FNDC1 Promotes the Invasiveness of Gastric Cancer via Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway and Correlates With Peritoneal Metastasis and Prognosis

Investigation into the association of FNDC1 and ADAMTS12 gene expression with plumage coloration in Muscovy ducks

To elucidate the molecular genetic mechanisms underpinning feather color in Muscovy ducks. A cohort of 100 Muscovy ducks was meticulously selected for this research. Follicular tissues from ducks exhibiting black and white plumage served as the experimental samples. From these tissues, RNA and proteins were extracted for further analysis. The RNA underwent reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction amplification, followed by validation through western blot assays. The data revealed a significant upregulation in the expression of FN domain-containing protein 1 (FNDC1) and ADAMTS12 genes in Muscovy ducks with white plumage traits as opposed to those with black plumage traits. Specifically, individuals with pure white plumage demonstrated a markedly elevated expression of the FNDC1 gene in comparison to their pure black counterparts. Conversely, expression levels of the ADAMTS12 gene were found to be reduced in ducks with pure black plumage relative to those with pure white plumage. Notably, the expression patterns of FNDC1 and ADAMTS12 genes exhibited inconsistencies between mRNA and protein levels. This study offers significant insights into the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying feather color variation in Muscovy ducks. FNDC1 and ADAMTS12 could be considered potential targets for genetic manipulation or selective breeding strategies aimed at achieving specific feather color phenotypes in Muscovy ducks.

Investigation of the pan-cancer property of FNDC1 and its molecular mechanism to promote lung adenocarcinoma metastasis

BACKGROUND

Fibronectin type III domain containing 1 (FNDC1) has been associated with the metastasis of many tumors, but its function in lung cancer remains uncertain.

METHODS

FNDC1 expression was analyzed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), evaluate its prognostic value. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) enrichment analysis of differential expression of FNDC1 in lung cancer. The expression of FNDC1 was detected in five types of lung cancer cells, and screened to establish FNDC1 stable knockdown cell strains. To observe the migration and invasion ability of lung cancer cells after FNDC1 knockdown. Finally, we used rhIL-6 to interfere with the stable knockdown of FNDC1 in A549 cells and observed the recovery of migration and invasion.

RESULT

Our results showed that FNDC1 expression was increased in 21 tumor tissues, including lung cancer, and was associated with poor prognosis in five cancers, including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) (P < 0.05). GSEA enrichment analysis showed that FNDC1 was related to the pathways involved the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Stable knockdown of FNDC1 in A549 and H292 cells resulted in decreased migration and invasion ability of both cells, accompanied by decreased expression of MMP-2 and Snail, and a significant decline in the expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3. The suppressive effect of FNDC1 knockdown on lung cancer cell metastasis counteracted by the JAK-STAT agonist rhIL-6 were presented in the nude mouse metastatic tumor model.

CONCLUSION

FNDC1 is implicated in poor prognosis of a diverse range of malignant tumors, which can promote metastasis and invasion of lung cancer through the JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway.

Molecular Responses of the Eukaryotic Cell Line INT407 on the Internalized Campylobacter jejuni-The Other Side of the Coin

Campylobacter jejuni is a zoonotic bacterium with the capacity to invade the epithelial cells during the pathogenic process. Several bacterial factors have been identified to contribute to this process, but our knowledge is still very limited about the response of the host. To reveal the major routes of this response, a whole-transcriptome analysis (WTA) was performed where gene expressions were compared between the 1st and the 3rd hours of internalization in INT407 epithelial cells. From the 41,769 human genes tested, altogether, 19,060 genes were shown through WTA to be influenced to different extents. The genes and regulation factors of transcription (296/1052; 28%), signal transduction (215/1052; 21%), apoptosis (153/1052; 15%), immune responses (97/1052; 9%), transmembrane transport (64/1052; 6%), cell-cell signaling (32/1052; 3%), cell-cell adhesions (29/1052; 3%), and carbohydrate metabolism (28/1052; 3%) were the most affected biological functions. A striking feature of the gene expression of this stage of the internalization process is the activation of both immune functions and apoptosis, which convincingly outlines that the invaded cell faces a choice between death and survival. The seemingly balanced status quo between the invader and the host is the result of a complex process that also affects genes known to be associated with postinfectious pathological conditions. The upregulation of TLR3 (3.79×) and CD36 (2.73×), two general tumor markers, and SERPINEB9 (11.37×), FNDC1 (7.58×), and TACR2 (8.84×), three factors of tumorigenesis, confirms the wider pathological significance of this bacterium.

Anoikis-related signature identifies tumor microenvironment landscape and predicts prognosis and drug sensitivity in colorectal cancer

Background: Anoikis, a mechanism of programmed apoptosis, plays an important role in growth and metastasis of tumors. However, there are still few available comprehensive reports on the impact of anoikis on colorectal cancer. Method: A clustering analysis was done on 133 anoikis-related genes in GSE39582, and we compared clinical features between clusters, the tumor microenvironment was analyzed with algorithms such as "Cibersort" and "ssGSEA". We investigated risk scores of clinical feature groups and anoikis-associated gene mutations after creating a predictive model. We incorporated clinical traits to build a nomogram. Additionally, the quantitative real-time PCR was employed to investigate the mRNA expression of selected anoikis-associated genes. Result: We identified two anoikis-related clusters with distinct prognoses, clinical characteristics, and biological functions. One of the clusters was associated with anoikis resistance, which activated multiple pathways encouraging tumor metastasis. In our prognostic model, oxaliplatin may be a sensitive drug for low-risk patients. The nomogram showed good ability to predict survival time. And SIRT3, PIK3CA, ITGA3, DAPK1, and CASP3 increased in CRC group through the PCR assay. Conclusion: Our study identified two distinct modes of anoikis in colorectal cancer, with active metastasis-promoting pathways inducing an anti-anoikis subtype, which has a stronger propensity for metastasis and a worse prognosis than an anoikis-activated subtype. Massive immune cell infiltration may be an indicator of anoikis resistance. Anoikis' role in the colorectal cancer remains to be investigated.

Molecular Mechanism of Circ_0088300-BOLL Interaction Regulating Mitochondrial Metabolic Reprogramming and Involved in Gastric Cancer Growth and Metastasis

This study aims to investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of the interaction between circRNA circ_0088300 and the RNA binding protein (RBP) BOLL on the growth and metastasis of gastric cancer. A prognostic risk model was established by screening differentially expressed RBP genes from the TCGA database, and BOLL was identified as a critical RBP. Gene Set Enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that BOLL was associated with mitochondrial function. The upregulation fold change of circ_0088300 was the highest in the GSE93541 data set, and the RPISeq database confirmed its binding relationship with BOLL. In vitro experiments showed that BOLL regulates mitochondrial metabolism and cancer cell function and circ_0088300 upregulates the expression level of BOLL. In vivo experiments demonstrated that knocking down circ_0088300 can inhibit tumor growth and metastasis, whereas overexpression of BOLL can reverse this effect. In conclusion, we have reached a preliminary conclusion that upregulation of BOLL by circ_0088300 promotes gastric cancer growth and metastasis by promoting mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming.

The role of miR-143-3p/FNDC1 axis on the progression of non-small cell lung cancer

The study aimed to explore the functional role of fibronectin type III domain containing 1 (FNDC1) in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as well as the mechanism governing its expression. The expression levels of FNDC1 and related genes in tissue and cell samples were detected by qRT-PCR. Kaplan-Meier analysis was employed to analyze the association between FNDC1 level and the overall survival of NSCLC patients. Functional experiments such as CCK-8 proliferation, colony formation, EDU staining, migration and invasion assays were conducted to investigate the functional role of FNDC1 in regulating the malignancy of NSCLC cells. Bioinformatic tools and dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to identify the miRNA regulator of FNDC1 in NSCLC cells. Our data revealed the upregulation of FNDC1 at mRNA and protein levels in NSCLC tumor tissues cancer cell lines, compared with normal counterparts. NSCLC patients with higher FNDC1 expression suffered from a poorer overall survival. FNDC1 knockdown significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells, and had an inhibitory effect on tube formation. We further demonstrated that miR-143-3p was an upstream regulator of FNDC1 and miR-143-3p expression was repressed in NSCLC samples. Similar to FNDC1 knockdown, miR-143-3p overexpression inhibited the growth, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. FNDC1 overexpression could partially rescue the effect of miR-143-3p overexpression.  FNDC1 silencing also suppressed the tumorigenesis of NSCLC cells in mouse model. In conclusion, FNDC1 promotes the malignant prototypes of NSCLC cells. miR-143-3p is a negative regulator of FNDC1 in NSCLC cells, which may serve as a promising therapeutic target in NSCLC.

The Novel RXR Agonist MSU-42011 Differentially Regulates Gene Expression in Mammary Tumors of MMTV-Neu Mice

Retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonists, which activate the RXR nuclear receptor, are effective in multiple preclinical cancer models for both treatment and prevention. While RXR is the direct target of these compounds, the downstream changes in gene expression differ between compounds. RNA sequencing was used to elucidate the effects of the novel RXRα agonist MSU-42011 on the transcriptome in mammary tumors of HER2+ mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-Neu mice. For comparison, mammary tumors treated with the FDA approved RXR agonist bexarotene were also analyzed. Each treatment differentially regulated cancer-relevant gene categories, including focal adhesion, extracellular matrix, and immune pathways. The most prominent genes altered by RXR agonists positively correlate with survival in breast cancer patients. While MSU-42011 and bexarotene act on many common pathways, these experiments highlight the differences in gene expression between these two RXR agonists. MSU-42011 targets immune regulatory and biosynthetic pathways, while bexarotene acts on several proteoglycan and matrix metalloproteinase pathways. Exploration of these differential effects on gene transcription may lead to an increased understanding of the complex biology behind RXR agonists and how the activities of this diverse class of compounds can be utilized to treat cancer.

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Affect Tumor Metabolism and Immune Microenvironment in Gastric Cancer and Identification of Its Characteristic Genes

Background

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have reported widely involved in cancer progression. However, its underlying mechanism in gastric cancer is still not clarified.

Methods

The data used in this study were all downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. R software and the R packages were used for all the analyses.

Results

In our study, we first quantified the CAFs infiltration using the ssGSEA algorithm. The clinical correlation result showed that CAFs were associated with a worse prognosis and clinical features. Pathway enrichment also indicated several oncogenic pathways in GC patients with high CAFs infiltration, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), myogenesis, allograft rejection, the inflammatory response, and IL2/STAT5 signaling. Furthermore, FNDC1 and RSPO3 were identified as the characteristic genes of CAFs through two machine learning algorithms, LASSO logistic regression and SVM-RFE. The following analysis showed that FNDC1 and RSPO3 were associated with more progressive clinical features and had a good prediction efficiency of the CAFs infiltration status in GC patients. Pathway enrichment and genomic instability were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms of FNDC1 and RSPO3. Immune infiltration analysis showed that CAFs were positively correlated with M2 macrophages. Moreover, we found that the GC patients with low CAFs infiltration were more sensitive to immunotherapy. Also, the CAFs, FNDC1, and RSPO3 could generate a certain effect on the sensitivity of doxorubicin, mitomycin, and paclitaxel.

Conclusions

In summary, our study comprehensively investigated the role of CAFs in GC, which might be associated with immunotherapy sensitivity. Meanwhile, FNDC1 and RSPO3 were identified as the underlying targets of GC.

Expression and prognosis analyses of the fibronectin type-III domain-containing (FNDC) protein family in human cancers: A Review

Despite advancements in early detection and treatment, cancer continues to pose a threat to human health and is the leading cause of death worldwide. According to recent research, the fibronectin type-III domain-containing (FNDC) protein family has been implicated in several different human disorders. However, little is known regarding their expression and prognostic significance in most human malignancies. We carried out a thorough cancer vs. normal expression study using the Oncomine and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) databases, as well as a prognostic evaluation using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter and PrognoScan databases. Oncomine revealed that the mRNA expression levels of FNDC1, FNDC3A, and FNDC3B were higher in most malignancies than in normal tissues, but the mRNA expression levels of FNDC4, FNDC5, FNDC7, and FNDC8 were downregulated in most cancers when compared with normal tissues. In survival analyses based on KM Plotter and PrognoScan, all members of the FNDC family displayed significant correlations with survival outcomes in breast, gastric, and ovarian cancers. Furthermore, the whole FNDC family, except for FNDC7 and FNDC8, was found to have substantial predictive effects in lung adenocarcinoma, but not in squamous cell lung cancer. In addition, potential connections between several FNDC family members and survival results in liver and colorectal malignancies were discovered in this study. One or more members of the FNDC family demonstrated statistically significant differences in expression between cancer and normal tissues, suggesting that they could be used as prognostic biomarkers for specific cancers.

Downregulated miRNA-491-3p accelerates colorectal cancer growth by increasing uMtCK expression

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the second most frequent cancer worldwide. MiR-491-3p, a tumor-suppressive microRNA (miRNA, miR), has been revealed to be abnormally expressed in CRC tissues. Meanwhile, up-regulated ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase (uMtCK) contributes to CRC cell proliferation. Here we aim to explore whether aberrant miR-491-3p expression promotes CRC progression through regulating uMtCK. To this end, miR-491-3p and uMtCK levels were assessed in CRC tissues using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The biological roles of miR-491-3p and uMtCK in regulating CRC growth were evaluated using colony formation assay and mouse Xenograft tumour model. We found that miR-491-3p expression was decreased in CRC tissues compared with matched para-cancerous tissues, whereas uMtCK expression was increased. Functionally, miR-491-3p overexpression repressed SW480 cell growth, whereas miR-491-3p depletion accelerated SW620 cell proliferation and growth. Inversely, uMtCK positively regulated CRC cell proliferation. Mechanistically, miR-491-3p post-transcriptionally downregulated uMtCK expression by binding to 3'-UTR of uMtCK. Consequently, restoring uMtCK expression markedly eliminated the role of miR-491-3p in suppressing CRC growth. Collectively, miR-491-3p functions as a tumour suppressor gene by repressing uMtCK, and may be a potential target for CRC treatment.

Emerging role of exosomes in cancer progression and tumor microenvironment remodeling

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and the factors responsible for its progression need to be elucidated. Exosomes are structures with an average size of 100 nm that can transport proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. This review focuses on the role of exosomes in cancer progression and therapy. We discuss how exosomes are able to modulate components of the tumor microenvironment and influence proliferation and migration rates of cancer cells. We also highlight that, depending on their cargo, exosomes can suppress or promote tumor cell progression and can enhance or reduce cancer cell response to radio- and chemo-therapies. In addition, we describe how exosomes can trigger chronic inflammation and lead to immune evasion and tumor progression by focusing on their ability to transfer non-coding RNAs between cells and modulate other molecular signaling pathways such as PTEN and PI3K/Akt in cancer. Subsequently, we discuss the use of exosomes as carriers of anti-tumor agents and genetic tools to control cancer progression. We then discuss the role of tumor-derived exosomes in carcinogenesis. Finally, we devote a section to the study of exosomes as diagnostic and prognostic tools in clinical courses that is important for the treatment of cancer patients. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the role of exosomes in cancer therapy, focusing on their therapeutic value in cancer progression and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment.

LMOD1, an oncogene associated with Lauren classification, regulates the metastasis of gastric cancer cells through the FAK-AKT/mTOR pathway

Background

The Lauren classification of gastric tumors strongly correlates with prognosis. The purpose of this study was to explore the specific molecular mechanism of Lauren classification of gastric cancer and provide a possible theoretical basis for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Methods

We standardized the gene expression data of five Gene Expression Omnibus gastric cancer databases and constructed a Weighted Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) model based on clinicopathological information. The overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) curves were extracted from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE62254 databases. Western blotting was used to measure protein expression in cells and tissues. Scratch and transwell experiments were used to test the migration ability of tumor cells. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure tissue protein expression in clinical tissue samples to correlate to survival data.

Results

The WGCNA model demonstrated that blue cyan was highly correlated with the Lauren classification of the tumor (r = 0.24, P = 7 × 10¹⁶). A protein-protein interaction network was used to visualize the genes in the blue cyan module. The OS and PFS TCGA analysis revealed that LMOD1 was a gene of interest. The proportion of diffuse gastric cancer patients with high expression of LMOD1 was significantly higher than that of intestinal type patients. LMOD1 promoted the migration of gastric cancer cells by regulating the FAK-Akt/mTOR pathway in vitro. Additionally, a Gene Set Enrichment Analysis using the TCGA and GSE62254 databases, and western blot data, showed that LMOD1 could promote an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thus potentially affecting the occurrence of peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer. Immunohistochemistry showed that LMOD1 was highly expressed in cancer tissues, and the prognosis of patients with high LMOD1 expression was poor.

Conclusion

LMOD1 is an oncogene associated with diffuse gastric cancer and can affect the occurrence and development of EMT by regulating the FAK-Akt/mTOR pathway. LMOD1 can therefore promote peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer cells and can be used as a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09541-0.

Loss of MAGEC3 Expression Is Associated with Prognosis in Advanced Ovarian Cancers

Simple Summary

Familial studies connect variants in the X-linked gene MAGEC3 to early-onset ovarian cancers. In this retrospective cohort study, we determined that, unlike other MAGE family members, the MAGEC3 protein is normally expressed in ovarian tissue but is lost in half of the ovarian cancers. Similar to other predisposition genes like BRCA2, survival modeling suggests that expression loss is associated with favorable progression-free survival, and continued expression is associated with response to platinum therapy. Because of the assumed antigenicity of MAGE genes, we tested and observed associations with lymphocyte infiltration, NY-ESO-1 seropositivity, and the co-expression of tumor antigens at Xq28. Using transcriptomic modeling, we predicted that MAGEC3 expression is associated with stress-related cell cycle stalling and DNA repair pathway expression.

Abstract

Rare variants in MAGEC3 are associated with BRCA negative, early-onset ovarian cancers. Given this association, we evaluated the impact of MAGEC3 protein expression on prognosis and transcription. We quantified normal and tumor protein expression of MAGEC3 via immunohistochemistry in n = 394 advanced ovarian cancers, assessed the correlation of these values with clinicopathologic and immunological features and modeled survival using univariate and multivariate models. To extend these results, we quantified MAGEC3 protein expression in n = 180 cancers and used matching RNA sequencing data to determine MAGEC3-associated differentially expressed genes and to build an RNA-based model of MAGEC3 protein levels. This model was tested in a third independent cohort of patients from TCGA’s OV dataset (n = 282). MAGEC3 protein was sporadically lost in ovarian cancers, with half of the cases falling below the 9.5th percentile of normal tissue expression. Cases with MAGEC3 loss demonstrated better progression-free survival [HR = 0.71, p = 0.004], and analyses performed on predicted protein scores were consistent [HR = 0.57 p = 0.002]. MAGEC3 protein was correlated with CD8 protein expression [Pearson’s r = 0.176, p = 0.011], NY-ESO-1 seropositivity, and mRNA expression of tumor antigens at Xq28. Results of gene set enrichment analysis showed that genes associated with MAGEC3 protein expression cluster around G2/M checkpoint (NES = 3.20, FDR < 0.001) and DNA repair (NES = 2.28, FDR < 0.001) hallmark pathways. These results show that MAGEC3 is a prognostic biomarker in ovarian cancer.