GINS2 is a novel prognostic biomarker and promotes tumor progression in early-stage cervical cancer

Replication Stress in Activated Human NK Cells Induces Sensitivity to Apoptosis

NK cells are innate immune effectors that kill virally infected or malignant cells. NK cell deficiency (NKD) occurs when NK cell development or function is impaired and variants in MCM4, GINS1, MCM10, and GINS4 result in NKD. Although NK cells are strongly impacted by mutational deficiencies in helicase proteins, the mechanisms underlying this specific susceptibility are poorly understood. In this study, we induced replication stress in activated NK cells or T cells by chemical and genetic methods. We found that the CD56bright subset of NK cells accumulates more DNA damage and replication stress during activation than do CD56dim NK cells or T cells. Aphidicolin treatment increases apoptosis of CD56bright NK cells through increased pan-caspase expression and decreases perforin expression in surviving cells. These findings show that sensitivity to replication stress affects NK cell survival and function and contributes to NKD.

GINS2 regulates temozolomide chemosensitivity via the EGR1/ECT2 axis in gliomas

Temozolomide (TMZ), a DNA alkylating agent, has become the primary treatment for glioma, the most common malignancy of the central nervous system. Although TMZ-containing regimens produce significant clinical response rates, some patients inevitably suffer from inferior treatment outcomes or disease relapse, likely because of poor chemosensitivity of glioma cells due to a robust DNA damage response (DDR). GINS2, a subunit of DNA helicase, contributes to maintaining genomic stability and is highly expressed in various cancers, promoting their development. Here, we report that GINS2 was upregulated in TMZ-treated glioma cells and co-localized with γH2AX, indicating its participation in TMZ-induced DDR. Furthermore, GINS2 regulated the malignant phenotype and TMZ sensitivity of glioma cells, mostly by promoting DNA damage repair by affecting the mRNA stability of early growth response factor 1 (EGR1), which in turn regulates the transcription of epithelial cell-transforming sequence 2 (ECT2). We constructed a GINS2-EGR1-ECT2 prognostic model, which accurately predicted patient survival. Further, we screened Palbociclib/BIX-02189 which dampens GINS2 expression and synergistically inhibits glioma cell proliferation with TMZ. These findings delineate a novel mechanism by which GINS2 regulates the TMZ sensitivity of glioma cells and propose a promising combination therapy to treat glioma.

GINS2 promotes the progression of human HNSCC by altering RRM2 expression

INTRODUCTION

GINS2 exerts a carcinogenic effect in multiple human malignancies, while it is still unclear that the potential roles and underlying mechanisms of GINS2 in HNSCC.

METHODS

TCGA database was used to screen out genes with significant differences in expression in HNSCC. Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were used to measure the expression of GINS2 in HNSCC tissues and cells. GINS2 was detected by qRT-PCR or western blot after knockdown or overexpression. Celigo cell counting, MTT, colony formation, and flow cytometric assay were used to check the ability of proliferation and apoptosis. Bioinformatics and microarray were used to screen out the downstream genes of GINS2.

RESULTS

GINS2 in HNSCC tissues and cells was up-regulated, which was correlated with poor prognosis. GINS2 gene expression was successfully inhibited and overexpressed in HNSCC cells. Knockdown of GINS2 could inhibit proliferation and increase apoptosis of cells. Meanwhile, overexpression of GINS2 could enhance cell proliferation and colony formation. Knockdown of RRM2 may inhibit HNSCC cell proliferation, while overexpression of RRM2 rescued the effect of reducing GINS2 expression.

CONCLUSION

Our study reported the role of GINS2 in HNSCC for the first time. The results demonstrated that in HNSCC cells, GINS2 promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis via altering RRM2 expression. Therefore, GINS2 might play a carcinogen in HNSCC, and become a specific promising therapeutic target.

Disorders in the CMG helicase complex increase the proliferative capacity and delay chronological aging of budding yeast

The replication of DNA requires specialized and intricate machinery. This machinery is known as a replisome and is highly evolutionarily conserved, from simple unicellular organisms such as yeast to human cells. The replisome comprises multiple protein complexes responsible for various steps in the replication process. One crucial component of the replisome is the Cdc45-MCM-GINS (CMG) helicase complex, which unwinds double-stranded DNA and coordinates the assembly and function of other replisome components, including DNA polymerases. The genes encoding the CMG helicase components are essential for initiating DNA replication. In this study, we aimed to investigate how the absence of one copy of the CMG complex genes in heterozygous Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells impacts the cells' physiology and aging. Our data revealed that these cells exhibited a significant reduction in transcript levels for the respective CMG helicase complex proteins, as well as disruptions in the cell cycle, extended doubling times, and alterations in their biochemical profile. Notably, this study provided the first demonstration that cells heterozygous for genes encoding subunits of the CMG helicase exhibited a significantly increased reproductive potential and delayed chronological aging. Additionally, we observed a noteworthy correlation between RNA and polysaccharide levels in yeast and their reproductive potential, as well as a correlation between fatty acid levels and cell doubling times. Our findings also shed new light on the potential utility of yeast in investigating potential therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.

FABP4, GINS2 and CBX7 Expression in Cancer Cervix Tissues: Clinical, Pathological and Prognostic Implications

Background & Objective

Cervical cancer spreads to the pelvic lymph nodes, leading to a high incidence of cancer recurrence and unfavorable survival rates. Therefore, there is an urgent need to detect new predictive biomarkers for the early assessment of pelvic lymph node status in patients with cervical cancer. The current study aimed to assess the expression of FABP4, GINS2, and CBX7 in cervical cancer tissue to detect their prognostic and predictive roles in developing lymph node metastases in patients with that cancer type.

Methods

We collected the tissues from patients with cervical cancer and evaluated the expression of FABP4, GINS2, and CBX7 using immunohistochemistry. We evaluated the association between their expression and clinicopathological and prognostic parameters.

Results

A high expression of FABP4 and GINS2 and a low expression of CBX7 were found to be positively associated with the old age group, large tumor size, high grade and lymphovascular involvement, para-uterine organ infiltration, advanced FIGO stage, chemotherapeutic resistance, and tumor recurrence.

Conclusion

We demonstrated the oncogenic roles of FABP4 and GISN2 in addition to the on-co-suppressive roles of CBX7 in cervical cancer and their association with poor clinicopathological criteria and poor survival. Our results may indicate that FABP4, GISN2, and CBX7 could be considered predictive biomarkers of the occurrence of lymph node metastases in the cancer of the cervix preoperatively, which could be beneficial in the accurate preoperative design therapy.

Exploring Key Genes with Diagnostic Value for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Based on Bioinformatics Analysis

We aimed to screen specific genes in liver tissue samples of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with clinical diagnostic value based on bioinformatics analysis. The datasets of liver tissue samples from healthy individuals and NASH patients were retrieved for consistency cluster analysis to obtain the NASH sample typing, followed by verification of the diagnostic value of sample genotyping-specific genes. All samples were subjected to logistic regression analysis, followed by the establishment of the risk model, and then, the diagnostic value was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. NASH samples could be divided into cluster 1, cluster 2, and cluster 3, which could predict the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score of patients. A total of 162 sample genotyping-specific genes were extracted from patient clinical parameters, and the top 20 core genes in the protein interaction network were obtained for logistic regression analysis. Five sample genotyping-specific genes (WD repeat and HMG-box DNA-binding protein 1 [WDHD1], GINS complex subunit 2 [GINS2], replication factor C subunit 3 (RFC3), secreted phosphoprotein 1 [SPP1], and spleen tyrosine kinase [SYK]) were extracted to construct the risk models with high diagnostic value in NASH. Compared with the low-risk group, the high-risk group of the model showed increased lipoproduction and decreased lipolysis and lipid β oxidation. The risk models based on WDHD1, GINS2, RFC3, SPP1, and SYK have high diagnostic value in NASH, and this risk model is closely related to lipid metabolism pathways.

PLAU and LAMC2 can predict a poor prognosis in patients with HNSCC

Objectives: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignancy of the head and neck. However, the molecular mechanisms governing the development of HNSCC have not been fully elucidated. Materials and Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE23036 datasets. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to reveal the correlations among genes and to search for significantly correlated gene modules. The expression levels of genes in HNSCC and normal samples according to antibody-based detected methods was assessed by utilizing the Human Protein Atlas (HPA). The impact of the selected hub genes on the prognosis of HNSCC patients was assessed by analysing immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) expression levels and clinical data. Results: Twenty-four genes positively correlated with tumour status and 15 genes negatively correlated with tumour status were screened out by WGCNA. PLAU and LAMC2 were associated with a poor prognosis in patients with HNSCC and were finally screened out and verified by GEPIA and HPA database analysis. Immunohistochemistry of samples collected from 175 patients with HNSCC and subsequent statistical analysis also showed that PLAU and LAMC2 were associated with a poor prognosis in patients with HNSCC, and the levels of these two factors were positively correlated. The expression and co-localization of PLAU and LAMC2 in HNSCC tissues were confirmed by double immunofluorescence labeling. Conclusions: There was a positive correlation between PLAU and LAMC2 expression in HNSCC samples, and PLAU and LAMC2 might be independent prognostic biomarkers for HNSCC.

DNA replication: Mechanisms and therapeutic interventions for diseases

Accurate and integral cellular DNA replication is modulated by multiple replication-associated proteins, which is fundamental to preserve genome stability. Furthermore, replication proteins cooperate with multiple DNA damage factors to deal with replication stress through mechanisms beyond their role in replication. Cancer cells with chronic replication stress exhibit aberrant DNA replication and DNA damage response, providing an exploitable therapeutic target in tumors. Numerous evidence has indicated that posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of replication proteins present distinct functions in DNA replication and respond to replication stress. In addition, abundant replication proteins are involved in tumorigenesis and development, which act as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in some tumors, implying these proteins act as therapeutic targets in clinical. Replication-target cancer therapy emerges as the times require. In this context, we outline the current investigation of the DNA replication mechanism, and simultaneously enumerate the aberrant expression of replication proteins as hallmark for various diseases, revealing their therapeutic potential for target therapy. Meanwhile, we also discuss current observations that the novel PTM of replication proteins in response to replication stress, which seems to be a promising strategy to eliminate diseases.

Go-Ichi-Ni-San 2: A potential biomarker and therapeutic target in human cancers

Cancer incidence and mortality are increasing globally, leading to its rising status as a leading cause of death. The Go-Ichi-Ni-San (GINS) complex plays a crucial role in DNA replication and the cell cycle. The GINS complex consists of four subunits encoded by the GINS1, GINS2, GINS3, and GINS4 genes. Recent findings have shown that GINS2 expression is upregulated in many diseases, particularly tumors. For example, increased GINS2 expression has been found in cervical cancer, gastric adenocarcinoma, glioma, non-small cell lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer. It correlates with the clinicopathological characteristics of the tumors. In addition, high GINS2 expression plays a pro-carcinogenic role in tumor development by promoting tumor cell proliferation and migration, inhibiting tumor cell apoptosis, and blocking the cell cycle. This review describes the upregulation of GINS2 expression in most human tumors and the pathway of GINS2 in tumor development. GINS2 may serve as a new marker for tumor diagnosis and a new biological target for therapy.

Evaluation of the Synergistic Potential of Simultaneous Pan- or Isoform-Specific BET and SYK Inhibition in B-Cell Lymphoma: An In Vitro Approach

Simple Summary

B-cell lymphomas represent the majority of non-Hodgkin lymphomas and are the most common lymphoid malignancies in the Western world. Genetic alterations or epigenetic modulations can lead to tumor initiation and tumor progression. Aside from standard care, targeted, individualized therapies can be highly effective. Here, we evaluated the impact of simultaneous specific inhibition of two key regulators involved in B lymphoid tumor progression. Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is a B-cell receptor-associated kinase acting as a proto-oncogene in B-cell malignancies, while bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins are epigenetic reader proteins involved in histone recognition and transcription regulation. The simultaneous inhibition of SYK and BET showed enhanced anti-proliferative effects, as well as inducing a distinct combination-specific gene expression profile, suggesting SYK and BET inhibition as a promising combination in the treatment of B-cell lymphoma.

Abstract

Background: Both bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) represent promising targets in diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL) and Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL). We evaluated the anti-lymphoma activity of the isoform-specific bivalent BET inhibitor AZD5153 (AZD) and the pan-BET inhibitor I-BET151 (I-BET) as single agents and in combination with SYK inhibitor Entospletinib (Ento) in vitro. Methods: The effect of the single agents on cell proliferation and metabolic activity was evaluated in two DLBCL and two BL cell lines. Proliferation, metabolic activity, apoptosis, cell cycle and morphology were further investigated after a combined treatment of AZD or I-BET and Ento. RNAseq profiling of combined AZD+Ento treatment was performed in SU-DHL-4 cells. Results: Both BET inhibitors reduced cell proliferation and metabolic activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Combined BET and SYK inhibition enhanced the anti-proliferative effect and induced a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. SU-DHL-4 demonstrated a pronounced modulation of gene expression by AZD, which was markedly increased by additional SYK inhibition. Functional enrichment analyses identified combination-specific GO terms related to DNA replication and cell division. Genes such as ADGRA2, MYB, TNFRSF11A, S100A10, PLEKHH3, DHRS2 and FOXP1-AS1 were identified as possible key regulators. Conclusion: Simultaneous inhibition of BET and SYK enhanced the anti-proliferative effects, and induced a combination-specific gene expression signature.

GINS2 Is Downregulated in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Promotes Proliferation and Migration of Nucleus Pulposus Cells

GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) regulates the migration, invasion, and growth of cells in many malignant and chronic diseases. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression of GINS2 in the peripheral blood and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells of patients with intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD). GINS2 expression was detected using bioinformatics tools from the GEO public repository and validated using peripheral blood samples from IDD patients and healthy participants. GINS2 clinical significance was explored by the receiver operating curve (ROC) utilizing area under the curve (AUC). Moreover, the influences of GINS2 on cell viability, migration, and invasion were explored by MTT, wound healing, and transwell assays, whereas cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Expression levels of GINS2 in the peripheral blood were significantly lower in IDD patients than in healthy participants. Moreover, ROC obtained a significantly higher AUC of GINS2 in IDD patients. Further, overexpressed GINS2 increased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NP cells while overexpressed GINS2 decreased the apoptotic property of cells compared to the NC plasmid and control groups. In conclusion, GINS2 might be a potential therapeutic target of IDD.

Combined analysis of expression, prognosis and immune infiltration of GINS family genes in human sarcoma

Objective: This study was undertaken to explore the expression and prognostic value of GINS family in human sarcoma, as well as the association between the expression levels of the GINS family and sarcoma immune infiltration.

Results: We discovered that the mRNA expression levels of GINS1, GINS2, GINS3, and GINS4 were all higher in the majority of tumor tissues than in normal samples, of course, including sarcoma. Through the CCLE, all the four members expression were observed in high levels in sarcoma cell lines. In Gene Expression Profiling Analysis (GEPIA) and Kaplan-Meier Plotter, our results indicated that the poor overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and relapse free survival (RFS) were tightly associated with the increased expression of GINS genes. In TIMER database, we found that highly expressed GINS was significantly correlated with the low infiltration level of CD4+ T cell and macrophage.

Conclusions: The four GINS family members were all the prognostic biomarkers for the prognosis of human sarcoma and can reduce the level of immune cell infiltration in the sarcoma microenvironment.

Methods: In terms of the expression levels of mRNA for GINS family members, a particular contrast in various cancers, especially human sarcoma, was conducted through ONCOMINE and GEPIA and CCLE databases. Kaplan-Meier Plotter was used to identify the prognostic value of GINS family in sarcoma. The relationship between the expression level of GINS and the infiltration of immune cells was analyzed in TIMER database.

Identification of a 5-Nutrient Stress-Sensitive Gene Signature to Predict Survival for Colorectal Cancer

Background

The high heterogeneity and the complexity of the tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC) have enhanced the difficulty of prognosis prediction based on conventional clinical indicators. Recent studies revealed that tumor cells could overcome various nutritional deficiencies by gene regulation and metabolic remodeling. However, whether differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CRC cells under kinds of nutrient deficiency could be used to predict prognosis remained unveiled.

Methods

Three datasets (GSE70976, GSE13548, and GSE116087), in which colon cancer cells were, respectively, cultured in serum-free, glucose-free, or glutamine-free medium, were included to delineate the profiles of gene expression by nutrient stress. DEGs were figured out in three datasets, and gene functional analysis was performed. Survival analyses and Cox proportional hazards model were then used to identify nutrient stress sensitive genes in CRC datasets (GSE39582 and TCGA COAD). Then, a 5-gene signature was constructed and the risk scores were also calculated. Survival analyses, cox analyses, and nomogram were applied to predict the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer. The effectiveness of the risk model was also tested.

Results

A total of 48 genes were found to be dysregulated in serum, glucose, or glutamine-deprived CRC cells, which were mainly enriched in cell cycle and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways. After further analyses, 5 genes, MCM5, MCM6, CDCA2, GINS2, and SPC25, were identified to be differentially expressed in CRC and be related to prognosis of in CRC datasets. We used the above nutrient stress-sensitive genes to construct a risk scoring model. CRC samples in the datasets were divided into low-risk and high-risk groups. Data showed that higher risk scores were associated with better outcomes and risk scores decreased significantly with tumor procession. Moreover, the risk score could be used to predict the probability of survival based on nomogram.

Conclusions

The 5-nutrient stress-sensitive gene signature could act as an independent biomarker for survival prediction of CRC patients.

Exploring Potential Regulatory Anesthetic Drugs Based on RNA Binding Protein and Constructing CESC Prognosis Model: A Study Based on TCGA Database

Objective

To investigate the differential expression of RBPs in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC), analyze the regulatory effect of narcotic drugs on RBPs, and establish the prognostic risk model of CESC patients.

Methods

RNA-SEQ data and clinical case data of cancer and normal samples from CESC patients were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. Differentially expressed RBPs were screened by R language and enriched. The CMAP database is used to predict the anesthetic drugs that regulate the differential expression of RBPs. The prognostic risk score model was constructed by COX regression analysis. Risk score of each CESC patient was calculated and divided into high-risk group and low-risk group according to the median risk score. The prediction efficiency of prognostic risk model was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the correlation between prognostic risk model and clinical characteristics was analyzed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of RNASEH2A and HENMT1 in tissues.

Results

There were 65 differentially expressed RBPs in CESC. Five anesthetics, including benzocaine, procaine, pentoxyverine, and tetracaine were obtained to regulate RBPs. Survival analysis showed that seven genes were related to the prognosis of patients, and the CESC risk score model was constructed by COX regression. The risk score can be used as an independent prognostic factor. RNASEH2A and HENMT1 are up-regulated in tumors, which can effectively distinguish normal tissues from tumor tissues.

Conclusion

It is found that different anesthetic drugs have different regulatory effects on the differential expression of RBPs. Based on the differentially expressed RBPs, the prognostic risk score model of CESC patients was constructed. To provide ideas for the formulation of individualized precise anesthesia scheme and cancer pain analgesia scheme, which is helpful to improve the perioperative survival rate of cancer patients.

TUSC3 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion in cervical squamous cell carcinoma via suppression of the AKT signalling pathway

The decreased expression of tumour suppressor candidate 3 (TUSC3) is associated with proliferation in several types of cancer, leading to an unfavourable prognosis. The present study aimed to assess the cellular and molecular function of TUSC3 in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Levels of mRNA expressions of TUSC3 were analysed in CSCC tissues and six cell lines using qRT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry(IHC) was used to evaluate the protein expression level of TUSC3 in four paired specimens, 220 paraffin-embedded CSCC specimens and 60 cases of normal cervical tissues(NCTs), respectively. Short hairpin RNA interference was employed for TUSC3 knockdown. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were evaluated using growth curve, MTT assay, wound healing, transwell assay and xenograft tumour model, respectively. The results demonstrated that TUSC3 mRNA and protein expression levels were downregulated in CSCC samples. Multivariate and univariate analyses indicated that TUSC3 was an independent prognostic factor for patients with CSCC. Decreased TUSC3 expression levels were significantly associated with proliferation and an aggressive phenotype of cervical cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the knockdown of TUSC3 promoted migration and invasion of cancer cells, while the increased expression of TUSC3 exhibited the opposite effects. The downregulation of TUSC3 facilitated proliferation and invasion of CSCC cells through the activation of the AKT signalling pathway. Our data demonstrated that the downregulation of TUSC3 promoted CSCC cell metastasis via the AKT signalling pathway. Therefore, TUSC3 may serve as a novel prognostic marker and potential target for CSCC.

Gene Expression Studies in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Samples of Cutaneous Cancer: The Need for Reference Genes

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumour samples may provide crucial data regarding biomarkers for neoplasm progression. Analysis of gene expression is frequently used for this purpose. Therefore, mRNA expression needs to be normalized through comparison to reference genes. In this study, we establish which of the usually reported reference genes is the most reliable one in cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). ACTB, TFRC, HPRT1 and TBP expression was quantified in 123 FFPE samples (74 MM and 49 CSCC biopsies) using qPCR. Expression stability was analysed by NormFinder and Bestkeeper softwares, and the direct comparison method between means and SD. The in-silico analysis with BestKeeper indicated that HPRT1 was more stable than ACTB and TFRC in MM (1.85 vs. 2.15) and CSCC tissues (2.09 vs. 2.33). The best option to NormFinder was ACTB gene (0.56) in MM and TFRC (0.26) in CSCC. The direct comparison method showed lower SD means of ACTB expression in MM (1.17) and TFRC expression in CSCC samples (1.00). When analysing the combination of two reference genes for improving stability, NormFinder indicated HPRT1 and ACTB to be the best for MM samples, and HPRT1 and TFRC genes for CSCC. In conclusion, HPRT1 and ACTB genes in combination are the most appropriate choice for normalization in gene expression studies in MM FFPE tissue, while the combination of HPRT1 and TFRC genes are the best option in analysing CSCC FFPE samples. These may be used consistently in forthcoming studies on gene expression in both tumours.

GINS Complex Subunit 2 Facilitates Gastric Adenocarcinoma Proliferation and Indicates Poor Prognosis

Gastric cancer is the one of the most lethal malignancies of digestive system. Identifying molecular biomarkers is invaluable in help predicting clinical outcomes and developing targeted chemotherapies. GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) plays an essential role in the initiation and elongation of DNA replication. Although there have been studies revealing the prognostic significance of GINS2 in breast cancer and lung cancer, its involvement and function in gastric cancer need to be elucidated. We retrospectively enrolled a cohort of gastric adenocarcinoma patients after surgical resection (n = 123). By analyzing the mRNA and protein levels of GINS2 in tissue samples, we found that GINS2 presented a higher expression in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal stomach tissues. Besides, GINS2 level was positively correlated with tumor size and gastric adenocarcinoma tumor stage, implying its potential role as a tumor promoter. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified that patients with lower GINS2 showed a better overall survival compared to those with higher GINS2 expression. In addition, cellular and xenograft experiments confirmed the role of GINS2 in facilitating tumor proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. To our knowledge, this is the initial finding on GINS2 in promoting gastric adenocarcinoma progression. In conclusion, our study revealed a pro-oncogenic role of GINS2 in gastric cancer.

Bioinformatical identification of key genes regulated by IGF2BP2-mediated RNA N6-methyladenosine and prediction of prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

The treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a malignant cancer with global spread, remains unsatisfactory, and novel prognostic biomarkers need to be identified. N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) has been found to regulate tumor initiation and progression through different mechanisms. As a dynamic and reversible messenger RNA (mRNA) modification, m⁶A can be read by insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2). IGF2BP2 targets thousands of mRNA transcripts, which may be involved in HCC progression.

Methods

In this study, we integrated 4 classes of datasets including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LICH, m⁶A-sequencing data of HepG2 cells, and RNA-sequencing data of IGF2BP2-knockdown HepG2 cells to explore the key genes regulated by IGF2BP2-mediated m⁶A in HCC. The expression and m⁶A modification of candidates were validation in independent microarray expression profile of HCC tissue and annotated m⁶A database RMBase. The relationship of immune cell infiltration and the genes expression was estimated by CIBERSORT and TIMER.

Results

A total of 89 candidate genes were filtered. Next, cluster analysis was performed base on functions and pathways to identify the enrichment pathways. By constructing a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, we found 54 nodes. Ten significant genes were filtered from the PPI. These genes were validated in data of an independent microarray and an m⁶A database. We found that the upregulation of these 10 genes was associated with poor prognosis. In addition, we showed the expression of these 10 genes was associated with the infiltration of variety of immune cell and tumor purity.

Conclusions

These identified genes may provide novel insights and facilitate the development of potential biomarkers for HCC diagnosis, as well as provide clues for IGF2BP2 inhibition therapy in HCC.

GINS2 promotes EMT in pancreatic cancer via specifically stimulating ERK/MAPK signaling

Go-Ichi-Ni-San 2 (GINS2), as a newly discovered oncogene, is overexpressed in several cancers. However, the specific role of GINS2 in the development of pancreatic cancer (PC), to our knowledge, is poorly understood. We systematically explored the potential role of GINS2 in epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT)-stimulated PC in vitro and vivo. GINS2 was overexpressed in human PC specimens, which was positively associated with tumor size (P = 0.010), T stage (P = 0.006), vascular invasion (P = 0.037), and the poor prognosis (P = 0.004). Interestingly, a close correlation between GINS2, E-cadherin, and Vimentin (P = 0.014) was found in human PC specimens and cell lines that coordinately promoted the worse survival of PC patients (P = 0.009). GINS2 overexpression stimulated EMT in vitro, including promoting EMT-like cellular morphology, enhancing cell motility, and activating EMT and ERK/MAPK signal pathways. However, PD98059, a specific MEK1 inhibitor, reversed GINS2 overexpression-stimulated EMT in vitro. Conversely, GINS2 silencing inhibited EMT in PANC-1 cells, which was also rescued by GINS2-GFP. Moreover, GINS2 was colocalized and co-immunoprecipitated with ERK in GINS2 high-expression Miapaca-2 and PANC-1 cells, implying a tight interaction of GINS2 with ERK/MAPK signaling. Meanwhile, GINS2 overexpression inhibited distant liver metastases in vivo, following a tight association with EMT and ERK/MAPK signaling, which was reversed by MEK inhibitor. Overexpression of GINS2 contributes to advanced clinical stage of PC patient and promotes EMT in vitro and vivo via specifically activating ERK/MAPK signal pathway.

Bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed genes and pathways in the development of cervical cancer

Background

This study aimed to explore and identify key genes and signaling pathways that contribute to the progression of cervical cancer to improve prognosis.

Methods

Three gene expression profiles (GSE63514, GSE64217 and GSE138080) were screened and downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the GEO2R and Venn diagram tools. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to analyze the three gene expression profiles. Moreover, a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs was constructed, and functional enrichment analysis was performed. On this basis, hub genes from critical PPI subnetworks were explored with Cytoscape software. The expression of these genes in tumors was verified, and survival analysis of potential prognostic genes from critical subnetworks was conducted. Functional annotation, multiple gene comparison and dimensionality reduction in candidate genes indicated the clinical significance of potential targets.

Results

A total of 476 DEGs were screened: 253 upregulated genes and 223 downregulated genes. DEGs were enriched in 22 biological processes, 16 cellular components and 9 molecular functions in precancerous lesions and cervical cancer. DEGs were mainly enriched in 10 KEGG pathways. Through intersection analysis and data mining, 3 key KEGG pathways and related core genes were revealed by GSEA. Moreover, a PPI network of 476 DEGs was constructed, hub genes from 12 critical subnetworks were explored, and a total of 14 potential molecular targets were obtained.

Conclusions

These findings promote the understanding of the molecular mechanism of and clinically related molecular targets for cervical cancer.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08412-4.

Knockdown of GINS2 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis through the p53/GADD45A pathway in non-small-cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is a malignant tumour type with the highest morbidity and mortality, and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common pathological type. GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) is a member of the GINS family and is closely related to DNA replication and damage, participates in cell cycle regulation and plays a key role in cell proliferation and apoptosis. In the present study, we aimed to explore the role and underlying molecular mechanism of GINS2 in the development of NSCLC. The results showed that GINS2 is significantly increased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of GINS2 significantly decreases cell proliferation, causing G₂/M phase cell cycle arrest. Knockdown of GINS2 reverses the effect of nocodazole on the levels of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and cyclin-B1. Meanwhile, knockdown of GINS2 significantly elevates the apoptosis rate and apoptosis-related protein Bax and decreases Bcl-2. In addition, GINS2 knockdown induces an increase in the levels of p53 and growth arrest and DNA damage 45A (GADD45A). Co-transfection with GINS2-siRNA and siRNA against p53 (p53-siRNA) or co-transfection with GINS2-siRNA and siRNA against GADD45A (GADD45A-siRNA) partially reverses the effects of GINS2 knockdown on cell proliferation and apoptosis. Taken together, these results indicate that GINS2 knockdown down-regulates cell proliferation, induces G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and increases apoptosis, possibly through the p53/GADD45A pathway.

Discovery and validation of novel biomarkers for detection of cervical cancer

AIMS

To investigate novel biomarker for diagnosis of cervical cancer, we analyzed the datasets in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and confirmed the candidate biomarker in patient sample.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We collected major datasets of cervical cancer in GEO, and analyzed the differential expression of normal and cancer samples online with GEO2R and tested the differences, then focus on the GSE63514 to screen the target genes in different histological grades by using the R-Bioconductor package and R-heatmap. Then human specimens from the cervix in different histological grades were used to confirm the top 8 genes expression by immunohistochemical staining using Ki67 as a standard control.

RESULTS

We identified genes differentially expressed in normal and cervical cancer, 274 upregulated genes and 206 downregulated genes. After intersection with GSE63514, we found the obvious tendency in different histological grades. Then we screened the top 24 genes, and confirmed the top 8 genes in human cervix tissues. Immunohistochemical (IHC) results confirmed that keratin 17 (KRT17) was not expressed in normal cervical tissues and was over-expressed in cervical cancer. Cysteine-rich secretory protein-2 (CRISP2) was less expressed in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) than in other histological grades.

CONCLUSION

For the good repeatability and consistency of KRT17 and CRISP2, they may be good candidate biomarkers. Combined analysis of KRT17, CRISP2 expression at both genetic and protein levels can determine different histological grades of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Such combined analysis is capable of improving diagnostic accuracy of cervical cancer.

TRPM2-AS Promotes Bladder Cancer by Targeting miR-22-3p and Regulating GINS2 mRNA Expression

Background

Bladder cancer (BLCA) refers to the malignancy growth that spreads from the bladder linings to the bladder muscles. However, the impact of miR-22-3p and lncRNA TRPM2-AS on this tumor has generated divergent views in the literature. This research aimed to study the effects of lncRNA TRPM2-AS on BLCA and its interaction with miR-22-3p and GINS2 mRNA.

Methods

qRT-PCR was employed to measure the expression of TRPM2-AS, miR-22-3p and GINS2 mRNA in bladder tissues and cells. The subcellular localization of TRPM2-AS in T24 and 5637 cell lines was identified using a cell fractionation system. Luciferase assay, RIP assay and RNA pull-down assay were later performed to validate the direct binding relationship between TRPM2-AS, miR-22-3p and GINS2 mRNA. Several experiments were conducted to determine the viability, proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis of the cell lines.

Results

Findings indicated that TRPM2-AS was significantly upregulated in BLCA tissues and cell lines. Apart from that, it was observed that TRPM2-AS knockdown significantly inhibited the viability, proliferation and colony formation of BCLA cells, but it promoted the apoptosis of the BCLA cells. A significant downstream target of TRPM2-AS, miR-22-3p was found to show a lower expression level in BLCA tissues and cell lines. However, the inhibition of miR-22-3p considerably enhanced BLCA cell phenotypes. As well as discovering that GINS2 mRNA was a downstream target of miR-22-3p and was significantly upregulated in BLCA, experimental results also indicated that the knockdown of GINS2 suppressed BLCA cell phenotypes.

Conclusion

This research confirmed that TRPM2-AS could promote BCLA by binding to miR-22-3p to increase GINS2 expression. This novel interactome in BLCA cell lines might provide more insights into BLCA therapy.

GINS2 affects cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion in thyroid cancer via regulating MAPK signaling pathway

Globally, thyroid cancer (TC) is considered to be the commonest endocrine malignancy. GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) belongs to the GINS complex family and is associated with cellular migration, invasion and growth. The present study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of GINS2 on cell viability, migration and invasion in TC cells. By using MTT, wound healing and Transwell assays, the cell viability, migration and invasion were determined. Apoptosis was examined by immunofluorescence. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression levels. In the present study, biological function analysis demonstrated that GINS2 interference attenuated cell viability, migration and invasion in TC cell lines (K1 and SW579). It was discovered that, compared with the control group, GINS2 silencing induced apoptosis in TC cells. Additionally, GINS2 interference inhibited key proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway, including JNK, ERK and p38. According to these comparative experiments, GINS2 was considered to act a pivotal part in cell viability, migration and invasion of TC by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway and might be a potential therapeutic target for treating TC.

GINS2 attenuates the development of lung cancer by inhibiting the STAT signaling pathway

GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) controls DNA replication. GINS2 expression is upregulated in several kinds of aggressive tumors. However, the effect of GINS2 in lung cancer remains unclear. We performed TCGA database analysis to confirm the clinical significance of GINS2 in lung cancer. After silencing GINS2 in A549 cells, we performed MTT assays, flow cytometry assays, colony formation assays, cell cycle analyses and RNA sequence analysis to elucidate the effect of GINS2 on lung cancer. Moreover, we assessed tumor growth and analyzed body fluorescence in mice as a measure of tumor burden. The TCGA database analysis demonstrated that GINS2 mRNA and protein was highly expressed in three kinds of lung cancer tissues. Subsequently, knockdown of GINS2 inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells. On the other hand, we also investigated the effect of GINS2 on tumor formation in vivo. The analysis of nude mouse tumors showed that the tumor volume and weight of shGINS2 mice were significantly smaller than those of the control mice. To reveal the mechanism of GINS2 in lung cancer, we collected A549 cells with GINS2 knockdown to examine the downstream gene expression changes. The results showed that STAT1 and STAT2 mRNA and protein expression were significantly upregulated after GINS2 knockdown in A549 cells. Our results suggest that GINS2 inhibits the proliferation of lung cancer cells by inhibiting the STAT signaling pathway, which may be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis or prognosis of lung cancer.

Expression Profile of GINS Complex Predicts the Prognosis of Pancreatic Cancer Patients

Background

The GINS complex has been implicated in the prognosis of various cancers. It comprises four subunits, encoded by GINS1, GINS2, GINS3, and GINS4 genes. Based on the current understanding, no report exists on the role of the GINS complex in pancreatic cancer.

Methods

We employed various bioinformatics databases including GEPIA, UALCAN, GEPIA2, and Kaplan Meier Plotter to identify the expression profile of the four genes (GINS1, GINS2, GINS3, and GINS4), their correlation with pancreatic cancer grade as well as their prognostic value of in pancreatic cancer. Western blotting and qRT-PCR analyses were conducted to verify the expression profiles of the four genes in pancreatic cancer. CCK8 and EdU cell experiments were conducted to reveal the role played by the four genes in pancreatic cancer cell proliferation.

Results

Based on GEPIA, Western blotting, and qRT-PCR analyses, all the four genes in the GINS complex were overexpressed in pancreatic cancer. Notably, the expression of each member was significantly associated with pancreatic cancer grade. The prognostic analysis revealed that not only the whole GINS complex but also each individual were prognostic biomarkers for pancreatic cancer. CCK8 and EdU experiments demonstrated that inhibition of the expression of each GINS member lowered pancreatic cancer cell proliferation.

Conclusion

This work implicated GINS1, GINS2, GINS3, and GINS4 genes as critical prognostic markers for pancreatic cancer.

Coexpression Network Analysis Identifies a Novel Nine-RNA Signature to Improve Prognostic Prediction for Prostate Cancer Patients

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy and the leading cause of cancer death in men. Recent studies suggest the molecular signature was more effective than the clinical indicators for the prognostic prediction, but all of the known studies focused on a single RNA type. The present study was to develop a new prognostic signature by integrating long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and evaluate its prognostic performance.

Methods

The RNA expression data of PCa patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) or Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE17951, GSE7076, and GSE16560). The PCa-driven modules were identified by constructing a weighted gene coexpression network, the corresponding genes of which were overlapped with differentially expressed RNAs (DERs) screened by the MetaDE package. The optimal prognostic signature was screened using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis. The prognostic performance and functions of the combined prognostic signature was then assessed.

Results

Twelve PCa-driven modules were identified using TCGA dataset and validated in the GSE17951 and GSE7076 datasets, and six of them were considered to be preserved. A total of 217 genes in these 6 modules were overlapped with 699 DERs, from which a nine-gene prognostic signature was identified (including 3 lncRNAs and 6 mRNAs), and the risk score of each patient was calculated. The overall survival was significantly shortened in patients having the risk score higher than the cut-off, which was demonstrated in TCGA (p = 5.063E − 03) dataset and validated in the GSE16560 (p = 3.268E − 02) dataset. The prediction accuracy of this risk score was higher than that of clinical indicators (the Gleason score and prostate-specific antigen) or the single RNA type, with the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.945. Besides, some new therapeutic targets and mechanisms (MAGI2-AS3-SPARC/GJA1/CYSLTR1, DLG5-AS1-DEFB1, and RHPN1-AS1-CDC45/ORC) were also revealed.

Conclusion

The risk score system established in this study may provide a novel reliable method to identify PCa patients at a high risk of death.

GINS2 Functions as a Key Gene in Lung Adenocarcinoma by WGCNA Co-Expression Network Analysis

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma is one of the malignant tumors in the world. This study aimed to explore the biological mechanism of GINS2 in lung adenocarcinoma.

Materials and Methods

Raw data were downloaded from GEO. WGCNA co-expression network and PPI network were established to identify the hub gene. The expression profile and clinical features of GINS2 were collected from TCGA-LUAD cohort. Survival analysis in TCGA-LUAD cohort was plotted by R package. GSEA was analyzed via GSEA software. MTS, Transwell and apoptosis assays were used to detect the proliferation, migration and apoptotic abilities of lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Results

GINS2 was identified as the hub gene via WGCNA co-expression network and PPI network. Higher GINS2 expressions were observed in TCGA-LUAD cohort, GSE32863 and clinical samples dataset. Overexpression of GINS2 had a significantly negative connection with poor survival outcome. GSEA results revealed that GINS2 could be enriched in “HALLMARK_G2M_CHECKPOINT”, “HALLMARK_E2F_TARGETS”, “HALLMARK_DNA_REPAIR” and “HALLMARK_MYC_TARGETS_V2”. Overexpression of GINS2 promoted tumor cell proliferation and migration and suppressed cell apoptosis.

Conclusion

Our results explored that GINS2 functioned as an oncogene in lung adenocarcinoma, and suggested that GINS2 could act as a promising prognosis biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma.

Mining the prognostic significance of the GINS2 gene in human breast cancer using bioinformatics analysis

A number of studies have demonstrated the crucial functions of GINS2 within the GINS complex in various types of cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms and prognostic value of GINS2 in breast cancer remain unknown. The present study used; BC-GenExMiner, COSMIC, UCSC Xena, The Human Protein Atlas, GEPIA, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, TIMER and Oncomine, in order to investigate gene expression, co-expression, clinical parameters and mutations in GINS2 in patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, the present study assessed the prognostic value of GINS2 in patients with breast cancer via the Kaplan-Meier plotter database. The results of the present study demonstrated that the mRNA levels of GINS2 were significantly higher in breast cancer tissue compared with normal tissue. In addition, high mRNA expression levels of GINS2 were associated with high Scarff-Bloom-Richardson status grades, a basal-like status and age (≤51 years); however, it was not associated with lymph node metastasis. The survival analysis revealed that increased GINS2 mRNA levels were associated with a worse prognosis for relapse-free survival in all patients with breast cancer, particularly in those with estrogen receptor-positive and progesterone receptor-positive subtypes. In addition, a positive association between the GINS2, CENPM and MCM4 genes was confirmed. The results of the present study suggest that GINS2 could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker for breast cancer. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to confirm the effects of GINS2 on the pathogenesis and development of patients with breast cancer.

LncRNA SNHG3 promotes bladder cancer proliferation and metastasis through miR-515-5p/GINS2 axis

Growing evidence suggests that long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are associated with carcinogenesis. LncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 3 (SNHG3) is up‐regulated in various cancers and positively associated with poor prognosis of these cancers. However, the precise role of lncRNA SNHG3 in bladder cancer (Bca) remains unclear. In our research, we first reported that lncRNA SNHG3 was up‐regulated in bladder cancer tissues and positively related to poor clinical prognosis. Moreover, knockdown of lncRNA SNHG3 significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT process of Bca cells in vitro and vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that suppression of SNHG3 evidently enhanced miR‐515‐5p expression and decreased GINS2 expression at posttranscriptional levels. Moreover, SNHG3 positively regulated GINS2 expression by sponging miR‐515‐5p under a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism. To sum up, our study suggested lncRNA SNHG3 acted as a microRNA sponge and an oncogenic role in the progression of bladder cancer.

GINS2 affects cell viability, cell apoptosis, and cell cycle progression of pancreatic cancer cells via MAPK/ERK pathway

Background and Objective: GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2), a member of the GINS complex, is involved in DNA replication. GINS2 is upregulated in a variety of aggressive tumors, such as leukemia, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. However, the role of GINS2 in pancreatic cancer has still remained elusive. In this study, PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cell lines were chosen to perform experiments in vitro. Additionally, the effects of GINS2 interference on the cell viability, cell apoptosis, cell cycle, and tumor growth in nude mice were analyzed.

Methods: We utilized pancreatic cancer cell lines that knocked down GINS2 expression using small interference RNA (siRNA) and evaluated GINS2 expression using Western blot analysis. To explore the function of GINS2 in pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro, MTT assay and flow cytometry were used. Additionally, we investigated the potential mechanism of GINS2 interference by identifying the MAPK/ERK pathway using Western blotting. Finally, PANC-1 cells with GINS2 knockdown were subcutaneously injected into nude mice to evaluate the effects of GINS2 on tumor growth in vivo.

Results: It was unveiled that GINS2 interference inhibited cell viability, induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, and enhanced apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cell lines. Western blot assay indicated that GINS2 interference increased the expression level of Bax, while the expression level of Bcl-2 was remarkably decreased. In addition, the expression levels of CDK4, CDK6, and Cyclin D1 were significantly reduced after treatment with GINS2 siRNA. Furthermore, GINS2 interference drastically attenuated the expression levels of MEK, p-MEK, ERK, and p-ERK, belonging to the MAPK/ERK pathway. The results of an established cancer xenograft model revealed that nude mice transplanted with cells expressing negative control (NC) exhibited larger and heavier tumors, while volume and weight of tumor were remarkably reduced in ones transplanted with cells expressing GINS2 siRNA.

Conclusions: GINS2 interference inhibited cell viability, induced cell cycle arrest, and promoted cell apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cell lines via the MAPK/ERK pathway, and our findings may be valuable for treating pancreatic cancer.

Screening and Discovery of New Potential Biomarkers and Small Molecule Drugs for Cervical Cancer: A Bioinformatics Analysis

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer (CC) is the second most common type of malignant tumor survival rate is low in advanced stage, metastatic, and recurrent CC patients. This study aimed at identifying potential genes and drugs for CC diagnosis and targeting therapies.

METHODS

Three GEO mRNA microarray datasets of CC tissues and non-cancerous tissues were analyzed for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by limma package. GO (Gene Ontologies) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) were used to explore the relationships between the DEGs. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) of these genes was established by the STRING database. MCODE was used for screening significant modules in the PPI networks to select hub genes. Biochemical mechanisms of the hub genes were investigated with Metascape. GEPIA database was used for validating the core genes. According to these DEGs, molecular candidates for CC were recognized from the CMAP database.

RESULTS

We identified 309 overlapping DEGs in the 2 tissue-types. Pathway analysis revealed that the DEGs were involved in cell cycle, DNA replication, and p53 signaling. PPI networks between overlapping DEGs showed 68 high-connectivity DEGs that were chosen as hub genes. The GEPIA database showed that the expression levels of RRM2, CDC45, GINS2, HELLS, KNTC1, MCM2, MYBL2, PCNA, RAD54 L, RFC4, RFC5, TK1, TOP2A, and TYMS in CC tissues were significantly different from those in the healthy tissues and were significantly relevant to the OS of CC. We found 10 small molecules from the CMAP database that could change the trend of gene expression in CC tissues, including piperlongumine and chrysin.

CONCLUSIONS

The 14 DEGs identified in this study could serve as novel prognosis biomarkers for the detection and forecasting of CC. Small molecule drugs like piperlongumine and chrysin could be potential therapeutic drugs for CC treatment.

Prognostic values and prospective pathway signaling of MicroRNA-182 in ovarian cancer: a study based on gene expression omnibus (GEO) and bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

Ovarian carcinoma (OC) is a common cause of death among women with gynecological cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are believed to have vital roles in tumorigenesis of OC. Although miRNAs are broadly recognized in OC, the role of has-miR-182-5p (miR-182) in OC is still not fully elucidated.

METHODS

We evaluated the significance of miR-182 expression in OC by using analysis of a public dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and a literature review. Furthermore, we downloaded three mRNA datasets of OC and normal ovarian tissues (NOTs), GSE14407, GSE18520 and GSE36668, from GEO to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then the targeted genes of hsa-miR-182-5p (TG_miRNA-182-5p) were predicted using miRWALK3.0. Subsequently, we analyzed the gene overlaps integrated between DEGs in OC and predicted target genes of miR-182 by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. STRING and Cytoscape were used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the prognostic effects of the hub genes were analyzed.

RESULTS

A common pattern of up-regulation for miR-182 in OC was found in our review of the literature. A total of 268 DEGs, both OC-related and miR-182-related, were identified, of which 133 genes were discovered from the PPI network. A number of DEGs were enriched in extracellular matrix organization, pathways in cancer, focal adhesion, and ECM-receptor interaction. Two hub genes, MCM3 and GINS2, were significantly associated with worse overall survival of patients with OC. Furthermore, we identified covert miR-182-related genes that might participate in OC by network analysis, such as DCN, AKT3, and TIMP2. The expressions of these genes were all down-regulated and negatively correlated with miR-182 in OC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that miR-182 is essential for the biological progression of OC.

GINS2 facilitates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in non-small-cell lung cancer through modulating PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK signaling

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a cancer with high morbidity and mortality. We aimed to define the effect of Go-Ichi-Ni-San complex subuint 2 (GINS2) acting on NSCLC. The expressions of GINS2 in NSCLC tissues and cells were detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The relationship between GINS2 expression and NSCLC prognosis or clinicopathologic features was analyzed through statistical analysis. The overexpressed or downexpressed plasmids of GINS2 were transfected into NSCLC cell lines, and then cell proliferation, invasion, and migration viability were, respectively, determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, transwell, and wound healing assay. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was observed and the EMT-related proteins were measured using IHC and western blot. The function of GINS2 in vivo was assessed by mice model. The related proteins of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathways were evaluated using western blot. GINS2 expression was upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and its high expression was correlated with the poor prognosis and several clinicopathologic features, such as TMN stages (tumor size, lymph node, and metastasis) and clinical stages. GINS2 enhanced NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion viability in vivo and in vitro. GINS2 also promoted NSCLC cells EMT. In addition, GINS2 could regulate phosphorylated proteins of PI3K p85, Akt, MEK, and ERK expressions, it revealed that GINS2 effected on PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK pathways. GINS2 promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT via modulating PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK signaling pathways. It might be a target in NSCLC treatment.

Transcriptome sequencing profiles of cervical cancer tissues and SiHa cells

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is a causal factor for cervical cancer, of which HPV16 is the predominant genotype, but the detailed mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, we performed transcriptome sequencing in cervical cancer tissues with HPV16-positive and normal tissues with HPV16-negative, and SiHa cells with or without HPV16 E6/E7 knockdown, and identified 140 differential expressed genes (DEGs) in two data sets. We carried out a series of bioinformatic analyses to learn more about the 140 DEGs, and found that 140 DEGs were mostly enriched in cell cycle and DNA repair through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment, Gene Ontology annotation, and gene set enrichment analysis. A total of 20 genes including RMI1, MKI67, FANCB, KIF14, CENPI, RACGAP1, EXO1, KIF4A, FOXM1, C19orf57, PSRC1, NUSAP1, CIT, NDC80, MCM7, GINS2, MCM6, ORC1, TLX2, and UHRF1 were screened by co-expression analysis; of those, the expressions of 6 (CENPI, FANCB, KIF14, ORC1, RACGAP1, and RMI1) were verified by qRT-PCR. Further, we found that E2F family, NF-Y, AhR:Arnt, and KROX family may be involved in modulating DEGs by TransFind prediction. TF2DNA database and co-expression analysis suggested that 12 TFs (ZNF367, TLX2, DEPDC1B, E2F8, ZNF541, EGR2, ZMAT3, HES6, CEBPA, MYBL2, FOXM1, and RAD51) were upstream modulators of DEGs. Our findings may provide a new understanding for effects of HPV oncogenes in the maintenance of cancerous state at the transcriptional level.

Prognostic Role of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen in Cervical Cancer: A Meta-analysis

Objective

To systematically evaluate the significance of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) in the prognosis of cervical cancer.

Methods

Literature from Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library was retrieved to collect all English literature on the correlation between SCC-Ag and cervical cancer prognosis, and the quality of literature collected was assessed based on evaluation criteria. The heterogeneity, sensitivity, and specificity were detected using the StataSE12.0 software, and the correlation between SCC-Ag and cervical cancer prognosis as the effect variables was assessed using the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Moreover, the forest map and funnel plot were drawn.

Results

A total of 17 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were selected. The high expression of SCC-Ag was significantly correlated with the poor prognosis of cervical cancer (HR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.38 − 3.57, P = 0.002). The disease-free survival (DFS) was higher in low SCC-Ag expression patients than in high SCC-Ag expression patients (HR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.84 − 2.57, P < 0.001). The progression-free survival (PFS) was inferior in patients with a high SCC-Ag expression (HR = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.11 − 6.53, P = 0.028).

Conclusion

SCC-Ag is an important prognostic factor for cervical cancer, and its high expression is significantly correlated with a poor prognosis of the disease.

Identification of EPHX2 and RMI2 as two novel key genes in cervical squamous cell carcinoma by an integrated bioinformatic analysis

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common malignancy in women worldwide and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC) is the most common histological type of cervical cancer. The dysregulation of genes plays a significant role in cancer. In the present study, we screened out differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of CESC in the GSE63514 data set from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. An integrated bioinformatics analysis was used to select hub genes, as well as to investigate their related prognostic signature, functional annotation, methylation mechanism, and candidate molecular drugs. As a result, a total of 1907 DEGs were identified (944 were upregulated and 963 were downregulated). In the protein-protein interaction network, three hub modules and 30 hub genes were identified. And two hub modules and 116 hub genes were screened out from four CESC-related modules by the weighted gene coexpression network analysis. The gene ontology term enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis were performed to better understand functions and pathways. Genes with a significant prognostic value were found by prognostic signature analysis. And there were five genes (EPHX2, CHAF1B, KIAA1524, CDC45, and RMI2) identified as significant CESC-associated genes after expression validation and survival analysis. Among them, EPHX2 and RMI2 were noted as two novel key genes for the CESC-associated methylation and expression. In addition, four candidate small molecule drugs for CESC (camptothecin, resveratrol, vorinostat, and trichostatin A) were defined. Further studies are required to explore these significant CESC-associated genes for their potentiality in diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapy.

Up-regulated and interrelated expressions of GINS subunits predict poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

The GINS complex is one of the core components of the eukaryotic replicative helicase CMG (Cdc45–MCM helicase–GINS) complex that serves as the replicative helicase unwinding duplex DNA ahead of moving replication fork during chromosome duplication. Many studies have highlighted the important functions amongst GINS subunits in various cancers. Nevertheless, the functions and prognostic roles of distinct GINS subunits in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were largely unexplored. In the present study, we reported the prognostic values of GINS subunits in HCC patients through analysis of several databases, including Oncomine, (TCGA), and Kaplan–Meier Plotter (KMPlotter). We found that mRNA expressions of all GINS subunits were significantly up-regulated in HCC tumor than in non-tumor liver tissues. Survival analysis revealed that elevated expression of individual GINS subunit predicts a poor overall survival (OS) in all HCC patients. When sorting the patients by gender, the correlation between elevated expression of individual GINS subunit and poor OS remains significant in male patient subgroup, but not in female patient subgroup. Additionally, we found that co-overexpression of all GINS subunits was significantly associated with a higher hazard ratio, suggesting the GINS complex may co-operate to promote HCC progression. Indeed, their expressions were highly correlated with each other in the same cohort and TRANSFAC analysis revealed that four transcription factors including C/EBPα, Oct-1, Sp1, and USF may serve as common transcription factors binding to the promoters of all four GINS subunits. Therefore, we propose that individual GINS subunit or GINS complex as a whole could be potential prognostic biomarkers for HCC.

GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) plays a protective role in alcohol-induced brain injury

Acute alcohol intoxication is a central nervous system disease that accounts for a large number of hospital admissions. In the present study, we have explored the role of GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) in acute alcohol intoxication and alcohol-induced brain injury. We began by determining that GINS2 mRNA expression was significantly increased in the serum of patients with alcohol abuse. We then found that GINS2 is increased in mouse brains after alcohol consumption. To explore the role of GINS2 in alcohol-induced microglia function, we knocked down GINS2 in mouse microglia and then treated the cells with alcohol. Knockdown of GINS2 significantly increased alcohol-induced ROS production and the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde. To explore if GINS2 is involved in alcohol-induced microglia apoptosis, we examined cell viability in GINS2 knockdown cells by TUNEL staining and caspase activity assays. Consistently, results showed that alcohol-induced cell apoptosis was promoted by knockdown of GINS2. Finally, we assessed expression levels of inflammatory factors in GINS2 knockdown microglial cells as well as the effects of GINS2 knockdown on NF-κB signalling. Inflammatory factors were stimulated by alcohol and further promoted by GINS2 knockdown, and GINS2 knockdown promoted alcohol-induced NF-κB activity in microglia.

Loss of GINS2 inhibits cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in human gliomas

AIMS

In this study, we examined the expression of GINS2 in glioma and determined its role in glioma development.

METHODS

The protein expression of GINS2 was assessed in 120 human glioma samples via immunohistochemistry. Then, we suppressed the expression of GINS2 in glioma cell strains U87 and U251 using a short hairpin RNA lentiviral vector. In addition, RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed on glioma cells before and after GINS2 knockdown. Subsequent co-immunoprecipitation and western blot experiments indicated possible downstream regulatory molecules.

RESULTS

The present results showed that GINS2 can accelerate the growth of glioma cells, whereas the suppression of GINS2 expression decreased the proliferation and tumorigenicity of glioma cells. Mechanism research experiments proved that GINS2 can block the cell cycle by regulating certain downstream molecules, such as MCM2, ATM, and CHEK2.

CONCLUSION

GINS2 is closely related to the occurrence and development of glioma, and is likely to become a prognostic marker for glioma patients, as well as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of glioma.

MINA53 deficiency leads to glioblastoma cell apoptosis via inducing DNA replication stress and diminishing DNA damage response

MYC-induced nuclear antigen (MINA53) is a JmjC (jumonji C domain)-containing protein, which is highly expressed in many cancers including glioblastoma. We have revealed in our previous report that MINA53 is a poor prognostic indicator for glioblastoma patients, and knockdown of MINA53 could reduce glioblastoma malignancy. In this study, we found that MINA53 knockdown could decrease the DNA replication initiation in glioblastoma cells. Through further investigations, we revealed that MINA53 could regulate the expression of the CDC45-MCM-GINS (CMG) complex genes, which are vital for DNA replication initiation. Knockdown of MINA53 reduced the CMG genes expression and thus induced DNA replication stress and DNA damage. Furthermore, MINA53 knockdown diminished DNA damage response (DDR) by reducing the ATM/ATR-H2AX pathway activity and finally led glioblastoma cells to apoptosis and death. We further applied a genotoxic drug Doxorubicin and found that MINA53 deficiency sensitized glioblastoma cells to Doxorubicin. Our study reveals that MINA53 is involved in DNA replication initiation and DNA damage response, and provides support for MINA53 as a novel and potential therapeutic target for glioblastoma treatment.

GINS2 promotes cell proliferation and inhibits cell apoptosis in thyroid cancer by regulating CITED2 and LOXL2

To explore the mechanisms of GINS2 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in thyroid cancer (TC) cells. Expressions of GINS2 were inhibited in K1 and SW579 cells using gene interference technology. The abilities of proliferation and apoptosis, and cell cycle were determined by MTT assay and flow cytometric assay. The downstream molecules of GINS2 were searched by microarray and bioinformatics and validated by qRT-PCR and western blotting. In the in vivo study, the tumor growth was compared and the whole-body fluorescent imaging was analyzed. After GINS2 was interfered, cell proliferation was significantly inhibited (P < 0.01) and apoptosis rate increased (P < 0.01) in both K1 and SW579 cells. Cell cycle changed significantly in K1 cells, but not in SW579 cells. With bioinformatics upstream analysis, TGF-β1 was found as the most significantly upstream regulator. Expressions of TGF-β1 and its downstream target molecules CITED2 and LOXL2 were validated and found downregulated significantly in mRNA and protein levels (P < 0.05). The results of the nude mouse xenograft assay suggested that the volume and weight of tumor in ones infected with shGINS2 were statistically smaller than controls (P < 0.05). GINS2 plays an important role in cell proliferation and apoptosis of thyroid cancer by regulating the expressions of CITED2 and LOXL2, which may be a potential biomarker for diagnosis or prognosis and a drug target for therapy.

Matrix metalloproteinase-7 may serve as a novel biomarker for cervical cancer

Background

The biological and clinical significance of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) in cervical cancer remains unknown. Here, we investigated the function of MMP-7 in cervical cancer cells and evaluated its clinical significance in both tissues and serum from cervical cancer patients.

Methods

First, we analyzed the expression of MMP-7 in cervical cancer using Oncomine microarray data and examined its expression in cervical tissues by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Second, we utilized gene silencing to explore the role of MMP-7 in cells. Finally, we examined the MMP-7 levels in patients with cervical cancer and normal serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, we further investigated the relationship between MMP-7 expression and pathological features.

Results

The mRNA and protein MMP-7 levels were higher in cervical cancer tissues than in healthy controls. Silencing of MMP-7 significantly decreased cervical cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The serum MMP-7 levels were significantly higher in cervical cancer patients than in healthy subjects (P<0.01). Further, higher MMP-7 expression was associated with increased lymph metastasis (P=0.021), pathological grade (P=0.039, P=0.047), and clinical stage (P=0.049, P=0.046).

Conclusion

MMP-7 appears to act as an oncogene in cervical cancer cells and is involved in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. MMP-7 expression was significantly higher in the tissue and serum of cervical cancer patients compared to healthy individuals and was correlated with increased pathalogical grade, clinical stage, and lymph metastasis. Therefore, our data provide novel evidence that MMP-7 may be a clinically relevant biomarker for cervical cancer.

Microarray gene expression profiling in colorectal (HCT116) and hepatocellular (HepG2) carcinoma cell lines treated with Melicope ptelefolia leaf extract reveals transcriptome profiles exhibiting anticancer activity

Background

We have previously reported anticancer activities of Melicope ptelefolia (MP) leaf extracts on four different cancer cell lines. However, the underlying mechanisms of actions have yet to be deciphered. In the present study, the anticancer activity of MP hexane extract (MP-HX) on colorectal (HCT116) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines was characterized through microarray gene expression profiling.

Methods

HCT116 and HepG2 cells were treated with MP-HX for 24 hr. Total RNA was extracted from the cells and used for transcriptome profiling using Applied Biosystem GeneChip™ Human Gene 2.0 ST Array. Gene expression data was analysed using an Applied Biosystems Expression Console and Transcriptome Analysis Console software. Pathway enrichment analyses was performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software. The microarray data was validated by profiling the expression of 17 genes through quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR).

Results

MP-HX induced differential expression of 1,290 and 1,325 genes in HCT116 and HepG2 cells, respectively (microarray data fold change, MA_FC ≥ ±2.0). The direction of gene expression change for the 17 genes assayed through RT-qPCR agree with the microarray data. In both cell lines, MP-HX modulated the expression of many genes in directions that support antiproliferative activity. IPA software analyses revealed MP-HX modulated canonical pathways, networks and biological processes that are associated with cell cycle, DNA replication, cellular growth and cell proliferation. In both cell lines, upregulation of genes which promote apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and growth inhibition were observed, while genes that are typically overexpressed in diverse human cancers or those that promoted cell cycle progression, DNA replication and cellular proliferation were downregulated. Some of the genes upregulated by MP-HX include pro-apoptotic genes (DDIT3, BBC3, JUN), cell cycle arresting (CDKN1A, CDKN2B), growth arrest/repair (TP53, GADD45A) and metastasis suppression (NDRG1). MP-HX downregulated the expression of genes that could promote anti-apoptotic effect, cell cycle progression, tumor development and progression, which include BIRC5, CCNA2, CCNB1, CCNB2, CCNE2, CDK1/2/6, GINS2, HELLS, MCM2/10 PLK1, RRM2 and SKP2. It is interesting to note that all six top-ranked genes proposed to be cancer-associated (PLK1, MCM2, MCM3, MCM7, MCM10 and SKP2) were downregulated by MP-HX in both cell lines.

Discussion

The present study showed that the anticancer activities of MP-HX are exerted through its actions on genes regulating apoptosis, cell proliferation, DNA replication and cell cycle progression. These findings further project the potential use of MP as a nutraceutical agent for cancer therapeutics.

Clinicopathological significance of PSF3 expression in uterine endometrial carcinomas

PSF3 (Partner of SLD Five 3) is a member of the heterotetrameric complex termed GINS. Previous studies have shown that PSF3 is up-regulated in several cancers and is associated with tumor malignancy. However, the clinicopathological significance of PSF3 expression in endometrial lesions is still poorly understood. To investigate whether PSF3 could serve as a useful biomarker for endometrial carcinomas, we performed immunohistochemical analysis of PSF3 expression. In 155 cases of endometrial carcinomas (ECs), the mean tumor proportion score of PSF3 expression was 30.7% in G1 endometrioid carcinoma, 55.0% in G2 endometrioid carcinoma, 59.0% in G3 endometrioid carcinoma, and 58.9% in nonendometrioid carcinomas. In 25 cases of atypical hyperplasia, the mean tumor proportion score of PSF3 expression was significantly lower (10.4%). High expression of PSF3 was associated with more advanced pathologic T stage (P = .000), lymphatic invasion (P = .001), and poor clinical outcomes such as shorter relapse-free survival (P = .000) and overall survival (P = .001). When we compared the immunostaining of PSF3 and Ki-67, the proportions of PSF3-positive cells in tumor epithelial cells were comparable to those of Ki-67-positive cells. However, PSF3-positive cells were selectively found in tumor cells, whereas Ki-67-positive cells were also found in tumor stromal cells. These results demonstrated that PSF3 immunostaining was valuable as a histopathologic marker for differential diagnosis between atypical hyperplasia and ECs, for tumor histologic grading, and for determining a patient's prognosis. PSF3 may play a crucial role in tumor progression in EC.

Biomarkers could facilitate prediction of worse clinical outcome of cancer with special insight to cervical cancer

Cervical cancer incidence, globally, is second only to malignant breast cancer. The main causative factor is thought to be human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as a result of many sexual partners. Despite radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgical treatment, the survival rate of patients with advanced disease is low. Metastasis is one of the stages of cancerogenesis in which tumour cells acquire the ability to migrate and create tumour secondary foci. Tumour biomarkers, proteins produced by neoplastic cells, quantified in body fluids or in tissues, play a key role in treatment monitoring and in determining the prognosis for further years of life. In recent years, the search for cervical cancer biomarkers has been intensively sought. They can become a decisive factor in making radical treatment and, in the near future, a potential therapeutic goal. The article presents and briefly describes the biomarkers of metastasis in cervical cancer studied in recent years and highlights their potential therapeutic use.

The Human Replicative Helicase, the CMG Complex, as a Target for Anti-cancer Therapy

DNA helicases unwind or rearrange duplex DNA during replication, recombination and repair. Helicases of many pathogenic organisms such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa have been studied as potential therapeutic targets to treat infectious diseases, and human DNA helicases as potential targets for anti-cancer therapy. DNA replication machineries perform essential tasks duplicating genome in every cell cycle, and one of the important functions of these machineries are played by DNA helicases. Replicative helicases are usually multi-subunit protein complexes, and the minimal complex active as eukaryotic replicative helicase is composed of 11 subunits, requiring a functional assembly of two subcomplexes and one protein. The hetero-hexameric MCM2-7 helicase is activated by forming a complex with Cdc45 and the hetero-tetrameric GINS complex; the Cdc45-Mcm2-7-GINS (CMG) complex. The CMG complex can be a potential target for a treatment of cancer and the feasibility of this replicative helicase as a therapeutic target has been tested recently. Several different strategies have been implemented and are under active investigations to interfere with helicase activity of the CMG complex. This review focuses on the molecular function of the CMG helicase during DNA replication and its relevance to cancers based on data published in the literature. In addition, current efforts made to identify small molecules inhibiting the CMG helicase to develop anti-cancer therapeutic strategies were summarized, with new perspectives to advance the discovery of the CMG-targeting drugs.

PBX3 is associated with proliferation and poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer

Pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox 3 (PBX3) is upregulated in various malignancies; however, the role of PBX3 in cervical cancer (CC) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression characteristics, clinicopathological significance, and molecular biological function of PBX3 in CC. The expression levels of PBX3 were analyzed in CC cell lines and tumor specimens by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining. The clinicopathological characteristics associated with PBX3 expression were evaluated. An RNA interference approach was employed to suppress PBX3 expression in CC in vitro and in vivo, determine its role in cell proliferation and analyze its molecular function. We found that PBX3 expression was significantly upregulated in CC cell lines and clinical specimens compared with normal cells and adjacent nontumorous cervical tissues. PBX3 was an independent predictive factor of poor prognosis, and its expression was correlated with tumor diameter, pathological grading, lymph node metastasis, invasion depth, vascular invasion, and clinical stage of CC. Multivariate analysis suggested that PBX3 expression may represent an independent prognostic indicator of the survival of CC patients. CC patients with high PBX3 expression exhibited reduced overall survival compared with those with low PBX3 expression. Additionally, stable downregulation of PBX3 expression in CC cell lines suppressed cell proliferation and decreased p-AKT protein expression levels in vitro. Similarly, in vivo assays demonstrated that PBX3 downregulation in CC cells markedly inhibited tumor size and weight. Overall, we demonstrated that PBX3 can promote CC cell proliferation via the AKT signaling pathway and that it may serve as a prognostic marker. Our data indicate that inactivation of PBX3 may be an effective clinical treatment for CC.