MicroRNA-4649-3p inhibits cell proliferation by targeting protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Critical roles of PTPN family members regulated by non-coding RNAs in tumorigenesis and immunotherapy

Since tyrosine phosphorylation is reversible and dynamic in vivo, the phosphorylation state of proteins is controlled by the opposing roles of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPs), both of which perform critical roles in signal transduction. Of these, intracellular non-receptor PTPs (PTPNs), which belong to the largest class I cysteine PTP family, are essential for the regulation of a variety of biological processes, including but not limited to hematopoiesis, inflammatory response, immune system, and glucose homeostasis. Additionally, a substantial amount of PTPNs have been identified to hold crucial roles in tumorigenesis, progression, metastasis, and drug resistance, and inhibitors of PTPNs have promising applications due to striking efficacy in antitumor therapy. Hence, the aim of this review is to summarize the role played by PTPNs, including PTPN1/PTP1B, PTPN2/TC-PTP, PTPN3/PTP-H1, PTPN4/PTPMEG, PTPN6/SHP-1, PTPN9/PTPMEG2, PTPN11/SHP-2, PTPN12/PTP-PEST, PTPN13/PTPL1, PTPN14/PEZ, PTPN18/PTP-HSCF, PTPN22/LYP, and PTPN23/HD-PTP, in human cancer and immunotherapy and to comprehensively describe the molecular pathways in which they are implicated. Given the specific roles of PTPNs, identifying potential regulators of PTPNs is significant for understanding the mechanisms of antitumor therapy. Consequently, this work also provides a review on the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in regulating PTPNs in tumorigenesis and progression, which may help us to find effective therapeutic agents for tumor therapy.

Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 02570 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression by adsorbing microRNA miR-4649-3p thereby upregulating both sterol regulatory element binding protein 1, and fatty acid synthase

Our previous studies have elucidated a possible connection between long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 2570 (LINC02570) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the precise mechanism by which LINC02570 promotes NPC remains unknown. We used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect LINC02570 expression in nasopharyngeal cell lines, NPC tissues, and chronic rhinitis tissues. Subcellular LINC02570 localization was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The effects of LINC02570 stable knockdown and overexpression on viabillity, proliferation, migration, and invasion were analyzed using 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-Thiazolyl)-2,5-Diphenyl-2-H-Tetrazolium bromide (MTT), a colorimetric focus-formation assay, a wound healing assay, and transwell assays. RNA crosstalk analysis in silico predicted microRNA-4649-3p (miR-4649-3p) binding to LINC02570 or sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1). A dual luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm potential interactions. Sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1) and fatty acid synthase (FASN) expression were detected by western blotting. The results suggest that LINC02570 is upregulated in late clinical stage NPC patients, and promotes NPC progression by adsorbing miR-4649-3p to up-regulate SREBP1 and FASN. This study elucidates a potential chemotherapeutic target involved in lipid metabolism in NPC.

Is microRNA 1910-3p (miR-1910-3p) a really distinctive marker for psoriasis?

Background/aim

Although the cause of immune activation in the pathogenesis of psoriasis is still unclear, miRs are thought to have an effect on psoriasis. This work aimed to evaluate the role of miRs (miR-4649-3p, miR-6867-5p, miR-4296, miR-210, and miR-1910-3p) that target the FOXP3 mRNA and IL-17A mRNA in psoriasis.

Materials and methods

Forty-four psoriasis patients and 44 healthy controls were included in the study. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used for the measurement of miRs. Serum IL-17A levels were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

Results

Plasma miR-1910-3p levels were significantly lower in the patient group than the controls (P = 0.000, fc: 0.10). ROC analysis showed that plasma miR-1910-3p levels could significantly differentiate psoriasis patients from healthy controls [AUC = 0.912 (0.848–0.975), P = 0.000]. The plasma miR-4649-3p level was significantly higher in the psoriasis group compared to the controls (P = 0.000, fc: 2.99).

Conclusion

Decreased expression of miR-1910-3p increases the risk of developing psoriasis by approximately 50-fold and was able to use for the significant differentiation of psoriatic patients from healthy controls.

A Pilot Study Comparing the Efficacy of Lactate Dehydrogenase Levels Versus Circulating Cell-Free microRNAs in Monitoring Responses to Checkpoint Inhibitor Immunotherapy in Metastatic Melanoma Patients

Simple Summary

Improvement in melanoma patients with metastatic disease is needed to better assess immunotherapies. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is currently an accepted biomarker for stage IV, but it has limited utility for stage III melanoma patients. Thus, finding biomarkers for metastatic melanoma is important not only to identify progressive melanoma tumors, but also to monitor patients under checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (CII). The aim of this pilot study was to demonstrate the utility of circulating cell-free microRNAs (cfmiRs) as potential blood biomarkers for stage III and IV melanoma patients compared to LDH. To accomplish this aim, we profiled for cfmiR the plasma of metastatic melanoma patients before and during CII treatment, and compared them to normal healthy donors’ samples. The cfmiR profiling was performed using an NGS-based miRNA assay, which requires no extraction and a small volume input. We found specific cfmiR signatures in stage III and IV metastatic melanoma patients. As a proof of concept, our results showed that certain cfmiRs are associated with CII outcomes.

Abstract

Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a standard prognostic biomarker for stage IV melanoma patients. Often, LDH levels do not provide real-time information about the metastatic melanoma patients’ disease status and treatment response. Therefore, there is a need to find reliable blood biomarkers for improved monitoring of metastatic melanoma patients who are undergoing checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (CII). The objective in this prospective pilot study was to discover circulating cell-free microRNA (cfmiR) signatures in the plasma that could assess melanoma patients’ responses during CII. The cfmiRs were evaluated by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) HTG EdgeSeq microRNA (miR) Whole Transcriptome Assay (WTA; 2083 miRs) in 158 plasma samples obtained before and during the course of CII from 47 AJCC stage III/IV melanoma patients’ and 73 normal donors’ plasma samples. Initially, cfmiR profiles for pre- and post-treatment plasma samples of stage IV non-responder melanoma patients were compared to normal donors’ plasma samples. Using machine learning, we identified a 9 cfmiR signature that was associated with stage IV melanoma patients being non-responsive to CII. These cfmiRs were compared in pre- and post-treatment plasma samples from stage IV melanoma patients that showed good responses. Circulating miR-4649-3p, miR-615-3p, and miR-1234-3p demonstrated potential prognostic utility in assessing CII responses. Compared to LDH levels during CII, circulating miR-615-3p levels were consistently more efficient in detecting melanoma patients undergoing CII who developed progressive disease. By combining stage III/IV patients, 92 and 17 differentially expressed cfmiRs were identified in pre-treatment plasma samples from responder and non-responder patients, respectively. In conclusion, this pilot study demonstrated cfmiRs that identified treatment responses and could allow for real-time monitoring of patients receiving CII.

H19/miR-675-5p Targeting SFN Enhances the Invasion and Metastasis of Nasalpharyngeal Cancer Cells

AIMS

The aim is to study the role of miR-675-5p coded by long non-coding RNA H19 in the development of Nasopharyngeal Cancer (NPC) and whether miR-675-5p regulates the invasion and metastasis of NPC through targeting SFN (14-3-3σ). The study further validated the relationship between H19, miR-675-5p and SFN in NPC and their relationship with the invasion and metastasis of NPC.

METHODS

Western blot was used to detect the expression of 14-3-3σ protein in immortalized normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells NP69 and different metastatic potential NPC cells, 6-10B and 5-8F. At the same time, to find out the relationship between 14-3-3σ protein and the expression of H19 and miR-675-5p, the expression of H19 and miR-675-5p in normal nasopharynx epithelial cells NP69 and varied nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells 6-10B and 5-8F were quantified by real-time PCR. MiR-675-5p mimic and inhibitor were transfected into NPC 6-10B to over-express and down-express miR-675-5p; miR-675-5p mimic negative control and inhibitor negative control were transfected into NPC 6-10B as control groups. The effect of over-expression and down-expression by miR-675-5p on the expression of 14-3-3σ protein was detected by Western blotting. The 3'-UTR segments of SFN, containing miR-675-5p binding sites were amplified by PCR and the luciferase activity in the transfected cells was assayed to detect whether SFN is the direct target of miR-675-5p. Transwell and scratch assays were used to verify the changes in NPC invasion and metastasis ability of mimics and inhibitors transfected with miR-675-5p.

RESULTS

The expression of 14-3-3σ protein in normal nasopharynx epithelial cells NP69 is significantly higher than in varied nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, 6-10B and 5-8F (P<0.05), and the 14-3-3σ protein levels in low-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell 6-10B is higher than in high-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell 5-8F. The expression of H19 and miR-675-5p are significantly higher in NPC cells than in NP69 cell (P<0.05). The expression of H19 and miR-675-5p in high-Metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell 5-8F was higher than in low-Metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell 6-10B. The expression of 14-3-3σ protein in miR-675-5p mimic cells was significantly lower than in mimic NC (negative control) group and blank control group. However, compared with the blank control group, mimic NC showed no significant difference in 14-3-3σ protein between the two groups. The miR-675-5p inhibitor group was significantly higher than the inhibitor NC group and the blank control group (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the expression of 14-3-3σ protein in the inhibitor NC group and the blank control group (p>0.05). Dual-luciferase reporter assay system shows the 3'-UTR segments of SFN containing miR-675-5p binding sites. SFN was the target gene of miR-675-5p.

CONCLUSION

14-3-3σ is downregulated in NPC and is involved in the development of NPC. H19 and miR- 675-5p are upregulated in NPC, which is related to the development of NPC. The over-expression of miR- 675-5p inhibits the expression of 14-3-3σ protein. SFN is the target gene of miR-675-5p. MiR-675-5p targets SFN, downregulates its protein expression and promotes the invasion and metastasis of NPC.

miR‑214 reduces cisplatin resistance by targeting netrin‑1 in bladder cancer cells

miR‑214 has been reported to be downregulated in several cancer types, such as bladder cancer. However, its involvement in apoptosis and chemoresistance has not been investigated. The present study aimed to clarify the biological function of miR‑214 and potential mechanisms in chemoresistance of bladder cancer cells. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that miR‑214 was downregulated in bladder cancer tissues compared with the level in normal tissues. miR‑214 was downregulated in bladder cancer cell lines compared with the level in the normal cell line SV‑HUC‑1. miR‑214 mimics were transfected into T24 and J82 cell lines to restore its expression. The results indicated that miR‑214 mimic inhibited proliferation and invasion in these cell lines. In addition, miR‑214 mimic reduced cisplatin resistance in T24 and J82 cells, indicated by the inhibition of cell viability and upregulation of cell apoptosis. Western blotting demonstrated that miR‑214 mimic was able to upregulate cleaved caspase‑3 and cleaved poly (ADP‑ribose) polymerase (PARP), while downregulate caspase‑3 and PARP expression, and AKT phosphorylation. Using prediction software, it was revealed that the netrin‑1 oncoprotein is on the target list of miR‑214. miR‑214 also downregulated netrin‑1 protein and mRNA expression levels in the T24 and J82 cell lines. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that netrin‑1 acted as a direct target of miR‑214. A negative correlation between netrin‑1 and miR‑214 expression in bladder cancer tissues was also observed. In addition, cisplatin treatment could induce netrin‑1 protein expression in bladder cancer cells and miR‑214 mimic partly blocked this phenomenon. Netrin‑1 plasmid transfection inhibited cisplatin‑induced apoptosis, upregulated AKT phosphorylation, and downregulated caspase‑3 and PARP cleavage. Netrin‑1 was restored in cells transfected with miR‑214 mimic using plasmid transfection. Netrin‑1 transfection restored AKT phosphorylation and blocked caspase/PARP cleavage in the T24 and J82 cell lines. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that miR‑214 is downregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines. miR‑214 reduces chemoresistance by targeting netrin‑1 in bladder cancer cell lines.

miR-185-3p regulates the invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting WNT2B in vitro

MicroRNAs (miRs) have been recognised as important regulators of malignant behaviour in different types of human cancer, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A previous study by our group revealed that miR-185-3p regulates the radioresistance of NPC cells. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-185-3p on NPC invasion and metastasis. Human NPC CNE-2 and 5-8F cell lines were transfected with a miR-185-3p mimic and miR-185-3p inhibitor, respectively, and their effects on the invasion and metastasis of these cells was assessed using a wound healing assay and Matrigel invasion assay. The target gene of miR-185-3p, Wnt family member 2B (WNT2B) was silenced in 5-8F cells using siRNA in order to investigate its function in NPC. Data from the present study demonstrated that the expression of miR-185-3p was the highest in 5-8F and lowest in CNE-2 cells out of a range of NPC cell lines. Following the transfection of miR-185-3p mimic into CNE-2 cells, the wound healing and Matrigel invasion assays indicated that the migration and invasion ability of CNE-2 cells was significantly reduced compared with the negative control group. In addition, the inhibition of miR-185-3p in 5-8F cells significantly increased the capacity for migration and invasion. Furthermore, silencing WNT2B expression resulted in a significant reduction in the invasion and metastasis in 5-8F cells. The inhibition of miR-185-3p, which promotes invasion and metastasis, could be reversed through the silencing of WNT2B in 5-8F cells. The results of the present study indicate that miR-185-3p mediates the invasion and metastasis of NPC by targeting WNT2B in vitro.

Identification of miRNA/mRNA-Negative Regulation Pairs in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignancy in South-East Asia. NPC is characterized by distant metastasis and poor prognosis. The pathophysiological mechanism of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is unknown. This study aimed to identify the crucial miRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and their target genes, and to discover the potential mechanism of nasopharyngeal carcinoma development.

Material/Methods

Microarray expression profiling of miRNA and mRNA from the Gene Expression Omnibus database was downloaded, and we performed a significance analysis of differential expression. An interaction network of miRNAs and target genes was constructed. The underlying function of differentially expressed genes was predicted through Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses. To validate the microarray analysis data, significantly different expression levels of miRNAs and target genes were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

We identified 27 differentially expressed miRNAs and 982 differentially expressed mRNAs between NPC and normal control tissues. 12 miRNAs and 547 mRNAs were up-regulated and 15 miRNAs and 435 mRNAs were down-regulated in NPC samples. We found a total of 1185 negative correlation pairs between miRNA and mRNA. Differentially expressed target genes were significantly enriched in pathways in cancer, cell cycle, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathways. Significantly differentially expressed miRNAs and genes, such as hsa-miR-205, hsa-miR-18b, hsa-miR-632, hsa-miR-130a, hsa-miR-34b, PIGR, SMPD3, CD22, DTX4, and CDC6, may play essential roles in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Conclusions

hsa-miR-205, hsa-miR-18b, hsa-miR-632, hsa-miR-130a, and hsa-miR-34b may be related to the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by regulating the genes involved in pathways in cancer and cell cycle signaling pathways.