1
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Lei H, Fang F, Yang C, Chen X, Li Q, Shen X. Lifting the veils on transmembrane proteins: Potential anticancer targets. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 963:176225. [PMID: 38040080 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Cancer, as a prevalent cause of mortality, poses a substantial global health burden and hinders efforts to enhance life expectancy. Nevertheless, the prognosis of patients with malignant tumors remains discouraging, owing to the lack of specific diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Therefore, the development of early diagnostic indicators and novel therapeutic drugs for the prevention and treatment of cancer is essential. Transmembrane proteins (TMEMs) are a class of proteins that can span the phospholipid bilayer and are stably anchored. They are associated with fibrotic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, developmental disorders, and cancer. It has been found that the expression levels of TMEMs were elevated or reduced in cancer cells, exerting pro/anticancer effects. These aberrant expression levels have also been linked to the prognostic and clinicopathological features of diverse tumors. In this review, the structures, functions, and roles of TMEMs in cancer were discussed, and the scientific perspectives were described. This review also explored the potential of TMEMs as tumor drug candidates from the perspective of targeted therapies, and the challenges that need to be overcome in a wide range of preclinical and clinical anticancer research were summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Lei
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fujin Fang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuanli Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaowei Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiong Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaobing Shen
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
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2
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He L, Xie Y, Qiu Y, Zhang Y. Pan-Cancer Profiling and Digital Pathology Analysis Reveal Negative Prognostic Biomarker ZPR1 Associated with Immune Infiltration and Treatment Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2023; 10:1309-1325. [PMID: 37581094 PMCID: PMC10423584 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s415224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose ZPR1 is a zinc finger-containing protein that plays a crucial role in neurodegenerative diseases, lipid metabolism disorders, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the expression pattern, prognostic value, and treatment response of ZPR1 in pan-cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Patients and Methods Pan-cancer expression profiles and relevant clinical data were acquired from UCSC Xena platform. Pan-cancer expression, epigenetic profile, and clinical correlation analysis for ZPR1 were performed. We next explored the prognostic significance and potential biological functions of ZPR1 in HCC. Furthermore, the relationship between ZPR1 and immune infiltration and treatment response was investigated. Finally, quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was applied to assess the correlation of ZPR1 expression and immune microenvironment in HCC tissues using Qupath software. Results ZPR1 was differentially expressed in most tumor types and significantly up-regulated in HCC. ZPR1 showed hypo-methylated status in most tumors. Pan-cancer correlation analysis indicated that ZPR1 was closely associated with clinicopathological factors and TMB, MSI, and stemness index in HCC. High ZPR1 expression could be an independent risk factor for adverse prognosis in HCC. ZPR1 correlated with immune cell infiltration and therapeutic response. Finally, IHC results suggested that ZPR1 correlated with CD4, CD56, CD68, and PD-L1 expression and is a promising pathological diagnostic marker in HCC. Conclusion Immune infiltrate-associated ZPR1 could be considered a novel negative prognostic biomarker for therapeutic response in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian He
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute), Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yusai Xie
- Laboratory of Basic Medicine, General Hospital of Northern Theatre Command, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yusong Qiu
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute), Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute), Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, People’s Republic of China
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3
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Chen D, Lou Y, Lu J, Fan X, Zhu Q, Sun H. Characterization of the Clinical Significance and Immunological Landscapes of a Novel TMEMs Signature in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the Contribution of TMEM201 to Hepatocarcinogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10285. [PMID: 37373430 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant transmembrane protein (TMEM) expression is implicated in tumor progression, but its functional role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. Thus, we aim to characterize the functional contributions of TMEM in HCC. In this study, four novel TMEM-family genes (TMEMs), TMEM106C, TMEM201, TMEM164, and TMEM45A, were screened to create a TMEMs signature. These candidate genes are distinguished between patients with varying survival statuses. High-risk HCC patients had a significantly worse prognosis and more advanced clinicopathological characteristics in both the training and validation groups. The GO and KEGG analyses unveiled that the TMEMs signature might play a crucial role in cell-cycle-relevant and immune-related pathways. We found that the high-risk patients had lower stromal scores and a more immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment with massive infiltration of macrophages and Treg cells, whereas the low-risk group had higher stromal scores and gamma delta T-cell infiltration. Moreover, the expression level of suppressive immune checkpoints increased as the TMEM-signature scores increased. Furthermore, the in vitro experiments validated TMEM201, one feature of the TMEMs signature, and facilitated HCC proliferation, survival, and migration. The TMEMs signature provided a more precise prognostic evaluation of HCC and reflected the immunological status of HCC. Of the TMEMs signature studied, TMEM201 was found to significantly promote HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desheng Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Yichao Lou
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Jing Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Xuhui Fan
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Qi Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Hongcheng Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
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4
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Chang YF, Wang HH, Shu CW, Tsai WL, Lee CH, Chen CL, Liu PF. TMEM211 Promotes Tumor Progression and Metastasis in Colon Cancer. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:4529-4543. [PMID: 37367036 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45060287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Colon cancer is the third most important cancer type, leading to a remarkable number of deaths, indicating the necessity of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for colon cancer patients. Several transmembrane proteins (TMEMs) are associated with tumor progression and cancer malignancy. However, the clinical significance and biological roles of TMEM211 in cancer, especially in colon cancer, are still unknown. In this study, we found that TMEM211 was highly expressed in tumor tissues and the increased TMEM211 was associated with poor prognosis in colon cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We also showed that abilities regarding migration and invasion were reduced in TMEM211-silenced colon cancer cells (HCT116 and DLD-1). Moreover, TMEM211-silenced colon cancer cells showed decreased levels of Twist1, N-cadherin, Snail and Slug but increased levels of E-cadherin. Levels of phosphorylated ERK, AKT and RelA (NF-κB p65) were also decreased in TMEM211-silenced colon cancer cells. Our findings indicate that TMEM211 regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition for metastasis through coactivating the ERK, AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways, which might provide a potential prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target for colon cancer patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Translational Research Center of Neuromuscular Diseases, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Hsang Wang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wen Shu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lun Tsai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81362, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsin Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Lin Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Feng Liu
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
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5
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Zhang TM, Liao L, Yang SY, Huang MY, Zhang YL, Deng L, Hu SY, Yang F, Zhang FL, Shao ZM, Li DQ. TOLLIP-mediated autophagic degradation pathway links the VCP-TMEM63A-DERL1 signaling axis to triple-negative breast cancer progression. Autophagy 2023; 19:805-821. [PMID: 35920704 PMCID: PMC9980475 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2022.2103992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most challenging breast cancer subtype to treat due to the lack of effective targeted therapies. Transmembrane (TMEM) proteins represent attractive drug targets for cancer therapy, but biological functions of most members of the TMEM family remain unknown. Here, we report for the first time that TMEM63A (transmembrane protein 63A), a poorly characterized TMEM protein with unknown functions in human cancer, functions as a novel oncogene to promote TNBC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and xenograft tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistic investigations revealed that TMEM63A localizes in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and lysosome membranes, and interacts with VCP (valosin-containing protein) and its cofactor DERL1 (derlin 1). Furthermore, TMEM63A undergoes autophagy receptor TOLLIP-mediated autophagic degradation and is stabilized by VCP through blocking its lysosomal degradation. Strikingly, TMEM63A in turn stabilizes oncoprotein DERL1 through preventing TOLLIP-mediated autophagic degradation. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of VCP by CB-5083 or knockdown of DERL1 partially abolishes the oncogenic effects of TMEM63A on TNBC progression both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these findings uncover a previously unknown functional and mechanistic role for TMEM63A in TNBC progression and provide a new clue for targeting TMEM63A-driven TNBC tumors by using a VCP inhibitor.Abbreviations: ATG16L1, autophagy related 16 like 1; ATG5, autophagy related 5; ATP5F1B/ATP5B, ATP synthase F1 subunit beta; Baf-A1, bafilomycin A1; CALCOCO2/NDP52, calcium binding and coiled-coil domain 2; CANX, calnexin; DERL1, derlin 1; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; ERAD, endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation; HSPA8, heat shock protein family A (Hsp70) member 8; IP, immunoprecipitation; LAMP2A, lysosomal associated membrane protein 2; NBR1, NBR1 autophagy cargo receptor; OPTN, optineurin; RT-qPCR, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR; SQSTM1/p62, sequestosome 1; TAX1BP1, Tax1 binding protein 1; TMEM63A, transmembrane protein 63A; TNBC, triple-negative breast cancer; TOLLIP, toll interacting protein; VCP, valosin containing protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tai-Mei Zhang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China
| | - Li Liao
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China.,Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China
| | - Shao-Ying Yang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China
| | - Min-Ying Huang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China
| | - Yin-Ling Zhang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China.,Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China
| | - Ling Deng
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China
| | - Shu-Yuan Hu
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China
| | - Fang-Lin Zhang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China.,Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China
| | - Zhi-Min Shao
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China.,Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China
| | - Da-Qiang Li
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Yangpu, China.,Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, Yangpu, China
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6
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Ye Z, Xia Y, Li L, Li B, Chen W, Han S, Zhou X, Chen L, Yu W, Ruan Y, Cheng F. Effect of transmembrane protein 100 on prostate cancer progression by regulating SCNN1D through the FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway. Transl Oncol 2022; 27:101578. [PMID: 36375375 PMCID: PMC9661392 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2022.101578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of transmembrane (TMEM) proteins in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa) remain unknown. This study aims to explore the functions of TMEM100 in PCa. To explore the expression, regulation, and effects of TMEM100 in PCa, two PCa cell lines and 30 PCa tissue samples with adjacent control tissues were examined. Online databases, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blot, flow cytometry, colony formation, wound healing, transwell assays, and xenograft mouse models were used to explore effects of TMEM100 relevant to PCa. TMEM100 expression was shown to decrease in PCa patients, and low TMEM100 expression was associated with tumor stage and metastasis. Overexpression of TMEM100 suppressed PCa progression by inhibiting the FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Tumor size was smaller in TMEM100 overexpressing PCa cells in xenograft mice than in control mice. We also found that TMEM100 could regulate SCNN1D by inhibiting FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling in PCa cell lines. Taken together, our findings indicate that TMEM100 is a tumor suppressor that plays a vital role in preventing PCa proliferation, migration, and invasion through inhibition of FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling. These studies suggest that TMEM100 can be used as a predictive biomarker and therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehua Ye
- Corresponding author at: Department of Urology, Renmin hospital of Wuhan university, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan 430060, China.
| | - Yuqi Xia
- Corresponding author at: Department of Urology, Renmin hospital of Wuhan university, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan 430060, China.
| | - Lei Li
- Corresponding author at: Department of Urology, Renmin hospital of Wuhan university, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan 430060, China.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yuan Ruan
- Corresponding author at: Department of Urology, Renmin hospital of Wuhan university, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan 430060, China.
| | - Fan Cheng
- Corresponding author at: Department of Urology, Renmin hospital of Wuhan university, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan 430060, China.
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7
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Wan D, Han X, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Ma Y, Wang G. EZH2 promotes the progression of osteosarcoma through the activation of the AKT/GSK3β pathway. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2022; 49:1179-1186. [PMID: 35818168 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.13701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a clarified promoter in a list of tumors, including osteosarcoma (OS). Our research was projected to define the mechanism involved in EZH2-mediated OS progression through the protein kinase B (AKT)/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) pathway. EZH2 expression was tested in 66 OS tissues and 5 osteosarcoma cell lines (143B, SJSA-1, HOS, MG63, and U2OS). In HOS and U2OS cells, cellular malignant characteristics, and the markers of the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway were measured when EZH2 was silenced or overexpressed. Meanwhile, rescue assays were implemented to observe whether the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway inhibitor (MK-2206) could affect the role of overexpressed EZH2 in OS cells. EZH2 was up-regulated in tumor tissues of OS patients. OS cell lines (HOS and U2OS) showed impairments of proliferative, migratory, invasive and anti-apoptotic properties when EZH2 was silenced. Downregulated EZH2 inhibited the activation of the AKT/GSK3 signaling pathway. However, the situation in HOS and U2OS cells over-expressing EZH2 was opposite. MK-2206 erased EZH2 up-regulation-induced promotion of OS cell growth. It is demonstrated that EZH2 promotes the progression of OS via inducing the activation of the AKT/GSK3β pathway, offering a therapeutic direction for OS treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Wan
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tianjin first central hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiuxin Han
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yulin Ma
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Guowen Wang
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
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8
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Li T, Guan L, Tang G, He B, Huang L, Wang J, Li M, Bai Y, Li X, Zhang H. Downregulation of TMEM220 promotes tumor progression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Gene Ther 2022; 29:835-844. [PMID: 34321624 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-021-00370-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
During the process of long-term carcinogenesis, cells accumulate many mutations. Deregulated genes expression causes profound changes in cell proliferation, which is one of the hallmarks of HCC. A comprehensive understanding of these changes will contribute to the molecular mechanism of HCC progression. Through clinical sample analysis, we found that TMEM220 is downregulated in tumor and lower levels of TMEM220 is associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. Through overexpressing TMEM220 in HCC cell lines, we found that the proliferation of cancer cells was significantly slowed down and metastasis was significantly reduced. For further study of its molecular mechanism, we performed a reverse-phase protein array (RPPA). The results suggest that phenotypic changes caused by TMEM220 in HCC cells might be associated with FOXO and PI3K-Akt pathways. Mechanism studies showed that overexpression of TMEM220 could regulate β-catenin and FOXO3 transcriptional activity by altering their subcellular localization, affecting the expression of downstream gene p21 and SNAIL, and ultimately reducing the progression of HCC. Altogether, our study proposes a working model in which upregulation of TMEM220 expression alters the genes expression involved in cell proliferation, thereby inhibiting HCC progression, which suggests that TMEM220 might serve as a clinical biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Lei Guan
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Guangbo Tang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Bing He
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lili Huang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, PR China
| | - Mingyue Li
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yanxia Bai
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head-Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Xinyuan Li
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Huqin Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
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9
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Du Y, Wang Z, Wan W. High Expression of ERK-related RASGRF2 predicts Poor prognosis in patients with Stomach Adenocarcinoma and correlates with M2 macrophage. J Cancer 2021; 12:7177-7189. [PMID: 34729119 PMCID: PMC8558656 DOI: 10.7150/jca.63029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The role of RASGRF2 has been verified in the development of various cancers. However, its roles in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) are still under investigation. Methods: RASGRF2 transcript-level data and the associated clinical information from patients with STAD were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Diagnostic and prognostic values of RASGRF2 were analyzed using receiver-operator characteristics (ROC) analysis, correlation analysis, and survival analysis in conjunction with a prognostic model. In addition, gene expression profiles, differentially-expressed genes for co-varying expression, and a differential expressed genes (DEG) protein-protein interaction network for influential nodes were also analyzed. To identify the molecular role of RASGRF2 in STAD, gene ontology (GO) term, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) biological pathway, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA)-mediated functional module enrichment analyses were conducted. The relationship between RASGRF2 and gene signature-based predicted immune cell infiltration patterns were also investigated. To validate the bioinformatic findings, RASGRF2 protein expression was investigated in vitro using western blot and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, relationships among RASGRF2 protein expression, clinicopathologic characteristics, and patient survival were analyzed. Results: Bioinformatic analysis revealed a significantly higher RASGRF2 transcript level in STAD tissue, which was positively associated with the T stage, histological type, histological grade, and TP53 status. Moreover, the RASGRF2 transcript level indicated poor overall survival in STAD patients (hazard ratio = 1.47, P = 0.023). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that primary therapy outcome, age, and RASGRF2 transcript level were independent prognostic factors for survival, and the C-index of a nomogram was 0.695. Additionally, 159 genes were differentially expressed according to RASGRF2 transcript levels; 15 exhibited co-varying expression, and 13 were identified as influential nodes. The DEG-list was significantly enriched for several GO terms, biological pathways, and functional modules, including MAPK, RAS, ERK, and immunoregulatory pathways. RASGRF2 transcript levels were significantly positively correlated with infiltration levels of Tem, Macrophages, pDCs, and NK cells. Validation analysis showed similar results for the RASGRF2 protein expression level in both in vitro analyses. Conclusion: Bioinformatic predictions combined with in vitro validation suggest that RASGRF2 plays diagnostic and prognostic roles and serves as a negative protective molecular factor in STAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqi Du
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Zhengguang Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Weina Wan
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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10
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Koteluk O, Bielicka A, Lemańska Ż, Jóźwiak K, Klawiter W, Mackiewicz A, Kazimierczak U, Kolenda T. The Landscape of Transmembrane Protein Family Members in Head and Neck Cancers: Their Biological Role and Diagnostic Utility. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194737. [PMID: 34638224 PMCID: PMC8507526 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Transmembrane proteins (TMEM) are a large group of integral membrane proteins whose molecular and biological functions are not fully understood. It is known that some of them are involved in tumor formation and metastasis. Here, we performed a panel of TCGA data analyses to investigate the role of different TMEM genes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and define their potential as biomarkers. Based on changes in the expression levels in HNSCC tumors, we selected four TMEM genes: ANO1, TMEM156, TMEM173, and TMEM213 and associated them with patient survival. We also demonstrated that the expression of those TMEMs highly correlates with the enrichment of genes involved in numerous biological processes, especially metastasis formation and immune response. Thus, we propose ANO1, TMEM156, TMEM173, and TMEM213 as new biomarkers and potential targets for personalized therapy of HNSCC. Abstract Background: Transmembrane proteins (TMEM) constitute a large family of proteins spanning the entirety of the lipid bilayer. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about their function or mechanism of action. In this study, we analyzed the expression of selected TMEM genes in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to learn their role in tumor formation and metastasis. Materials and Methods: Using TCGA data, we analyzed the expression levels of different TMEMs in both normal and tumor samples and compared those two groups depending on clinical-pathological parameters. We selected four TMEMs whose expression was highly correlated with patient survival status and subjected them to further analysis. The pathway analysis using REACTOME and the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed to evaluate the association of those TMEMs with genes involved in hallmarks of cancer as well as in oncogenic and immune-related pathways. In addition, the fractions of different immune cell subpopulations depending on TMEM expression were estimated in analyzed patients. The results for selected TMEMs were validated using GEO data. All analyses were performed using the R package, Statistica, and Graphpad Prism. Results: We demonstrated that 73% of the analyzed TMEMs were dysregulated in HNSCC and depended on tumor localization, smoking, alcohol consumption, or HPV infection. The expression levels of ANO1, TMEM156, TMEM173, and TMEM213 correlated with patient survival. The four TMEMs were also upregulated in HPV-positive patients. The elevated expression of those TMEMs correlated with the enrichment of genes involved in cancer-related processes, including immune response. Specifically, overexpression of TMEM156 and TMEM173 was associated with immune cell mobilization and better survival rates, while the elevated ANO1 expression was linked with metastasis formation and worse survival. Conclusions: In this work, we performed a panel of in silico analyses to discover the role of TMEMs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. We found that ANO1, TMEM156, TMEM173, and TMEM213 correlated with clinical status and immune responses in HNSCC patients, pointing them as biomarkers for a better prognosis and treatment. This is the first study describing such the role of TMEMs in HNSCC. Future clinical trials should confirm the potential of those genes as targets for personalized therapy of HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliwia Koteluk
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 8 Rokietnicka Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland; (Ż.L.); (K.J.); (W.K.); (A.M.); (U.K.); (T.K.)
- Correspondence: (O.K.); (A.B.)
| | - Antonina Bielicka
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 8 Rokietnicka Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland; (Ż.L.); (K.J.); (W.K.); (A.M.); (U.K.); (T.K.)
- Correspondence: (O.K.); (A.B.)
| | - Żaneta Lemańska
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 8 Rokietnicka Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland; (Ż.L.); (K.J.); (W.K.); (A.M.); (U.K.); (T.K.)
| | - Kacper Jóźwiak
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 8 Rokietnicka Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland; (Ż.L.); (K.J.); (W.K.); (A.M.); (U.K.); (T.K.)
| | - Weronika Klawiter
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 8 Rokietnicka Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland; (Ż.L.); (K.J.); (W.K.); (A.M.); (U.K.); (T.K.)
| | - Andrzej Mackiewicz
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 8 Rokietnicka Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland; (Ż.L.); (K.J.); (W.K.); (A.M.); (U.K.); (T.K.)
- Department of Diagnostics and Cancer Immunology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 15 Garbary Street, 61-866 Poznan, Poland
| | - Urszula Kazimierczak
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 8 Rokietnicka Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland; (Ż.L.); (K.J.); (W.K.); (A.M.); (U.K.); (T.K.)
| | - Tomasz Kolenda
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 8 Rokietnicka Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland; (Ż.L.); (K.J.); (W.K.); (A.M.); (U.K.); (T.K.)
- Department of Diagnostics and Cancer Immunology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 15 Garbary Street, 61-866 Poznan, Poland
- Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 15 Garbary Street, 61-866 Poznan, Poland
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11
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Zhang X, He Y, Jiang Y, Bao Y, Chen Q, Xie D, Yu H, Wang X. TMEM229A suppresses non‑small cell lung cancer progression via inactivating the ERK pathway. Oncol Rep 2021; 46:176. [PMID: 34184076 PMCID: PMC8261197 DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane protein 229A (TMEM229A) is a member of the TMEM family that plays an important role in tooth differentiation and development. However, the expression level and biological role of TMEM229A in cancer remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the expression level of TMEM229A in non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as well as its effect and mechanism on NSCLC progression. Clinical specimens from patients with NSCLC were enrolled from the First People's Hospital of Huzhou (Huzhou, China). TMEM229A expression was detected using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR (RT‑qPCR), western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis. The relationship between TMEM229A expression and the survival rate of patients with NSCLC was analyzed using Kaplan‑Meier Plotter datasets. The effects of TMEM229A on cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected using Cell Counting Kit‑8, colony formation, soft agar, real‑time cellular analysis and Transwell assays. The expression levels of epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT)‑related proteins, as well as ERK and AKT phosphorylation were determined via RT‑qPCR and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that TMEM229A expression was significantly downregulated in human NSCLC tissues and in several cell lines compared with adjacent normal lung tissues and BEAS‑2B cells, respectively. Survival analysis of lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell lung carcinoma cases identified that low TMEM229A expression was associated with a poor prognosis. The in vitro assays indicated that overexpressing TMEM229A significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while TMEM229A knockdown had the opposite effect. Mechanistically, TMEM229A overexpression effectively increased E‑cadherin expression and reduced N‑cadherin, snail family transcriptional repressor 1 and MMP2 expression, indicating that EMT was suppressed. In addition, overexpression of TMEM229A reduced the expression levels of phosphorylated (p)‑ERK and p‑AKT, and this effect was partially suppressed by the incorporation of specific ERK inhibitor PD98059. Collectively, the results of the present study demonstrated that the effects of TMEM229A on inhibiting cell proliferation, migration and invasion were partially mediated by inactivating the ERK signaling pathway, thereby providing a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xilin Zhang
- Department of Central Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Ying He
- Department of Central Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Department of Central Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Ying Bao
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Qiuqiang Chen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Dong Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China
| | - Huanming Yu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Central Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
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12
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Yu ZL, Chen YF, Zheng B, Cai ZR, Zou YF, Ke J, Lan P, Gao F, Wu XJ. Protein-protein interaction analysis reveals a novel cancer stem cell related target TMEM17 in colorectal cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:94. [PMID: 33549114 PMCID: PMC7868027 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-01794-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of cells within tumors with stem cell property. Increased evidence suggest that CSCs could be responsible for chemoresistance and recurrence in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, a reliable therapeutic target on CSCs is still lacking. METHODS Here we describe a two-step strategy to generate CSC targets with high selectivity for colon stem cell markers, specific proteins that are interacted with CSC markers were selected and subsequently validated in a survival analysis. TMEM17 protein was found and its biological functions in CRC cells were further examined. Finally, we utilized the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) to investigate the potential mechanisms of TMEM17 in CRC. RESULTS By combining protein-protein interaction (PPI) database and high-throughput gene profiles, network analysis revealed a cluster of colon CSCs related genes. In the cluster, TMEM17 was identified as a novel CSCs related gene. The results of in-vitro functional study demonstrated that TMEM17 depletion can suppress the proliferation of CRC cells and sensitize CRC cells to chemotherapy drugs. Enrichment analysis revealed that the expression of TMEM17 is associated with the magnitude of activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Further validation in clinical samples demonstrated that the TMEM17 expression was much higher in tumor than normal tissue and was associated with poor survival in CRC patients. CONCLUSION Collectively, our finding unveils the critical role of TMEM17 in CRC and TMEM17 could be a potential effective therapeutic target for tumor recurrence and chemoresistance in the colorectal cancer (CRC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Liang Yu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Rd, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China
| | - Yu-Feng Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Rd, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Rd, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ze-Rong Cai
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Rd, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi-Feng Zou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Rd, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China
| | - Jia Ke
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Rd, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China
| | - Ping Lan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Rd, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Rd, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China. .,Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xiao-Jian Wu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. .,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Rd, Guangzhou, 510655, Guangdong, China. .,Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou, China.
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13
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Zhang L, Liu SY, Yang X, Wang YQ, Cheng YX. TMEM206 is a potential prognostic marker of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2020; 20:174. [PMID: 32934741 PMCID: PMC7475639 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.12035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane proteins are involved in the transportation of materials into and out of cells. The transmembrane protein (TMEM) family is a collection of poorly described transmembrane proteins that serve important roles in tumor development and progression. A number of TMEM proteins have been discovered. A newly discovered TMEM protein, TMEM206, transports ions across the membrane under physiological and pathological conditions, generating an acidic environment, which serves an important role in the microenvironment. However, the prognostic value and regulatory mechanisms of action of TMEM206 in tumors is unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value and regulation mechanisms of TMEM206 in tumors. Firstly, the expression of TMEM206 in tumors and normal tissues was assessed using the GEPIA and Oncomine databases and the results revealed that TMEM206 expression increased or decreased depending on the type of tumor. Subsequently, using the Human Protein Atlas and the Kaplan-Meier plotter, the findings of the present study revealed that TMEM206 is related to the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. In order to explore the mechanism of TMEM206 in promoting tumor progression, GEO and cBioPortal were used to determine genes that may be co-expressed with TMEM206. MetaScape was used to identify the signaling pathways that TMEM206 may participate in. Finally, miRWalk, miRDB and TargetScan were used to identify miRNAs that may regulate the expression of TMEM206 and the findings revealed that 2 miRNA (hsa-miR-325 and hsa-miR-510-5p) were involved. In conclusion, upregulation of TMEM206 is associated with poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
| | - Shi-Yi Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
| | - Xiao Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, P.R. China
| | - Yan-Qing Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
| | - Yan-Xiang Cheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China
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Jiang XY, Wang L, Liu ZY, Song WX, Zhou M, Xi L. TMEM48 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in cervical cancer via activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. J Recept Signal Transduct Res 2020; 41:371-377. [PMID: 32896205 DOI: 10.1080/10799893.2020.1813761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Transmembrane proteins (TMEMs), spanning the entire width of lipid bilayers and anchored to them permanently, exist in diverse cell types to implement a series of essential physiological functions. Recently, TMEM48, a member of the TMEM family, has been demonstrated to be closely associated with tumorigenesis. However, little is known about the specific role of TMEM48 in cervical cancer (CC). This study aimed to investigate the biological functions of TMEM48 in CC. The CCK-8 assay was performed to detect CC cell proliferation. The wound healing and transwell assays were conducted to measure cell migration and invasion, respectively. The levels of TMEM48, β-catenin, T cell factor 1(TCF1) and axis formation inhibitor 2 (AXIN2) were examined by the western blot analysis. Xenograft models were established for the tumorigenesis assay in vivo. The results showed that TMEM48 was overexpressed in CC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of TMEM48 significantly inhibited CC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and suppressed CC cell growth in vivo. In addition, the investigation on the molecular mechanisms indicated that TMEM48 down-regulation remarkably decreased the protein levels of β-catenin, TCF1 and AXIN2 in CC cells and TMEM48 exerted its promoting effect on CC progression via activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Taken together, our study suggested TMEM48 as a promising therapeutic target for CC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ying Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoji Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Baoji, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoji Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Baoji, China
| | - Zong-Yin Liu
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoji Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Baoji, China
| | - Wen-Xia Song
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoji Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Baoji, China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoji Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Baoji, China
| | - Lan Xi
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoji Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Baoji, China
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15
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Gu X, Wan G, Yang Y, Liu Y, Yang X, Zheng Y, Jiang L, Zhang P, Liu D, Zhao W, Huang G, Lu C. SLFN5 influences proliferation and apoptosis by upregulating PTEN transcription via ZEB1 and inhibits the purine metabolic pathway in breast cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:2832-2850. [PMID: 33042620 PMCID: PMC7539779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Human Schlafen-5 (SLFN5) is aberrantly involved in tumorigenesis in several types of cancer. However, its implications in breast cancer (BRCA) are unknown. Herein, we demonstrated that SLFN5 expression is negatively associated with the tumour growth of human BRCA using GEO database analysis and clinical sample immunostaining. Lentiviral overexpression of SLFN5 in BRCA cell lines suppressed tumourigenicity in nude mice. Knockdown and overexpression of SLFN5 in BRCA cell lines proved that SLFN5 can inhibit cell proliferation and colony formation and promote apoptosis by upregulating the transcription of a known cancer suppressor gene (the phosphatase and tensin homologue on chromosome 10, PTEN), resulting in molecular changes in the downstream AKT pathway and in proliferation/apoptosis. Lentiviral knockdown and overexpression of ZEB1 blocked the changes in the PTEN and AKT pathways and in the colony formation ability caused by SLFN5 knockdown and overexpression, respectively. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that ZEB1 can inhibit the PTEN promoter activity in MCF7 cells by binding to a motif in the PTEN promoter. Metabonomics analysis showed that SLFN5 influences many metabolic pathways and especially decreases purine metabolites, including inosine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SLFN5 may be an important protective factor against BRCA, as it regulates PTEN transcription, the AKT pathway, and proliferation/apoptosis via ZEB1 mediation and inhibits the purine metabolic pathway. Thus, SLFN5 may be a potential therapeutic target for BRCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefeng Gu
- Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Science Affiliated Zhoupu HospitalShanghai, P. R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health SciencesShanghai, P. R. China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health SciencesShanghai, P. R. China
| | - Guoqing Wan
- Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Science Affiliated Zhoupu HospitalShanghai, P. R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health SciencesShanghai, P. R. China
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health SciencesShanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yue Yang
- Department of Pathology, Mudanjiang Medical UniversityMudanjiang, P. R. China
| | - Yihao Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences, CAMS&PUMCBeijing, P. R. China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical DiseasesBeijing, P. R. China
| | - Xintong Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health SciencesShanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yanjun Zheng
- Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Science Affiliated Zhoupu HospitalShanghai, P. R. China
| | - Liying Jiang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health SciencesShanghai, P. R. China
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health SciencesShanghai, P. R. China
| | - Dingsheng Liu
- Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Science Affiliated Zhoupu HospitalShanghai, P. R. China
| | | | - Gang Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health SciencesShanghai, P. R. China
| | - Changlian Lu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health SciencesShanghai, P. R. China
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16
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Lin MZ, Teng LL, Sun XL, Zhang LP, Chen F, Yu LJ. Transmembrane protein 92 performs a tumor-promoting function in breast carcinoma by contributing to the cell growth, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Tissue Cell 2020; 67:101415. [PMID: 32835947 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2020.101415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We try to examine the role of transmembrane protein 92 (TMEM92) in the progression of breast carcinoma (BC) and assess its prognostic value. Moreover, the effects of TMEM92 on BC cell phenotypes was explored. METHODS The levels of TMEM92 in BC tissues were evaluated using bioinformatics analysis according to the Oncomine and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. mRNA levels of TMEM92 in BC cells were measured by qRT-PCR. Kaplan-Meier methods together with log-rank tests were used to conduct survival analysis, and chi-square tests were employed to assess the relationship between TMEM92 levels and clinicopathological parameters. Cox regression analysis was carried out to identify the independent prognosticators. Small interference RNA targeted to TMEM92 and plasmid vectors pcDNA3.1-TMEM92 were respectively used to silence and over-express TMEM92. Protein levels of molecules in this study were tested by western blot. Cell viability, invasiveness and motility of BC cells were determined by cell counting kit 8, clone formation assay and Transwell assay, appropriately. RESULTS The data showed that TMEM92 was upregulated in BC tissues or cells in comparison with control. High expression of TMEM92 was notably correlated with stage and metastasis, and led to a poor overall survival. Moreover, cox multivariate analysis model demonstrated that TMEM92 can be seen as an independent prognostic factor. Functional experiments demonstrated that downregulation of TMEM92 showed a significantly inhibitory effect on MDA-MB-231 cell viability, invasiveness and motility, whereas overexpression of TMEM92 could promote the changes of these phenotypes. Furthermore, western blot analysis revealed that depletion of TMEM92 inactivated the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process with raised E-cadherin protein levels, while declined N-cadherin, Vimentin and Snail levels. However, enhancement of TMEM92 showed the opposite outcomes on these EMT-related markers. CONCLUSION TMEM92 had an independent prognostic value for BC patients, and might act as an oncogene to facilitate tumor cells growth, invasiveness and motility by modulating the EMT relative proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Zhen Lin
- Department of Breast Surgery, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261041, PR China
| | - Li-Li Teng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261041, PR China
| | - Xiang-Lian Sun
- Department of Breast Surgery, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261041, PR China
| | - Li-Ping Zhang
- Department of Prosthodontics, Jinan Stomatological Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, 250001, PR China
| | - Fang Chen
- Department of Hematology, The People's Hospital of Qingzhou City, No.1726 Linglongshanzhong Road, Qingzhou, Shandong, 262500, PR China.
| | - Ling-Jia Yu
- Oncology Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, No.107 West Wenhua Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
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Zhao J, Wang Y, Han M, Lu H, Chen X, Liu S, Yuan X, Han K, Liang P, Cheng J. P7TP3 inhibits tumor development, migration, invasion and adhesion of liver cancer through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Cancer Sci 2020; 111:994-1007. [PMID: 31746531 PMCID: PMC7060470 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14243] [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: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of hepatitis C virus p7 trans‐regulated protein 3 (P7TP3) in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of P7TP3 in HCC. P7TP3 was significantly decreased in HCC tissues when compared with corresponding liver tissues immediately around the tumor (LAT) from seven HCC patients. Fewer and smaller colonies originated from HepG2‐P7TP3 cells when compared to HepG2‐NC cells. Overexpression of P7TP3 in HepG2 cells significantly repressed the growth of HCC xenografts in nude mice. Furthermore, wound‐healing tests, Transwell assays, Matrigel Transwell assays, adhesion assays, CCK‐8 assays, flow cytometry and western blotting analysis showed that P7TP3 protein expression inhibited migration, invasion, adhesion, proliferation and cell cycle progression in HCC cell lines. Moreover, P7TP3 suppressed the activity of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway, and was restored by Wnt3a, which is an activator of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway. Consistently, β‐catenin was highly expressed by P7TP3 silencing, and restored by XAV939, an inhibitor of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway. Finally, microRNA (miR)‐182‐5p suppressed the expression of target gene P7TP3 by directly interacting with the 3′‐UTR region. Taken together, P7TP3, the direct target gene of miR‐182‐5p, inhibited HCC by regulating migration, invasion, adhesion, proliferation and cell cycle progression of liver cancer cell through the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway. These findings provide strong evidence that P7TP3 functions as a new promising tumor suppressor in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhao
- Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China.,Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Wang
- Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China.,Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Han
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Hongping Lu
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofan Chen
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Liver Diseases, Peking University, First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shunai Liu
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxue Yuan
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Han
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Pu Liang
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Cheng
- Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China.,Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University/Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University and Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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18
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Fu Y, Yao N, Ding D, Zhang X, Liu H, Ma L, Shi W, Zhu C, Tang L. TMEM158 promotes pancreatic cancer aggressiveness by activation of TGFβ1 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. J Cell Physiol 2019; 235:2761-2775. [PMID: 31531884 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most deadly digestive cancers world-wide, with a dismal five-year survival rate of <8%. Upregulation of transmembrane protein 158 (TMEM158) is known to facilitate the progression of several carcinomas. However, little is known concerning the potential roles of TMEM158 in PC. Herein, we first found that TMEM158 was significantly upregulated in PC samples as well as PC cell lines. The overexpression of TMEM158 was significantly correlated with advanced clinicopathologic features (including tumor size, TNM stage, and blood vessel invasion) and poorer prognosis of patients with PC in clinic. Evidenced based on a series of loss- and gain-of-function assays uncovered that TMEM158 enhanced PC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by stimulating the progression of cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and MMP-2/9 production. Furthermore, mechanism-related investigations disclosed that activation of TGFβ1 and PI3K/AKT signal might be responsible for TMEM158-triggered PC aggressiveness. Collectively, TMEM158 was upregulated in PC and promoted PC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the activation of TGFβ1 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, highlighting its potential as a tumor promoter and a therapeutic target for PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Fu
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Na Yao
- Department of Thyroid & Breast Surgery, Wuxi City Hospital of TCM, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of TCM, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dong Ding
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hanyang Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Le Ma
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weihai Shi
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chunfu Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Liming Tang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
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19
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Marx S, Dal Maso T, Chen JW, Bury M, Wouters J, Michiels C, Le Calvé B. Transmembrane (TMEM) protein family members: Poorly characterized even if essential for the metastatic process. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 60:96-106. [PMID: 31454669 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The majority of cancer-associated deaths are related to secondary tumor formation. This multistep process involves the migration of cancer cells to anatomically distant organs. Metastasis formation relies on cancer cell dissemination and survival in the circulatory system, as well as adaptation to the new tissue notably through genetic and/or epigenetic alterations. A large number of proteins are clearly identified to play a role in the metastatic process but the structures and modes of action of these proteins are essentially unknown or poorly described. In this review, we detail the involvement of members of the transmembrane (TMEM) protein family in the formation of metastases or in the mechanisms leading to cancer cell dissemination such as migration and extra-cellular matrix remodelling. While the phenotype associated with TMEM over or down-expression is clear, the mechanisms by which these proteins allow cancer cell spreading remain, for most of them, unclear. In parallel, the 3D structures of these proteins are presented. Moreover, we proposed that TMEM proteins could be used as prognostic markers in different types of cancers and could represent potential targets for cancer treatment. A better understanding of this heterogeneous family of poorly characterized proteins thus opens perspectives for better cancer patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Marx
- Department of Chemistry, NAmur MEdicine & Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC-NARILIS), University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Thomas Dal Maso
- Department of Chemistry, NAmur MEdicine & Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC-NARILIS), University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Jia-Wei Chen
- URBC - NARILIS, University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Marina Bury
- de Duve Institute, 75 Avenue Hippocrate, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Johan Wouters
- Department of Chemistry, NAmur MEdicine & Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC-NARILIS), University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Carine Michiels
- URBC - NARILIS, University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Le Calvé
- URBC - NARILIS, University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
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