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Chen WF, Chuang JMJ, Yang SN, Chen NF, Bhattacharya M, Liu HT, Dhama K, Chakraborty C, Wen ZH. Gene expression profiling and the isocitrate dehydrogenase mutational landscape of temozolomide‑resistant glioblastoma. Oncol Lett 2024; 28:378. [PMID: 38939621 PMCID: PMC11209862 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer that occurs more frequently than other brain tumors. The present study aimed to reveal a novel mechanism of temozolomide resistance in GBM using bioinformatics and wet lab analyses, including meta-Z analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network establishment, cluster analysis of co-expressed gene networks, and hierarchical clustering of upregulated and downregulated genes. Next-generation sequencing and quantitative PCR analyses revealed downregulated [tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin and epidermal growth factor homology domains 1 (TIE1), calcium voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit α2Δ1 (CACNA2D1), calpain 6 (CAPN6) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 6 (ADAMTS6)] and upregulated [serum amyloid (SA)A1, SAA2, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and ubiquitin specific peptidase 26 (USP26)] genes. Different statistical models were developed for these genes using the Z-score for P-value conversion, and Kaplan-Meier plots were constructed using several patient cohorts with brain tumors. The highest number of nodes was observed in the PPI network was for ADAMTS6 and TIE1. The PPI network model for all genes contained 35 nodes and 241 edges. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wild-type or IDH-mutant GBM samples from patients and a significant upregulation of TIE1 (P<0.001) and CAPN6 (P<0.05) protein expression was demonstrated in IDH-mutant GBM in comparison with IDH-wild-type GBM. Structural analysis revealed an IDH-mutant model demonstrating the mutant residues (R132, R140 and R172). The findings of the present study will help the future development of novel biomarkers and therapeutics for brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu-Fu Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Jimmy Ming-Jung Chuang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - San-Nan Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, E-DA Hospital, School of Medicine, College of Medicine I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan, R.O.C
- School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Nan-Fu Chen
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung 80284, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Center for General Education, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung 833301, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | | | - Hsin-Tzu Liu
- Department of Medical Research, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 970374, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, Indian Council of Agriculture Research-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
| | - Chiranjib Chakraborty
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal 700126, India
| | - Zhi-Hong Wen
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan, R.O.C
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2
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Niu J, Hu J, Wang Z. Scutellaria barbata D.Don extract regulates Ezrin-mediated triple negative breast cancer progress via suppressing the RhoA /ROCK1 signaling. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2024; 13:tfae033. [PMID: 38525246 PMCID: PMC10958765 DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfae033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks effective therapeutic targets. Scutellaria barbata D.Don (SB) has been revealed to have anti-breast cancer (BC) effect, but the effect of SB extract in TNBC is still unclear. Herein, this research delves into the underlying mechanism. Methods SB was extracted by solvent extraction, and the main components were identified using an Agilent 6,520 HPLC-Chip/Q-TOF (Chip/Q-TOF) MS system. In vitro cell experiments were conducted. The effects of SB extract alone, SB extract plus EGF, GSK alone, GSK plus Ezrin overexpression, or SB extract plus Ezrin overexpression on cell viability, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were examined by cell function experiments. The apoptosis- and RhoA/ROCK1 pathway-related protein levels were analyzed by western blot assay. Results Mass spectrometry analysis exhibited that SB extract mainly contains long-chain fatty acids and ursolic acid. SB extract mitigated TNBC cell biological phenotypes, apoptosis- and RhoA/ROCK1 pathway-related marker expressions, which were reversed by EGF. The further results found that GSK obviously weakens TNBC cell biological behaviors, apoptosis- and RhoA/ROCK1 signaling-related protein levels, while oe-Ezrin treatment reverses the effect of GSK on TNBC cells. Moreover, SB extract regulated Ezrin-mediated function of TNBC cells by impeding the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway. Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that SB extract regulated Ezrin-mediated proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of TNBC cells via suppressing the RhoA /ROCK1 signaling. Our results offer the experimental foundation for further investigation of the anti-cancer role of SB in TNBC cells. Highlights SB extract inhibits the biological phenotypes of TNBC cells.SB extract inhibits the biological behaviors of TNBC cells through the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway.SB extract modulates Ezrin-mediated TNBC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis via restraining the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Niu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 58, Lushan Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan Province 410000, P. R. China
| | - Jinyang Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 58, Lushan Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan Province 410000, P. R. China
| | - Zhu Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 58, Lushan Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan Province 410000, P. R. China
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3
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Christou C, Christodoulou MI, Zaravinos A, Gkretsi V. Ras suppressor 1 long form (RSU1L) silencing promotes apoptosis in invasive breast cancer cells. Cell Signal 2023; 101:110522. [PMID: 36375714 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Ras Suppressor-1 (RSU1) is a cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion protein implicated in breast cancer (BC) cell metastasis. Nevertheless, its role in apoptosis is yet unknown. In the present study, we used bioinformatics tools to evaluate the association of RSU1 expression and BC patient survival, the expression of basic pro- and anti-apoptotic genes in metastatic BC samples and their correlation with the expression of RSU1. Then, we specifically depleted RSU1 long form (RSU1L) using a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) silencing approach in two BC cell lines, the non-invasive MCF-7 and the highly invasive MDA-MB-231-LM2 cells and assessed gene expression of pro-and anti-apoptotic genes, as well as cell survival and apoptosis. Our results showed that high RSU1 expression was correlated with poor survival and significant changes were found in the expression of apoptosis-related genes (PUMA, TP53, BCL-2 and BCL-XL) in metastatic BC. Moreover, silencing of the long and most common isoform of RSU1 (RSU1L) resulted in the upregulation of PUMA and TP53 and concomitant downregulation of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 and BCL-XL, with the effect being more prominent in invasive MDA-MB-231-LM2 cells. Finally, RSU1L depletion leads to a dramatic increase in apoptosis of MDA-MB-231-LM2 cells, while no change was observed in the apoptotic rate of MCF-7 cells. This is the first study linking RSU1L with apoptosis and provides evidence for its differential role in cell lines of different invasive potential. This indicates that RSU1L represses apoptosis in aggressive BC cells helping them evade cell death and survive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana Christou
- Cancer Metastasis and Adhesion Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Maria-Ioanna Christodoulou
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; Tumor Immunology and Biomarkers Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Apostolos Zaravinos
- Biological Sciences Program, Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; Cancer Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Vasiliki Gkretsi
- Cancer Metastasis and Adhesion Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), Nicosia, Cyprus; Biomedical Sciences Program, Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
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4
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Minadakis G, Christodoulou K, Tsouloupas G, Spyrou GM. PathIN: an integrated tool for the visualization of pathway interaction networks. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:378-387. [PMID: 36618987 PMCID: PMC9798270 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PathIN is a web-service that provides an easy and flexible way for rapidly creating pathway-based networks at several functional biological levels: genes, compounds and reactions. The tool is supported by a database repository of reference pathway networks across a large set of species, developed through the freely available information included in the KEGG, Reactome and Wiki Pathways database repositories. PathIN provides networks by means of five diverse methodologies: (a) direct connections between pathways of interest, (b) direct connections as well as the first neighbours of the given pathways, (c) direct connections, the first neighbours and the connections in between them, and (d) two additional methodologies for creating complementary pathway-to-pathway networks that involve additional (missing) pathways that interfere in-between pathways of interest. PathIN is expected to be used as a simple yet informative reference tool for understanding networks of molecular mechanisms related to specific diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Minadakis
- Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- PO Box 23462, 1683, Nicosia, Cyprus,Correspondence to: George Minadakis, Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- PO Box 23462, 1683, Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Kyproula Christodoulou
- Neurogenetics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- PO Box 23462, 1683, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - George Tsouloupas
- HPC Facility, The Cyprus Institute, 20 Konstantinou Kavafi Street, Aglantzia, 2121, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - George M. Spyrou
- Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- PO Box 23462, 1683, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Garcia-Marques F, Liu S, Totten SM, Bermudez A, Tanimoto C, Hsu EC, Nolley R, Hembree A, Stoyanova T, Brooks JD, Pitteri SJ. Protein signatures to distinguish aggressive from indolent prostate cancer. Prostate 2022; 82:605-616. [PMID: 35098564 PMCID: PMC8916040 DOI: 10.1002/pros.24307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Distinguishing men with aggressive from indolent prostate cancer is critical to decisions in the management of clinically localized prostate cancer. Molecular signatures of aggressive disease could help men overcome this major clinical challenge by reducing unnecessary treatment and allowing more appropriate treatment of aggressive disease. METHODS We performed a mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of normal and malignant prostate tissues from 22 men who underwent surgery for prostate cancer. Prostate cancer samples included Grade Groups (3-5), with 8 patients experiencing recurrence and 14 without evidence of recurrence with a mean of 6.8 years of follow-up. To better understand the biological pathways underlying prostate cancer aggressiveness, we performed a systems biology analysis and gene enrichment analysis. Proteins that distinguished recurrent from nonrecurrent cancer were chosen for validation by immunohistochemical analysis on tissue microarrays containing samples from a larger cohort of patients with recurrent and nonrecurrent prostate cancer. RESULTS In all, 24,037 unique peptides (false discovery rate < 1%) corresponding to 3,313 distinct proteins were identified with absolute abundance ranges spanning seven orders of magnitude. Of these proteins, 115 showed significantly (p < 0.01) different levels in tissues from recurrent versus nonrecurrent cancers. Analysis of all differentially expressed proteins in recurrent and nonrecurrent cases identified several protein networks, most prominently one in which approximately 24% of the proteins in the network were regulated by the YY1 transcription factor (adjusted p < 0.001). Strong immunohistochemical staining levels of three differentially expressed proteins, POSTN, CALR, and CTSD, on a tissue microarray validated their association with shorter patient survival. CONCLUSIONS The protein signatures identified could improve understanding of the molecular drivers of aggressive prostate cancer and be used as candidate prognostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Garcia-Marques
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
| | - Shiqin Liu
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
| | - Sarah M. Totten
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
| | - Abel Bermudez
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
| | - Cheylene Tanimoto
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
| | - En-Chi Hsu
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
| | - Rosalie Nolley
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA 94305
| | - Amy Hembree
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
| | - Tanya Stoyanova
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
| | - James D. Brooks
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA 94305
| | - Sharon J. Pitteri
- Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA 94304
- Corresponding Author: Sharon Pitteri, 3155 Porter Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94304,
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Functional single-cell genomics of human cytomegalovirus infection. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:391-401. [PMID: 34697476 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-021-01059-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how viral and host factors interact and how perturbations impact infection is the basis for designing antiviral interventions. Here we define the functional contribution of each viral and host factor involved in human cytomegalovirus infection in primary human fibroblasts through pooled CRISPR interference and nuclease screening. To determine how genetic perturbation of critical host and viral factors alters the timing, course and progression of infection, we applied Perturb-seq to record the transcriptomes of tens of thousands of CRISPR-modified single cells and found that, normally, most cells follow a stereotypical transcriptional trajectory. Perturbing critical host factors does not change the stereotypical transcriptional trajectory per se but can stall, delay or accelerate progression along the trajectory, allowing one to pinpoint the stage of infection at which host factors act. Conversely, perturbation of viral factors can create distinct, abortive trajectories. Our results reveal the roles of host and viral factors and provide a roadmap for the dissection of host-pathogen interactions.
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Pathophysiological role of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in obesity, cancer, and cachexia. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2021; 64:71-83. [PMID: 34836750 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Growth differentiation factor 15 or macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (GDF15/MIC-1) is a divergent member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily and has a diverse pathophysiological roles in cancers, cardiometabolic disorders, and other diseases. GDF15 controls hematopoietic growth, energy homeostasis, adipose tissue metabolism, body growth, bone remodeling, and response to stress signals. The role of GDF15 in cancer development and progression is complicated and depends on the specific cancer type, stage, and tumor microenvironment. Recently, research on GDF15 and GDF15-associated signaling has accelerated due to the identification of the GDF15 receptor: glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family receptor α-like (GFRAL). Therapeutic interventions to target GDF15 and/or GFRAL revealed the mechanisms that drive its activity and might improve overall outcomes of patients with metabolic disorders and cancer. This review highlights the structure and functions of GDF15 and its receptor, emphasizing the pleiotropic role of GDF15 in obesity, tumorigenesis, metastasis, immunomodulation, and cachexia.
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Minadakis G, Muñoz-Pomer Fuentes A, Tsouloupas G, Papatheodorou I, Spyrou GM. PathExNET: A tool for extracting pathway expression networks from gene expression statistics. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4336-4344. [PMID: 34429851 PMCID: PMC8363825 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental issue related to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms, is the way in which common pathways act across different biological experiments related to complex diseases. Using network-based approaches, this work aims to provide a numeric characterization of pathways across different biological experiments, in the prospect to create unique footprints that may characterise a specific disease under study at a pathway network level. In this line we propose PathExNET, a web service that allows the creation of pathway-to-pathway expression networks that hold the over- and under expression information obtained from differential gene expression analyses. The unique numeric characterization of pathway expression status related to a specific biological experiment (or disease), as well as the creation of diverse combination of pathway networks generated by PathExNET, is expected to provide a concrete contribution towards the individualization of disease, and further lead to a more precise personalised medicine and management of treatment. PathExNET is available at: https://bioinformatics.cing.ac.cy/PathExNET and at https://pathexnet.cing-big.hpcf.cyi.ac.cy/.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Minadakis
- Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - George Tsouloupas
- HPC Facility, The Cyprus Institute, 20 Konstantinou Kavafi Street, 2121, Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Irene Papatheodorou
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, UK
| | - George M. Spyrou
- Bioinformatics Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, 6 Iroon Avenue, 2371 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Lei K, Kang SS, Ahn EH, Chen C, Liao J, Liu X, Li H, Edgington-Mitchell LE, Jin L, Ye K. C/EBPβ/AEP Signaling Regulates the Oxidative Stress in Malignant Cancers, Stimulating the Metastasis. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:1640-1652. [PMID: 34158346 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Solid tumors start as a local disease, but some are capable of metastasizing to the lymph nodes and distant organs. The hypoxic microenvironment, which is critical during cancer development, plays a key role in regulating cancer progression and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating the disseminated cancer cell metastasis remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that C/EBPβ/AEP signaling that is upregulated in breast cancers mediates oxidative stress and lung metastasis, and inactivation of asparagine endopeptidase (AEP, also known as legumain) robustly regulates breast cancer reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metastasis. AEP, a protease activated in acidic conditions, is overexpressed in numerous types of cancer and promotes metastasis. Employing a breast cancer cell line MDA-MD-231, we show that C/EBPβ, an oxidative stress or inflammation-activated transcription factor, and its downstream target AEP mediate ROS production as well as migration and invasion in cancer cells. Deficiency of AEP in the MMTV-PyMT transgenic breast cancer mouse model significantly regulates oxidative stress and suppresses lung metastasis. Administration of an innovative AEP inhibitor substantially mitigates ROS production and cancer metastasis. Hence, our study demonstrates that pharmacologic inhibition of AEP activity might provide a disease-modifying strategy to suppress cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kecheng Lei
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.,Neurotoxin Research Center of Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Neurological Department of Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Seong Su Kang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Eun Hee Ahn
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Chun Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jianming Liao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Hua Li
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong Science & Technology University, Wuhan, China
| | - Laura E Edgington-Mitchell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, New York University College of Dentistry, Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, New York, New York
| | - Lingjing Jin
- Neurotoxin Research Center of Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Neurological Department of Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.,Neurorehabilitation Center of Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Songjiang Disc, Shanghai, China
| | - Keqiang Ye
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
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Álvarez-Artime A, García-Soler B, Sainz RM, Mayo JC. Emerging Roles for Browning of White Adipose Tissue in Prostate Cancer Malignant Behaviour. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5560. [PMID: 34074045 PMCID: PMC8197327 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to its well-known role as an energy repository, adipose tissue is one of the largest endocrine organs in the organism due to its ability to synthesize and release different bioactive molecules. Two main types of adipose tissue have been described, namely white adipose tissue (WAT) with a classical energy storage function, and brown adipose tissue (BAT) with thermogenic activity. The prostate, an exocrine gland present in the reproductive system of most mammals, is surrounded by periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT) that contributes to maintaining glandular homeostasis in conjunction with other cell types of the microenvironment. In pathological conditions such as the development and progression of prostate cancer, adipose tissue plays a key role through paracrine and endocrine signaling. In this context, the role of WAT has been thoroughly studied. However, the influence of BAT on prostate tumor development and progression is unclear and has received much less attention. This review tries to bring an update on the role of different factors released by WAT which may participate in the initiation, progression and metastasis, as well as to compile the available information on BAT to discuss and open a new field of knowledge about the possible protective role of BAT in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Álvarez-Artime
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Redox Biology Unit, University of Oviedo, Facultad de Medicina, Julián Clavería 6, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-A.); (B.G.-S.); (R.M.S.)
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Santiago Gascón Building, Fernando Bongera s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Avda. Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Belén García-Soler
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Redox Biology Unit, University of Oviedo, Facultad de Medicina, Julián Clavería 6, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-A.); (B.G.-S.); (R.M.S.)
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Santiago Gascón Building, Fernando Bongera s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Rosa María Sainz
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Redox Biology Unit, University of Oviedo, Facultad de Medicina, Julián Clavería 6, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-A.); (B.G.-S.); (R.M.S.)
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Santiago Gascón Building, Fernando Bongera s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Avda. Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Mayo
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Redox Biology Unit, University of Oviedo, Facultad de Medicina, Julián Clavería 6, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-A.); (B.G.-S.); (R.M.S.)
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Santiago Gascón Building, Fernando Bongera s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Avda. Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
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Minadakis G, Spyrou GM. A Systems Bioinformatics Approach to Interconnect Biological Pathways. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2189:231-249. [PMID: 33180305 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0822-7_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Signal transduction tasks as well as other complex biological processes involve many different changes in groups of genes, proteins, and metabolites linked together in chains or networks called pathways or networks of pathways. In a classical functional analysis, the biomolecules found to play a role in the biological status under investigation are members of a group of pathways that are not necessarily interconnected. However, interconnectivity is a critical factor for functionality. Thus, it is necessary to be able to construct "connected functional stories" to understand better the complex biological processes. PathwayConnector is a recently introduced web-tool that facilitates the construction of complementary pathway-to-pathway networks, bringing to our attention missing pathways that are crucial links towards the understanding of the molecular mechanisms related to complex diseases. Current version of the web-tool draws from an expanded pathway reference network and provides information deriving from 19 different organisms and 2 different pathway repositories: the KEGG and the REACTOME. Novel genes, proteins, and pathways derived from any experimental/computational method either in large-scale (omics) or even in smaller scale (specific laboratory experiments) can potentially be projected and analyzed through PathwayConnector. This chapter describes in details the pipeline and methodologies used for the latest updated version of PathwayConnector, providing an easy way for rapidly relating human or other organism's pathways together. Recent studies have shown that pathway networks and subnetworks, generated by PathwayConnector, are an integral part towards the individualization of disease, leading to a more precise and personalized management of the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Minadakis
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - George M Spyrou
- Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
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12
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Ras Suppressor-1 (RSU1) in Cancer Cell Metastasis: A Tale of a Tumor Suppressor. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21114076. [PMID: 32517326 PMCID: PMC7312364 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a multifactorial disease responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. It has a strong genetic background, as mutations in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes contribute to the initiation of cancer development. Integrin signaling as well as the signaling pathway of Ras oncogene, have been long implicated both in carcinogenesis and disease progression. Moreover, they have been involved in the promotion of metastasis, which accounts for the majority of cancer-related deaths. Ras Suppressor-1 (RSU1) was identified as a suppressor of Ras-induced transformation and was shown to localize to cell-extracellular matrix adhesions. Recent findings indicate that its expression is elevated in various cancer types, while its role in regulating metastasis-related cellular processes remains largely unknown. Interestingly, there is no in vivo work in the field to date, and thus, all relevant knowledge stems from in vitro studies. In this review, we summarize recent studies using breast, liver and brain cancer cell lines and highlight the role of RSU1 in regulating cancer cell invasion.
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ILK silencing inhibits migration and invasion of more invasive glioblastoma cells by downregulating ROCK1 and Fascin-1. Mol Cell Biochem 2020; 471:143-153. [PMID: 32506247 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-020-03774-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive type of brain tumor and it is associated with poor survival. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a serine/threonine protein pseudo-kinase that binds to the cytoplasmic domains of β1 and β3 integrins and has been previously shown to promote invasion and metastasis in many cancer types, including GBM. However, little is known regarding the exact molecular mechanism implicating ILK in GBM aggressiveness. In this study, we used two brain cell lines, the non-invasive neuroglioma H4 cells, and the highly invasive glioblastoma A172 cells, which express ILK in much higher levels than H4. We studied the effect of ILK silencing on the metastatic behavior of glioblastoma cells in vitro and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism. We showed that siRNA-mediated silencing of ILK inhibits cell migration and invasion of the highly invasive A172 cells while it does not affect the migratory and invasive capacity of H4 cells. These data were also supported by respective changes in the expression of Rho-associated kinase 1 (ROCK1), fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (FSCN1), and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13), which are known to regulate cell migration and invasion. Our findings were further corroborated by analyzing the Cancer Genome Atlas Glioblastoma Multiforme (TCGA-GBM) dataset. We conclude that ILK promotes glioblastoma cell invasion through activation of ROCK1 and FSCN1 in vitro, providing a more exact molecular mechanism for its action.
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14
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Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in cancer cell metastasis: from the cells to the patients. Clin Exp Metastasis 2020; 37:451-464. [PMID: 32504264 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-020-10041-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily, has been postulated to be implicated in cancer cell metastasis although its role has not been fully elucidated yet. The purpose of this review is to clarify the role of GDF-15 in cancer cell metastasis based on current advances in the field. The studies were divided into those involving evaluation of GDF15 expression in the serum or tissue of cancer patients, and those involving in vitro experiments in cancer cell lines or in vivo experiments in animal models. GDF15 was shown to be elevated in the serum or tissues of cancer patients with its expression being correlated with decreased survival. Moreover, most in vitro and in vivo studies also corroborated a metastasis-promoting role for GDF15. However, there were a few studies, where GDF15 was shown to suppress the metastatic properties of cells. As, GDF15 has been known for its pleiotropic effects, it is not surprising to behave differently in different types of cancer. Thus, GDF15 has the potential of not only being a useful metastasis biomarker, but also a promising therapeutic target against cancer cell metastasis in many cancer types.
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15
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Noratto G, Layosa MA, Lage NN, Atienza L, Ivanov I, Mertens-Talcott SU, Chew BP. Antitumor potential of dark sweet cherry sweet (Prunus avium) phenolics in suppressing xenograft tumor growth of MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells. J Nutr Biochem 2020; 84:108437. [PMID: 32615370 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2020.108437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated in vivo the antitumor activity of dark sweet cherry (DSC) whole extracted phenolics (WE) and fractions enriched in anthocyanins (ACN) or proanthocyanidins (PCA) in athymic mice xenografted with MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells. Mice were gavaged with WE, ACN or PCA extracts (150 mg/kg body weight/day) for 36 days. Results showed that tumor growth was suppressed at similar levels by WE, ACN and PCA compared to control group (C) without signs of toxicity or significant changes in mRNA oncogenic biomarkers in tumors or mRNA invasive biomarker in distant organs. Tumor protein analyses showed that WE, ACN and PCA induced at similar levels the stress-regulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation, known to be linked to apoptosis induction. However, ACN showed enhanced antitumor activity through down-regulation of total oncogenic and stress-related Akt, STAT3, p38, JNK and NF-kB proteins. In addition, immunohistochemistry analysis of Ki-67 revealed inhibition of tumor cell proliferation with potency WE ≥ ACN ≥ PCA. Differential quantitative proteomic high-resolution nano-HPLC tandem mass spectrometry analysis of tumors from ACN and C groups revealed the identity of 66 proteins associated with poor breast cancer prognosis that were expressed only in C group (61 proteins) or differentially up-regulated (P<.05) in C group (5 proteins). These findings revealed ACN-targeted proteins associated to tumor growth and invasion and the potential of DSC ACN for breast cancer treatment. Results lead to a follow-up study with highly immunodeficient mice/invasive cell line subtype and advanced tumor development to validate the anti-invasive activity of DSC anthocyanins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliana Noratto
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Marjorie A Layosa
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Institute of Human Nutrition and Food, College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Nara N Lage
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Research Center in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Liezl Atienza
- Institute of Human Nutrition and Food, College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Ivan Ivanov
- Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Boon P Chew
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Hayashi M, Kawakubo H, Fukuda K, Mayanagi S, Nakamura R, Suda K, Hayashida T, Wada N, Kitagawa Y. THUMP domain containing 2 protein possibly induces resistance to cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in in vitro human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells as revealed by transposon activation mutagenesis. J Gene Med 2019; 21:e3135. [PMID: 31656051 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although chemotherapy is a core treatment for esophageal cancer, some patients develop drug resistance. Gene screening with transposons (i.e. mobile genetic elements) is a novel procedure for identifying chemotherapy-resistant genes. Transposon insertion can randomly affect nearby gene expression. By identifying the affected genes, candidate genes can be found. The present study aimed to identify cisplatin (CDDP)/5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-resistant genes in in vitro human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with transposons. METHODS After establishing transposon-tagged cells, we obtained CDDP/5-FU-resistant colonies. A polymerase chain reaction and sequencing were used to identify the transposon inserted site and candidate CDDP/5-FU resistant genes. Focusing on one candidate gene, we confirmed CDDP/5-FU resistance by comparing the IC50 between drug-resistant and wild-type cells. Furthermore, we investigated gene expression by a real-time polymerase chain reaction. Finally, we mediated the candidate gene level with small interfering RNA to confirm the resistance. RESULTS Thirty-nine candidate genes for CDDP/5-FU resistance were identified. Nineteen were for CDDP resistance and 27 were for 5-FU resistance. Seven genes, THUMP domain-containing protein 2 (THUMPD2), nuclear factor interleukin-3-regulated protein (NFIL3), tyrosine-protein kinase transmembrane receptor 2 (ROR2), C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing protein 2 (THSD7B) alpha-parvin (PARVA) and TEA domain transcription factor 1 (TEAD1), were detected as candidate genes in both colonies. Regarding THUMPD2, its expression was downregulated and knocking down THUMPD2 suggested drug resistance in both drugs. CONCLUSIONS Thirty-nine candidate genes were identified with transposons. The downregulation of THUMPD2 was suggested to play a role in multidrug resistance in in vitro esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Hayashi
- Department of Surgery, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Kawakubo
- Department of Surgery, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Fukuda
- Department of Surgery, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuhei Mayanagi
- Department of Surgery, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rieko Nakamura
- Department of Surgery, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Suda
- Department of Surgery, Fujita Health University Hospital, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Testu Hayashida
- Department of Surgery, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihito Wada
- Department of Surgery, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Kitagawa
- Department of Surgery, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Louca M, Gkretsi V, Stylianopoulos T. Coordinated Expression of Ras Suppressor 1 (RSU-1) and Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF15) Affects Glioma Cell Invasion. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11081159. [PMID: 31412547 PMCID: PMC6721804 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive type of brain tumor due to its invasive phenotype. Ras suppressor 1 (RSU-1) is a cell-extracellular matrix adhesion protein and we recently found that it promotes cell invasion in aggressive cells and inhibits it in non-invasive. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) is known to be involved in actin cytoskeleton reorganization and metastasis. In this study, we used three brain cell lines (H4, SW1088 and A172) with increasing RSU-1 expression levels and invasive capacity and decreasing GDF15 levels to investigate the interplay between RSU-1 and GDF15 with regard to cell invasion. Four experimental approaches were used: (a) GDF15 treatment, (b) Rsu-1 silencing, (c) GDF15 silencing, and (d) combined GDF15 treatment and RSU-1 silencing. We found that the differential expression of RSU-1 and GDF15 in H4 and A172 cells leading to inhibition of cell invasion in H4 cells and promotion in A172 through respective changes in PINCH1, RhoA and MMP-13 expression. Interestingly SW1088, with intermediate RSU-1 and GDF15 expression, were not affected by any treatment. We conclude that there is a strong connection between RSU-1 and GDF15 in H4, SW1088 and A172 cells and the relative expression of these two proteins is fundamental in affecting their invasive fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Louca
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Vasiliki Gkretsi
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus.
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18
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Gkretsi V, Kalli M, Efstathiades C, Papageorgis P, Papanikolaou V, Zacharia LC, Tsezou A, Athanassiou E, Stylianopoulos T. Depletion of Ras Suppressor-1 (RSU-1) promotes cell invasion of breast cancer cells through a compensatory upregulation of a truncated isoform. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10050. [PMID: 31296919 PMCID: PMC6624310 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46575-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM)-adhesion proteins and actin cytoskeleton are pivotal in cancer cell invasion. Ras Suppressor-1 (RSU-1), a cell-ECM adhesion protein that interacts with PINCH-1, thus being connected to Integrin Linked Kinase (ILK), alpha-parvin (PARVA), and actin cytoskeleton, is up-regulated in metastatic breast cancer (BC) samples. Apart from the originally-identified gene (RSU-1L), an alternatively-spliced isoform (RSU-1-X1) has been reported. We used non-invasive MCF-7 cells, expressing only RSU-1L, and highly invasive MDA-MB-231-LM2 expressing both isoforms and generated stable shRNA-transduced cells lacking RSU-1L, while the truncated RSU-1-X1 isoform was depleted by siRNA-mediated silencing. RSU-1L depletion in MCF-7 cells resulted in complete abrogation of tumor spheroid invasion in three-dimensional collagen gels, whereas it promoted MDA-MB-231-LM2 invasion, through a compensatory upregulation of RSU-1-X1. When RSU-1-X1 was also eliminated, RSU-1L-depletion-induced migration and invasion were drastically reduced being accompanied by reduced urokinase plasminogen activator expression. Protein expression analysis in 23 human BC samples corroborated our findings showing RSU-1L to be upregulated and RSU-1-X1 downregulated in metastatic samples. We demonstrate for the first time, that both RSU-1 isoforms promote invasion in vitro while RSU-1L elimination induces RSU-1-X1 upregulation to compensate for the loss. Hence, we propose that both isoforms should be blocked to effectively eliminate metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Gkretsi
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus. .,Biomedical Sciences Program, Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | - Maria Kalli
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Christodoulos Efstathiades
- The Center for Risk and Decision Sciences (CERIDES), Department of Computer Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Panagiotis Papageorgis
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Biological Sciences Program, Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Vassilios Papanikolaou
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Lefteris C Zacharia
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Aspasia Tsezou
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | | | - Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
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