Synaptopodin-2 induces assembly of peripheral actin bundles and immature focal adhesions to promote lamellipodia formation and prostate cancer cell migration

The intricate cellular ecosystem of human peripheral veins as revealed by single-cell transcriptomic analysis

The venous system has been historically understudied despite its critical roles in blood distribution, heart function, and systemic immunity. This study dissects the microanatomy of upper arm veins at the single cell level, and how it relates to wall structure, remodeling processes, and inflammatory responses to injury. We applied single-cell RNA sequencing to 4 non-diseased human veins (3 basilic, 1 cephalic) obtained from organ donors, followed by bioinformatic and histological analyses. Unsupervised clustering of 20,006 cells revealed a complex ecosystem of endothelial cell (EC) types, smooth muscle cell (SMCs) and pericytes, various types of fibroblasts, and immune cell populations. The venous endothelium showed significant upregulation of cell adhesion genes, with arteriovenous zonation EC phenotypes highlighting the heterogeneity of vasa vasorum (VV) microvessels. Venous SMCs had atypical contractile phenotypes and showed widespread localization in the intima and media. MYH11+DESlo SMCs were transcriptionally associated with negative regulation of contraction and pro-inflammatory gene expression. MYH11+DEShi SMCs showed significant upregulation of extracellular matrix genes and pro-migratory mediators. Venous fibroblasts ranging from secretory to myofibroblastic phenotypes were 4X more abundant than SMCs and widely distributed throughout the wall. Fibroblast-derived angiopoietin-like factors were identified as versatile signaling hubs to regulate angiogenesis and SMC proliferation. An abundant monocyte/macrophage population was detected and confirmed by histology, including pro-inflammatory and homeostatic phenotypes, with cell counts positively correlated with age. Ligand-receptor interactome networks identified the venous endothelium in the main lumen and the VV as a niche for monocyte recruitment and infiltration. This study underscores the transcriptional uniqueness of venous cells and their relevance for vascular inflammation and remodeling processes. Findings from this study may be relevant for molecular investigations of upper arm veins used for vascular access creation, where single-cell analyses of cell composition and phenotypes are currently lacking.

SYNPO2 promotes the development of BLCA by upregulating the infiltration of resting mast cells and increasing the resistance to immunotherapy

Synaptopodin 2 (SYNPO2) plays a pivotal role in regulating tumor growth, development and progression in bladder urothelial Carcinoma (BLCA). However, the precise biological functions and mechanisms of SYNPO2 in BLCA remain unclear. Based on TCGA database‑derived BLCA RNA sequencing data, survival analysis and prognosis analysis indicate that elevated SYNPO2 expression was associated with poor survival outcomes. Notably, exogenous SYNPO2 expression significantly promoted tumor invasion and migration by upregulating vimentin expression in BLCA cell lines. Enrichment analysis revealed the involvement of SYNPO2 in humoral immune responses and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Moreover, increased SYNPO2 levels increased the sensitivity of BLCA to PI3K/AKT pathway‑targeted drugs while being resistant to conventional chemotherapy. In in vivo BLCA mouse models, SYNPO2 overexpression increased pulmonary metastasis of 5637 cells. High SYNPO2 expression led to increased infiltration of innate immune cells, particularly mast cells, in both nude mouse model and clinical BLCA samples. Furthermore, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion score showed that patients with BLCA patients and high SYNPO2 expression exhibited worse clinical outcomes when treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Notably, in the IMvigor 210 cohort, SYNPO2 expression was significantly associated with the population of resting mast cells in BLCA tissue following PD1/PDL1 targeted therapy. In conclusion, SYNPO2 may be a promising prognostic factor in BLCA by modulating mast cell infiltration and exacerbating resistance to immune therapy and conventional chemotherapy.

Gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis related signature predicts prognosis and sensitivity to immunotherapy in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer peritoneal metastases (GCPM) is a leading cause of GC-related death. Early detection of GCPM is critical for improving the prognosis of advanced GC. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the GSE62254 database to distinguish between GCPM and non-GCPM. The gastric cancer peritoneal metastases signature (GCPMs) was developed using DEGs. We analysed the effectiveness of GCPMs as indicators for prognosis, chemotherapy, and immune therapy response in GC patients. Subsequently, we analysed the correlation between GCPMs and immune microenvironment as well as immune escape in GC patients. Random forest model and immunohistochemistry was utilized to identify the crucial genes that can aid in the diagnosis of GCPM. We identified five DEGs and utilized their expression to construct GCPMs. Patients with high GCPMs had a higher likelihood of a poor prognosis, while those with low GCPMs appeared to potentially benefit more from chemotherapy. GCPMs were a dependable marker for predicting the response to immunotherapy. Additionally, GCPMs was found to be significantly linked to stromal score and cancer-associated fibroblasts. SYNPO2 has been identified as the gene with the highest significance in the diagnosis of GCPM. Immunohistochemistry suggests that SYNPO2-positive expression in tumour cells, fibroblasts, inflammatory cell may be associated with promoting peritoneal metastasis in GC. GCPMs have shown to be a promising biomarker for predicting the prognosis and response of GC patients to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The use of GCPMs for individual tumour evaluation may pave the way for personalized treatment for GC patients in the future.

Fallopian tube lesions as potential precursors of early ovarian cancer: a comprehensive proteomic analysis

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer worldwide. High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common and deadliest subtype of ovarian cancer. While the origin of ovarian tumors is still debated, it has been suggested that HGSC originates from cells in the fallopian tube epithelium (FTE), specifically the epithelial cells in the region of the tubal-peritoneal junction. Three main lesions, p53 signatures, STILs, and STICs, have been defined based on the immunohistochemistry (IHC) pattern of p53 and Ki67 markers and the architectural alterations of the cells, using the Sectioning and Extensively Examining the Fimbriated End Protocol. In this study, we performed an in-depth proteomic analysis of these pre-neoplastic epithelial lesions guided by mass spectrometry imaging and IHC. We evaluated specific markers related to each preneoplastic lesion. The study identified specific lesion markers, such as CAVIN1, Emilin2, and FBLN5. We also used SpiderMass technology to perform a lipidomic analysis and identified the specific presence of specific lipids signature including dietary Fatty acids precursors in lesions. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of ovarian cancer and confirms the fimbria origin of HGSC.

Synaptopodin-2: a potential tumor suppressor

Initially identified as an actin-binding protein containing a PSD95-DLG-ZO1 Domain (PZD domain), Synaptopodin 2 (SYNPO2) has long been considered a structural protein ubiquitously expressed in muscular tissues. However, emerging evidence suggests that SYNPO2 performs diverse functions in cancers in addition to its role in microfilament assembly. In most cancers, high SYNPO2 expression is positively correlated with a good prognosis, suggesting its role as a novel tumor suppressor. Abnormal SYNPO2 expression affects autophagy generation, particularly mitophagy induced by low oxidation or viral infection, as well as chaperone-mediated autophagy triggered by microfilament damage. Mechanically, SYNPO2 regulates tumor growth, metastasis, and invasion via activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal and Hippo signaling pathways. Moreover, the subcellular localization, promoter methylation and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of SYNPO2 have been associated with cancer progression and clinical outcomes, highlighting its potential as a prognostic or diagnostic target for this patient population. This review focuses on the role of SYNPO2 in cancer, including its generation, epigenetic modification, subcellular localization, and biological function.

A parasite DNA binding protein with potential to influence disease susceptibility acts as an analogue of mammalian HMGA transcription factors

Intracellular pathogens construct their environmental niche, and influence disease susceptibility, by deploying factors that manipulate infected host cell gene expression. Theileria annulata is an important tick-borne parasite of cattle that causes tropical theileriosis. Excellent candidates for modulating host cell gene expression are DNA binding proteins bearing AT-hook motifs encoded within the TashAT gene cluster of the parasite genome. In this study, TashAT2 was transfected into bovine BoMac cells to generate three expressing and three non-expressing (opposite orientation) cell lines. RNA-Seq was conducted and differentially expressed (DE) genes identified. The resulting dataset was compared with genes differentially expressed between infected cells and non-infected cells, and DE genes between infected cell lines from susceptible Holstein vs tolerant Sahiwal cattle. Over 800 bovine genes displayed differential expression associated with TashAT2, 209 of which were also modulated by parasite infection. Network analysis showed enrichment of DE genes in pathways associated with cellular adhesion, oncogenesis and developmental regulation by mammalian AT-hook bearing high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins. Overlap of TashAT2 DE genes with Sahiwal vs Holstein DE genes revealed that a significant number of shared genes were associated with disease susceptibility. Altered protein levels encoded by one of these genes (GULP1) was strongly linked to expression of TashAT2 in BoMac cells and was demonstrated to be higher in infected Holstein leucocytes compared to Sahiwal. We conclude that TashAT2 operates as an HMGA analogue to differentially mould the epigenome of the infected cell and influence disease susceptibility.

Cell-Type-Specific Signalling Networks Impacted by Prostate Epithelial-Stromal Intercellular Communication

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in males. A greater understanding of cell signalling events that occur within the prostate cancer tumour microenvironment (TME), for example, between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and prostate epithelial or cancer cells, may identify novel biomarkers and more effective therapeutic strategies for this disease. To address this, we used cell-type-specific labelling with amino acid precursors (CTAP) to define cell-type-specific (phospho)proteomic changes that occur when prostate epithelial cells are co-cultured with normal patient-derived prostate fibroblasts (NPFs) versus matched CAFs. We report significant differences in the response of BPH-1 benign prostate epithelial cells to CAF versus NPF co-culture. Pathway analysis of proteomic changes identified significant upregulation of focal adhesion and cytoskeleton networks, and downregulation of metabolism pathways, in BPH-1 cells cultured with CAFs. In addition, co-cultured CAFs exhibited alterations in stress, DNA damage, and cytoskeletal networks. Functional validation of one of the top differentially-regulated proteins in BPH-1 cells upon CAF co-culture, transglutaminase-2 (TGM2), demonstrated that knockdown of this protein significantly reduced the proliferation and migration of prostate epithelial cells. Overall, this study provides novel insights into intercellular communication in the prostate cancer TME that may be exploited to improve patient management.

Neoplastic signatures: Comparative proteomics of canine hepatobiliary neuroendocrine tumors to normal niche tissue

Hepatobiliary neuroendocrine neoplasms are rare cancers in humans and dogs. To date, no large-scale primary hepatobiliary neoplasm omics analyses exist in any species. This limits the development of diagnostic biomarkers and targeted therapeutics. Neuroendocrine cancers are a heterogenous group of neoplasms categorized by their tissue-of-origin. Because the anatomic niche of neuroendocrine neoplasms shapes tumor phenotype, we sought to compare the proteomes of 3 canine hepatobiliary neoplasms to normal hepatobiliary tissue and adrenal glands with the objective of identifying unique protein signatures. Protein was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples and submitted for tandem mass spectroscopy. Thirty-two upregulated and 126 downregulated differentially expressed proteins were identified. Remarkably, 6 (19%) of the upregulated proteins are correlated to non-hepatobiliary neuroendocrine neoplasia and 16 (50%) are functionally annotated within the exosome cellular compartment key to neuroendocrine signaling. Twenty-six (21%) downregulated proteins are enriched in metabolic pathways consistent with alterations in cancer. These results suggests that characteristic neoplastic protein signatures can be gleaned from small data sets using a comparative proteomics approach.

RDIVpSGP motif of ASPP2 binds to 14-3-3 and enhances ASPP2/k18/14-3-3 ternary complex formulation to promote BRAF/MEK/ERK signal inhibited cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma

The Apoptosis Stimulating Protein of p53 2 (ASPP2) is a heterozygous insufficient tumor suppressor; however, its molecular mechanism(s) in tumor suppression is not completely understood. ASPP2 plays an essential role in cell growth, as shown by liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) RNA-seq assay using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and High-Throughput-PCR assay using ASPP2 knockdown cells. These observations were further confirmed by in vivo and in vitro experiments. Mechanistically, N-terminus ASPP2 interacted with Keratin 18 (k18) in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, the RDIVpSGP motif of ASPP2 associates with 14-3-3 and promotes ASPP2/k18/14-3-3 ternary-complex formation which promotes MEK/ERK signal activation by impairing 14-3-3 and BRAF association. Additionally, ASPP2-rAd injection promotes paclitaxel-suppressed tumor growth by suppressing cell proliferation in the BALB/c nude mice model. ASPP2 and k18 were preferentially downregulated in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), which predicted poor prognosis in HCC patients. Overall, these findings suggested that ASPP2 promoted BRAF/MEK/ERK signal activation by promoting the formation of an ASPP2/k18/14-3-3 ternary complex via the RDIVpSGP motif at the N terminus. Moreover, this study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanism of tumor suppression in HCC patients.

Morphological and Molecular Responses of Lateolabrax maculatus Skeletal Muscle Cells to Different Temperatures

Temperature strongly modulates muscle development and growth in ectothermic teleosts; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, primary cultures of skeletal muscle cells of Lateolabrax maculatus were conducted and reared at different temperatures (21, 25, and 28 °C) in both the proliferation and differentiation stages. CCK-8, EdU, wound scratch and nuclear fusion index assays revealed that the proliferation, myogenic differentiation, and migration processes of skeletal muscle cells were significantly accelerated as the temperature raises. Based on the GO, GSEA, and WGCNA, higher temperature (28 °C) induced genes involved in HSF1 activation, DNA replication, and ECM organization processes at the proliferation stage, as well as HSF1 activation, calcium activity regulation, myogenic differentiation, and myoblast fusion, and sarcomere assembly processes at the differentiation stage. In contrast, lower temperature (21 °C) increased the expression levels of genes associated with DNA damage, DNA repair and apoptosis processes at the proliferation stage, and cytokine signaling and neutrophil degranulation processes at the differentiation stage. Additionally, we screened several hub genes regulating myogenesis processes. Our results could facilitate the understanding of the regulatory mechanism of temperature on fish skeletal muscle growth and further contribute to utilizing rational management strategies and promoting organism growth and development.

Inhibition of eEF2K synergizes with glutaminase inhibitors or 4EBP1 depletion to suppress growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells

The eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase, eEF2K, which restricts protein translation elongation, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target for diverse types of malignancies including triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the contexts in which eEF2K inhibition is essential in TNBC and its consequences on the proteome are largely unknown. Here we show that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of eEF2K cooperated with glutamine (Gln) starvation, and synergized with glutaminase (GLS1) inhibitors to suppress growth of diverse TNBC cell lines. eEF2K inhibition also synergized with depletion of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (eIF4EBP1; 4EBP1), a suppressor of eukaryotic protein translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), to induce c-MYC and Cyclin D1 expression, yet attenuate growth of TNBC cells. Proteomic analysis revealed that whereas eEF2K depletion alone uniquely induced Cyclin Dependent Kinase 1 (CDK1) and 6 (CDK6), combined depletion of eEF2K and 4EBP1 resulted in overlapping effects on the proteome, with the highest impact on the 'Collagen containing extracellular matrix' pathway (e.g. COL1A1), as well as the amino-acid transporter, SLC7A5/LAT1, suggesting a regulatory loop via mTORC1. In addition, combined depletion of eEF2K and 4EBP1 indirectly reduced the levels of IFN-dependent innate immune response-related factors. Thus, eEF2K inhibition triggers cell cycle arrest/death under unfavourable metabolic conditions such as Gln-starvation/GLS1 inhibition or 4EBP1 depletion, uncovering new therapeutic avenues for TNBC and underscoring a pressing need for clinically relevant eEF2K inhibitors.

The Transcriptomic Landscape of Prostate Cancer Development and Progression: An Integrative Analysis

Next-generation sequencing of primary tumors is now standard for transcriptomic studies, but microarray-based data still constitute the majority of available information on other clinically valuable samples, including archive material. Using prostate cancer (PC) as a model, we developed a robust analytical framework to integrate data across different technical platforms and disease subtypes to connect distinct disease stages and reveal potentially relevant genes not identifiable from single studies alone. We reconstructed the molecular profile of PC to yield the first comprehensive insight into its development, by tracking changes in mRNA levels from normal prostate to high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and metastatic disease. A total of nine previously unreported stage-specific candidate genes with prognostic significance were also found. Here, we integrate gene expression data from disparate sample types, disease stages and technical platforms into one coherent whole, to give a global view of the expression changes associated with the development and progression of PC from normal tissue through to metastatic disease. Summary and individual data are available online at the Prostate Integrative Expression Database (PIXdb), a user-friendly interface designed for clinicians and laboratory researchers to facilitate translational research.

Verteporfin induces apoptosis and reduces the stem cell-like properties in Neuroblastoma tumour-initiating cells through inhibition of the YAP/TAZ pathway

Neuroblastoma is an embryonal malignancy of early childhood arising from the embryonic sympatho-adrenal lineage of the neural crest. About half of all cases are currently classified as high-risk of disease recurrence, with an overall survival rate of less than 40% at 5 years despite intensive therapy. Recent studies on matched primary tumours and at the relapse revealed downregulation of genes transcriptionally silenced by YAP as significant association with neuroblastoma relapse. Here, we evaluated the pharmacological targeting of YAP/TAZ with the YAP/TAZ-TEAD inhibitor Verteporfin (VP) in Tumour Initiating Cells (TICs) derived from High-Risk Neuroblastoma patients. VP treatment suppresses YAP/TAZ expression, induces apoptosis and causes the re-organization of the cytoskeleton reducing cells migration and clonogenic ability. Moreover, VP reduces the percentage of side population cells and ABC transporters involved in drug resistance, and the percentage of stem cell subpopulations CD133+ and CD44⁺ of TICs. Finally, we demonstrated that VP sensitizes TICs to the standard drugs used for neuroblastoma therapy etoposide and cis-platin opening the way to use VP as drug repositioning candidate for recurrent neuroblastoma.

Recessive Mutations in SYNPO2 as a Candidate of Monogenic Nephrotic Syndrome

Introduction

Most of the approximately 60 genes that if mutated cause steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) are highly expressed in the glomerular podocyte, rendering SRNS a “podocytopathy.”

Methods

We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 1200 nephrotic syndrome (NS) patients.

Results

We discovered homozygous truncating and homozygous missense mutation in SYNPO2 (synaptopodin-2) (p.Lys1124∗ and p.Ala1134Thr) in 2 patients with childhood-onset NS. We found SYNPO2 expression in both podocytes and mesangial cells; however, notably, immunofluorescence staining of adult human and rat kidney cryosections indicated that SYNPO2 is localized mainly in mesangial cells. Subcellular localization studies reveal that in these cells SYNPO2 partially co-localizes with α-actinin and filamin A−containing F-actin filaments. Upon transfection in mesangial cells or podocytes, EGFP-SYNPO2 co-localized with α-actinin-4, which gene is mutated in autosomal dominant SRNS in humans. SYNPO2 overexpression increases mesangial cell migration rate (MMR), whereas shRNA knockdown reduces MMR. Decreased MMR was rescued by transfection of wild-type mouse Synpo2 cDNA but only partially by cDNA representing mutations from the NS patients. The increased mesangial cell migration rate (MMR) by SYNPO2 overexpression was inhibited by ARP complex inhibitor CK666. SYNPO2 shRNA knockdown in podocytes decreased active Rac1, which was rescued by transfection of wild-type SYNPO2 cDNA but not by cDNA representing any of the 2 mutant variants.

Conclusion

We show that SYNPO2 variants may lead to Rac1-ARP3 dysregulation, and may play a role in the pathogenesis of nephrotic syndrome.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals differential gene expression, alternative splicing, and novel exons during mouse trophoblast stem cell differentiation

BACKGROUND

Differentiation of mouse trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) to trophoblast giant cells (TGCs) has been widely used as a model system to study placental development and function. While several differentially expressed genes, including regulators of TSC differentiation, have been identified, a comprehensive analysis of the global expression of genes and splice variants in the two cell types has not been reported.

RESULTS

Here, we report ~ 7800 differentially expressed genes in TGCs compared to TSCs which include regulators of the cell cycle, apoptosis, cytoskeleton, cell mobility, embryo implantation, metabolism, and various signaling pathways. We show that several mitotic proteins, including Aurora A kinase, were downregulated in TGCs and that the activity of Aurora A kinase is required for the maintenance of TSCs. We also identify hitherto undiscovered, cell-type specific alternative splicing events in 31 genes in the two cell types. Finally, we also report 19 novel exons in 12 genes which are expressed in both TSCs and TGCs.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our results uncover several potential regulators of TSC differentiation and TGC function, thereby providing a valuable resource for developmental and molecular biologists interested in the study of stem cell differentiation and embryonic development.

Molecular Changes of Lung Malignancy in HIV Infection

Malignancy of the lung is a major source of morbidity and mortality in persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection; as the most prevalent non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-defining malignancy, it represents an important and growing problem confronting HIV-infected patients. To evaluate the molecular changes of lung malignancy in HIV infection, we analyzed differential gene expression profiles and screened for early detection biomarkers of HIV-associated lung cancer using Affymetrix arrays and IPA analysis. A total of 59 patients were diagnosed with HIV-associated lung cancer from Jan 2010 to May 2018. The primary outcome was a significant difference in survival outcome between stages III-IV (10.46 ± 1.87 months) and I-II (17.66 ± 2.88 months). We identified 758 differentially expressed genes in HIV-associated lung cancer. The expression levels of SIX1 and TFAP2A are specifically increased in HIV-associated lung cancer and are associated with poorly differentiated tumor tissue. We also found decreased ADH1B, INMT and SYNPO2 mRNA levels in HIV lung cancer. A comprehensive network and pathway analysis of the dysregulated genes revealed that these genes were associated with four network functions and six canonical pathways relevant to the development of HIV-associated lung cancer. The molecular changes in lung malignancy may help screen the growing population of HIV patients who have or will develop this malignancy.

The role of zyxin in regulation of malignancies

Focal adhesions are highly dynamic multi-protein complexes found at the cell surface and effectively link the cell's internal cytoskeleton to a complex mixture of macromolecules known as the extracellular matrix and mediate transmission of signals from the extracellular matrix to the nucleus. Zyxin is one of the key focal adhesion proteins and is also found to shuttle in the nucleus. Although the mechanism of shuttling to the nucleus unclear, it moves out from the nucleus through a leucine-rich nuclear export signal sequence. It is known to contribute to fundamental cellular activities such as cell migration, adhesion and proliferation by interacting with a variety of cellular proteins. It is also linked with a number of cancers such as melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, oral squamous-cell carcinoma, Ewing sarcoma and prostate cancer. However, in many cases, the precise mechanisms by which the absence or presence of zyxin contributes to cancer progression or suppression is unknown. Thus, more work is required to gain insights into how zyxin modulates cellular functions in relationship to cancer. This review summarises the role of zyxin in cancer, with an emphasis on conflicting roles in prostate cancer.

Synaptopodin-2 plays an important role in the metastasis of breast cancer via PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

Introduction

Synaptopodin 2 (SYNPO2) is a functioning protein. It has been detected in many malignancies. But the relation between SYNPO2 and breast cancer (BC) is unclear.

Materials and methods

In this study, we explored the expression and function of SYNPO2 in BC. We found that SYNPO2 gene in BC was downregulated at the transcriptional level in both validated and TCGA cohorts.

Results

The results revealed that age, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage in the validated cohort were related to the expression of SYNPO2 negatively. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with lower SYNPO2 expression had a worse overall survival.

Discussion

We found that migration and invasion were promoted after knocking down SYNPO2 in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, BT-549, and MDA-MB-468. Meanwhile, knockdown of SYNPO2 could enhance PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which may induce migration and invasion. Our findings reveal that SYNPO2 was associated with BC.

Cortical atrophy and hypofibrinogenemia due to FGG and TBCD mutations in a single family: a case report

Background

Blended phenotypes or co-occurrence of independent phenotypically distinct conditions are extremely rare and are due to coincidence of multiple pathogenic mutations, especially due to consanguinity. Hereditary fibrinogen deficiencies result from mutations in the genes FGA, FGB, and FGG, encoding the three different polypeptide chains that comprise fibrinogen. Neurodevelopmental abnormalities have not been associated with fibrinogen deficiencies. In this study, we report an unusual patient with a combination of two independently inherited genetic conditions; fibrinogen deficiency and early onset cortical atrophy.

Case presentation

The study describes a male child from consanguineous family presented with hypofibrinogenemia, diffuse cortical atrophy, microcephaly, hypertonia and axonal motor neuropathy. Through a combination of homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing, we identified bi-allelic pathogenic mutations in two genes: a homozygous novel truncating mutation in FGG (c.554del; p.Lys185Argfs*14) and a homozygous missense mutation in TBCD (c.1423G > A;p.Ala475Thr). Loss of function mutations in FGG have been associated with fibrinogen deficiency, while the c.1423G > A mutation in TBCD causes a novel syndrome of neurodegeneration and early onset encephalopathy.

Conclusions

Our study highlights the importance of homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing in molecular prenatal diagnosis, especially when multiple gene mutations are responsible for the phenotype.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12881-018-0597-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Regulation of IL-1 signaling through control of focal adhesion assembly

IL-1 signaling is adhesion-restricted in many cell types, but the mechanism that drives it is not defined. We screened for proteins recruited to nascent adhesions in IL-1-treated human fibroblasts with tandem mass tag-mass spectrometry. We used fibronectin bead preparations to enrich 10 actin-associated proteins. There was a 1.2 times log 2-fold enrichment of actin capping protein (ACP) at 30 min after IL-1 stimulation. Knockdown (KD) of ACP by siRNA reduced IL-1-induced ERK activation(by 56%, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) expression by 48%, and MMP-9 expression by 62% (in all reductions, P < 0.01). Confocal or structured illumination microscopy showed that ACP was diffused throughout the cytosol but strongly accumulated at the ruffled border of spreading cells. ACP colocalized with nascent paxillin- and vinculin-containing adhesions at the ruffled border, but not with mature adhesions in the center. ACP KD promoted the formation of large, stable adhesions. Immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation analysis showed that ACP was associated with the IL-1 signal transduction proteins myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and IL-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) at the ruffled border of the leading edge. IL-1-induced phospho-ERK and MyD88 or IRAK colocalized at the leading edge. We concluded that ACP is required for recruitment and function of IL-1 signaling complexes in nascent adhesions at the leading edge of the cell.-Wang, Q., Delcorde, J., Tang, T., Downey, G. P., McCulloch, C. A. Regulation of IL-1 signaling through control of focal adhesion assembly.

Association of a common variant of SYNPO2 gene with increased risk of serous epithelial ovarian cancer

In China, the majority of ovarian cancer patients (80%–90%) are women who are diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer. The SYNPO2 gene has recently been reported to be associated with epithelial ovarian cancer in Europeans. To investigate the association of common variants of SYNPO2 gene with epithelial ovarian cancer in Han Chinese individuals, we designed a case–control study with 719 epithelial ovarian cancer patients and 1568 unrelated healthy controls of Han Chinese descent. A total of 49 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped; single-single-nucleotide polymorphism association, imputation, and haplotypic association analyses were performed. The single-nucleotide polymorphism rs17329882 was found to be strongly associated with serous epithelial ovarian cancer and with ages ≤49 years, consistent with the pre-menopausal status of analyzed epithelial ovarian cancer cases. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals provided evidence of the risk effects of the C allele of the single-nucleotide polymorphism on epithelial ovarian cancer. Imputation analyses also confirmed the results with a similar pattern. Additionally, haplotype analyses indicated that the haplotype block that contained rs17329882 was significantly associated with epithelial ovarian cancer risk, specifically with the serous epithelial ovarian cancer subtype. In conclusion, our results show that SYNPO2 gene plays an important role in the etiology of epithelial ovarian cancer, suggesting that this gene may be a potential genetic modifier for developing epithelial ovarian cancer.

Adhesion protein networks reveal functions proximal and distal to cell-matrix contacts

Cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix is generally mediated by integrin receptors, which bind to intracellular adhesion proteins that form multi-molecular scaffolding and signalling complexes. The networks of proteins, and their interactions, are dynamic, mechanosensitive and extremely complex. Recent efforts to characterise adhesions using a variety of technologies, including imaging, proteomics and bioinformatics, have provided new insights into their composition, organisation and how they are regulated, and have also begun to reveal unexpected roles for so-called adhesion proteins in other cellular compartments (for example, the nucleus or centrosomes) in diseases such as cancer. We believe this is opening a new chapter on understanding the wider functions of adhesion proteins, both proximal and distal to cell-matrix contacts.