:The investigation demonstrated that the higher expression of SPOCK1 correlates with a poor prognosis in UC.

TROP2 overexpression promotes proliferation and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells

Recent studies suggest that the human trophoblast cell-surface antigen TROP2 is highly expressed in a number of tumours and is correlated with poor prognosis. However, its role in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains largely unknown. Here we examined TROP2 expression by immunohistochemistry in a series of 68 patients with adenocarcinoma (ADC). We found significantly elevated TROP2 expression in ADC tissues compared with normal lung tissues (P < 0.05), and TROP2 overexpression was significantly associated with TNM (tumour, node, metastasis) stage (P = 0.012), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.038), and histologic grade (P = 0.013). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that high TROP2 expression correlated with poor prognosis (P = 0.046). Multivariate analysis revealed that TROP2 expression was an independent prognostic marker for overall survival of ADC patients. Moreover, TROP2 overexpression enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in the NSCLC cell line A549, whereas knockdown of TROP2 induced apoptosis and impaired proliferation, migration, and invasion in the PC-9 cells. Altogether, our data suggest that TROP2 plays an important role in promoting ADC and may represent a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for the disease.

Overexpression of P21-activated kinase 4 is associated with poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer and promotes migration and invasion

BACKGROUND

P21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4), an effector of the Rho family protein Cdc42, is an important oncogene whose expression is increased in many human cancers and is generally positively correlated with advanced disease and decreased survival. However, little is known about the expression and biological function of PAK4 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

PAK4 expression in NSCLC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues were assessed by immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, and western blotting. Prognostic value of PAK4 expression was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression. siRNA-mediated gene silencing and protein kinase assay was applied to demonstrate the role and the mechanism of PAK4 in lung cancer cell migration, invasion.

RESULTS

The results showed that PAK4 was overexpressed in NSCLC cell lines and human NSCLC tissues. PAK4 expression was detected both in the membranes and cytoplasm of NSCLC cancer cells in vivo. Moreover, increased expression of PAK4 was associated with metastasis, shorter overall survival, advanced stage of NSCLC. Furthermore, PAK4 expression was positively correlated with phosphorylation of LIMK1 expression levels. Knockdown of PAK4 in NSCLC cell lines led to reduce the phosphorylation of LIMK1, which resulted in decrease of the cell migration and invasion. In addition, PAK4 bound to LIMK1 directly and activated it via phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONS

These data demonstrate that PAK4 mediated LIMK1 phosphorylation regulates the migration and invasion in NSCLC. Therefore, PAK4 might be a significant prognostic marker and potential therapeutic molecular target in NSCLC.