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Sonnemann HM, Pazdrak B, Nassif B, Sun Y, Elzohary L, Talukder AH, Katailiha AS, Bhat K, Lizée G. Placental co-transcriptional activator Vestigial-like 1 (VGLL1) drives tumorigenesis via increasing transcription of proliferation and invasion genes. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1403052. [PMID: 38912065 PMCID: PMC11190739 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1403052] [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: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Vestigial-like 1 (VGLL1) is a co-transcriptional activator that binds to TEA domain-containing transcription factors (TEADs). Its expression is upregulated in a variety of aggressive cancer types, including pancreatic and basal-like breast cancer, and increased transcription of VGLL1 is strongly correlated with poor prognosis and decreased overall patient survival. In normal tissues, VGLL1 is most highly expressed within placental trophoblast cells, which share the common attributes of rapid cellular proliferation and invasion with tumor cells. The impact of VGLL1 in cancer has not been fully elucidated and no VGLL1-targeted therapy currently exists. Methods The aim of this study was to evaluate the cellular function and downstream genomic targets of VGLL1 in placental, pancreatic, and breast cancer cells. Functional assays were employed to assess the role of VGLL1 in cellular invasion and proliferation, and ChIP-seq and RNAseq assays were performed to identify VGLL1 target genes and potential impact using pathway analysis. Results ChIP-seq analysis identified eight transcription factors with a VGLL1-binding motif that were common between all three cell types, including TEAD1-4, AP-1, and GATA6, and revealed ~3,000 shared genes with which VGLL1 interacts. Furthermore, increased VGLL1 expression led to an enhancement of cell invasion and proliferation, which was supported by RNAseq analysis showing transcriptional changes in several genes known to be involved in these processes. Discussion This work expands our mechanistic understanding of VGLL1 function in tumor cells and provides a strong rationale for developing VGLL1-targeted therapies for treating cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M. Sonnemann
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Barbara Pazdrak
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Barbara Nassif
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Yimo Sun
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lama Elzohary
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Amjad H. Talukder
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Arjun S. Katailiha
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Krishna Bhat
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Gregory Lizée
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Immunology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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Zhou J, Zhou Y, Wei XF, Fan L, Gao X, Li Y, Wu Y, Feng W, Shen X, Liu L, Xu G, Zhang Z. TRIM6 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 proliferation by catalyzing the K29-typed ubiquitination of NP to enhance the ability to bind viral genomes. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29531. [PMID: 38515377 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29531] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The Nucleocapsid Protein (NP) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is not only the core structural protein required for viral packaging, but also participates in the regulation of viral replication, and its post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation have been shown to be an important strategy for regulating virus proliferation. Our previous work identified NP could be ubiquitinated, as confirmed by two independent studies. But the function of NP ubiquitination is currently unknown. In this study, we first pinpointed TRIM6 as the E3 ubiquitin ligase responsible for NP ubiquitination, binding to NP's CTD via its RING and B-box-CCD domains. TRIM6 promotes the K29-typed polyubiquitination of NP at K102, K347, and K361 residues, increasing its binding to viral genomic RNA. Consistently, functional experiments such as the use of the reverse genetic tool trVLP model and gene knockout of TRIM6 further confirmed that blocking the ubiquitination of NP by TRIM6 significantly inhibited the proliferation of SARS-CoV-2. Notably, the NP of coronavirus is relatively conserved, and the NP of SARS-CoV can also be ubiquitinated by TRIM6, indicating that NP could be a broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus target. These findings shed light on the intricate interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and the host, potentially opening new opportunities for COVID-19 therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yuzheng Zhou
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xia-Fei Wei
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Lujie Fan
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yunfei Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yezi Wu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wei Feng
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - XiaoTong Shen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Lei Liu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Gang Xu
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
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ZHANG Y, YUAN L, CUI S, WU S. Tripartite motif protein 6 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via multiple pathways. Turk J Med Sci 2023; 53:1032-1044. [PMID: 38813007 PMCID: PMC10763761 DOI: 10.55730/1300-0144.5668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Background/aim Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. The TRIM (tripartite motif-containing) protein family members had been reported to be involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Here we aimed to explore the expression profile of TRIM6 in HCC and investigate its clinical significance as well as underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods We retrospectively enrolled 138 HCC patients that underwent surgical resection in our hospital and tested protein expression level of TRIM6 through immunohistochemical staining. The correlation between TRIM6 and patients' characteristics was assessed by Chi-square test. Log-rank test and Cox hazard regression test were conducted for univariate and multivariate survival analyses, respectively. Two human HCC cell lines, Huh7 and Hep3B, were subjected for knockdown and overexpression assays, followed by phonotype tests including proliferation and invasion. Nude mice were used to generate xenograft model to validate our findings in vivo. Results TRIM6 was highly expressed in HCC specimen compared to nontumorous liver tissues. Higher TRIM6 expression was correlated with larger tumor size, later tumor stage, and worse prognosis. According to the cellular experiments, TRIM6-knockdown resulted in decreased expression of cyclin B1, c-Myc, Snail, MMP2, and VEGF-A. Consistently, TRIM6-knockdown led to impaired HCC proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. In contrast, TRIM6 overexpression showed opposite effects. Finally, the oncogenic role of TRIM6 in HCC was validated by in vivo mice experiments. Conclusion TRIM6 can serve as a novel prognostic factor for HCC, which functions by multiple signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng ZHANG
- Division of Digestive System, Department of Internal Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Tai’an,
China
| | - Lin YUAN
- Division of Digestive System, Department of Internal Medicine, The 960th Hospital of PLA, Tai’an,
China
| | - Shanshan CUI
- Division of Digestive System, Department of Internal Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Tai’an, Tai’an,
China
| | - Song WU
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Tai’an,
China
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Chi B, Zheng Y, Xie F, Fu W, Wang X, Gu J, Yang J, Yin J, Cai L, Tang P, Li J, Guo S, Wang H. Increased expression of miR-194-5p through the circPVRL3/miR-194-5p/SOCS2 axis promotes proliferation and metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:415. [PMID: 36539807 PMCID: PMC9764499 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02835-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as an indispensable type of non-coding RNA (ncRNA), participate in diverse biological processes. However, the specific regulatory mechanism of certain miRNAs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. METHODS The expression of miR-194-5p in PDAC tissue microarray and cell lines were detected by RNA-scope and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The function of proliferation and migration carried by miR-194-5p in vitro and vivo was observed by several functional experiments. Informatics methods and RNA sequencing data were applied to explore the target of miR-194-5p and the upstream circular RNA (circRNA) of miR-194-5p. RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed the relationships between miR-194-5p and SOCS2 or miR-194-5p and circPVRL3. The proliferation and migration abilities of SOCS2 and circPVRL3 were accessed by rescue experiments. RESULTS In this study, we aimed to clarify the molecular mechanisms of miR-194-5p, which has critical roles during PDAC progression. We found that the expression of miR-194-5p was significantly upregulated in PDAC tissue compared to tumor-adjacent tissue and was highly related to age and nerve invasion according to RNAscope and RT‒qPCR. Overexpression of miR-194-5p accelerated the cell cycle and enhanced the proliferation and migration processes according to several functional experiments in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, circPVRL3, miR-194-5p, and SOCS2 were confirmed to work as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) according to informatics methods, RIP, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Additionally, the rescue experiments confirmed the relationship among miR-194-5p, circPVRL3, and SOCS2 mRNA. Finally, the circPVRL3/miR-194-5p/SOCS2 axis activates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to regulate the proliferation and metastasis of PDAC. CONCLUSION Our findings indicated that an increase of miR-194-5p caused by circPVRL3 downregulation stimulates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to promote PDAC progression via the circPVRL3/miR-194-5p/SOCS2 axis, which suggests that the circPVRL3/miR-194-5p/SOCS2 axis may be a potential therapeutic target for PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bojing Chi
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 People’s Republic of China ,Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yao Zheng
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Intelligent Medicine Engineering for Hepatopancreatobiliary Diseases, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China
| | - Fuming Xie
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen Fu
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xianxing Wang
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Intelligent Medicine Engineering for Hepatopancreatobiliary Diseases, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianyou Gu
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiali Yang
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Intelligent Medicine Engineering for Hepatopancreatobiliary Diseases, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingyang Yin
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Cai
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China
| | - Peng Tang
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianbo Li
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China
| | - Shixiang Guo
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Intelligent Medicine Engineering for Hepatopancreatobiliary Diseases, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China
| | - Huaizhi Wang
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Intelligent Medicine Engineering for Hepatopancreatobiliary Diseases, Chongqing, 401147 People’s Republic of China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 People’s Republic of China
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Identification of Ubiquitin-Related Gene-Pair Signatures for Predicting Tumor Microenvironment Infiltration and Drug Sensitivity of Lung Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143478. [PMID: 35884544 PMCID: PMC9317993 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has a high mortality and incidence rate. The therapeutic efficacy of LUAD varies with the individual heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment (TME). It is necessary to explore more biomarkers and targets to improve the prognosis of patients. Ubiquitination pathways are involved in the biological process of regulating the anti-tumor immunity of immune cells and immunosuppression of tumor cells in the TME of patients. In this study, we clarified the characteristics of ubiquitin-related gene pairs (UbRGPs) and identified the relationship between the status of the TME and UbRGPs of patients with LUAD. A prognostic signature based on six UbRGPs was established, which performed well in predicting the immune infiltration and tumor mutation burden (TMB) in the TME and the response of LUAD to immuno-, chemo-, and targeted therapy. In conclusion, the UbRGPs signature is an independent prognostic indicator and has great potential in assisting the clinical therapy for patients with LUAD. Abstract Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a common pathological type of lung cancer worldwide, and new biomarkers are urgently required to guide more effective individualized therapy for patients. Ubiquitin-related genes (UbRGs) partially participate in the initiation and progression of lung cancer. In this study, we used ubiquitin-related gene pairs (UbRGPs) in tumor tissues to access the function of UbRGs in overall survival, immunocyte infiltration, and tumor mutation burden (TMB) of patients with LUAD from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In addition, we constructed a prognostic signature based on six UbRGPs and evaluated its performance in an internal (TCGA testing set) and an external validation set (GSE13213). The prognostic signature revealed that risk scores were negatively correlated with the overall survival, immunocyte infiltration, and expression of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related genes and positively correlated with the TMB. Patients in the high-risk group showed higher sensitivity to partially targeted and chemotherapeutic drugs than those in the low-risk group. This study contributes to the understanding of the characteristics of UbRGPs in LUAD and provides guidance for effective immuno-, chemo-, and targeted therapy.
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