Correlation of NUF2 Over-expression with Poorer Patient Survival in Multiple Cancers

NUF2 regulated the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma through modulating the PI3K/AKT pathway via stabilizing ERBB3

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most prevalent and lethal cancers worldwide. The NDC80 kinetochore complex component NUF2 has been previously identified as up-regulating in HCC and associated with patient prognosis. However, the pathophysiological effects and molecular mechanisms of NUF2 in tumorigenesis remain unclear. In this study, we confirmed a significant increase in NUF2 expression in HCC tissues and established a correlation between high NUF2 expression and adverse outcomes in HCC patients. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, we demonstrated that genetic inhibition of NUF2 suppressed the proliferation of HCC cells and disrupted the cell cycle. Further investigation into the molecular mechanisms revealed that NUF2 interacted with ERBB3, inhibiting its ubiquitination degradation, thus activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and influencing cell cycle regulation. Overall, this study revealed the crucial role of NUF2 in promoting the malignant progression of HCC, suggesting its potential as both a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for HCC.

FOXM1 promotes neurofibromatosis type 1-associated malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor progression in a NUF2-dependent manner

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive soft-tissue sarcomas characterized by poor prognosis and low drug response rates. Traditional chemo/radiotherapies show only mild benefits for patients with MPNSTs, and no targeted therapy is available in the clinic. A better understanding of the molecular background of MPNSTs is critical for the development of effective targeted therapies. Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) has been implicated in the progression of many human malignancies, though its role in MPNSTs is unclear. In this study, using four Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and a tissue microarray, we demonstrated that FOXM1 upregulation was associated with poor prognosis in patients with MPNSTs. FOXM1 overexpression and knockdown regulated the proliferation and colony formation of MPNST cells. Using bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays, we identified NUF2 as a direct downstream target of FOXM1. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the induction of MPNST cell proliferation by FOXM1 was dependent on elevated NUF2 expression, as NUF2 knockdown abolished the FOXM1-induced proliferation of MPNST cells. Our study showed that the FOXM1-NUF2 axis mediates human MPNST progression and could be a potential therapeutic target.

NUF2 promotes tumorigenesis by interacting with HNRNPA2B1 via PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the commonest and deadliest diseases that threaten the health of women worldwide. It is essential to find out its pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic targets for OC patients. Although NUF2 (Ndc80 kinetochore complex component) has been suggested to play an important role in the development of many cancers, but little is known about its function and the roles of proteins that regulate NUF2 in OC. This study aimed to investigate the effect of NUF2 on the tumorigenicity of OC and the activities of proteins that interact with NUF2.

METHODS

Oncomine database and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were used to evaluate the expression of NUF2 in OC tissues and normal tissues respectively. Normal ovarian epithelial cell lines (HOSEpiC) and OC cell lines (OVCAR3、HEY、SKOV3) were cultured. Western blot was applied to analyze the expression of NUF2 in these cell lines. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to silence the expression of NUF2 in OC cell lines, SKOV3 and HEY. Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA), Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), the CCK-8 method, colony formation assay and flow cytometry were conducted to analyze the biological functions of NUF2 in vitro. OC subcutaneous xenograft tumor models were used for in vivo tests. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry (IP/MS) were performed to verify the molecular mechanisms of NUF2 in OC. IP, immunofluorescence, IHC staining, and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis platform (GEPIA) were used to analyze the relationship between HNRNPA2B1 and NUF2 in OC cells. SiRNA was used to silence the expression of HNRNPA2B1 in SKOV3 cells, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay and western blot were used to detect the effect of HNRNPA2B1 on NUF2. GEPIA, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, GSEA and western blot were used to detect the potential signaling pathways related to the roles of HNRNPA2B1 and NUF2 in OC cells.

RESULTS

Our results showed high NUF2 expression in OC tissues and OC cell lines, which was associated with shorter overall survival and progression-free survival in patients. NUF2 depletion by siRNA suppressed the proliferation abilities and induced cell apoptosis of OC cells in vitro, and impeded OC growth in vivo. Mechanistically, NUF2 interacted with HNRNPA2B1 and activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in OC cells.

CONCLUSION

NUF2 could serve as a prognostic biomarker, and regulated the carcinogenesis and progression of OC. Moreover, NUF2 may interact with HNRNPA2B1 by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to promote the development of OC cells. Our present study supported the key role of NUF2 in OC and suggested its potential as a novel therapeutic target.

NUF2 overexpression contributes to epithelial ovarian cancer progression via ERBB3-mediated PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling axes

Introduction

NDC80 kinetochore complex component (NUF2) is upregulated and plays an important role in various human cancers. However, the function and mechanism of NUF2 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remain unclear.

Methods

NUF2 expression was detected in EOC tissues and cell lines. The effects of NUF2 downregulation on cell proliferation, migration and invasion in EOC were analyzed by CCK-8 and Transwell assays. Meanwhile, the effect of NUF2 downregulation on tumor growth in vivo was determined by xenograft tumor models. The mechanisms by which NUF2 regulates EOC progression were detected by RNA sequencing and a series of in vitro assays.

Results

We showed that NUF2 was significantly upregulated in EOC tissues and cell lines, and high NUF2 expression was associated with FIGO stage, pathological grade and poor EOC prognosis. NUF2 downregulation decreased cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tumor growth in nude mice. RNA sequencing studies showed that NUF2 knockdown inhibited several genes enriched in the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (ERBB3) was the key factor involved in both of the above pathways. We found that ERBB3 silencing could inhibit EOC progression and repress activation of the PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways. Furthermore, the exogenous overexpression of ERBB3 partially reversed the inhibitory effects on EOC progression induced by NUF2 downregulation, while LY294002 and PD98059 partially reversed the effects of ERBB3 upregulation.

Conclusion

These results showed that NUF2 promotes EOC progression through ERBB3-induced activation of the PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling axes. These findings suggest that NUF2 might be a potential therapeutic target for EOC.

Evaluating the Expression and Prognostic Value of Genes Encoding Microtubule-Associated Proteins in Lung Cancer

Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) play essential roles in cancer development. This study aimed to identify transcriptomic biomarkers among MAP genes for the diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer by analyzing differential gene expressions and correlations with tumor progression. Gene expression data of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were used to identify differentially expressed MAP genes (DEMGs). Their prognostic value was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis. Moreover, the relationships between alterations in lung cancer hallmark genes and the expression levels of DEMGs were investigated. The candidate biomarker genes were validated using three independent datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) on clinical samples. A total of 88 DEMGs were identified from TCGA data. The 20 that showed the highest differential expression were subjected to association analysis with hallmark genes. Genetic alterations in TP53, EGFR, PTEN, NTRK1, and PIK3CA correlated with the expression of most of these DEMGs. Of these, six candidates-NUF2, KIF4A, KIF18B, DLGAP5, NEK2, and LRRK2-were significantly differentially expressed and correlated with the overall survival (OS) of the patients. The mRNA expression profiles of these candidates were consistently verified using three GEO datasets and qRT-PCR on patient lung tissues. The expression levels of NUF2, KIF4A, KIF18B, DLGAP5, NEK2, and LRRK2 can serve as diagnostic biomarkers for LUAD and LUSC. Moreover, the first five can serve as prognostic biomarkers for LUAD, while LRRK2 can be a prognostic biomarker for LUSC. Our research describes the novel role and potential application of MAP-encoding genes in clinical practice.

FOXM1-mediated NUF2 expression confers temozolomide resistance to human glioma cells by regulating autophagy via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Glioma is the most common malignant tumor in the central nervous system and has a high mortality rate. Temozolomide (TMZ) is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug for glioma. NDC80 kinetochore complex (NUF2) is suggested to play a regulatory role in different cancers, but its specific function and mechanism in glioblastoma TMZ resistance remain unknown. NUF2, assessed by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), was highly expressed in glioma cell lines. TMZ was used to treat cells to establish a TMZ-resistant cell line. The potential functions of NUF2 in glioma were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, colony formation assays, 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays, flow cytometry, Western blotting, and a tumor xenograft model. The results showed that NUF2 knockdown attenuated malignant phenotypes of TMZ-resistant cells and prevented tumor growth. Mechanistically, as luciferase reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) as showed, Fox transcription factor M1 (FOXM1) had binding sites on the NUF2 promoter. Rescue assays demonstrated that FOXM1 upregulation counteracted the inhibitory effects of NUF2 depletion on the malignancies of TMZ-resistant cells. This study demonstrates that FOXM1-activated NUF2 promotes TMZ to human glioma cells by regulating proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy.

Chromatin Separation Regulators Predict the Prognosis and Immune Microenvironment Estimation in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background: Abnormal chromosome segregation is identified to be a common hallmark of cancer. However, the specific predictive value of it in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is unclear.

Method: The RNA sequencing and the clinical data of LUAD were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TACG) database, and the prognosis-related genes were identified. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) were carried out for functional enrichment analysis of the prognosis genes. The independent prognosis signature was determined to construct the nomogram Cox model. Unsupervised clustering analysis was performed to identify the distinguishing clusters in LUAD-samples based on the expression of chromosome segregation regulators (CSRs). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the enriched biological processes and pathways between different clusters were identified. The immune environment estimation, including immune cell infiltration, HLA family genes, immune checkpoint genes, and tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE), was assessed between the clusters. The potential small-molecular chemotherapeutics for the individual treatments were predicted via the connectivity map (CMap) database.

Results: A total of 2,416 genes were determined as the prognosis-related genes in LUAD. Chromosome segregation is found to be the main bioprocess enriched by the prognostic genes. A total of 48 CSRs were found to be differentially expressed in LUAD samples and were correlated with the poor outcome in LUAD. Nine CSRs were identified as the independent prognostic signatures to construct the nomogram Cox model. The LUAD-samples were divided into two distinct clusters according to the expression of the 48 CSRs. Cell cycle and chromosome segregation regulated genes were enriched in cluster 1, while metabolism regulated genes were enriched in cluster 2. Patients in cluster 2 had a higher score of immune, stroma, and HLA family components, while those in cluster 1 had higher scores of TIDES and immune checkpoint genes. According to the hub genes highly expressed in cluster 1, 74 small-molecular chemotherapeutics were predicted to be effective for the patients at high risk.

Conclusion: Our results indicate that the CSRs were correlated with the poor prognosis and the possible immunotherapy resistance in LUAD.

NUF2 Expression Promotes Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression and Is Associated With Poor Prognosis

Aberrant expression of the gene encoding the Ndc80 kinetochore complex component (NUF2) reportedly contributes to the progression of several human cancers. However, the functional roles of NUF2 and their underlying mechanisms in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are largely unknown. The current study aimed to investigate the role of NUF2 in LUAD tumorigenesis. Here, TCGA, ONCOMINE, the Human Protein Atlas, UALCAN, and the results of our cohort were used to analyze the expression of NUF2 in LUAD. A Kaplan–Meier analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to estimate the prognostic values of NUF2 expression in the Cancer Genome Atlas cohort. We studied the effects of NUF2 expression on proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor growth using LUAD cell lines. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to analyze the pathways and biological function enrichment of NUF2 in LUAD. The ssGSEA database was used to analyze the relationship between NUF2 expression and immune cell infiltration in LUAD. Results revealed elevated expression of NUF2 in LUAD specimens. Patients overexpressing NUF2 had poor prognoses relative to those with low NUF2 expression. Knockdown of NUF2 suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and colony formation of LUAD cells. Moreover, NUF2 knockdown induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Gene Ontology and GSEA analyses suggested that NUF2 may be involved in immunity, proliferation, and apoptosis-related pathways. NUF2 overexpression was positively correlated with differential immune cell infiltration. In conclusion, NUF2 expression was associated with the clinical phenotype of LUAD and hence has potential implications in LUAD treatment.

Construction of a Prognosis-Related Gene Signature by Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis in Ewing Sarcoma

Background

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common pediatric bone tumor with a high rate of metastasis, high recurrence, and low survival rate. Therefore, the identification of new biomarkers which can improve the prognosis of ES patients is urgently needed.

Methods

Here, GSE17679 dataset was downloaded from GEO databases. WGCNA method was used to identify one module associating with OVS (overall vital survival) and event. cytoHubba was used to screen out 50 hub genes from the module genes. Then, GSE17679 dataset was randomly divided into train cohort and test cohort. Next, univariate Cox analysis, LASSO regression analysis, and multivariate Cox analysis were conducted on 50 hub genes combined with train cohort data to select pivotal genes. Finally, an optimal 7-gene-based risk assessment model was established, which was verified by test cohort, entire GSE17679, and two independent datasets (GSE63157 and TCGA-SARC).

Results

The results of the functional enrichment analysis revealed that the OVS and event-associated module were mainly enriched in the protein transcription, cell proliferation, and cell-cycle control. And the train cohort was divided into high-risk and low-risk subgroups based on the median risk score; the results showed that the survival of the low-risk subgroup was significantly longer than high-risk. ROC analysis revealed that AUC values of 1, 3, and 5-year survival were 0.85, 0.94, and 0.88, and Kaplan-Meier analysis also revealed that P value < 0.0001, indicating that this model was accurate, which was also verified in the test, entire cohort, and two independent datasets (GSE63157 and TCGA-SARC). Then, we performed a comprehensive analysis (differential expression analysis, correlation analysis and survival analysis) of seven pivotal genes, and found that four genes (NCAPG, KIF4A, NUF2 and CDC20) plays a more crucial role in the prognosis of ES.

Conclusion

Taken together, this study established an optimal 7-gene-based risk assessment model and identified 4 potential therapeutic targets, to improve the prognosis of ES patients.

NUF2 Drives Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma by Activating HMGA2 Transcription through KDM2A-mediated H3K36me2 Demethylation

The poor sensitivity of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy makes its treatment challenging. The Ndc80 kinetochore complex component (NUF2) is involved in the development and progression of several cancers. However, its role in ccRCC remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the biological functions and underlying mechanism of NUF2 in ccRCC. We found that NUF2 expression was increased in ccRCC and associated with poor prognosis. Altering NUF2 level affected cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, NUF2 acted as a potential oncogene to promote the progression of ccRCC through epigenetic activation of high-mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) transcription by suppressing lysine demethylase 2A expression and affecting its occupancy on the HMGA2 promoter region to regulate histone H3 lysine 36 di-methylation modification. In addition, Kaplan-Meier and multivariate analysis revealed that patients whose NUF2 and HMGA2 were both elevated showed the shortest survival; and the number of upregulated markers acted as an independent predictor to evaluate survival probability. Thus, our results demonstrate that NUF2 promotes ccRCC progression, at least partly by epigenetically regulating HMGA2 transcription, and that the NUF2-HMGA2 axis could be an ideal therapeutic target and a promising prognostic indicator for ccRCC.

Expression and clinical significance of NUF2 in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma

Background

To explore the expression and clinical significance of the cytokinesis-related gene NUF2 in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC).

Methods

Gene expression profiles of KIRC patients were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The differences in NUF2 mRNA expression between patients and controls, as well as the relationship between the clinical characteristics and overall survival of the patients, were analyzed. The expression of NUF2 protein in 83 cancer tissues and para-cancerous tissues was detected to analyze the relationship with clinical characteristics. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to investigate the possible regulatory pathways of the NUF2 in the development of KIRC.

Results

NUF2 mRNA was significantly higher in patients with KIRC, and the prognosis of patients with high expression of NUF2 mRNA was significantly worse than those with low expression, and was related to the AJCC stage, T stage, lymph node metastases, and distant metastases. NUF2 mRNA was an independent prognostic risk factor for KIRC patients. The expression of NUF2 protein was significantly higher in KIRC patients than in paraneoplastic tissues and was markedly associated with the pathological grade. In addition, the high expression of NUF2 was associated with the upregulation of pathways such as homologous recombination and DNA replication.

Conclusions

NUF2 may act as an independent prognostic biomarker for predicting the survival of KIRC patients.

Role of chromosome 1q copy number variation in hepatocellular carcinoma

Chromosome 1q often has been observed to be amplified in hepatocellular carcinoma. This review summarizes literature reports of multiple genes that have been proposed as possible 1q amplification drivers. These largely fall within 1q21-1q23. In addition, publicly available copy number alteration data from The Cancer Genome Atlas project were used to identify additional candidate genes involved in carcinogenesis. The most frequent location for gene amplification was 1q22, consistent with the results of the literature search. The genes TPM3 and NUF2 were found to be candidates whose amplification and/or mRNA up-regulation was most highly associated with poorer hepatocellular carcinoma outcomes.