Mitochondrial Dysfunctions in Type I Endometrial Carcinoma: Exploring Their Role in Oncogenesis and Tumor Progression

TEFM facilitates uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma progression by activating ROS-NFκB pathway

BACKGROUND

Mitochondrial transcription elongation factor (TEFM) is a recently discovered factor involved in mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription. Previous studies have reported that abnormal TEFM expression can disrupt the assembly of mitochondrial respiratory chain and thus mitochondrial function. However, the role of TEFM on Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) progression remains unclear. The present study aims to investigate the expression of TEFM in tumor tissue of UCEC and the effect of abnormal TEFM expression on malignant phenotype of UCEC cells.

METHODS

The expressions of TEFM were measured in tumor tissues and cell lines of UCEC by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and real-time quantitative PCR assays. Besides, the effects of TEFM knockdown or overexpression on UCEC cell growth, metastasis, apoptosis, and autophagy were also determined using EdU, colony formation, flow cytometry, TUNEL, and transmission electron microscopy assays. Xenograft model was used to confirm the role of TEFM on proliferative potential of UECE cells in vivo.

RESULTS

Our bioinformatics analysis of CPTAC data showed that TEFM is abnormally overexpressed in UCEC and its upregulation was significantly associated with poor survival of patients with UCEC. We found that TEFM upregulation significantly promoted the growth and metastasis of UCEC cells. Mechanically, TEFM upregulation impaired the function of mitochondria, decreased their membrane potential and activated the AKT-NFκB pathway by promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, leading to enhanced intracellular autophagy and thus UCEC growth and metastasis.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that TEFM positively regulates autophagy to promote the growth and metastasis of UCEC cells, which provides a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for the treatment of UCEC.

Mitophagy in gynecological malignancies: roles, advances, and therapeutic potential

Mitophagy is a process in which impaired or dysfunctional mitochondria are selectively eliminated through the autophagy mechanism to maintain mitochondrial quality control and cellular homeostasis. Based on specific target signals, several mitophagy processes have been identified. Defects in mitophagy are associated with various pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer. Mitophagy has been shown to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of gynecological malignancies and the development of drug resistance. In this review, we have summarized and discussed the role and recent advances in understanding the therapeutic potential of mitophagy in the development of gynecological malignancies. Therefore, the valuable insights provided in this review may serve as a basis for further studies that contribute to the development of novel treatment strategies and improved patient outcomes.

Mitophagy Unveiled: Exploring the Nexus of Mitochondrial Health and Neuroendocrinopathy

Mitochondria play a pivotal role in cellular metabolism, energy production, and apoptotic signaling, making mitophagy, the selective degradation of damaged mitochondria, crucial for mitochondrial health. Dysregulation of mitophagy has been implicated in various neuroendocrinopathies, yet the mechanisms linking these processes remain poorly understood. This review aims to explore the intersection between mitophagy and neuroendocrinopathy, addressing the critical gaps in knowledge regarding how mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to the pathophysiology of neuroendocrine disorders. We conducted a comprehensive literature review of studies published on mitophagy and neuroendocrinopathies, focusing on data that elucidate the pathways involved and the clinical implications of mitochondrial health in neuroendocrine contexts. Our findings indicate that altered mitophagy may lead to the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, contributing to neuroendocrine dysregulation. We present evidence linking impaired mitochondrial clearance to disease models of conditions such as metabolic syndrome, depression, and stress-related disorders, highlighting the potential for therapeutic interventions targeting mitophagy. While significant advances have been made in understanding mitochondrial biology, the direct interplay between mitophagy and neuroendocrinopathies remains underexplored. This review underscores the necessity for further research to elucidate these connections, which may offer novel insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for treating maladaptive neuroendocrine responses.

Our current understanding of the biological impact of endometrial cancer mtDNA genome mutations and their potential use as a biomarker

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a devastating and common disease affecting women's health. The NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program predicted that there would be >66,000 new cases in the United States and >13,000 deaths from EC in 2023, and EC is the sixth most common cancer among women worldwide. Regulation of mitochondrial metabolism plays a role in tumorigenesis. In proliferating cancer cells, mitochondria provide the necessary building blocks for biosynthesis of amino acids, lipids, nucleotides, and glucose. One mechanism causing altered mitochondrial activity is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation. The polyploid human mtDNA genome is a circular double-stranded molecule essential to vertebrate life that harbors genes critical for oxidative phosphorylation plus mitochondrial-derived peptide genes. Cancer cells display aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect, which arises from the needs of fast-dividing cells and is characterized by increased glucose uptake and conversion of glucose to lactate. Solid tumors often contain at least one mtDNA substitution. Furthermore, it is common for cancer cells to harbor mixtures of wild-type and mutant mtDNA genotypes, known as heteroplasmy. Considering the increase in cancer cell energy demand, the presence of functionally relevant carcinogenesis-inducing or environment-adapting mtDNA mutations in cancer seems plausible. We review 279 EC tumor-specific mtDNA single nucleotide variants from 111 individuals from different studies. Many transition mutations indicative of error-prone DNA polymerase γ replication and C to U deamination events were present. We examine the spectrum of mutations and their heteroplasmy and discuss the potential biological impact of recurrent, non-synonymous, insertion, and deletion mutations. Lastly, we explore current EC treatments, exploiting cancer cell mitochondria for therapy and the prospect of using mtDNA variants as an EC biomarker.

Mitochondria transcription and cancer

Mitochondria are major organelles involved in several processes related to energy supply, metabolism, and cell proliferation. The mitochondria function is transcriptionally regulated by mitochondria DNA (mtDNA), which encodes the key proteins in the electron transport chain that is indispensable for oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Mitochondrial transcriptional abnormalities are closely related to a variety of human diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. The mitochondria transcription is regulated by the mtDNA, mitochondrial RNA polymerase (POLRMT), two transcription factors (TFAM and TF2BM), one transcription elongation (TEFM), and one known transcription termination factor (mTERFs). Dysregulation of these factors directly leads to altered expression of mtDNA in tumor cells, resulting in cellular metabolic reprogramming and mitochondrial dysfunction. This dysregulation plays a role in modulating tumor progression. Therefore, understanding the role of mitochondrial transcription in cancer can have implications for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Targeting mitochondrial transcription or related pathways may provide potential therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Additionally, assessing mitochondrial transcriptional profiles or biomarkers in cancer cells or patient samples may offer diagnostic or prognostic information.

Roles of estrogen receptor α in endometrial carcinoma (Review)

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a group of endometrial epithelial malignancies, most of which are adenocarcinomas and occur in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. It is one of the most common carcinomas of the female reproductive system. It has been shown that the occurrence and development of EC is closely associated with the interaction between estrogen (estradiol, E2) and estrogen receptors (ERs), particularly ERα. As a key nuclear transcription factor, ERα is a carcinogenic factor in EC. Its interactions with upstream and downstream effectors and co-regulators have important implications for the proliferation, metastasis, invasion and inhibition of apoptosis of EC. In the present review, the structure of ERα and the regulation of ERα in multiple dimensions are described. In addition, the classical E2/ERα signaling pathway and the crosstalk between ERα and other EC regulators are elucidated, as well as the therapeutic targeting of ERα, which may provide a new direction for clinical applications of ERα in the future.

The contribution of mitochondrial DNA alterations to aging, cancer, and neurodegeneration

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is as a double-stranded molecule existing in hundreds to thousands copies in cells depending on cell metabolism and exposure to endogenous and/or environmental stressors. The coordination of mtDNA replication and transcription regulates the pace of mitochondrial biogenesis to guarantee the minimum number of organelles per cell. mtDNA inheritance follows a maternal lineage, although bi-parental inheritance has been reported in some species and in the case of mitochondrial diseases in humans. mtDNA mutations (e.g., point mutations, deletions, copy number variations) have been identified in the setting of several human diseases. For instance, sporadic and inherited rare disorders involving the nervous system as well higher risk of developing cancer and neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, have been associated with polymorphic mtDNA variants. An accrual of mtDNA mutations has also been identified in several tissues and organs, including heart and muscle, of old experimental animals and humans, which may contribute to the development of aging phenotypes. The role played by mtDNA homeostasis and mtDNA quality control pathways in human health is actively investigated for the possibility of developing targeted therapeutics for a wide range of conditions.

Novel insights into tumorigenesis and prognosis of endometrial cancer through systematic investigation and validation on mitophagy-related signature

In-depth studies on the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer (EC) are critical because of the increasing global incidence of EC. Mitophagy, a mitochondrial quality control process, plays an important role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. This study aimed to develop a novel mitophagy-based signature to predict the tumorigenesis and prognosis of EC. Data was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, and 29 mitophagy-related genes were downloaded from the Pathway Unification Database. EC patients were classified into two risk groups based on the two-key- gene signature, TOMM40 and MFN1, which were constructed using Cox regression analysis. A better prognosis was noted in the low-risk group. The model was validated for four aspects: clinical features, mutation status, clinical therapeutic response, and immune cell infiltration status. Moreover, according to the contribution to the risk model, TOMM40 was selected for further in vitro experiments. The silencing of TOMM40 inhibited mitochondrial degradation; suppressed cell proliferation; induced cell apoptosis and G1 phase cell cycle arrest; inhibited migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition; and suppressed cell stemness. In conclusion, the mitophagy-related risk score provides a novel perspective for survival and drug selection during the individual treatment of EC patients. TOMM40 serves as an oncogene in EC and promotes tumor progression via a mitophagy-related pathway. Thus, TOMM40 is a potential therapeutic target in EC.

The Role of Genetic Mutations in Mitochondrial-Driven Cancer Growth in Selected Tumors: Breast and Gynecological Malignancies

There is an increasing understanding of the molecular and cytogenetic background of various tumors that helps us better conceptualize the pathogenesis of specific diseases. Additionally, in many cases, these molecular and cytogenetic alterations have diagnostic, prognostic, and/or therapeutic applications that are heavily used in clinical practice. Given that there is always room for improvement in cancer treatments and in cancer patient management, it is important to discover new therapeutic targets for affected individuals. In this review, we discuss mitochondrial changes in breast and gynecological (endometrial and ovarian) cancers. In addition, we review how the frequently altered genes in these diseases (BRCA1/2, HER2, PTEN, PIK3CA, CTNNB1, RAS, CTNNB1, FGFR, TP53, ARID1A, and TERT) affect the mitochondria, highlighting the possible associated individual therapeutic targets. With this approach, drugs targeting mitochondrial glucose or fatty acid metabolism, reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial biogenesis, mtDNA transcription, mitophagy, or cell death pathways could provide further tailored treatment.

Knockdown of NDUFC1 inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit C1(NDUFC1) encodes a subunit of the Complex I, which may support the structural stability of Complex I and assist in its biogenesis. The expression and functional roles of NDUFC1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown.

Result

We knocked down the expression of NDUFC1 in HCC cell lines to explore the effects of NDUFC1 downregulation on HCC in vitro. MTT assay determined that downregulation of NDUFC1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation. Flow cytometry with (propidium iodide) PI staining indicated silencing of NDUFC1 arrested cell cycle of BEL-7404 cells at G2 phase and SK-HEP-1 cells at S/G2 phase. Annexin V-PI double staining and flow cytometric analysis showed that the downregulation of NDUFC1 significantly increased the population of apoptotic cells. Wound-healing assay and transwell assay indicated that the downregulation of NDUFC1 suppressed the migration and invasion of HCC cells. According to the detection of complex1 activity, we found that the activity of NDUFC1 silenced group decreased, whereas the content of ROS increased. Furthermore, combined with bioinformatics analysis of senescence-related genes, we found that the silence of NDUFC1 in HCC could induce senescence and inhibit autophagy. In addition, NDUFC1 could correlate positively with cancer-related pathways, among which the p53 pathways and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. Finally, NDUFC1 is high expression in HCC specimens. High NDUFC1 expression was associated with poor prognosis and was an independent risk factor for reduced overall survival (OS).

Conclusions

Our study indicated, for the first time, that NDUFC1 is an independent risk factor for the poor prognosis of HCC patients. NDUFC1 may promote tumor progression by inhibiting mitochondrial Complex I and up-regulating ROS through multiple cancer-related and senescence-related pathways of HCC, including p53 pathways and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. We suppose that NDUFC1 might be a potential target for the mitochondrial metabolism therapy of HCC.

Identification of Somatic Mitochondrial DNA Mutations, Heteroplasmy, and Increased Levels of Catenanes in Tumor Specimens Obtained from Three Endometrial Cancer Patients

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common type of gynecologic malignant epithelial tumor, with the death rate from this disease doubling over the past 20 years. Mitochondria provide cancer cells with necessary anabolic building blocks such as amino acids, lipids, and nucleotides, and EC samples have been shown to increase mitochondrial biogenesis. In cancer, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) heteroplasmy studies suggest that heteroplasmic variants encode predicted pathogenic proteins. We investigated the mtDNA genotypes within peri-normal and tumor specimens obtained from three individuals diagnosed with EC. DNA extracts from peri-normal and tumor tissues were used for mtDNA-specific next-generation sequencing and analyses of mtDNA content and topoisomers. The three tumors harbor heteroplasmic somatic mutations, and at least one mutation in each carcinoma is predicted to deleteriously alter a mtDNA-encoded protein. Somatic heteroplasmy linked to two mtDNA tRNA genes was found in separate tumors, and two heteroplasmic non-coding variants were identified in a single EC tumor. While two tumors had altered mtDNA content, all three displayed increased mtDNA catenanes. Our findings support that EC cells require wild-type mtDNA, but heteroplasmic mutations may alter mitochondrial metabolism to help promote cancer cell growth and proliferation.

Mitochondrial DNA variation and cancer

Variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence is common in certain tumours. Two classes of cancer mtDNA variants can be identified: de novo mutations that act as 'inducers' of carcinogenesis and functional variants that act as 'adaptors', permitting cancer cells to thrive in different environments. These mtDNA variants have three origins: inherited variants, which run in families, somatic mutations arising within each cell or individual, and variants that are also associated with ancient mtDNA lineages (haplogroups) and are thought to permit adaptation to changing tissue or geographic environments. In addition to mtDNA sequence variation, mtDNA copy number and perhaps transfer of mtDNA sequences into the nucleus can contribute to certain cancers. Strong functional relevance of mtDNA variation has been demonstrated in oncocytoma and prostate cancer, while mtDNA variation has been reported in multiple other cancer types. Alterations in nuclear DNA-encoded mitochondrial genes have confirmed the importance of mitochondrial metabolism in cancer, affecting mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, redox state and mitochondrial intermediates that act as substrates for chromatin-modifying enzymes. Hence, subtle changes in the mitochondrial genotype can have profound effects on the nucleus, as well as carcinogenesis and cancer progression.

Possibility of Targeting Claudin-2 in Therapy for Human Endometrioid Endometrial Carcinoma

Claudin-2 (CLDN-2) is a leaky-type tight junction protein, and its overexpression increases tumorigenesis of some types of cancer cells. In the present study, to examine the possibility of targeting CLDN-2 in the therapy for endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma, we investigated the regulation and role of CLDN-2 in endometriosis and endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma. In endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma tissues, marked upregulation of CLDN-2 was observed together with malignancy, while in endometriosis tissues, a change in the localization of CLDN-2 was observed. In cells of the endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line Sawano, which highly express CLDN-2, downregulation of CLDN-2 induced by the siRNA upregulated the epithelial barrier and inhibited cell migration. Furthermore, the downregulation of CLDN-2 affected the cell cycle and inhibited cell proliferation. In Sawano cells cultured with high-glucose medium, CLDN-2 expression was downregulated at the mRNA and protein levels. The high-glucose medium upregulated the epithelial barrier, cell proliferation, and migration, and inhibited cell invasion. The histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor tricostatin A (TSA), which has antitumor effects, downregulated CLDN-2 expression, cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and upregulated the epithelial barrier. The mitochondrial respiration level, an indicator of cancer metabolism, was downregulated by CLDN-2 knockdown and upregulated by the high-glucose condition. Taken together, these results indicated that overexpression of CLDN-2 closely contributed to the malignancy of endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma. Downregulation of CLDN-2 via the changes of the glucose concentration and treatment with HDAC inhibitors may be important in the therapy for endometrial cancer.

Pathogenesis and Clinical Management of Uterine Serous Carcinoma

Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is an aggressive variant of endometrial cancer that has not been well characterized. It accounts for less than 10% of all endometrial cancers and 80% of endometrial cancer–related deaths. Currently, staging surgery together with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, especially vaginal cuff brachytherapy, is the main treatment strategy for USC. Whole-exome sequencing combined with preclinical and clinical studies are verifying a series of effective and clinically accessible inhibitors targeting frequently altered genes, such as HER2 and PI3K3CA, in varying USC patient populations. Some progress has also been made in the immunotherapy field. The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway has been found to be activated in many USC patients, and clinical trials of PD-1 inhibitors in USC are underway. This review updates the progress of research regarding the molecular pathogenesis and putative clinical management of USC.

Mitochondrial fission regulator 2 (MTFR2) promotes growth, migration, invasion and tumour progression in breast cancer cells

Introduction: Mitochondrial fission regulator 2 (MTFR2) belongs to the MTFR family, and 2 isoforms of MTFR2 are produced by alternative splicing. The role of MTFR2 in breast cancer (BC) remains unknown.

Results: MTFR2 was upregulated in BC tissues and was strongly associated with tumor characteristics. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses indicated that high MTFR2 expression was related to poor overall survival. In addition, the capacity for migration and invasion decreased in two BC cell lines after knockdown of MTFR2. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway was inhibited in MTFR2-silenced cells. MTFR2 can switch glucose metabolism from OXPHS to glycolysis in a HIF1α- and HIF2α-dependent manner.

Conclusion: Taken together, our results indicate that increased expression of MTFR2 is associated with tumour progression in breast cancer cells through switching glucose metabolism from OXPHS to glycolysis in a HIF1α- and HIF2α-dependent manner.

Materials and methods: We obtained data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to analyse MTFR2 expression in BC. The prognostic value of MTFR2 expression was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The biological influence of MTFR2 on BC cell lines was studied using proliferation, Transwell migration, invasion and mitochondrial function assays.

Mitochondrial functions and melatonin: a tour of the reproductive cancers

Cancers of the reproductive organs have a strong association with mitochondrial defects, and a deeper understanding of the role of this organelle in preneoplastic-neoplastic changes is important to determine the appropriate therapeutic intervention. Mitochondria are involved in events during cancer development, including metabolic and oxidative status, acquisition of metastatic potential, resistance to chemotherapy, apoptosis, and others. Because of their origin from melatonin-producing bacteria, mitochondria are speculated to produce melatonin and its derivatives at high levels; in addition, exogenously administered melatonin accumulates in the mitochondria against a concentration gradient. Melatonin is transported into tumor cell by GLUT/SLC2A and/or by the PEPT1/2 transporters, and plays beneficial roles in mitochondrial homeostasis, such as influencing oxidative phosphorylation and electron flux, ATP synthesis, bioenergetics, calcium influx, and mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Moreover, melatonin promotes mitochondrial homeostasis by regulating nuclear DNA and mtDNA transcriptional activities. This review focuses on the main functions of melatonin on mitochondrial processes, and reviews from a mechanistic standpoint, how mitochondrial crosstalk evolved in ovarian, endometrial, cervical, breast, and prostate cancers relative to melatonin's known actions. We put emphasis on signaling pathways whereby melatonin interferes within cancer-cell mitochondria after its administration. Depending on subtype and intratumor metabolic heterogeneity, melatonin seems to be helpful in promoting apoptosis, anti-proliferation, pro-oxidation, metabolic shifting, inhibiting neovasculogenesis and controlling inflammation, and restoration of chemosensitivity. This results in attenuation of development, progression, and metastatic potential of reproductive cancers, in addition to lowering the risk of recurrence and improving the life quality of patients.