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Monteiro FL, Stepanauskaite L, Archer A, Williams C. Estrogen receptor beta expression and role in cancers. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 242:106526. [PMID: 38657699 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Estrogen drives the growth of some cancers, such as breast cancer, via estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). Estrogen also activates ERβ, but whether ERβ is expressed and has a role in different cancers is debated. The use of nonspecific antibodies has contributed to the confusion, and this review delves into ERβ's controversial role in cancer and focuses on tumor expression that can be supported by non-antibody-dependent assays. We discuss its expression at the transcript level and focus on its potential role in lymphoma, granulosa cell tumors, testicular, and adrenal cancers, emphasizing recent findings and the complexities that necessitate further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima L Monteiro
- SciLifeLab, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna 171 21, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 83, Sweden
| | - Lina Stepanauskaite
- SciLifeLab, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna 171 21, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 83, Sweden
| | - Amena Archer
- SciLifeLab, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna 171 21, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 83, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Williams
- SciLifeLab, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna 171 21, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 83, Sweden.
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2
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Borini Etichetti C, Arel Zalazar E, Di Benedetto C, Cocordano N, Valente S, Bicciato S, Menacho-Márquez M, Larocca MC, Girardini J. Isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (ICMT) promotes invadopodia formation and metastasis in cancer cells. Biochimie 2024; 222:28-36. [PMID: 38301884 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2024.01.015] [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] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Isoprenyl cysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (ICMT) catalyzes the last step of the prenylation pathway. Previously, we found that high ICMT levels enhance tumorigenesis in vivo and that its expression is repressed by the p53 tumor suppressor. Based on evidence suggesting that some ICMT substrates affect invasive traits, we wondered if this enzyme may promote metastasis. In this work, we found that ICMT overexpression enhanced lung metastasis in vivo. Accordingly, ICMT overexpression also promoted cellular functions associated with aggressive phenotypes such as migration and invasion in vitro. Considering that some ICMT substrates are involved in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton, we hypothesized that actin-rich structures, associated with invasion and metastasis, may be affected. Our findings revealed that ICMT enhanced the formation of invadopodia. Additionally, by analyzing cancer patient databases, we found that ICMT is overexpressed in several tumor types. Furthermore, the concurrent expression of ICMT and CTTN, which encodes a crucial component of invadopodia, showed a significant correlation with clinical outcome. In summary, our work identifies ICMT overexpression as a relevant alteration in human cancer that promotes the development of metastatic tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Borini Etichetti
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental de Rosario, IFISE, CONICET-UNR, Suipacha 590, Rosario, 2000, Argentina.
| | - Evelyn Arel Zalazar
- Instituto de Inmunología Clínica y Experimental de Rosario, IDICER, CONICET-UNR, Suipacha 590, Rosario, 2000, Argentina.
| | - Carolina Di Benedetto
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave, CA, 94143, United States.
| | - Nabila Cocordano
- Instituto de Inmunología Clínica y Experimental de Rosario, IDICER, CONICET-UNR, Suipacha 590, Rosario, 2000, Argentina.
| | - Sabrina Valente
- Instituto de Inmunología Clínica y Experimental de Rosario, IDICER, CONICET-UNR, Suipacha 590, Rosario, 2000, Argentina.
| | - Silvio Bicciato
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, via Giuseppe Campi, 287 41125, Italy.
| | - Mauricio Menacho-Márquez
- Instituto de Inmunología Clínica y Experimental de Rosario, IDICER, CONICET-UNR, Suipacha 590, Rosario, 2000, Argentina.
| | - María Cecilia Larocca
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental de Rosario, IFISE, CONICET-UNR, Suipacha 590, Rosario, 2000, Argentina.
| | - Javier Girardini
- Instituto de Inmunología Clínica y Experimental de Rosario, IDICER, CONICET-UNR, Suipacha 590, Rosario, 2000, Argentina.
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3
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Kubota CS, Myers SL, Seppälä TT, Burkhart RA, Espenshade PJ. In vivo CRISPR screening identifies geranylgeranyl diphosphate as a pancreatic cancer tumor growth dependency. Mol Metab 2024; 85:101964. [PMID: 38823776 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cancer cells must maintain lipid supplies for their proliferation and do so by upregulating lipogenic gene programs. The sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) act as modulators of lipid homeostasis by acting as transcriptional activators of genes required for fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis and uptake. SREBPs have been recognized as chemotherapeutic targets in multiple cancers, however it is not well understood which SREBP target genes are essential for tumorigenesis. In this study, we examined the requirement of SREBP target genes for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor growth. METHODS Here we constructed a custom CRISPR knockout library containing known SREBP target genes and performed in vitro 2D culture and in vivo orthotopic xenograft CRISPR screens using a patient-derived PDAC cell line. In vitro, we grew cells in medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) or 10% lipoprotein-deficient serum (LPDS) to examine differences in gene essentiality in different lipid environments. In vivo, we injected cells into the pancreata of nude mice and collected tumors after 4 weeks. RESULTS We identified terpenoid backbone biosynthesis genes as essential for PDAC tumor development. Specifically, we identified the non-sterol isoprenoid product of the mevalonate pathway, geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP), as an essential lipid for tumor growth. Mechanistically, we observed that restricting mevalonate pathway activity using statins and SREBP inhibitors synergistically induced apoptosis and caused disruptions in small G protein prenylation that have pleiotropic effects on cellular signaling pathways. Finally, we demonstrated that geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase 1 (GGPS1) knockdown significantly reduces tumor burden in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that PDAC tumors selectively require GGPP over other lipids such as cholesterol and fatty acids and that this is a targetable vulnerability of pancreatic cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casie S Kubota
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Stephanie L Myers
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Molecular & Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Toni T Seppälä
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Richard A Burkhart
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Peter J Espenshade
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Giovanis Institute for Translational Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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4
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Capuano A, Vescovo M, Canesi S, Pivetta E, Doliana R, Nadin MG, Yamamoto M, Tsukamoto T, Nomura S, Pilozzi E, Palumbo A, Canzonieri V, Cannizzaro R, Scanziani E, Baldassarre G, Mongiat M, Spessotto P. The extracellular matrix protein EMILIN-1 impacts on the microenvironment by hampering gastric cancer development and progression. Gastric Cancer 2024:10.1007/s10120-024-01528-z. [PMID: 38941035 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-024-01528-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The contribution of the tumor microenvironment and extracellular matrix to the aggressive biology of Gastric Cancer (GC) has been recently characterized; however, the role of EMILIN-1 in this context is unknown. EMILIN-1 is an essential structural element for the maintenance of lymphatic vessel (LV) integrity and displays anti-proliferative properties as demonstrated in skin and colon cancer. Given the key role of LVs in GC progression, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of EMILIN-1 in GC mouse models. METHODS We used the syngeneic YTN16 cells which were injected subcutaneously and intraperitoneally in genetically modified EMILIN-1 mice. In alternative, carcinogenesis was induced using N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). Mouse-derived samples and human biopsies were analyzed by IHC and IF to the possible correlation between EMILIN-1 expression and LV pattern. RESULTS Transgenic mice developed tumors earlier compared to WT animals. 20 days post-injection tumors developed in EMILIN-1 mutant mice were larger and displayed a significant increase of lymphangiogenesis. Treatment of transgenic mice with MNU associated with an increased number of tumors, exacerbated aggressive lesions and higher levels of LV abnormalities. A significant correlation between the levels of EMILIN-1 and podoplanin was detected also in human samples, confirming the results obtained with the pre-clinical models. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates for the first time that loss of EMILIN-1 in GC leads to lymphatic dysfunction and proliferative advantages that sustain tumorigenesis, and assess the use of our animal model as a valuable tool to verify the fate of GC upon loss of EMILIN-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Capuano
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Maddalena Vescovo
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Simone Canesi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali (DIVAS), Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Eliana Pivetta
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
- Clinical Pathology Unit, Ospedale Santa Maria Degli Angeli, Pordenone, Italy
| | - Roberto Doliana
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Nadin
- Oncological Gastroenterology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Masami Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Physiological Pathology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Tsukamoto
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Sachiyo Nomura
- Department of Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hoshi University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Emanuela Pilozzi
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Sant'Andrea, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Palumbo
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Canzonieri
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Renato Cannizzaro
- Oncological Gastroenterology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Eugenio Scanziani
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali (DIVAS), Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Maurizio Mongiat
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Paola Spessotto
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy.
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Muthumanickam P, Ramasubramanian A, Pandi C, Kannan B, Pandi A, Ramani P, Jayaseelan VP, Arumugam P. The novel m6A writer methyltransferase 5 is a promising prognostic biomarker and associated with immune cell infiltration in oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Oral Pathol Med 2024. [PMID: 38939970 DOI: 10.1111/jop.13568] [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: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging research has identified the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification and its regulatory enzymes, including methyltransferase 5 (METTL5), as critical players in cancer biology. However, the role of METTL5 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains poorly understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a comprehensive study to investigate the expression and implications of METTL5 in OSCC. We recruited 76 OSCC patients to analyze METTL5 mRNA and protein expression using RT-qPCR and western blot. Additionally, we analyzed METTL5 expression and its correlation with clinical features, patient prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and biological pathways using the TCGA-HNSCC dataset, which primarily consists of OSCC samples. RESULTS Our findings revealed significant overexpression of METTL5 in OSCC tissues compared to normal tissues. The high expression of METTL5 is associated with advanced cancer stages, higher tumor grades, nodal metastasis, and poorer patient outcomes, indicating its involvement in cancer progression. In silico functional analysis revealed that METTL5 plays a role in multiple biological pathways, highlighting its importance in cancer biology. Moreover, METTL5 has complex relationships with immune regulatory genes, suggesting its potential role in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment. CONCLUSION METTL5 is a promising candidate for the prognosis and therapeutic intervention of OSCC. Its overexpression in cancer tissues, association with clinical features, and intricate links to immune regulatory networks underscore its significance in this malignancy. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex factors influencing OSCC, and provides a foundation for future research and potential clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyadharshini Muthumanickam
- Department of Oral Pathology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Abilasha Ramasubramanian
- Department of Oral Pathology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Chandra Pandi
- Molecular Biology Lab, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Research, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Balachander Kannan
- Molecular Biology Lab, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Research, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Anitha Pandi
- Clinical Genetics Lab, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Research, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Pratibha Ramani
- Department of Oral Pathology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Vijayashree Priyadharsini Jayaseelan
- Clinical Genetics Lab, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Research, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Paramasivam Arumugam
- Molecular Biology Lab, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Research, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
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Xu Y, Liao W, Wang T, Zhang L, Zhang H. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of integrator complex subunits: expression patterns, immune infiltration, and prognostic signature, validated through experimental approaches in hepatocellular carcinoma. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:246. [PMID: 38926181 PMCID: PMC11208364 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-01118-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common gastrointestinal malignancy with a high incidence and poor prognosis. The subunits of the integrator complex (INTS1-14) play a crucial role in regulating genes dependent on RNA Polymerase II, which may be associated with cancer. However, the role of INTSs in HCC remains unclear. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the clinical value and potential role of INTS family genes in HCC through systematic bioinformatics analysis. METHODS We employed various public databases, including UALCAN, HPA, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, GEPIA2, TNMplot, STRING, TIMER, and TISIDB, to investigate the expression levels, clinicopathological correlations, diagnostic and prognostic value, genetic alterations, co-expression network, molecular targets, and immune infiltration of INTSs in HCC. Additionally, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were utilized to investigate the biological functions of genes associated with INTSs. Furthermore, Western blot, real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and immunohistochemistry techniques were employed to assess the expression of relevant proteins and genes. The proliferation of HCC cells was evaluated using the CCK8 assay. RESULTS We found that in HCC, there was a significant upregulation of INTSs at the transcriptional level, particularly INTS1, INTS4, INTS7, and INTS8. Additionally, the protein levels of INTS1 and INTS8 were notably elevated. The overexpression of these INTSs was strongly correlated with tumor stages in HCC patients. INTS1, INTS4, INTS7, and INTS8 exhibited significant diagnostic and prognostic value in HCC. Moreover, their expression was associated with immune infiltrations and activated status, including B cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, NK cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Functional predictions indicated that INTS1, INTS4, INTS7, and INTS8 were involved in various cancer-related signaling pathways, such as TRAIL, IFN-gamma, mTOR, CDC42, Apoptosis, and the p53 pathway. Furthermore, we observed a significant upregulation of INTS1, INTS4, INTS7, and INTS8 expression in HCC cell lines compared to normal liver cell lines. The level of INTS1 protein was higher in cancerous tissues compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues (n = 16), and the suppression of INTS1 resulted in a significant decrease in the proliferation of Huh7 cells. CONCLUSION These findings indicate the potential of INTS family genes as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and explore clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Xu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Wenlian Liao
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Liwei Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361101, Fujian, China.
| | - Hui Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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7
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McMann E, Gorski SM. Last but not least: emerging roles of the autophagy-related protein ATG4D. Autophagy 2024. [PMID: 38920354 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2024.2369436] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved ATG4 cysteine proteases regulate macroautophagy/autophagy through the priming and deconjugation of the Atg8-family proteins. In mammals there are four ATG4 family members (ATG4A, ATG4B, ATG4C, ATG4D) but ATG4D has been relatively understudied. Heightened interest in ATG4D has been stimulated by recent links to human disease. Notably, genetic variations in human ATG4D were implicated in a heritable neurodevelopmental disorder. Genetic analyses in dogs, along with loss-of-function zebrafish and mouse models, further support a neuroprotective role for ATG4D. Here we discuss the evidence connecting ATG4D to neurological diseases and other pathologies and summarize its roles in both autophagy-dependent and autophagy-independent cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily McMann
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Sharon M Gorski
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- 2Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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8
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Sami Alkafaas S, Obeid OK, Ali Radwan M, Elsalahaty MI, Samy ElKaffas S, Hafez W, Janković N, Hessien M. Novel insight into mitochondrial dynamin-related protein-1 as a new chemo-sensitizing target in resistant cancer cells. Bioorg Chem 2024; 150:107574. [PMID: 38936049 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107574] [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: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial dynamics have pillar roles in several diseases including cancer. Cancer cell survival is monitored by mitochondria which impacts several cellular functions such as cell metabolism, calcium signaling, and ROS production. The equilibrium of death and survival rate of mitochondria is important for healthy cellular processes. Whereas inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism and dynamics can have crucial regulatory decisions between cell survival and death. The steady rate of physiological flux of both mitochondrial fission and fusion is strongly related to the preservation of cellular bioenergetics. Dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics including fission and fusion is a critical machinery in cells accompanied by crosstalk in cancer progression and resistance. Many cancer cells express high levels of Drp-1 to induce cancer cell invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance including breast cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colon cancer. Targeting Drp-1 by inhibitors such as Midivi-1 helps to enhance the responsiveness of cancer cells towards chemotherapy. The review showed Drp-1 linked processes such as mitochondrial dynamics and relationship with cancer, invasion, and chemoresistance along with computational assessing of all publicly available Drp-1 inhibitors. Drp1-IN-1, Dynole 34-2, trimethyloctadecylammonium bromide, and Schaftoside showed potential inhibitory effects on Drp-1 as compared to standard Mdivi- 1. This emerging approach may have extensive strength in the context of cancer development and chemoresistance and further work is needed to aid in more effective cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samar Sami Alkafaas
- Molecular Cell Biology Unit, Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, 31527, Egypt.
| | - Omar K Obeid
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Mustafa Ali Radwan
- Biochemistry Division, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
| | - Mohamed I Elsalahaty
- Biochemistry Division, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
| | - Sara Samy ElKaffas
- Production Engineering and Mechanical Design Department, Faculty of Engineering, Menofia University, Menofia, Egypt; Faculty of Control System and Robotics, ITMO University, Saint-Petersburg, 197101, Russia
| | - Wael Hafez
- NMC Royal Hospital, 16th Street, Khalifa, Abu Dhabi 35233, United Arab Emirates; Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, The National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Nenad Janković
- Institute for Information Technologies Kragujevac, Department of Science, University of Kragujevac, Jovana Cvijića bb, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
| | - Mohamed Hessien
- Molecular Cell Biology Unit, Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, 31527, Egypt
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9
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Shukla D, Mandal T, Srivastava AK. Neil 1 deficiency facilitates chemoresistance through upregulation of RAD18 expression in ovarian cancer stem cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 712-713:149907. [PMID: 38636303 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149907] [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] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Over the past decades, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have emerged as a critical subset of tumor cells associated with tumor recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy. Understanding the mechanisms underlying CSC-mediated chemoresistance is imperative for improving cancer therapy outcomes. This study delves into the regulatory role of NEIL1, a DNA glycosylase, in chemoresistance in ovarian CSCs. We first observed a decreased expression of NEIL1 in ovarian CSCs, suggesting its potential involvement in CSC regulation. Using pan-cancer analysis, we confirmed the diminished NEIL1 expression in ovarian tumors compared to normal tissues. Furthermore, NEIL1 downregulation correlated with an increase in stemness markers and enrichment of CSCs, highlighting its role in modulating CSC phenotype. Further mechanistic investigation revealed an inverse correlation between NEIL1 and RAD18 expression in ovarian CSCs. NEIL1 depletion led to heightened RAD18 expression, promoting chemoresistance possibly via enhancing Translesion DNA Synthesis (TLS)-mediated DNA lesion bypass. Moreover, dowregulation of NEIL1 results in reduced DNA damage accumulation and suppressed apoptosis in ovarian cancer. Overall, our findings unveil a novel mechanism involving NEIL1 and RAD18 in regulating chemoresistance in ovarian CSCs. Targeting this NEIL1-RAD18 axis may offer promising therapeutic strategies for combating chemoresistance and improving ovarian cancer treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devendra Shukla
- CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Tanima Mandal
- CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Amit Kumar Srivastava
- CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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10
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Fujita H, Tanaka YK, Ogata S, Suzuki N, Kuno S, Barayeu U, Akaike T, Ogra Y, Iwai K. PRDX6 augments selenium utilization to limit iron toxicity and ferroptosis. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-024-01329-z. [PMID: 38867112 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01329-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death induced by iron-dependent accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides. Selenoprotein glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) suppresses ferroptosis by detoxifying lipid hydroperoxides via a catalytic selenocysteine (Sec) residue. Sec, the genetically encoded 21st amino acid, is biosynthesized from a reactive selenium donor on its cognate tRNA[Ser]Sec. It is thought that intracellular selenium must be delivered 'safely' and 'efficiently' by a carrier protein owing to its high reactivity and very low concentrations. Here, we identified peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) as a novel selenoprotein synthesis factor. Loss of PRDX6 decreases the expression of selenoproteins and induces ferroptosis via a reduction in GPX4. Mechanistically, PRDX6 increases the efficiency of intracellular selenium utilization by transferring selenium between proteins within the selenocysteyl-tRNA[Ser]Sec synthesis machinery, leading to efficient synthesis of selenocysteyl-tRNA[Ser]Sec. These findings highlight previously unidentified selenium metabolic systems and provide new insights into ferroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Fujita
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Kyoto University School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Yu-Ki Tanaka
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Seiryo Ogata
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Molecular Toxicology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Suzuki
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Sota Kuno
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Kyoto University School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Uladzimir Barayeu
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Molecular Toxicology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takaaki Akaike
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Molecular Toxicology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yasumitsu Ogra
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Iwai
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Kyoto University School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
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11
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Laham AJ, El-Awady R, Ayad MS, Wang N, Yan G, Boudreault J, Ali S, Lebrun JJ. Targeting the DYRK1A kinase prevents cancer progression and metastasis and promotes cancer cells response to G1/S targeting chemotherapy drugs. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:128. [PMID: 38839871 PMCID: PMC11153725 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00614-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastatic cancer remains incurable as patients eventually loose sensitivity to targeted therapies and chemotherapies, further leading to poor clinical outcome. Thus, there is a clear medical gap and urgent need to develop efficient and improved targeted therapies for cancer patients. In this study, we investigated the role of DYRK1A kinase in regulating cancer progression and evaluated the therapeutic potential of DYRK1A inhibition in invasive solid tumors, including colon and triple-negative breast cancers. We uncovered new roles played by the DYRK1A kinase. We found that blocking DYRK1A gene expression or pharmacological inhibition of its kinase activity via harmine efficiently blocked primary tumor formation and the metastatic tumor spread in preclinical models of breast and colon cancers. Further assessing the underlying molecular mechanisms, we found that DYRK1A inhibition resulted in increased expression of the G1/S cell cycle regulators while decreasing expression of the G2/M regulators. Combined, these effects release cancer cells from quiescence, leading to their accumulation in G1/S and further delaying/preventing their progression toward G2/M, ultimately leading to growth arrest and tumor growth inhibition. Furthermore, we show that accumulation of cancer cells in G1/S upon DYRK1A inhibition led to significant potentiation of G1/S targeting chemotherapy drug responses in vitro and in vivo. This study underscores the potential for developing novel DYRK1A-targeting therapies in colon and breast cancers and, at the same time, further defines DYRK1A pharmacological inhibition as a viable and powerful combinatorial treatment approach for improving G1/S targeting chemotherapy drugs treatments in solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amina Jamal Laham
- Department of Medicine, Cancer Research Program, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Raafat El-Awady
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates.
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Maha Saber Ayad
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ni Wang
- Department of Medicine, Cancer Research Program, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Gang Yan
- Department of Medicine, Cancer Research Program, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Julien Boudreault
- Department of Medicine, Cancer Research Program, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Suhad Ali
- Department of Medicine, Cancer Research Program, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Jean-Jacques Lebrun
- Department of Medicine, Cancer Research Program, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada.
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12
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Balaji S, Rao A, Saraswathi KK, Sethu Nagarajan R, Santhi R, Kim U, Muthukkaruppan V, Vanniarajan A. Focused cancer pathway analysis revealed unique therapeutic targets in retinoblastoma. Med Oncol 2024; 41:168. [PMID: 38834895 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-024-02391-9] [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: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Retinoblastoma (RB) is a pediatric cancer of the eye that occurs in 1/15000 live births worldwide. Albeit RB is initiated by the inactivation of RB1 gene, the disease progression relies largely on transcriptional alterations. Therefore, evaluating gene expression is vital to unveil the therapeutic targets in RB management. In this study, we employed an RT2 Profiler™ PCR array for a focused analysis of 84 cancer-specific genes in RB. An interaction network was built with gene expression data to identify the dysregulated pathways in RB. The key transcript alterations identified in 13 tumors by RT2 Profiler™ PCR array was further validated in 15 tumors by independent RT-qPCR. Out of 84 cancer-specific genes, 68 were dysregulated in RB tumors. Among the 68 genes, 23 were chosen for further analysis based on statistical significance and abundance across multiple tumors. Pathway analysis of altered genes showed the frequent perturbations of cell cycle, angiogenesis and apoptotic pathways in RB. Notably, upregulation of MCM2, MKI67, PGF, WEE1, CDC20 and downregulation of COX5A were found in all the tumors. Western blot confirmed the dysregulation of identified targets at protein levels as well. These alterations were more prominent in invasive RB, correlating with the disease pathogenesis. Our molecular analysis thus identified the potential therapeutic targets for improving retinoblastoma treatment. We also suggest that PCR array can be used as a tool for rapid and cost-effective gene expression analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sekaran Balaji
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Anindita Rao
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Karuvel Kannan Saraswathi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
- Department of Molecular Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation - Affiliated to Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630003, India
| | - Rathinavel Sethu Nagarajan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
- Department of Molecular Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation - Affiliated to Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630003, India
| | - Radhakrishnan Santhi
- Department of Pathology, Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Usha Kim
- Department of Orbit, Oculoplasty and Ocular Oncology, Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Veerappan Muthukkaruppan
- Department of Immunology and Stem Cell Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India
| | - Ayyasamy Vanniarajan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, 1, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 625 020, India.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation - Affiliated to Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 630003, India.
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13
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Peng R, Jiang S, Jin Z. The potential mechanism of WT1-associated protein-induced N-6-methyladenosine modification of colony-stimulating factor 2 in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma by JAK/STAT3 pathway regulation. Eur J Oral Sci 2024:e13001. [PMID: 38831514 DOI: 10.1111/eos.13001] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2) plays a regulatory role in numerous cancers. However, there is needed to investigate the role of CSF2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) malignant phenotype and the specific mechanisms of CSF2 N-6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification. Therefore, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of m6A-modified CSF2 by WT1-associated protein (WTAP) in OSCC via qRT-PCR, western blot, WTAP and CSF2 overexpression in OSCC. In a panel of OSCCs, Kaplan-Meier plot analysis indicated that high expression of CSF2 was associated with poorer prognosis. Cell functional experiments revealed that enrichment of CSF2 promoted the proliferation and migration of OSCC cells by activating the JAK/STAT3 pathway, whereas the reduced expression of CSF2 resulted in the malignant decline of OSCC cells by blocking the JAK/STAT3 pathway. This study also confirmed that WTAP enhanced the m6A level of CSF2 and facilitated the expression of CSF2 and that CSF2 silencing blocked the invasive phenotype of OSCC cells and reversed the malignancy induced by WTAP overexpression. Overall, this study demonstrated that WTAP mediates the m6A modification of CSF2 and the JAK/STAT3 pathway, which plays an oncogenic role in the development of OSCC and can be a target for the treatment of patients with OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruobing Peng
- Department of Stomatology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shengjun Jiang
- Department of Stomatology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhongzhi Jin
- Department of Stomatology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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14
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Dhar C, Ramachandran P, Xu G, Pickering C, Čaval T, Wong M, Rice R, Zhou B, Srinivasan A, Aiyetan P, Chu CW, Moser K, Herzog TJ, Olawaiye AB, Jacob F, Serie D, Lindpaintner K, Schwarz F. Diagnosing and staging epithelial ovarian cancer by serum glycoproteomic profiling. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1716-1724. [PMID: 38658783 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02644-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a need for diagnostic tests for screening, triaging and staging of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Glycoproteomics of blood samples has shown promise for biomarker discovery. METHODS We applied glycoproteomics to serum of people with EOC or benign pelvic masses and healthy controls. A total of 653 analytes were quantified and assessed in multivariable models, which were tested in an independent cohort. Additionally, we analyzed glycosylation patterns in serum markers and in tissues. RESULTS We identified a biomarker panel that distinguished benign lesions from EOC with sensitivity and specificity of 83.5% and 90.1% in the training set, and of 86.7 and 86.7% in the test set, respectively. ROC analysis demonstrated strong performance across a range of cutoffs. Fucosylated multi-antennary glycopeptide markers were higher in late-stage than in early-stage EOC. A comparable pattern was found in late-stage EOC tissues. CONCLUSIONS Blood glycopeptide biomarkers have the potential to distinguish benign from malignant pelvic masses, and early- from late-stage EOC. Glycosylation of circulating and tumor tissue proteins may be related. This study supports the hypothesis that blood glycoproteomic profiling can be used for EOC diagnosis and staging and it warrants further clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chirag Dhar
- InterVenn Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Gege Xu
- InterVenn Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Maurice Wong
- InterVenn Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Rice
- InterVenn Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bo Zhou
- InterVenn Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Paul Aiyetan
- InterVenn Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chih-Wei Chu
- InterVenn Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Thomas J Herzog
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Alexander Babatunde Olawaiye
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Francis Jacob
- Ovarian Cancer Research, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Serie
- InterVenn Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
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15
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Villareal LB, Falcon DM, Xie L, Xue X. Hypoxia-inducible factor 3α1 increases epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and iron uptake to drive colorectal cancer liver metastasis. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1904-1915. [PMID: 38693428 PMCID: PMC11183190 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02699-3] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-3α1's role in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, especially its effects on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) gene expression, and iron metabolism, remains largely unstudied. This research sought to elucidate these relationships. METHODS RNA-seq was conducted to investigate the impact of HIF-3α1 overexpression in CRC cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assays assessed the direct targeting of ZEB2 by HIF-3α1. Scratch assays measured changes in cell migration following HIF-3α1 overexpression and ZEB2 knockdown. The effects of HIF-3α1 overexpression on colon tumour growth and liver metastasis were examined in vivo. Iron chelation was used to explore the role of iron metabolism in HIF-3α1-mediated EMT and tumour growth. RESULTS HIF-3α1 overexpression induced EMT and upregulated ZEB2 expression, enhancing cancer cell migration. ZEB2 knockdown reduced mesenchymal markers and cell migration. HIF-3α1 promoted colon tumour growth and liver metastasis, increased transferrin receptor (TFRC) expression and cellular iron levels, and downregulated HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and NDRG1. Iron chelation mitigated HIF-3α1-mediated EMT, tumour growth, and survival. CONCLUSIONS HIF-3α1 plays a critical role in colon cancer progression by promoting EMT, iron accumulation, and metastasis through ZEB2 and TFRC regulation, suggesting potential therapeutic targets in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke B Villareal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Daniel M Falcon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Liwei Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Xue
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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16
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Wang C, Liu ZY, Huang WG, Yang ZJ, Lan QY, Fang AP, Hou MJ, Luo XL, Zhang YJ, Chen S, Zhu HL. Choline suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by attenuating AMPK/mTOR-mediated autophagy via choline transporter SLC5A7 activation. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr 2024; 13:393-411. [PMID: 38911213 PMCID: PMC11190510 DOI: 10.21037/hbsn-22-476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated death. Emerging evidence suggests that autophagy plays a critical role in HCC tumorigenesis, metastasis, and prognosis. Choline is an essential nutrient related to prolonged survival and reduced risk of HCC. However, it remains unclear whether this phenomenon is mediated by autophagy. Methods Two HCC cell lines (HUH-7 and Hep3B) were used in the present study. Cell growth was evaluated by cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8), colony formation, and in vivo mouse xenografts assays. Cell motility was calculated by wound healing and transwell assays. Autophagosomes were measured by transmission electron microscope (TEM), and autophagy flux was detected by mRFP-GFP-labeled LC3 protein. The mRNA level of genes was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The protein levels were detected by Western blotting (WB). Results We found that choline inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells by downregulating autophagy in vitro and in vivo. Upregulated expression of the solute carrier family 5 member 7 (SLC5A7), a specific choline transporter, correlated with better HCC prognosis. We further discovered that choline could promote SLC5A7 expression, upregulate cytoplasm p53 expression to impair the AMPK/mTOR pathway, and attenuate autophagy. Finally, we found that choline acted synergistically with sorafenib to attenuate HCC development in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Our findings provide novel insights into choline-mediated autophagy in HCC, providing the foothold for its future application in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhao-Yan Liu
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Ge Huang
- Center of Experimental Animals, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Yang
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiu-Ye Lan
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ai-Ping Fang
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meng-Jun Hou
- Experimental and Teaching Center for Public Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Luo
- Experimental and Teaching Center for Public Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao-Jun Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Si Chen
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui-Lian Zhu
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Ho CY, Wei CY, Zhao RW, Ye YL, Huang HC, Lee JC, Cheng FJ, Huang WC. Artemisia argyi extracts overcome lapatinib resistance via enhancing TMPRSS2 activation in HER2-positive breast cancer. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2024; 39:3389-3399. [PMID: 38445457 DOI: 10.1002/tox.24202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer stands as the predominant malignancy and primary cause of cancer-related mortality among females globally. Approximately 25% of breast cancers exhibit HER2 overexpression, imparting a more aggressive tumor phenotype and correlating with poor prognoses. Patients with metastatic breast cancer receiving HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (HER2 TKIs), such as Lapatinib, develop acquired resistance within a year, posing a critical challenge in managing this disease. Here, we explore the potential of Artemisia argyi, a Chinese herbal medicine known for its anti-cancer properties, in mitigating HER2 TKI resistance in breast cancer. Analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) revealed diminished expression of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), a subfamily of membrane proteolytic enzymes, in breast cancer patients, correlating with unfavorable outcomes. Intriguingly, lapatinib-responsive patients exhibited higher TMPRSS2 expression. Our study unveiled that the compounds from Artemisia argyi, eriodictyol, and umbelliferone could inhibit the growth of lapatinib-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, they suppressed HER2 kinase activation by enhancing TMPRSS2 activity. Our findings propose TMPRSS2 as a critical determinant in lapatinib sensitivity, and Artemisia argyi emerges as a potential agent to overcome lapatinib via activating TMPRSS2 in HER2-positive breast cancer. This study not only unravels the molecular mechanisms driving cell death in HER2-positive breast cancer cells induced by Artemisia argyi but also lays the groundwork for developing novel inhibitors to enhance therapy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Yi Ho
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Division of Family Medicine, Physical Examination Center, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yen Wei
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ruo-Wen Zhao
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Lun Ye
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Chi Huang
- School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Chih Lee
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Fang-Ju Cheng
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chien Huang
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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18
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Eid RA, Mamdouh F, Abdulsahib WK, Alshaya DS, Al-Salmi FA, Ali Alghamdi M, Jafri I, Fayad E, Alsharif G, Zaki MSA, Alshehri MA, Noreldin AE, Alaa Eldeen M. ACTL6A: unraveling its prognostic impact and paving the way for targeted therapeutics in carcinogenesis. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1387919. [PMID: 38872915 PMCID: PMC11170035 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1387919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Increased Actin-like 6A (ACTL6A) expression is associated with various cancers, but its comprehensive investigation across different malignancies is lacking. We aimed to analyze ACTL6A as a potential oncogene and therapeutic target using bioinformatics tools. Methods: We comprehensively analyzed ACTL6A expression profiles across human malignancies, focusing on correlations with tumor grade, stage, metastasis, and patient survival. Genetic alterations were examined, and the epigenetic landscape of ACTL6A was assessed using rigorous methods. The impact of ACTL6A on immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment was evaluated, along with molecular docking studies and machine learning models. Results: Our analysis revealed elevated ACTL6A expression in various tumors, correlating with poor prognostic indicators such as tumor grade, stage, metastasis, and patient survival. Genetic mutations and epigenetic modifications were identified, along with associations with immune cell infiltration and key cellular pathways. Machine learning models demonstrated ACTL6A's potential for cancer detection. Discussion: ACTL6A emerges as a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target in cancer, with implications for prognosis and therapy. Our study provides comprehensive insights into its carcinogenic actions, highlighting its potential as both a prognostic indicator and a target for anti-cancer therapy. This integrative approach enhances our understanding of ACTL6A's role in cancer pathogenesis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Refaat A. Eid
- Pathology Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Farag Mamdouh
- Biotechnology Division, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Banha, Egypt
| | - Waleed K. Abdulsahib
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, College of Pharmacy, Al Farahidi University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Dalal Sulaiman Alshaya
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fawziah A. Al-Salmi
- Biology Department, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maha Ali Alghamdi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim Jafri
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eman Fayad
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ghadi Alsharif
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biomedical Research, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mohammed A. Alshehri
- Department of Child Health, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed E. Noreldin
- Department of Histology and Cytology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt
| | - Muhammad Alaa Eldeen
- Cell Biology, Histology and Genetics Division, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
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19
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Ebrahimi B, Viswanadhapalli S, Pratap UP, Rahul G, Yang X, Pitta Venkata P, Drel V, Santhamma B, Konda S, Li X, Sanchez ALR, Yan H, Sareddy GR, Xu Z, Singh BB, Valente PT, Chen Y, Lai Z, Rao M, Kost ER, Curiel T, Tekmal RR, Nair HB, Vadlamudi RK. Pharmacological inhibition of the LIF/LIFR autocrine loop reveals vulnerability of ovarian cancer cells to ferroptosis. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:118. [PMID: 38789520 PMCID: PMC11126619 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00612-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Of all gynecologic cancers, epithelial-ovarian cancer (OCa) stands out with the highest mortality rates. Despite all efforts, 90% of individuals who receive standard surgical and cytotoxic therapy experience disease recurrence. The precise mechanism by which leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and its receptor (LIFR) contribute to the progression of OCa remains unknown. Analysis of cancer databases revealed that elevated expression of LIF or LIFR was associated with poor progression-free survival of OCa patients and a predictor of poor response to chemotherapy. Using multiple primary and established OCa cell lines or tissues that represent five subtypes of epithelial-OCa, we demonstrated that LIF/LIFR autocrine signaling is active in OCa. Moreover, treatment with LIFR inhibitor, EC359 significantly reduced OCa cell viability and cell survival with an IC50 ranging from 5-50 nM. Furthermore, EC359 diminished the stemness of OCa cells. Mechanistic studies using RNA-seq and rescue experiments unveiled that EC359 primarily induced ferroptosis by suppressing the glutathione antioxidant defense system. Using multiple in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models including cell-based xenografts, patient-derived explants, organoids, and xenograft tumors, we demonstrated that EC359 dramatically reduced the growth and progression of OCa. Additionally, EC359 therapy considerably improved tumor immunogenicity by robust CD45+ leukocyte tumor infiltration and polarizing tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) toward M1 phenotype while showing no impact on normal T-, B-, and other immune cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that the LIF/LIFR autocrine loop plays an essential role in OCa progression and that EC359 could be a promising therapeutic agent for OCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnam Ebrahimi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Suryavathi Viswanadhapalli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Uday P Pratap
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Gopalam Rahul
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, PR China
| | - Prabhakar Pitta Venkata
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Viktor Drel
- Department of Periodontics, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | | | | | - Xiaonan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | | | - Hui Yan
- Department of microbiology and immunology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Gangadhara R Sareddy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Zhenming Xu
- Department of microbiology and immunology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Brij B Singh
- Department of Periodontics, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Philip T Valente
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Department of Population Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Manjeet Rao
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Edward R Kost
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Tyler Curiel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Rajeshwar R Tekmal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | | | - Ratna K Vadlamudi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Audie L. Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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20
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Al Shareef Z, Hachim MY, Bouzid A, Talaat IM, Al-Rawi N, Hamoudi R, Hachim IY. The prognostic value of Dickkopf-3 (Dkk3), TGFB1 and ECM-1 in prostate cancer. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1351888. [PMID: 38855324 PMCID: PMC11157039 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1351888] [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: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is considered one of the most common cancers worldwide. Despite advances in patient diagnosis, management, and risk stratification, 10%-20% of patients progress to castration-resistant disease. Our previous report highlighted a protective role of Dickkopf-3 (DKK3) in PCa stroma. This role was proposed to be mediated through opposing extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM-1) and TGF-β signalling activity. However, a detailed analysis of the prognostic value of DKK3, ECM-1 and members of the TGF-β signalling pathway in PCa was not thoroughly investigated. In this study, we explored the prognostic value of DKK3, ECM-1 and TGFB1 using a bioinformatical approach through analysis of large publicly available datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TGCA) and Pan-Cancer Atlas databases. Our results showed a significant gradual loss of DKK3 expression with PCa progression (p < 0.0001) associated with increased DNA methylation in its promoter region (p < 1.63E-12). In contrast, patients with metastatic lesions showed significantly higher levels of TGFB1 expression compared to primary tumours (p < 0.00001). Our results also showed a marginal association between more advanced tumour stage presented as positive lymph node involvement and low DKK3 mRNA expression (p = 0.082). However, while ECM1 showed no association with tumour stage (p = 0.773), high TGFB1 expression showed a significant association with more advanced stage presented as advanced T3 stage compared to patients with low TGFB1 mRNA expression (p < 0.001). Interestingly, while ECM1 showed no significant association with patient outcome, patients with high DKK3 mRNA expression showed a significant association with favourable outcomes presented as prolonged disease-specific (p = 0.0266), progression-free survival (p = 0.047) and disease-free (p = 0.05). In contrast, high TGFB1 mRNA expression showed a significant association with poor patient outcomes presented as shortened progression-free (p = 0.00032) and disease-free survival (p = 0.0433). Moreover, DKK3, TGFB1 and ECM1 have acted as immune-associated genes in the PCa tumour microenvironment. In conclusion, our findings showed a distinct prognostic value for this three-gene signature in PCa. While both DKK3 and TGFB1 showed a potential role as a clinical marker for PCa stratification, ECM1 showed no significant association with the majority of clinicopathological parameters, which reduce its clinical significance as a reliable prognostic marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Al Shareef
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mahmood Y. Hachim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Bouzid
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Iman M. Talaat
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Natheer Al-Rawi
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ibrahim Y. Hachim
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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21
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Li LG, Peng XC, Yang ZY, Han N, Gou CL, Shi J, Yu LL, Chen NN, Yu TT, Li TF, Li XY, Hu J. Dihydroartemisinin-driven selective anti-lung cancer proliferation by binding to EGFR and inhibition of NRAS signaling pathway-induced DNA damage. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11704. [PMID: 38778121 PMCID: PMC11111767 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62126-8] [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: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapeutic agents can inhibit the proliferation of malignant cells due to their cytotoxicity, which is limited by collateral damage. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), has a selective anti-cancer effect, whose target and mechanism remain uncovered. The present work aims to examine the selective inhibitory effect of DHA as well as the mechanisms involved. The findings revealed that the Lewis cell line (LLC) and A549 cell line (A549) had an extremely rapid proliferation rate compared with the 16HBE cell line (16HBE). LLC and A549 showed an increased expression of NRAS compared with 16HBE. Interestingly, DHA was found to inhibit the proliferation and facilitate the apoptosis of LLC and A549 with significant anti-cancer efficacy and down-regulation of NRAS. Results from molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay revealed that DHA could bind to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) molecules, attenuating the EGF binding and thus driving the suppressive effect. LLC and A549 also exhibited obvious DNA damage in response to DHA. Further results demonstrated that over-expression of NRAS abated DHA-induced blockage of NRAS. Moreover, not only the DNA damage was impaired, but the proliferation of lung cancer cells was also revitalized while NRAS was over-expression. Taken together, DHA could induce selective anti-lung cancer efficacy through binding to EGFR and thereby abolishing the NRAS signaling pathway, thus leading to DNA damage, which provides a novel theoretical basis for phytomedicine molecular therapy of malignant tumors.
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Grants
- YC2022027, YC2023009 Innovative Research Program for Graduates of Hubei University of Medicine
- YC2022027, YC2023009 Innovative Research Program for Graduates of Hubei University of Medicine
- 202213249001, 202210929001, S202210929004, S202210929007, S202210929010 National Training Program of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Undergraduates
- Q20222107, B2022128 Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Provincial Department of Education
- Q20222107, B2022128 Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Provincial Department of Education
- 2021-2025, 2023XKQT2 Advantages Discipline Group (Medicine) Project in Higher Education of Hubei Province
- 2023AFB837, 2022CFB994 Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province
- 2020QDJZR002, 2021QDJZR015, 2019QDJZR02, 2021QDJZR007, 2020QDJZR020 Cultivating Project for Young Scholar at Hubei University of Medicine
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu-Gen Li
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Nanoformulation ResearchHubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Renmin road No. 30, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing-Chun Peng
- Department of Pathology, Shenzhen Pingle Orthopedic Hospital (Shenzhen Pingshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital), Shenzhen, 518118, Guangzhou Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pathology, Sinopharm DongFeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Renmin road No. 30, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Zi-Yi Yang
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Nanoformulation ResearchHubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Renmin road No. 30, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Han
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Nanoformulation ResearchHubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Renmin road No. 30, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang-Long Gou
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Taihe Hospital of Shiyan, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Shi
- Shenzhen Stomatology Hospital (Pingshan) of Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518000, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Li Yu
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Dianjiang, Chongqing, 408300, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan-Nan Chen
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Nanoformulation ResearchHubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Renmin road No. 30, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting-Ting Yu
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Nanoformulation ResearchHubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Renmin road No. 30, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Tong-Fei Li
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Nanoformulation ResearchHubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Renmin road No. 30, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xian-Yu Li
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Nanoformulation ResearchHubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Renmin road No. 30, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jun Hu
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Nanoformulation ResearchHubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Renmin road No. 30, Shiyan, 442000, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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22
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Singh AK, Upadhyay V, Sethi A, Chowdhury S, Mishra S, Verma SP, Bhatt MLB, Trivedi AK. Ring finger protein 138 inhibits transcription factor C/EBPα protein turnover leading to differentiation arrest in acute myeloid leukemia. Biochem J 2024; 481:653-666. [PMID: 38666590 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20240027] [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] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
E3 ubiquitin ligase, ring finger protein 138 (RNF138) is involved in several biological processes; however, its role in myeloid differentiation or tumorigenesis remains unclear. RNAseq data from TNMplot showed that RNF138 mRNA levels are highly elevated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) bone marrow samples as compared with bone marrow of normal volunteers. Here, we show that RNF138 serves as an E3 ligase for the tumor suppressor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBPα) and promotes its degradation leading to myeloid differentiation arrest in AML. Wild-type RNF138 physically interacts with C/EBPα and promotes its ubiquitin-dependent proteasome degradation while a mutant RNF-138 deficient in ligase activity though interacts with C/EBPα, fails to down-regulate it. We show that RNF138 depletion enhances endogenous C/EBPα levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from healthy volunteers. Our data further shows that RNF138-mediated degradation of C/EBPα negatively affects its transactivation potential on its target genes. Furthermore, RNF138 overexpression inhibits all-trans-retinoic acid-induced differentiation of HL-60 cells whereas RNF138 RNAi enhances. In line with RNF138 inhibiting C/EBPα protein turnover, we also observed that RNF138 overexpression inhibited β-estradiol (E2)-induced C/EBPα driven granulocytic differentiation in C/EBPα inducible K562-p42C/EBPα-estrogen receptor cells. Furthermore, we also recapitulated these findings in PBMCs isolated from AML patients where depletion of RNF138 increased the expression of myeloid differentiation marker CD11b. These results suggest that RNF138 inhibits myeloid differentiation by targeting C/EBPα for proteasomal degradation and may provide a plausible mechanism for loss of C/EBPα expression often observed in myeloid leukemia. Also, targeting RNF138 may resolve differentiation arrest by restoring C/EBPα expression in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Singh
- Division of Cancer Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, UP, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Vishal Upadhyay
- Division of Cancer Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, UP, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Arppita Sethi
- Division of Cancer Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, UP, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Sangita Chowdhury
- Division of Cancer Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, UP, India
| | - Shivkant Mishra
- Division of Cancer Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, UP, India
| | - Shailendra Prasad Verma
- Division of Cancer Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, UP, India
- King George's Medical University, Lucknow 226003, UP, India
| | | | - Arun Kumar Trivedi
- Division of Cancer Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, UP, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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23
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Umar SM, Dev AJR, Kashyap A, Rathee M, Chauhan SS, Sharma A, Prasad CP. 7-amino carboxycoumarin 2 inhibits lactate induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition via MPC1 in oral and breast cancer cells. Cell Biol Int 2024. [PMID: 38773713 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.12172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Lactate is an oncometabolite that play important role in tumor aggressiveness. Lactate from the tumor microenvironment (TME) is taken up by cancer cells as an energy resource via mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (or OXPHOS). In the present study, by using an online meta-analysis tool we demonstrated that in oral squamous cancer cells (OSCCs) glycolytic and OXPHOS governing genes are overexpressed, like in breast cancer. For experimental demonstration, we treated the OSCC cell line (SCC4) and breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) with sodium L-lactate and analyzed its effects on changes in EMT and migration. For the therapeutic intervention of lactate metabolism, we used AZD3965 (an MCT1 inhibitor), and 7ACC2 (an MPC inhibitor). Like breast cancer, oral cancer tissues showed increased transcripts of 12 genes that were previously shown to be associated with glycolysis and OXPHOS. We experimentally demonstrated that L-lactate treatment induced mesenchymal markers and migration of cancer cells, which was significantly neutralized by MPC inhibitor that is, 7ACC2. Such an effect on EMT status was not observed with AZD3965. Furthermore, we showed that lactate treatment increases the MPC1 expression in both cancer cells, and this might be the reason why cancer cells in the high lactate environment are more sensitive to 7ACC2. Overall, our present findings demonstrate that extracellular lactate positively regulates the MPC1 protein expression in cancer cells, thereby putting forward the notion of using 7ACC2 as a potential therapeutic alternative to inhibit malignant oxidative cancers. Future preclinical studies are warranted to validate the present findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheikh Mohammad Umar
- Department of Medical Oncology (Lab), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Arundhathi J R Dev
- Department of Medical Oncology (Lab), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Akanksha Kashyap
- Department of Medical Oncology (Lab), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Meetu Rathee
- Department of Medical Oncology (Lab), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Shyam S Chauhan
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Atul Sharma
- Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Chandra Prakash Prasad
- Department of Medical Oncology (Lab), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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24
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Gottumukkala SB, Ganesan TS, Palanisamy A. Comprehensive molecular interaction map of TGFβ induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition in breast cancer. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2024; 10:53. [PMID: 38760412 PMCID: PMC11101644 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-024-00378-w] [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] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the prevailing cancers globally, with a high mortality rate. Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is an advanced stage of cancer, characterised by a highly nonlinear, heterogeneous process involving numerous singling pathways and regulatory interactions. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) emerges as a key mechanism exploited by cancer cells. Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGFβ)-dependent signalling is attributed to promote EMT in advanced stages of breast cancer. A comprehensive regulatory map of TGFβ induced EMT was developed through an extensive literature survey. The network assembled comprises of 312 distinct species (proteins, genes, RNAs, complexes), and 426 reactions (state transitions, nuclear translocations, complex associations, and dissociations). The map was developed by following Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN) using Cell Designer and made publicly available using MINERVA ( http://35.174.227.105:8080/minerva/?id=Metastatic_Breast_Cancer_1 ). While the complete molecular mechanism of MBC is still not known, the map captures the elaborate signalling interplay of TGFβ induced EMT-promoting MBC. Subsequently, the disease map assembled was translated into a Boolean model utilising CaSQ and analysed using Cell Collective. Simulations of these have captured the known experimental outcomes of TGFβ induced EMT in MBC. Hub regulators of the assembled map were identified, and their transcriptome-based analysis confirmed their role in cancer metastasis. Elaborate analysis of this map may help in gaining additional insights into the development and progression of metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trivadi Sundaram Ganesan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Anbumathi Palanisamy
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal, India.
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25
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Biegała Ł, Kołat D, Gajek A, Płuciennik E, Marczak A, Śliwińska A, Mikula M, Rogalska A. Uncovering miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Networks Related to Olaparib Resistance and Resensitization of BRCA2MUT Ovarian Cancer PEO1-OR Cells with the ATR/CHK1 Pathway Inhibitors. Cells 2024; 13:867. [PMID: 38786089 PMCID: PMC11119970 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100867] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Resistance to olaparib is the major obstacle in targeted therapy for ovarian cancer (OC) with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis), prompting studies on novel combination therapies to enhance olaparib efficacy. Despite identifying various mechanisms, understanding how OC cells acquire PARPi resistance remains incomplete. This study investigated microRNA (miRNA) expression in olaparib-sensitive (PEO1, PEO4) and previously established olaparib-resistant OC cell lines (PEO1-OR) using high-throughput RT-qPCR and bioinformatic analyses. The role of miRNAs was explored regarding acquired resistance and resensitization with the ATR/CHK1 pathway inhibitors. Differentially expressed miRNAs were used to construct miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks and perform functional enrichment analyses for target genes with miRNet 2.0. TCGA-OV dataset was analyzed to explore the prognostic value of selected miRNAs and target genes in clinical samples. We identified potential processes associated with olaparib resistance, including cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and growth factor signaling. Resensitized PEO1-OR cells were enriched in growth factor signaling via PDGF, EGFR, FGFR1, VEGFR2, and TGFβR, regulation of the cell cycle via the G2/M checkpoint, and caspase-mediated apoptosis. Antibody microarray analysis confirmed dysregulated growth factor expression. The addition of the ATR/CHK1 pathway inhibitors to olaparib downregulated FGF4, FGF6, NT-4, PLGF, and TGFβ1 exclusively in PEO1-OR cells. Survival and differential expression analyses for serous OC patients revealed prognostic miRNAs likely associated with olaparib resistance (miR-99b-5p, miR-424-3p, and miR-505-5p) and resensitization to olaparib (miR-324-5p and miR-424-3p). Essential miRNA-mRNA interactions were reconstructed based on prognostic miRNAs and target genes. In conclusion, our data highlight distinct miRNA profiles in olaparib-sensitive and olaparib-resistant cells, offering molecular insights into overcoming resistance with the ATR/CHK1 inhibitors in OC. Moreover, some miRNAs might serve as potential predictive signature molecules of resistance and therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Biegała
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (Ł.B.); (A.G.); (A.M.)
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Lodz, Jana Matejki 21/23, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
| | - Damian Kołat
- Department of Functional Genomics, Medical University of Lodz, Żeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland; (D.K.); (E.P.)
- Department of Biomedicine and Experimental Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Narutowicza 60, 90-136 Lodz, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Gajek
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (Ł.B.); (A.G.); (A.M.)
| | - Elżbieta Płuciennik
- Department of Functional Genomics, Medical University of Lodz, Żeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland; (D.K.); (E.P.)
| | - Agnieszka Marczak
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (Ł.B.); (A.G.); (A.M.)
| | - Agnieszka Śliwińska
- Department of Nucleic Acid Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
| | - Michał Mikula
- Department of Genetics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Roentgena 5, 02-781 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Aneta Rogalska
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; (Ł.B.); (A.G.); (A.M.)
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26
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Thuy Lu Vo T, Hoang VH, Thi Phuong Dung P, Anh Chi N, Minh Huy V, Tung Ngo S, Thi Kim Nguyen Y, Thi Thu Hien T, Hoang TH, Thi Do Y, Hae Seo J, Tran PT. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel quinazoline derivatives as immune checkpoint inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 108:129796. [PMID: 38754563 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129796] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
In this work, we report 14 novel quinazoline derivatives as immune checkpoint inhibitors, IDO1 and PD-L1. The antitumor screening of synthesized compounds on ovarian cancer cells indicated that compound V-d and V-l showed the most activity with IC50 values of about 5 μM. Intriguingly, compound V-d emerges as a stand out, triggering cell death through caspase-dependent and caspase-independent manners. More importantly, V-d presents its ability to hinder tumor sphere formation and re-sensitized cisplatin-resistant A2780 cells to cisplatin treatment. These findings suggest that compound V-d emerges as a promising lead candidate for the future development of immuno anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tam Thuy Lu Vo
- Department of Biochemistry, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, South Korea; Faculty of Pharmacy and Nursing, Tay Do University, 68 Lo Hau Thanh My, Can Tho 900000, Viet Nam
| | - Van-Hai Hoang
- Faculty of Pharmacy, PHENIKAA University, Hanoi 12116, Viet Nam; PHENIKAA Institute for Advanced Study (PIAS), PHENIKAA University, Yen Nghia, Hadong, Hanoi 12116, Viet Nam
| | | | - Nguyen Anh Chi
- Hanoi University of Pharmacy, 13-15 Le Thanh Tong, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Vu Minh Huy
- Hanoi University of Pharmacy, 13-15 Le Thanh Tong, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Son Tung Ngo
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Institute for Advanced Study in Technology, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 72915, Viet Nam; Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 72915, Viet Nam
| | - Yen Thi Kim Nguyen
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Tran Thi Thu Hien
- Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine, 2 Tran Phu, Ha Dong, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Tham H Hoang
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Vingroup Big Data Institute, 458 Minh Khai Street, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam; College of Engineering and Computer Science, VinUniversity, Vinhomes Ocean Park, Gia Lam, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Yen Thi Do
- Department of Biochemistry, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, South Korea
| | - Ji Hae Seo
- Department of Biochemistry, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, South Korea.
| | - Phuong-Thao Tran
- Hanoi University of Pharmacy, 13-15 Le Thanh Tong, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam.
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Liu Y, Zeng D, Gao Y. ZNF692 promotes the migration and response to immunotherapy of clear cell renal cell carcinoma cells by targeting metabolic pathway. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:158. [PMID: 38735008 PMCID: PMC11089031 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-01005-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), with high mortality and poor prognosis, is the most common type of renal malignancy. It is necessary to identify new biomarkers that can serve as indicators for the detection of ccRCC at its early stages. In this study, we analyzed the role of classical zinc finger protein 692 (ZNF692) in ccRCC using datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Single Cell Portal and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of a tissue-microarray, and analyzed the function of ZNF692 in ccRCC cells. The analyses indicated that ZNF692 was upregulated in ccRCC samples compared with normal or paracancerous control samples (P < 0.001) and that the expression of this gene was linked to poor overall survival (HR = 2.1, P < 0.0001). The knockdown of ZNF692 inhibited the proliferation and migration of ccRCC cells by target GTPase-activating protein (SH3 domain)-binding protein 2 (G3BP2), and transmembrane 9 superfamily member 2 (TM9SF2)). T, B, proximal, and collecting tubule cells are the dominant cell types in normal kidney tissue where ZNF692 is expressed. In addition, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy dramatically changed the expression patterns of ZNF692. Collectively, these data indicate that ZNF692 may serve as prognosis, and as a potential indicator of the response to ICB therapy, a possibility needs to be verified by a case‒control study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuming Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, MengChao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350025, China
| | - Dehua Zeng
- Department of Pathology, The 900, Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force, PLA, Fuzhou, 350025, China
| | - Yunzhen Gao
- The Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, 601 Jinsui Road, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
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28
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Torshizi Esfahani A, Mohammadpour S, Jalali P, Yaghoobi A, Karimpour R, Torkamani S, Pardakhtchi A, Salehi Z, Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad E. Differential expression of angiogenesis-related genes 'VEGF' and 'angiopoietin-1' in metastatic and EMAST-positive colorectal cancer patients. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10539. [PMID: 38719941 PMCID: PMC11079037 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61000-x] [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: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Abnormal angiogenesis leads to tumor progression and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to elucidate the association between angiogenesis-related genes, including VEGF-A, ANGPT-1, and ANGPT-2 with both metastatic and microsatellite alterations at selected tetranucleotide repeats (EMAST) subtypes of CRC. We conducted a thorough assessment of the ANGPT-1, ANGPT-2, and VEGF-A gene expression utilizing publicly available RNA sequencing and microarray datasets. Then, the experimental validation was performed in 122 CRC patients, considering their disease metastasis and EMAST+/- profile by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Subsequently, a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network associated with these angiogenesis-related genes was constructed and analyzed. The expression level of VEGF-A and ANGPT-2 genes were significantly higher in tumor tissues as compared with normal adjacent tissues (P-value < 0.001). Nevertheless, ANGPT-1 had a significantly lower expression in tumor samples than in normal colon tissue (P-value < 0.01). We identified a significantly increased VEGF-A (P-value = 0.002) and decreased ANGPT-1 (P-value = 0.04) expression in EMAST+ colorectal tumors. Regarding metastasis, a significantly increased VEGF-A and ANGPT-2 expression (P-value = 0.001) and decreased ANGPT-1 expression (P-value < 0.05) were established in metastatic CRC patients. Remarkably, co-expression analysis also showed a strong correlation between ANGPT-2 and VEGF-A gene expressions. The ceRNA network was constructed by ANGPT-1, ANGPT-2, VEGF-A, and experimentally validated miRNAs (hsa-miR-190a-3p, hsa-miR-374c-5p, hsa-miR-452-5p, and hsa-miR-889-3p), lncRNAs (AFAP1-AS1, KCNQ1OT1 and MALAT1), and TFs (Sp1, E2F1, and STAT3). Network analysis revealed that colorectal cancer is amongst the 82 significant pathways. We demonstrated a significant differential expression of VEGF-A and ANGPT-1 in colorectal cancer patients exhibiting the EMAST+ phenotype. This finding provides novel insights into the molecular pathogenesis of colorectal cancer, specifically in EMAST subtypes. Yet, the generalization of in silico findings to EMAST+ colorectal cancer warrants future experimental investigations. In the end, this study proposes that the EMAST biomarker could serve as an additional perspective on CMS4 biology which is well-defined by activated angiogenesis and worse overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Torshizi Esfahani
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Mohammadpour
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pooya Jalali
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Yaghoobi
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Raana Karimpour
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soha Torkamani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Pardakhtchi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Salehi
- Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Research Institute for Oncology, Hematology and Cell Therapy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ehsan Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
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29
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Beauchamp E, Gamma JM, Cromwell CR, Moussa EW, Pain R, Kostiuk MA, Acevedo-Morantes C, Iyer A, Yap M, Vincent KM, Postovit LM, Julien O, Hubbard BP, Mackey JR, Berthiaume LG. Multiomics analysis identifies oxidative phosphorylation as a cancer vulnerability arising from myristoylation inhibition. J Transl Med 2024; 22:431. [PMID: 38715059 PMCID: PMC11075276 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05150-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In humans, two ubiquitously expressed N-myristoyltransferases, NMT1 and NMT2, catalyze myristate transfer to proteins to facilitate membrane targeting and signaling. We investigated the expression of NMTs in numerous cancers and found that NMT2 levels are dysregulated by epigenetic suppression, particularly so in hematologic malignancies. This suggests that pharmacological inhibition of the remaining NMT1 could allow for the selective killing of these cells, sparing normal cells with both NMTs. METHODS AND RESULTS Transcriptomic analysis of 1200 NMT inhibitor (NMTI)-treated cancer cell lines revealed that NMTI sensitivity relates not only to NMT2 loss or NMT1 dependency, but also correlates with a myristoylation inhibition sensitivity signature comprising 54 genes (MISS-54) enriched in hematologic cancers as well as testis, brain, lung, ovary, and colon cancers. Because non-myristoylated proteins are degraded by a glycine-specific N-degron, differential proteomics revealed the major impact of abrogating NMT1 genetically using CRISPR/Cas9 in cancer cells was surprisingly to reduce mitochondrial respiratory complex I proteins rather than cell signaling proteins, some of which were also reduced, albeit to a lesser extent. Cancer cell treatments with the first-in-class NMTI PCLX-001 (zelenirstat), which is undergoing human phase 1/2a trials in advanced lymphoma and solid tumors, recapitulated these effects. The most downregulated myristoylated mitochondrial protein was NDUFAF4, a complex I assembly factor. Knockout of NDUFAF4 or in vitro cell treatment with zelenirstat resulted in loss of complex I, oxidative phosphorylation and respiration, which impacted metabolomes. CONCLUSIONS Targeting of both, oxidative phosphorylation and cell signaling partly explains the lethal effects of zelenirstat in select cancer types. While the prognostic value of the sensitivity score MISS-54 remains to be validated in patients, our findings continue to warrant the clinical development of zelenirstat as cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay M Gamma
- Department of Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Christopher R Cromwell
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Eman W Moussa
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Rony Pain
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Morris A Kostiuk
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Claudia Acevedo-Morantes
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Aishwarya Iyer
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Megan Yap
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Krista M Vincent
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Lynne M Postovit
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Olivier Julien
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Basil P Hubbard
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Luc G Berthiaume
- Pacylex Pharmaceuticals Inc., Edmonton, AB, Canada.
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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30
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Zhang Y, Hu J, Zhang X, Liang M, Wang X, Gan D, Li J, Lu X, Wan J, Feng S, Lu X. Protein Signature Differentiating Neutrophils and Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Determined Using a Human Isogenic Cell Line Model and Protein Profiling. Cells 2024; 13:795. [PMID: 38786019 PMCID: PMC11119164 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100795] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play an essential role in suppressing the antitumor activity of T lymphocytes in solid tumors, thus representing an attractive therapeutic target to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. However, the differences in protein expression between MDSCs and their physiological counterparts, particularly polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), remain inadequately characterized, making the specific identification and targeting of MDSCs difficult. PMNs and PMN-MDSCs share markers such as CD11b+CD14-CD15+/CD66b+, and some MDSC-enriched markers are emerging, such as LOX-1 and CD84. More proteomics studies are needed to identify the signature and markers for MDSCs. Recently, we reported the induced differentiation of isogenic PMNs or MDSCs (referred to as iPMNs and iMDSCs, respectively) from the human promyelocytic cell line HL60. Here, we profiled the global proteomics and membrane proteomics of these cells with quantitative mass spectrometry, which identified a 41-protein signature ("cluster 6") that was upregulated in iMDSCs compared with HL60 and iPMN. We further integrated our cell line-based proteomics data with a published proteomics dataset of normal human primary monocytes and monocyte-derived MDSCs induced by cancer-associated fibroblasts. The analysis identified a 38-protein signature that exhibits an upregulated expression pattern in MDSCs compared with normal monocytes or PMNs. These signatures may provide a hypothesis-generating platform to identify protein biomarkers that phenotypically distinguish MDSCs from their healthy counterparts, as well as potential therapeutic targets that impair MDSCs without harming normal myeloid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Jin Hu
- Mass Spectrometry & Metabolomics Core Facility, Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Xiashiyao Zhang
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Minzhi Liang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Xuechun Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Dailin Gan
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Xuemin Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Jun Wan
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Shan Feng
- Mass Spectrometry & Metabolomics Core Facility, Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN 46556, USA
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31
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Győrffy B. Integrated analysis of public datasets for the discovery and validation of survival-associated genes in solid tumors. Innovation (N Y) 2024; 5:100625. [PMID: 38706955 PMCID: PMC11066458 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Identifying genes with prognostic significance that can act as biomarkers in solid tumors can help stratify patients and uncover novel therapy targets. Here, our goal was to expand our previous ranking analysis of survival-associated genes in various solid tumors to include colon cancer specimens with available transcriptomic and clinical data. A Gene Expression Omnibus search was performed to identify available datasets with clinical data and raw gene expression measurements. A combined database was set up and integrated into our Kaplan-Meier plotter, making it possible to identify genes with expression changes linked to altered survival. As a demonstration of the utility of the platform, the most powerful genes linked to overall survival in colon cancer were identified using uni- and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The combined colon cancer database includes 2,137 tumor samples from 17 independent cohorts. The most significant genes associated with relapse-free survival with a false discovery rate below 1% in colon cancer carcinoma were RBPMS (hazard rate [HR] = 2.52), TIMP1 (HR = 2.44), and COL4A2 (HR = 2.36). The three strongest genes associated with shorter survival in stage II colon cancer include CSF1R (HR = 2.86), FLNA (HR = 2.88), and TPBG (HR = 2.65). In summary, a new integrated database for colon cancer is presented. A colon cancer analysis subsystem was integrated into our Kaplan-Meier plotter that can be used to mine the entire database (https://www.kmplot.com). The portal has the potential to be employed for the identification and prioritization of promising biomarkers and therapeutic target candidates in multiple solid tumors including, among others, breast, lung, ovarian, gastric, pancreatic, and colon cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs Győrffy
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Department of Bioinformatics, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
- Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
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32
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Kubota CS, Myers SL, Seppälä TT, Burkhart RA, Espenshade PJ. In vivo CRISPR screening identifies geranylgeranyl diphosphate as a pancreatic cancer tumor growth dependency. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.03.592368. [PMID: 38746286 PMCID: PMC11092789 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.03.592368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Cancer cells must maintain lipid supplies for their proliferation and do so by upregulating lipogenic gene programs. The sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) act as modulators of lipid homeostasis by acting as transcriptional activators of genes required for fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis and uptake. SREBPs have been recognized as chemotherapeutic targets in multiple cancers, however it is not well understood which SREBP target genes are essential for tumorigenesis. Using parallel in vitro and in vivo CRISPR knockout screens, we identified terpenoid backbone biosynthesis genes as essential for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor development. Specifically, we identified the non-sterol isoprenoid product of the mevalonate pathway, geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP), as an essential lipid for tumor growth. Mechanistically, we observed that restricting mevalonate pathway activity using statins and SREBP inhibitors synergistically induced apoptosis and caused disruptions in small G protein prenylation that have pleiotropic effects on cellular signaling pathways. Finally, we demonstrated that geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase 1 ( GGPS1 ) knockdown significantly reduces tumor burden in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model. These findings indicate that PDAC tumors selectively require GGPP over other lipids such as cholesterol and fatty acids and that this is a targetable vulnerability of pancreatic cancer cells.
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Tubita A, Menconi A, Lombardi Z, Tusa I, Esparís-Ogando A, Pandiella A, Gamberi T, Stecca B, Rovida E. Latent-Transforming Growth Factor β-Binding Protein 1/Transforming Growth Factor β1 Complex Drives Antitumoral Effects upon ERK5 Targeting in Melanoma. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024:S0002-9440(24)00167-6. [PMID: 38705382 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer, with a poor prognosis in advanced stages. Available treatments have improved survival, although long-term benefits still are unsatisfactory. The mitogen-activated protein kinase extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) promotes melanoma growth, and ERK5 inhibition determines cellular senescence and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Here, latent-transforming growth factor β-binding protein 1 (LTBP1) mRNA was found to be up-regulated in A375 and SK-Mel-5 BRAFV600E melanoma cells after ERK5 inhibition. In keeping with a key role of LTBP1 in regulating transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), TGF-β1 protein levels were increased in lysates and conditioned media of ERK5-knockdown (KD) cells, and were reduced upon LTBP1 KD. Both LTBP1 and TGF-β1 proteins were increased in melanoma xenografts in mice treated with the ERK5 inhibitor XMD8-92. Moreover, treatment with conditioned media from ERK5-KD melanoma cells reduced cell proliferation and invasiveness, and TGF-β1-neutralizing antibodies impaired these effects. In silico data sets revealed that higher expression levels of both LTBP1 and TGFB1 mRNA are associated with better overall survival of melanoma patients, and that increased LTBP1 or TGF-β1 expression proved a beneficial role in patients treated with anti-PD1 immunotherapy, making a possible immunosuppressive role of LTBP1/TGF-β1 unlikely upon ERK5 inhibition. This study, therefore, identifies additional desirable effects of ERK5 targeting, providing evidence of an ERK5-dependent tumor-suppressive role of TGF-β in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Tubita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessio Menconi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Zoe Lombardi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ignazia Tusa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Azucena Esparís-Ogando
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, CIBERONC, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Atanasio Pandiella
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, CIBERONC, Salamanca, Spain; CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Tania Gamberi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Barbara Stecca
- Core Research Laboratory, Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention, Florence, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Rovida
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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Wang C, Li Y, Wang L, Han Y, Gao X, Li T, Liu M, Dai L, Du R. SPP1 represents a therapeutic target that promotes the progression of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma by driving M2 macrophage infiltration. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1770-1782. [PMID: 38600327 PMCID: PMC11130281 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02683-x] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) are an important component of the tumour microenvironment (TME). However, the crosstalk between oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells and TAMs remains largely unexplored. METHODS Clinical samples and the TCGA database were used to evaluate the relevance of SPP1 and TAM infiltration in ESCC. Mouse models were constructed to investigate the roles of macrophages educated by SPP1 in ESCC. Macrophage phenotypes were determined using qRT‒PCR and immunohistochemical staining. RNA sequencing was performed to elucidate the mechanism. RESULTS Increasing expression of SPP1 correlated with M2-like TAM accumulation in ESCC, and they both predicted poor prognosis in the ESCC cohort. Knockdown of SPP1 significantly inhibited the infiltration of M2 TAMs in xenograft tumours. In vivo mouse model experiments showed that SPP1-mediated education of macrophages plays an essential role in the progression of ESCC. Mechanistically, SPP1 recruited macrophages and promoted M2 polarisation via CD44/PI3K/AKT signalling activation and then induced VEGFA and IL6 secretion to sustain ESCC progression. Finally, blockade of SPP1 with RNA aptamer significantly inhibited tumour growth and M2 TAM infiltration in xenograft mouse models. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights SPP1-mediated crosstalk between ESCC cells and TAMs in ESCC. SPP1 could serve as a potential target in ESCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xinxiang Central Hospital, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, China
| | - Yutong Li
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Key Medical Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biomarkers, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Key Laboratory for Pharmacology of Liver Diseases, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Linhong Wang
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Key Medical Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biomarkers, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Key Laboratory for Pharmacology of Liver Diseases, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Yu Han
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Xiaohui Gao
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Key Medical Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biomarkers, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Key Laboratory for Pharmacology of Liver Diseases, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Tiandong Li
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Man Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Henan Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital), Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Liping Dai
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Key Medical Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biomarkers, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Key Laboratory for Pharmacology of Liver Diseases, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Renle Du
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- Henan Key Medical Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biomarkers, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- Henan Key Laboratory for Pharmacology of Liver Diseases, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
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Shi Y, Kang Q, Zhou H, Yue X, Bi Y, Luo Q. Aberrant LETM1 elevation dysregulates mitochondrial functions and energy metabolism and promotes lung metastasis in osteosarcoma. Genes Dis 2024; 11:100988. [PMID: 38292199 PMCID: PMC10825238 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.05.005] [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: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is a differentiation-deficient disease, and despite the unique advantages and great potential of differentiation therapy, there are only a few known differentiation inducers, and little research has been done on their targets. Cell differentiation is associated with an increase in mitochondrial content and activity. The metabolism of some tumor cells is characterized by impaired oxidative phosphorylation, as well as up-regulation of aerobic glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways. Leucine-containing zipper and EF-hand transmembrane protein 1 (LETM1) is involved in the maintenance of mitochondrial morphology and is closely associated with tumorigenesis and progression, as well as cancer cell stemness. We found that MG63 and 143B osteosarcoma cells overexpress LETM1 and exhibit abnormalities in mitochondrial structure and function. Knockdown of LETM1 partially restored the mitochondrial structure and function, inhibited the pentose phosphate pathway, promoted oxidative phosphorylation, and led to osteogenic differentiation. It also inhibited spheroid cell formation, proliferation, migration, and invasion in an in vitro model. When LETM1 was knocked down in vivo, there was reduced tumor formation and lung metastasis. These data suggest that mitochondria are aberrant in LETM1-overexpressing osteosarcoma cells, and knockdown of LETM1 partially restores the mitochondrial structure and function, inhibits the pentose phosphate pathway, promotes oxidative phosphorylation, and increases osteogenic differentiation, thereby reducing malignant biological behavior of the cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulu Shi
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory, The Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Quan Kang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory, The Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Xiaohan Yue
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory, The Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Yang Bi
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory, The Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Qing Luo
- Stem Cell Biology and Therapy Laboratory, The Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, China
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Parreno V, Loubiere V, Schuettengruber B, Fritsch L, Rawal CC, Erokhin M, Győrffy B, Normanno D, Di Stefano M, Moreaux J, Butova NL, Chiolo I, Chetverina D, Martinez AM, Cavalli G. Transient loss of Polycomb components induces an epigenetic cancer fate. Nature 2024; 629:688-696. [PMID: 38658752 PMCID: PMC11096130 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07328-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Although cancer initiation and progression are generally associated with the accumulation of somatic mutations1,2, substantial epigenomic alterations underlie many aspects of tumorigenesis and cancer susceptibility3-6, suggesting that genetic mechanisms might not be the only drivers of malignant transformation7. However, whether purely non-genetic mechanisms are sufficient to initiate tumorigenesis irrespective of mutations has been unknown. Here, we show that a transient perturbation of transcriptional silencing mediated by Polycomb group proteins is sufficient to induce an irreversible switch to a cancer cell fate in Drosophila. This is linked to the irreversible derepression of genes that can drive tumorigenesis, including members of the JAK-STAT signalling pathway and zfh1, the fly homologue of the ZEB1 oncogene, whose aberrant activation is required for Polycomb perturbation-induced tumorigenesis. These data show that a reversible depletion of Polycomb proteins can induce cancer in the absence of driver mutations, suggesting that tumours can emerge through epigenetic dysregulation leading to inheritance of altered cell fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Parreno
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - V Loubiere
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - B Schuettengruber
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - L Fritsch
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - C C Rawal
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - M Erokhin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - B Győrffy
- Semmelweis University Department of Bioinformatics, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - D Normanno
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - M Di Stefano
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - J Moreaux
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- UFR Medicine, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - N L Butova
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - I Chiolo
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - D Chetverina
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A-M Martinez
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
| | - G Cavalli
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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Wang Y, Xue H, Zhu X, Lin D, Dong X, Chen Z, Chen J, Shi M, Ni Y, Cao J, Wu R, Kang N, Pang X, Crea F, Lin YY, Collins CC, Gleave ME, Parolia A, Chinnaiyan A, Ong CJ, Wang Y. Deciphering the Transcription Factor Landscape in Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer Progression: A Novel Approach to Understand NE Transdifferentiation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.27.591428. [PMID: 38746377 PMCID: PMC11092479 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.27.591428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objective Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer mortality in men, with neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) representing a particularly resistant subtype. The role of transcription factors (TFs) in the progression from prostatic adenocarcinoma (PRAD) to NEPC is poorly understood. This study aims to identify and analyze lineage-specific TF profiles in PRAD and NEPC and illustrate their dynamic shifts during NE transdifferentiation. Methods A novel algorithmic approach was developed to evaluate the weighted expression of TFs within patient samples, enabling a nuanced understanding of TF landscapes in PCa progression and TF dynamic shifts during NE transdifferentiation. Results unveiled TF profiles for PRAD and NEPC, identifying 126 shared TFs, 46 adenocarcinoma-TFs, and 56 NEPC-TFs. Enrichment analysis across multiple clinical cohorts confirmed the lineage specificity and clinical relevance of these lineage-TFs signatures. Functional analysis revealed that lineage-TFs are implicated in pathways critical to cell development, differentiation, and lineage determination. Novel lineage-TF candidates were identified, offering potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, our longitudinal study on NE transdifferentiation highlighted dynamic TF expression shifts and delineated a three-phase hypothesis for the process comprised of de-differentiation, dormancy, and re-differentiation. and proposing novel insights into the mechanisms of PCa progression. Conclusion The lineage-specific TF profiles in PRAD and NEPC reveal a dynamic shift in the TF landscape during PCa progression, highlighting three distinct phases of NE transdifferentiation.
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Agarwal S, Gupta S, Raj R. Identification of potential targetable genes in papillary, follicular, and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma using bioinformatics analysis. Endocrine 2024:10.1007/s12020-024-03836-x. [PMID: 38676768 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-024-03836-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To perform an extensive exploratory analysis to build a deeper insight into clinically relevant molecular biomarkers in Papillary, Follicular, and Anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (PTC, FTC, ATC). METHODS Thirteen Thyroid Cancer (THCA) datasets incorporating PTC, FTC, and ATC were derived from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Genes differentially expressed (DEGs) between THCA and normal were identified and subjected to GO and KEGG analyses. Multiple topological properties were harnessed and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed to identify the hub genes followed by survival analysis and validation. RESULTS There were 70, 87, and 377 DEGs, and 23, 27, and 53 hub genes for PTC, FTC, and ATC samples, respectively. Survival analysis detected 39 overall and 49 relapse-free survival-relevant hub genes. Six hub genes, BCL2, FN1, ITPR1, LYVE1, NTRK2, TBC1D4, were found common to more than one THCA type. The most significant hub genes found in the study were: BCL2, CD44, DCN, FN1, IRS1, ITPR1, MFAP4, MKI67, NTRK2, PCLO, TGFA. The most enriched and significant GO terms were Melanocyte differentiation for PTC, Extracellular region for FTC, and Extracellular exosome for ATC. Prostate cancer for PTC was the most significantly enriched KEGG pathway. The results were validated using TCGA data. CONCLUSIONS The findings unravel potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of thyroid carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipra Agarwal
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India
| | - Shikha Gupta
- Department of Computer Science, S.S. College of Business Studies, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
| | - Rishav Raj
- Department of Computer Science, S.S. College of Business Studies, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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Han JY, Che N, Mo J, Zhang DF, Liang XH, Dong XY, Zhao XL, Sun BC. Desmoglein 2 and desmocollin 2 depletions promote malignancy through distinct mechanisms in triple-negative and luminal breast cancer. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:532. [PMID: 38671389 PMCID: PMC11046749 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12229-2] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant expressions of desmoglein 2 (Dsg2) and desmocollin 2(Dsc2), the two most widely distributed desmosomal cadherins, have been found to play various roles in cancer in a context-dependent manner. Their specific roles on breast cancer (BC) and the potential mechanisms remain unclear. METHODS The expressions of Dsg2 and Dsc2 in human BC tissues and cell lines were assessed by using bioinformatics analysis, immunohistochemistry and western blotting assays. Wound-healing and Transwell assays were performed to evaluate the cells' migration and invasion abilities. Plate colony-forming and MTT assays were used to examine the cells' capacity of proliferation. Mechanically, Dsg2 and Dsc2 knockdown-induced malignant behaviors were elucidated using western blotting assay as well as three inhibitors including MK2206 for AKT, PD98059 for ERK, and XAV-939 for β-catenin. RESULTS We found reduced expressions of Dsg2 and Dsc2 in human BC tissues and cell lines compared to normal counterparts. Furthermore, shRNA-mediated downregulation of Dsg2 and Dsc2 could significantly enhance cell proliferation, migration and invasion in triple-negative MDA-MB-231 and luminal MCF-7 BC cells. Mechanistically, EGFR activity was decreased but downstream AKT and ERK pathways were both activated maybe through other activated protein tyrosine kinases in shDsg2 and shDsc2 MDA-MB-231 cells since protein tyrosine kinases are key drivers of triple-negative BC survival. Additionally, AKT inhibitor treatment displayed much stronger capacity to abolish shDsg2 and shDsc2 induced progression compared to ERK inhibition, which was due to feedback activation of AKT pathway induced by ERK inhibition. In contrast, all of EGFR, AKT and ERK activities were attenuated, whereas β-catenin was accumulated in shDsg2 and shDsc2 MCF-7 cells. These results indicate that EGFR-targeted therapy is not a good choice for BC patients with low Dsg2 or Dsc2 expression. Comparatively, AKT inhibitors may be more helpful to triple-negative BC patients with low Dsg2 or Dsc2 expression, while therapies targeting β-catenin can be considered for luminal BC patients with low Dsg2 or Dsc2 expression. CONCLUSION Our finding demonstrate that single knockdown of Dsg2 or Dsc2 could promote proliferation, motility and invasion in triple-negative MDA-MB-231 and luminal MCF-7 cells. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms were cellular context-specific and distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Yuan Han
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, 300052, Tianjin, China
| | - Na Che
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, 300052, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Mo
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, 300052, Tianjin, China
| | - Dan-Fang Zhang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, 300052, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiao-Hui Liang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, 300052, Tianjin, China
| | - Xue-Yi Dong
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, 300052, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiu-Lan Zhao
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China.
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, 300052, Tianjin, China.
| | - Bao-Cun Sun
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, 300070, Tianjin, China.
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, 300052, Tianjin, China.
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Lin HY, Chu PY. Mitochondrial calcium uniporter as biomarker and therapeutic target for breast cancer: Prognostication, immune microenvironment, epigenetic regulation and precision medicine. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00158-9. [PMID: 38663838 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.04.015] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is a central subunit of MCU complex that regulate the levels of calcium ions within mitochondria. A comprehensive understanding the implications of MCU in clinical prognostication, biological understandings and therapeutic opportunity of breast cancer (BC) is yet to be determined. OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate the role of MCU in predictive performance, tumor progression, epigenetic regulation, shaping of tumor immune microenvironment, and pharmacogenetics and the development of anti-tumor therapy for BC. METHODS The downloaded TCGA datasets were used to identify predictive ability of MCU expressions via supervised learning principle. Functional enrichment, mutation landscape, immunological profile, drug sensitivity were examined using bioinformatics analysis and confirmed by experiments exploiting human specimens, in vitro and in vivo models. RESULTS MCU copy numbers increase with MCU gene expression. MCU expression, but not MCU genetic alterations, had a positive correlation with known BC prognostic markers. Higher MCU levels in BC showed modest efficacy in predicting overall survival. In addition, high MCU expression was associated with known BC prognostic markers and with malignancy. In BC tumor and sgRNA-treated cell lines, enrichment pathways identified the involvement of cell cycle and immunity. miR-29a was recognized as a negative epigenetic regulator of MCU. High MCU levels were associated with increased mutation levels in oncogene TP53 and tumor suppression gene CDH1, as well as with an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Sigle-cell sequencing indicated that MCU mostly mapped on to tumor cell and CD8 T-cells. Inter-databases verification further confirmed the aforementioned observation. miR-29a-mediated knockdown of MCU resulted in tumor suppression and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as diminished metastasis. Furthermore, MCU present pharmacogenetic significance in cellular docetaxel sensitivity and in prediction of patients' response to chemotherapeutic regimen. CONCLUSION MCU shows significant implication in prognosis, outcome prediction, microenvironmental shaping and precision medicine for BC. miR-29a-mediated MCU inhibition exerts therapeutic effect in tumor growth and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Yu Lin
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan; Research Assistant Center, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan.
| | - Pei-Yi Chu
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242, Taiwan; Department of Pathology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan; National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 704, Taiwan.
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Kwiatkowski M, Krajewski A, Durślewicz J, Buchholz K, Grzanka D, Gagat M, Zabrzyński J, Klimaszewska-Wiśniewska A. Overexpression of cyclin F/CCNF as an independent prognostic factor for poor survival in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9280. [PMID: 38654021 PMCID: PMC11039610 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59437-1] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclin F (encoded by CCNF gene) has been reported to be implicated in the pathobiology of several human cancers. However, its potential clinical significance in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unknown. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential significance of cyclin F, assessed by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and molecular (bioinformatics) techniques, as a prognostic marker in ccRCC in relation to clinicopathological features and outcomes. IHC staining was performed using two independent ccRCC tissue array cohorts, herein called tissue macroarray (TMA)_1 and tissue microarray (TMA)_2, composed of 108 ccRCCs and 37 histologically normal tissues adjacent to the tumor (NAT) and 192 ccRCCs and 16 normal kidney samples, respectively. The mRNA expression data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) public datasets, followed by bioinformatics analysis of biological mechanisms underlying prognosis. The relationship between immune cell infiltration level and CCNF expression in ccRCC was investigated using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource 2.0 (TIMER2) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2). Cyclin F expression was significantly elevated in ccRCC lesions compared to both NAT and normal renal tissues. Likewise, CCNF mRNA was markedly increased in ccRCCs relative to non-cancerous tissues. In all analyzed cohorts, tumors with features of more aggressive behavior were more likely to display cyclin F/CCNF-high expression than low. Furthermore, patients with high cyclin F/CCNF expression had shorter overall survival (OS) times than those with low expression. In addition, multivariable analysis revealed that cyclin F/CCNF-high expression was an independent prognostic factor for poor OS in ccRCC. Enrichment analysis for mechanistically relevant processes showed that CCNF and its highly correlated genes initiate the signaling pathways that eventually result in uncontrolled cell proliferation. CCNF expression was also correlated with immune cell infiltration and caused poor outcomes depending on the abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in ccRCC. Our findings suggest that cyclin F/CCNF expression is likely to have an essential role in ccRCC pathobiology through regulating multiple oncogenic signaling pathways and affecting the tumor immune microenvironment and may serve as prognostic biomarker and promising therapeutic target in ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Kwiatkowski
- Department of Urology and Urological Oncology, Multidisciplinary Hospital of Ludwik Blażek, Inowrocław, Poland
| | - Adrian Krajewski
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Justyna Durślewicz
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Karolina Buchholz
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Dariusz Grzanka
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Maciej Gagat
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Mazovian Academy, Płock, Poland
| | - Jan Zabrzyński
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Anna Klimaszewska-Wiśniewska
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
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Cerutti C, Lucotti S, Menendez ST, Reymond N, Garg R, Romero IA, Muschel R, Ridley AJ. IQGAP1 and NWASP promote human cancer cell dissemination and metastasis by regulating β1-integrin via FAK and MRTF/SRF. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113989. [PMID: 38536816 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113989] [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] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Attachment of circulating tumor cells to the endothelial cells (ECs) lining blood vessels is a critical step in cancer metastatic colonization, which leads to metastatic outgrowth. Breast and prostate cancers are common malignancies in women and men, respectively. Here, we observe that β1-integrin is required for human prostate and breast cancer cell adhesion to ECs under shear-stress conditions in vitro and to lung blood vessel ECs in vivo. We identify IQGAP1 and neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (NWASP) as regulators of β1-integrin transcription and protein expression in prostate and breast cancer cells. IQGAP1 and NWASP depletion in cancer cells decreases adhesion to ECs in vitro and retention in the lung vasculature and metastatic lung nodule formation in vivo. Mechanistically, NWASP and IQGAP1 act downstream of Cdc42 to increase β1-integrin expression both via extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/focal adhesion kinase signaling at the protein level and by myocardin-related transcription factor/serum response factor (SRF) transcriptionally. Our results identify IQGAP1 and NWASP as potential therapeutic targets to reduce early metastatic dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Cerutti
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London SE1 U1L, UK; Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Inflammation Research and Translational Medicine (CIRTM), Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK.
| | - Serena Lucotti
- CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Sofia T Menendez
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London SE1 U1L, UK
| | - Nicolas Reymond
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London SE1 U1L, UK
| | - Ritu Garg
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London SE1 U1L, UK
| | - Ignacio A Romero
- School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Ruth Muschel
- CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Anne J Ridley
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London SE1 U1L, UK.
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Li CJ, Tzeng YDT, Hsiao JH, Tseng LM, Hsu TS, Chu PY. Spatial and single-cell explorations uncover prognostic significance and immunological functions of mitochondrial calcium uniporter in breast cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:140. [PMID: 38632642 PMCID: PMC11022417 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03327-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is a transmembrane protein facilitating the entry of calcium ions into mitochondria from the cell cytosol. Maintaining calcium balance is crucial for enhancing cellular energy supply and regulating cell death. The interplay of calcium balance through MCU and the sodium-calcium exchanger is known, but its regulation in the breast cancer tumor microenvironment remains elusive. Further investigations are warranted to explore MCU's potential in BRCA clinical pathology, tumor immune microenvironment, and precision oncology. Our study, employing a multi-omics approach, identifies MCU as an independent diagnostic biomarker for breast cancer (BRCA), correlated with advanced clinical status and poor overall survival. Utilizing public datasets from GEO and TCGA, we discern differentially expressed genes in BRCA and examine their associations with immune gene expression, overall survival, tumor stage, gene mutation status, and infiltrating immune cells. Spatial transcriptomics is employed to investigate MCU gene expression in various regions of BRCA, while spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA-sequencing methods explore the correlation between MCUs and immune cells. Our findings are validated through the analysis of 59 BRCA patient samples, utilizing immunohistochemistry and bioinformatics to examine the relationship between MCU expression, clinicopathological features, and prognosis. The study uncovers the expression of key gene regulators in BRCA associated with genetic variations, deletions, and the tumor microenvironment. Mutations in these regulators positively correlate with different immune cells in six immune datasets, playing a pivotal role in immune cell infiltration in BRCA. Notably, high MCU performance is linked to CD8 + T cells infiltration in BRCA. Furthermore, pharmacogenomic analysis of BRCA cell lines indicates that MCU inactivation is associated with increased sensitivity to specific small molecule drugs. Our findings suggest that MCU alterations may be linked to BRCA progression, unveiling new diagnostic and prognostic implications for MCU in BRCA. The study underscores MCU's role in the tumor immune microenvironment and cell cycle progression, positioning it as a potential tool for BRCA precision medicine and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Jung Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 813, Taiwan
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Dun Tony Tzeng
- Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 813, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Hu Hsiao
- Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Municipal Minsheng Hospital, Kaohsiung, 802, Taiwan
| | - Ling-Ming Tseng
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
- Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Sheng Hsu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yi Chu
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan.
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, 242, Taiwan.
- Department of Pathology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, 500, Taiwan.
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, 704, Taiwan.
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Zhang C, Du FH, Wang RX, Han WB, Lv X, Zeng LH, Chen GQ. TSPAN6 reinforces the malignant progression of glioblastoma via interacting with CDK5RAP3 and regulating STAT3 signaling pathway. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:2440-2453. [PMID: 38725860 PMCID: PMC11077372 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.85984] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the prevailing and highly malignant form of primary brain neoplasm with poor prognosis. Exosomes derived from glioblastoma cells act a vital role in malignant progression via regulating tumor microenvironment (TME), exosomal tetraspanin protein family members (TSPANs) are important actors of cell communication in TME. Among all the TSPANs, TSPAN6 exhibited predominantly higher expression levels in comparison to normal tissues. Meanwhile, glioblastoma patients with high level of TSPAN6 had shorter overall survival compared with low level of TSPAN6. Furthermore, TSPAN6 promoted the malignant progression of glioblastoma via promoting the proliferation and metastatic potential of glioblastoma cells. More interestingly, TSPAN6 overexpression in glioblastoma cells promoted the migration of vascular endothelial cell, and exosome secretion inhibitor reversed the migrative ability of vascular endothelial cells enhanced by TSPAN6 overexpressing glioblastoma cells, indicating that TSPAN6 might reinforce angiogenesis via exosomes in TME. Mechanistically, TSPAN6 enhanced the malignant progression of glioblastoma by interacting with CDK5RAP3 and regulating STAT3 signaling pathway. In addition, TSPAN6 overexpression in glioblastoma cells enhanced angiogenesis via regulating TME and STAT3 signaling pathway. Collectively, TSPAN6 has the potential to serve as both a therapeutic target and a prognostic biomarker for the treatment of glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Zhang
- Affiliated Luqiao Hospital, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
- School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
| | - Fei-hua Du
- School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310058
| | - Rou-xin Wang
- School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310058
| | - Wen-bo Han
- School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
| | - Xing Lv
- School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
| | - Ling-hui Zeng
- School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
| | - Guo-qing Chen
- Affiliated Luqiao Hospital, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310015
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Arnold L, Yap M, Jackson L, Barry M, Ly T, Morrison A, Gomez JP, Washburn MP, Standing D, Yellapu NK, Li L, Umar S, Anant S, Thomas SM. DCLK1-Mediated Regulation of Invadopodia Dynamics and Matrix Metalloproteinase Trafficking Drives Invasive Progression in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.06.588339. [PMID: 38645056 PMCID: PMC11030349 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.06.588339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a major health concern due to its high mortality from poor treatment responses and locoregional tumor invasion into life sustaining structures in the head and neck. A deeper comprehension of HNSCC invasion mechanisms holds the potential to inform targeted therapies that may enhance patient survival. We previously reported that doublecortin like kinase 1 (DCLK1) regulates invasion of HNSCC cells. Here, we tested the hypothesis that DCLK1 regulates proteins within invadopodia to facilitate HNSCC invasion. Invadopodia are specialized subcellular protrusions secreting matrix metalloproteinases that degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM). Through a comprehensive proteome analysis comparing DCLK1 control and shDCLK1 conditions, our findings reveal that DCLK1 plays a pivotal role in regulating proteins that orchestrate cytoskeletal and ECM remodeling, contributing to cell invasion. Further, we demonstrate in TCGA datasets that DCLK1 levels correlate with increasing histological grade and lymph node metastasis. We identified higher expression of DCLK1 in the leading edge of HNSCC tissue. Knockdown of DCLK1 in HNSCC reduced the number of invadopodia, cell adhesion and colony formation. Using super resolution microscopy, we demonstrate localization of DCLK1 in invadopodia and colocalization with mature invadopodia markers TKS4, TKS5, cortactin and MT1-MMP. We carried out phosphoproteomics and validated using immunofluorescence and proximity ligation assays, the interaction between DCLK1 and motor protein KIF16B. Pharmacological inhibition or knockdown of DCLK1 reduced interaction with KIF16B, secretion of MMPs, and cell invasion. This research unveils a novel function of DCLK1 within invadopodia to regulate the trafficking of matrix degrading cargo. The work highlights the impact of targeting DCLK1 to inhibit locoregional invasion, a life-threatening attribute of HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levi Arnold
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Marion Yap
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Laura Jackson
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Michael Barry
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Thuc Ly
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Austin Morrison
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Juan P. Gomez
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Michael P. Washburn
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - David Standing
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Nanda Kumar Yellapu
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Linheng Li
- Stowers Institute, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Shahid Umar
- Department of Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Shrikant Anant
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Sufi Mary Thomas
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
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46
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Rodrigo MAM, Michalkova H, Jimenez AMJ, Petrlak F, Do T, Sivak L, Haddad Y, Kubickova P, de Los Rios V, Casal JI, Serrano-Macia M, Delgado TC, Boix L, Bruix J, Martinez Chantar ML, Adam V, Heger Z. Metallothionein-3 is a multifunctional driver that modulates the development of sorafenib-resistant phenotype in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Biomark Res 2024; 12:38. [PMID: 38594765 PMCID: PMC11003176 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-024-00584-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Metallothionein-3 (hMT3) is a structurally unique member of the metallothioneins family of low-mass cysteine-rich proteins. hMT3 has poorly characterized functions, and its importance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the molecular mechanisms driven by hMT3 with a special emphasis on susceptibility to sorafenib. METHODS Intrinsically sorafenib-resistant (BCLC-3) and sensitive (Huh7) cells with or without up-regulated hMT3 were examined using cDNA microarray and methods aimed at mitochondrial flux, oxidative status, cell death, and cell cycle. In addition, in ovo/ex ovo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays were conducted to determine a role of hMT3 in resistance to sorafenib and associated cancer hallmarks, such as angiogenesis and metastastic spread. Molecular aspects of hMT3-mediated induction of sorafenib-resistant phenotype were delineated using mass-spectrometry-based proteomics. RESULTS The phenotype of sensitive HCC cells can be remodeled into sorafenib-resistant one via up-regulation of hMT3. hMT3 has a profound effect on mitochondrial respiration, glycolysis, and redox homeostasis. Proteomic analyses revealed a number of hMT3-affected biological pathways, including exocytosis, glycolysis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cellular stress, which drive resistance to sorafenib. CONCLUSIONS hMT3 acts as a multifunctional driver capable of inducing sorafenib-resistant phenotype of HCC cells. Our data suggest that hMT3 and related pathways could serve as possible druggable targets to improve therapeutic outcomes in patients with sorafenib-resistant HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Angel Merlos Rodrigo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Hana Michalkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ana Maria Jimenez Jimenez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Frantisek Petrlak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Do
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ladislav Sivak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Yazan Haddad
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Kubickova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vivian de Los Rios
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Proteomic Facility, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid, 280 40, Spain
| | - J Ignacio Casal
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Proteomic Facility, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid, 280 40, Spain
| | - Marina Serrano-Macia
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, Derio, 48160, Spain
| | - Teresa C Delgado
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, Derio, 48160, Spain
| | - Loreto Boix
- Barcelona-Clínic Liver Cancer Group, Liver Unit, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Bruix
- Barcelona-Clínic Liver Cancer Group, Liver Unit, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria L Martinez Chantar
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, Derio, 48160, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vojtech Adam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Heger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic.
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47
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Liu Z, Mao H, Chu D, Qin L, Wang J. Clinical Implications of a Six-Protein Signature in Bone Metastasis of Renal Cell Carcinoma. J Cancer 2024; 15:3034-3044. [PMID: 38706914 PMCID: PMC11064255 DOI: 10.7150/jca.88612] [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: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Bone metastases is prevalent from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with poor quality of life and prognosis. Our previous proteomics analysis identified dysregulated proteins in the bone-tropism RCC cells. In this study, we further examined the clinical implications of these proteins using multiple clinical cohorts. We identified 6 proteins with significant upregulation in RCC tumor tissue in comparing to tumor adjacent normal tissue (p<0.05). High expression of these 6 protein-encoding genes significantly correlates with a poor survival in the TCGA-KIRC (Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma) cohort (log-rank test p=2.7e-05), and they all individually had a reverse-correlation with the gene expression of VHL and PBRM1 (p<0.001), and positive-correlation with the expression of VEGFA (p<0.001). Further gene set variation analysis (GSVA) revealed positive correlation with Th17 cells enrichment and negative CD8 T cell infiltration in the RCC tumor microenvironment. High expression of these 6 genes in pretreatment tumors favors longer overall survival (OS)(p=0.027) in anti-PDL1 treated patients (n=428). We treated one humeral metastases RCC patient with the anti-PDL1 antibody drug atezolizumab after examined the elevated expression of the 6 proteins in his nephrectomy tumor tissue, the tumor at the fracture site shrunk remarkably after four courses of treatment. These results altogether suggest a clinical implication of the 6-protein signature in RCC bone metastasis prognosis and response to immune-checkpoint inhibitor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Liu
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Dongxihu District, Wuhan, Hubei 430040, P.R. China
| | - Hanwen Mao
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Dongxihu District, Wuhan, Hubei 430040, P.R. China
| | - Dinggai Chu
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Dongxihu District, Wuhan, Hubei 430040, P.R. China
| | - Liang Qin
- Department of Orthopedic, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Jiang Wang
- Department of Orthopedic, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
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48
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Lashen A, Algethami M, Alqahtani S, Shoqafi A, Sheha A, Jeyapalan JN, Mongan NP, Rakha EA, Madhusudan S. The Clinicopathological Significance of the Cyclin D1/E1-Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (CDK2/4/6)-Retinoblastoma (RB1/pRB1) Pathway in Epithelial Ovarian Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4060. [PMID: 38612869 PMCID: PMC11012085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25074060] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK2, CDK4, CDK6), cyclin D1, cyclin E1 and phosphorylated retinoblastoma (pRB1) are key regulators of the G1/S cell cycle checkpoint and may influence platinum response in ovarian cancers. CDK2/4/6 inhibitors are emerging targets in ovarian cancer therapeutics. In the current study, we evaluated the prognostic and predictive significance of the CDK2/4/6-cyclin D1/E1-pRB1 axis in clinical ovarian cancers (OC). The CDK2/4/6, cyclin D1/E1 and RB1/pRB1 protein expression were investigated in 300 ovarian cancers and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and patient outcomes. CDK2/4/6, cyclin D1/E1 and RB1 mRNA expression were evaluated in the publicly available ovarian TCGA dataset. We observed nuclear and cytoplasmic staining for CDK2/4/6, cyclins D1/E1 and RB1/pRB1 in OCs with varying percentages. Increased nuclear CDK2 and nuclear cyclin E1 expression was linked with poor progression-free survival (PFS) and a shorter overall survival (OS). Nuclear CDK6 was associated with poor OS. The cytoplasmic expression of CDK4, cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 also has predictive and/or prognostic significance in OCs. In the multivariate analysis, nuclear cyclin E1 was an independent predictor of poor PFS. Tumours with high nuclear cyclin E1/high nuclear CDK2 have a worse PFS and OS. Detailed bioinformatics in the TCGA cohort showed a positive correlation between cyclin E1 and CDK2. We also showed that cyclin-E1-overexpressing tumours are enriched for genes involved in insulin signalling and release. Our data not only identified the prognostic/predictive significance of these key cell cycle regulators but also demonstrate the importance of sub-cellular localisation. CDK2 targeting in cyclin-E1-amplified OCs could be a rational approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayat Lashen
- Naaz Coker Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 3RD, UK; (A.L.); (M.A.); (S.A.); (A.S.); (A.S.); (J.N.J.); (N.P.M.); (E.A.R.)
- Department of Pathology, Nottingham University Hospital, City Campus, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK
| | - Mashael Algethami
- Naaz Coker Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 3RD, UK; (A.L.); (M.A.); (S.A.); (A.S.); (A.S.); (J.N.J.); (N.P.M.); (E.A.R.)
| | - Shatha Alqahtani
- Naaz Coker Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 3RD, UK; (A.L.); (M.A.); (S.A.); (A.S.); (A.S.); (J.N.J.); (N.P.M.); (E.A.R.)
| | - Ahmed Shoqafi
- Naaz Coker Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 3RD, UK; (A.L.); (M.A.); (S.A.); (A.S.); (A.S.); (J.N.J.); (N.P.M.); (E.A.R.)
| | - Amera Sheha
- Naaz Coker Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 3RD, UK; (A.L.); (M.A.); (S.A.); (A.S.); (A.S.); (J.N.J.); (N.P.M.); (E.A.R.)
| | - Jennie N. Jeyapalan
- Naaz Coker Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 3RD, UK; (A.L.); (M.A.); (S.A.); (A.S.); (A.S.); (J.N.J.); (N.P.M.); (E.A.R.)
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Cancer Sciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Nigel P. Mongan
- Naaz Coker Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 3RD, UK; (A.L.); (M.A.); (S.A.); (A.S.); (A.S.); (J.N.J.); (N.P.M.); (E.A.R.)
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Cancer Sciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Emad A. Rakha
- Naaz Coker Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 3RD, UK; (A.L.); (M.A.); (S.A.); (A.S.); (A.S.); (J.N.J.); (N.P.M.); (E.A.R.)
| | - Srinivasan Madhusudan
- Naaz Coker Ovarian Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 3RD, UK; (A.L.); (M.A.); (S.A.); (A.S.); (A.S.); (J.N.J.); (N.P.M.); (E.A.R.)
- Department of Oncology, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK
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49
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Mendonça JB, Fernandes PV, Fernandes DC, Rodrigues FR, Waghabi MC, Tilli TM. Unlocking Overexpressed Membrane Proteins to Guide Breast Cancer Precision Medicine. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1402. [PMID: 38611080 PMCID: PMC11011122 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is a prevalent form of cancer affecting women worldwide. However, the effectiveness of current BC drugs is limited by issues such as systemic toxicity, drug resistance, and severe side effects. Consequently, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic targets and improved tumor tracking methods. This study aims to address these challenges by proposing a strategy for identifying membrane proteins in tumors that can be targeted for specific BC therapy and diagnosis. The strategy involves the analyses of gene expressions in breast tumor and non-tumor tissues and other healthy tissues by using comprehensive bioinformatics analysis from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), UALCAN, TNM Plot, and LinkedOmics. By employing this strategy, we identified four transcripts (LRRC15, EFNA3, TSPAN13, and CA12) that encoded membrane proteins with an increased expression in BC tissue compared to healthy tissue. These four transcripts also demonstrated high accuracy, specificity, and accuracy in identifying tumor samples, as confirmed by the ROC curve. Additionally, tissue microarray (TMA) analysis revealed increased expressions of the four proteins in tumor tissues across all molecular subtypes compared to the adjacent breast tissue. Moreover, the analysis of human interactome data demonstrated the important roles of these proteins in various cancer-related pathways. Taken together, these findings suggest that LRRC15, EFNA3, TSPAN13, and CA12 can serve as potential biomarkers for improving cancer diagnosis screening and as suitable targets for therapy with reduced side effects and enhanced efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Badaró Mendonça
- Translational Oncology Platform, Center for Technological Development in Health, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil;
- Laboratory of Applied Genomics and Bioinnovation, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC) Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21045-900, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Priscila Valverde Fernandes
- Divisão de Patologia (DIPAT), Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro 20230-130, RJ, Brazil; (P.V.F.); (D.C.F.); (F.R.R.)
| | - Danielle C. Fernandes
- Divisão de Patologia (DIPAT), Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro 20230-130, RJ, Brazil; (P.V.F.); (D.C.F.); (F.R.R.)
| | - Fabiana Resende Rodrigues
- Divisão de Patologia (DIPAT), Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro 20230-130, RJ, Brazil; (P.V.F.); (D.C.F.); (F.R.R.)
| | - Mariana Caldas Waghabi
- Laboratory of Applied Genomics and Bioinnovation, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC) Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21045-900, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Tatiana Martins Tilli
- Translational Oncology Platform, Center for Technological Development in Health, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil;
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathophysiology, IOC, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-210, RJ, Brazil
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50
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Thomas D, Palczewski M, Kuschman H, Hoffman B, Yang H, Glynn S, Wilson D, Kool E, Montfort W, Chang J, Petenkaya A, Chronis C, Cundari T, Sappa S, Islam K, McVicar D, Fan Y, Chen Q, Meerzaman D, Sierk M. Nitric oxide inhibits ten-eleven translocation DNA demethylases to regulate 5mC and 5hmC across the genome. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4131804. [PMID: 38645113 PMCID: PMC11030528 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4131804/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation at cytosine bases of eukaryotic DNA (5-methylcytosine, 5mC) is a heritable epigenetic mark that can regulate gene expression in health and disease. Enzymes that metabolize 5mC have been well-characterized, yet the discovery of endogenously produced signaling molecules that regulate DNA methyl-modifying machinery have not been described. Herein, we report that the free radical signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO) can directly inhibit the Fe(II)/2-OG-dependent DNA demethylases ten-eleven translocation (TET) and human AlkB homolog 2 (ALKBH2). Physiologic NO concentrations reversibly inhibited TET and ALKBH2 demethylase activity by binding to the mononuclear non-heme iron atom which formed a dinitrosyliron complex (DNIC) preventing cosubstrates (2-OG and O2) from binding. In cancer cells treated with exogenous NO, or cells endogenously synthesizing NO, there was a global increase in 5mC and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in DNA, the substrates for TET, that could not be attributed to increased DNA methyltransferase activity. 5mC was also elevated in NO-producing cell-line-derived mouse xenograft and patient-derived xenograft tumors. Genome-wide DNA methylome analysis of cells chronically treated with NO (10 days) demonstrated enrichment of 5mC and 5hmC at gene-regulatory loci which correlated to changes in the expression of NO-regulated tumor-associated genes. Regulation of DNA methylation is distinctly different from canonical NO signaling and represents a novel epigenetic role for NO.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marianne Palczewski
- University of Illinois Chicago, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
| | - Hannah Kuschman
- University of Illinois Chicago, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
| | | | - Hao Yang
- Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Department of Chemistry
| | - Sharon Glynn
- University of Galway, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, D. of Pathology
| | | | - Eric Kool
- Stanford University, Department of Chemistry, School of Humanities and Sciences
| | | | - Jenny Chang
- Houston Methodist, Department of Medicine and Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College
| | - Aydolun Petenkaya
- University of Illinois Chicago, College of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
| | - Constantinos Chronis
- University of Illinois Chicago, College of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
| | | | - Sushma Sappa
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Chemistry
| | | | - Daniel McVicar
- National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research
| | - Yu Fan
- National Cancer Institute, Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology
| | - Qingrong Chen
- National Cancer Institute, Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology
| | - Daoud Meerzaman
- National Cancer Institute, Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology
| | - Michael Sierk
- National Cancer Institute, Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology
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