Zona Pellucida Protein 2 (ZP2) Is Expressed in Colon Cancer and Promotes Cell Proliferation

Novel ectopic expression of zona pellucida 3 glycoprotein in lung cancer promotes tumor growth

Zona pellucida 3 (ZP3) expression is classically found in the ZP-layer of the oocytes, lately shown in ovarian and prostate cancer. A successful ZP3 ovarian cancer immunotherapy in transgenic mice suggested its use as an attractive therapeutic target. The biological role of ZP3 in cancer growth and progression is still unknown. We found that ~88% of the analyzed adenocarcinoma, squamous and small cell lung carcinomas to express ZP3. Knockout of ZP3 in a ZP3-expressing lung adenocarcinoma cell line, significantly decreased cell viability, proliferation, and migration rates in vitro. Zona pellucida 3 knock out (ZP3-KO) cell tumors inoculated in vivo in immunodeficient non-obese diabetic, severe combined immunodeficient mice showed significant inhibition of tumor growth and mitigation of the malignant phenotype. RNA sequencing revealed the deregulation of cell migration/adhesion signaling pathways in ZP3-KO cells. This novel functional relevance of ZP3 in lung cancer emphasized the suitability of ZP3 as a target in cancer immunotherapy and as a potential cancer biomarker.

Effects of histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors on proliferative, differentiative, and regenerative functions of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2)-stimulated human dental pulp cells (hDPCs)

OBJECTIVES

This in vitro study aimed to modify TLR-2-mediated effects on the paracrine, proliferative, and differentiation potentials of human dental pulp-derived cells using histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cell viability was assessed using the XTT assay. Cells were either treated with 10 μg/ml Pam3CSK4 only, or pre-treated with valproic acid (VPA) (3 mM), trichostatin A (TSA) (3 μM), and MG-149 (3 μM) for a total of 4 h and 24 h. Control groups included unstimulated cells and cells incubated with inhibitors solvents only. Transcript levels for NANOG, OCT3-4, FGF-1 and 2, NGF, VEGF, COL-1A1, TLR-2, hβD-2 and 3, BMP-2, DSPP, and ALP were assessed through qPCR.

RESULTS

After 24 h, TSA pre-treatment significantly upregulated the defensins and maintained the elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, but significantly reduced healing and differentiation genes. VPA significantly upregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, while MG-149 significantly downregulated them. Pluripotency genes were not significantly affected by any regimen.

CONCLUSIONS

At the attempted concentrations, TSA upregulated the defensins gene expression levels, and MG-149 exerted a remarkable anti-inflammatory effect; therefore, they could favorably impact the immunological profile of hDPCs.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Targeting hDPC nuclear function could be a promising option in the scope of the biological management of inflammatory pulp diseases.

Intracellular fraction of zona pellucida protein 3 is required for the oocyte-to-embryo transition in mice

In oocyte biology, the zona pellucida has long been known to operate three extracellular functions downstream of the secretory pathway, namely, encasing the oocytes in ovarian follicles, mediating sperm-oocyte interaction, and preventing premature embryo contact with oviductal epithelium. The present study uncovers a fourth function that is fundamentally distinct from the other three, being critical for embryonic cell survival in mice. Intriguingly, the three proteins of the mouse zona pellucida (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3) were found abundantly present also inside the embryo 4 days after fertilization, as shown by mass spectrometry, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence. Contrary to current understanding of the roles of ZP proteins, ZP3 was associated more with the cytoskeleton than with secretory vesicles in the subcortical region of metaphase II oocytes and zygotes, and was excluded from regions of cell-cell contact in cleavage-stage embryos. Trim-away-mediated knockdown of ZP3 in fertilized oocytes hampered the first zygotic cleavage, while ZP3 overexpression supported blastocyst formation. Transcriptome analysis of ZP3-knockdown embryos pointed at defects of cytoplasmic translation in the context of embryonic genome activation. This conclusion was supported by reduced protein synthesis in the ZP3-knockdown and by the lack of cleavage arrest when Trim-away was postponed from the one-cell to the late two-cell stage. These data place constraints on the notion that zona proteins only operate in the extracellular space, revealing also a role during the oocyte-to-embryo transition. Ultimately, these data recruit ZP3 into the family of maternal factors that contribute to developmental competence of mouse oocytes.

Novel Heterozygous Mutations in ZP2 Cause Abnormal Zona Pellucida and Female Infertility

Zona pellucida (ZP) which is an extracellular matrix consisting of ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4 plays a vital role in oocyte maturity, early embryonic development, and fertilization process. Any alterations of structure or function may lead to the abnormal formation of ZP and female infertility. Two novel heterozygous mutations c.1859G > A (p.Cys620Tyr) and c.1421 T > C (p.Leu474Pro) in ZP2 gene were recognized in three patients from two unrelated families with abnormal ZP and female infertility in this study. The expression constructs carrying wild-type ZP2 gene, c.1859G > A (p.Cys620Tyr) mutant ZP2 gene, and c.1421 T > C (p.Leu474Pro) mutant ZP2 gene were transfected into CHO cells respectively. There was a remarkable decrease in the expression of p.Cys620Tyr mutant protein with western blot. In addition, secretion of p.Leu474Pro mutant protein in the culture medium reduced markedly compared with that of wild-type ZP2 protein. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation showed that the p.Leu474Pro mutation affected the interaction between ZP2 and ZP3. Prediction of three-dimensional (3D) structure of the proteins showed that p.Cys620Tyr mutation altered the disulfide bond of ZP2 protein and may affect its function. These findings extend the ranges of mutations of ZP2 gene. Meanwhile, it will be helpful to the precise diagnosis of abnormal ZP.

Multiomics Integrated Analysis Identifies SLC24A2 as a Potential Link between Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer

Background

So far, type 2 diabetes (T2D) is considered as an independent risk factor for various cancers, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Methods. SLC24A2 was first identified as a key gene strongly associated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG). Then, overlapped differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between T2D verse control and SLC24A2-high verse SLC24A2-low were extracted and imported into weighted correlation network analysis. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and gene set enrichment analysis were used for functional enrichment analysis of DEGs. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was utilized to build a T2D prediction model. Timer and K-M plotters were employed to find the expression and prognosis of SLC24A2 in pan cancer.

Results

Interestingly, both DEGs between T2D verse control and SLC24A2-high verse SLC24A2-low enriched in cancer-related pathways. Moreover, a total of 3719 overlapped DEGs were divided into 8 functional modules. Grey module negatively correlated with T2D and FPG and was markedly involved in ribosome biogenesis. Ten SLC24A2-related genes (RRP36, RPF1, GRWD1, FBL, EXOSC5, BCCIP, UTP14A, TWISTNB, TBL3, and SKIV2L) were identified as hub genes, based on which the LASSO model accurately predicts the occurrence of T2D (AUC = 0.841). In addition, SLC24A2 was only expressed in islet β cells and showed abnormal expression in 17 kinds of cancers and significantly correlated with the prognosis of 10 kinds of cancers.

Conclusion

Taken together, SLC24A2 may link T2D and cancer by influencing the ribosome function of islet β cells and play different prognostic roles in different cancers.

Neoexpression of JUNO in Oral Tumors Is Accompanied with the Complete Suppression of Four Other Genes and Suggests the Application of New Biomarker Tools

Background. Our study describes the neoexpression (Juno) and suppression (catsperD, dysferlin, Fer1L5 and otoferlin) of selected genes in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). As the expression pattern of these genes allows a “yes” or “no” statement by exhibiting an inverse expression pattern in malignant versus benign tissues, they represent potential biomarkers for the characterization of oral malignancies, particularly OSCCs. Methods. Differential expression analyses of selected genes of interest were examined by quantitative PCR of oral cancer tissues compared to normal. Results. Five candidates out of initially nine genes were examined, demonstrating Juno as a putative new tumor marker selectively expressed in OSCCs. Interestingly, the expression of four other genes in benign tissues was completely repressed in tumor tissues with a specificity and sensitivity of 100%. No correlation was observed regarding patients’ sex, tumor staging and grading, and tumor site. Conclusion. The present study shows novel candidates that might be useful tools for oral cancer diagnosis. The neoexpression of Juno in cancerous tissues makes it a promising target molecule regarding its potential in diagnosis as well a therapeutic tool. Moreover, our observations suggest that also the repression of gene expression can be used for diagnosing—at least—OSCCs.