Expression of Fibroblast Growth Factor 5 (FGF5) and Its Influence on Survival of Breast Cancer Patients

Identifcation of the FGF family as therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers in the microenvironment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Almost 90 % of head and neck malignancies are malignant squamous cell cancers, making it the sixth most common malignancy in the developing countries, with an overall five-year overall survival rate about 40 %-50 %. Early diagnosis and treatment can bring a better prognosis. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is an important polypeptide in vivo. Studies have found that FGF signal has carcinogenic potential and participates in a variety of carcinogenic behaviors. Some experiments have proved that FGF signal has the function of tumor inhibition in some cases, and the role of FGF signalling in tissue repair and homeostasis suggest a role for FGF in targeted therapy and prognosis. However, its manifestation and predictive role in HNSC have not been clearly defined.

METHODS

Genome-wide expression analysis of Oncomine evaluated the evaluation of FGF family expression in HNSC. Expression analysis and HNSC data set were used to obtain FGF family expression data and T statistic was applied for analysis. The differential mRNA expression levels in tumor versus normal tissues, as well as the correlation with pathological staging and prognosis, were examined using the GEPIA single-gene analysis tool for the FGF family.FGF family altered CO expression and network modules were obtained from cBioportal and analyzed in 520 HNSC samples.Pro-protein interaction (PPI) flow network is performed on the differentially ordered FGF clusters using STRING, Gene Operating System (GO) domain domain enrichment as well as Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis are performed on the FGF cluster and its neighbouring genes using DAVID6.8, key transcriptional factors (TF) of FGF family was analyzed by TRRUST, correlation between FGF family level and autoimmune cell migration was evaluated by TIMER, and biological analysis of FGF family kinase target enrichment was performed using LinkInterpreter.

RESULTS

Only the expression of FGF6 in HNSC was down-regulated in all FGF family(FC=2),Transcriptional level of FGF1, FGF2, FGF5, FGF7-14, FGF17-19, FGF21 and FGF22 was upregulated in HNSC .In terms of the relative level of FGF family in HNSC, the greatest amount of FGF11. In different pathological stages of HNSC, the expression of FGF was meaningless (P>0.05), and FGF3-6, FGF8-10, FGF14, FGF16, FGF17, FGF1921, FGF23 showed no significant difference in different HNSC stages. Low expression of FGF5 and high expression of FGF22 had low overall survival(OS) rate of HNSC(P =0.012, P =0.0015). In addition, enrichment analysis of FGF family in HNSC showed that it was highly abundant in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK and rasper pathway. Our data showed that ATF4, STAT, RELA, NFKB1 are key transcription target of the FGF family, NLK, LOCK1, LYN, ZAP70, MAP2K3, RPS6KA4, AURKB, ATR, ROCK1, MYLK2, CAMK2A, EGFR, MAPK3, MAP3K8, SYK, LCK, HCK, PKN2, RPS6KA1, BUB1, CDK5, ITK, FYN, TBK1, ATM, CDK2, PTK2 are kinase targets of the FGF family. We identified a relationship between the modulation of FGF expression and cellular infiltration, such as B lymphocytes, CD4+ T cells and macrophages dendritic cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data may shed new light on the choice of immunotherapeutic targets and predictive biomarkers in HNSC.

A novel 22-bp InDel within FGF7 gene is significantly associated with growth traits in goat

Fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7) is involved in lipid metabolism, which is considered as a candidate gene with close relation with muscle development by eGWAs and RNA-Seq analyses. To date, limited research has been conducted on the relationship between FGF7 gene and growth traits. The main objective of this work was to further investigate the association between novel InDel within FGF7 gene and growth traits in goat. Herein, FGF7 mRNA expression levels were investigated in various Fuqing goat tissues. We found that FGF7 gene was expressed in six adult goat tissues with the highest mRNA levels in adipose tissue. This result suggested that FGF7 gene might play a critical role in fat deposition. We also detected potential polymorphisms in Fuqing, Nubian and Jianyang Daer breeds. A 22-bp InDel polymorphism in FGF7 gene was detected in 396 goats and the three genotypes were designated as II, ID, and DD. Correlation analysis revealed that InDel polymorphism was significantly associated with growth traits (P < 0.05). Goats with genotypes ID and/or II had superior growth traits compared to those with genotype DD. In summary, our findings suggested that the 22-bp InDel within FGF7 gene could act as a molecular marker to improve the growth traits of goats in breeding programs.

Screening the critical protein subnetwork to delineate potential mechanisms and protective agents associated with arsenic-induced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: A toxicogenomic study

Recent studies show that complex mechanisms are involved in arsenic-induced malignant transformation of cells. This study aimed to decipher molecular mechanisms associated with arsenic-induced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and suggest potential protective factors. RNA-seq-based differentially expressed genes between arsenic-exposed human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and controls were used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and discover critical subnetwork-based mechanisms. Protective compounds against arsenic toxicity were determined and their target interactions in the core sub-network were identified by the comparative toxicogenomic database (CTD). The binding affinity between the effective factor and target was calculated by molecular docking. A total of 15 key proteins were screened out as critical arsenic-responsive subnetwork (FN1, IL-1A, CCN2, PECAM1, FGF5, EDN1, FGF1, PXDN, DNAJB9, XBP1, ERN1, PDIA4, DNAJB11, FOS, PDIA6) and 7 effective protective agents were identified (folic acid, quercetin, zinc, acetylcysteine, methionine, catechin, selenium). The GeneMANIA predicted detailed interactions of the subnetwork and revealed terms related to unfolded protein response as the main processes. FN1, IL1A and CCN2, as top significant genes, had good docking affinity with folic acid and quercetin, as selected key compounds. Integration of gene expression and protein-protein interaction related to arsenic exposure in cSCC explored the potential mechanisms and protective agents.

A rare FGF5 candidate variant (rs112475347) for predisposition to nonsquamous, nonsmall-cell lung cancer

A unique approach with rare resources was used to identify candidate variants predisposing to familial nonsquamous nonsmall-cell lung cancers (NSNSCLC). We analyzed sequence data from NSNSCLC-affected cousin pairs belonging to high-risk lung cancer pedigrees identified in a genealogy of Utah linked to statewide cancer records to identify rare, shared candidate predisposition variants. Variants were tested for association with lung cancer risk in UK Biobank. Evidence for linkage with lung cancer was also reviewed in families from the Genetic Epidemiology of Lung Cancer Consortium. Protein prediction modeling compared the mutation with reference. We sequenced NSNSCLC-affected cousin pairs from eight high-risk lung cancer pedigrees and identified 66 rare candidate variants shared in the cousin pairs. One variant in the FGF5 gene also showed significant association with lung cancer in UKBiobank. This variant was observed in 3/163 additional sampled Utah lung cancer cases, 2 of whom were related in another independent pedigree. Modeling of the predicted protein predicted a second binding site for SO4 that may indicate binding differences. This unique study identified multiple candidate predisposition variants for NSNSCLC, including a rare variant in FGF5 that was significantly associated with lung cancer risk and that segregated with lung cancer in the two pedigrees in which it was observed. FGF5 is an oncogenic factor in several human cancers, and the mutation found here (W81C) changes the binding ability of heparan sulfate to FGF5, which might lead to its deregulation. These results support FGF5 as a potential NSNSCLC predisposition gene and present additional candidate predisposition variants.

The two-component system CpxA/CpxR is critical for full virulence in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, a major bacterial porcine respiratory tract pathogen causing pig pleuropneumonia, has resulted in high economic losses worldwide. The mutation of the two-component system CpxAR strongly impacted the virulence of A. pleuropneumoniae, but the underlying regulatory mechanism remained unclear. Here, we found that CpxAR positively regulated the cpxDCBA gene cluster involved in polysaccharide capsule export. A capsular layer was confirmed in wild-type cells by transmission electron microscopy, whereas cpxAR and cpxD mutants were non-capsulated. The mutants for polysaccharide capsule export gene cpxD exhibited non-capsulated and were strongly impaired in virulence for mice, indicating a major role of CPS export system in virulence. We then demonstrated that CpxR directly regulated the transcription of the CPS export gene cluster cpxDCBA. Taken together, our data suggested that CpxAR is a key modulator of capsule export that facilitates A. pleuropneumoniae survival in the host.

miR‑491‑3p functions as a tumor suppressor in non‑small cell lung cancer by targeting fibroblast growth factor 5

The present study aimed to identify the function of miR-491-3p in regulating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from 43 patients with NSCLC. A549 and H1299 cells were transfected with microRNA (miR)-491-3p mimic, mimic negative control (NC), miR-491-3p inhibitor, inhibitor NC, pcDNA3.1-FGF5 vector and control vector. Cell counting kit-8 assay and Edu experiments were performed to assess cell viability and proliferation. Matrigel experiment, wound healing assay and flow cytometric analysis were performed to explore cell invasion, migration and apoptosis, respectively. A dual-luciferase reporter experiment was performed to identify the relationship between miR-491-3p and fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5). In vivo study was conducted by using nude mice. The miR-491-3p and FGF5 protein expression levels were investigated using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. In NSCLC tumor tissues, miR-491-3p was downregulated and FGF5 was upregulated (P<0.01). Low miR-491-3p expression and high FGF5 mRNA expression was associated with poor outcomes in patients, including advanced TNM stage and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). upregulation of miR-491-3p suppressed viability, proliferation, invasion and migration of NSCLC cells; however, it promoted apoptosis (P<0.01). FGF5 was a target gene for miR-491-3p. miR-491-3p directly inhibited FGF5 expression. upregulation of FGF5 significantly reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-491-3p on malignant phenotypes of NSCLC cells (P<0.01). miR-491-3p overexpression suppressed the in vivo growth of NSCLC. Thus, it was identified that miR-491-3p functions as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC by directly targeting FGF5.

Circ_0041732 regulates tumor properties of triple-negative breast cancer cells by the miR-149-5p/FGF5 pathway

BACKGROUND

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancers with a high recurrence and mortality. The important factors promoting the TNBC process have not been fully identified. In this research, the role of a TNBC-related circular RNA (circRNA), circ_0041732, was revealed in TNBC cell tumor properties.

METHODS

The expression levels of circ_0041732, microRNA-149-5p (miR-149-5p) and fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The protein expression was determined by Western blot analysis or immunohistochemistry assay. Cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 and cell colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry and caspase-3 activity assays. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by wound-healing and transwell invasion assays. Cell angiogenic capacity was investigated by a tube formation assay. The targeting relationship between miR-149-5p and circ_0041732 or FGF5 was identified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. The impacts of circ_0041732 knockdown on tumor formation were determined by an in vivo assay.

RESULTS

Circ_0041732 and FGF5 expression were significantly upregulated, whereas miR-149-5p was downregulated in TNBC tissues and cells compared with normal breast tissues and cells, respectively. Circ_0041732 silencing inhibited TNBC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation, but induced apoptosis. Additionally, circ_0041732 regulated TNBC cell tumor properties by binding to miR-149-5p. MiR-149-5p also modulated TNBC cell tumor properties by targeting FGF5. Furthermore, circ_0041732 knockdown hindered tumor formation in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Circ_0041732 silencing suppressed TNBC cell tumor properties by decreasing FGF5 expression through miR-149-5p. This finding demonstrated that circ_0041732 had the potential as a therapeutic target for TNBC.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor signalling dysregulation and targeting in breast cancer

Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) signalling plays a critical role in breast embryonal development, tissue homeostasis, tumorigenesis and metastasis. FGFR, its numerous FGF ligands and signalling partners are often dysregulated in breast cancer progression and are one of the causes of resistance to treatment in breast cancer. Furthermore, FGFR signalling on epithelial cells is affected by signals from the breast microenvironment, therefore increasing the possibility of breast developmental abnormalities or cancer progression. Increasing our understanding of the multi-layered roles of the complex family of FGFRs, their ligands FGFs and their regulatory partners may offer novel treatment strategies for breast cancer patients, as a single agent or rational co-target, which will be explored in depth in this review.

Validation of MicroRNA-188-5p Inhibition Power on Tumor Cell Proliferation in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Given the crucial role of microRNAs in the cellular proliferation of various types of cancers, we aimed to analyze the expression and function of a cellular proliferation-associated miR-188-5p in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Here we demonstrate that miR-188-5p is downregulated in PTC tumor tissues compared with the associated noncancerous tissues. We also validate that the miR-188-5p overexpression suppressed the PTC cancer cell proliferation. In addition, fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) is observed to be downregulated in the PTC tumor tissues compared with the associated noncancerous tissues. Subsequently, FGF5 is identified as the direct functional target of miR-188-5p. Moreover, the silencing of FGF5 was found to inhibit PTC cell proliferation, which is the same pattern as miR-188-5p overexpression. These results suggest that miR-188-5p-associated silencing of FGF5 inhibits tumor cell proliferation in PTC. It also highlights the importance of further evaluating miR-188-5p as a potential biomarker and therapy target in PTC.

Comprehensive analysis based on DNA methylation and RNA-seq reveals hypermethylation of the up-regulated WT1 gene with potential mechanisms in PAM50 subtypes of breast cancer

Background

Breast cancer (BC), one of the most widespread cancers worldwide, caused the deaths of more than 600,000 women in 2018, accounting for about 15% of all cancer-associated deaths in women that year. In this study, we aimed to discover potential prognostic biomarkers and explore their molecular mechanisms in different BC subtypes using DNA methylation and RNA-seq.

Methods

We downloaded the DNA methylation datasets and the RNA expression profiles of primary tissues of the four BC molecular subtypes (luminal A, luminal B, basal-like, and HER2-enriched), as well as the survival information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The highly expressed and hypermethylated genes across all the four subtypes were screened. We examined the methylation sites and the downstream co-expressed genes of the selected genes and validated their prognostic value using a different dataset (GSE20685). For selected transcription factors, the downstream genes were predicted based on the Gene Transcription Regulation Database (GTRD). The tumor microenvironment was also evaluated based on the TCGA dataset.

Results

We found that Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1), a transcription factor, was highly expressed and hypermethylated in all the four BC subtypes. All the WT1 methylation sites exhibited hypermethylation. The methylation levels of the TSS200 and 1stExon regions were negatively correlated with WT1 expression in two BC subtypes, while that of the gene body region was positively associated with WT1 expression in three BC subtypes. Patients with low WT1 expression had better overall survival (OS). Five genes including COL11A1, GFAP, FGF5, CD300LG, and IGFL2 were predicted as the downstream genes of WT1. Those five genes were dysregulated in the four BC subtypes. Patients with a favorable 6-gene signature (low expression of WT1 and its five predicted downstream genes) exhibited better OS than that with an unfavorable 6-gene signature. We also found a correlation between WT1 and tamoxifen using STITCH. Higher infiltration rates of CD8 T cells, plasma cells, and monocytes were found in the lower quartile WT1 group and the favorable 6-gene signature group. In conclusion, we demonstrated that WT1 is hypermethylated and up-regulated in the four BC molecular subtypes and a 6-gene signature may predict BC prognosis.

FGF/FGFR signaling in health and disease

Growing evidences suggest that the fibroblast growth factor/FGF receptor (FGF/FGFR) signaling has crucial roles in a multitude of processes during embryonic development and adult homeostasis by regulating cellular lineage commitment, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis of various types of cells. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of FGF signaling and its roles in organ development, injury repair, and the pathophysiology of spectrum of diseases, which is a consequence of FGF signaling dysregulation, including cancers and chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this context, the agonists and antagonists for FGF-FGFRs might have therapeutic benefits in multiple systems.

Bioinformatics analysis of aberrantly expressed exosomal lncRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (CAL-27 vs. oral epithelial) cells

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent form of malignant tumour in the oral cavity and its early detection is critical for improving the prognosis of affected patients. The present study aimed to isolate and confirm exosomes derived from the supernatant of the OSCC cell line CAL-27 and human oral epithelial cells (HOECs), analyze long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiles and determine the diagnostic value based on bioinformatics analyses. The results indicated that the particles isolated from the supernatant of CAL-27 and HOECs were either round or oval, had a size range of 30–150 nm and were enriched with ALG-2 interacting protein X (ALIX) and tumour susceptibility 101 proteins (TSG101). These characteristics confirmed that these particles were exosomes. Three lncRNAs (NR-026892.1, NR-126435.1 and NR-036586.1) were selected as potential diagnostic biomarkers for OSCC. The expression levels of the selected lncRNAs were significantly different in CAL-27-exo vs. HOEC-exo, as well as in whole cells (CAL-27 vs. HOECs) (P<0.001). The expression levels of the three lncRNAs confirmed by quantitative PCR were consistent with the sequencing data. In conclusion, various lncRNAs were aberrantly expressed between cancerous and non-cancerous exosomes, suggesting that they may serve as biomarkers for cancer.

A Computational Statistics Approach to Evaluate Blood Biomarkers for Breast Cancer Risk Stratification

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality among women. Mammography and tumor biopsy followed by histopathological analysis are the current methods to diagnose breast cancer. Mammography does not detect all breast tumor subtypes, especially those that arise in younger women or women with dense breast tissue, and are more aggressive. There is an urgent need to find circulating prognostic molecules and liquid biopsy methods for breast cancer diagnosis and reducing the mortality rate. In this study, we systematically evaluated metabolites and proteins in blood to develop a pipeline to identify potential circulating biomarkers for breast cancer risk. Our aim is to identify a group of molecules to be used in the design of portable and low-cost biomarker detection devices. We obtained plasma samples from women who are cancer free (healthy) and women who were cancer free at the time of blood collection but developed breast cancer later (susceptible). We extracted potential prognostic biomarkers for breast cancer risk from plasma metabolomics and proteomics data using statistical and discriminative power analyses. We pre-processed the data to ensure the quality of subsequent analyses, and used two main feature selection methods to determine the importance of each molecule. After further feature elimination based on pairwise dependencies, we measured the performance of logistic regression classifier on the remaining molecules and compared their biological relevance. We identified six signatures that predicted breast cancer risk with different specificity and selectivity. The best performing signature had 13 factors. We validated the difference in level of one of the biomarkers, SCF/KITLG, in plasma from healthy and susceptible individuals. These biomarkers will be used to develop low-cost liquid biopsy methods toward early identification of breast cancer risk and hence decreased mortality. Our findings provide the knowledge basis needed to proceed in this direction.

High Expression of FGF5 Is an Independent Prognostic Factor for Poor Overall Survival and Relapse-Free Survival in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer is not only a serious disease but also a public problem threatening human health all over the world. Nonsmall cell lung cancer-which accounts for the majority of lung cancer-is mainly composed of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). FGF5 is a gene located in q21.21. In the past years, research on FGF5 is mainly focused on hair length and hereditary spherocytosis. In our study, bioinformatics analysis of FGF5 was performed through multiple databases. Expression of FGF5 was compared between tumor and normal tissues, association between gene expression and clinical outcomes was investigated in LUAD and LUSC separately, and potential signaling pathways were predicted. FGF5 expression was upregulated in lung cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. What is more, the high FGF5 expression group had significantly lower proportions of lymph node negative (N0) patients (77/144, 53.5%, vs. 253/358, 70.7%, p = 0.000), and is associated with worse overall survival (OS) (p < 0.0001) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.024) in LUAD patients, which could not be seen in LUSC. The following analysis confirmed that high FGF5 expression could be an independent prognostic factor for poor OS (HR: 0.431, 95% CI: 0.312-0.597, p = 0.001) and RFS (HR: 0.678, 95% CI: 0.471-0.977, p = 0.037) in LUAD, but not in LUSC. Coexpression genes related to FGF5 were explored and potential pathways were investigated for further research. FGF5 is a tumor-associated gene that upregulated in lung cancer tissues, and could be an independent prognostic factor that have potential value for further research.

FGF5 methylation is a sensitivity marker of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to definitive chemoradiotherapy

Definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) is the major treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and prediction of the response to dCRT is important so as not to miss an opportunity to cure an ESCC. Nevertheless, few validated markers are available. Here, we aimed to identify a highly reproducible marker using multi-layer omics analysis. 117 ESCC samples from 67 responders and 50 non-responders were divided into screening, validation, and re-validation sets. In the screening cohort (n = 41), somatic mutations in 114 genes showed no association with dCRT response. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array identified four genic regions significantly associated with dCRT response. Among them, FGF5 methylation was validated to be associated with dCRT response (n = 34; P = 0.001), and further re-validated (n = 42; P = 0.020) by bisulfite-pyrosequencing. The sensitivity and specificity in the combined validation and re-validation sets (n = 76) were 45% and 90%, respectively, by using the cut-off value established in the screening set, and FGF5 methylation had predictive power independent from clinicopathological parameters. In ESCC cell lines, FGF5 promoter methylation repressed its expression. FGF5 expression was induced by cisplatin (CDDP) treatment in three unmethylated cell lines, but not in two methylated cell lines. Exogenous FGF5 overexpression in a cell line with its methylation conferred resistance to CDDP. In non-cancerous esophageal tissues, FGF5 was not expressed, and its methylation was present in a small fraction of cells. These results showed that FGF5 methylation is a validated marker for ESCC sensitivity to dCRT.