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Loza M, Vandenbon A, Nakai K. Epigenetic characterization of housekeeping core promoters and their importance in tumor suppression. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:1107-1119. [PMID: 38084904 PMCID: PMC10853790 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
In this research, we elucidate the presence of around 11,000 housekeeping cis-regulatory elements (HK-CREs) and describe their main characteristics. Besides the trivial promoters of housekeeping genes, most HK-CREs reside in promoter regions and are involved in a broader role beyond housekeeping gene regulation. HK-CREs are conserved regions rich in unmethylated CpG sites. Their distribution highly correlates with that of protein-coding genes, and they interact with many genes over long distances. We observed reduced activity of a subset of HK-CREs in diverse cancer subtypes due to aberrant methylation, particularly those located in chromosome 19 and associated with zinc finger genes. Further analysis of samples from 17 cancer subtypes showed a significantly increased survival probability of patients with higher expression of these genes, suggesting them as housekeeping tumor suppressor genes. Overall, our work unravels the presence of housekeeping CREs indispensable for the maintenance and stability of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Loza
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Alexis Vandenbon
- Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan
| | - Kenta Nakai
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan
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Pearson P, Smith K, Sood N, Chia E, Follett A, Prystowsky MB, Kirby S, Belbin TJ. Kruppel-family zinc finger proteins as emerging epigenetic biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2023; 52:41. [PMID: 37254212 DOI: 10.1186/s40463-023-00640-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Krüppel-type zinc finger protein genes located on chromosome 19q13 are aberrantly hypermethylated with high frequency in all anatomic sub-sites of head and neck cancers as well as other epithelial tumours resulting in decreased expression. METHODS We examined prognostic significance of ZNF154 and ZNF132 expression and DNA methylation in independent patient cohort of about 500 head and neck cancer patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We also overexpressed these genes in HEK-293 cells, as well as the oral cancer cell line UM-SCC-1. RESULTS In 20 patients from the TCGA cohort of HNSCC patients where ZNF154 and ZNF132 DNA methylation and RNA expression could be compared in tumor and adjacent normal tissue, there was increased DNA methylation and decreased expression of both ZNF154 and ZNF132 in primary tumours. Low ZNF154 and low ZNF132 expression were associated with shorter overall survival in both head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC patients). While expression of these proteins in HEK-293 cells produced full-length protein, only truncated copies could be expressed in head and neck cancer cells (UM-SCC-1). The truncated version of ZNF154 protein increased doubling time and reduced cell migration in UM-SCC-1 cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS Both ZNF132 and ZNF154 represent novel clinically significant biomarkers in head and neck cancer with potential tumour suppressive properties. Future studies will address the underlying molecular mechanisms by which ZNF154 expression in HNSCC contributes to the control of cell growth and migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Pearson
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Kendra Smith
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
- Discipline of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Nilita Sood
- Discipline of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Chia
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
- Discipline of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Alicia Follett
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Michael B Prystowsky
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Simon Kirby
- Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Thomas J Belbin
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada.
- Discipline of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada.
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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Liu X, Chen J, Li J, Zeng Z, Jiang X, Gao Y, Huang Z, Wu Q, Gong Y, Xie C. Integrated analysis reveals common DNA methylation patterns of alcohol-associated cancers: A pan-cancer analysis. Front Genet 2023; 14:1032683. [PMID: 36861126 PMCID: PMC9968750 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1032683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The role of alcohol in carcinogenesis has received increasing attention in recent years. Evidence shows its impacts on various aspects, including epigenetics alteration. The DNA methylation patterns underlying alcohol-associated cancers are not fully understood. Methods: We investigated the aberrant DNA methylation patterns in four alcohol-associated cancers based on the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Pearson coefficient correlations were identified between differential methylated CpG probes and annotated genes. Transcriptional factor motifs were enriched and clustered using MEME Suite, and a regulatory network was constructed. Results: In each cancer, differential methylated probes (DMPs) were identified, and 172 hypermethylated and 21 hypomethylated pan-cancer DMPs (PDMPs) were examined further. Annotated genes significantly regulated by PDMPs were investigated and enriched in transcriptional misregulation in cancers. The CpG island chr19:58220189-58220517 was hypermethylated in all four cancers and silenced in the transcription factor ZNF154. Various biological effects were exerted by 33 hypermethylated and seven hypomethylated transcriptional factor motifs grouped into five clusters. Eleven pan-cancer DMPs were identified to be associated with clinical outcomes in the four alcohol-associated cancers, which might provide a potential point of view for clinical outcome prediction. Conclusion: This study provides an integrated insight into DNA methylation patterns in alcohol-associated cancers and reveals the corresponding features, influences, and potential mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Liu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiarui Chen
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiali Li
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zihang Zeng
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xueping Jiang
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanping Gao
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhengrong Huang
- Department of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment Technology and Translational Medicine, Hubei Engineering Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiuji Wu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Gong
- Department of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment Technology and Translational Medicine, Hubei Engineering Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Yan Gong, ; Conghua Xie,
| | - Conghua Xie
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Yan Gong, ; Conghua Xie,
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Karlow JA, Devarakonda S, Xing X, Jang HS, Govindan R, Watson M, Wang T. Developmental Pathways Are Epigenetically Reprogrammed during Lung Cancer Brain Metastasis. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2692-2703. [PMID: 35706127 PMCID: PMC9357144 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-4160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed and deadliest cancers worldwide, with roughly half of all patients initially presenting with both primary and metastatic disease. While the major events in the metastatic cascade have been identified, a mechanistic understanding of how NSCLC routinely and successfully colonizes the brain is largely unknown. Recent studies have begun demonstrating the role of epigenetic misregulation during tumorigenesis and metastasis, including widespread changes in DNA methylation and histone modifications. To better understand the role of altered DNA methylation in NSCLC metastasis to the brain, we measured DNA methylation during disease progression for 12 patients, globally profiling the methylation status of normal lung, primary lung tumor, and brain metastasis samples. The variation in methylation was similar during metastatic spread and primary tumorigenesis but less coordinated across genomic features during metastasis. The greatest recurrent changes during metastatic progression were methylation gains in DNA methylation valleys (DMV) harboring the constitutive heterochromatin mark H3K9me3 as well as bivalent marks H3K27me3 and H3K4me1. In a lymph node-derived cancer cell line, EZH2 binding within DMVs was lost, accompanied by an increase in DNA methylation, exemplifying epigenetic switching. The vast majority of the differentially methylated region-associated DMVs harbored developmental genes, suggesting that altered epigenetic regulation of developmentally important genes may confer a selective advantage during metastatic progression. The characterization of epigenetic changes during NSCLC brain metastasis identified recurrent methylation patterns that may be prognostic biomarkers and contributors to disease progression. SIGNIFICANCE Altered DNA methylation in lung cancer brain metastases corresponds with loss of EZH2 occupancy at developmental genes, which could promote stem-like phenotypes permissive of dissemination and survival in different microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Karlow
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Current address: Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Current address: Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Siddhartha Devarakonda
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Xing
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hyo Sik Jang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Current address: Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Ramaswamy Govindan
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Mark Watson
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
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Stackhouse CT, Anderson JC, Yue Z, Nguyen T, Eustace NJ, Langford CP, Wang J, Rowland JR, Xing C, Mikhail FM, Cui X, Alrefai H, Bash RE, Lee KJ, Yang ES, Hjelmeland AB, Miller CR, Chen JY, Gillespie GY, Willey CD. An in vivo model of glioblastoma radiation resistance identifies long non-coding RNAs and targetable kinases. JCI Insight 2022; 7:148717. [PMID: 35852875 PMCID: PMC9462495 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.148717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Key molecular regulators of acquired radiation resistance in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) are largely unknown, with a dearth of accurate preclinical models. To address this, we generated 8 GBM patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of acquired radiation therapy–selected (RTS) resistance compared with same-patient, treatment-naive (radiation-sensitive, unselected; RTU) PDXs. These likely unique models mimic the longitudinal evolution of patient recurrent tumors following serial radiation therapy. Indeed, while whole-exome sequencing showed retention of major genomic alterations in the RTS lines, we did detect a chromosome 12q14 amplification that was associated with clinical GBM recurrence in 2 RTS models. A potentially novel bioinformatics pipeline was applied to analyze phenotypic, transcriptomic, and kinomic alterations, which identified long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and targetable, PDX-specific kinases. We observed differential transcriptional enrichment of DNA damage repair pathways in our RTS models, which correlated with several lncRNAs. Global kinomic profiling separated RTU and RTS models, but pairwise analyses indicated that there are multiple molecular routes to acquired radiation resistance. RTS model–specific kinases were identified and targeted with clinically relevant small molecule inhibitors. This cohort of in vivo RTS patient-derived models will enable future preclinical therapeutic testing to help overcome the treatment resistance seen in patients with GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zongliang Yue
- Informatics Institute, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Thanh Nguyen
- Informatics Institute, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | | | | | - Jelai Wang
- Informatics Institute, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - James R. Rowland
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Fady M. Mikhail
- Department of Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Xiangqin Cui
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Ryan E. Bash
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, and
| | | | | | - Anita B. Hjelmeland
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - C. Ryan Miller
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, and
| | - Jake Y. Chen
- Informatics Institute, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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Yang H, Qin G, Luo Z, Kong X, Gan C, Zhang R, Jiang W. MFSD4A inhibits the malignant progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting EPHA2. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:332. [PMID: 35410462 PMCID: PMC9001682 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04793-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
DNA Methylation can lead to abnormal gene expression. In the present study, we investigated whether the expression of methylated MFSD4A (major facilitator superfamily domain containing 4 A) was downregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and whether it is associated with malignant progression and poor prognosis of NPC. Bioinformatic analysis, bisulfite pyrosequencing, quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR, and western blotting assays were performed to explore the relationship between hypermethylation of MFSD4A and its expression in NPC. The role of MFSD4A in NPC was verified by Cell Cycle Kit 8, transwell assays and flow cytometry in vitro and by animal experiments in vivo. Mass spectrometry, co-immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence assays were applied to explore the mechanism by which MFSD4A inhibits NPC. The prognostic significance of MFSD4A or EPHA2 was investigated by immunohistochemical analysis of clinical specimens. Hypermethylation of the promoter region of MFSD4A led to decreased expression of MFSD4A. When MFSD4A expression was upregulated or downregulated, the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion abilities of NPC cells were altered accordingly. Mechanistically, MFSD4A could specifically bind to and degrade EPH receptor A2 (EPHA2) by recruiting ring finger protein 149 (RNF149), which led to alterations in the EPHA2-mediated PI3K-AKT-ERK1/2 pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby affecting NPC progression. Clinically, high MFSD4A expression or low-EPHA2 expression was associated with better prognosis for patients with NPC. In all, reduced MFSD4A expression in NPC is caused by promoter hypermethylation. MFSD4A or EPHA2 expression is associated with the malignant biological behavior and prognosis of NPC. MFSD4A is a promising potential therapeutic target for NPC.
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He J, Huang J, Tang G, Wang P, He M, Wei S. Low Expression of ZNF154 is Related to Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer. Cancer Manag Res 2022; 14:659-672. [PMID: 35210862 PMCID: PMC8860727 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s340053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Zinc finger protein 154 (ZNF154) has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in multiple carcinomas. Lymph node (LN) metastasis is one of the most intensively negative factor of gastric cancer (GC) prognosis. However, the potential mechanisms of ZNF154-mediated LN metastasis are not elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the role of ZNF154 in LN metastasis of GC and their underlying mechanisms through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Methods Antitumor effect was measured by growth inhibition by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were measured by wound healing and transwell invasion assays, respectively. The expression levels of proteins were analyzed by Western blot. Xenograft models were used for validation in vivo. Results Our research showed that ZNF154 was down-regulated in 81.43% (57 of 70) of GC tissues compared with 58.6% of paired non-tumor tissues from patients, ZNF154 was down-regulated in 100% (7 of 7) of GC cell lines, up-regulated expression of ZNF154 in MGC-803 GC cells reduced cell proliferation, viability, migration and invasion, and enhanced cell apoptosis and arrested cell cycle in G2 phase, and suppressed tumorigenicity of MGC-803 cells in mice. Furthermore, up-regulated expression of ZNF154 mRNA reduced the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor-A/C (VEGF-A/C). Conclusion ZNF154 inhibited LN metastasis of GC cells by suppressing several biological events of GC cells. ZNF154 was a tumor suppressor gene that is a promising target for blocking nodal involvement in GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Huang
- Lung Cancer Institute, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guo Tang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Pan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming He
- Graduate School of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shoujiang Wei
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637000, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Shoujiang Wei, Email
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Chen Y, Zhao Y, Yang X, Ren X, Huang S, Gong S, Tan X, Li J, He S, Li Y, Hong X, Li Q, Ding C, Fang X, Ma J, Liu N. USP44 regulates irradiation-induced DNA double-strand break repair and suppresses tumorigenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:501. [PMID: 35079021 PMCID: PMC8789930 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28158-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy is the primary treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and approximately 20% of patients experience treatment failure due to tumour radioresistance. However, the exact regulatory mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the deubiquitinase USP44 is hypermethylated in NPC, which results in its downregulation. USP44 enhances the sensitivity of NPC cells to radiotherapy in vitro and in vivo. USP44 recruits and stabilizes the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM25 by removing its K48-linked polyubiquitin chains at Lys439, which further facilitates the degradation of Ku80 and inhibits its recruitment to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), thus enhancing DNA damage and inhibiting DNA repair via non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Knockout of TRIM25 reverses the radiotherapy sensitization effect of USP44. Clinically, low expression of USP44 indicates a poor prognosis and facilitates tumour relapse in NPC patients. This study suggests the USP44-TRIM25-Ku80 axis provides potential therapeutic targets for NPC patients. Radiotherapy is the mainstay treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Here the authors show that the deubiquitinase, USP44, increases radiosensitivity of NPC cells by promoting the degradation of Ku80, and thus enhancing the levels of DNA damage.
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miR-137 Inhibition of the Invasion, Metastasis, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Nasopharyngeal Cancer by Regulating KDM1A. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2021; 2021:6060762. [PMID: 34956364 PMCID: PMC8709779 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6060762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
One of the most frequent malignancies in the head and neck is nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). MicroRNAs, a kind of tiny noncoding RNA molecule, have been used as negative regulators in different types of cancer therapy in recent decades by downregulating their targets. Recent research suggests that microRNAs play an important role in cancer's epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), supporting or inhibiting EMT development. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is linked to a variety of cancer-related activities, including growth, metastasis, and invasion. Previous research has linked EMT to cancer stem-like characteristics as well as treatment resistance. Moreover, since microRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of the EMT phenotype, certain miRNAs have an effect on cancer stemness and treatment resistance. As a result, both fundamental research and clinical therapy benefit from knowing the connection between EMT-associated miRNAs and cancer stemness/drug resistance. As a result, we looked at the different functions that EMT-associated miRNAs (miR-137) play in the stem-like characteristics of malignant cells in this article. Then we looked at how EMT-associated miRNAs interact with nasopharyngeal cancer's drug-resistant complex signaling pathways. Using qRT-PCR, we evaluated the performance of several micro RNAs with the proposed miR-137 for inhibiting invasion, metastasis, and the EMT process. In conclusion, our findings showed that miR-137 acted as a tumor suppressor gene in controlling NPC EMT and metastasis and that it may be a new therapeutic strategy and prognosis marker for the disease.
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Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumor of Infancy (MNTI) and Pineal Anlage Tumor (PAT) Harbor A Medulloblastoma Signature by DNA Methylation Profiling. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040706. [PMID: 33572349 PMCID: PMC7916108 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI) is a rare tumor of uncertain origin, morphologically overlapping other rare neoplasms such as pineal anlage tumor (PAT) and a subset of medulloblastomas (i.e., melanotic medulloblastoma). Despite the similarities with MNTI, their possible histogenetic relationship has been traditionally disregarded based on their aggressive behavior and dismal prognosis. The aim of this study was to further characterize the molecular features of MNTI and PAT based on DNA-methylation and copy number variation profiling analysis. We found that MNTI shares a methylation profile with group 3 high-risk medulloblastoma, and potentially with PAT, suggesting a common histogenesis. Most MNTIs in our series lacked copy number variation alterations, whereas their presence in the one PAT deserves further study in larger cohorts to better determine their impact in prognosis and biologic behavior. Abstract MNTI is a rare tumor of indeterminate histogenesis and molecular signature. We performed methylation and copy number variation (CNV) profiles in patients with MNTI (n = 7) and PAT (n = 1) compared to the methylation brain tumor classifier v11b4 (BT-C) and the medulloblastoma (MB) classifier group 3/4 v1.0 (MB3/4-C). The patients’ mean age was 8 months (range: 4–48). The BT-C classified five MNTIs and one PAT (relapse) as class family MB-G3/G4, subclass group 3 (score: >0.9). The remaining two MNTIs and PAT (primary) were classified as class family plexus tumor, subclass pediatric (scores: >0.45). The MB3/4-C classified all MNTIs as high-risk MB-G3, Subtype II (score: >0.45). The primary PAT was classified as subtype III (score: 0.99) and its relapse as subtype II/III. MNTI and PAT clustered close to MB-G3. CNV analysis showed multiple rearrangements in one PAT and two MNTIs. The median follow-up was 54 months (four MNTIs in remission, one PAT died). In conclusion, we demonstrated that MNTI shares a homogenous methylation profile with MB-G3, and possibly with PAT. The role of a multipotent progenitor cell (i.e., early cranial neural crest cell) in their histogenesis and the influence of the anatomical site, tumor microenvironment, and other cytogenetic events in their divergent biologic behavior deserve further investigation.
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Assessing ZNF154 methylation in patient plasma as a multicancer marker in liquid biopsies from colon, liver, ovarian and pancreatic cancer patients. Sci Rep 2021; 11:221. [PMID: 33420235 PMCID: PMC7794477 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80345-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
One epigenetic hallmark of many cancer types is differential DNA methylation occurring at multiple loci compared to normal tissue. Detection and assessment of the methylation state at a specific locus could be an effective cancer diagnostic. We assessed the effectiveness of hypermethylation at the CpG island of ZNF154, a previously reported multi-cancer specific signature for use in a blood-based cancer detection assay. To predict its effectiveness, we compared methylation levels of 3698 primary tumors encompassing 11 solid cancers, 724 controls, 2711 peripheral blood cell samples, and 350 noncancer disease tissues from publicly available methylation array datasets. We performed a single-molecule high-resolution DNA melt analysis on 71 plasma samples from cancer patients and 20 noncancer individuals to assess ZNF154 methylation as a candidate diagnostic metric in liquid biopsy and compared results to KRAS mutation frequency in the case of pancreatic carcinoma. We documented ZNF154 hypermethylation in early stage tumors, which did not increase in most noncancer disease or with respect to age or sex in peripheral blood cells, suggesting it is a promising target in liquid biopsy. ZNF154 cfDNA methylation discriminated cases from healthy donor plasma samples in minimal plasma volumes and outperformed KRAS mutation frequency in pancreatic cancer.
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Zhan Y, Fan S. Multiple Mechanisms Involving in Radioresistance of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. J Cancer 2020; 11:4193-4204. [PMID: 32368302 PMCID: PMC7196263 DOI: 10.7150/jca.39354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the malignant tumor with ethnic and geographical distribution preference. Although intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)-based radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and targeted therapy has dramatically improved the overall survival of NPC patients, there are still some patients suffering from recurrent tumors and the prognosis is poor. Multiple mechanisms may be responsible for radioresistance of NPC, such as cancer stem cells (CSCs) existence, gene mutation or aberrant expression of genes, epigenetic modification of genes, abnormal activation of certain signaling pathways, alteration of tumor microenvironment, stress granules (SGs) formation, etc. We conduct a comprehensive review of the published literatures focusing on the causes of radioresistance, retrospect the regulation mechanisms following radiation, and discuss future directions of overcoming the resistance to radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Zhan
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Songqing Fan
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Zhan W, Li Y, Liu X, Zheng C, Fu Y. ZNF671 Inhibits the Proliferation and Metastasis of NSCLC via the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:599-610. [PMID: 32158264 PMCID: PMC6986545 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s235933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world and is the main cause of cancer-related death. Revealing the potential mechanism of malignant characteristics of lung cancer is urgent for treating this disease effectively. Zinc finger protein 671 (ZNF671) is a member of the largest transcription factor family in the human genome. The role of ZNF671 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the function and mechanism of ZNF671 in NSCLC. Methods ZNF671 expression in NSCLC cells and tissues were detected by Real-Time PCR, Western blot and TCGA databases. Then, we evaluated the prognostic value of ZNF671 expression in NSCLC using the Kaplan–Meier plotter (KM plotter) and TCGA databases. Moreover, the function of ZNF671 in the proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer was investigated by MTT assay, colony formation assay, in vivo experiment, EdU assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, and 3D culture assay. Luciferase reporter and subcellular fractionation assays were performed to determine the underlying mechanism of ZNF671-mediated proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC. Results ZNF671 expression was significantly reduced in both NSCLC cell lines and clinical specimens compared to that in normal controls. The survival analysis results indicated that the downregulation of ZNF671 significantly correlates with poor prognosis and predicts a shorter overall survival and post-progression survival among NSCLC patients. Ectopic overexpression of ZNF671 dramatically restrains, whereas silencing ZNF671 enhanced, cell proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC. Mechanically, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that the expression of ZNF671 was significantly correlated with Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Simultaneously, our results confirm that the overexpression of ZNF671 inhibits cell cycle progression and metastasis by weakening the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and then downregulating the expression of downstream target genes CyclinD1 and MMP9. Conclusion This study found that the overexpression of ZNF671 restrains the proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer through inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, our current results provide important insights into ZNF671 as an excellent predictive biomarker for NSCLC, thus providing a novel perspective for the treatment of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhan
- Department of Emergency, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuzhe Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Lingnan Hospital, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuhui Liu
- Department of Emergency, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510000, People's Republic of China
| | - Changlong Zheng
- Department of Emergency, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongmei Fu
- Department of Emergency, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510000, People's Republic of China
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Silenced ZNF154 Is Associated with Longer Survival in Resectable Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20215437. [PMID: 31683647 PMCID: PMC6862440 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer has become the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world despite advances in therapy of other cancerous lesions. Late diagnosis due to a lack of symptoms during early disease allows metastatic spread of the tumor. Most patients are considered incurable because of metastasized disease. On a cellular level, pancreatic cancer proves to be rather resistant to chemotherapy. Hence, early detection and new therapeutic targets might improve outcomes. The detection of DNA promoter hypermethylation has been described as a method to identify putative genes of interest in cancer entities. These genes might serve as either biomarkers or might lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved. We checked tumor specimens from 80 patients who had undergone pancreatic resection for promoter hypermethylation of the zinc finger protein ZNF154. Then, we further characterized the effects of ZNF154 on cell viability and gene expression by in vitro experiments. We found a significant association between ZNF154 hypermethylation and better survival in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. Moreover, we suspect that the cell growth suppressor SLFN5 might be linked to a silenced ZNF154 in pancreatic cancer.
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Shi C, Xu L, Tang Z, Zhang W, Wei Y, Ni J, Zhang S, Feng J. Knockdown of Nemo‑like kinase promotes metastasis in non‑small‑cell lung cancer. Oncol Rep 2019; 42:1090-1100. [PMID: 31322229 PMCID: PMC6667924 DOI: 10.3892/or.2019.7226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinase Nemo-like kinase (NLK) serves an important role in cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis by regulating transcription factors among various cancers. In the present study, the function of NLK in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was investigated. Immunohistochemical analysis and western blotting demonstrated that NLK expression was significantly reduced in NSCLC tissues compared with corresponding peritumoral tissues. Statistical analysis revealed that decreased NLK expression was associated with the presence of primary tumors, tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and E-cadherin and vimentin expression. Univariate analysis indicated that NLK expression, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and E-cadherin and vimentin expression affected the prognosis of NSCLC. Cox regression analyses revealed NLK expression and TNM as independent factors that affected prognosis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that patients with NSCLC and low NLK expression had relatively shorter durations of overall survival. In vitro, NLK overexpression inhibited A549 ncell migration and invasion as determined by wound healing and Transwell migration assays, respectively. Additionally, immunofluorescence staining indicated that downregulation of NLK expression could induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition in NSCLC. NLK knockdown significantly decreased the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin, and markedly increased that of β-catenin and the mesenchymal marker vimentin. Furthermore, NLK was reported to directly interact with β-catenin as determined by a co-immunoprecipitation assay. Collectively, the results of the present study indicated that decreased NLK expression could promote tumor metastasis in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Shi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Liqin Xu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Zhiyuan Tang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Weishuai Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Yulin Wei
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Jun Ni
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Shuwen Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Jian Feng
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
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Zhang LY, Chen Y, Jia J, Zhu X, He Y, Wu LM. MiR-27a promotes EMT in ovarian cancer through active Wnt/𝜷-catenin signalling by targeting FOXO1. Cancer Biomark 2019; 24:31-42. [PMID: 30614794 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-181229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth most common type of cancer in women worldwide. MiR-27a plays an important role in the development of ovarian cancer. However, the exact function and molecular mechanism of miR-27a in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. METHODS Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the expression of miR-27a and FOXO1 mRNA in ovarian tissues and cells. The function of miR-27a in ovarian cancer was investigated through overexpression and knockdown of miR-27a in vitro. Wound healing and Transwell assays were performed to evaluate the migration and invasive capacity of the cells. A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm the interaction between miR-27a and FOXO1. Western blotting was used to evaluate FOXO1, EMT and Wnt/β-catenin relative protein expression. RESULTS In our study, we found that the mRNA expression level of miR-27a was significantly higher in ovarian cancer tissues and in HO8910 and OV90 cells. Functional experiments showed that miR-27a overexpression potentiated the migration and invasion of HO8910 and OV90 cells, while miR-27a inhibition reduced the cells' migration and invasion. Moreover, miR-27a upregulated the expression of mesenchymal cell markers and downregulated the expression of epithelial cell markers, which were restored via silencing of miR-27a expression. Subsequently, miR-27a was found to directly target and suppress the expression of FOXO1. Finally, we demonstrated that miR-27a promoted the progression of ovarian cancer cells and induced the process of EMT via the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway through inhibition of FOXO1. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results indicate that targeting miR-27a and FOXO1 could represent a strategy for anticancer therapy in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ya Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, Huizhou No. 2 Women's and Children's Healthcare Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong 516001, China
| | - Yuan Chen
- Huizhou College of Life Sciences, Huizhou, Guangdong 516001, China
| | - Jue Jia
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Tumor Hospital, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Xi Zhu
- Department of Gynecology, Shenyang Maternal and Child Hospital, Shenyang, Liaoning 110000, China
| | - Yan He
- Department of Gynecology, Huizhou No. 2 Women's and Children's Healthcare Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong 516001, China
| | - Li-Ming Wu
- Department of Gynecology, Huizhou No. 2 Women's and Children's Healthcare Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong 516001, China
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Chen C, Shan H. Keratin 6A gene silencing suppresses cell invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma via the β‑catenin cascade. Mol Med Rep 2019; 19:3477-3484. [PMID: 30896882 PMCID: PMC6471251 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of head and neck cancer. This study aimed to study the mechanisms of ectopic keratin 6A (KRT6A) in NPC. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting were performed to detect KRT6A levels in NPC cell lines (C666-1, 5-8F and SUNE-1) and a nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line (NP69, as a control). After SUNE-1 NPC cells had been silenced by KRT6A, cell viability, metastasis and invasion were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. KRT6A levels, metastasis-associated factors and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway were measured using RT-qPCR and western blotting. It was demonstrated that KRT6A was upregulated in all detected NPC cells, among which KRT6A was the highest in SUNE-1 cells. In SUNE-1 cells, cell viability was inhibited at 24 and 48 h, and that cell metastasis and invasion were demonstrated to be suppressed by KRT6A silencing. Both the mRNA and protein levels of KRT6A, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, β-catenin, lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 and T-cell specific factor 4 were reduced in the small interfering (si)KRT6A group. However, the results demonstrated that the levels of epithelial-cadherin and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) were promoted in the siKRT6A group. The activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by lithium chloride reversed the effect of si-KRT6A by modulating the expression of MMP-2/9 and TIMP2. It was observed that KRT6A silencing suppressed cell invasion and metastasis of NPC via the β-catenin cascade. Together these results provide important insights into a novel approach for the diagnosis and treatment of NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanjun Chen
- Oncology Department, Xinchang People's Hospital, Shaoxing, Zhejiang 312500, P.R. China
| | - Huiguo Shan
- Oncology Department, The Affiliated Dongtai Hospital of Nantong University, Dongtai, Jiangsu 224200, P.R. China
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Liang TS, Zheng YJ, Wang J, Zhao JY, Yang DK, Liu ZS. MicroRNA-506 inhibits tumor growth and metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through the inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by down-regulating LHX2. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:97. [PMID: 30791932 PMCID: PMC6385449 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1023-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Background Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated proteins play key roles in cancer progression and metastasis with the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs). This study aims to assess the role of miR-506 working in tandem with LIM Homeobox 2 (LHX2) in EMT and metastasis through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods Differentially expressed genes associated with NPC were screened using microarray analyses, from which LHX2 was identified. Next, the potential relationship between miR-506 and LHX2 was analyzed. In order to explore the effect of miR-506 or LHX2 on NPC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis, serials of mimics, inhibitors or siRNA against LHX2 were transfected into NPC cells. Then, the expression patterns of LHX2, Wnt1, β-catenin, E-cadherin, Vimentin, TCF4 and Twist were determined to assess the influence of miR-506 or LHX2 on EMT as well as the relationship between the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and TCF4. The tumorigenicity and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in xenograft tumors of nude mice were observed. Results The has-miR-506-3p was identified as the down-regulated gene in NPC based on the microarray data while LHX2 was negatively regulated by miR-506. Over-expression of miR-506 or silencing of LHK2 inhibited NPC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, tumorigenicity and LNM but promoted apoptosis indicated by decreased Wnt1, β-catenin, Vimentin, TCF4 and Twist expressions along with increased E-cadherin expressions. Conclusions miR-506 inhibits tumor growth and metastasis in NPC via inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by down-regulating LHX2, accompanied by decreased TCF4. Taken together, miR-506 targeted-inhibition LHX2 presents a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of NPC. Trial registration ChiCTR1800018889. Registered 15 October 2018. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1023-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Song Liang
- Department of Radiotherapy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengdong Branch, Zhengzhou, 475000, Henan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying-Juan Zheng
- Department of Radiotherapy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengdong Branch, Zhengzhou, 475000, Henan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengdong Branch, Zhengzhou, 475000, Henan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing-Yi Zhao
- Department of Radiotherapy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengdong Branch, Zhengzhou, 475000, Henan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Dao-Ke Yang
- Department of Radiotherapy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengdong Branch, Zhengzhou, 475000, Henan Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhang-Suo Liu
- Department of Radiotherapy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengdong Branch, Zhengzhou, 475000, Henan Province, People's Republic of China.
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Abstract
DNA methylation is a process by which methyl groups are added to cytosine or adenine. DNA methylation can change the activity of the DNA molecule without changing the sequence. Methylation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is widespread in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, and it is a very important epigenetic modification event, which can regulate gene activity and influence a number of key processes such as genomic imprinting, cell differentiation, transcriptional regulation, and chromatin remodeling. Profiling DNA methylation across the genome is critical to understanding the influence of methylation in normal biology and diseases including cancer. Recent discoveries of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) oxidation derivatives including 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytsine (5fC), and 5-carboxycytosine (5caC) in mammalian genome further expand our understanding of the methylation regulation. Genome-wide analyses such as microarrays and next-generation sequencing technologies have been used to assess large fractions of the methylome. A number of different quantitative approaches have also been established to map the DNA epigenomes with single-base resolution, as represented by the bisulfite-based methods, such as classical bisulfite sequencing, pyrosequencing etc. These methods have been used to generate base-resolution maps of 5mC and its oxidation derivatives in genomic samples. The focus of this chapter is to provide the methodologies that have been developed to detect the cytosine derivatives in the genomic DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingfang Feng
- Institute of Occupational Diseases, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Jianlin Lou
- Institute of Occupational Diseases, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
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