Overexpressing CCT6A Contributes To Cancer Cell Growth By Affecting The G1-To-S Phase Transition And Predicts A Negative Prognosis In Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 6A may activate Notch and Wnt pathways to facilitate the malignant behaviors and cancer stemness in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) was recently discovered to be involved in cancer pathogenesis and stemness; however, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been reported. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of CCT6A on OSCC cell malignant behaviors and stemness and to explore its potentially interreacted pathways. SCC-15 and HSC-3 cells were transfected with the plasmid loading control overexpression, CCT6A overexpression, control knockout, or CCT6A knockout. Wnt4 overexpression or Notch1 overexpression plasmids were transfected into CCT6A-knockout SCC-15 cells. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, stemness, Notch, and Wnt pathways were detected in both cell lines, whereas RNA sequencing was only performed in SCC-15 cells. CCT6A was upregulated in five OSCC cell lines, including SCC-15, HSC-3, SAT, SCC-9, and KON, compared to that in the control cell line. In SCC-15 and HSC-3 cells, CCT6A overexpression increased cell proliferation, invasion, sphere formation, CD133, and Sox2 expression, but decreased cell apoptosis; on the contrary, CCT6A knockout exhibited an opposite effect on the above indexes. RNA-sequencing data revealed that the Wnt and Notch pathways were involved in the CCT6A'effect on SCC-15 cell functions. CCT6A positively regulates the Wnt and Notch pathways in SCC-15 and HSC-3 cells. Importantly, it was shown that activation of the Wnt or Notch pathways attenuated the effect of CCT6A knockout on SCC-15 cell survival, invasion, and stemness. CCT6A may promote OSCC malignant behavior and stemness by activating the Wnt and Notch pathways.

Revisiting the chaperonin T-complex protein-1 ring complex in human health and disease: A proteostasis modulator and beyond

BACKGROUND

Disrupted protein homeostasis (proteostasis) has been demonstrated to facilitate the progression of various diseases. The cytosolic T-complex protein-1 ring complex (TRiC/CCT) was discovered to be a critical player in orchestrating proteostasis by folding eukaryotic proteins, guiding intracellular localisation and suppressing protein aggregation. Intensive investigations of TRiC/CCT in different fields have improved the understanding of its role and molecular mechanism in multiple physiological and pathological processes.

MAIN BODY

In this review, we embark on a journey through the dynamic protein folding cycle of TRiC/CCT, unraveling the intricate mechanisms of its substrate selection, recognition, and intriguing folding and assembly processes. In addition to discussing the critical role of TRiC/CCT in maintaining proteostasis, we detail its involvement in cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, autophagy, metabolic control, adaptive immunity and signal transduction processes. Furthermore, we meticulously catalogue a compendium of TRiC-associated diseases, such as neuropathies, cardiovascular diseases and various malignancies. Specifically, we report the roles and molecular mechanisms of TRiC/CCT in regulating cancer formation and progression. Finally, we discuss unresolved issues in TRiC/CCT research, highlighting the efforts required for translation to clinical applications, such as diagnosis and treatment.

CONCLUSION

This review aims to provide a comprehensive view of TRiC/CCT for researchers to inspire further investigations and explorations of potential translational possibilities.

CCT6A dysregulation in surgical prostate cancer patients: association with disease features, treatment information, and prognosis

OBJECTIVE

Chaperonin-containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) involves several solid cancers' development and progression, while its clinical utility in prostate cancer management is rarely revealed. Consequently, the present study intended to investigate the linkage of CCT6A with disease features, treatment information, and prognosis of surgical prostate cancer patients.

METHODS

CCT6A in 220 surgical prostate cancer patients was determined via immunohistochemistry. Additionally, survival analyses on data from the public databases were performed to validate the prognostic value of CCT6A further.

RESULTS

CCT6A expression was upregulated in tumor tissue than in adjacent tissue (P < 0.001). Increased CCT6A was related to elevated Gleason score (P < 0.001) and pathological T stage (P = 0.029). CCT6A was increased in patients with positive surgical margin status (vs. negative) (P = 0.029) and patients with adjuvant external-beam radiation therapy (vs. no) (P = 0.001). Concerning the prognostic value, high tumor CCT6A was linked with shortened disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.009), which was also validated through further Cox's proportional hazard regression model analyses (hazard ratio: 2.695, 95% CI: 1.086-6.683, P = 0.032), whereas CCT6A was not correlated with overall survival (OS) (P > 0.050). Additionally, the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database indicated that high tumor CCT6A was related to shortened DFS (P = 0.036), but it was not associated with OS (P > 0.050); meanwhile, the Human Protein Atlas database suggested that high tumor CCT6A was linked with reduced OS (P = 0.048).

CONCLUSION

Tumor CCT6A high expression correlates with the elevated Gleason score, pathological T stage, and shortened DFS in surgical prostate cancer patients.

CCT6A promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by activating TGF-β/Smad/c-Myc pathway

OBJECTIVE

Chaperonin-containing TCP1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) facilitates several malignant cancer behaviors, but its regulation of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the effect of CCT6A on cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its interaction with the TGF-β/Smad/c-Myc pathway in ESCC.

METHODS

CCT6A expression was detected in ESCC and normal esophageal epithelial cell lines by RT‒qPCR and western blotting. Furthermore, CCT6A siRNA, negative control (NC) siRNA, CCT6A encoding plasmid and NC encoding plasmid were transfected into OE21 and TE-1 cells. Subsequently, CCT6A siRNA- and NC siRNA-transfected cells were treated with TGF-β for rescue experiments. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and E-cadherin/N-cadherin and p-Smad2/p-Smad3/c-Myc expression were detected.

RESULTS

CCT6A expression was increased in KYSE-180, TE-1, TE-4 and OE21 cells compared with HET-1A cells. In both OE21 and TE-1 cells, CCT6A knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and N-cadherin expression while promoting cell apoptosis and E-cadherin expression; meanwhile, CCT6A overexpression had the opposite effects. Furthermore, in both OE21 and TE-1 cells, CCT6A knockdown decreased p-Smad2/Smad2, p-Smad3/Smad3 and c-Myc/GAPDH expression; CCT6A overexpression had the opposite effects. Next, TGF-β facilitated cell proliferation, invasion, and N-cadherin, p-Smad2/Smad2, p-Smad3/Smad2 and c-Myc/GAPDH expression while repressing cell apoptosis and E-cadherin expression in OE21 and TE-1 cells; importantly, TGF-β could compensate for the regulation of CCT6A knockdown on these activities.

CONCLUSION

CCT6A facilitates ESCC malignant activities by activating the TGF-β/Smad/c-Myc pathway, which sheds light on the identification of a possible therapeutic target in the management of ESCC.

A potential tumor marker: Chaperonin containing TCP‑1 controls the development of malignant tumors (Review)

Due to concealment, high invasiveness and a lack of indicators, malignant tumors have emerged as one of the deadliest diseases worldwide and their incidence is rising yearly. Research has revealed that the chaperonin family member, chaperonin containing TCP‑1 (CCT), serves a crucial role in malignant tumors. CCT is involved in the growth of numerous malignant tumors such as lung cancer, breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer and assists the folding of a number of proteins linked to cancer, such as KRAS, p53 and STAT3. According to clinical data, CCT is highly expressed in a range of tumor cells and is associated with poor patient prognosis. In addition, through controlling the cell cycle or interacting with other proteins (including YAP1, HoXB2 and SMAD2), CCT has an effect on the proliferation, invasion and migration of cancer cells. As a result, it is possible that CCT will become a new tumor marker or therapeutic target, which will provide some guidance for early tumor screening or late tumor prognosis. In the present review, the molecular properties of CCT are introduced, alongside a summary of its interactions with other cancer‑related proteins and a discussion of its function in common malignant tumors. It is expected that the present review will offer fresh approaches to the treatment of cancer.

High expression of GPR50 promotes the proliferation, migration and autophagy of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play important roles in tumorigenesis and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). GPR50 is an orphan GPCR. Previous studies have indicated that GPR50 could protect against breast cancer development and decrease tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. However, its role in HCC remains indistinct. To detect the role and the regulation mechanism of GPR50 in HCC, GPR50 expression was analyzed in HCC patients (gene expression omnibus database (GEO) (GSE45436)) and detected in HCC cell line CBRH-7919, and the results showed that GPR50 was significantly up-regulated in HCC patients and CBRH-7919 cell line compared to the corresponding normal control. Gpr50 cDNA was transfected into HCC cell line CBRH-7919, and we found that Gpr50 promoted the proliferation, migration, and autophagy of CBRH-7919. The regulation mechanism of GPR50 in HCC was detected by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) analysis, and we found that GPR50 promoted HCC was closely related to CCT6A and PGK1. Taken together, GPR50 may promote HCC progression via CCT6A-induced proliferation and PGK1-induced migration and autophagy, and GPR50 could be an important target for HCC.

Development and validation of a combined hypoxia and ferroptosis prognostic signature for breast cancer

Background

Hypoxia is involved in tumor biological processes and disease progression. Ferroptosis, as a newly discovered programmed cell death process, is closely related to breast cancer (BC) occurrence and development. However, reliable prognostic signatures based on a combination of hypoxia and ferroptosis in BC have not been developed.

Method

We set The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer cohort as training set and the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) BC cohort as the validation set. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and COX regression approaches were used to construct ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and hypoxia-related genes (HRGs) prognostic signature (HFRS). The CIBERSORT algorithm and ESTIMATE score were used to explore the relationship between HFRS and tumor immune microenvironment. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect protein expression in tissue samples. A nomogram was developed to advance the clinical application of HFRS signature.

Results

Ten ferroptosis-related genes and hypoxia-related genes were screened to construct the HFRS prognostic signature in TCGA BC cohort, and the predictive capacity was verified in METABRIC BC cohort. BC patients with high-HFRS had shorter survival time, higher tumor stage, and a higher rate of positive lymph node. Moreover, high HFRS was associated with high hypoxia, ferroptosis, and immunosuppression status. A nomogram that was constructed with age, stage, and HFRS signature showed a strong prognostic capability to predict overall survival (OS) for BC patients.

Conclusion

We developed a novel prognostic model with hypoxia and ferroptosis-related genes to predict OS, and characterize the immune microenvironment of BC patients, which might provide new cures for clinical decision-making and individual treatment of BC patients.

The intercorrelation among CCT6A, CDC20, CCNB1, and PLK1 expressions and their clinical value in papillary thyroid carcinoma prognostication

BACKGROUND

CCT6A promotes several carcinomas' growth and invasion in multiple ways, and it relates to CCNB1 and PLK1 through its interaction with CDC20 via protein-protein interaction bioinformatics. This study aimed to explore the intercorrelation among CCT6A, CDC20, CCNB1, and PLK1, and their association with tumor features and prognosis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients.

METHODS

CCT6A, CDC20, CCNB1, and PLK1 expressions in 186 tumor and 30 non-tumor specimens from PTC patients were determined by immunohistochemical (IHC). Clinical features, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were retrieved.

RESULTS

CCT6A, CDC20, CCNB1, and PLK1 expressions were upregulated in tumor tissues compared with non-tumor tissues (all p < 0.001). CCT6A expression positively correlated with CDC20, CCNB1, and PLK1 expressions; besides, CDC20 expression positively associated with CCNB1 and PLK1 expressions, and CCNB1 expression was also positively related to PLK1 expression (all p < 0.05). Moreover, elevated tumor CCT6A expression was correlated with extrathyroidal invasion (p = 0.015), higher pT stage (p < 0.001), pN stage (p = 0.046), and pTNM stage (p = 0.042); while tumor CDC20, CCNB1, and PLK1 expressions only correlated with some of these indexes (most p < 0.05). Notably, CCT6A and CDC20 high expressions predicted worse DFS and OS (all p < 0.05); CCNB1 positive expression only predicted poor DFS (p = 0.044) but not OS (p = 0.152); however, PLK1 expression failed to predict these two indexes (both p > 0.05). After adjustment using multivariate Cox's regression, CCT6A expression (high vs. low) independently estimated shorter DFS (p = 0.010) and OS (p = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

CCT6A, CDC20, CCNB1, and PLK1 are intercorrelated, and they exhibit certain prognostic values in PTC patients.

Chaperonin-containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 subunit 6A links with aggravating tumor features and disease-free survival in surgical gastric cancer patients: A long-term follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Chaperonin-containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) promotes several gastrointestinal-cancer malignant behaviors, while its clinical value in surgical gastric cancer is not clear. Hence, we aimed to investigate this issue.

METHODS

Totally, tumor and adjacent specimens from 262 surgical gastric cancer patients were collected for measuring CCT6A protein level by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining; meanwhile, specimens from 109 patients were used for evaluating CCT6A mRNA expression by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

RESULTS

CCT6A IHC score and CCT6A mRNA expression were upregulated in the tumor tissue compared with the adjacent tissue (both P<0.001). Besides, elevated CCT6A IHC score was correlated with larger tumor size (P<0.001), advanced T stage (P=0.001), N stage (P=0.003) and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage (P=0.001). Meanwhile, increased CCT6A mRNA expression was associated with higher T stage (P=0.008) and TNM stage (P=0.020). Besides, CCT6A protein high (P=0.017) and CCT6A mRNA high (P=0.047) were correlated with unfavorable disease-free survival (DFS), whereas neither CCT6A protein nor CCT6A mRNA expression was related to the overall survival (OS) (both P>0.05). Additionally, the multivariable Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that CCT6A protein high was independently correlated with shorter DFS (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 2.032, P=0.005), but not with OS.

CONCLUSION

CCT6A is upregulated with its overexpression linking with advanced T stage, TNM stage and unfavorable DFS in surgical gastric cancer patients.

CCT6A and CHCHD2 Are Coamplified with EGFR and Associated with the Unfavorable Clinical Outcomes of Lung Adenocarcinoma

Chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) and coiled-coil-helix-coiled-coil-helix domain containing 2 (CHCHD2) are located at the chromosome 7p11 region proximal to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). However, the amplifications, expressions, and the prognostic effects of CCT6A and CHCDH2 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are unclear. Here, using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets, we found that CCT6A was coamplified and coexpressed with EGFR in LUAD patients. CCT6A amplification was correlated with the unfavorable outcomes of LUAD. Moreover, CCT6A was upregulated in LUAD tissues, and CCT6A overexpression was correlated with the unfavorable relapse free survival or overall survival of LUAD. On the contrary, CCT6A was hypomethylated in LUAD, and CCT6A hypermethylation was correlated with the favorable overall survival of LUAD. Similar expression and methylation profiling of CCT6A were obtained in 479 lung normal tissues and 544 LUAD tissues collected from 11 independent datasets. In 1,462 LUAD patients from eight independent cohorts, CCT6A was also correlated with LUAD relapse-free survival or overall survival. Furthermore, CCT6A overexpression promoted the cell growth and invasion of LUAD. Identification of genes differentially expressed in CCT6A highly expressed LUAD patients revealed that CHCHD2 was the most correlated with CCT6A expression. CHCHD2 was coamplified with CCT6A. CHCHD2 was upregulated in LUAD tissues, and overexpression of CHCHD2 was correlated with the shorted relapse-free survival or overall survival of LUAD. Overall, our results revealed that CCT6A and CHCHD2 were coamplifying and coexpressing with EGFR and were correlated with the unfavorable clinical outcomes of LUAD.

N7-Methylguanosine Genes Related Prognostic Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: About 90% of liver cancer-related deaths are caused by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification is associated with the biological process and regulation of various diseases. To the best of our knowledge, its role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of HCC has not been thoroughly investigated.

Aim: To identify N7-methylguanosine (m7G) related prognostic biomarkers in HCC. Furthermore, we also studied the association of m7G–related prognostic gene signature with immune infiltration in HCC.

Methods: The TCGA datasets were used as a training and GEO dataset “GSE76427” for validation of the results. Statistical analyses were performed using the R statistical software version 4.1.2.

Results: Functional enrichment analysis identified some pathogenesis related to HCC. We identified 3 m7G-related genes (CDK1, ANO1, and PDGFRA) as prognostic biomarkers for HCC. A risk score was calculated from these 3 prognostic m7G-related genes which showed the high-risk group had a significantly poorer prognosis than the low-risk group in both training and validation datasets. The 3- and 5-years overall survival was predicted better with the risk score than the ideal model in the entire cohort in the predictive nomogram. Furthermore, immune checkpoint genes like CTLA4, HAVCR2, LAG3, and TIGT were expressed significantly higher in the high-risk group and the chemotherapy sensitivity analysis showed that the high-risk groups were responsive to sorafenib treatment.

Conclusion: These 3 m7G genes related signature model can be used as prognostic biomarkers in HCC and a guide for immunotherapy and chemotherapy response. Future clinical study on this biomarker model is required to verify its clinical implications.

The TRiCky Business of Protein Folding in Health and Disease

Maintenance of the cellular proteome or proteostasis is an essential process that when deregulated leads to diseases like neurological disorders and cancer. Central to proteostasis are the molecular chaperones that fold proteins into functional 3-dimensional (3D) shapes and prevent protein aggregation. Chaperonins, a family of chaperones found in all lineages of organisms, are efficient machines that fold proteins within central cavities. The eukaryotic Chaperonin Containing TCP1 (CCT), also known as Tailless complex polypeptide 1 (TCP-1) Ring Complex (TRiC), is a multi-subunit molecular complex that folds the obligate substrates, actin, and tubulin. But more than folding cytoskeletal proteins, CCT differs from most chaperones in its ability to fold proteins larger than its central folding chamber and in a sequential manner that enables it to tackle proteins with complex topologies or very large proteins and complexes. Unique features of CCT include an asymmetry of charges and ATP affinities across the eight subunits that form the hetero-oligomeric complex. Variable substrate binding capacities endow CCT with a plasticity that developed as the chaperonin evolved with eukaryotes and acquired functional capacity in the densely packed intracellular environment. Given the decades of discovery on the structure and function of CCT, much remains unknown such as the scope of its interactome. New findings on the role of CCT in disease, and potential for diagnostic and therapeutic uses, heighten the need to better understand the function of this essential molecular chaperone. Clues as to how CCT causes cancer or neurological disorders lie in the early studies of the chaperonin that form a foundational knowledgebase. In this review, we span the decades of CCT discoveries to provide critical context to the continued research on the diverse capacities in health and disease of this essential protein-folding complex.

HOXB2 increases the proliferation and invasiveness of colon cancer cells through the upregulation of CCT6A

Colon cancer has a high mortality rate, thus there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic options for clinical management of the disease. Studies have revealed that chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) promoted the development of multiple types of cancer, and dataset analysis revealed that homeobox B2 (HOXB2) has the potential to modulate the expression of CCT6A. However, whether HOXB2 affects the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells remains to be determined. A CCT6A knockdown colon cancer cell line was established and colony formation, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays were performed to assess proliferation, migration and invasion of the altered colon cancer cells. Subsequently, luciferase reporter gene assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to detect the relationship between HOXB2 and CCT6A. A HOXB2 overexpression colon cancer cell line was established and the proliferation, migration and invasion of these cells was determined using the same methods. Knockdown of CCT6A reduced the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells. HOXB2 enhanced the expression of CCT6A in colon cancer cells by binding to the promoter of CCT6A. Overexpression of HOXB2 abolished the inhibitory effect of CCT6A knockdown on the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells. HOXB2 increased the proliferation and invasiveness of colon cancer cells by increasing the expression of CCT6A.

CCT6A expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and its correlation with clinical characteristics, liver function indexes, tumor markers and prognosis

BACKGROUND

Chaperonin-containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) plays roles in cancer progression, but its clinical implication in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) management needs further exploration. This study aimed to explore the correlation of CCT6A with clinical characteristics, liver function indexes, tumor markers and prognosis in HCC patients.

METHODS

240 HCC patients were retrospectively enrolled. 240 pairs of cancer and adjacent specimens were used to evaluate CCT6A protein expression by immunohistochemistry assay; among which 184 pairs were used to assess CCT6A mRNA expression by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Both CCT6A protein expression and CCT6A mRNA expression were higher in HCC tumor tissue than in adjacent tissue (P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that CCT6A had certain potential in discriminating tumor tissues from adjacent tissues. In addition, CCT6A protein expression was positively correlated with multifocal tumor nodule (P = 0.001), ≥ 5.0 cm tumor size (P = 0.028), BCLC stage (P = 0.002) and abnormal AFP (P = 0.021). Besides, CCT6A mRNA expression was associated with multifocal tumor nodule (P = 0.025), ≥ 5.0 cm tumor size (P = 0.018), higher BCLC stage (P = 0.036), abnormal CA199 (P = 0.027) and abnormal AFP (P = 0.008). However, no correlation was found in CCT6A with liver function indexes (all P ≥ 0.05). Moreover, CCT6A protein and mRNA high expressions were both correlated with poor accumulating overall survival (OS) (P = 0.004, P = 0.002, respectively). Furthermore, CCT6A protein high expression (vs. low) independently predicted shorter OS (P = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

CCT6A serves as a possible biomarker reflecting tumor features and prognostication in HCC patients.

Characterization of diagnostic and prognostic significance of cell cycle-linked genes in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

The high degree of heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) imposes a significant challenge to predict the prognosis. Currently, increasing evidence has indicated that cell cycle-linked genes are strongly linked to occurrence and progress of HCC. Herein, we purposed to create a prediction model on the basis of cell cycle-linked genes.

Methods

The transcriptome along with clinicopathological data abstracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used as a training cohort. Lasso regression analysis was employed to create a prediction model in TCGA cohort. The data of samples obtained from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) data resource were applied in the verification of the model. A series of bioinformatics analyzed the relationship of the risk signature with overall survival (OS), biological function, and clinicopathological features.

Results

Six cell cycle-linked genes (PLK1, CDC20, HSP90AA1, CHEK1, HDAC1, and NDC80) were chosen to create the prognostic model, demonstrating a good prognostic capacity. Further analyses indicated that the model could independently assess the OS of HCC patients. A single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) indicated that the risk signature was remarkably linked to immune status. Additionally, there was a remarkable association of the risk signature with TP53 mutation frequency, as well as immune checkpoint molecule expression levels.

Conclusions

We created a prediction model using six cell cycle-linked genes to predict HCC prognosis. The six genes are expected to be novel markers for HCC diagnosis, as well as treatment.

MicroRNA-148a/152 cluster restrains tumor stem cell phenotype of colon cancer via modulating CCT6A

Accumulating evidence has presented that microRNA-148a/152 (miR-148a/152) acts as the tumor inhibitor in various cancers. In this article, we aimed to probe the inhibition of colon cancer stem cells by miR-148a/152 cluster via regulation of CCT6A. miR-148a/152 and CCT6A expression in colon cancer tissues and cells was detected. The relationship between miR-148a/152 expression and the clinicopathological features of patients with colon cancer was analyzed. Colon cancer stem cells (CD44+/CD133+) were selected and high/low expression of miR-148a/152 plasmids were synthesized to intervene CD44+/CD133+ colon cancer stem cells to investigate the function of miR-148a/152 in invasion, migration, proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis of cells. The growth status of nude mice was observed to verify the in-vitro results. The relationship between miR-148a/152 and CCT6A was analyzed. CCT6A upregulated and miR-148a/152 downregulated in colon cancer tissues. MiR-148a/152 expression was correlated with tumor node metastasis stage, lymph node metastasis and differentiation degree. Upregulated miR-148a/152 depressed CCT6A expression and restrained invasion and migration ability, colony formation and proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, depressed OCT4, Nanog and SOX2 mRNA expression of colon cancer stem cells, and descended tumor weight and volume in nude mice. CCT6A was a target gene of miR-148a/152. Overexpression of CCT6A protected colon cancer stem cells. Functional studies showed that upregulation of miR-148a/152 can suppress the migration, invasion and proliferation of CD44+/CD133+ colon cancer stem cells, advance its apoptosis via inhibition of CCT6A expression.

Exploring the Expression and Prognostic Value of the TCP1 Ring Complex in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Overexpressing Its Subunit 5 Promotes HCC Tumorigenesis

T-complex protein-1 ring complex (TRiC), also known as Chaperonin Containing T-complex protein-1 (CCT), is a multisubunit chaperonin required for the folding of nascent proteins. Mounting evidence suggests that TRiC also contributes to the development and progression of tumors, but there are limited studies on pathogenic functions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We comprehensively evaluated the expression pattern and biological functions of TRiC subunits using The Cancer Genome Atlas and The Human Protein Atlas. Expression levels of TRiC subunits TCP1, CCT2/3/4/5/6A/7/8 were significantly upregulated in HCC tissues at both transcript and protein levels, which predicted shorter overall survival (OS). Moreover, high mutation rates were found in several CCT subunits, and patients with altered CCT genes exhibited poorer clinical outcomes. Functional enrichment analysis showed that co-regulated genes were preferentially involved in 'protein folding' and 'microtubule-based process', while genes co-expressed with CCT subunits were primarily involved in 'ribosome' and 'spliceosome'. Knockout of CCT5 in a HCC cell line reduced while overexpression enhanced proliferation rate, cycle transition, migration, and invasion. In conclusion, these findings suggest that subunits of the TRiC may be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of HCC and play an important role in the occurrence and development of HCC.

Chaperonin-containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 subunit 6A correlates with increased World Health Organization grade, less isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation, and deteriorative survival of astrocytoma patients

Objective

Chaperonin‐containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) is reported to be an efficient prognostic biomarker in various cancers, but it is rarely reported in astrocytoma. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the expression of CCT6A and its correlation with disease features and prognosis in astrocytoma patients.

Methods

Totally, 198 astrocytoma patients who received surgery treatment were enrolled. CCT6A protein expression was determined in the tumor tissues fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin (FFEP) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay. In addition, 133 out of 198 astrocytoma patients had fresh tumor tissues frozen in the liquid nitrogen for the determination of CCT6A mRNA expression by reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Sixty‐nine (34.8%), 70 (35.4%), 46 (23.2%), and 13 (6.6%) astrocytoma patients had the CCT6A immunohistochemistry (IHC) score of 0–3, 4–6, 7–9, and 10–12, respectively. CCT6A protein expression was correlated with increased World Health Organization (WHO) grade (P < 0.001) and less isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation (P = 0.002); meanwhile, CCT6A mRNA expression was only related to elevated WHO grade (P = 0.001). However, CCT6A protein and mRNA expression were not correlated with other clinical features and subsequent treatment modalities (all P > 0.05). Moreover, CCT6A protein high and CCT6A mRNA high were related to shorter accumulating overall survival (OS; both P < 0.05). CCT6A protein high was an independent factor for predicting the worse OS (hazard ratio: 1.821, P = 0.012).

Conclusion

Chaperonin‐containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 subunit 6A correlates with elevated WHO grade and less IDH mutation; besides, CCT6A high expression is independently associated with unfavorable accumulating OS of astrocytoma patients.

CCT6A may act as a potential biomarker reflecting tumor size, lymphatic metastasis, FIGO stage, and prognosis in cervical cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

Chaperonin-containing tailless complex polypeptide subunit 6A (CCT6A) is a critical regulator and newly identified clinical biomarker of several cancers, while its correlation with the clinical characteristics and prognosis of cervical cancer patients is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore this issue.

METHODS

Chaperonin-containing tailless complex polypeptide subunit 6A expression in tumor and tumor-adjacent tissues from 198 cervical cancer patients who underwent resection were detected by immunohistochemistry assay and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Besides, the clinicopathological features and survival data of cervical cancer patients were collected.

RESULTS

Chaperonin-containing tailless complex polypeptide subunit 6A protein and mRNA levels were both increased in tumor tissues compared with tumor-adjacent tissues (both p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that CCT6A protein (AUC: 0.774, 95% CI: 0.729-0.819) and mRNA levels (AUC: 0.904, 95% CI: 0.874-0.934) well discriminated tumor tissues from tumor-adjacent tissues. Besides, correlation analyses found that CCT6A protein and mRNA levels were positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and FIGO stage (all p < 0.05), apart from which CCT6A mRNA level was also positively associated with tumor size (p = 0.032). In addition, CCT6A protein and mRNA levels were negatively correlated with accumulating disease-free survival (both p < 0.05); meanwhile CCT6A mRNA level was negatively associated with accumulating overall survival as well (p = 0.010).

CONCLUSION

Chaperonin-containing tailless complex polypeptide subunit 6A is elevated in tumor tissues, and its high expression associates with larger tumor size, lymph node metastasis, higher FIGO stage, and worse prognosis in cervical cancer patients.

Chaperonins in cancer: Expression, function, and migration in extracellular vesicles

The chaperonins CCT and Hsp60 are molecular chaperones, members of the chaperone system (CS). Chaperones are cytoprotective but if abnormal in quantity or quality they may cause diseases, the chaperonopathies. Here, recent advances in the understanding of CCT and Hsp60 in cancerology are briefly discussed, focusing on breast and brain cancers. CCT subunits, particularly CCT2, were increased in breast cancer cells and this correlated with tumor progression. Experimental induction of CCT2 increase was accompanied by an increase of CCT3, 4, and 5, providing another evidence for the interconnection between the members of the CS and the difficulties expected while manipulating one member with therapeutic purposes. Another in silico study demonstrated a direct correlation between the increase in the tumor tissue of the mRNA levels of all CCT subunits, except CCTB6, with bad prognosis. Studies with glioblastomas demonstrated an increase in the CCT subunits in the tumor tissue and in extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from them. Expression levels of CCT1, 2, 6A, and 7 were the most increased and markers of bad prognosis, particularly CCT6A. A method for measuring Hsp60 and related miRNA in exosomes from blood of patients with glioblastomas or other brain tumors was discussed, and the results indicate that the triad Hsp60-related miRNAs-exosomes has potential regarding diagnosis and patient monitoring. All these data provide a strong foundation for future studies on the role played by chaperonins in carcinogenesis and for fully developing their theranostics applications along with exosomes.

Hsp60 Quantification in Human Gastric Mucosa Shows Differences between Pathologies with Various Degrees of Proliferation and Malignancy Grade

Background: Stomach diseases are an important sector of gastroenterology, including proliferative benign; premalignant; and malignant pathologies of the gastric mucosa, such as gastritis, hyperplastic polyps, metaplasia, dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma. There are data showing quantitative changes in chaperone system (CS) components in inflammatory pathologies and tumorigenesis, but their roles are poorly understood, and information pertaining to the stomach is scarce. Here, we report our findings on one CS component, the chaperone Hsp60, which we studied first considering its essential functions inside and outside mitochondria. Methods: We performed immunohistochemical experiments for Hsp60 in different samples of gastric mucosa. Results: The data obtained by quantitative analysis showed that the average percentages of Hsp60 were of 32.8 in normal mucosa; 33.5 in mild-to-moderate gastritis; 51.8 in severe gastritis; 58.5 in hyperplastic polyps; 67.0 in intestinal metaplasia; 89.4 in gastric dysplasia; and 92.5 in adenocarcinomas. Noteworthy were: (i) the difference between dysplasia and adenocarcinoma with the other pathologies; (ii) the progressive increase in Hsp60 from gastritis to hyperplastic polyp, gastric dysplasia, and gastric carcinoma; and (iii) the correlation of Hsp60 levels with histological patterns of cell proliferation and, especially, with tissue malignancy grades. Conclusions: This trend likely reflects the mounting need for cells for Hsp60 as they progress toward malignancy and is a useful indicator in differential diagnosis, as well as the call for research on the mechanisms underpinning the increase in Hsp60 and its possible roles in carcinogenesis.

Construction of the optimization prognostic model based on differentially expressed immune genes of lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common pathology subtype of lung cancer. In recent years, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and chemotherapeutics conferred a certain curative effects. However, the effect and prognosis of LUAD patients are different, and the efficacy of existing LUAD risk prediction models is unsatisfactory.

Methods

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) LUAD dataset was downloaded. The differentially expressed immune genes (DEIGs) were analyzed with edgeR and DESeq2. The prognostic DEIGs were identified by COX regression. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was inferred by STRING using prognostic DEIGs with p value< 0.05. The prognostic model based on DEIGs was established using Lasso regression. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of FERMT2, FKBP3, SMAD9, GATA2, and ITIH4 in 30 cases of LUAD tissues.

Results

In total,1654 DEIGs were identified, of which 436 genes were prognostic. Gene functional enrichment analysis indicated that the DEIGs were involved in inflammatory pathways. We constructed 4 models using DEIGs. Finally, model 4, which was constructed using the 436 DEIGs performed the best in prognostic predictions, the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was 0.824 for 3 years, 0.838 for 5 years, 0.834 for 10 years. High levels of FERMT2, FKBP3 and low levels of SMAD9, GATA2, ITIH4 expression are related to the poor overall survival in LUAD (p < 0.05). The prognostic model based on DEIGs reflected infiltration by immune cells.

Conclusions

In our study, we built an optimal prognostic signature for LUAD using DEIGs and verified the expression of selected genes in LUAD. Our result suggests immune signature can be harnessed to obtain prognostic insights.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-07911-8.

CCT6A, a novel prognostic biomarker for Ewing sarcoma

BACKGROUND

Ewing sarcoma (ES), the second most prevalent bone malignant tumor has no widely known prognostic biomarker. Earlier studies have suggested that chaperonin containing TCP1 complex 6A (CCT6A), which encodes a molecular protein chaperone, is involved in the pathogenesis of many cancers. However, there are no known reports providing clear evidence of its role in ES pathogenesis.

METHODS

We performed a bioinformatic analysis of 32 ES specimens from the GSE17618 dataset concentrating on the differences in gene expression, OS, event-free survival (EFS) in the different subgroups. Immunohistochemical studies were also performed to identify the expression levels of selected genes in ES and immediate paracancerous tissues.

RESULTS

After 3 screenings, CCT6A was identified to be highly correlated with ES prognosis. Our survival analysis revealed a low overall survival (OS) for high CCT6A expression (P-value = .024). Our Cox regression analysis identified CCT6A expression, lEFS, and age were strongly associated with prognosis of ES. Our multivariate Cox regression analysis shows that CCT6A (P-value = .015), age (P-value = .026), and EFS (P-value = .002) were independent poor prognostic biomarkers. Our immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression levels of CCT6A were significantly higher in ES tissues compared to the paracancerous tissues.

CONCLUSION

From the results of our study, we identified the expression levels of CCT6A to be strongly associated with prognosis of ES. Thus, the expression levels of the CCT6A gene could serve as a biomarker for the prediction of ES prognosis.

Recent progress in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In the past decade, there have been improvements in non-drug therapies and drug therapies for HCC treatment. Non-drug therapies include hepatic resection, liver transplantation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and ablation. The former two surgical treatments are beneficial for patients with early and mid-stage HCC. As the first choice for non-surgical treatment, different TACE methods has been developed and widely used in combination therapy. Ablation has become an important alternative therapy for the treatment of small HCC or cases of unresectable surgery. Meanwhile, the drugs including small molecule targeted drugs like sorafenib and lenvatinib, monoclonal antibodies such as nivolumab are mainly used for the systematic treatment of advanced HCC. Besides strategies described above are recommended as first-line therapies due to their significant increase in mean overall survival, there are also potential drugs in clinical trials or under preclinical development. In addition, a number of potential preclinical surgical or adjuvant therapies are being studied, such as oncolytic virus, mesenchymal stem cells, biological clock, gut microbiome composition and peptide vaccine, all of which have shown different degrees of inhibition on HCC. With some potential anti-HCC drugs being reported, many promising therapeutic targets in related taxonomic signaling pathways including cell cycle, epigenetics, tyrosine kinase and so on that affect the progression of HCC have also been found. Together, the rational application of existing therapies and drugs as well as the new strategies will bring a bright future for the global cure of HCC in the coming decades.

Chaperonin containing t-complex polypeptide 1 subunit 6A correlates with lymph node metastasis, abnormal carcinoembryonic antigen and poor survival profiles in non-small cell lung carcinoma

Background

This study aimed to investigate the correlation of chaperonin containing t-complex polypeptide 1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) expression with clinicopathological features and survival profiles in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients.

Methods

A total of 381 NSCLC patients with Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) stage I–IIIA who underwent tumor resection were retrospectively screened. Immunohistochemistry staining and semi-quantitative scoring were used to evaluate CCT6A expression in tumor and adjacent tissues. Clinicopathological features were retrieved. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated.

Results

CCT6A expression was elevated in tumor tissue (CCT6A high 47.5% vs. low 52.5%) compared with adjacent tissue (CCT6A high 30.4% vs. low 69.6%) (P < 0.001), and ROC curve displayed that CCT6A could distinguish tumor tissue from adjacent tissue. Moreover, tumor CCT6A high expression was associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.001), elevated TNM stage (P = 0.002), and abnormal carcinoembryonic antigen (P = 0.022). Kaplan–Meier curves displayed that tumor CCT6A high expression was negatively correlated with DFS and OS (all P < 0.001). Cox’s regression analysis disclosed that tumor CCT6A high expression independently predicted worse DFS (P < 0.001) (hazard ratio (HR) 1.659 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.318–2.089)), and OS (P < 0.001) (HR 1.779 (95%CI 1.378–2.298)).

Conclusions

CCT6A may present some clinical value in the management of NSCLC.

Separated Siamese Twins: Intronic Small Nucleolar RNAs and Matched Host Genes May be Altered in Conjunction or Separately in Multiple Cancer Types

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are non-coding RNAs involved in RNA modification and processing. Approximately half of the so far identified snoRNA genes map within the intronic regions of host genes, and their expression, as well as the expression of their host genes, is dependent on transcript splicing and maturation. Growing evidence indicates that mutations and/or deregulations that affect snoRNAs, as well as host genes, play a significant role in oncogenesis. Among the possible factors underlying snoRNA/host gene expression deregulation is copy number alteration (CNA). We analyzed the data available in The Cancer Genome Atlas database, relative to CNA and expression of 295 snoRNA/host gene couples in 10 cancer types, to understand whether the genetic or expression alteration of snoRNAs and their matched host genes would have overlapping trends. Our results show that, counterintuitively, copy number and expression alterations of snoRNAs and matched host genes are not necessarily coupled. In addition, some snoRNA/host genes are mutated and overexpressed recurrently in multiple cancer types. Our findings suggest that the differential contribution to cancer development of both snoRNAs and host genes should always be considered, and that snoRNAs and their host genes may contribute to cancer development in conjunction or independently.