MSK1 promotes cell proliferation and metastasis in uveal melanoma by phosphorylating CREB

Dual-Specificity Phosphatase 4 Promotes Malignant Features in Colorectal Cancer Through Cyclic-AMP Response Element Binding Protein/Protein Kinase CAMP-Activated Catalytic Subunit Beta Activation

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies have demonstrated that Dual-specificity phosphatase 4 (DUSP4) plays an important role in the progression of different tumor types. However, the role and mechanism of DUSP4 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear.

AIMS

We investigate the role and mechanisms of DUSP4 in CRC.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate DUSP4 expression in CRC tissues. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration assays were used to validate DUSP4 function in vitro and in vivo. RNA-sequence assay was used to identify the target genes of DUSP4. Human phosphokinase array and inhibitor assays were used to explore the downstream signaling of DUSP4.

RESULTS

DUSP4 expression was upregulated in CRC tissues relative to normal colorectal tissues, and DUSP4 expression showed a significant positive correlation with CRC stage. Consistently, we found that DUSP4 was highly expressed in colorectal cancer cells compared to normal cells. DUSP4 knockdown inhibits CRC cell proliferation, migration and promotes apoptosis. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of DUSP4 enhanced CRC cell proliferation, migration and diminished apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Human phosphokinase array data showed that ectopic expression of DUSP4 promotes CREB activation. RNA-sequencing data showed that PRKACB acts as a downstream target gene of DUSP4/CREB and enhances CREB activation through PKA/cAMP signaling. In addition, xenograft model results demonstrated that DUSP4 promotes colorectal tumor progression via PRKACB/CREB activation in vivo.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that DUSP4 promotes CRC progression. Therefore, it may be a promising therapeutic target for CRC.

Mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase (MSK1/2) regulated gene expression in normal and disease states

The mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinases (MSK) are epigenetic modifiers that regulate gene expression in normal and disease cell states. MSK1 and 2 are involved in a chain of signal transduction events bringing signals from the external environment of a cell to specific sites in the genome. MSK1/2 phosphorylate histone H3 at multiple sites, resulting in chromatin remodeling at regulatory elements of target genes and the induction of gene expression. Several transcription factors (RELA of NF-κB and CREB) are also phosphorylated by MSK1/2 and contribute to induction of gene expression. In response to signal transduction pathways, MSK1/2 can stimulate genes involved in cell proliferation, inflammation, innate immunity, neuronal function, and neoplastic transformation. Abrogation of the MSK-involved signaling pathway is among the mechanisms by which pathogenic bacteria subdue the host's innate immunity. Depending on the signal transduction pathways in play and the MSK-targeted genes, MSK may promote or hinder metastasis. Thus, depending on the type of cancer and genes involved, MSK overexpression may be a good or poor prognostic factor. In this review, we focus on mechanisms by which MSK1/2 regulate gene expression, and recent studies on their roles in normal and diseased cells.

The impact of hyperglycemia upon BeWo trophoblast cell metabolic function: A multi-OMICS and functional metabolic analysis

Pre-existing and gestationally-developed diabetes mellitus have been linked with impairments in placental villous trophoblast cell metabolic function, that are thought to underlie the development of metabolic diseases early in the lives of the exposed offspring. Previous research using placental cell lines and ex vivo trophoblast preparations have highlighted hyperglycemia is an important independent regulator of placental function. However, it is poorly understood if hyperglycemia directly influences aspects of placental metabolic function, including nutrient storage and mitochondrial respiration, that are altered in term diabetic placentae. The current study examined metabolic and mitochondrial function as well as nutrient storage in both undifferentiated cytotrophoblast and differentiated syncytiotrophoblast BeWo cells cultured under hyperglycemia conditions (25 mM glucose) for 72 hours to further characterize the direct impacts of placental hyperglycemic exposure. Hyperglycemic-exposed BeWo trophoblasts displayed increased glycogen and triglyceride nutrient stores, but real-time functional readouts of metabolic enzyme activity and mitochondrial respiratory activity were not altered. However, specific investigation into mitochondrial dynamics highlighted increased expression of markers associated with mitochondrial fission that could indicate high glucose-exposed trophoblasts are transitioning towards mitochondrial dysfunction. To further characterize the impacts of independent hyperglycemia, the current study subsequently utilized a multi-omics approach and evaluated the transcriptomic and metabolomic signatures of BeWo cytotrophoblasts. BeWo cytotrophoblasts exposed to hyperglycemia displayed increased mRNA expression of ACSL1, HSD11B2, RPS6KA5, and LAP3 and reduced mRNA expression of CYP2F1, and HK2, concomitant with increased levels of: lactate, malonate, and riboflavin metabolites. These changes highlighted important underlying alterations to glucose, glutathione, fatty acid, and glucocorticoid metabolism in BeWo trophoblasts exposed to hyperglycemia. Overall, these results demonstrate that hyperglycemia is an important independent regulator of key areas of placental metabolism, nutrient storage, and mitochondrial function, and these data continue to expand our knowledge on mechanisms governing the development of placental dysfunction.

Integrating single-cell analysis and machine learning to create glycosylation-based gene signature for prognostic prediction of uveal melanoma

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence suggests a correlation between glycosylation and the onset of cancer. However, the clinical relevance of glycosylation-related genes (GRGs) in uveal melanoma (UM) is yet to be fully understood. This study aimed to shed light on the impact of GRGs on UM prognosis.

METHODS

To identify the most influential genes in UM, we employed the AUCell and WGCNA algorithms. The GRGs signature was established by integrating bulk RNA-seq and scRNA-seq data. UM patients were separated into two groups based on their risk scores, the GCNS_low and GCNS_high groups, and the differences in clinicopathological correlation, functional enrichment, immune response, mutational burden, and immunotherapy between the two groups were examined. The role of the critical gene AUP1 in UM was validated through in vitro and in vivo experiments.

RESULTS

The GRGs signature was comprised of AUP1, HNMT, PARP8, ARC, ALG5, AKAP13, and ISG20. The GCNS was a significant prognostic factor for UM, and high GCNS correlated with poorer outcomes. Patients with high GCNS displayed heightened immune-related characteristics, such as immune cell infiltration and immune scores. In vitro experiments showed that the knockdown of AUP1 led to a drastic reduction in the viability, proliferation, and invasion capability of UM cells.

CONCLUSION

Our gene signature provides an independent predictor of UM patient survival and represents a starting point for further investigation of GRGs in UM. It offers a novel perspective on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of UM.

CREB1 promotes proliferation and differentiation by mediating the transcription of CCNA2 and MYOG in bovine myoblasts

The cAMP response element binding protein 1 (CREB1) is an important nuclear transcription factor in eukaryotes. To explore the potential role of CREB1 on Qinchuan bovine skeletal myoblasts, we investigated the function of CREB1 on proliferation and differentiation. In this study, we found that CREB1 promoted cell proliferation by promoting DNA synthesis in S phase and cell division in G2 phase and promoted myogenic differentiation process in bovine myoblasts. Through dual luciferase experiments, we found that CREB1 can bind to the proximal promoter regions of CCNA2 and MyoG, indicating that CREB1 can play a positive regulatory role in the proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts by mediating the transcription of CCNA2 and MyoG. In addition, through downstream target gene analysis and transcriptome sequencing, we found that CREB1 plays a role in cell proliferation, myogenic differentiation, skeletal muscle repair and other related pathways.

Highly Antiproliferative Latonduine and Indolo[2,3-c]quinoline Derivatives: Complex Formation with Copper(II) Markedly Changes the Kinase Inhibitory Profile

A series of latonduine and indoloquinoline derivatives HL¹–HL⁸ and their copper(II) complexes (1–8) were synthesized and comprehensively characterized. The structures of five compounds (HL⁶, [CuCl(L¹)(DMF)]·DMF, [CuCl(L²)(CH₃OH)], [CuCl(L³)]·0.5H₂O, and [CuCl₂(H₂L⁵)]Cl·2DMF) were elucidated by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The copper(II) complexes revealed low micro- to sub-micromolar IC₅₀ values with promising selectivity toward human colon adenocarcinoma multidrug-resistant Colo320 cancer cells as compared to the doxorubicin-sensitive Colo205 cell line. The lead compounds HL⁴ and 4 as well as HL⁸ and 8 induced apoptosis efficiently in Colo320 cells. In addition, the copper(II) complexes had higher affinity to DNA than their metal-free ligands. HL⁸ showed selective inhibition for the PIM-1 enzyme, while 8 revealed strong inhibition of five other enzymes, i.e., SGK-1, PKA, CaMK-1, GSK3β, and MSK1, from a panel of 50 kinases. Furthermore, molecular modeling of the ligands and complexes showed a good fit to the binding pockets of these targets.

Re-excision within a radius of 2 cm in patients with melanoma of the skin - sufficient for local oncological radicalness

INTRODUCTION

Malignant melanoma is one of the most malignant tumours in the human body. Radical re-excision of the tumour bed is a principal part of its surgical treatment. We aim to test the hypothesis that the re-excision with a 2 cm margin in all directions to the scar from the previous biopsy of the primary tumour provides sufficient local control in patients with this disease.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a prospective descriptive study using STROBE methods, including all 151 patients with malignant melanoma of the skin, diagnosed and treated at the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Dr Georgi Stranski University Hospital, Medical University of Pleven, Bulgaria, in the period 2012-2016. Twenty-one cases were omitted from the study during the observation period due to lack of sufficient data. The re-excision was mainly within 2 cm margins in all directions to the scar from the previous biopsy of the primary tumour.

RESULTS

Data of all 130 patients with malignant skin melanoma, diagnosed and treated at our single large centre, were prospectively registered and analysed. These were 67 male and 63 female patients with a mean age at diagnosis of 61.6 years (range: 17-91 years). Using the re-excision within 2 cm margins, we identified only 1 (0.77%) patient with a histologically confirmed residual tumour in the re-excised flap. Local recurrence was observed in 13 (10%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Re-excision with a 2 cm margin is sufficient to achieve local surgical radicalness in the treatment of this disease without compromising oncological survival.

Isoform-selective HDAC Inhibitor Mocetinostat (MGCD0103) Alleviates Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury via Mitochondrial Protection through the HDACs/CREB/PGC-1α Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT

Over the past decade, histone deacetylases (HDACs) has been proven to manipulate development and exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI), cardiac hypertrophy, ventricular remodeling, myocardial fibrosis. Inhibition of histone deacetylases, especially class-I HDACs, is potent to protection of ischemic myocardium after ischemia/reperfusion. Herein, we examine whether mocetinostat (MGCD0103, MOCE), a class-I selective HDAC inhibitor in phase-II clinical trial, conducts cardioprotection under ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in vivo and vitro, if so, reveal its potential pharmacological mechanism to provide an experimental and theoretical basis for mocetinostat usage in a clinical setting. HCMs were exposed to hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R), with or without mocetinostat treatment. H/R reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and induced HCMs apoptosis. Mocetinostat pre-treatment reversed these H/R-induced mitochondrial damage and cellular apoptosis and upregulated CREB, p-CREB and PGC-1α in HCMs during H/R. Transfection with siRNA against PGC-1α or CREB abolished the protective effects of mocetinostat on cardiomyocytes undergoing H/R. In vivo, mocetinostat was demonstrated to protect myocardial injury posed by myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) via activation of CREB and upregulation of PGC-1α. Mocetinostat (MGCD0103) can protect myocardium from ischemia/reperfusion injury through mitochondrial protection mediated by CREB/PGC-1α pathway. Therefore, activation of the CREB/PGC-1α signaling pathway via inhibition of Class-I HDACs may be a promising new therapeutic strategy for alleviating myocardial reperfusion injury.