Macrolide analog F806 suppresses esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by blocking β1 integrin activation

Development of biomarker signatures associated with anoikis to predict prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer: An observational study

Anoikis, a form of programmed cell death linked to cancer, has garnered significant research attention. Esophageal cancer (ESCA) ranks among the most prevalent malignant tumors and represents a major global health concern. To ascertain whether anoikis-related genes (ARGs) can accurately predict ESCA prognosis, we evaluated the predictive value and molecular mechanisms of ARGs in ESCA and constructed an optimal model for prognostic prediction. Using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-ESCA database, we identified ARGs with differences in ESCA. ARG signatures were generated using Cox regression. A predictive nomogram model was developed to forecast ARG signatures and patient outcomes in ESCA. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was employed to uncover potential biological pathways associated with ARG signatures. Estimation of stromal and immune cells in malignant tumor tissues using expression data (ESTIMATE) and cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts analyses were used to assess differences in the immune microenvironment of the ARG signature model. Based on ARGs, the patients with ESCA were divided into high and low groups, and the sensitivity of patients to drugs in the database of genomics of drug sensitivity in cancer was analyzed. Finally, the correlation between drug sensitivity and risk score was then evaluated based on the ARG signatures. Prognostic relevance was significantly linked to the ARG profiles of 5 genes: MYB binding protein 1a (MYBBP1A), plasminogen activator, urokinase (PLAU), budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 3, HOX transcript antisense RNA, and euchromatic histone-lysine methyltransferase 2 (EHMT2). Using the risk score as an independent prognostic factor combined with clinicopathological features, the nomogram accurately predicted the overall survival (OS) of individual patients with ESCA. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that the primary molecular roles included histone methyltransferase function, binding to C2H2 zinc finger domains, and histone-lysine N-methyltransferase activity. GSEA revealed that the high-risk cohort was connected to cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, graft-versus-host disease, and hematopoietic cell lineage, whereas the low-risk cohort was related to arachidonic acid metabolism, drug metabolism via cytochrome P450 and fatty acid metabolism. Drug sensitivity tests showed that 16 drugs were positively correlated, and 3 drugs were negatively correlated with ARG characteristic scores. Our study developed 5 ARG signatures as biomarkers for patients with ESCA, providing an important reference for the individualized treatment of this disease.

Targeting USP10 induces degradation of oncogenic ANLN in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Anillin (ANLN) is a mitosis-related protein that promotes contractile ring formation and cytokinesis, but its cell cycle-dependent degradation mechanisms in cancer cells remain unclear. Here, we show that high expression of ANLN promotes cytokinesis and proliferation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells and is associated with poor prognosis in ESCC patients. Furthermore, the findings of the study showed that the deubiquitinating enzyme USP10 interacts with ANLN and positively regulates ANLN protein levels. USP10 removes the K11- and K63-linked ubiquitin chains of ANLN through its deubiquitinase activity and prevents ANLN ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Importantly, USP10 promotes contractile ring assembly at the cytokinetic furrow as well as cytokinesis by stabilizing ANLN. Interestingly, USP10 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase APC/C co-activator Cdh1 formed a functional complex with ANLN in a non-competitive manner to balance ANLN protein levels. In addition, the macrolide compound FW-04-806 (F806), a natural compound with potential for treating ESCC, inhibited the mitosis of ESCC cells by targeting USP10 and promoting ANLN degradation. F806 selectively targeted USP10 and inhibited its catalytic activity but did not affect the binding of Cdh1 to ANLN and alters the balance of the USP10-Cdh1-ANLN complex. Additionally, USP10 expression was positively correlated with ANLN level and poor prognosis of ESCC patients. Overall, targeting the USP10-ANLN axis can effectively inhibit ESCC cell-cycle progression.

Network and pathway-based analysis of genes associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background

Although diagnostic methods and treatments have improved over the last few years, the 5-year survival rate of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients remains generally poor. The development of high-throughput technology has facilitated great achievements in localization of ESCC-related genes. To take a further step toward a thorough understanding of ESCC at a molecular level, the potential pathogenesis of ESCC needs to be deciphered.

Methods

The interaction of ESCC-related genes was explored by collecting genes associated with ESCC and then performing gene enrichment assays, pathway enrichment assays, pathway crosstalk analysis, and extraction of ESCC-specific subnetwork to describe the relevant biochemical processes.

Results

Through Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, many molecular functions related to response to chemical, cellular response to stimulus, and cell proliferation were found to be significantly enriched in ESCC-related genes. The results of pathway and pathway crosstalk analysis showed that pathways associated with multiple malignant tumors, the immune system, and metabolic processes were significantly enriched in ESCC-related genes. Through the analysis of specific subnetworks, we obtained some novel ESCC-related potential genes, such as MUC13, GSTO1, FIN, GRB2, CDC25C, and others.

Conclusions

The molecular mechanism of ESCC is extremely complex. Some inducing factors change the expression status of many genes. The abnormal expression of genes mediates the biological processes involved in immunity and metabolism, apoptosis, and cell proliferation, leading to the occurrence of tumors. The genes MUC13, RYK, and FIN may be potential prognostic indicators of ESCC; GRB2 and CDC25C may be potential targets of ESCC in proliferation. Our work may provide valuable information for further understanding the molecular mechanisms for the development of ESCC.

Anti-tumour effects of a macrolide analog F806 in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells by targeting and promoting GLUT1 autolysosomal degradation

Cancer cells are characterized by altered energetic metabolism with increasing glucose uptake. F806, a 16-membered macrodiolide analogue, has anti-tumour effects on oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells. However, its precise anti-tumour mechanism remains unclear. Here, metascape analysis of our previous quantitative proteomics data showed that F806 induced glucose starvation response and inhibited energy production in ESCC cells. The reduced glucose uptake and ATP production were further validated by the fluorescent methods, using glucose-conjugated bioprobe Glu-1-O-DCSN, and the bioluminescent methods, respectively. Consistently, under F806 treatment the AMP-activated protein kinase signalling was activated, and autophagy flux was promoted and more autophagosomes were formed. Moreover, live-cell imaging and immunofluorescence analysis showed that F806 induced GLUT1 plasma membrane dissociation and promoted its internalization and autolysosome accumulation and lysosome degradation. Furthermore, molecular docking studies demonstrated that F806 bound to GLUT1 with a comparable binding energy to that of GLUT1's direct interacting inhibitor cytochalasin B. Amino acid mutation was used to test which residues of GLUT1 may participate in F806 mediated-GLUT1 internalization and degradation, and results showed that Thr137, Asn411 and Trp388 were required for GLUT1 internalization and degradation, respectively. Taken together, these findings shed light on a novel anti-tumour mechanism of F806 by targeting and promoting GLUT1 internalization and further autolysosomal degradation.

RAC1 inhibition reverses cisplatin resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and induces downregulation of glycolytic enzymes

Development of chemoresistance remains a major challenge in treating esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients despite treatment advances. However, the role of RAC1 in chemoresistance of ESCC and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that higher levels of RAC1 expression were associated with poorer prognosis in ESCC patients. Enhanced RAC1 expression increased cell proliferation, migration, and chemoresistance in vitro. Combination therapy using RAC1 inhibitor EHop-016 and cisplatin significantly promoted cell viability inhibition, G2/M phase cycle arrest, and apoptosis when compared to each monotherapy. Mechanistically, glycolysis was significantly downregulated in the RAC1 inhibitor monotherapy group and the combination group via inhibiting AKT/FOXO3a signaling when compared to the control group. Moreover, the silencing of RAC1 inhibited AKT/FOXO3a signaling and cell glycolysis while the upregulation of RAC1 produced an opposite effect. In murine xenograft models, the tumor volume and the expression of glycolytic enzymes were significantly reduced in combination therapy when compared to each monotherapy group. Overall, our study demonstrates that targeting RAC1 with an inhibitor overcomes cisplatin resistance in ESCC by suppressing glycolytic enzymes, which provides a promising strategy for treatment of ESCC in clinical practice.

Metformin inhibits the migration and invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells by downregulating the protein kinase B signaling pathway

Previous studies have suggested that metformin, a biguanide family member widely used as an oral antidiabetic drug, may inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in certain types of cancer cell. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying metformin-associated anticancer effects, and in particular antimetastatic effects, remain to be fully understood. The present study assessed the efficacy of metformin in inhibiting the migration and invasion of the esophageal carcinoma cell line EC109, and evaluated the effect of metformin on the protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway. EC109 cells were treated with 0, 5, 10 or 20 mM metformin during the logarithmic growth phase. A Transwell assay and western blot analysis revealed that metformin inhibited the migration and invasion of EC109 cells, nuclear factor-κB activation, matrix metallopeptidase 9 and N-cadherin expression in a phosphorylated-AKT dependent manner. These results suggested that metformin inhibits the migration and invasion of human esophageal carcinoma cells by suppressing AKT phosphorylation and regulating the expression of migration- and invasion-associated genes.

F806 Suppresses the Invasion and Metastasis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Downregulating F-Actin Assembly-Related Rho Family Proteins

Invasion and metastasis are critical pathological and mortal processes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Novel drugs, targeting the two cancer migration stages, will augment the treatment options for ESCC therapy and improve overall survival. A novel natural macrolide F806 specifically promotes apoptosis of various ESCC cells. However, whether F806 can inhibit metastasis of ESCC cells needs further evaluation. Here, our data showed that F806 inhibits dynamic F-actin assembly and then suppresses the migration of ESCC cells in vitro and their invasion and metastasis in vivo. The correlation between cancer migration and actin cytoskeleton assembly was consistent with the ability of F806 to prevent the aggregation of Paxillin, an essential protein for focal adhesion formation through binding to the ends of actin filaments. Furthermore, F806 downregulated the expression and activity of the Rho family proteins cell division cycle 42 (CDC42), RAC family small GTPase 1 (RAC1), and RAS homolog family member A (RHOA). Taken together, these results suggest that F806 can suppress cancer invasion and metastasis via interrupting the assembly of migration components involving F-actin.

Integrin β1 is a critical effector in promoting metastasis and chemo-resistance of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains a challenge in clinical practice. In this study, we clarified that integrin β1 (ITGB1) plays critical roles in the metastasis of ESCC. By analyzing the expression of integrin β1 in ESCC specimens, we found that the expression of this integrin was higher in malignant than in normal tissues and that this increase was associated with lymph node metastasis. Moreover, in vitro functional experiments demonstrated that deletion of integrin β1 impaired the motility of ESCC cells, and we also showed that integrin β1 deletion significantly inhibited metastases formation in the lungs and lymph nodes of two murine models. Mechanistically, integrin β1 promoted cellular motility by regulating the FAK-Rac1 signaling pathway. Finally, we found that blocking integrin β1 significantly impaired the resistance of ESCC cells to cisplatin (DDP) treatment based on in vitro and in vivo experiments. Overall, our data suggest that integrin β1 promotes metastasis and confers DDP resistance to ESCC, which provides experimental evidence for targeting this protein to treat ESCC in the future.

TIM-3 promotes the metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway

T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-con-taining protein-3 (TIM-3), a negative regulator of antitumor immune response, has been demonstrated to be involved in the onset and progression of several types of malignancies. The present study aimed to determine whether and how TIM‑3 plays such a role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). TIM-3 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and real‑time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT‑PCR) in ESCC and matched adjacent normal tissues. Functional experiments in vitro were performed to elucidate the effect of TIM‑3 knockdown on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in Eca109 and TE‑1 cell lines. Our data revealed that TIM‑3 expression was significantly elevated at both the mRNA and protein levels in ESCC tissues compared with the levels in the matched adjacent normal tissues (both P<0.001). TIM‑3 expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.008), tumor‑node‑metastasis (TNM) stage (P=0.042) and depth of tumor invasion (P=0.042). In addition, we observed a strong correlation between high TIM‑3 expression and a worse overall survival of ESCC patients (P=0.001). Functional study demonstrated that TIM‑3 knockdown markedly inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC cell lines without affecting apoptosis. In addition, TIM‑3 depletion was associated with downregulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and upregulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, and with reversion of EMT, as reflected by higher levels of the epithelial marker E‑cadherin and lower levels of the mesenchymal markers N‑cadherin and vimentin. Further study found that TIM‑3 depletion suppressed the signaling pathway involving p‑Akt, p‑GSK‑3β and Snail. Taken together, these results suggest that TIM‑3 is a novel therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for ESCC and promotes metastasis of ESCC by inducing EMT via, at least partially, the Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway.

Integrative topological analysis of mass spectrometry data reveals molecular features with clinical relevance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Combining MS-based proteomic data with network and topological features of such network would identify more clinically relevant molecules and meaningfully expand the repertoire of proteins derived from MS analysis. The integrative topological indexes representing 95.96% information of seven individual topological measures of node proteins were calculated within a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, built using 244 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) identified by iTRAQ 2D-LC-MS/MS. Compared with DEPs, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and comprehensive features (CFs), structurally dominant nodes (SDNs) based on integrative topological index distribution produced comparable classification performance in three different clinical settings using five independent gene expression data sets. The signature molecules of SDN-based classifier for distinction of early from late clinical TNM stages were enriched in biological traits of protein synthesis, intracellular localization and ribosome biogenesis, which suggests that ribosome biogenesis represents a promising therapeutic target for treating ESCC. In addition, ITGB1 expression selected exclusively by integrative topological measures correlated with clinical stages and prognosis, which was further validated with two independent cohorts of ESCC samples. Thus the integrative topological analysis of PPI networks proposed in this study provides an alternative approach to identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets from MS/MS data with functional insights in ESCC.