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Bowman J, Lynch VJ. Rapid evolution of genes with anti-cancer functions during the origins of large bodies and cancer resistance in elephants. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582135. [PMID: 38463968 PMCID: PMC10925141 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Elephants have emerged as a model system to study the evolution of body size and cancer resistance because, despite their immense size, they have a very low prevalence of cancer. Previous studies have found that duplication of tumor suppressors at least partly contributes to the evolution of anti-cancer cellular phenotypes in elephants. Still, many other mechanisms must have contributed to their augmented cancer resistance. Here, we use a suite of codon-based maximum-likelihood methods and a dataset of 13,310 protein-coding gene alignments from 261 Eutherian mammals to identify positively selected and rapidly evolving elephant genes. We found 496 genes (3.73% of alignments tested) with statistically significant evidence for positive selection and 660 genes (4.96% of alignments tested) that likely evolved rapidly in elephants. Positively selected and rapidly evolving genes are statistically enriched in gene ontology terms and biological pathways related to regulated cell death mechanisms, DNA damage repair, cell cycle regulation, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, and immune functions, particularly neutrophil granules and degranulation. All of these biological factors are plausibly related to the evolution of cancer resistance. Thus, these positively selected and rapidly evolving genes are promising candidates for genes contributing to elephant-specific traits, including the evolution of molecular and cellular characteristics that enhance cancer resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Bowman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY, 551 Cooke Hall, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Vincent J. Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY, 551 Cooke Hall, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
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2
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A-to-I RNA editing of BLCAP promotes cell proliferation by losing the inhibitory of Rb1 in colorectal cancer. Exp Cell Res 2022; 417:113209. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2022.113209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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You XJ, Li L, Ji TT, Xie NB, Yuan BF, Feng YQ. 6-Thioguanine incorporates into RNA and induces adenosine-to-inosine editing in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.01.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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4
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Conservation of A-to-I RNA editing in bowhead whale and pig. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260081. [PMID: 34882682 PMCID: PMC8659423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA editing is a post-transcriptional process in which nucleotide changes are introduced into an RNA sequence, many of which can contribute to proteomic sequence variation. The most common type of RNA editing, contributing to nearly 99% of all editing events in RNA, is A-to-I (adenosine-to-inosine) editing mediated by double-stranded RNA-specific adenosine deaminase (ADAR) enzymes. A-to-I editing at 'recoding' sites results in non-synonymous substitutions in protein-coding sequences. Here, we present studies of the conservation of A-to-I editing in selected mRNAs between pigs, bowhead whales, humans and two shark species. All examined mRNAs-NEIL1, COG3, GRIA2, FLNA, FLNB, IGFBP7, AZIN1, BLCAP, GLI1, SON, HTR2C and ADAR2 -showed conservation of A-to-I editing of recoding sites. In addition, novel editing sites were identified in NEIL1 and GLI1 in bowhead whales. The A-to-I editing site of human NEIL1 in position 242 was conserved in the bowhead and porcine homologues. A novel editing site was discovered in Tyr244. Differential editing was detected at the two adenosines in the NEIL1 242 codon in both pig and bowhead NEIL1 mRNAs in various tissues and organs. No conservation of editing of KCNB1 and EEF1A mRNAs was seen in bowhead whales. In silico analyses revealed conservation of five adenosines in ADAR2, some of which are subject to A-to-I editing in bowheads and pigs, and conservation of a regulatory sequence in GRIA2 mRNA that is responsible for recognition of the ADAR editing enzyme.
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The Landscape of Regulatory Noncoding RNAs in Ewing's Sarcoma. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9080933. [PMID: 34440137 PMCID: PMC8391329 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9080933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing’s sarcoma (ES) is a pediatric sarcoma caused by a chromosomal translocation. Unlike in most cancers, the genomes of ES patients are very stable. The translocation product of the EWS-FLI1 fusion is most often the predominant genetic driver of oncogenesis, and it is pertinent to explore the role of epigenetic alterations in the onset and progression of ES. Several types of noncoding RNAs, primarily microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs, are key epigenetic regulators that have been shown to play critical roles in various cancers. The functions of these epigenetic regulators are just beginning to be appreciated in ES. Here, we performed a comprehensive literature review to identify these noncoding RNAs. We identified clinically relevant tumor suppressor microRNAs, tumor promoter microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs. We then explored the known interplay between different classes of noncoding RNAs and described the currently unmet need for expanding the noncoding RNA repertoire of ES. We concluded the review with a discussion of epigenetic regulation of ES via regulatory noncoding RNAs. These noncoding RNAs provide new avenues of exploration to develop better therapeutics and identify novel biomarkers.
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Shi H, Chai P, Jia R, Fan X. Novel insight into the regulatory roles of diverse RNA modifications: Re-defining the bridge between transcription and translation. Mol Cancer 2020; 19:78. [PMID: 32303268 PMCID: PMC7164178 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-020-01194-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA modifications can be added or removed by a variety of enzymes that catalyse the necessary reactions, and these modifications play roles in essential molecular mechanisms. The prevalent modifications on mRNA include N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N1-methyladenosine (m1A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hm5C), pseudouridine (Ψ), inosine (I), uridine (U) and ribosemethylation (2’-O-Me). Most of these modifications contribute to pre-mRNA splicing, nuclear export, transcript stability and translation initiation in eukaryotic cells. By participating in various physiological processes, RNA modifications also have regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of tumour and non-tumour diseases. We discussed the physiological roles of RNA modifications and associated these roles with disease pathogenesis. Functioning as the bridge between transcription and translation, RNA modifications are vital for the progression of numerous diseases and can even regulate the fate of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanhan Shi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 20025, P.R. China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, 20025, People's Republic of China
| | - Peiwei Chai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 20025, P.R. China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, 20025, People's Republic of China
| | - Renbing Jia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 20025, P.R. China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, 20025, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xianqun Fan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 20025, P.R. China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, 20025, People's Republic of China.
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Li Y, Cui S, Shi W, Yang B, Yuan Y, Yan S, Li Y, Xu Y, Zhang Z, Linlin Zhang. Differential placental methylation in preeclampsia, preterm and term pregnancies. Placenta 2020; 93:56-63. [PMID: 32250740 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Recently, the role of epigenetic modifications in preeclampsia has been a focus of research. This study was to identified genes or pathways that may be associated with PE, and discuss whether the changes in the methylation level of these genes is related to the pathogenesis of PE. METHODS The methylation levels of placental tissues between PE (n = 4), preterm birth (PB, n = 4) and term birth (TB, n = 4) were detected by Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation850 K BeadChip. Pyrosequencing and qRT-PCR were used to validated the methylation and expression levels of the genes with the most significant differences. RESULTS The global methylation levels of placenta tissues in PE and PB were both higher compared to TB. After eliminated the effect of gestational age, there were 808 gene probes differentially methylated in PE compared to PB. We found 137 genes with 130 genes hypermethylated and 7 genes hypomethylated. CMIP, BLCAP and MICA genes were with the most significant differential methylation. The expression level of CMIP and BLCAP were both negatively correlated to the methylation levels, while the expression level of MICA was not related to its methylation levels. CONCLUSION The methylation levels in placenta tissues were associated with gestational ages. We indicated the expression levels of the significantly methylated genes were negatively correlated with the methylation levels, further functional researches were still needed to find out whether they are associated with the onset of preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Shihong Cui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Wenli Shi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Medical Research Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Yangyang Yuan
- Department of Medical Research Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Shujun Yan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Yajuan Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Zhan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China; Department of Medical Research Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
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8
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Zhang Y, Qian H, Xu J, Gao W. ADAR, the carcinogenesis mechanisms of ADAR and related clinical applications. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2019; 7:686. [PMID: 31930087 DOI: 10.21037/atm.2019.11.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) catalyze the conversion of adenosine (A) to inosine (I) in double-stranded RNA, which can change the codons after transcription. Abnormal ADAR editing is present in a variety of cancers. However, the study of the biological effects of ADARs in cancer is not very deep. Here, we review current important ADAR-mediated editing events, related carcinogenic mechanisms and applications in clinical medicine. Further exploration in ADARs can provide a new direction for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Huizhu Qian
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Wen Gao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
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Tsafou K, Katschnig AM, Radic-Sarikas B, Mutz CN, Iljin K, Schwentner R, Kauer MO, Mühlbacher K, Aryee DN, Westergaard D, Haapa-Paananen S, Fey V, Superti-Furga G, Toretsky J, Brunak S, Kovar H. Identifying the druggable interactome of EWS-FLI1 reveals MCL-1 dependent differential sensitivities of Ewing sarcoma cells to apoptosis inducers. Oncotarget 2018; 9:31018-31031. [PMID: 30123424 PMCID: PMC6089552 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.25760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is an aggressive pediatric bone cancer in need of more effective therapies than currently available. Most research into novel targeted therapeutic approaches is focused on the fusion oncogene EWSR1-FLI1, which is the genetic hallmark of this disease. In this study, a broad range of 3,325 experimental compounds, among them FDA approved drugs and natural products, were screened for their effect on EwS cell viability depending on EWS-FLI1 expression. In a network-based approach we integrated the results from drug perturbation screens and RNA sequencing, comparing EWS-FLI1-high (normal expression) with EWS-FLI1-low (knockdown) conditions, revealing novel interactions between compounds and EWS-FLI1 associated biological processes. The top candidate list of druggable EWS-FLI1 targets included genes involved in translation, histone modification, microtubule structure, topoisomerase activity as well as apoptosis regulation. We confirmed our in silico results using viability and apoptosis assays, underlining the applicability of our integrative and systemic approach. We identified differential sensitivities of Ewing sarcoma cells to BCL-2 family inhibitors dependent on the EWS-FLI1 regulome including altered MCL-1 expression and subcellular localization. This study facilitates the selection of effective targeted approaches for future combinatorial therapies of patients suffering from Ewing sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalliopi Tsafou
- Disease Systems Biology, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Current address: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anna Maria Katschnig
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Branka Radic-Sarikas
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cornelia Noëlle Mutz
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristiina Iljin
- Medical Biotechnology, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland
| | - Raphaela Schwentner
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian O. Kauer
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Mühlbacher
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dave N.T. Aryee
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Westergaard
- Disease Systems Biology, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Vidal Fey
- Medical Biotechnology, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland
| | - Giulio Superti-Furga
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeffrey Toretsky
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Søren Brunak
- Disease Systems Biology, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Chen W, He W, Cai H, Hu B, Zheng C, Ke X, Xie L, Zheng Z, Wu X, Wang H. A-to-I RNA editing of BLCAP lost the inhibition to STAT3 activation in cervical cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 8:39417-39429. [PMID: 28455960 PMCID: PMC5503622 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer-associated protein (BLCAP) gene is a highly conserved gene with tumor-suppressor function in different carcinomas. It is also a novel ADAR-mediated editing substrate undergoes multiple A-to-I RNA editing events. Although the anti-tumorigenic role of BLCAP has been examined in preliminarily studies, the relationship between BLCAP function and A-to-I RNA editing in cervical carcinogenesis still require further exploration. Herein, we analyzed the coding sequence of BLCAP transcripts in 35 paired cervical cancer samples using high-throughput sequencing. Of note, editing levels of three novel editing sites were statistically different between cancerous and adjacent cervical tissues, and editing of these three sites was closely correlated. Moreover, two editing sites of BLCAP coding region were mapped-in the key YXXQ motif which can bind to SH2 domain of STAT3. Further studies revealed that BLCAP interacted with signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and inhibited its phosphorylation, while A-to-I RNA editing of BLCAP lost the inhibition to STAT3 activation in cervical cancer cell lines. Our findings reveal that A-to-I RNA editing events alter the genetically coded amino acid in BLCAP YXXQ motif, which drive the progression of cervical carcinogenesis through regulating STAT3 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wenrong He
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The First People's Hospital of Jingzhou, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, China
| | - Hongbing Cai
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Bicheng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Caishang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xianliang Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Li Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Zhenhua Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xinxing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hanzhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
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Identification of BLCAP as a novel STAT3 interaction partner in bladder cancer. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188827. [PMID: 29190807 PMCID: PMC5708675 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer associated protein (Blcap) expression is commonly down-regulated in invasive bladder cancer, and may have prognostic value given that its expression is negatively correlated with patient survival. We have previously investigated the expression patterns and cellular localization of Blcap in bladder cancer, where we found that about 20% of the lesions examined displayed strong nuclear expression of Blcap, and that this phenotype was associated with overall poor disease outcome. Here we report on the analysis of possible functional associations between nuclear expression of Blcap and canonical signaling pathways. We performed serial immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of bladder tissue samples, with serial sections stained with phospho-specific antibodies recognizing key signaling intermediates, such as P-Stat3, P-Akt, and P-Erk1/2, among others, in an immunophenotyping approach we have established and reported previously. Using this approach, we found that nuclear localization of Blcap was associated with expression of P-Stat3. A parallel analysis, cytokine profiling of bladder tumor interstitial fluids of samples expressing (or not) Blcap, showed interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) to be correlated with nuclear expression of Blcap, independently supporting a role for Stat3 signaling in localization of Blcap. Multiple indirect immunofluorescence analysis of tissue biopsies confirmed that Blcap co-localized with Stat3. Furthermore, we could also demonstrate, using an in situ proximity ligation assay that Blcap and Stat3 are in close physical proximity of each other in bladder tissue, and that Blcap physically interacts with Stat3 as determined by co-immunoprecipitation of these proteins. Our data indicates that Blcap is a novel Stat3 interaction partner and suggests a role for Blcap in the Stat3-mediated progression of precancerous lesions to invasive tumors of the bladder.
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Fritzell K, Xu LD, Lagergren J, Öhman M. ADARs and editing: The role of A-to-I RNA modification in cancer progression. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 79:123-130. [PMID: 29146145 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cancer arises when pathways that control cell functions such as proliferation and migration are dysregulated to such an extent that cells start to divide uncontrollably and eventually spread throughout the body, ultimately endangering the survival of an affected individual. It is well established that somatic mutations are important in cancer initiation and progression as well as in creation of tumor diversity. Now also modifications of the transcriptome are emerging as a significant force during the transition from normal cell to malignant tumor. Editing of adenosine (A) to inosine (I) in double-stranded RNA, catalyzed by adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs), is one dynamic modification that in a combinatorial manner can give rise to a very diverse transcriptome. Since the cell interprets inosine as guanosine (G), editing can result in non-synonymous codon changes in transcripts as well as yield alternative splicing, but also affect targeting and disrupt maturation of microRNA. ADAR editing is essential for survival in mammals but its dysregulation can lead to cancer. ADAR1 is for instance overexpressed in, e.g., lung cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer and chronic myoelogenous leukemia, which with few exceptions promotes cancer progression. In contrast, ADAR2 is lowly expressed in e.g. glioblastoma, where the lower levels of ADAR2 editing leads to malignant phenotypes. Altogether, RNA editing by the ADAR enzymes is a powerful regulatory mechanism during tumorigenesis. Depending on the cell type, cancer progression seems to mainly be induced by ADAR1 upregulation or ADAR2 downregulation, although in a few cases ADAR1 is instead downregulated. In this review, we discuss how aberrant editing of specific substrates contributes to malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kajsa Fritzell
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Svante Arrheniusväg 20C, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Li-Di Xu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Svante Arrheniusväg 20C, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jens Lagergren
- School of Computer Science and Communication, Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marie Öhman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Svante Arrheniusväg 20C, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Chen Y, Zhang S, Zhao R, Zhao Q, Zhang T. Upregulated miR-9-3p Promotes Cell Growth and Inhibits Apoptosis in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma by Targeting BLCAP. Oncol Res 2017; 25:1215-1222. [PMID: 27938505 PMCID: PMC7841133 DOI: 10.3727/096504016x14791715355957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a neuroendocrine cancer derived from parafollicular C cells in the thyroid gland. It has great interest as a research focus because of its unusual genetic, clinical, and prognostic characteristics. However, the pathogenesis in MTC is not completely clear. We investigated the role of miR-9-3p and bladder cancer-associated protein (BLCAP) in MTC TT cells. First, miR-9-3p expression was upregulated in human MTC tissues and TT cells and compared to the control by RT-PCR. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that the cell cycle progression in TT cells was significantly inhibited by the miR-9-3p inhibitor but was increased by the miR-9-3p mimic. On the contrary, the apoptosis of TT cells was significantly increased by the miR-9-3p inhibitor and suppressed by the miR-9-3p mimic. A similar change pattern was observed in the expression of apoptosis-regulated protein caspase 3 induced by the miR-9-3p mimic or inhibitor in TT cells. We then identified that BLCAP is a target of miR-9-3p by bioinformatic prediction and luciferase reporter assay. The expression of BLCAP was also significantly downregulated by the miR-9-3p mimic while being upregulated by the miR-9-3p inhibitor in TT cells. Furthermore, we confirmed that the inhibited apoptosis of TT cells induced by the miR-9-3p mimic was enhanced by BLCAP overexpression. The levels of apoptosis were strongly decreased by BLCAP silencing in TT cells, which were not further influenced by the miR-9-3p inhibitor. In summary, upregulated miR-9-3p has a positive role in human MTC progression by regulating the growth and apoptosis of cancer cells via targeting BLCAP. This might represent a possible diagnosis or therapeutic target for MTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangjing Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Shaoqiang Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Ruimin Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P.R. China
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Liu T, Wang L, Chen H, Huang Y, Yang P, Ahmed N, Wang T, Liu Y, Chen Q. Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Apoptosis during Dissociated Spermatogenesis. Front Physiol 2017; 8:188. [PMID: 28424629 PMCID: PMC5372796 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis is a tightly controlled process by which tissues eliminate unwanted cells. Spontaneous germ cell apoptosis in testis has been broadly investigated in mammals that have an associated spermatogenesis pattern. However, the mechanism of germ cell apoptosis in seasonally breeding reptiles following a dissociated spermatogenesis has remained enigmatic. In the present study, morphological evidence has clearly confirmed the dissociated spermatogenesis pattern in Pelodiscus sinensis. TUNEL and TEM analyses presented dynamic changes and ultrastructural characteristics of apoptotic germ cells during seasonal spermatogenesis, implying that apoptosis might be one of the key mechanisms to clear degraded germ cells. Furthermore, using RNA-Seq and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling, a large number of apoptosis-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at different phases of spermatogenesis were identified and characterized in the testis. DGE and RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the critical anti-apoptosis genes, such as Bcl-2, BAG1, and BAG5, showed up-regulated patterns during intermediate and late spermatogenesis. Moreover, the increases in mitochondrial transmembrane potential in July and October were detected by JC-1 staining. Notably, the low protein levels of pro-apoptotic cleaved caspase-3 and CytC in cytoplasm were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot analyses, indicating that the CytC-Caspase model might be responsible for the effects of germ cell apoptosis on seasonal spermatogenesis. These results facilitate understanding the regulatory mechanisms of apoptosis during spermatogenesis and uncovering the biological process of the dissociated spermatogenesis system in reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Liu
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Biology and Embryology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Lingling Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Biology and Embryology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Biology and Embryology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Yufei Huang
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Biology and Embryology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Ping Yang
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Biology and Embryology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Nisar Ahmed
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Biology and Embryology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Taozhi Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Biology and Embryology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Biology and Embryology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Qiusheng Chen
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Biology and Embryology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
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15
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Zhu L, McManus MM, Hughes DPM. Understanding the Biology of Bone Sarcoma from Early Initiating Events through Late Events in Metastasis and Disease Progression. Front Oncol 2013; 3:230. [PMID: 24062983 PMCID: PMC3775316 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2013.00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The two most common primary bone malignancies, osteosarcoma (OS), and Ewing sarcoma (ES), are both aggressive, highly metastatic cancers that most often strike teens, though both can be found in younger children and adults. Despite distinct origins and pathogenesis, both diseases share several mechanisms of progression and metastasis, including neovascularization, invasion, anoikis resistance, chemoresistance, and evasion of the immune response. Some of these processes are well-studies in more common carcinoma models, and the observation from adult diseases may be readily applied to pediatric bone sarcomas. Neovascularization, which includes angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, is a clear example of a process that is likely to be similar between carcinomas and sarcomas, since the responding cells are the same in each case. Chemoresistance mechanisms also may be similar between other cancers and the bone sarcomas. Since OS and ES are mesenchymal in origin, the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is largely absent in bone sarcomas, necessitating different approaches to study progression and metastasis in these diseases. One process that is less well-studied in bone sarcomas is dormancy, which allows micrometastatic disease to remain viable but not growing in distant sites – typically the lungs – for months or years before renewing growth to become overt metastatic disease. By understanding the basic biology of these processes, novel therapeutic strategies may be developed that could improve survival in children with OS or ES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Zhu
- Department of Pediatrics - Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston, TX , USA
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16
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Gromova I, Gromov P, Kroman N, Wielenga VT, Simon R, Sauter G, Moreira JMA. Immunoexpression analysis and prognostic value of BLCAP in breast cancer. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45967. [PMID: 23049907 PMCID: PMC3458104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder Cancer Associated Protein (BLCAP, formerly Bc10), was identified by our laboratory as being down-regulated in bladder cancer with progression. BLCAP is ubiquitously expressed in different tissues, and several studies have found differential expression of BLCAP in various cancer types, such as cervical and renal cancer, as well as human tongue carcinoma and osteosarcoma. Here we report the first study of the expression patterns of BLCAP in breast tissue. We analyzed by immunohistochemistry tissue sections of normal and malignant specimens collected from 123 clinical high-risk breast cancer patients within the Danish Center for Translational Breast Cancer Research (DCTB) prospective study dataset. The staining pattern, the distribution of the immunostaining, and its intensity were studied in detail. We observed weak immunoreactivity for BLCAP in mammary epithelial cells, almost exclusively localizing to the cytoplasm and found that levels of expression of BLCAP were generally higher in malignant cells as compared to normal cells. Quantitative IHC analysis of BLCAP expression in breast tissues confirmed this differential BLCAP expression in tumor cells, and we could establish, in a 62-patient sample matched cohort, that immunostaining intensity for BLCAP was increased in tumors relative to normal tissue, in more than 45% of the cases examined, indicating that BLCAP may be of value as a marker for breast cancer. We also analyzed BLCAP expression and prognostic value using a set of tissue microarrays comprising an independent cohort of 2,197 breast cancer patients for which we had follow-up clinical information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Gromova
- Cancer Proteomics, Genome Integrity Unit, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Danish Centre for Translational Breast Cancer Research (DCTB), Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail: (JM); (IG)
| | - Pavel Gromov
- Cancer Proteomics, Genome Integrity Unit, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Danish Centre for Translational Breast Cancer Research (DCTB), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Kroman
- Department of Breast Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vera Timmermans Wielenga
- Danish Centre for Translational Breast Cancer Research (DCTB), Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Pathology, the Centre of Diagnostic Investigations, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ronald Simon
- Department of Pathology, Diagnostic Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Guido Sauter
- Department of Pathology, Diagnostic Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - José M. A. Moreira
- Cancer Proteomics, Genome Integrity Unit, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Danish Centre for Translational Breast Cancer Research (DCTB), Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section of Pathobiology and Sino-Danish Breast Cancer Research Centre, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail: (JM); (IG)
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17
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Chan XHD, Nama S, Gopal F, Rizk P, Ramasamy S, Sundaram G, Ow GS, Ivshina AV, Tanavde V, Haybaeck J, Kuznetsov V, Sampath P. Targeting glioma stem cells by functional inhibition of a prosurvival oncomiR-138 in malignant gliomas. Cell Rep 2012; 2:591-602. [PMID: 22921398 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2012.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2011] [Revised: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/27/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant gliomas are the most aggressive forms of brain tumors, associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Recurrence and tumorigenesis are attributed to a subpopulation of tumor-initiating glioma stem cells (GSCs) that are intrinsically resistant to therapy. Initiation and progression of gliomas have been linked to alterations in microRNA expression. Here, we report the identification of microRNA-138 (miR-138) as a molecular signature of GSCs and demonstrate a vital role for miR-138 in promoting growth and survival of bona fide tumor-initiating cells with self-renewal potential. Sequence-specific functional inhibition of miR-138 prevents tumorsphere formation in vitro and impedes tumorigenesis in vivo. We delineate the components of the miR-138 regulatory network by loss-of-function analysis to identify specific regulators of apoptosis. Finally, the higher expression of miR-138 in GSCs compared to non-neoplastic tissue and association with tumor recurrence and survival highlights the clinical significance of miR-138 as a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for treatment of malignant gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Hui Derryn Chan
- Institute of Medical Biology, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore 138648, Singapore
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Herrero-Martin D, Fourtouna A, Niedan S, Riedmann LT, Schwentner R, Aryee DNT. Factors Affecting EWS-FLI1 Activity in Ewing's Sarcoma. Sarcoma 2011; 2011:352580. [PMID: 22135504 PMCID: PMC3216314 DOI: 10.1155/2011/352580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2011] [Revised: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 08/31/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFT) are characterized by specific chromosomal translocations, which give rise to EWS-ETS chimeric proteins. These aberrant transcription factors are the main pathogenic drivers of ESFT. Elucidation of the factors influencing EWS-ETS expression and/or activity will guide the development of novel therapeutic agents against this fatal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Herrero-Martin
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Argyro Fourtouna
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephan Niedan
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lucia T. Riedmann
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Raphaela Schwentner
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Dave N. T. Aryee
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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