Sperm-Specific Glycolysis Enzyme Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Regulated by Transcription Factor SOX10 to Promote Uveal Melanoma Tumorigenesis

Downregulation of CIAPIN1 regulates the proliferation, migration and glycolysis of breast cancer cells via inhibition of STAT3 pathway

Cytokine-induced apoptosis inhibitor 1 (CIAPIN1) is a protein that regulates apoptosis and programmed cell death. This research aims to evaluate its potential role in inhibiting breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and glycolysis and uncover its underlying molecular mechanism. We collected breast cancer tissue samples from eight patients between January 2019 and June 2023 in our Hospital to analyse CIAPIN1 expression. We transfected human breast cancer cell lines (MCF7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453, and MDA-MB-468) with siRNA of CIAPIN1. Finally, we determined protein expression using RT-qPCR and Western blotting. CIAPIN1 expression was elevated in both breast cancer tissue and serum. Overexpression of CIAPIN1 detected in the breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-468. In addition, CIAPIN1 overexpression increased cell proliferation and migration rate. CIAPIN1 downregulation suppressed cell proliferation while elevated cellular apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and oxidative stress in breast cancer cells. Moreover, CIAPIN1 inhibition remarkably suppressed pyruvate, lactate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and reduced the pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) protein expression and phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in breast cancer cells. Downregulation of CIAPIN1 suppresses cell proliferation, migration and glycolysis capacity in breast cancer cells by inhibiting the STAT3/PKM2 pathway.

Multi-omics analysis of human tendon adhesion reveals that ACKR1-regulated macrophage migration is involved in regeneration

Tendon adhesion is a common complication after tendon injury with the development of accumulated fibrotic tissues without effective anti-fibrotic therapies, resulting in severe disability. Macrophages are widely recognized as a fibrotic trigger during peritendinous adhesion formation. However, different clusters of macrophages have various functions and receive multiple regulation, which are both still unknown. In our current study, multi-omics analysis including single-cell RNA sequencing and proteomics was performed on both human and mouse tendon adhesion tissue at different stages after tendon injury. The transcriptomes of over 74 000 human single cells were profiled. As results, we found that SPP1+ macrophages, RGCC+ endothelial cells, ACKR1+ endothelial cells and ADAM12+ fibroblasts participated in tendon adhesion formation. Interestingly, despite specific fibrotic clusters in tendon adhesion, FOLR2+ macrophages were identified as an antifibrotic cluster by in vitro experiments using human cells. Furthermore, ACKR1 was verified to regulate FOLR2+ macrophages migration at the injured peritendinous site by transplantation of bone marrow from Lysm-Cre;R26RtdTomato mice to lethally irradiated Ackr1-/- mice (Ackr1-/- chimeras; deficient in ACKR1) and control mice (WT chimeras). Compared with WT chimeras, the decline of FOLR2+ macrophages was also observed, indicating that ACKR1 was specifically involved in FOLR2+ macrophages migration. Taken together, our study not only characterized the fibrosis microenvironment landscape of tendon adhesion by multi-omics analysis, but also uncovered a novel antifibrotic cluster of macrophages and their origin. These results provide potential therapeutic targets against human tendon adhesion.

The role of sperm-specific glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in the development of pathologies-from asthenozoospermia to carcinogenesis

The review considers various aspects of the influence of the glycolytic enzyme, sperm-specific glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDS) on the energy metabolism of spermatozoa and on the occurrence of several pathologies both in spermatozoa and in other cells. GAPDS is a unique enzyme normally found only in mammalian spermatozoa. GAPDS provides movement of the sperm flagellum through the ATP formation in glycolytic reactions. Oxidation of cysteine residues in GAPDS results in inactivation of the enzyme and decreases sperm motility. In particular, reduced sperm motility in diabetes can be associated with GAPDS oxidation by superoxide anion produced during glycation reactions. Mutations in GAPDS gene lead in the loss of motility, and in some cases, disrupts the formation of the structural elements of the sperm flagellum, in which the enzyme incorporates during spermiogenesis. GAPDS activation can be used to increase the spermatozoa fertility, and inhibitors of this enzyme are being tried as contraceptives. A truncated GAPDS lacking the N-terminal fragment of 72 amino acids that attaches the enzyme to the sperm flagellum was found in melanoma cell lines and then in specimens of melanoma and other tumors. Simultaneous production of the somatic form of GAPDH and sperm-specific GAPDS in cancer cells leads to a reorganization of their energy metabolism, which is accompanied by a change in the efficiency of metastasis of certain forms of cancer. Issues related to the use of GAPDS for the diagnosis of cancer, as well as the possibility of regulating the activity of this enzyme to prevent metastasis, are discussed.

Phosphoproteomics of extracellular vesicles integrated with multiomics analysis reveals novel kinase networks for lung cancer

Phosphorylation regulates the functions of proteins and aberrant phosphorylation often leads to a variety of diseases, including cancers. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important messengers in the microenvironment and their proteome contributes to cancer genesis and metastasis, while the kinases that driving EVs proteins' phosphorylation are less known. Clinical tissue samples from 13 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were utilized to isolate cancer EVs and adjacent normal EVs. Through quantitative phosphoproteomics analysis, 2473 phosphorylation sites on 1567 proteins were successfully identified and quantified. Accordingly, 152 kinases were identified, and 25 of them were differentially expressed. Based on Tied Diffusion through Interacting Events (TieDIE) algorithm, we integrated genomic and transcriptomic data sets of NSCLC from TCGA with our phosphoproteome data set to construct signaling networks. Through database integration and multiomics enrichment analysis, a compact network of 234 nodes with 1599 edges was constructed, which consisted of 34 transcription factors, 33 kinases, 63 aberrant genes, and 172 linking proteins. Rarely studied phosphorylation sites were specifically enriched. Key phosphoproteins of network nodes were validated in patients' EVs, including MAPK6^S189 , IKBKE^S172 , SRC^Y530 , CDK7^S164 , and CDK1^T14 . These networks depict intrinsic signal-regulation derived from EVs' phosphoproteins, providing a comprehensive and pathway-based strategy for in-depth lung cancer research.

WZB117 enhanced the anti-tumor effect of apatinib against melanoma via blocking STAT3/PKM2 axis

Background: Melanoma is the most lethal skin malignant tumor with a short survival once stepping into the metastatic status and poses a therapeutic challenge. Apatinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) is a promising antiangiogenic agent for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. However, antiangiogenic monotherapy is prone to acquired drug resistance and has a limited therapeutic effect. The persistence dependence of glycolytic metabolism in antiangiogenic therapy-resistant cells provides evidence that glycolysis inhibitors may enhance the effect of antiangiogenic therapy. So, this study aimed to investigate whether WZB117 (a specific GLUT1 inhibitor) could enhance the anti-tumor effect of apatinib against melanoma and its potential mechanisms. Methods: We investigated the anti-tumor effects of apatinib alone or in combination with WZB117 on human melanoma cell lines (A375 and SK-MEL-28). The MTT assay determined cell viability and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). Multiple drug effect/combination indexes (CI) analysis was conducted to assess interactions between apatinib and WZB117. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway measured by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. RNA expression analyses were performed using the reverse transcription-quantitative PCR method. Results: Apatinib and WZB117 showed dose and time-dependent growth inhibitory effects in both melanoma cells. The IC50 of apatinib at 48 h in A375 and SK-MEL-28 cells was 62.58 and 59.61 μM, respectively, while the IC50 of WZB117 was 116.85 and 113.91 μM, respectively. The CI values of the two drugs were 0.538 and 0.544, respectively, indicating a synergistic effect of apatinib combined with WZB117. We also found that glucose consumption and lactate production were suppressed by apatinib plus WZB117 in a dose-dependent manner, paralleled by reducing glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). The potential mechanism of the combination was to suppress the phosphorylation of STAT3. Knockdown of STAT3 by siRNA inhibited the expression of PKM2, while the activation of STAT3 by IL-6 increased the expression of PKM2. The effects of IL-6 were attenuated by apatinib combined with WZB117 treatment. Conclusion: WZB117 enhanced the anti-tumor effect of apatinib against melanoma via modulating glycolysis by blocking the STAT3/PKM2 axis, which suggested the combination of apatinib with WZB117 could be a potential therapeutic candidate for melanoma.

New insights into the prognosis of intraocular malignancy: Interventions for association mechanisms between cancer and diabetes

The intraocular malignancies, which mostly originate from the retina and uvea, exhibit a high incidence of blindness and even death. Uveal melanoma (UM) and retinoblastoma (RB) are the most common intraocular malignancies in adults and children, respectively. The high risks of distant metastases lead to an extremely poor prognosis. Nowadays, various epidemiological studies have demonstrated that diabetes is associated with the high incidence and mortality of cancers, such as liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and bladder cancer. However, the mechanisms and interventions associated with diabetes and intraocular malignancies have not been reviewed. In this review, we have summarized the associated mechanisms between diabetes and intraocular malignancy. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by prolonged periods of hyperglycemia. Recent studies have reported that the abnormal glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and the activation of the IGF/insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) signaling axis in diabetes contribute to the genesis, growth, proliferation, and metastases of intraocular malignancy. In addition, diabetic patients are more prone to suffer severe complications and poor prognosis after radiotherapy for intraocular malignancy. Based on the common pathogenesis shared by diabetes and intraocular malignancy, they may be related to interventions and treatments. Therefore, interventions targeting the abnormal glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and IGF-1/IGF-1R signaling axis show therapeutic potentials to treat intraocular malignancy.

Human APOE ɛ3 and APOE ɛ4 Alleles Have Differential Effects on Mouse Olfactory Epithelium

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive age-dependent disorder whose risk is affected by genetic factors. Better models for investigating early effects of risk factors such as apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype are needed.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether APOE genotype produces neuropathologies in an AD-susceptible neural system, we compared effects of human APOE ɛ3 (E3) and APOE ɛ4 (E4) alleles on the mouse olfactory epithelium.

METHODS

RNA-Seq using the STAR aligner and DESeq2, immunohistochemistry for activated caspase-3 and phosphorylated histone H3, glucose uptake after oral gavage of 2-[1,2-3H (N)]-deoxy-D-glucose, and Seahorse Mito Stress tests on dissociated olfactory mucosal cells.

RESULTS

E3 and E4 olfactory mucosae show 121 differentially abundant mRNAs at age 6 months. These do not indicate differences in cell type proportions, but effects on 17 odorant receptor mRNAs suggest small differences in tissue development. Ten oxidoreductases mRNAs important for cellular metabolism and mitochondria are less abundant in E4 olfactory mucosae but this does not translate into differences in cellular respiration. E4 olfactory mucosae show lower glucose uptake, characteristic of AD susceptibility and consistent with greater expression of the glucose-sensitive gene, Asns. Olfactory sensory neuron apoptosis is unaffected at age 6 months but is greater in E4 mice at 10 months.

CONCLUSION

Effects of human APOE alleles on mouse olfactory epithelium phenotype are apparent in early adulthood, and neuronal loss begins to increase by middle age (10 months). The olfactory epithelium is an appropriate model for the ability of human APOE alleles to modulate age-dependent effects associated with the progression of AD.