RUNX1/miR-582-5p Pathway Regulates the Tumor Progression in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma by Targeting COL5A1

RUNX1/miR-429 feedback loop promotes growth, metastasis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in oral squamous cell carcinoma by targeting ITGB1

This study aimed to explore the role of miR-429 on the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). OSCC cell lines were transfected with miR-429 mimic, pcDNA3.1-RUNX1, or pcDNA3.1-ITGB1, and their cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion abilities were analyzed by cell counting, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling staining, wound healing, and transwell assays, respectively. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down, and ChIP were used to assess the regulation of miR-429, RUNX1, and ITGB1 expression in OSCC. Lastly, the biological role of the RUNX1/miR-429 feedback loop was explored in nude mice. The results revealed that miR-429 level was down-regulated, while RUNX1 and ITGB1 levels were up-regulated in OSCC tissues and that miR-429 was negatively correlated with RUNX1 and ITGB1 in OSCC tissues. Transfection of miR-429 mimic suppressed OSCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, we found that miR-429 participated in OSCC progression by directly targeting ITGB1. Additionally, we found that RUNX1 negatively regulated miR-429 expression by binding to its promoter. Our results also revealed that the RUNX1/miR-429 feedback loop regulated ITGB1 expression and that RUNX1 overexpression rescued the inhibitory effects of miR-429 mimic on OSCC cells. In addition, miR-429 mimic significantly suppressed tumor growth, inflammatory cell infiltration, EMT, and ITGB1 expression in vivo, which were inhibited by RUNX1 overexpression. Altogether, these results indicate that the RUNX1/miR-429 feedback loop promoted growth, metastasis, and EMT in OSCC by targeting ITGB1.

Integrating bioinformatic analysis and detailed experiments reveal an EMT-related biomarker for clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with early recurrence and a poor prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Studies have shown that EMT-related genes play an important regulatory role in tumor invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance, but the biological functions of EMT-related genes in ccRCC have not been specifically described.

METHODS

The mRNA and clinicopathological data of 532 ccRCC and 72 normal samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas as a training set. The gene expression matrix and survival data of 91 and 101 ccRCC samples were obtained from the International Cancer Genome Consortium and the ArrayExpress databases as validation sets, respectively. Univariate Cox analysis was used to identify and cluster prognostic genes, and multivariate Cox was performed to construct a prognostic signature. Moreover, CIBERSORT and CellMiner were used to assess immune cell infiltration and prognostic gene-drug sensitivity of the signature, respectively. Most importantly, we performed detailed experiments to verify the oncogenic function of a significant gene, OLFML2B, in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

We constructed a prognostic signature including seven genes and divided patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. The prognosis of the high-risk group was significantly worse than that of the low-risk group through Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Interestingly, significant differences were observed in clinical characteristics and immune cell infiltration between the two groups. In addition, a significant correlation was found between the expression of prognostic genes and the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutics. Most importantly, OLFML2B was proved to contribute to the proliferation and metastasis of ccRCC through detailed functional experiments in vitro and in vivo, and its prognostic efficacy for ccRCC patients was affirmed.

CONCLUSION

We identified the prognostic signature of seven genes based on EMT-related genes as prognostic biomarkers for ccRCC. Besides, OLFML2B was validated as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for ccRCC by our detailed experiments.

Circ_DLEU2 knockdown represses cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induces cell apoptosis through the miR-582-5p/COX2 pathway in acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant hematological neoplasm in adults. Researche indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play paramount roles in the pathological process of AML. In this study, the role of circ_DLEU2 (circ_0000488) in AML is revealed.

METHODS

The expression of circ_DLEU2, microRNA-582-5p (miR-582-5p) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Protein expression was detected by western blot. Cell proliferation was investigated by cell cycle, 5-Ethynyl-29-deoxyuridine and 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assays. Cell apoptosis was elucidated by apoptosis analysis assay. The targeting relationship between miR-582-5p and circ_DLEU2 or COX2 was predicted by the starbase online database, and identified by a dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

Circ_DLEU2 and COX2 expression were substantially up-regulated, while miR-582-5p was down-regulated in AML marrow samples and cells compared with control groups. Circ_DLEU2 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, whereas it induced cell arrest at G0/G1 phase and cell apoptosis in AML; however, these effects were attenuated by miR-582-5p inhibitor. Additionally, circ_DLEU2 was associated with miR-582-5p, and miR-582-5p bound to COX2 in AML cells. Also, we found that circ_DLEU2 regulated COX2 expression by interacting with miR-582-5p.

CONCLUSION

Circ_DLEU2 silencing hindered AML malignant progression via downregulating COX2 through sponging miR-582-5p. Our finding provides a theoretical basis for studying circRNA-directed therapy of AML.

miR-582-5p targets Skp1 and regulates NF-κB signaling-mediated inflammation

A well-tuned inflammatory response is crucial for an effective immune process. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is a key mediator of inflammatory and innate immunity responses, and its dysregulation is closely associated with immune-related diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important inflammation modulators. However, miRNA-regulated mechanisms that implicate NF-κB activity are not fully understood. This study aimed to identify a potential miRNA that could modulate the dysregulated NF-κB signaling during inflammation. We identified miR-582-5p that was significantly downregulated in inflamed murine adipose tissues and RAW264.7 cells. S-phase kinase-associated protein 1 (SKP1), a core component of an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates the NF-κB pathway, was proposed as a biological target of miR-582-5p by using TargetScan. The binding of miR-582-5p to a 3'-untranslated region site on Skp1 was confirmed using a dual-luciferase reporter assay; in addition, transfection with a miR-582-5p mimic suppressed SKP1 expression in RAW264.7 cells. Importantly, exogenous miR-582-5p attenuated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-6 through suppressing the degradation of the NF-κB inhibitor alpha, followed by the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Therefore, exogenously applied miR-582-5p can attenuate the NF-κB signaling pathway via targeting Skp1; this provides a prospective therapeutic strategy for treating inflammatory and immune diseases.

MicroRNA-582-5p targeting Creb1 modulates apoptosis in cardiomyocytes hypoxia/reperfusion-induced injury

BACKGROUND

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) caused by the reperfusion therapy of myocardial ischemic diseases is a kind of major disease that threatens human health and lives severely. There are lacking of effective therapeutic measures for MIRI. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are abundant in mammalian species and play a critical role in the initiation, promotion, and progression of MIRI. However, the biological role and molecular mechanism of miRNAs in MIRI are not entirely clear.

METHODS

We used bioinformatics analysis to uncover the significantly different miRNA by analyzing transcriptome sequencing data from myocardial tissue in the mouse MIRI model. Multiple miRNA-related databases, including miRdb, PicTar, and TargetScan were used to forecast the downstream target genes of the differentially expressed miRNA. Then, the experimental models, including male C57BL/6J mice and HL-1 cell line, were used for subsequent experiments including quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, western blot analysis, hematoxylin and eosin staining, flow cytometry, luciferase assay, gene interference, and overexpression.

RESULTS

MiR-582-5p was found to be differentially upregulated from the transcriptome sequencing data. The elevated levels of miR-582-5p were verified in MIRI mice and hypoxia/reperfusion (H/R)-induced HL-1 cells. Functional experiments revealed that miR-582-5p promoted apoptosis of H/R-induced HL-1 cells via downregulating cAMP-response element-binding protein 1 (Creb1). The inhibiting action of miR-582-5p inhibitor on H/R-induced apoptosis was partially reversed after Creb1 interference.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, the research findings reported that upregulation of miR-582-5p promoted H/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by inhibiting Creb1. The potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting miR-582-5p and Creb1 could be beneficial for the MIRI treatment.

MiR-29b-3p Inhibits Migration and Invasion of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma by Downregulating COL1A1 and COL5A1

Introduction

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNA molecules that regulate genetic expression and are also vital for tumor initiation and development. MiR-29b-3p was found to be involved in regulating various biological processes of tumors, including tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis inhibition; however, the biofunction and molecule-level mechanisms of miR-29b-3p inpapillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remain unclear.

Methods

The expression of miR-29b-3p in PTC samples was tested via qRT-PCR. Cellular proliferation was analyzed by CCK-8 and EdU assays, and cellular migratory and invasive abilities were assessed utilizing wound-healing and Transwell assays. In addition, protein expressions of COL1A1, COL5A1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Snail, and Vimentin were identified via Western blot (WB) assay. Bioinformatics, qRT-PCR, WB, and dual luciferase reporter assays were completed to identify whether miR-29b-3p targeted COL1A1 and COL5A1. In addition, our team explored the treatment effects of miR-29b-3p on a murine heterograft model.

Results

Our findings revealed that miR-29b-3p proved much more regulated downward in PTC tissue specimens than in adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Meanwhile, decreased expression of miR-29b-3p was strongly related to the TNM stage of PTC patients (p<0.001), while overexpression of miR-29b-3p in PTC cells suppressed cellular migration, invasion, proliferation, and EMT. Conversely, silencing miR-29b-3p yielded the opposite effect. COL1A1 and COL5A1 were affirmed as the target of miR-29b-3p. Additionally, the COL1A1 and COL5A1 were highly expressed in PTC tumor samples than in contrast to neighboring healthy samples. Functional assays revealed that overexpression of COL1A1 or COL5A1 reversed the suppressive role of miR-29b-3p in migration, invasion, and EMT of PTC cells. Finally, miR-29b-3p agomir treatment dramatically inhibited Xenograft tumor growth in the animal model.

Conclusions

These findings document that miR-29b-3p inhibited PTC cells invasion and metastasis by targeting COL1A1 and COL5A1; this study also sparks new ideas for risk assessment and miRNA replacement therapy in PTC.

LINC01232 serves as a novel biomarker and promotes tumour progression by sponging miR-204-5p and upregulating RAB22A in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the progression of various cancers, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). This study aimed to investigate the expression and prognostic value of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA (LINC) 01232 in ccRCC and preliminary explore the molecular mechanism underlying the role of LINC01232 in ccRCC progression.

METHODS

Tumour tissues and adjacent normal tissues of 122 patients with ccRCC were collected in this study. The levels of LINC01232, microRNA (miR)-204-5p and RAB22A were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. The proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC cells were detected by cell counting kit-8 assay and Transwell assay, respectively. The interaction among LINC01232, miR-204-5p and RAB22A was confirmed by bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay and Pearson correlation analysis. The association of LINC01232 and miR-204-5p with ccRCC patient survival was verified by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. The prognostic value of LINC01232 in ccRCC was confirmed by Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

LINC01232 expression was increased in ccRCC tumour tissues and ccRCC cells and independently predicted the prognosis of ccRCC patients. In addition, LINC01232 silencing inhibited ccRCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, LINC01232 served as a sponge for miR-204-5p, and miR-204-5p reduction reversed the inhibitory effect of LINC01232 silencing on ccRCC cell function. Furthermore, LINC01232 could sponge miR-204-5p, causing the elevation of RAB22A in ccRCC, thereby promoting ccRCC cell function.

CONCLUSION

LINC01232 may be an independent prognostic biomarker in ccRCC and plays an oncogenic role in ccRCC progression by sponging miR-204-5p and upregulating RAB22A.