Notch intracellular domain regulates glioblastoma proliferation through the Notch1 signaling pathway

Exosomal AC068768.1 enhances the proliferation, migration, and invasion of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma through miR-139-5p/NOTCH1 axis

Objective

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely associated with the pathogenesis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). This study aimed to investigate the roles of AC068768.1 in LSCC.

Methods

Exosomes were extracted by ultracentrifugation and identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) assay. The expression levels of mRNA and miRNA were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cellular functions were assesses through immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, colony formation, wound healing and transwell assays. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase assays were conducted to verify the binding of AC068768.1 by signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Xenograft assays were performed to confirm the roles of AC068768.1 in LSCC, and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was applied for histological analysis.

Results

LSCC cell-derived exosomes induced M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAM2) polarization, which promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LSCCs. Knockdown of exosomal AC068768.1 inhibited M2 polarization and suppressed LSCC aggressiveness both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, AC068768.1 sponged miR-139-5p, inducing the upregulation of neurogenic locus notch homolog protein 1 (NOTCH1). LSCCs adapted to TAM2 polarization in the tumor microenvironment via AC068768.1-mediated activation of the NOTCH1 pathway. Additionally, NOTCH1 activated STAT3.

Conclusion

The AC068768.1/miR-139-5p/NOTCH1/STAT3 axis promotes the metastasis of LSCC. This finding may provide a novel target for LSCC therapy.

Differentiation of intestinal stem cells toward goblet cells under systemic iron overload stress are associated with inhibition of Notch signaling pathway and ferroptosis

Iron overload can lead to oxidative stress and intestinal damage and happens frequently during blood transfusions and iron supplementation. However, how iron overload influences intestinal mucosa remains unknown. Here, the aim of current study was to investigate the effects of iron overload on the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs). An iron overload mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 120 mg/kg body weight iron dextran once a fortnight for a duration of 12 weeks, and an iron overload enteroid model was produced by treatment with 3 mM or 10 mM of ferric ammonium citrate for 24 h. We found that iron overload caused damage to intestinal morphology with a 64 % reduction in villus height/crypt depth ratio, and microvilli injury in the duodenum. Iron overload mediated epithelial function by inhibiting the expression of nutrient transporters and enhancing the expression of secretory factors in the duodenum. Meanwhile, iron overload inhibited the proliferation of ISCs and regulated their differentiation into secretory mature cells, such as goblet cells, through inhibiting Notch signaling pathway both in mice and enteroid. Furthermore, iron overload caused oxidative stress and ferroptosis in intestinal epithelial cells. In addition, ferroptosis could also inhibit Notch signaling pathway, and affected the proliferation and differentiation of ISCs. These findings reveal the regulatory role of iron overload on the proliferation and differentiation of ISCs, providing a new insight into the internal mechanism of iron overload affecting intestinal health, and offering important theoretical basis for the scientific application of iron nutrition regulation.

System biology approach to identify the novel biomarkers in glioblastoma multiforme tumors by using computational analysis

Introduction: The most common primary brain tumor in adults is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), accounting for 45.2% of all cases. The characteristics of GBM, a highly aggressive brain tumor, include rapid cell division and a propensity for necrosis. Regretfully, the prognosis is extremely poor, with only 5.5% of patients surviving after diagnosis. Methodology: To eradicate these kinds of complicated diseases, significant focus is placed on developing more effective drugs and pinpointing precise pharmacological targets. Finding appropriate biomarkers for drug discovery entails considering a variety of factors, including illness states, gene expression levels, and interactions between proteins. Using statistical techniques like p-values and false discovery rates, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as the first step in our research for identifying promising biomarkers in GBM. Of the 132 genes, 13 showed upregulation, and only 29 showed unique downregulation. No statistically significant changes in the expression of the remaining genes were observed. Results: Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) had the greatest degree in the hub biomarker gene identification, followed by (periostin (POSTN) at 11 and Hes family BHLH transcription factor 5 (HES5) at 9. The significance of the identification of each hub biomarker gene in the initiation and advancement of glioblastoma multiforme was brought to light by the survival analysis. Many of these genes participate in signaling networks and function in extracellular areas, as demonstrated by the enrichment analysis.We also identified the transcription factors and kinases that control proteins in the proteinprotein interactions (PPIs) of the DEGs. Discussion: We discovered drugs connected to every hub biomarker. It is an appealing therapeutic target for inhibiting MMP9 involved in GBM. Molecular docking investigations indicated that the chosen complexes (carmustine, lomustine, marimastat, and temozolomide) had high binding affinities of -6.3, -7.4, -7.7, and -8.7 kcal/mol, respectively, the mean root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) value for the carmustine complex and marimastat complex was 4.2 Å and 4.9 Å, respectively, and the lomustine and temozolomide complex system showed an average RMSD of 1.2 Å and 1.6 Å, respectively. Additionally, high stability in root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF) analysis was observed with no structural conformational changes among the atomic molecules. Thus, these in silico investigations develop a new way for experimentalists to target lethal diseases in future.

Mechanism of Notch Signaling Pathway in Malignant Progression of Glioblastoma and Targeted Therapy

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of glioma and the most common primary tumor of the central nervous system. Despite significant advances in clinical management strategies and diagnostic techniques for GBM in recent years, it remains a fatal disease. The current standard of care includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, but the five-year survival rate for patients is less than 5%. The search for a more precise diagnosis and earlier intervention remains a critical and urgent challenge in clinical practice. The Notch signaling pathway is a critical signaling system that has been extensively studied in the malignant progression of glioblastoma. This highly conserved signaling cascade is central to a variety of biological processes, including growth, proliferation, self-renewal, migration, apoptosis, and metabolism. In GBM, accumulating data suggest that the Notch signaling pathway is hyperactive and contributes to GBM initiation, progression, and treatment resistance. This review summarizes the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of the Notch signaling pathway in GBM, as well as some clinical advances targeting the Notch signaling pathway in cancer and glioblastoma, highlighting its potential as a focus for novel therapeutic strategies.

Potential role of POFUT1 as a prognostic predictor in low-grade gliomas: Immune microenvironment insights from a pan-cancer analysis

The POFUT1 gene, known to be up-regulated in various tumor tissues and associated with tumor biology, has yet to be explored for its potential role in immune response regulation and tumor immune microenvironment. The normalized pan-cancer dataset (TCGA Pan-Cancer) was downloaded from the UCSC database, followed by analysis of POFUT1 expression in various tumors and functional enrichment analysis. The correlation between POFUT1 expression levels and patient prognosis was assessed. GSEA of POFUT1 based on low-grade glioma (LGG) samples and immune infiltration analyses of LGG and glioblastoma (GBM) were conducted. The correlation between POFUT1 expression levels and infiltration levels of 22 immune cells in LGG and GBM was examined, as well as the correlation between immune cell infiltration levels and LGG patient prognosis. Additionally, the relationship between POFUT1 expression levels and characteristic gene expression of identified immune cells was evaluated. Lastly, external dataset validation was performed using the integrated CGGA dataset. Significant differences were observed in POFUT1 expression levels across 20 tumor types. High POFUT1 expression correlated with poor prognosis in GBMLGG, and LGG patients. Enrichment analysis and GSEA of POFUT1 in LGG demonstrated involvement in tumor-related and immune-related pathways. A positive correlation was identified between POFUT1 expression levels and infiltration levels of resting memory CD4+ T cells, as well as M2 macrophages or M2-like TAMs in the LGG immune microenvironment, potentially contributing to poor prognosis. External dataset validation revealed a positive correlation between M2 macrophages or M2-like TAMs and POFUT1 expression levels in LGG, and a negative correlation with LGG patient prognosis. POFUT1's negative impact on LGG prognosis may result from its influence on M2 macrophage and M2-like TAM infiltration levels within the immune microenvironment. This suggests its potential as a prognostic predictor and therapeutic target for LGG.

Notch1 is involved in cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation in the HVC of zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Significant sex differences are found in songbirds' song control nuclei and their controlled song behaviors. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we explored the role of Notch1 during the development of the high vocal centre (HVC) and song learning in zebra finch. Our study first found that Notch1 positive cells were distributed in HVC with female-biased densities at posthatching day (PHD) 15, but male-biased at PHD 45 and adult. There were about 60 putative oestrogen-responsive elements within 2.5 kb upstream of Notch1, and Notch1 mRNA in the explants that contained the developing male HVC was significantly increased after estrogen addition into the cultured medium for 48 h. After injecting Notch1-interfering lentivirus into the male or female HVC at PHD 15, cell proliferation was significantly promoted in the ventricle zone overlying the HVC at PHD 23. In addition, neuronal differentiation towards Hu+ /BrdU+ at PHD 31, mature neurons (NeuN+/BrdU+) including those projecting to RA in HVC and the sizes of HVC and RA at adult increased significantly after Notch1-interfering lentiviruses were injected into the male HVC at PHD 15. However, the above measurements decreased, following the injection of the lentiviruses expressing Notch intracellular domain (NICD). Finally, the repeat numbers of syllables 'b' or 'c' of learned songs changed after the injection of Notch1-interfering or NICD-expressing lentiviruses into the HVC at PHD15. Our study suggests that Notch1 is related to the development of HVC and song learning in the zebra finch.

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4 A-3 promotes glioblastoma growth and invasion through the Notch1-dependent pathway

BACKGROUND

As an adult tumor with the most invasion and the highest mortality rate, the inherent heterogeneity of glioblastoma (GBM) is the main factor that causes treatment failure. Therefore, it is important to have a deeper understanding of the pathology of GBM. Some studies have shown that Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4A-3 (EIF4A3) can promote the growth of many people's tumors, and the role of specific molecules in GBM remains unclear.

METHODS

The correlation between the expression of EIF4A3 gene and its prognosis was studied in 94 GBM patients using survival analysis. Further in vitro and in vivo experiments, the effect of EIF4A3 on GBM cells proliferation, migration, and the mechanism of EIF4A3 on GBM was explored. In addition, combined with bioinformatics analysis, we further confirmed that EIF4A3 contributes to the progress of GBM.

RESULTS

The expression of EIF4A3 was upregulated in GBM tissues, and high expression of EIF4A3 is associated with poor prognosis in GBM. In vitro, knockdown of EIF4A3 significantly reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of GBM cells, whereas overexpression of EIF4A3 led to the opposite effect. The analysis of differentially expressed genes related to EIF4A3 indicates that it is involved in many cancer-related pathways, such as Notch and JAK-STAT3 signal pathway. In Besides, we demonstrated the interaction between EIF4A3 and Notch1 by RNA immunoprecipitation. Finally, the biological function of EIF4A3-promoted GBM was confirmed in living organisms.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that EIF4A3 may be a potential prognostic factor, and Notch1 participates in the proliferation and metastasis of GBM cells mediated by EIF4A3.

Hypocretin-1 suppresses malignant progression of glioblastoma cells through Notch1 signaling pathway

Hypocretin-1 is a multifunctional neuropeptide that has been identified as a potential antitumor agent for its role in inhibiting tumor growth, including in colon cancer, neuroendocrine tumor, and prostate cancer. However, the role and mechanism of hypocretin-1 in the occurrence and development of malignant glioma have not been well studied. Therefore, we investigated the effect of hypocretin-1 on glioblastoma proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion and its mechanism. We found that the hypocretin-1 receptor was expressed in both glioma cell lines and glioma tissues. Hypocretin-1 treatment can inhibit glioblastoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induce cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, hypocretin-1 treatment significantly reduces tumor growth rate and tumor weight. In addition, mechanistic studies have found that hypocretin-1 exerts antitumor effects by inhibiting NOTCH signaling pathway. Overexpression of NICD significantly reversed the antitumor effect of hypocretin on glioblastoma. Taken together, these findings suggest that hypocretin-1 inhibits glioblastoma proliferation, migration and invasion and induces apoptosis in vitro and in vivo through NOTCH signaling pathway.

POFUT1 acts as a tumor promoter in glioblastoma by enhancing the activation of Notch signaling

Dysregulation of protein O-fucosyl transferase 1 (POFUT1) contributes to the occurrence and progression of multiple cancers. However, whether POFUT1 has a relationship with the pathogenesis of glioblastoma (GBM) is unknown. This work was aimed at evaluating the detailed relevance of POFUT1 in GBM. Here, we demonstrated high levels of POFUT1 in GBM tissue and elucidated that GBM patients with high levels of POFUT1 had a shorter survival rate than those with low levels of POFUT1. POFUT1 knockdown in GBM cells markedly downregulated the ability to proliferate and invade, while overexpression of POFUT1 potentiated the proliferative and invasive ability of GBM cells. Further mechanistic studies indicated that silencing POFUT1 prohibited the activation of Notch signaling, leading to a reduction in the expression of HES1 and HEY1. On the contrary, overexpression of POFUT1 enhanced the activation of Notch signaling. Notably, inhibition of Notch signaling markedly reversed POFUT1-overexpression-induced tumor promotion effects in GBM cells. In addition, POFUT1 silencing markedly repressed the potential of GBM cells to form tumors in vivo. In conclusion, the data of this work indicates that POFUT1 serves a tumor promotion role in GBM by enhancing the activation of Notch signaling. This study underlines the potential role of the POFUT1/Notch axis in GBM progression and proposes POFUT1 as a promising anticancer target for GBM.