Centromere protein U is a potential target for gene therapy of human bladder cancer

Predictive Value of Gene Databases in Discovering New Biomarkers and New Therapeutic Targets in Lung Cancer

Background and Objectives: The molecular mechanisms of lung cancer are still unclear. Investigation of immune cell infiltration (ICI) and the hub gene will facilitate the identification of specific biomarkers. Materials and Methods: Key modules of ICI and immune cell-associated differential genes, as well as ICI profiles, were identified using lung cancer microarray data from the single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) in the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. Protein–protein interaction networks were used to identify hub genes. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic significance of the hub genes, and survival analysis was performed using gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA). Results: Significant changes in ICI were found in lung cancer tissues versus adjacent normal tissues. WGCNA results showed the highest correlation of yellow and blue modules with ICI. Protein–protein interaction networks identified four hub genes, namely CENPF, AURKA, PBK, and CCNB1. The lung adenocarcinoma patients in the low hub gene expression group showed higher overall survival and longer median survival than the high expression group. They were associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer in patients, indicating their potential role as cancer suppressor genes and potential targets for future therapeutic development. Conclusions: CENPF, AURKA, PBK, and CCNB1 show great potential as biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets specific to lung cancer. Lung cancer patients’ prognoses are often foreseen using matched prognostic models, and genes CENPF, AURKA, PBK, and CCNB1 in lung cancer may serve as therapeutic targets, which require further investigations.

MAP9 Exhibits Protumor Activities and Immune Escape toward Bladder Cancer by Mediating TGF-β1 Pathway

To investigate more potential targets for the treatment of human bladder cancer, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and high-content screening (HCS) analysis were performed, and microtubule-associated protein 9 (MAP9), which had the strongest proliferation inhibition from 809 downregulated genes, has been selected. MAP9 is responsible for bipolar spindle assembly and is involved in the progression of many types of tumors; however, its role in bladder cancer (BC) remains unknown. Expressive levels of MAP9 in BC tissues were determined through immunohistochemistry, and the clinical significance of MAP9 in BC was analyzed. Short hairpin ribonucleic acid- (ShRNA-) MAP9 was used to construct stable MAP9 knockdown BC cell lines. The proliferative abilities of MAP9 were measured through assays in vivo and in vitro, and the migrated and invasive abilities of MAP9 were analyzed via in vitro experiments. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR, western blotting, coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP), and rescue assays were used to identify downstream targets of MAP9. MAP9 expression increased in the tumor tissues, and its increased level was negatively correlated with prognosis. Further, the loss of MAP9 caused decreased BC cell proliferation via inducing the growth 1/synthesis (G1/S) cell cycle arrest in vitro and slowed tumor growth in vivo. In addition, MAP9 silencing attenuated BC cell migration and invasion. Moreover, we found that the growth 1/synthesis (G1/S) cell cycle-related genes and the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker levels decreased after silencing MAP9. Finally, we found that the transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) pathway is activated as a mediator for MAP9 to regulate genes related to the G1/S cell cycle and EMT. MAP9 promotes BC progression and immune escape activity through the TGF-β1 pathway and is a potential novel target for therapies of BC.

Centromere protein N promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

As an important member of centromere family, centromere associated protein N (CENPN) was abnormally expressed in varied malignant tumors.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aimed to analyze the expression and related mechanism of CENPN in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

METHODS

The expression of CENPN in LUAD was analyzed by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database. The mRNA expression, protein expression, cell viability, cell invasion, cell apoptosis, cell stem like characteristics were detected by RT-PCR, western blot, CCK8 assay, transwell assay, flow cytometry and spheroidization assay, respectively. Finally, the pathological changes of xenograft were estimated by H&E staining, and the expression of proteins was detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

GEPIA analysis showed that the CENPN expression in LUAD was significantly higher than that in normal lung tissue, which was negatively correlated with the prognosis. These results were consistent with our clinical data. Besides, CENPN was highly expressed in LUAD cell lines. In addition, the upregulation of CENPN amplified the cell viability, stemness and invasive ability in PC9 cells. However, the knockdown of CENPN inhibited the cell activity, stemness, invasive ability with increased cell apoptosis in A549. Furthermore, CENPN could positively regulate the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT. The PI3K inhibitor, 740Y-P, could reverse the effect of CENPN silencing on the expression of Ki-67, cleaved caspase 3, OCT4, and snail 1. Finally, the downregulation of CENPN restrained the growth of xenograft and inactivated the PI3K/AKT pathway.

CONCLUSION

CENPN was abnormally overexpressed in LUAD, and promoted tumor progression of LUAD by affecting PI3K/AKT pathway.

Abnormal Expression of Centromere Protein U Is Associated with Hepatocellular Cancer Progression

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies globally, but its molecular mechanism is unclear. Abnormal expression of centromere protein U (CENPU) is closely related to diverse human cancers. The purpose of this article was to evaluate the function and potential mechanisms of CENPU in HCC development.

Methods

We performed bioinformatics analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases to investigate the clinical significance and prognostic value of CENPU in HCC. Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining were used to measure protein expression, while reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to determine mRNA expression. Cell Counting Kit8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were conducted to examine cell proliferation. Transwell and wound healing assays were used to assess cell migration and invasion. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to explore the potential signaling pathways of CENPU involved in HCC.

Results

High expression of CENPU in HCC was predicted by public database analysis and indicated a poor prognosis. CENPU expression was significantly higher in HCC tissues and cells than in normal tissues and cell. In vitro, CENPU promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. GSEA results indicated that CENPU was linked to the Notch signaling pathway, and our research supported this prediction.

Conclusion

CENPU promotes the malignant biological process of HCC and may be a promising target for HCC treatment.

Identification of Key Biomarkers and Pathways in Small-Cell Lung Cancer Using Biological Analysis

Background

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a major cause of carcinoma-related deaths worldwide. The aim of this study was to identify the key biomarkers and pathways in SCLC using biological analysis.

Methods

Key genes involved in the development of SCLC were identified by downloading three datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the GEO2R online analyzer; for the functional annotation and pathway enrichment analysis of genes, Funrich software was used. Construction of protein-to-protein interaction (PPI) networks was accomplished using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING), and network visualization and module identification were performed using Cytoscape.

Results

A total of 268 DEGs were ultimately obtained. The enriched functions and pathways of the upregulated DEGs included cell cycle, mitotic, and DNA replication, and the downregulated DEGs were enriched in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, serotonin degradation, and noradrenaline. Analysis of significant modules demonstrated that the upregulated genes are primarily concentrated in functions related to cell cycle and DNA replication. Kaplan-Meier analysis of hub genes revealed that they may promote the carcinogenesis and progression of SCLC. The result of ONCOMINE demonstrated that these 10 hub genes were significantly overexpressed in SCLC compared with normal samples.

Conclusion

Identification of the molecular functions and signaling pathways of participating DEGs can deepen the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of SCLC. The knowledge gained from this work may contribute to the development of treatment options and improve the prognosis of SCLC in the future.

High mRNA Expression of CENPL and Its Significance in Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Centromere proteins (CENPs) are the main constituent proteins of kinetochore, which are essential for cell division. In recent years, several studies have revealed that several CENPs were aberrantly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, numerous centromere proteins have not been studied in HCC. In this study, we used databases of Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), the Kaplan-Meier Plotter, cBioPortal, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), and TIMER (Tumor Immune Estimation Resource) and immunohistochemical staining of clinical specimens to investigate the expression of 15 major centromere proteins in HCC to evaluate their potential prognostic value. We found that the mRNA levels of 4 out of 15 centromere proteins (CENPL, CENPQ, CENPR, and CENPU) were significantly higher in HCC than in normal tissues, and their mRNA levels were associated with the tumor stages (p values < 0.01). Patients with higher mRNA levels of CENPL had poorer overall survival, progression-free survival, relapse-free survival, and disease-specific survival (p values < 0.05). Furthermore, the higher levels of CENPL mRNA were associated with worse overall survival in males without hepatitis virus infection (p values < 0.05). The protein expression level of CENPL in human HCC tissue was higher than that in normal liver tissue. In addition, the expression of CENPL was positively correlated with the levels of the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The results suggest that the high mRNA expression of CENPL may be a potential predictor of prognosis in HCC patients.

A nomogram based on CENPP expression for survival prediction in breast cancer

Background

In recent years, it has been found that the expression of 17 centromere proteins (CENPs) was closely related to malignant tumors, however, the role of CENPs in breast cancer (BC) has not been fully investigated. This study intends to investigate the prognostic value of CENPs in BC and establish nomogram based on expression of CENPs to predict BC patients' prognosis.

Methods

A total of 800 BC patients with complete relevant data were included from the TCGA database and were further randomly divided into training set (N=480) and validation set (N=320). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to screen independent factors for overall survival (OS) prediction of BC patients in the training set. Then, the nomogram was established based on these independent predictors and further validated by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration plots. The GEPIA and bcGenExMiner v4.4 databases were utilized to analyze mRNA expression of candidate gene in BC patients with different clinicopathological features, respectively.

Results

Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, Her2 status, pathologic_T stage, pathologic_M stage and CENPP expression were of independent prognostic value for BC. CENPP was overexpressed in BC tissues (P<0.01) and lower expression of CENPP was associated with worse OS (P=0.005, HR =2.35; 95% CI: 1.30-4.23). We then established a nomogram based on those independent predictors, and the calibration curve demonstrated good fitness of the nomogram for OS prediction. In the training set, the AUCs of 3- and 5-year survival were 0.757 and 0.797, respectively. In the validation set, the AUCs of 3- and 5-year survival were 0.727 and 0.71, respectively.

Conclusions

Our study showed that CENPP was a novel prognostic factor for patients with BC, and the established nomogram could provide valuable information on prognostic prediction for patients with BC.

Centromere protein U enhances the progression of bladder cancer by promoting mitochondrial ribosomal protein s28 expression

Bladder cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Most gene mutations related to bladder cancer are dominantly acquired gene mutations and are not inherited. Previous comparative transcriptome analysis of urinary bladder cancer and control samples has revealed a set of genes that may play a role in tumor progression. Here we set out to investigate further the expression of two candidate genes, centromere protein U (CENPU) and mitochondrial ribosomal protein s28 (MRPS28) to better understand their role in bladder cancer pathogenesis. Our results confirmed that CENPU is up-regulated in human bladder cancer tissues at mRNA and protein levels. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies in T24 human urinary bladder cancer cell line revealed a hierarchical relationship between CENPU and MRPS28 in the regulation of cell viability, migration and invasion activity. CENPU expression was also up-regulated in in vivo nude mice xenograft model of bladder cancer and mice overexpressing CENPU had significantly higher tumor volume. In summary, our findings identify CENPU and MRPS28 in the molecular pathogenesis of bladder cancer and suggest that CENPU enhances the progression of bladder cancer by promoting MRPS28 expression.

Comprehensive analysis of prognosis-related methylated sites in breast carcinoma

Background

Breast carcinoma has become a nonnegligible public health problem in China with its increasing incidence and mortality in woman. As a early event regulating tumorigenesis and development, DNA methylation became one of the focuses of current carcinoma researches on potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Methods

In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the gene expression data and DNA methylation data of breast carcinoma and adjacent normal tissues samples in the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Influences of tumor stage, adjuvant therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy on CpG methylation level were explored by linear regression analysis. Correlations between methylation and gene expression levels were determined by spearman rank correlation analysis. Log‐rank test was applied for determining significance of associations between CpG sites methylation level and breast cancer patients' Kaplan–Meier survival.

Results

A total of 229 CpG sites were found to be significantly associated with tumor stage or treatment, and eight of which were potential markers that affect the survival of breast carcinoma and negatively correlated with their genes' expression levels.

Conclusions

We reported eight CpG sites as potential breast cancer prognosis signatures through comprehensively analyzed gene expression and DNA methylation datasets, and excluding influences of tumor stage and treatment. This should be helpful for breast cancer early diagnosis and treatment.

Common and distinct features of potentially predictive biomarkers in small cell lung carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung by systematic and integrated analysis

BACKGROUND

Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung (LCNEC) and small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) are neuroendocrine neoplasms. However, the underlying mechanisms of common and distinct genetic characteristics between LCNEC and SCLC are currently unclear. Herein, protein expression profiles and possible interactions with miRNAs were provided by integrated bioinformatics analysis, in order to explore core genes associated with tumorigenesis and prognosis in SCLC and LCNEC.

METHODS

GSE1037 gene expression profiles were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in LCNEC and SCLC, as compared with normal lung tissues, were selected using the GEO2R online analyzer and Venn diagram software. Gene ontology (GO) analysis was performed using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. The biological pathway analysis was performed using the FunRich database. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was generated using Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes and displayed via Cytoscape software. The PPI network was analyzed by the Molecular Complex Detection app from Cytoscape, and 16 upregulated hub genes were selected. The Oncomine database was used to detect expression patterns of hub genes for validation. Furthermore, the biological pathways of these 16 hub genes were re-analyzed, and potential interactions between these genes and miRNAs were explored via FunRich.

RESULTS

A total of 384 DEGs were identified. A Venn diagram determined 88 common DEGs. The PPI network was constructed with 48 nodes and 221 protein pairs. Among them, 16 hub genes were extracted, 14 of which were upregulated in SCLC samples, as compared with normal lung specimens, and 10 were correlated with the cell cycle pathway. Furthermore, 57 target miRNAs for 8 hub genes were identified, among which 31 miRNAs were correlated with the progression of carcinoma, drug-resistance, radio-sensitivity, or autophagy in lung cancer.

CONCLUSION

This study provided effective biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for diagnosis and prognosis of SCLC and LCNEC.

Centromere protein U (CENPU) enhances angiogenesis in triple-negative breast cancer by inhibiting ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation of COX-2

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by high vascularity, but anti-angiogenic therapies show poor efficacy. Centromere protein U (CENPU), a centromere component essential for mitosis, is associated with tumorigenesis in multiple cancers; however, little is known of its role in breast cancer. Here, we investigate its expression and function of promoting angiogenesis in TNBC. Immunohistochemical staining revealed high CENPU expression in TNBC tissue and high CENPU levels correlated significantly with poor distant metastasis-free and overall survival. Knockdown of CENPU in TNBC cells inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) production and significantly reduced tube formation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro. In a mouse xenograft model, CENPU knockdown reduced TNBC tumor growth concomitant with a reduction in CD31 ⁺ microvessel density. Mechanistic studies revealed that CENPU promoted angiogenesis by inhibiting the ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), leading to increased activation of the COX-2-p-ERK-HIF-1α-VEGFA signaling pathway. Taken together, our results demonstrate a critical role for CENPU in COX-2-mediated signaling for angiogenesis, and identify a role of CENPU in regulating angiogenesis in TNBC.

Exploring the Molecular Mechanism of the Drug-Treated Breast Cancer Based on Gene Expression Microarray

: Breast cancer (BRCA) remains the leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the present study, we identified novel biomarkers expressed during estradiol and tamoxifen treatment of BRCA. The microarray dataset of E-MTAB-4975 from Array Express database was downloaded, and the differential expressed genes (DEGs) between estradiol-treated BRCA sample and tamoxifen-treated BRCA sample were identified by limma package. The pathway and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, construction of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, module analysis, construction of target genes-miRNA interaction network and target genes-transcription factor (TF) interaction network were performed using bioinformatics tools. The expression, prognostic values, and mutation of hub genes were validated by SurvExpress database, cBioPortal, and human protein atlas (HPA) database. A total of 856 genes (421 up-regulated genes and 435 down-regulated genes) were identified in T47D (overexpressing Split Ends (SPEN) + estradiol) samples compared to T47D (overexpressing Split Ends (SPEN) + tamoxifen) samples. Pathway and GO enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in response to lysine degradation II (pipecolate pathway), cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, cell cycle pathway, and response to cytokine pathway. DEGs (MCM2, TCF4, OLR1, HSPA5, MAP1LC3B, SQSTM1, NEU1, HIST1H1B, RAD51, RFC3, MCM10, ISG15, TNFRSF10B, GBP2, IGFBP5, SOD2, DHF and MT1H) , which were significantly up- and down-regulated in estradiol and tamoxifen-treated BRCA samples, were selected as hub genes according to the results of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, module analysis, target genes-miRNA interaction network and target genes-TF interaction network analysis. The SurvExpress database, cBioPortal, and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database further confirmed that patients with higher expression levels of these hub genes experienced a shorter overall survival. A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was performed, and potential therapeutic applications of estradiol and tamoxifen were predicted in BRCA samples. The data may unravel the future molecular mechanisms of BRCA.

Reduced CENPU expression inhibits lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and migration through PI3K/AKT signaling

CENPU (centromere protein U), a centromere component essential for mitosis, relates with some cancers progression. However, it is not well illustrated in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC). Here, we aimed to investigate the potential effect of CENPU on LAC progression and prognosis. In this experiment, expression level of CENPU and association between its expression and LAC patients' clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis were analyzed. The proliferation, migration and invasive abilities of LAC cells were determined by CCK-8, colony formation, transwell assays. Western blot was used to detect PI3K/AKT signaling key proteins. We found CENPU level was overexpressed in LAC tissues on comparing normal tissues. Moreover, CENPU overexpression correlated with clinicopathological variables and predicted an independent prognostic indicator in LAC patients. Functionally, CENPU downregulation significantly inhibited LAC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in, which was possibly mediated by PI3K/AKT pathway inactivation. Our findings insinuate targeting CENPU may be a potential therapeutic strategy for LAC.

Circ-ZNF609 regulates G1-S progression in rhabdomyosarcoma

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a class of covalently closed RNAs, derived from non-canonical splicing events, which are expressed in all eukaryotes and often conserved among different species. We previously showed that the circRNA originating from the ZNF609 locus (circ-ZNF609) acts as a crucial regulator of human primary myoblast growth: indeed, the downregulation of the circRNA, and not of its linear counterpart, strongly reduced the proliferation rate of in vitro cultured myoblasts. To deepen our knowledge about circ-ZNF609 role in cell cycle regulation, we studied its expression and function in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a pediatric skeletal muscle malignancy. We found that circ-ZNF609 is upregulated in biopsies from the two major RMS subtypes, embryonal (ERMS) and alveolar (ARMS). Moreover, we discovered that in an ERMS-derived cell line circ-ZNF609 knock-down induced a specific block at the G1-S transition, a strong decrease of p-Akt protein level and an alteration of the pRb/Rb ratio. Regarding p-Akt, we were able to show that circ-ZNF609 acts by counteracting p-Akt proteasome-dependent degradation, thus working as a new regulator of cell proliferation-related pathways. As opposed to ERMS-derived cells, the circRNA depletion had no cell cycle effects in ARMS-derived cells. Since in these cells the p53 gene resulted downregulated, with a concomitant upregulation of its cell cycle-related target genes, we suggest that this could account for the lack of circ-ZNF609 effect in ARMS.

Analysis of dynamic molecular networks for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest solid tumors. The rapid progression of PDAC results in an advanced stage of patients when diagnosed. However, the dynamic molecular mechanism underlying PDAC progression remains far from clear.

Methods

The microarray GSE62165 containing PDAC staging samples was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal tissue and PDAC of different stages were profiled using R software, respectively. The software program Short Time-series Expression Miner was applied to cluster, compare, and visualize gene expression differences between PDAC stages. Then, function annotation and pathway enrichment of DEGs were conducted by Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery. Further, the Cytoscape plugin DyNetViewer was applied to construct the dynamic protein–protein interaction networks and to analyze different topological variation of nodes and clusters over time. The phosphosite markers of stage-specific protein kinases were predicted by PhosphoSitePlus database. Moreover, survival analysis of candidate genes and pathways was performed by Kaplan–Meier plotter. Finally, candidate genes were validated by immunohistochemistry in PDAC tissues.

Results

Compared with normal tissues, the total DEGs number for each PDAC stage were 994 (stage I), 967 (stage IIa), 965 (stage IIb), 1027 (stage III), 925 (stage IV), respectively. The stage-course gene expression analysis showed that 30 distinct expressional models were clustered. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that the up-regulated DEGs were commonly enriched in five fundamental pathways throughout five stages, including pathways in cancer, small cell lung cancer, ECM-receptor interaction, amoebiasis, focal adhesion. Except for amoebiasis, these pathways were associated with poor PDAC overall survival. Meanwhile, LAMA3, LAMB3, LAMC2, COL4A1 and FN1 were commonly shared by these five pathways and were unfavorable factors for prognosis. Furthermore, by constructing the stage-course dynamic protein interaction network, 45 functional molecular modules and 19 nodes were identified as featured regulators for all PDAC stages, among which the collagen family and integrins were considered as two main regulators for facilitating aggressive progression. Additionally, the clinical relevance analysis suggested that the stage IV featured nodes MLF1IP and ITGB4 were significantly correlated with shorter overall survival. Moreover, 15 stage-specific protein kinases were identified from the dynamic network and CHEK1 was particularly activated at stage IV. Experimental validation showed that MLF1IP, LAMA3 and LAMB3 were progressively increased from tumor initiation to progression.

Conclusions

Our study provided a view for a better understanding of the dynamic landscape of molecular interaction networks during PDAC progression and offered potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12935-018-0718-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Centromere protein U expression promotes non-small-cell lung cancer cell proliferation through FOXM1 and predicts poor survival

Purpose

Centromere protein U (CENPU) abnormally exhibits high expression in various types of human tumor tissues and participates in tumor progression; however, its expression pattern and biological function in lung cancer have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we explored the clinical significance and biological function of CENPU in lung cancer.

Materials and methods

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analyses, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR), and Western blotting were performed to quantify CENPU and FOXM1 expression in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples. Survival data were obtained from Kaplan–Meier plotter or PROGgene V2 prognostic database. The function of CENPU in lung cancer cell proliferation was determined using 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU), Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), and cell cycle assays, and the underlying mechanism was determined through bioinformatic analyses and validated by in vitro siRNA or plasmid transfection experiments.

Results

CENPU was abnormally overexpressed in NSCLC samples compared with matched paired normal tissues. Higher expression of CENPU predicted worse overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) in NSCLC patients. Knockdown of CENPU expression by siRNA significantly inhibited proliferation and delayed cell cycle progression of lung cancer cells. To figure out the mechanism, bioinformatic analyses were performed and the results showed that the transcription factor, FOXM1, positively correlated with CENPU. Further in vitro experiments indicated that FOXM1 was the possible downstream transcription factor of CENPU as the knockdown of CENPU led to lower expression of FOXM1 and the overexpression of FOXM1 significantly reversed the inhibition of proliferation caused by CENPU knockdown. Furthermore, FOXM1 was highly expressed in NSCLC. The knockdown of FOXM1 also attenuated proliferation and induced G1 arrest in lung cancer cells.

Conclusion

CENPU was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues, wherein it promoted lung cancer cell proliferation via the transcription factor, FOXM1, which could be a potential target for therapeutic strategies.

Integrated analysis reveals key genes with prognostic value in lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors. Despite advances in lung cancer therapies, prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer is still unfavorable. The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic value of key genes in lung tumorigenesis.

Methods

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out by GEO2R from three Gene Expression Omnibus cohorts. Common DEGs were selected for Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis. Protein– protein interaction networks were constructed by the STRING database and visualized by Cytoscape software. Hub genes, filtered from the CytoHubba, were validated using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database, and their genomic alterations were identified by performing the cBioportal. Finally, overall survival analysis of hub genes was performed using Kaplan–Meier Plotter.

Results

From three datasets, 169 DEGs (70 upregulated and 99 downregulated) were identified. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses showed that upregulated DEGs were significantly enriched in cell cycle, p53 pathway, and extracellular matrix–receptor interactions; the downregulated DEGs were significantly enriched in PPAR pathway and tyrosine metabolism. The protein–protein interaction network consisted of 71 nodes and 305 edges, including 49 upregulated and 22 downregulated genes. The hub genes, including AURKB, BUB1B, KIF2C, HMMR, CENPF, and CENPU, were overexpressed compared with the normal group by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis analysis, and associated with reduced overall survival in lung cancer patients. In the genomic alterations analysis, two hotspot mutations (S2021C/F and E314K/V) were identified in Pfam protein domains.

Conclusion

DEGs, including AURKB, BUB1B, KIF2C, HMMR, CENPF, and CENPU, might be potential biomarkers for the prognosis and treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Upregulation of E‑cadherin expression mediated by a novel dsRNA suppresses the growth and metastasis of bladder cancer cells by inhibiting β-catenin/TCF target genes

Low expression levels of E-cadherin are correlated with poor prognosis in patients with bladder cancer (BCa). A small activating RNA (saRNA) targeting a specific promoter region can activate gene expression. In the present study, two small double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) targeting the promoter region of human E-cadherin were designed and synthesized, and the regulatory role of saRNAs in E-cadherin expression was investigated. The results of reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting demonstrated that transfection of dsEcad-346 into the BCa cell lines T24 and 5637 significantly activated E-cadherin expression. Furthermore, transfection of dsEcad-346 and miR-373 induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase, promoted apoptosis and significantly inhibited migration and invasion of BCa cells. Results of immunofluorescence and western blotting indicated that β-catenin was redistributed from the nucleus to the cell membrane following transfection of dsEcad-346 and miR-373. Additionally, the expression of β-catenin/T-cell factor complex (TCF) target genes (c-MYC, matrix metallopeptidase 2, cyclin D1) was suppressed following transfection of BCa cells with saRNA. Silencing of E-cadherin expression blocked the inhibitory effect of dsEcad-346 and miR-373 on BCa cells. In conclusion, a novel designed dsEcad-346 can activate the expression of E-cadherin in BCa cells. saRNA-mediated activation of E-cadherin expression inhibited the growth and metastasis of BCa cells by promoting the redistribution of β-catenin from nucleus to cell membrane and inhibiting the β-catenin/TCF target genes.