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Dong QQ, Yang Y, Tao H, Lu C, Yang JJ. m6A epitranscriptomic and epigenetic crosstalk in liver fibrosis: Special emphasis on DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs. Cell Signal 2024; 122:111302. [PMID: 39025344 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a pathological process caused by a variety of chronic liver diseases. Currently, therapeutic options for liver fibrosis are very limited, highlighting the urgent need to explore new treatment approaches. Epigenetic modifications and epitranscriptomic modifications, as reversible regulatory mechanisms, are involved in the development of liver fibrosis. In recent years, researches in epitranscriptomics and epigenetics have opened new perspectives for understanding the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. Exploring the epigenetic mechanisms of liver fibrosis may provide valuable insights into the development of new therapies for chronic liver diseases. This review primarily focus on the regulatory mechanisms of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, non-coding RNA, and DNA methylation in organ fibrosis. It discusses the interactions between m6A modification and DNA methylation, as well as between m6A modification and non-coding RNA, providing a reference for understanding the interplay between epitranscriptomics and epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Qi Dong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China; School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Suzhou Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Suzhou 215153, China
| | - Hui Tao
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China.
| | - Chao Lu
- First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan 232001, China.
| | - Jing-Jing Yang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China.
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Li Z, Ma Y, Fan C, Jiang H. The circAno6/miR-296-3p/TLR4 signaling axis mediates the inflammatory response to induce the activation of hepatic stellate cells. Gene 2024; 920:148497. [PMID: 38677350 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel functional non-coding RNA(ncRNA) that plays a role in the occurrence and development of multiple human liver diseases, including liver fibrosis (LF). LF is a reversible repair response after liver injury, and the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the core event. However, the regulatory mechanisms by which circRNAs induce the activation of HSCs in LF are still poorly understood. The circAno6/miR-296-3p/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling axis that mediates the inflammatory response and causes the activation of HSCs was investigated in this study. METHODS First, a circAno6 overexpression plasmid and small interfering RNA were transfected into cells to determine whether circAno6 can affect the function of HSCs. Second, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) were used to detect the effects of circAno6 plasmid/siRNA transfection on HSC activation indices, inflammatory markers and the circAno6/miR-296-3p/TLR4 signaling axis. The subcellular position of circAno6 was then examined by nucleo-cytoplasmic separation and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Finally, a luciferase reporter gene assay was used to identify the relationship between circAno6 and miR-296-3p as well as the relationship between miR-296-3p and TLR4. RESULTS CircAno6 was considerably upregulated in HSCs and positively correlated with cell proliferation and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I, NOD-likereceptorthermalproteindomainassociatedprotein 3 (NLRP3), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) expression. Overexpression of circAno6 increased the inflammatory response and induced HSC activation, whereas interference resulted in the opposite effects. FISH experiments revealed the localization of circAno6 in the cytoplasm. Then, a double luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-296-3p significantly inhibited luciferase activity in the circAno6-WT and TLR4-WT groups. CONCLUSION This study suggests that circAno6 and miR-296-3p/TLR4 may form a regulatory axis and regulate the inflammatory response, which in turn induces HSC activation. Targeting circAno6 may be a potential therapeutic strategy to treat LF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Li
- Experimental Center of Clinical Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui Province 230031, China; School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui Province 230012, China
| | - Yanzhen Ma
- Experimental Center of Clinical Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui Province 230031, China; School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui Province 230012, China
| | - Chang Fan
- Experimental Center of Clinical Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui Province 230031, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- Experimental Center of Clinical Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui Province 230031, China; School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui Province 230012, China.
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PMEPA1 Serves as a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlates with Immune Infiltrates in Cervical Cancer. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:4510462. [PMID: 35497877 PMCID: PMC9045981 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4510462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies have demonstrated that Prostate transmembrane protein androgen induced 1 (PMEPA1) plays crucial roles in the carcinogenesis of many developing human tumors. However, the clinical significance of PMEPA1 expression in cervical cancer (CC) and its contribution to cancer immunity have not been investigated. In this study, we identified PMEPA1 as a survival-related gene in CC based on TCGA datasets. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that PMEPA1 expression was an independent predictor for overall survival in CC patients. We could observe a strong negative correlation between PMEPA1 expression and PMEPA1 methylation. Two CpG sites of PMEPA1 were associated with overall survival, and one CpG site of PMEPA1 was associated with progression-free survival. The low level of PMEPA1 methylation was associated with advanced clinical stage of CC patients. KEGG assays revealed the genes associated with PMEPA1 expression were mainly enriched in several tumor-related pathways. Increased PMEPA1 expressions were observed to be positively related to high immune infiltration levels in several immune cells. Finally, the pan-cancer assays revealed that PMEPA1 expression was associated with the overall survival of UVM, PAAD, LUSC, BLCA, CESC, and LUAD. Taken together, PMEPA1 is a prognosis-related biomarker for multiple cancer types, especially CC. PMEPA1 is involved in tumor immunity, suggesting PMEPA1 may be a potential immunotherapeutic target in CC.
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Yang Y, Lei W, Jiang S, Ding B, Wang C, Chen Y, Shi W, Wu Z, Tian Y. CircRNAs: Decrypting the novel targets of fibrosis and aging. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 70:101390. [PMID: 34118443 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fibrosis is a typical aging-related pathological process involving almost all organs. It is usually initiated by organic injury and leads to the gradual decline of organ function or even loss. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are being hailed as a newly rediscovered class of covalently closed transcripts without a 5' cap or 3' tail which draw increasing attention. In particular, circRNAs have been identified to be involved in the multifaceted processes of fibrosis in various organs, including the heart, liver, lung, and kidney. As more and more circRNAs are functionally characterized, they have become novel therapies for fibrosis. In this review, we systematically summarized current studies regarding the roles of circRNAs in fibrosis and shed light on the basis of circRNAs as a potential treatment for fibrosis.
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Wang X, Ma R, Shi W, Wu Z, Shi Y. Emerging roles of circular RNAs in systemic lupus erythematosus. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 24:212-222. [PMID: 33767917 PMCID: PMC7973136 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with covalently closed single-stranded structures lacking 5'-3' polarity and a polyadenine tail. Over recent years, a growing body of studies have been conducted to explore the roles of circRNAs in human diseases. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a severe autoimmune disorder characterized by the presence of autoantibodies and excessive inflammation, which impact multiple organs. Recent advances have begun to shed light on the roles of circRNAs in SLE, providing fresh insights into the pathogenesis of SLE and the latent capacity for translation into clinical applications. Here, we briefly introduce these "star molecules" and summarize their roles in SLE. In addition, we outline the limitations of the current studies and raise prospects for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China.,Institute of Psoriasis, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Ma
- Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weimin Shi
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhouwei Wu
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuling Shi
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China.,Institute of Psoriasis, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Kui L, Tang M. Overview of Computational Methods and Resources for Circular RNAs. SYSTEMS MEDICINE 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801238-3.11638-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Chen Y, Yuan B, Chen G, Zhang L, Zhuang Y, Niu H, Zeng Z. Circular RNA RSF1 promotes inflammatory and fibrotic phenotypes of irradiated hepatic stellate cell by modulating miR-146a-5p. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:8270-8282. [PMID: 31960423 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The role of circular RNA (circRNA) in radiation-induced liver disease (RILD) remains largely unknown. In this study, Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (RAC1) was elevated in irradiated human hepatic stellate cell (HSC) line LX2, the important effector cell mediating RILD. Overexpression of RAC1 promotes cell proliferation, proinflammatory cytokines production, and α-smooth muscle actin expression, which were blocked by microRNA (miR)-146a-5p mimics. CircRNA RSF1 (circRSF1) was upregulated in irradiated LX2 cells and predicted to harbor binding site for miR-146a-5p. Biotinylated-RNA pull down and dual-luciferase reporter detection confirmed the direct interaction of circRSF1 and miR-146a-5p. Enforced expression of circRSF1 increased RAC1 expression by acting as miR-146a-5p sponge to inhibit miR-146a-5p activity, and thus enhanced the cell viability, and promoted inflammatory and fibrotic phenotype of irradiated LX2 cells. These findings indicate a functional regulatory axis composing of circRSF1, miR-146a-5p, and RAC1 in irradiated HSC, which may provide attractive therapeutic targets for RILD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baoying Yuan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Genwen Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Zhuang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Niu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaochong Zeng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Jiang X, Ning Q. Circular RNAs as novel regulators, biomarkers and potential therapies in fibrosis. Epigenomics 2019; 11:1107-1116. [DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis is the excess deposition of extracellular matrix components which ultimately leads to the disruption of organ architecture and loss of function. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a newly discovered type of long noncoding RNAs with single-stranded covalently closed loops. It is known that circRNAs are novel regulators of gene expression via various ways, including miRNA sponge, protein sponge, regulation of transcription and post transcription. Recently, a growing body of evidence suggests that circular RNAs are also involved in tissue fibrosis in several organs. In this review, we summarized current studies of circular RNAs in fibrosis and hopefully aid in better understanding the molecular mechanism of fibrosis and provide a basis to explore new therapeutic targets of fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Qilan Ning
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
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