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Arechavaleta-Velasco F, Dominguez-Lopez P, Acosta-Jimenez E, Diaz-Cueto L. Ribosomal S6 kinase 4 (RSK4) tumor suppressor gene promoter methylation status in ovarian cancer. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:6863-6870. [PMID: 37402066 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08609-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previously, we reported lower RSK4 mRNA and protein levels in malignant ovarian tumors compared to normal and benign ovarian tissues. Also, we observed a significant inverse correlation between the advanced ovarian cancer stages and RSK4 mRNA levels. We did not investigate the mechanisms involved in RSK4-reduced expression in ovarian cancer. Thus, this study investigates whether RSK4 promoter methylation in ovarian cancer tissues is responsible for its low expression. Additionally, the reactivation of RSK4 expression and its effect was studied in ovarian cancer cell lines. METHODS AND RESULTS RSK4 promoter methylation percentage in malignant and benign ovarian tumors and normal ovary tissues was determined by combined bisulfite restriction analysis. The reactivation of RSK4 expression by decitabine treatment was studied in OVCAR3, SKOV3, TOV-112D, and TOV-21G cells by Western blotting. Cell proliferation was determined by XTT. A significantly high methylation percentage of the RSK4 promoter was observed among malignant and benign ovarian tumors but not in normal ovarian tissue. RSK4 promoter methylation was not associated with age, histological subtype, or stages of ovarian cancer. RSK4 promoter methylation correlates weakly but not significantly with RSK4 protein expression. No correlation was shown between RSK4 methylation and RSK4 mRNA expression. Decitabine induces RSK4 reactivation in all cell lines. However, cell proliferation was reduced only in TOV-112D cells. CONCLUSION These data indicate that although RSK4 promoter methylation is increased in malignant ovarian tumors, this mechanism is unlikely to regulate its expression in ovarian cancer. RSK4 reactivation reduced cell proliferation only in the endometroid histological subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Arechavaleta-Velasco
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Medicina Reproductiva, UMAE Hospital de Gineco-Obstetricia No. 4 "Luis Castelazo Ayala", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av. Rio Magdalena No. 289, Sexto piso. Tizapán, San Angel, CP 01090, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Pablo Dominguez-Lopez
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Medicina Reproductiva, UMAE Hospital de Gineco-Obstetricia No. 4 "Luis Castelazo Ayala", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av. Rio Magdalena No. 289, Sexto piso. Tizapán, San Angel, CP 01090, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ernesto Acosta-Jimenez
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Medicina Reproductiva, UMAE Hospital de Gineco-Obstetricia No. 4 "Luis Castelazo Ayala", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av. Rio Magdalena No. 289, Sexto piso. Tizapán, San Angel, CP 01090, Mexico City, Mexico
- Hospital Angeles del Pedregal, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Laura Diaz-Cueto
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Medicina Reproductiva, UMAE Hospital de Gineco-Obstetricia No. 4 "Luis Castelazo Ayala", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av. Rio Magdalena No. 289, Sexto piso. Tizapán, San Angel, CP 01090, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Koutsougianni F, Alexopoulou D, Uvez A, Lamprianidou A, Sereti E, Tsimplouli C, Ilkay Armutak E, Dimas K. P90 ribosomal S6 kinases: A bona fide target for novel targeted anticancer therapies? Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 210:115488. [PMID: 36889445 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115488] [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: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
The 90 kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) family of proteins is a group of highly conserved Ser/Thr kinases. They are downstream effectors of the Ras/ERK/MAPK signaling cascade. ERK1/2 activation directly results in the phosphorylation of RSKs, which further, through interaction with a variety of different downstream substrates, activate various signaling events. In this context, they have been shown to mediate diverse cellular processes like cell survival, growth, proliferation, EMT, invasion, and metastasis. Interestingly, increased expression of RSKs has also been demonstrated in various cancers, such as breast, prostate, and lung cancer. This review aims to present the most recent advances in the field of RSK signaling that have occurred, such as biological insights, function, and mechanisms associated with carcinogenesis. We additionally present and discuss the recent advances but also the limitations in the development of pharmacological inhibitors of RSKs, in the context of the use of these kinases as putative, more efficient targets for novel anticancer therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fani Koutsougianni
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Dimitra Alexopoulou
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Ayca Uvez
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34500 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Andromachi Lamprianidou
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Evangelia Sereti
- Dept of Translational Medicine, Medical Faculty, Lund University and Center for Molecular Pathology, Skäne University Hospital, Jan Waldenströms gata 59, SE 205 02 Malmö, Sweden
| | - Chrisiida Tsimplouli
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Elif Ilkay Armutak
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34500 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Konstantinos Dimas
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences School, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
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Differential Expression of RSK4 Transcript Isoforms in Cancer and Its Clinical Relevance. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314569. [PMID: 36498899 PMCID: PMC9737342 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While we previously revealed RSK4 as a therapeutic target in lung and bladder cancers, the wider role of this kinase in other cancers remains controversial. Indeed, other reports instead proposed RSK4 as a tumour suppressor in colorectal and gastric cancers and are contradictory in breast malignancies. One explanation for these discrepancies may be the expression of different RSK4 isoforms across cancers. Four RNAs are produced from the RSK4 gene, with two being protein-coding. Here, we analysed the expression of the latter across 30 normal and 33 cancer tissue types from the combined GTEx/TCGA dataset and correlated it with clinical features. This revealed the expression of RSK4 isoforms 1 and 2 to be independent prognostic factors for patient survival, pathological stage, cancer metastasis, recurrence, and immune infiltration in brain, stomach, cervical, and kidney cancers. However, we found that upregulation of either isoform can equally be associated with good or bad prognosis depending on the cancer type, and changes in the expression ratio of isoforms fail to predict clinical outcome. Hence, differential isoform expression alone cannot explain the contradictory roles of RSK4 in cancers, and further research is needed to highlight the underlying mechanisms for the context-dependent function of this kinase.
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Hu C, Chen X, Lin X, Dai J, Yu J. Raltitrexed regulates proliferation and apoptosis of HGC-27 cells by upregulating RSK4. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2022; 23:65. [PMID: 36031631 PMCID: PMC9420250 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-022-00605-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Raltitrexed is a specific inhibitor of thymidylate synthase and a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of raltitrexed on the proliferation of HGC-27 human gastric cancer cells and its potential underlying molecular mechanism(s). Methods RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to quantify RSK4 levels. Colony formation and flow cytometry assays were used to assess HGC-27 cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, mitochondrial membrane potential, and apoptosis. The expression of cell cycle and apoptosis markers were determined by western blotting. Results Our results demonstrate that raltitrexed upregulated RSK4 mRNA and protein levels in HGC-27 cells. Moreover, raltitrexed significantly inhibited tumor cell colony formation, arrested the cell cycle, decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, and induced apoptosis. We observed that raltitrexed was capable of upregulating the expression of Bax, cyclin A1, and CDK3, and downregulating the expression of Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3. Importantly, siRNA-mediated RSK4 knockdown significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of raltitrexed on cell proliferation and its promotion of cell apoptosis. Moreover, silencing of RSK4 inhibited the raltitrexed-induced upregulation of cytochrome C. In addition, the changes in molecular markers related to the cell cycle and apoptosis induced by raltitrexed were reduced upon RSK4 depletion. Conclusion Our study shows that RSK4 is a key target of raltitrexed in the regulation of gastric cancer cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40360-022-00605-2.
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Yang F, Xiao Z, Zhang S. FOXP2 regulates thyroid cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis via transcriptional activation of RPS6KA6. Exp Ther Med 2022; 23:434. [PMID: 35607372 PMCID: PMC9121208 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2022.11361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor, forkhead box P2 (FOXP2) has tumor-suppressive effects in several types of cancer. However, the regulatory role and underlying mechanism of FOXP2 in thyroid cancer (THCA) is not completely understood. In the present study, the mRNA expression levels of FOXP2 and ribosomal protein S6 kinase A6 (RPS6KA6) were evaluated using the GEPIA database and THCA cell lines. The association between FOXP2 and RPS6KA6 was analyzed using the LinkedOmics, and GEPIA databases. Then, the binding sites of FOXP2 and the RPS6KA6 promotor was predicted using the JASPAR database, and verified using a dual-luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation. In addition, functional assays investigating FOXP2 and RPS6KA6 were conducted in the TPC-1 cell line. The data showed that FOXP2 and RPS6KA6 mRNA expression levels were decreased in the THCA tissues, and cell lines. Overexpression of FOXP2 inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis in the THCA cell lines. Furthermore, RPS6KA6 mRNA expression levels were reduced in THCA and were correlated with FOXP2 expression level. Mechanistic studies revealed that FOXP2 binds directly to the promotor region of RPS6KA6 and modulated the expression level of RPS6KA6 transcriptionally. In addition, rescue experiments showed that knockdown of RPS6KA6 expression reversed the effects of FOXP2 overexpression on THCA cell proliferation and apoptosis, and the regulation of FOXP2/RPS6KA6 may be associated with the PI3K/AKT pathway. In summary, FOXP2 was associated with the proliferation and apoptosis of human THCA cells via the transcriptional activation of RPS6KA6. The FOXP2/RPS6KA6 axis could be a promising target for the treatment of THCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feibiao Yang
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315040, P.R. China
| | - Zhangsheng Xiao
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315040, P.R. China
| | - Songze Zhang
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315040, P.R. China
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Huang G, Chen J, Zhou J, Xiao S, Zeng W, Xia J, Zeng X. Epigenetic modification and BRAF gene mutation in thyroid carcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:687. [PMID: 34923978 PMCID: PMC8684614 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02405-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThyroid cancer remains the most prevailing endocrine malignancy, and a progressively increasing incidence rate has been observed in recent years, with 95% of thyroid cancer represented by differentiated thyroid carcinomas. The genetics and epigenetics of thyroid cancer are gradually increasing, and gene mutations and methylation changes play an important roles in its occurrence and development. Although the role of RAS and BRAF mutations in thyroid cancer have been partially clarified,but the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of thyroid cancer remain to be elucidated. Epigenetic modification refer to genetic modification that does not change the DNA sequence of a gene but causes heritable phenotypic changes in its expression. Epigenetic modification mainly includes four aspects: DNA methylation, chromatin remodelling, noncoding RNA regulation, and histone modification. This article reviews the importance of thyroid cancer epigenetic modification and BRAF gene mutation in the treatment of thyroid cancer.
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Liang H, Hu C, Lin X, He Z, Lin Z, Dai J. MiR-548d-3p Promotes Gastric Cancer by Targeting RSK4. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:13325-13337. [PMID: 33380838 PMCID: PMC7769082 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s278691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Previous studies have demonstrated that RSK4 inhibits the proliferation of gastric cancer cells and the occurrence of tumors. However, to date, studies involving microRNAs (miRNAs) that target RSK4 have rarely been reported. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the miRNAs that target RSK4. Materials and Methods We screened miRNAs related to RSK4 in miRDB, microT-CDS, TargetScan, and mirDIP databases and found 18 miRNAs. We chose miR-548d-3p for follow-up research, identified the interaction site in RSK4 by comparing the sequence, and mutated it. Thereafter, we used the dual-luciferase reporter system, real-time PCR (RT-PCR), and Western blotting to assess the effect of miR-548d-3p on RSK4. The proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells were evaluated using MTT assay, propidium iodide (PI), EdU, annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit, wound healing assay, and transwell assay after overexpression of miR-548d-3p and RSK4. Finally, a nude mouse tumorigenesis experiment was conducted to explore the role of RSK4-targeting miR-548d-3p in tumorigenesis. Results miR-548d-3p negatively regulated the expression of RSK4, resulting in suppressed apoptosis, enhanced proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells, and accelerated tumor growth. In addition, an increase in miR-548d-3p expression enhanced the mRNA levels of CDK2, cyclin A1, cyclin D1, Bax, Bcl-2, N-cadherin, and Vimentin, and decreased E-cadherin mRNA levels by targeting RSK4. Conclusion miR-548d-3p promotes gastric cancer by lowering the expression of RSK4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liang
- General Surgery Department, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Cong Hu
- General Surgery Department, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Lin
- General Surgery Department, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuocheng He
- General Surgery Department, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiwen Lin
- General Surgery Department, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Dai
- General Surgery Department, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
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