miR-23b suppresses lung carcinoma cell proliferation through CCNG1

Differential expression of cyclins CCNB1 and CCNG1 is involved in the chondrocyte damage of kashin-beck disease

The purpose of this study was clarify the relationship between the differential expression of cyclins CCNB1 and CCNG1 and chondrocyte damage in Kashin-Beck disease. Systematic review and high-throughput sequencing of chondrocytes derived from Kashin-Beck disease patients were combined to identify the differentially expressed cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinase genes. In parallel, weaned SD rats were treated with low selenium for 4 weeks and then T-2 toxin for 4 weeks. Knee cartilage was collected to harvest chondrocytes for gene expression profiling. Finally, the protein expression levels of CCNB1 and CCNG1 were verified in knee cartilage tissue of Kashin-Beck disease patients and normal controls by immunohistochemical staining. The systematic review found 52 cartilage disease-related cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinase genes, 23 of which were coexpressed in Kashin-Beck disease, including 15 upregulated and 8 downregulated genes. Under the intervention of a low selenium diet and T-2 toxin exposure, CCNB1 (FC = 0.36) and CCNG1 (FC = 0.73) showed a downward expression trend in rat articular cartilage. Furthermore, compared to normal controls, CCNB1 protein in Kashin-Beck disease articular cartilage was 71.98% and 66.27% downregulated in the superficial and middle zones, respectively, and 12.06% upregulated in the deep zone. CCNG1 protein was 45.66% downregulated in the superficial zone and 12.19% and 9.13% upregulated in the middle and deep zones, respectively. The differential expression of cyclins CCNB1 and CCNG1 may be related to articular cartilage damage in Kashin-Beck disease.

Effects of lncRNA ANRIL-knockdown on the proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle of gastric cancer cells

Gastric cancer is one of the most common types of malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract worldwide. Cisplatin (DDP) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug in the clinic; however, the resistance of gastric cancer cells to DDP limits its efficacy. In the present study, drug-resistant gastric cancer cell lines were constructed using the stepwise continuous selection method, and the relative expression levels of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) CDKN2B antisense RNA 1 (ANRIL) and microRNA (miR)-181a-5p were detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The knockdown of lncRNA ANRIL and miR-181a-5p expression was performed by transfection with shRNA-ANRIL and an miR-181a-5p inhibitor, respectively. Cellular proliferation and sensitivity to DDP were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8 analysis. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were assessed using flow cytometry and western blotting. The binding relationships between ANRIL, miR-181a-5p and cyclin G1 (CCNG1) were verified using a dual luciferase reporter assay. The results revealed that the expression levels of miR-181a-5p were downregulated in all drug-resistant cell lines. ANRIL-knockdown inhibited cellular proliferation, and promoted apoptosis and cell cycle arrest; however, following the knockdown of miR-181a-5p, the inhibition of cell cycle arrest was alleviated. Notably, miR-181a-5p, ANRIL and CCNG1 were found to have targeting relationships. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggested that knocking down the expression of ANRIL inhibited cellular proliferation, and promoted apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, its downstream target, miR-181a-5p, inhibited the proliferation of drug-resistant cells and enhanced their sensitivity to DDP.

Computational Analysis of Targeting SARS-CoV-2, Viral Entry Proteins ACE2 and TMPRSS2, and Interferon Genes by Host MicroRNAs

Rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has led to a global pandemic, failures of local health care systems, and global economic recession. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as important regulators of viral pathogenesis, particularly among RNA viruses, but the impact of host miRNAs on SARS-CoV-2 infectivity remains unknown. In this study, we utilize the combination of powerful bioinformatic prediction algorithms and miRNA profiling to predict endogenous host miRNAs that may play important roles in regulating SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. We provide a collection of high-probability miRNA binding sites within the SARS-CoV-2 genome as well as within mRNA transcripts of critical viral entry proteins ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and their upstream modulators, the interferons (IFN). By utilizing miRNA profiling datasets of SARS-CoV-2-resistant and -susceptible cell lines, we verify the biological plausibility of the predicted miRNA-target RNA interactions. Finally, we utilize miRNA profiling of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells to identify predicted miRNAs that are differentially regulated in infected cells. In particular, we identify predicted miRNA binders to SARS-CoV-2 ORFs (miR-23a (1ab), miR-29a, -29c (1ab, N), miR-151a, -151b (S), miR-4707-3p (S), miR-298 (5'-UTR), miR-7851-3p (5'-UTR), miR-8075 (5'-UTR)), ACE2 3'-UTR (miR-9-5p, miR-218-5p), TMPRSS2 3'-UTR (let-7d-5p, -7e-5p, miR-494-3p, miR-382-3p, miR-181c-5p), and IFN-α 3'-UTR (miR-361-5p, miR-410-3p). Overall, this study provides insight into potential novel regulatory mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 by host miRNAs and lays the foundation for future investigation of these miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers.

Circulating miR-1246 Targeting UBE2C, TNNI3, TRAIP, UCHL1 Genes and Key Pathways as a Potential Biomarker for Lung Adenocarcinoma: Integrated Biological Network Analysis

Analysis of circulating miRNAs (cmiRNAs) before surgical operation (BSO) and after the surgical operation (ASO) has been informative for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) diagnosis, progression, and outcomes of treatment. Thus, we performed a biological network analysis to identify the potential target genes (PTGs) of the overexpressed cmiRNA signatures from LUAD samples that had undergone surgical therapy. Differential expression (DE) analysis of microarray datasets, including cmiRNAs (GSE137140) and cmRNAs (GSE69732), was conducted using the Limma package. cmiR-1246 was predicted as a significantly upregulated cmiRNA of LUAD samples BSO and ASO. Then, 9802 miR-1246 target genes (TGs) were predicted using 12 TG prediction platforms (MiRWalk, miRDB, and TargetScan). Briefly, 425 highly expressed overlapping miRNA-1246 TGs were observed between the prediction platform and the cmiRNA dataset. ClueGO predicted cell projection morphogenesis, chemosensory behavior, and glycosaminoglycan binding, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathways were enriched metabolic interactions regulating miRNA-1245 overlapping TGs in LUAD. Using 425 overlapping miR-1246 TGs, a protein-protein interaction network was constructed. Then, 12 PTGs of three different Walktrap modules were identified; among them, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C), troponin T1(TNNT1), T-cell receptor alpha locus interacting protein (TRAIP), and ubiquitin c-terminal hydrolase L1(UCHL1) were positively correlated with miR-1246, and the high expression of these genes was associated with better overall survival of LUAD. We conclude that PTGs of cmiRNA-1246 and key pathways, namely, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, glycosaminoglycan binding, the DNA metabolic process, and the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway, the neurotrophin and cardiomyopathy signaling pathway, and the MAPK signaling pathway provide new insights on a noninvasive prognostic biomarker for LUAD.

MicroRNA-122-5p inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting CCNG1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal human malignancy, and previous researches support the contribution of microRNA (miRNA) to cancer progression. MiR-122-5p is reported to participate in the regulation of various cancers, while the function of miR-122-5p in PDAC remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the precise mechanism of miR-122-5p involved in PDAC pathogenesis.

Methods

The expression levels of miR-122-5p were detected in human PDAC tissues and cell lines by miRNA RT-PCR. The effects of miR-122-5p on cell proliferation were explored by MTT assays, colony formation assays and flow cytometry assays. The ability of migration and invasion was determined by transwell assays. Dual Luciferase reporter assay was performed to validate the direct interaction between miR-122-5p and its target gene. The related molecules of cell cycle, apoptosis and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) were examined with qRT-PCR and western blot. In addition, xenograft mouse models were applied to explore the effects of miR-122-5p in vivo.

Results

MiR-122-5p was underexpressed, while CCNG1 was highly expressed in PDAC tissues and cells. MiR-122-5p was negatively correlated with TNM stage, tumor size and lymph node metastasis in PDAC patients. Overexpression of miR-122-5p suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and inhibited tumorigenesis in vivo. Furthermore, CCNG1 was a direct target of miR-122-5p. Upregulated CCNG1 could partially reverse the effects caused by miR-122-5p. Moreover, miR-122-5p inhibited EMT through downregulation of CCNG1.

Conclusion

Overexpression of miR-122-5p could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT by downregulating CCNG1 in PDAC, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for PDAC.