Elevated Adenylyl Cyclase 9 Expression Is a Potential Prognostic Biomarker for Patients with Colon Cancer

Biochemical pharmacology of adenylyl cyclases in cancer

Globally, despite extensive research and pharmacological advancement, cancer remains one of the most common causes of mortality. Understanding the signaling pathways involved in cancer progression is essential for the discovery of new drug targets. The adenylyl cyclase (AC) superfamily comprises glycoproteins that regulate intracellular signaling and convert ATP into cyclic AMP, an important second messenger. The present review highlights the involvement of ACs in cancer progression and suppression, broken down for each specific mammalian AC isoform. The precise mechanisms by which ACs contribute to cancer cell proliferation and invasion are not well understood and are variable among cancer types; however, AC overactivation, along with that of downstream regulators, presents a potential target for novel anticancer therapies. The expression patterns of ACs in numerous cancers are discussed. In addition, we highlight inhibitors of AC-related signaling that are currently under investigation, with a focus on possible anti-cancer strategies. Recent discoveries with small molecules regarding more direct modulation AC activity are also discussed in detail. A more comprehensive understanding of different components in AC-related signaling could potentially lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for personalized oncology and might enhance the efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy in the treatment of various cancers.

cAMP-PKA/EPAC signaling and cancer: the interplay in tumor microenvironment

Cancer is a complex disease resulting from abnormal cell growth that is induced by a number of genetic and environmental factors. The tumor microenvironment (TME), which involves extracellular matrix, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), tumor-infiltrating immune cells and angiogenesis, plays a critical role in tumor progression. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a second messenger that has pleiotropic effects on the TME. The downstream effectors of cAMP include cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), exchange protein activated by cAMP (EPAC) and ion channels. While cAMP can activate PKA or EPAC and promote cancer cell growth, it can also inhibit cell proliferation and survival in context- and cancer type-dependent manner. Tumor-associated stromal cells, such as CAF and immune cells, can release cytokines and growth factors that either stimulate or inhibit cAMP production within the TME. Recent studies have shown that targeting cAMP signaling in the TME has therapeutic benefits in cancer. Small-molecule agents that inhibit adenylate cyclase and PKA have been shown to inhibit tumor growth. In addition, cAMP-elevating agents, such as forskolin, can not only induce cancer cell death, but also directly inhibit cell proliferation in some cancer types. In this review, we summarize current understanding of cAMP signaling in cancer biology and immunology and discuss the basis for its context-dependent dual role in oncogenesis. Understanding the precise mechanisms by which cAMP and the TME interact in cancer will be critical for the development of effective therapies. Future studies aimed at investigating the cAMP-cancer axis and its regulation in the TME may provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms of tumorigenesis and lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Sex-Inclined Piwi-Interacting RNAs in Serum Exosomes for Sex Determination in the Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili)

The greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is a gonochoristic fish with no sexual dimorphism in appearance, making sex identification difficult. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) function in transposon silencing and gametogenesis and are involved in various physiological processes, including sex development and differentiation. Exosomal piRNAs can be indicators for the determination of sex and physiological status. In this study, four piRNAs were differentially expressed in both serum exosomes and gonads between male and female greater amberjack. Three piRNAs (piR-dre-32793, piR-dre-5797, and piR-dre-73318) were significantly up-regulated and piR-dre-332 was significantly down-regulated in serum exosomes and gonads of male fish, compared to female fish, consistent with the serum exosomal results. According to the relative expression of four marker piRNAs derived from the serum exosomes of greater amberjack, the highest relative expression of piR-dre-32793, piR-dre-5797, and piR-dre-73318 in seven female fish and that of piR-dre-332 in seven male fish can be used as the standard for sex determination. The method of sex identification can ascertain the sex of greater amberjack by blood collection from the living body, without sacrificing fish. The four piRNAs did not show sex-inclined expression in the hypothalamus, pituitary, heart, liver, intestine, and muscle tissue. A piRNA-target interaction network involving 32 piRNA-mRNA pairs was generated. Sex-related target genes were enriched in sex-related pathways, including oocyte meiosis, transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, and gonadotropin releasing hormone signaling pathway. These results provide a basis for sex determination in greater amberjack and improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying sex development and differentiation in the species.

Mechanistic Clues Provided by Concurrent Changes in the Expression of Genes Encoding the M1 Muscarinic Receptor, β-Catenin Signaling Proteins, and Downstream Targets in Adenocarcinomas of the Colon

Muscarinic receptors (MRs) in the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily are recipients and mediators of parasympathetic neural transmission within the central and enteric nervous systems. MR subtypes, M₁R-M₅R, encoded by CHRM1-CHRM5, expressed widely throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, modulate a range of critical, highly regulated activities in healthy tissue, including secretion, motility, and cellular renewal. CHRM3/M₃R overexpression in colon cancer is associated with increased cell proliferation, metastasis, and a worse outcome, but little is known about the role of the other four muscarinic receptor subtypes. To address this gap in knowledge, we queried the NCI Genomic Data Commons for publicly available TCGA-COAD samples collected from colon tissue. RNA-seq data were collected and processed for all available primary adenocarcinomas paired with adjacent normal colon. In this unbiased analysis, 78 paired samples were assessed using correlation coefficients and univariate linear regressions; gene ontologies were performed on a subset of correlated genes. We detected a consistent pattern of CHRM1 downregulation across colorectal adenocarcinomas. CHRM1 expression levels were positively associated with those for APC and SMAD4, and negatively associated with CTNNB1, the gene for β-catenin, and with coordinate changes in the expression of β-catenin target genes. These findings implicating CHRM1/M₁R as an important deterrent of colon cancer development and progression warrant further exploration.

Construction of prognosis model of bladder cancer based on transcriptome

OBJECTIVE

To screen for prognosis related genes in bladder cancer, and to establish prognosis model of bladder cancer.

METHODS

The clinical information and bladder tissue RNA sequencing data of 406 bladder cancer patients, and the bladder tissue RNA sequencing data of 28 healthy individuals were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database through the UCSC Xena platform. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), univariate Cox regression, LASSO regression analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to screen the prognosis-related genes of bladder cancer and the prognostic model was established. The prognostic model was evaluated with receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve).

RESULTS

A total of 2308 differentially expressed genes related to bladder cancer were obtained from the analysis. Six gene modules were obtained by WGCNA, and 829 genes with significant effect on bladder cancer prognosis were screened out. Univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression analysis showed that 24 genes were related to the prognosis of bladder cancer patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed 9 genes as independent predictors in training set, namely ADCY9, MAFG_DT, EMP1, CAST, PCOLCE2, LTBP1, CSPG4, NXPH4, SLC1A6, which were used to establish the prognosis model of bladder cancer patients. The 3-year survival rates of the high-risk group and the low-risk group in the training set were 31.814% and 59.821%, respectively. The 3-year survival rates of the high-risk group and the low-risk group in the test set were 32.745% and 68.932%, respectively. The areas under the ROC curve of the model for predicting the prognosis of bladder cancer patients in both the training set and the test set were above 0.7.

CONCLUSION

The established model in this study has good predictive ability for the survival of bladder cancer patients.

Transcriptome Analyses Identify a Metabolic Gene Signature Indicative of Antitumor Immunosuppression of EGFR Wild Type Lung Cancers With Low PD-L1 Expression

Purpose

With the development and application of targeted therapies like tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients have achieved remarkable survival benefits in recent years. However, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild-type and low expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) NSCLCs remain unmanageable. Few treatments for these patients exist, and more side effects with combination therapies have been observed. We intended to generate a metabolic gene signature that could successfully identify high-risk patients and reveal its underlying molecular immunology characteristics.

Methods

By identifying the bottom 50% PD-L1 expression level as PD-L1 low expression and removing EGFR mutant samples, a total of 640 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous carcinoma (LUSC) tumor samples and 93 adjacent non-tumor samples were finally extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We identified differentially expressed metabolic genes (DEMGs) by R package limma and the prognostic genes by Univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. The intersect genes between DEMGs and prognostic genes were put into the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalty Cox regression analysis. The metabolic gene signature contained 18 metabolic genes generated and successfully stratified LUAD and LUSC patients into the high-risk and low-risk groups, which was also validated by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Its accuracy was proved by the time-dependent Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), and nomogram. Furthermore, the Single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) and diverse acknowledged methods include XCELL, TIMER, QUANTISEQ, MCPcounter, EPIC, CIBERSORT-ABS, and CIBERSORT revealed its underlying antitumor immunosuppressive status. Besides, its relationship with somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) was also discussed.

Results

It is noteworthy that metabolism reprogramming is associated with the survival of the double-negative LUAD and LUSC patients. The SCNAs and TMB of critical metabolic genes can inhibit the antitumor immune process, which might be a promising therapeutic target.

Cross-Talk Between the Adenylyl Cyclase/cAMP Pathway and Ca2+ Homeostasis

Cyclic AMP and Ca²⁺ are the first second or intracellular messengers identified, unveiling the cellular mechanisms activated by a plethora of extracellular signals, including hormones. Cyclic AMP generation is catalyzed by adenylyl cyclases (ACs), which convert ATP into cAMP and pyrophosphate. By the way, Ca²⁺, as energy, can neither be created nor be destroyed; Ca²⁺ can only be transported, from one compartment to another, or chelated by a variety of Ca²⁺-binding molecules. The fine regulation of cytosolic concentrations of cAMP and free Ca²⁺ is crucial in cell function and there is an intimate cross-talk between both messengers to fine-tune the cellular responses. Cancer is a multifactorial disease resulting from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Frequent cases of cAMP and/or Ca²⁺ homeostasis remodeling have been described in cancer cells. In those tumoral cells, cAMP and Ca²⁺ signaling plays a crucial role in the development of hallmarks of cancer, including enhanced proliferation and migration, invasion, apoptosis resistance, or angiogenesis. This review summarizes the cross-talk between the ACs/cAMP and Ca²⁺ intracellular pathways with special attention to the functional and reciprocal regulation between Orai1 and AC8 in normal and cancer cells.

Transcriptome Based Estrogen Related Genes Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Lung cancer is the tumor with the highest morbidity and mortality, and has become a global public health problem. The incidence of lung cancer in men has declined in some countries and regions, while the incidence of lung cancer in women has been slowly increasing. Therefore, the aim is to explore whether estrogen-related genes are associated with the incidence and prognosis of lung cancer.

Methods

We obtained all estrogen receptor genes and estrogen signaling pathway genes in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and then compared the expression of each gene in tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) separately. Survival analysis was performed of the differentially expressed genes in LUAD and LUSC patients separately. The diagnostic and prognostic values of the candidate genes were validated in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets.

Results

We found 5 estrogen receptor genes and 66 estrogen pathway genes in TCGA. A total of 50 genes were differently expressed between tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues and 6 of the 50 genes were related to the prognosis of LUAD in TCGA. 56 genes were differently expressed between tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues and none of the 56 genes was related to the prognosis of LUSC in TCGA. GEO datasets validated that the 6 genes (SHC1, FKBP4, NRAS, PRKCD, KRAS, ADCY9) had different expression between tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues in LUAD, and 3 genes (FKBP4, KRAS, ADCY9) were related to the prognosis of LUAD.

Conclusions

The expressions of FKBP4 and ADCY9 are related to the pathogenesis and prognosis of LUAD. FKBP4 and ADCY9 may serve as biomarkers in LUAD screening and prognosis prediction in clinical settings.

Assessment of ADCY9 polymorphisms and colorectal cancer risk in the Chinese Han population

BACKGROUND

Recently, ADCY9 has been found to be highly expressed in colon cancer, and high ADCY9 expressionis a poor prognostic factor of colon cancer. However, no study has reported on the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ADCY9 and colorectal cancer risk in the Chinese Han population.

METHODS

To evaluate the association between four ADCY9 SNPs and colorectal cancer risk, we performed a case-control study including 511 colorectal cancer patients and 511 healthy controls. SNPs were genotyped using the Agena MassARRAY platform (Agena Bioscience, San Diego, CA, USA). The distributions of alleles and genotypes frequencies between the case and control groups were compared using chi-squared. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by logistic regression adjusted for age and gender to assess the association between SNPs and colorectal cancer risk.

RESULTS

The overall analysis found that rs2230742 was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (AA versus GG: OR = 3.54, 95% CI = 1.16-10.86, p = 0.027; recessive model: OR = 3.55, 95% CI = 1.16-10.85, p = 0.027). Stratification analysis showed that rs2230742 was associated with an increased rectal cancer risk; rs11076810 was associated with a reduced colorectal cancer risk for age > 59 years. No association was observed between other two SNPs and colorectal cancer risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that ADCY9 polymorphisms (rs2230742 and rs11076810) have an effect on colorectal cancer risk in the Chinese Han population. Future association and functional studies are required to confirm our findings and explore the mechanism of ADCY2 in colorectal cancer.

The ADCY9 genetic variants are associated with glioma susceptibility and patient prognosis

PURPOSE

Genetic factor is a risk factor in glioma occurrence. This study was designed to detect the effect of ADCY9 polymorphisms on glioma risk and prognosis.

METHODS

We performed a case-control study of 1080 participants (584 cases and 496 controls) to assess the relationship of ADCY9 polymorphisms with the risk and prognosis of glioma among the Chinses Han population. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed to evaluate the relationship between ADCY9 variants and glioma risk. The correlation of SNPs with survival was analyzed by the Cox regression model.

RESULTS

Our study showed that rs2230742 and rs2531992 polymorphisms played protective roles in glioma susceptibility (OR 0.65, p = 0.001; OR 0.73, p = 0.038, respectively). While rs2230742 significantly increased the susceptibility of III-V grade glioma patients (OR 1.50, p = 0.036). Haplotype analysis revealed that C_rs879620A_rs2230742A_rs2230741 haplotype was related to a significantly decreased glioma risk (OR 0.65, p = 0.002). Notably, rs2531995 and rs879620 polymorphisms significantly enhanced death risk in high-grade glioma patients (hazard ratio [HR] 1.36, p = 0.041; HR 1.37, p = 0.042; respectively). For rs2230742 and rs2531992 SNPs, glioma patients had a worse prognosis (HR 2.30, p = 0.021; HR 2.30, p = 0.021; respectively). We further observed that age, chemotherapy, and surgical scope can affect the glioma prognosis.

CONCLUSION

We firstly studied the association of ADCY9 variants with glioma risk and prognosis, which might give scientific evidence for exploring the molecular mechanism of glioma.

Comprehensive gene expression profiling of human astrocytes treated with a hepatic encephalopathy-inducible factor, alpha 1-antichymotripsin

Astrocytes are major glial cells that play a critical role in brain homeostasis. Abnormalities in astrocytic function, such as hepatic encephalopathy (HE) during acute liver failure, can result in brain death following brain edema and the associated astrocyte swelling. Recently, we have identified alpha 1-antichymotripsin (ACT) to be a biomarker candidate for HE. ACT induces astrocyte swelling by upregulating aquaporin 4 (AQP4); however, the causal connection between these proteins is not clear yet. In this study, we utilized a microarray profile to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in astrocytes treated with ACT. We then performed Gene Ontology, REACTOME, and the comprehensive resource of mammalian protein complexes (CORUM) enrichment analyses of the identified DEGs. The results of these analyses indicated that the DEGs were enriched in pathways activating adenylate cyclase (AC)-coupled G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and therefore were involved in the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling. These results indicate that ACT may act as a ligand of Gs-GPCRs and subsequently upregulate cAMP. As cAMP is known to upregulate AQP4 in astrocytes, these results suggest that ACT may upregulate AQP4 by activating AC GPCRs and therefore serve as a therapeutic target for acute HE.

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The expression of AQP4 is induced by alpha 1-antichymotripsin dependent activation of adenylate cyclase.

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Combination treatment of alpha 1-antichymotripsin and arginine vasopressin enhance the activation of adenylate cyclase.

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Alpha 1-antichemotripsin might be a therapeutic target for acute hepatic encephalopathy.

Musashi expression in intestinal stem cells attenuates radiation-induced decline in intestinal permeability and survival in Drosophila

Exposure to genotoxic stress by environmental agents or treatments, such as radiation therapy, can diminish healthspan and accelerate aging. We have developed a Drosophila melanogaster model to study the molecular effects of radiation-induced damage and repair. Utilizing a quantitative intestinal permeability assay, we performed an unbiased GWAS screen (using 156 strains from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel) to search for natural genetic variants that regulate radiation-induced gut permeability in adult D. melanogaster. From this screen, we identified an RNA binding protein, Musashi (msi), as one of the possible genes associated with changes in intestinal permeability upon radiation. The overexpression of msi promoted intestinal stem cell proliferation, which increased survival after irradiation and rescued radiation-induced intestinal permeability. In summary, we have established D. melanogaster as an expedient model system to study the effects of radiation-induced damage to the intestine in adults and have identified msi as a potential therapeutic target.

An in silico approach to identify and prioritize miRNAs target sites polymorphisms in colorectal cancer and obesity

Colorectal cancer (CRC) and obesity are linked clinical entities with a series of complex processes being engaged in their development. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in these processes through regulating CRC and obesity‐related genes. This study aimed to develop an in silico approach to systematically identify and prioritize miRNAs target sites polymorphisms in obesity and CRC. Data from genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) were used to retrieve CRC and obesity‐associated variants. The polymorphisms that were resided in experimentally verified or computationally predicted miRNA target sites were retrieved and prioritized using a range of bioinformatics analyses. We found 6284 CRC and 38931 obesity unique variants. For CRC 33 haplotypes variants in 134 interactions were in miRNA targetome, while for obesity we found more than 935 unique interactions. Functionally prioritized SNPs revealed that, SNPs in 153 obesity and 50 CRC unique interactions were have disruptive effects on miRNA:mRNA integration by changing on target RNA secondary structure. Structural accessibility of target sites were decreased in 418 and 103 unique interactions and increased in 516 and 79 interactions, for obesity and CRC, respectively. The miRNA:mRNA hybrid stability was increased in 127 and 17 unique interactions and decreased in 33 and 24 interactions for the effect of obesity and CRC SNPs, respectively. In this study, seven SNPs with 15 interactions and three SNPs with four interactions were prioritized for obesity and CRC, respectively. These SNPs could be used for future studies for finding potential biomarkers for diagnoses, prognosis, or treatment of CRC and obesity.

A model of twenty-three metabolic-related genes predicting overall survival for lung adenocarcinoma

Background

The highest rate of cancer-related deaths worldwide is from lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) annually. Metabolism was associated with tumorigenesis and cancer development. Metabolic-related genes may be important biomarkers and metabolic therapeutic targets for LUAD.

Materials and Methods

In this study, the gleaned cohort included LUAD RNA-SEQ data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and corresponding clinical data (n = 445). The training cohort was utilized to model construction, and data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO, GSE30219 cohort, n = 83; GEO, GSE72094, n = 393) were regarded as a testing cohort and utilized for validation. First, we used a lasso-penalized Cox regression analysis to build a new metabolic-related signature for predicting the prognosis of LUAD patients. Next, we verified the metabolic gene model by survival analysis, C-index, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were utilized to verify the gene signature as an independent prognostic factor. Finally, we constructed a nomogram and performed gene set enrichment analysis to facilitate subsequent clinical applications and molecular mechanism analysis.

Result

Patients with higher risk scores showed significantly associated with poorer survival. We also verified the signature can work as an independent prognostic factor for LUAD survival. The nomogram showed better clinical application performance for LUAD patient prognostic prediction. Finally, KEGG and GO pathways enrichment analyses suggested several especially enriched pathways, which may be helpful for us investigative the underlying mechanisms.

A Case-Control Study of ADCY9 Gene Polymorphisms and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Chinese Han Population

Background: Adenylyl cyclase type 9 (ADCY9) modulates signal transduction by producing the second messenger cyclic AMP. It has been reported that ADCY9 gene polymorphisms were associated with cancer development. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ADCY9 gene polymorphisms could contribute to the susceptibility of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the Chinese Han population.

Methods: In the present study, five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ADCY9 were genotyped using Agena MassARRAY platform in 876 subjects from China. Logistic regression was used to assess the effects of SNPs on HCC risk. Associations were also evaluated for HCC risk stratified by age and gender. False discovery rate (FDR) was used to correct multiple testing.

Results: After adjusting for age and gender, we found a significant relationship between heterozygous genotypes of rs2531995 and HCC risk (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.01–1.77, p = 0.045). ADCY9 rs2230742 had a strong relationship with lower risk of HCC in allele (p = 0.006), co-dominant (p = 0.023), dominant (p = 0.010), and additive (p = 0.006) models. Stratified analysis showed that rs879620 increased HCC risk and rs2230742 was associated with lower risk of HCC in the individuals aged 55 or younger, rs2531992 significantly decreased HCC risk in the elder group (age > 55). For women, rs2230742 and rs2230741 were significantly associated with HCC risk in multiple models (p < 0.05). FDR analysis showed that rs2230742 could protect individuals from HCC risk in the allele model (FDR-p = 0.030). In addition, haplotype analysis indicated that C_rs879620A_rs2230742A_rs2230741 haplotype was a protective factor for HCC (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.50–0.89, p = 0.007, FDR-p = 0.028).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that ADCY9 gene polymorphisms are associated with HCC risk in the Chinese Han population.

An Integrated Genomic Strategy to Identify CHRNB4 as a Diagnostic/Prognostic Biomarker for Targeted Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer

Although many studies have shown the association between smoking and the increased incidence and adverse prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the mechanisms and pharmaceutical targets involved remain unclear. Here, we integrated gene expression signatures, genetic alterations, and survival analyses to identify prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets for smoking HNSCC patients, and we discovered that the FDA-approved drug varenicline inhibits the target for cancer cell migration/invasion. We first identified 18 smoking-related and prognostic genes for HNSCC by using RNA-Seq and clinical follow-up data. One of these genes, CHRNB4 (neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit beta-4), increased the risk of death by approximately threefold in CHRNB4-high expression smokers compared to CHRNB4-low expression smokers (log rank, p = 0.00042; hazard ratio, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.55–5.14), former smokers, and non-smokers. Furthermore, we examined the functional enrichment of co-regulated genes of CHRNB4 and its 246 frequently occurring copy number alterations (CNAs). We found that these genes were involved in promoting angiogenesis, resisting cell death, and sustaining proliferation, and contributed to much worse outcomes for CHRNB4-high patients. Finally, we performed CHRNB4 gene editing and drug inhibition assays, and the results validate these observations. In summary, our study suggests that CHRNB4 is a prognostic indicator for smoking HNSCC patients and provides a potential new therapeutic drug to prevent recurrence or distant metastasis.

Non-coding RNAs and nuclear architecture during epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. On the other hand, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common interstitial lung disease showing a prevalence of 20 new cases per 100,000 persons per year. Despite differences in cellular origin and pathological phenotypes, LC and IPF are lung diseases that share common features, including hyperproliferation of specific cell types in the lung, involvement of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and enhanced activity of signaling pathways, such as tissue growth factor (TGFB), epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), wingless secreted glycoprotein (WNT) signaling, among others. EMT is a process during which epithelial cells lose their cell polarity and cell-cell adhesion, and acquire migratory and invasive properties to become mesenchymal cells. EMT involves numerous morphological hallmarks of hyperproliferative diseases, like cell plasticity, resistance to apoptosis, dedifferentiation and proliferation, thereby playing a central role during organ fibrosis and cancer progression. EMT was considered as an "all-or-none" process. In contrast to these outdated dichotomist interpretations, recent reports suggest that EMT occurs gradually involving different epithelial cell intermediate states with mesenchyme-like characteristics. These cell intermediate states of EMT differ from each other in their cell plasticity, invasiveness and metastatic potential, which in turn are induced by signals from their microenvironment. EMT is regulated by several transcription factors (TFs), which are members of prominent families of master regulators of transcription. In addition, there is increasing evidence for the important contribution of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) to EMT. In our review we highlight articles dissecting the function of different ncRNAs subtypes and nuclear architecture in cell intermediate states of EMT, as well as their involvement in LC and IPF.

Nanometric targeting of type 9 adenylyl cyclase in heart

Adenylyl cyclases (ACs) convert ATP into the classical second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Cardiac ACs, specifically AC5, AC6, and AC9, regulate cAMP signaling controlling functional outcomes such as heart rate, contractility and relaxation, gene regulation, stress responses, and glucose and lipid metabolism. With so many distinct functional outcomes for a single second messenger, the cell creates local domains of cAMP signaling to correctly relay signals. Targeting of ACs to A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) not only localizes ACs, but also places them within signaling nanodomains, where cAMP levels and effects can be highly regulated. Here we will discuss the recent work on the structure, regulation and physiological functions of AC9 in the heart, where it accounts for <3% of total AC activity. Despite the small contribution of AC9 to total cardiac cAMP production, AC9 binds and regulates local PKA phosphorylation of Yotiao-IKs and Hsp20, demonstrating a role for nanometric targeting of AC9.

The chilling of adenylyl cyclase 9 and its translational potential

A recent break-through paper has revealed for the first time the high-resolution, three-dimensional structure of a mammalian trans-membrane adenylyl cyclase (tmAC) obtained by cryo-electronmicroscopy (cryo-EM). Reporting the structure of adenylyl cyclase 9 (AC9) in complex with activated Gsα, the cryo-EM study revealed that AC9 has three functionally interlinked, yet structurally distinct domains. The array of the twelve transmembrane helices is connected to the cytosolic catalytic core by two helical segments that are stabilized through the formation of a parallel coiled-coil. Surprisingly, in the presence of Gsα, the isoform-specific carboxyl-terminal tail of AC9 occludes the forskolin- as well as the active substrate-sites, resulting in marked autoinhibition of the enzyme. As AC9 has the lowest primary sequence homology with the eight further mammalian tmAC paralogues, it appears to be the best candidate for selective pharmacologic targeting. This is now closer to reality as the structural insight provided by the cryo-EM study indicates that all of the three structural domains are potential targets for bioactive agents. The present paper summarizes for molecular physiologists and pharmacologists what is known about the biological role of AC9, considers the potential modes of physiologic regulation, as well as pharmacologic targeting on the basis of the high-resolution cryo-EM structure. The translational potential of AC9 is considered upon highlighting the current state of genome-wide association screens, and the corresponding experimental evidence. Overall, whilst the high- resolution structure presents unique opportunities for the full understanding of the control of AC9, the data on the biological role of the enzyme and its translational potential are far from complete, and require extensive further study.

Epigenetic identification of ADCY4 as a biomarker for breast cancer: an integrated analysis of adenylate cyclases

Aim: To explore the role of adenylyl cyclase isoforms and its epigenetics in cancer. Materials & methods: Adenylyl cyclase expression profiles, epigenetic alterations, prognostic value and molecular networks were assessed by use of public omics datasets. Results: ADCY4 was significantly downregulated in breast cancer. This downregulation was associated with promoter hypermethylation. High ADCY4 expression was correlated with better survival of patients with breast cancer and its different intrinsic subtypes and tumor stages. ADCY4 was shown to be strongly associated with G protein coupled receptors and the downstream cAMP signaling pathway, which was also significantly enriched in newly identified lysophosphatidic acid receptor 4 and glucagon-like peptide-1. Conclusion: ADCY4 may be used as an epigenetic biomarker for breast cancer, as well as a possible target for therapy.

Therapeutic opportunities in colon cancer: Focus on phosphodiesterase inhibitors

Despite novel technologies, colon cancer remains undiagnosed and 25% of patients are diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer. Resistant to chemotherapeutic agents is one of the major problems associated with treating colon cancer which creates the need to develop novel agents targeting towards newer targets. A phosphodiesterase is a group of isoenzyme, which, hydrolyze cyclic nucleotides and thereby lowers intracellular levels of cAMP and cGMP leading to tumorigenic effects. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed increased PDE expression in different types of cancers including colon cancer. cAMP-specific PDE inhibitors increase intracellular cAMP that leads to activation of effector molecules-cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, exchange protein activated by cAMP and cAMP gated ion channels. These molecules regulate cellular responses and exert its anticancer role through different mechanisms including apoptosis, inhibition of angiogenesis, upregulating tumor suppressor genes and suppressing oncogenes. On the other hand, cGMP specific PDE inhibitors exhibit anticancer effects through cGMP dependent protein kinase and cGMP dependent cation channels. Elevation in cGMP works through activation of caspases, suppression of Wnt/b-catenin pathway and TCF transcription leading to inhibition of CDK and survivin. These studies point out towards the fact that PDE inhibition is associated with anti-proliferative, anti-apoptotic and anti-angiogenic pathways involved in its anticancer effects in colon cancer. Thus, inhibition of PDE enzymes can be used as a novel approach to treat colon cancer. This review will focus on cAMP and cGMP signaling pathways leading to tumorigenesis and the use of PDE inhibitors in colon cancer.

Propofol Promotes Activity and Tumor-Killing Ability of Natural Killer Cells in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Colon Cancer

Background

We investigated the effect of propofol on activities and tumor-killing ability of natural killer (NK) cells in patients with colon cancer.

Material/Methods

Twenty colon cancer patients and 20 healthy subjects were included. Peripheral blood (5 ml) was collected from all patients and healthy subjects. NK cells in peripheral blood were separated by negative screening using immunomagnetic beads. Flow cytometry was used to determine expression of activated receptors, inhibitory receptors, killing effector molecules, and proliferation-associated markers on NK cell surfaces. After in vitro treatment with propofol for 24 h, expression of activated receptors, inhibitory receptors, killing effector molecules, and proliferation-associated markers on NK cell surfaces was examined again. In addition, the tumor-killing effect of NK cells was studied by co-culture with K562 cells or colon cancer SW620 cells at a ratio of 1: 1.

Results

The number of NK cells in peripheral blood from colon cancer patients was increased compared with healthy subjects, but activities and proliferation ability of the NK cells were decreased. The tumor-killing effect of NK cells isolated from colon cancer patients was decreased. Of note, propofol promoted activation of NK cells from colon cancer patients. In addition, propofol increased expression of tumor-killing effector molecules by NK cells and the proliferation ability of NK cells. Propofol also enhanced the killing effect of NK cells on colon cancer cells.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates that propofol promotes the activity and tumor-killing ability of NK cells in peripheral blood of patients with colon cancer.

Identification of Core Genes and Key Pathways via Integrated Analysis of Gene Expression and DNA Methylation Profiles in Bladder Cancer

Background

Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common urological malignant tumor. In BC, aberrant DNA methylation is believed to be associated with carcinogenesis. Therefore, the identification of key genes and pathways could help determine the potential molecular mechanisms of BC development.

Material/Methods

Microarray data on gene expression and gene methylation were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Abnormal methylated/expressed genes were analyzed by GEO2R and statistical software R. Gene Ontology term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed using the DAVID database and KOBAS 3.0. STRING and Cytoscape software were used to construct protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks and analyze modules of the PPI network.

Results

A total of 71 hypomethylated/upregulated genes were significantly enriched in cell–cell adhesion and blood vessel development. KEGG pathway analysis highlighted p53 signaling and metabolic pathways. Five core genes in the PPI network were determined: CDH1, DDOST, CASP8, DHX15, and PTPRF. Additionally, 89 hypermethylated/downregulated genes were found. These genes were enriched mostly in cell adhesion and signal transduction. KEGG pathway analysis revealed enrichment in focal adhesion. The top 5 core genes in the PPI network were GNG4, ADCY9, NPY, ADRA2B, and PENK. We found most of the core genes were also significantly altered in the Cancer Genome Atlas database.

Conclusions

Abnormal methylated/expressed genes and key signaling pathways involved in BC were identified through integrated bioinformatics analysis. In the future, these genes may serve as biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic targets in BC.