Uev1A-Ubc13 promotes colorectal cancer metastasis through regulating CXCL1 expression via NF-кB activation

The mitochondrial TSPO ligand Atriol mitigates metabolic-associated steatohepatitis by downregulating CXCL1

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO, 18 kDa) is pivotal in binding cholesterol and facilitating its transfer from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane. Atriol is a TSPO ligand disrupting cholesterol binding by targeting the cholesterol-recognition amino acid consensus domain. Prior research has shown that TSPO deficiency improved metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). We hypothesized that Atriol may have the potential to alleviate MASH.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In vitro cell culture studies revealed that Atriol treatment effectively mitigated MASH by restoring mitochondrial function, inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway, and reducing hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. SD male rats were fed a GAN diet for 10 months to induce MASH. During the final two weeks of feeding, rats received intraperitoneal Atriol administration daily. Atriol treatment significantly ameliorated MASH by reducing lipid accumulation, diminishing hepatic lobular inflammation and fibrosis, decreasing cell death, and inhibiting excessive bile acid synthesis. Moreover, Atriol restored mitochondrial function in primary hepatocytes isolated from MASH rats. In search of the mechanism(s) governing these effects, we found that Atriol downregulated the proinflammatory chemokine CXCL1 through the NF-κB signaling pathway or via myeloperoxidase (MPO) in HSCs and Kupffer cells. Additionally, in vitro, studies further suggested that CXCL1 treatment induced dysfunctional mitochondria, inflammation, HSCs activation, and macrophage migration, whereas Atriol countered these effects. Finally, the mitigating effects of Atriol on MASH were reproduced by pharmacological inhibition of NF-κB or MPO and neutralization of CXCL1.

CONCLUSION

Atriol ameliorates MASH both in vitro and in vivo, demonstrating its potential therapeutic benefits in managing MASH.

The Clinical Significance and Involvement in Molecular Cancer Processes of Chemokine CXCL1 in Selected Tumors

Chemokines play a key role in cancer processes, with CXCL1 being a well-studied example. Due to the lack of a complete summary of CXCL1's role in cancer in the literature, in this study, we examine the significance of CXCL1 in various cancers such as bladder, glioblastoma, hemangioendothelioma, leukemias, Kaposi's sarcoma, lung, osteosarcoma, renal, and skin cancers (malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma), along with thyroid cancer. We focus on understanding how CXCL1 is involved in the cancer processes of these specific types of tumors. We look at how CXCL1 affects cancer cells, including their proliferation, migration, EMT, and metastasis. We also explore how CXCL1 influences other cells connected to tumors, like promoting angiogenesis, recruiting neutrophils, and affecting immune cell functions. Additionally, we discuss the clinical aspects by exploring how CXCL1 levels relate to cancer staging, lymph node metastasis, patient outcomes, chemoresistance, and radioresistance.

Role of Post-Translational Modifications in Colorectal Cancer Metastasis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract. CRC metastasis is a multi-step process with various factors involved, including genetic and epigenetic regulations, which turn out to be a serious threat to CRC patients. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins involve the addition of chemical groups, sugars, or proteins to specific residues, which fine-tunes a protein's stability, localization, or interactions to orchestrate complicated biological processes. An increasing number of recent studies suggest that dysregulation of PTMs, such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and glycosylation, play pivotal roles in the CRC metastasis cascade. Here, we summarized recent advances in the role of post-translational modifications in diverse aspects of CRC metastasis and its detailed molecular mechanisms. Moreover, advances in drugs targeting PTMs and their cooperation with other anti-cancer drugs, which might provide novel targets for CRC treatment and improve therapeutic efficacy, were also discussed.

Exploring Potential Epigenetic Biomarkers for Colorectal Cancer Metastasis

Metastatic progression is a complex, multistep process and the leading cause of cancer mortality. There is growing evidence that emphasises the significance of epigenetic modification, specifically DNA methylation and histone modifications, in influencing colorectal (CRC) metastasis. Epigenetic modifications influence the expression of genes involved in various cellular processes, including the pathways associated with metastasis. These modifications could contribute to metastatic progression by enhancing oncogenes and silencing tumour suppressor genes. Moreover, specific epigenetic alterations enable cancer cells to acquire invasive and metastatic characteristics by altering cell adhesion, migration, and invasion-related pathways. Exploring the involvement of DNA methylation and histone modification is crucial for identifying biomarkers that impact cancer prediction for metastasis in CRC. This review provides a summary of the potential epigenetic biomarkers associated with metastasis in CRC, particularly DNA methylation and histone modifications, and examines the pathways associated with these biomarkers.

CXCL1 promotes immune escape in colorectal cancer by autophagy-mediated MHC-I degradation

BACKGROUND

Immunotherapy is now seen as a potential remedy for colorectal cancer (CRC). Chemokines play a crucial role in tumors, including CRC, which contains CXCL1. We attempted to study how CXCL1 impacts immune escape in CRC.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis was used to examine CXCL1 level in CRC. qRT-PCR was used to assess CXCL1 and MHC-I (HLA-A, B, C) levels. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to measure cell viability. Cytotoxicity assay kit was utilized to assay CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity against CRC. Flow cytometry tested proliferation and apoptosis of CD8+ T cells. Chemotaxis assay evaluated chemotaxis of CD8+ T cells towards CRC. Immunofluorescence examined expression of autophagy marker LC3 and localization of NBR1/MHC-I. Western blot analysis measured protein levels of chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10, autophagy-related proteins LC3-I and LC3-II, and MHC-I (HLA-A, B, C).

RESULTS

Bioinformatics analysis and qRT-PCR presented that CXCL1 was upregulated in CRC. Cell experiments demonstrated that CXCL1 overexpression promoted immune escape in CRC. Rescue experiments revealed that the autophagy inducer Rapa could attenuate the inhibitory effect of CXCL1 low expression on immune escape in CRC. Further studies showed that CXCL1 promoted immune escape in CRC by autophagy-mediated MHC-I degradation.

CONCLUSION

CXCL1 promoted immune escape in CRC by autophagy-mediated MHC-I degradation, suggesting that CXCL1 may be a possible immunotherapeutic target for CRC.

Clinicopathological significance and prognostic implications of Ube2v1 expression in colorectal cancer

The present study aimed to investigate the expression of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 variant 1 (Ube2v1) in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its clinical significance. The differential expression of Ube2v1 in CRC tissues and normal intestinal tissues, as well as the association between Ube2v1 expression and the prognosis of patients with CRC were analyzed using bioinformatics analyses. TIMER database analysis revealed higher Ube2v1 expression in CRC tissues than in normal intestinal tissues. Cancerous and normal tissues collected retrospectively from 37 cases of CRC between July, 2022 and June, 2023 were analyzed for Ube2v1 expression using immunohistochemistry, and the associations between Ube2v1 expression and the clinical pathological features of patients with CRC were analyzed. Ube2v1 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis in patients with CRC (P<0.05). However, bioinformatics analysis using the GEPIA2 and HPA database revealed that Ube2v1 was not associated with the overall survival of patients with CRC. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that due to its high expression and association with lymph node metastasis, Ube2v1 may serve as a potential target for the treatment of CRC.

The Clinical Significance and Role of CXCL1 Chemokine in Gastrointestinal Cancers

One area of cancer research is the interaction between cancer cells and immune cells, in which chemokines play a vital role. Despite this, a comprehensive summary of the involvement of C-X-C motif ligand 1 (CXCL1) chemokine (also known as growth-regulated gene-α (GRO-α), melanoma growth-stimulatory activity (MGSA)) in cancer processes is lacking. To address this gap, this review provides a detailed analysis of CXCL1's role in gastrointestinal cancers, including head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)), cholangiocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma), and colorectal cancer (colon cancer and rectal cancer). This paper presents the impact of CXCL1 on various molecular cancer processes, such as cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, lymph node metastasis, angiogenesis, recruitment to the tumor microenvironment, and its effect on immune system cells, such as tumor-associated neutrophils (TAN), regulatory T (T_reg) cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and macrophages. Furthermore, this review discusses the association of CXCL1 with clinical aspects of gastrointestinal cancers, including its correlation with tumor size, cancer grade, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and patient prognosis. This paper concludes by exploring CXCL1's potential as a therapeutic target in anticancer therapy.

Potential prognostic and predictive value of UBE2N, IMPDH1, DYNC1LI1 and HRASLS2 in colorectal cancer stool specimens

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common gastrointestinal malignancy worldwide. The poor specificity and sensitivity of the fecal occult blood test has prompted the development of CRC-related genetic markers for CRC screening and treatment. Gene expression profiles in stool specimens are effective, sensitive and clinically applicable. Herein, a novel advantage of using cells shed from the colon is presented for cost-effective CRC screening. Molecular panels were generated through a series of leave-one-out cross-validation and discriminant analyses. A logistic regression model following reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry was used to validate a specific panel for CRC prediction. The panel, consisting of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 N (UBE2N), inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 1 (IMPDH1), dynein cytoplasmic 1 light intermediate chain 1 (DYNC1LI1) and phospholipase A and acyltransferase 2 (HRASLS2), accurately recognized patients with CRC and could thus be further investigated as a potential prognostic and predictive biomarker for CRC. UBE2N, IMPDH1 and DYNC1LI1 expression levels were upregulated and HRASLS2 expression was downregulated in CRC tissues. The predictive power of the panel was 96.6% [95% confidence interval (CI), 88.1-99.6%] sensitivity and 89.7% (95% CI, 72.6-97.8%) specificity at a predicted cut-off value at 0.540, suggesting that this four-gene panel testing of stool specimens can faithfully mirror the state of the colon. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that screening for CRC or cancer detection in stool specimens collected non-invasively does not require the inclusion of an excessive number of genes, and colonic defects can be identified via the detection of an aberrant protein in the mucosa or submucosa.

Leveraging the replication stress response to optimize cancer therapy

High-fidelity DNA replication is critical for the faithful transmission of genetic information to daughter cells. Following genotoxic stress, specialized DNA damage tolerance pathways are activated to ensure replication fork progression. These pathways include translesion DNA synthesis, template switching and repriming. In this Review, we describe how DNA damage tolerance pathways impact genome stability, their connection with tumorigenesis and their effects on cancer therapy response. We discuss recent findings that single-strand DNA gap accumulation impacts chemoresponse and explore a growing body of evidence that suggests that different DNA damage tolerance factors, including translesion synthesis polymerases, template switching proteins and enzymes affecting single-stranded DNA gaps, represent useful cancer targets. We further outline how the consequences of DNA damage tolerance mechanisms could inform the discovery of new biomarkers to refine cancer therapies.

Role of K63-linked ubiquitination in cancer

Ubiquitination is a critical type of post-translational modifications, of which K63-linked ubiquitination regulates interaction, translocation, and activation of proteins. In recent years, emerging evidence suggest involvement of K63-linked ubiquitination in multiple signaling pathways and various human diseases including cancer. Increasing number of studies indicated that K63-linked ubiquitination controls initiation, development, invasion, metastasis, and therapy of diverse cancers. Here, we summarized molecular mechanisms of K63-linked ubiquitination dictating different biological activities of tumor and highlighted novel opportunities for future therapy targeting certain regulation of K63-linked ubiquitination in tumor.

Blocking UBE2N abrogates oncogenic immune signaling in acute myeloid leukemia

Dysregulation of innate immune signaling pathways is implicated in various hematologic malignancies. However, these pathways have not been systematically examined in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We report that AML hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) exhibit a high frequency of dysregulated innate immune-related and inflammatory pathways, referred to as oncogenic immune signaling states. Through gene expression analyses and functional studies in human AML cell lines and patient-derived samples, we found that the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBE2N is required for leukemic cell function in vitro and in vivo by maintaining oncogenic immune signaling states. It is known that the enzyme function of UBE2N can be inhibited by interfering with thioester formation between ubiquitin and the active site. We performed in silico structure-based and cellular-based screens and identified two related small-molecule inhibitors UC-764864/65 that targeted UBE2N at its active site. Using these small-molecule inhibitors as chemical probes, we further revealed the therapeutic efficacy of interfering with UBE2N function. This resulted in the blocking of ubiquitination of innate immune- and inflammatory-related substrates in human AML cell lines. Inhibition of UBE2N function disrupted oncogenic immune signaling by promoting cell death of leukemic HSPCs while sparing normal HSPCs in vitro. Moreover, baseline oncogenic immune signaling states in leukemic cells derived from discrete subsets of patients with AML exhibited a selective dependency on UBE2N function in vitro and in vivo. Our study reveals that interfering with UBE2N abrogates leukemic HSPC function and underscores the dependency of AML cells on UBE2N-dependent oncogenic immune signaling states.

CXCL1: Gene, Promoter, Regulation of Expression, mRNA Stability, Regulation of Activity in the Intercellular Space

CXCL1 is one of the most important chemokines, part of a group of chemotactic cytokines involved in the development of many inflammatory diseases. It activates CXCR2 and, at high levels, CXCR1. The expression of CXCL1 is elevated in inflammatory reactions and also has important functions in physiology, including the induction of angiogenesis and recruitment of neutrophils. Due to a lack of reviews that precisely describe the regulation of CXCL1 expression and function, in this paper, we present the mechanisms of CXCL1 expression regulation with a special focus on cancer. We concentrate on the regulation of CXCL1 expression through the regulation of CXCL1 transcription and mRNA stability, including the involvement of NF-κB, p53, the effect of miRNAs and cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-17, TGF-β and TNF-α. We also describe the mechanisms regulating CXCL1 activity in the extracellular space, including proteolytic processing, CXCL1 dimerization and the influence of the ACKR1/DARC receptor on CXCL1 localization. Finally, we explain the role of CXCL1 in cancer and possible therapeutic approaches directed against this chemokine.

Uev1A promotes breast cancer cell migration by up-regulating CT45A expression via the AKT pathway

Background

UEV1A encodes a ubiquitin-E2 variant closely associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis, but its underlying mechanism in promoting metastasis remains to be investigated.

Methods

In this study, we experimentally manipulated UEV1A and CT45A gene expression and monitored their effects on cancer-related gene expression, cell migration and the signal transduction cascade.

Results

It was found that UEV1A overexpression induces CT45A family gene expression in breast cancer cells. Indeed, ectopic expression of UEV1A was sufficient to induce CT45A and its downstream genes involved in tumorigenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), stemness and metastasis, and to promote cell migration and EMT signaling. Consistently, depletion of CT45A abolished the above effects, indicating that CT45A is a critical downstream effector of Uev1A. The Uev1A-induced cell migration and EMT signaling was dependent on AKT but independent of NF-κB, indicating that CT45A acts downstream of the AKT pathway.

Conclusions

Based on previous reports and observations in this study, we propose that the Ubc13-Uev1A complex activates AKT through K63-linked polyubiquitination, which leads to enhanced CT45A expression, stimulated cell migration and EMT signaling in breast cells. Since similar effects were also observed in a colorectal cancer cell line, the Ubc13/Uev1A-AKT-CT45A axis may also promote tumorigenesis and metastasis in other tissues.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08750-3.

Expression and clinical significance of UBE2V1 in cervical cancer

The majority of cervical cancer (CC) patients are caused by the high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection Although they are preventable and controllable, the mortality rate is still high. It is essential to identify the biomarkers for early screening and diagnosis of CC to improve the prognosis of patients with CC. The conjugating enzyme 2 (E2) family members are the key components of ubiquitin protease system. However, the role of E2 family in CC remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of UBE2V1, a ubiquitin binding E2 enzyme variant protein (ube2v) without conserved cysteine residues required for E2s catalytic activity in CC. In this study, we first studied the expression of UBE2V1 in CC by real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and then, the clinical information of 191 CC patients in TCGA database was retrieved to explore the relationship between the expression of UBE2V1 and the occurrence and development of CC by examining the translational profile and methylation, the high expression of UBE2V1 was well correlated to the poor prognosis of patients, indicating that UBE2V1 is an independent risk factor for the prognosis of CC patients. The expression of UBE2V1 was also correlated with clinical stages, tumor grades and TNM stages of CC. In addition, the expression of UBE2V1 was slightly negatively correlated with the methylation at the multiple methylation sites. our study revealed the relationship between UBE2V1 and the occurrence and development of CC from the level of transcriptional profile and DNA methylation. UBE2V1 is a novel candidate biomarker for the diagnosis, screening and prognosis of CC.

•

The expression of UBE2V1 was abnormal in cervical cancer.

•

UBE2V1 is associated with poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer.

•

UBE2V1 can be used as a new tumor marker for cervical cancer.

Low-Dose Radiation Promotes Invasion and Migration of A549 Cells by Activating the CXCL1/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Purpose

Radiation has well-known and well-characterized direct toxic effects on cells and tissues. However, low-dose ionizing irradiation (LDIR) can also enhance the invasion and migration of tumor cells, and the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate changes induced in the migration and invasion of A549 cells after LDIR and to explore the potential molecular mechanism.

Materials and Methods

A549 cells were irradiated with X-rays at different doses (0, 2, 4, and 6 Gy) and cultured for 24 or 48 h. Apoptosis and proliferation were evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase release, CCK8, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays. Wound-healing and transwell assays were performed to detect migration and invasion ability. CXCL1 or p65 were knocked down using lentivirus-mediated siRNA in A549 cell lines. Knockdown efficiency of CXCL1 and p65 was assessed by RT-qPCR. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to determine the changes in protein levels.

Results

In cells irradiated with a dose of 6 Gy, after 48 h, apoptosis was clearly induced while proliferation was inhibited. Irradiation with 4 Gy resulted in the upregulation of CXCL1 expression and activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, upon 4 Gy irradiation, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) were significantly enhanced in A549 cells. Importantly, CXCL1 or p65 knockdown inhibited radiation-induced migration, invasion, and EMT.

Conclusion

Low-dose radiation upregulates CXCL1 expression and activates the NF-κB signaling to regulate EMT in A549 cells, thereby promoting invasion and migration. These results provide new insights into the prevention of tumor invasion and metastasis induced by radiotherapy.

Chemokines and their receptors promoting the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells into the tumor

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) expand in tumor-bearing host. They suppress anti-tumor immune response and promote tumor growth. Chemokines play a vital role in recruiting MDSCs into tumor tissue. They can also induce the generation of MDSCs in the bone marrow, maintain their suppressive activity, and promote their proliferation and differentiation. Here, we review CCL2/CCL12-CCR2, CCL3/4/5-CCR5, CCL15-CCR1, CX3CL1/CCL26-CX3CR1, CXCL5/2/1-CXCR2, CXCL8-CXCR1/2, CCL21-CCR7, CXCL13-CXCR5 signaling pathways, their role in MDSCs recruitment to tumor tissue, and their correlation with tumor development, metastasis and prognosis. Targeting chemokines and their receptors may serve as a promising strategy in immunotherapy, especially combined with other strategies such as chemotherapy, cyclin-dependent kinase or immune checkpoints inhibitors.

Uev1A promotes breast cancer cell survival and chemoresistance through the AKT-FOXO1-BIM pathway

Background

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variant UEV1A is required for Ubc13-catalyzed K63-linked poly-ubiquitination that regulates several signaling pathways including NF-κB, MAPK and PI3K/AKT. Previous reports implicate UEV1A as a potential proto-oncogene and have shown that UEV1A promotes breast cancer metastasis through constitutive NF-кB activation. Ubc13-Uev1A along with TARF6 can also ubiquitinate AKT but its downstream events are unclear.

Methods

In this study, we experimentally manipulated UEV1 expression in two typical breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 under serum starvation conditions and monitored AKT activation and its downstream protein levels, as well as cellular sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents.

Results

We found that overexpression of UEV1A is sufficient to activate the AKT signaling pathway that in turn inhibits FOXO1 and BIM expression to promote cell survival under serum starvation conditions and enhances cellular resistance to chemotherapy. Consistently, experimental depletion of Uev1 in breast cancer cells inhibits AKT signaling and promotes FOXO1 and BIM expression to reduce cell survival under serum starvation stress and enhance chemosensitivity.

Conclusions

Uev1A promotes cell survival under serum starvation stress through the AKT-FOXO1-BIM axis in breast cancer cells, which unveals a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of breast cancers.

Capn4 is induced by and required for Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 promotion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis through ERK/AP-1 signaling

Capn4, also known as CapnS1, is a member of the calpain family, which plays a crucial role in maintaining the activity and function of calpain. We previously reported that Capn4 also plays an essential role in the migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells through regulation of (MMP‐2) by nuclear factor‐kappa B activation. Epstein‐Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is closely related to the malignant functions of NPC; however, the relationship between LMP1 and Capn4 in NPC remain unclear. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the level of LMP1 and Capn4 expression was high in both primary and metastatic NPC tissues, with a significantly positive correlation. We further found that LMP1 was able to upregulate the Capn4 promoter in a dose‐dependent way through the C‐terminal activation region (CTAR)1 and CTAR2 domains to activate AP‐1. Moreover, we also found that LMP1 activated AP‐1 through ERK/JNK phosphorylation. These findings indicate that Capn4 coordination with LMP1 promotes actin rearrangement and, ultimately, cellular migration. These results show that Capn4 coordination with LMP1 enhances NPC migration by increasing actin rearrangement involving ERK/JNK/AP‐1 signaling. Therapeutically, additional and more specific LMP1 and Capn4 targeted inhibitors could be exploited to treat NPC.