1
|
Akçaöz-Alasar A, Tüncel Ö, Sağlam B, Gazaloğlu Y, Atbinek M, Cagiral U, Iscan E, Ozhan G, Akgül B. Epitranscriptomics m 6A analyses reveal distinct m 6A marks under tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)-induced apoptotic conditions in HeLa cells. J Cell Physiol 2024; 239:e31176. [PMID: 38179601 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.31176] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a ligand that induces both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways in HeLa cells by modulating complex gene regulatory mechanisms. However, the full spectrum of TNF-α-modulated epitranscriptomic m6A marks is unknown. We employed a genomewide approach to examine the extent of m6A RNA modifications under TNF-α-modulated apoptotic conditions in HeLa cells. miCLIP-seq analyses revealed a plethora of m6A marks on 632 target mRNAs with an enrichment on 99 mRNAs associated with apoptosis. Interestingly, the m6A RNA modification patterns were quite different under cisplatin- and TNF-α-mediated apoptotic conditions. We then examined the abundance and translational efficiencies of several mRNAs under METTL3 knockdown and/or TNF-α treatment conditions. Our analyses showed changes in the translational efficiency of TP53INP1 mRNA based on the polysome profile analyses. Additionally, TP53INP1 protein amount was modulated by METTL3 knockdown upon TNF-α treatment but not CP treatment, suggesting the existence of a pathway-specific METTL3-TP53INP1 axis. Congruently, METLL3 knockdown sensitized HeLa cells to TNF-α-mediated apoptosis, which was also validated in a zebrafish larval xenograft model. These results suggest that apoptotic pathway-specific m6A methylation marks exist in cells and TNF-α-METTL3-TP53INP1 axis modulates TNF-α-mediated apoptosis in HeLa cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Azime Akçaöz-Alasar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Urla, Türkiye
| | - Özge Tüncel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Urla, Türkiye
| | - Buket Sağlam
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Urla, Türkiye
| | - Yasemin Gazaloğlu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Urla, Türkiye
| | - Melis Atbinek
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Urla, Türkiye
| | - Umut Cagiral
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), Dokuz Eylul University Health Campus, Izmir, Türkiye
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute (IBG-Izmir), Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Evin Iscan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), Dokuz Eylul University Health Campus, Izmir, Türkiye
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute (IBG-Izmir), Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Gunes Ozhan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Urla, Türkiye
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), Dokuz Eylul University Health Campus, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Bünyamin Akgül
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Urla, Türkiye
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Meng L, Wu H, Wu J, Ding P, He J, Sang M, Liu L. Mechanisms of immune checkpoint inhibitors: insights into the regulation of circular RNAS involved in cancer hallmarks. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:3. [PMID: 38177102 PMCID: PMC10766988 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06389-5] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Current treatment strategies for cancer, especially advanced cancer, are limited and unsatisfactory. One of the most substantial advances in cancer therapy, in the last decades, was the discovery of a new layer of immunotherapy approach, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which can specifically activate immune cells by targeting immune checkpoints. Immune checkpoints are a type of immunosuppressive molecules expressed on immune cells, which can regulate the degree of immune activation and avoid autoimmune responses. ICIs, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 drugs, has shown inspiring efficacy and broad applicability across various cancers. Unfortunately, not all cancer patients benefit remarkably from ICIs, and the overall response rates to ICIs remain relatively low for most cancer types. Moreover, the primary and acquired resistance to ICIs pose serious challenges to the clinical application of cancer immunotherapy. Thus, a deeper understanding of the molecular biological properties and regulatory mechanisms of immune checkpoints is urgently needed to improve clinical options for current therapies. Recently, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have attracted increasing attention, not only due to their involvement in various aspects of cancer hallmarks, but also for their impact on immune checkpoints in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment. In this review, we systematically summarize the current status of immune checkpoints in cancer and the existing regulatory roles of circRNAs on immune checkpoints. Meanwhile, we also aim to settle the issue in an evidence-oriented manner that circRNAs involved in cancer hallmarks regulate the effects and resistance of ICIs by targeting immune checkpoints.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingjiao Meng
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050035, China
- Research Center and Tumor Research Institute, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China
| | - Haotian Wu
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Jiaxiang Wu
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Ping'an Ding
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Jinchen He
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Meixiang Sang
- Research Center and Tumor Research Institute, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China.
- Science and Education Department, Shanghai Electric Power Hospital, Shanghai, 20050, China.
| | - Lihua Liu
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050035, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
ALASAR AAKÇAÖZ, SAĞLAM B, VATANSEVER İERDOĞAN, AKGÜL B. Expression patterns of m 6A RNA methylation regulators under apoptotic conditions in various human cancer cell lines. Turk J Biol 2023; 48:24-34. [PMID: 38665783 PMCID: PMC11042863 DOI: 10.55730/1300-0152.2679] [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: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background/aim Cancer is a complex disease that involves both genetic and epigenetic factors. While emerging evidence clearly suggests that changes in epitranscriptomics play a crucial role in cancer pathogenesis, a comprehensive understanding of the writers, erasers, and readers of epitranscriptomic processes, particularly under apoptotic conditions remains lacking. The aim of this study was to uncover the changes in the expression of m6A RNA modifiers under apoptotic conditions across various cancer cell lines. Materials and methods Initially, we quantified the abundance of m6A RNA modifiers in cervical (HeLa and ME180), breast (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231), lung (A549 and H1299), and colon (Caco-2 and HCT116) cancer cell lines using qPCR. Subsequently, we induced apoptosis using cisplatin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) to activate intrinsic and extrinsic pathways, respectively, and assessed apoptosis rates via flow cytometry. Further, we examined the transcript abundance of m6A RNA modifiers under apoptotic conditions in cervical, breast, and lung cancer cell lines using qPCR. Results Overall, treatment with cisplatin increased the abundance of m6A modifiers, whereas TNF-α treatment decreased their expression in cervical, breast, and lung cancer cell lines. Specifically, cisplatin-induced apoptosis, but not TNF-α-mediated apoptosis, resulted in decreased abundance of METTL14 and FTO transcripts. Additionally, cisplatin treatment drastically reduced the abundance of IGF2BP2 and IGF2BP3 readers. Conclusion These results suggest that the differential response of cancer cells to apoptotic inducers may be partially attributed to the expression of m6A RNA modifiers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Azime AKÇAÖZ ALASAR
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Noncoding RNA Laboratory, İzmir Institute of Technology, İzmir,
Turkiye
| | - Buket SAĞLAM
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Noncoding RNA Laboratory, İzmir Institute of Technology, İzmir,
Turkiye
| | - İpek ERDOĞAN VATANSEVER
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Noncoding RNA Laboratory, İzmir Institute of Technology, İzmir,
Turkiye
| | - Bünyamin AKGÜL
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Noncoding RNA Laboratory, İzmir Institute of Technology, İzmir,
Turkiye
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Alasar AA, Tüncel Ö, Gelmez AB, Sağlam B, Vatansever İE, Akgül B. Genomewide m 6A Mapping Uncovers Dynamic Changes in the m 6A Epitranscriptome of Cisplatin-Treated Apoptotic HeLa Cells. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233905. [PMID: 36497162 PMCID: PMC9738315 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Cisplatin (CP), which is a conventional cancer chemotherapeutic drug, induces apoptosis by modulating a diverse array of gene regulatory mechanisms. However, cisplatin-mediated changes in the m6A methylome are unknown. We employed an m6A miCLIP-seq approach to investigate the effect of m6A methylation marks under cisplatin-mediated apoptotic conditions on HeLa cells. Our high-resolution approach revealed numerous m6A marks on 972 target mRNAs with an enrichment on 132 apoptotic mRNAs. We tracked the fate of differentially methylated candidate mRNAs under METTL3 knockdown and cisplatin treatment conditions. Polysome profile analyses revealed perturbations in the translational efficiency of PMAIP1 and PHLDA1 transcripts. Congruently, PMAIP1 amounts were dependent on METTL3. Additionally, cisplatin-mediated apoptosis was sensitized by METTL3 knockdown. These results suggest that apoptotic pathways are modulated by m6A methylation events and that the METTL3-PMAIP1 axis modulates cisplatin-mediated apoptosis in HeLa cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Bünyamin Akgül
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +011-90-232-7507316; Fax: +011-90-232-7507302
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Epitranscriptomics Changes the Play: m 6A RNA Modifications in Apoptosis. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1401:163-171. [PMID: 35781217 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2022_721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death that is essential for cellular and organismal homeostasis. Any irregularities that disturb the balance between apoptosis and cell survival have severe implications, such as improper development or life-threatening diseases. Thus, it is highly critical to maintain a proper rate of apoptosis throughout development. In fact, several complex transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms exist in eukaryotes to critically regulate the rate of apoptotic processes. Recent studies suggest that not only RNA sequences but also their modifications, such as m6A methylation, play a fundamental role in these transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes. A specific set of proteins, called writer, eraser, and reader of m6A marks, modulate the rate of apoptosis by determining the m6A repertoire and the fate of certain transcripts associated with apoptosis. In this Review, we will cover the dynamic m6A RNA modifications and their impact on modulation of apoptosis.
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs of 17-22 nucleotides in length with a critical function in posttranscriptional gene regulation. These master regulators are themselves subject to regulation both transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally. Recently, miRNA function has been shown to be modulated by exogenous RNA molecules that function as miRNA sponges. Interestingly, endogenous transcripts such as transcribed pseudogenes, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) and mRNAs may serve as natural miRNA sponges. These transcripts, which bind to miRNAs and competitively sequester them away from their targets, are naturally existing endogenous miRNA sponges, called competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). Here we present a historical background of miRNAs, exogenous and endogenous miRNA sponges as well as some examples of endogenous miRNA sponges involved in regulatory mechanisms associated with various diseases, developmental stages, and other cellular processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayşe Hale Alkan
- Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Bünyamin Akgül
- Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Santos-Rodriguez G, Voineagu I, Weatheritt RJ. Evolutionary dynamics of circular RNAs in primates. eLife 2021; 10:e69148. [PMID: 34542404 PMCID: PMC8516421 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many primate genes produce circular RNAs (circRNAs). However, the extent of circRNA conservation between closely related species remains unclear. By comparing tissue-specific transcriptomes across over 70 million years of primate evolution, we identify that within 3 million years circRNA expression profiles diverged such that they are more related to species identity than organ type. However, our analysis also revealed a subset of circRNAs with conserved neural expression across tens of millions of years of evolution. By comparing to species-specific circRNAs, we identified that the downstream intron of the conserved circRNAs display a dramatic lengthening during evolution due to the insertion of novel retrotransposons. Our work provides comparative analyses of the mechanisms promoting circRNAs to generate increased transcriptomic complexity in primates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Santos-Rodriguez
- EMBL Australia, Garvan Institute of Medical ResearchDarlinghurstAustralia
- St. Vincent Clinical School, University of New South WalesDarlinghurstAustralia
| | - Irina Voineagu
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
| | - Robert J Weatheritt
- EMBL Australia, Garvan Institute of Medical ResearchDarlinghurstAustralia
- St. Vincent Clinical School, University of New South WalesDarlinghurstAustralia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Gurer DC, Erdogan İ, Ahmadov U, Basol M, Sweef O, Cakan-Akdogan G, Akgül B. Transcriptomics Profiling Identifies Cisplatin-Inducible Death Receptor 5 Antisense Long Non-coding RNA as a Modulator of Proliferation and Metastasis in HeLa Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:688855. [PMID: 34497804 PMCID: PMC8419520 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.688855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cisplatin is a well-known cancer chemotherapeutic agent but how extensively long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression is modulated by cisplatin is unknown. It is imperative to employ a comprehensive approach to obtain a better account of cisplatin-mediated changes in the expression of lncRNAs. In this study, we used a transcriptomics approach to profile lncRNAs in cisplatin-treated HeLa cells, which resulted in identification of 10,214 differentially expressed lncRNAs, of which 2,500 were antisense lncRNAs. For functional analyses, we knocked down one of the cisplatin inducible lncRNAs, death receptor 5 antisense (DR5-AS) lncRNA, which resulted in a morphological change in HeLa cell shape without inducing any cell death. A second round of transcriptomics-based profiling revealed differential expression of genes associated with immune system, motility and cell cycle in DR5-AS knockdown HeLa cells. Cellular analyses showed that DR5-AS reduced cell proliferation and caused a cell cycle arrest at S and G2/M phases. Moreover, DR5-AS knockdown reduced the invasive capacity of HeLa cells in zebrafish xenograft model. These results suggest that cisplatin-mediated pleiotropic effects, such as reduction in cell proliferation, metastasis and cell cycle arrest, may be mediated by lncRNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dilek Cansu Gurer
- Noncoding RNA Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Ízmir, Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey
| | - İpek Erdogan
- Noncoding RNA Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Ízmir, Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ulvi Ahmadov
- Noncoding RNA Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Ízmir, Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Merve Basol
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Ízmir, Turkey.,Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Ízmir, Turkey
| | - Osama Sweef
- Noncoding RNA Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Ízmir, Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Bünyamin Akgül
- Noncoding RNA Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Ízmir, Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhang W, Qin P, Gong X, Huang L, Wang C, Chen G, Chen J, Wang L, Lv Z. Identification of circRNAs in the Liver of Whitespotted Bamboo Shark ( Chiloscyllium plagiosum). Front Genet 2020; 11:596308. [PMID: 33362857 PMCID: PMC7759564 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.596308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum), a member of the cartilaginous fish family, has an extremely large liver and demonstrates a strong regeneration ability and immune regulation. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) is an important class of non-coding RNAs. Increasing evidences suggest that circRNAs are a kind of potential regulators. Recently, researchers have isolated and identified different circRNAs from various species, while few reports were on the circRNAs of C. plagiosum. In this study, we have identified a total of 4,558 circRNAs in the liver of C. plagiosum. This finding suggests that circRNAs are not evenly distributed in the chromosomes and follow the GT-AG rule during cyclization. Alternative back-splicing might exist in shark circRNAs as shown by the authenticity identification of predicted circRNAs. The binding strength of circRNAs (<2,000 bp) and the detected miRNAs in shark liver were simultaneously analyzed to construct an mRNA–miRNA–circRNA network for the Glutathione S-transferase P1 gene, and the circRNA authenticity was simultaneously verified. Our data provide not only novel insights into the rich existence of circRNAs in marine animals, but also a basis for characterizing functions of identified circRNAs in the liver homeostasis of C. plagiosum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ping Qin
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxia Gong
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Hangzhou Hongqiao Sino-Science Gene Technology Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China
| | - Chan Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guiqian Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianqing Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhengbing Lv
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|