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ZHUANG MING, ZHANG XUE, LI LU, WEN LIMING, QIN JIAMIN. Tmem39b promotes tumor progression and sorafenib resistance by inhibiting ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Res 2024; 32:1347-1357. [PMID: 39055886 PMCID: PMC11267073 DOI: 10.32604/or.2024.046170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a significant threat to human health. Resistance to sorafenib in the chemotherapy of HCC is a common and significant issue that profoundly impacts clinical treatment. While several members of the transmembrane (TMEM) protein family have been implicated in the occurrence and progression of HCC, the association between TMEM39b and HCC remains unexplored. This study revealed a significant overexpression of TMEM39b in HCC, which correlated with a poor prognosis. Subsequent investigation revealed that RAS-selective lethal 3 (RSL3) induced pronounced ferroptosis in HCC, and knocking down the expression of TMEM39b significantly decreased its severity. Similarly, following the induction of ferroptosis in HCC by sorafenib, knocking down the expression of TMEM39b also decreased the severity of ferroptosis, enhancing HCC tolerance to sorafenib. In conclusion, we propose that TMEM39b promotes tumor progression and resistance to sorafenib by inhibiting ferroptosis in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- MING ZHUANG
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sichuan Mianyang 404 Hospital, Mianyang, 621000, China
| | - XUE ZHANG
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sichuan Mianyang 404 Hospital, Mianyang, 621000, China
| | - LU LI
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sichuan Mianyang 404 Hospital, Mianyang, 621000, China
| | - LIMING WEN
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sichuan Mianyang 404 Hospital, Mianyang, 621000, China
| | - JIAMIN QIN
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sichuan Mianyang 404 Hospital, Mianyang, 621000, China
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Tian J, Sun L, Wan L, Zou H, Chen J, Liu F. TMEM44 as a Novel Prognostic Marker for Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma is Associated with Tumor Invasion, Migration and Immune Infiltration. Biochem Genet 2024; 62:1200-1215. [PMID: 37561335 PMCID: PMC11031452 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-023-10466-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Transmembrane (TMEM) proteins are integral membrane proteins that traverse biological membranes. Several members of the TMEM family have been linked to the development and progression of various tumors. However, the specific role and mechanism of TMEM44 in tumor biology remain largely unexplored. In this study, we initially conducted an extensive analysis using the TCGA database to investigate the expression patterns and survival associations of TMEM44 across various human tumors. Subsequently, we focused on KIRC and found a significant correlation between TMEM44 expression and this particular cancer type. To validate our findings, we performed western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays to confirm the expression levels of TMEM44 in KIRC. Following this, we employed a series of functional assays, including CCK8 viability assay, EDU incorporation assay, wound healing assay, and transwell migration assay, to investigate the biological role of TMEM44 in KIRC. We observed a significant upregulation of TMEM44 expression in KIRC, indicating its potential involvement in the pathogenesis of this cancer. We intervened in the expression of TMEM44 in KIRC cells and found significant inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in KIRC cells. Furthermore, our findings indicated that TMEM44 could serve as an independent prognostic factor in KIRC, highlighting its potential clinical significance. Consequently, TMEM44 holds promise as both a prognostic biomarker and a prospective therapeutic target for KIRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Tian
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Lisong Wan
- Department of Organ Transplantation, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, Nanchang, China
| | - Haibin Zou
- Trauma Center, Shangrao People's Hospital, Shangrao, China
| | - Jitao Chen
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
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Mu Y, Zheng D, Peng Q, Wang X, Zhang Y, Yin Y, Wang E, Ye F, Wang J. Integration of single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing to analyze the heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma and establish a prognostic model. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2024; 7:e1935. [PMID: 37994394 PMCID: PMC10809200 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The highly heterogeneous nature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) results in different responses and prognoses to the same treatment in patients with similar clinical stages. AIMS Thus, it is imperative to investigate the association between HCC tumor heterogeneity and treatment response and prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS At first, we downloaded scRNA-seq, bulk RNA-seq, and clinical data from TCGA and GEO databases. We conducted quality control, normalization using SCTransform, dimensionality reduction using PCA, batch effect removal using Harmony, dimensionality reduction using UMAP, and cell annotation-based marker genes on the scRNA-seq data. We recognized tumor cells, identified tumor-related genes (TRGs), and performed cell communication analysis. Next, we developed a prognostic model using univariable Cox, LASSO, and multivariate Cox analyses. The signature was evaluated using survival analysis, ROC curves, C-index, and nomogram. Last, we studied the predictability of the signature in terms of prognosis and immunotherapeutic response for HCC, assessed a variety of drugs for clinical treatment, and used the qRT-PCR analysis to validate the mRNA expression levels of prognostic TRGs. CONCLUSION To conclude, this study expounded upon the influence of tumor cell heterogeneity on the prediction of treatment outcomes and prognosis in HCC. This, in turn, enhances the predictive ability of the TNM staging system and furnishes novel perspectives on the prognostic assessment and therapy of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Mu
- The School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineSouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuanChina
| | - Ding Zheng
- Department of HepatobiliaryThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuanChina
| | - Qinghua Peng
- The School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineSouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuanChina
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Department of HepatobiliaryThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuanChina
| | - Yurong Zhang
- Department of HepatobiliaryThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuanChina
| | - Yue Yin
- Department of HepatobiliaryThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuanChina
| | - Encheng Wang
- Department of HepatobiliaryThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuanChina
| | - Fei Ye
- School of Traditional Chinese MedicineBeijing University of Traditional Chinese MedicineBeijingChina
| | - Jing Wang
- The School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineSouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuanChina
- Department of HepatobiliaryThe Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuanChina
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曹 丹, 蔡 娟, 李 艳, 董 润, 王 智, 左 学. [TMEM64 is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes tumor cell proliferation and invasion]. NAN FANG YI KE DA XUE XUE BAO = JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2023; 43:1345-1355. [PMID: 37712271 PMCID: PMC10505578 DOI: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2023.08.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze the expression of TMEM64 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and investigate the effect of TMEM64 expression level on proliferation and invasion of HCC cells in vitro. METHODS We analyzed the expression level of TMEM64 in HCC and adjacent tissues based on data from TCGA and GTEx databases. The prognostic value of TMEM64 for HCC patients was examined using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and a Cox regression model, and a nomogram was constructed based on TMEM64 expression and clinical characteristics of the patients. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to explore the potential signaling pathways, and immune cell infiltration was assessed using single sample gene set enrichment analysis. We also performed cell experiment to observe the changes in proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCCLM3 cells with TMEM64 knockdown and in Huh7 cells with TMEM64 overexpression using CCK-8, EdU, colony formation, Transwell, and wound healing assays. RESULTS The expression level of TMEM64 was significantly higher in HCC than in the adjacent tissues (P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that a high expression of TMEM64 was associated with poor outcomes of the patients (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that a high TMEM64 expression was an independent risk factor for overall survival of HCC patients (P < 0.05). TMEM64 expression level was negatively correlated with the levels of immune cell infiltration by NK cells, CD8 + T cells, and plasma pDCs cells (P < 0.05). GO, KEGG, and GSEA enrichment analyses showed that TMEM64 was significantly enriched with tumor invasion and metastasis pathways. The nomogram and calibration curves indicated a moderate prediction reliability of the model. In the cell experiment, TMEM64 knockdown obviously suppressed and TMEM64 overexpression markedly promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION A high TMEM64 expression may serve as an independent risk factor for poor prognosis of HCC and promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- 丹萍 曹
- 皖南医学院第一附属医院//弋矶山医院胃肠外科,安徽 芜湖 241001Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital), Wuhu 241001, China
| | - 娟 蔡
- 皖南医学院第一附属医院//弋矶山医院肿瘤内科,安徽 芜湖 241001Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital), Wuhu 241001, China
| | - 艳娜 李
- 皖南医学院第一附属医院//弋矶山医院胃肠外科,安徽 芜湖 241001Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital), Wuhu 241001, China
| | - 润雨 董
- 皖南医学院第一附属医院//弋矶山医院胃肠外科,安徽 芜湖 241001Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital), Wuhu 241001, China
| | - 智雄 王
- 皖南医学院第一附属医院//弋矶山医院胃肠外科,安徽 芜湖 241001Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital), Wuhu 241001, China
| | - 学良 左
- 皖南医学院第一附属医院//弋矶山医院胃肠外科,安徽 芜湖 241001Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital), Wuhu 241001, China
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Fang F, Zhang T, Lei H, Shen X. TMEM200A is a potential prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in gastric cancer. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15613. [PMID: 37404478 PMCID: PMC10315132 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the digestive system. Several transmembrane (TMEM) proteins are defined as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. However, the role and underlying mechanism of TMEM200A in GC remain unclear. Methods We analyzed the expression of TMEM200A in GC. Furthermore, the influence of TMEM200A on survival of GC patients was evaluated. The correlations between the clinical information and TMEM200A expression were analyzed using chi-square test and logistic regression. Relevant prognostic factors were identified performing univariate and multivariate analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed based on the TCGA dataset. Finally, we explore the relationship between TMEM200A expression and cancer immune infiltrates using CIBERSORT. Results TMEM200A was up-regulated in GC tissues than that in adjacent non-tumor tissues based on TCGA database. Meta-analysis and RT-qPCR validated the difference in TMEM200A expression. Kaplan-Meier curves suggested the increased TMEM200A had a poor prognosis in GC patients. The chi-square test and logistic regression analyses showed that the TMEM200A expression correlates significantly with T stage. Multivariate analysis showed that TMEM200A expression might be an important independent predictor of poor overall survival in GC patients. GSEA identified five immune-related signaling pathways and five tumor-related signaling pathways significantly enriched in the high TMEM200A expression phenotype pathway. Finally, we found CD8+ T cells is apparently decreased in high TMEM200A expression group. Conversely, eosinophils is increased in high expression group compared with low expression group. Conclusion TMEM200A is a potential prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fujin Fang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medical Engineering and Education Ministry, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tiantian Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third People’s Hospital of Bengbu, Bengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Huan Lei
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medical Engineering and Education Ministry, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaobing Shen
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medical Engineering and Education Ministry, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Chang YF, Wang HH, Shu CW, Tsai WL, Lee CH, Chen CL, Liu PF. TMEM211 Promotes Tumor Progression and Metastasis in Colon Cancer. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:4529-4543. [PMID: 37367036 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45060287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Colon cancer is the third most important cancer type, leading to a remarkable number of deaths, indicating the necessity of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for colon cancer patients. Several transmembrane proteins (TMEMs) are associated with tumor progression and cancer malignancy. However, the clinical significance and biological roles of TMEM211 in cancer, especially in colon cancer, are still unknown. In this study, we found that TMEM211 was highly expressed in tumor tissues and the increased TMEM211 was associated with poor prognosis in colon cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We also showed that abilities regarding migration and invasion were reduced in TMEM211-silenced colon cancer cells (HCT116 and DLD-1). Moreover, TMEM211-silenced colon cancer cells showed decreased levels of Twist1, N-cadherin, Snail and Slug but increased levels of E-cadherin. Levels of phosphorylated ERK, AKT and RelA (NF-κB p65) were also decreased in TMEM211-silenced colon cancer cells. Our findings indicate that TMEM211 regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition for metastasis through coactivating the ERK, AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways, which might provide a potential prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target for colon cancer patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Translational Research Center of Neuromuscular Diseases, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Hsang Wang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wen Shu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lun Tsai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81362, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsin Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Lin Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Feng Liu
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
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Chen T, Wang L, Chen C, Li R, Zhu N, Liu R, Niu Y, Xiao Z, Liu H, Liu Q, Tu K. HIF-1α-activated TMEM237 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via the NPHP1/Pyk2/ERK pathway. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:120. [PMID: 37041420 PMCID: PMC11072547 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04767-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are the most essential endogenous transcription factors in the hypoxic microenvironment and regulate multiple genes involved in the proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the regulatory mechanism of HIFs in driving HCC progression remains poorly understood. METHODS Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were carried out to investigate the role of TMEM237 in vitro and in vivo. The molecular mechanisms involved in HIF-1α-induced TMEM237 expression and TMEM237-mediated enhancement of HCC progression were confirmed by luciferase reporter, ChIP, IP-MS and Co-IP assays. RESULTS TMEM237 was identified as a novel hypoxia-responsive gene in HCC. HIF-1α directly bound to the promoter of TMEM237 to transactivate its expression. The overexpression of TMEM237 was frequently detected in HCC and associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients. TMEM237 facilitated the proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of HCC cells and promoted tumor growth and metastasis in mice. TMEM237 interacted with NPHP1 and strengthened the interaction between NPHP1 and Pyk2 to trigger the phosphorylation of Pyk2 and ERK1/2, thereby contributing to HCC progression. The TMEM237/NPHP1 axis mediates hypoxia-induced activation of the Pyk2/ERK1/2 pathway in HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that HIF-1α-activated TMEM237 interacted with NPHP1 to activate the Pyk2/ERK pathway, thereby promoting HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianxiang Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710077, China
| | - Runtian Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Ning Zhu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Runkun Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Yongshen Niu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Zhengtao Xiao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Medical Equipment, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Qingguang Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
| | - Kangsheng Tu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
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Chen J, Wang D, Chen H, Gu J, Jiang X, Han F, Cao J, Liu W, Liu J. TMEM196 inhibits lung cancer metastasis by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:653-667. [PMID: 36355209 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-04363-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The TMEM196 protein, which comprises four membrane-spanning domains, belongs to the TMEM protein family. TMEM196 was identified as a candidate tumor suppressor gene in lung cancer. However, its role and mechanism in lung cancer metastasis remain unclear. Here, we study the role of TMEM196 in tumor metastasis to further verify the function in lung cancer. METHODS In this study, we used qRT-PCR, western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry to examine the expression levels of TMEM196 and related proteins in lung cancer tissues and tumor cells. We utilized Transwell assays, xenograft nude mouse models, and TMEM196-/- mouse models to evaluate the effects of TMEM196 on tumor invasion and metastasis. Finally, we used bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays to explore the molecular mechanism of TMEM196 as a tumor suppressor. RESULTS We found that TMEM196 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly decreased in lung cancer tissues and cells. Low expression of TMEM196 in clinical patients was associated with poor prognosis. TMEM196 strongly inhibited tumor metastasis and progression in vitro and in vivo. The primary lung tumors induced by tail vein-inoculated B16 cells in TMEM196-/- mice were significantly larger than those in TMEM196+/+ mice. Mechanistically, TMEM196 inhibited the Wnt signaling pathway and repressed β-catenin promoter transcription. TMEM196 silencing in lung cancer cells and mice resulted in significant upregulation of the expression of β-catenin and Wnt signaling pathway downstream target genes (MMP2 and MMP7). Decreasing β-catenin expression in TMEM196-silenced cancer cells attenuated the antimetastatic effect of TMEM196. CONCLUSIONS Our results revealed that TMEM196 acts as a novel lung cancer metastasis suppressor via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Chen
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Dandan Wang
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction, Henan Provincial Engineering Centre for Tumor Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Henan University, Kaifeng, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongqiang Chen
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Gu
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Jiang
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Han
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Cao
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbin Liu
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Environmental Health, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinyi Liu
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), 30 Gaotanyan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, People's Republic of China.
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Deng H, Li T, Wei F, Han W, Xu X, Zhang Y. High expression of TMEM200A is associated with a poor prognosis and immune infiltration in gastric cancer. Pathol Oncol Res 2023; 29:1610893. [PMID: 36741965 PMCID: PMC9892064 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2023.1610893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the global malignant tumors with high incidence and poor prognosis. Exploring new GC molecular markers is important to improve GC prognosis. Transmembrane protein 200A (TMEM200A) is a member of the family of transmembrane proteins (TMEM). This study is the first to investigate the potential function of TMEM200A and its relationship with immune infiltration in GC. Methods: The differential expression of TMEM200A was determined through the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to assess the diagnostic value of TMEM200A for GC. The relationship between TMEM200A and the clinical characteristics of patients with GC was investigated using the Wilcoxon test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The effect of TMEM200A on overall survival (OS) was identified using the Kaplan-Meier method, the Log-rank test, the univariate/multivariate Cox regression analysis, and the nomogram prediction model. The co-expressed genes and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the potential biological functions of TMEM200A. We used the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database and the ssGSEA algorithm to estimate the relationship between TMEM200A and immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, we investigated the correlation of TMEM200A with immune checkpoint/immune cell surface markers using the TCGA-STAD data set. Finally, we identified prognosis-related methylation sites in TMEM200A using MethSurv. Results: TMEM200A was highly expressed in GC tissues. TMEM200A had a good diagnostic value for GC. High expression of TMEM200A may shorten the OS of GC patients and may be an independent risk factor for OS in GC patients. TMEM200A participates in the construction of a predictive model with a good predictive effect on the survival rate of GC patients at 1, 3, and 5 years. Co-expressed genes and GSEA indicated that TMEM200A may be an adhesion molecule closely associated with tumor invasion and metastasis. In addition, TMEM200A may be significantly associated with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression. We also found that TMEM200A contains three methylation sites associated with a poor prognosis. Conclusion: Upregulated TMEM200A may be a promising prognostic marker for GC and is closely associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME).
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Zhang S, Wan X, Lv M, Li C, Chu Q, Wang G. TMEM92 acts as an immune-resistance and prognostic marker in pancreatic cancer from the perspective of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine. EPMA J 2022; 13:519-534. [PMID: 36061829 PMCID: PMC9437164 DOI: 10.1007/s13167-022-00287-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Background Pancreatic cancer presents extremely poor prognosis due to the difficulty of early diagnosis, low resection rate, and high rates of recurrence and metastasis. Immune checkpoint blockades have been widely used in many cancer types but showed limited efficacy in pancreatic cancer. The current study aimed to evaluate the landscape of tumor microenvironment (TME) of pancreatic cancer and identify the potential markers of prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy which might contribute to improve the targeted therapy strategy and efficacy in pancreatic cancer in the context of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM). Methods In the current study, a total of 382 pancreatic samples from the datasets of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were selected. LM22 gene signature matrix was applied to quantify the fraction of immune cells based on "CIBERSORT" algorithm. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) algorithm was applied to confirm the hub-network of immune-resistance phenotype. A nomogram model based on COX and Logistic regression was constructed to evaluate the prognostic value and the predictive value of hub-gene in immune-response. The role of transmembrane protein 92 (TMEM92) in regulating cell proliferation was evaluated by MTS assay. Western blot and Real-time PCR were applied to assess the biological effects of PD-L1 inhibition by TMEM92. Moreover, the effect of TMEM92 in immunotherapy was evaluated with PBMC co-culture and by MTS assay. Results Two tumor-infiltrating immune cell (TIIC) phenotypes were identified and a weighted gene co-expression network was constructed to confirm the 167 gene signatures correlated with immune-resistance TIIC subtype. TMEM92 was further identified as a core gene of 167 gene signature network based on MCODE algorithm. High TMEM92 expression was significantly correlated with unfavorable prognosis, characterizing by immune resistance. A nomogram model and external validation confirmed that TMEM92 was an independent prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer. An elevated tumor mutation burden (TMB), mostly is consistent with commonly mutations of KRAS and TP53, was found in the high TMEM92 group. The predictive role of TMEM92 in immunotherapeutic response was also confirmed by IMvigor210 datasets. In addition, the specific biological roles of TMEM92 in cancer was explored in vitro. The results showed that abnormal overexpression of TMEM92 was significantly associated with the poor survival rate of pancreatic cancer. Moreover, we demonstrated that TMEM92 inhibit tumour immune responses of the anti-PD-1 antibody with PBMC co-culture. Conclusion The current study explored for the first time the immune-resistance phenotype of pancreatic cancer and identified TMEM92 as an innovative marker in predicting clinical outcomes and immunotherapeutic efficacy. These findings not only help to recognize high-risk and immune-resistance population which could be supplied targeted prevention, but also provide personalized medical services by intervening TMEM92 function to improve the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. In addition, the biological role of TMEM92 might reveal the potential molecular mechanisms of pancreatic cancer and lead to a novel sight for development of a PPPM approach for pancreatic cancer management. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-022-00287-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simeng Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001 China
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001 China
- Liaoning Province Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Shenyang, 110001 China
| | - Xing Wan
- Department of Medical Oncology, the First Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116000 China
| | - Mengzhu Lv
- Department of Plastic Surgery, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001 China
| | - Ce Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001 China
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001 China
- Liaoning Province Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Shenyang, 110001 China
| | - Qiaoyun Chu
- School of Basic Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069 China
| | - Guan Wang
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001 China
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11
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Du Y, Zeng X, Yu W, Xie W. A transmembrane protein family gene signature for overall survival prediction in osteosarcoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:937300. [PMID: 35991561 PMCID: PMC9388755 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.937300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The transmembrane (TMEM) protein family is constituted by a large number of proteins that span the lipid bilayer. Dysregulation of TMEM protein genes widely occurs and is associated with clinical outcomes of patients with multiple tumors. Nonetheless, the significance of TMEM genes in the prognosis prediction of patients with osteosarcoma remains largely unclear. Here, we comprehensively analyzed TMEM protein family genes in osteosarcoma using public resources and bioinformatics methods. Prognosis-related TMEM protein family genes were identified by the univariate Cox regression analysis and were utilized to construct a signature based on six TMEM protein family genes (TMEM120B, TMEM147, TMEM9B, TMEM8A, TMEM59, and TMEM39B) in osteosarcoma. The prognostic signature stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups, and validation in the internal and external cohorts confirmed the risk stratification ability of the signature. Functional enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes between high- and low-risk groups connected immunity with the prognostic signature. Moreover, we found that M2 and M0 macrophages were the most abundant infiltrated immune cell types in the immune microenvironment, and samples of the high-risk group showed a decreased proportion of M2 macrophages. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the scores of neutrophils and Treg were markedly lower in the high-risk group than these in the low-risk group in The Cancer Genome Atlas and GSE16091 cohorts. As for the related immune functions, APC co-inhibition and cytolytic activity exhibited fewer active levels in the high-risk group than that in the low-risk group in both cohorts. Of the six TMEM genes, the expression of TMEM9B was lower in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group and was positively associated with the overall survival of osteosarcoma patients. In conclusion, our TMEM protein family gene-based signature is a novel and clinically useful prognostic biomarker for osteosarcoma patients, and TMEM9B might be a potential therapeutic target in osteosarcoma.
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Fan T, Liu Y, Liu H, Wang L, Tian H, Zheng Y, Zheng B, Xue L, Li C, He J. Transmembrane Protein-Based Risk Model and H3K4me3 Modification Characteristics in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:828814. [PMID: 35392225 PMCID: PMC8980838 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.828814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The role and mechanism of transmembrane proteins (TMEMs) in tumorigenesis remain unclear. Based on 4 independent cohorts containing 1,208 cases, we identified 3 TMEMs (TMEM273, TMEM164, and TMEM125), which were used to construct a risk model to predict the prognosis of LUAD. The two patterns based on the risk score exhibited a high degree of consistency with the characteristics of immune cell infiltration and epigenetic distribution. Patients with a low-risk score, characterized by an increased activation of immunity, H3K4me3 modification, tumor cell apoptosis, chemokine secretion, and TMB, had better disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Obvious immunosuppression, increased epithelial–mesenchymal transition, a low H3K4me3 level, shortened cell cycle, and accelerated cell division manifested in high-risk patients, with poorer DFS and OS. The model showed a better prognostic value than the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion score. Correlation analysis told us that patients with high scores were suitable for treatment with CD276 inhibitors for their higher levels of CD276 expression. The risk score had a strong negative correlation with HAVCR2 and ICOS among patients with EGFR-WT, KRAS-WT, STK11-WT, or TP53-MUT, and patients with these mutation types with low scores were suitable for treatment with HAVCR2 or ICOS inhibitors. This work comprehensively analyzed the role and mechanism of TMEMs in LUAD and revealed the characteristics of histone methylation modification. The TMEM-based signature gave us deep insight into immune cell infiltration profiles and provided an individualized immunotherapy strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Fan
- Department of Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hengchang Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Liyu Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - He Tian
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yujia Zheng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Zheng
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Liyan Xue
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Chunxiang Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jie He
- Department of Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Liu Y, Liu R, Zhao J, Zeng Z, Shi Z, Lu Q, Guo J, Li L, Yao Y, Liu X, Xu Q. LncRNA TMEM220-AS1 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and invasion by regulating the TMEM220/β-catenin axis. J Cancer 2021; 12:6805-6813. [PMID: 34659569 PMCID: PMC8517989 DOI: 10.7150/jca.63351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical drivers and suppressors of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The downregulation of transmembrane protein 220 antisense RNA 1 (TMEM220-AS1) is correlated with poor prognosis in HCC. Nevertheless, the role of TMEM220-AS1 in HCC and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, TMEM220-AS1 levels were markedly reduced in HCC tissues compared with noncancerous tissues. TMEM220-AS1 downregulation was confirmed in HCC cell lines. TMEM220-AS1 expression was associated with tumor stage, venous infiltration, tumor size, and survival of HCC patients. TMEM220-AS1 overexpression suppressed the migration, invasion, and proliferation of HCC cells. Interestingly, ectopic expression of TMEM220-AS1 increased TMEM220 levels in HCC cells. Decreased TMEM220 levels were observed in HCC tissues and cell lines. TMEM220 expression was positively correlated with TMEM220-AS1 levels in HCC tissue samples and TMEM220 downregulation was significantly correlated with reduced patient survival. TMEM220 overexpression suppressed HCC cell proliferation and mobility. TMEM220 knockdown eliminated the suppressive effect of TMEM220-AS1 in HCCLM3 cells. Mechanistically, TMEM220 overexpression reduced the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin and decreased MYC, Cyclin D1, and Snail1 mRNA levels in HCCLM3 cells. BIO, a GSK3β inhibitor, eliminated TMEM220-induced Wnt/β-catenin pathway inactivation and inhibited HCC cell proliferation and mobility. In conclusion, TMEM220-AS1 and TMEM220 were expressed at low levels in HCC patients. TMEM220-AS1 inhibited the malignant behavior of HCC cells by enhancing TMEM220 expression and subsequently inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- The Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.,The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Runkun Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Junjun Zhao
- Graduate Department, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, China
| | - Zhi Zeng
- The Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Zhan Shi
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Qiliang Lu
- The Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Jinhui Guo
- The Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Lijie Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Affiliated Zhejiang Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310013, China
| | - Yingmin Yao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Xin Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Qiuran Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
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Jiang C, Li F, Yang M, Duan J, Lai J, Sun S, Fan S. LINC00238 inhibits hepatic carcinoma progression by activating TMEM106C‑mediated apoptosis pathway. Mol Med Rep 2021; 24:757. [PMID: 34476506 PMCID: PMC8436210 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2021.12397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of long intergenic non-protein coding (LINC)00238 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). LINC00238 expression in HCC tissues and cell lines was measured using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. LncTar was used to predict the binding sites between LINC00238 and transmembrane protein 106C (TMEM106C). Survival analysis of LINC00238, TMEM106C and activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in patients with HCC was performed based on TCGA data. The proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of HCC cells were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay, flow cytometer, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. LINC00238 promoted apoptosis and inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. LINC00238 was downregulated in HCC. TMEM106C was a target of LINC00238 and TMEM106C expression was negatively regulated by LINC00238. TMEM106C suppressed the apoptosis pathway and decreased the expression of caspase-7, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2, programmed cell death 4 and ATF3. Notably, ATF3 was the upstream promoter of LINC00238 and positively regulated LINC00238 expression. In conclusion, LINC00238 inhibited HCC progression by inhibiting TMEM106 expression and activating the TMEM106C-mediated apoptosis pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihua Jiang
- Department of Outpatients, Qingdao No. 6 People's Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong 266033, P.R. China
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Infectious Disease, Qingdao No. 6 People's Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong 266033, P.R. China
| | - Meng Yang
- Department of Physical Therapy, Qingdao No. 6 People's Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong 266033, P.R. China
| | - Jianping Duan
- Department of Infectious Disease, Qingdao No. 6 People's Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong 266033, P.R. China
| | - Jianming Lai
- Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, P.R. China
| | - Shulun Sun
- Department of Liver Disease, Qingdao No. 6 People's Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong 266033, P.R. China
| | - Shaohua Fan
- Department of Blood Purification Center, Qingdao No. 6 People's Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong 266033, P.R. China
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