miR-424-5p regulates cell proliferation and migration of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting SIRT4

Abnormal expression of serum miR-4746-5p in liver cancer patients after interventional chemotherapy and its possible mechanism

Interventional chemotherapy is a common operation in the clinical treatment of liver cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and molecular mechanism of serum miR-4746-5p in liver cancer patients before and after interventional chemotherapy. The levels of miR-4746-5p and CDKN1C in serum samples from liver cancer patients were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed the diagnostic value of miR-4746-5p in tumors. Differences in clinical indicators between liver cancer patients and healthy controls were assessed using Pearson correlation analysis. Luciferase reporter gene assays confirmed the targeted interaction between miR-4746-5p and CDKN1C. In vitro cellular assays were validated by Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell assay, and chemoresistance assay. Serum miR-4746-5p levels were increased in liver cancer patients but were downregulated after chemotherapy intervention. CDKN1C expression showed the opposite trend. Low levels of miR-4746-5p mediated cell growth and metastasis by targeting and negatively regulating CDKN1C expression, while silencing CDKN1C restored cell activity. Inhibition of miR-4746-5p reduced chemoresistance, while downregulation of CDKN1C affected cell sensitivity. miR-4746-5p may be a potential therapeutic factor for liver cancer diagnosis and interventional chemotherapy.

A pathway-based computational framework for identification of a new modal of multi-omics biomarkers and its application in esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

The pathway-based strategy has been recently proposed for identifying biomarkers with the advantages of higher biological interpretability and cross-data robustness than the conventional gene-based strategy. However, its utility in clinical applications has been limited due to the high computational complexity and ill-defined performance.

OBJECTIVE

The current study presents a machine learning-based computational framework using multi-omics data for identifying a new modal of biomarkers, called pathway-derived core biomarkers, which have the advantages of both gene-based and pathway-based biomarkers.

METHODS

Machine-learning methods and gene-pathway network were integrated to select the pathway-derived core biomarkers. Multiple machine-learning algorithms were used to construct and validate the diagnostic models of the biomarkers based on more than 1400 multi-omics clinical samples of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

RESULTS

The results showed that the classifier models based on the new modal biomarkers achieved superior performance in the training datasets with an average AUC/accuracy of 0.98/0.95 and 0.89/0.81 for mRNAs and miRNA, respectively, higher than the currently known classifier models based on the conventional gene-based strategy and pathway-based strategy. In the testing cohorts, the AUC/accuracy increased by 6.1 %/7.3 % than the models based on the native gene-based biomarkers. The improved performance was further confirmed in independent validation cohorts. Specifically, the sensitivity/specificity increased by ∼3 % and the variance significantly decreased by ∼69 % compared with that of the native gene-based biomarkers. Importantly, the pathway-derived core biomarkers also recovered 45 % more previously reported biomarkers than the gene-based biomarkers and are more functionally relevant to the ESCC etiology (involved in 14 versus 7 pathways related with ESCC or other cancer), highlighting the cross-data robustness of this new modal of biomarkers via enhanced functional relevance.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrated that the new modal of biomarkers not only have improved predicting performance and robustness, but also exhibit higher functional interpretability thus leading to the potential application in cancer diagnosis.

Role of miR-424 in the carcinogenesis

Recent studies have revealed the impact of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the carcinogenic process. miR-424 is a miRNA whose role in this process is being to be identified. Experiments in the ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, neuroblastoma, breast cancer, osteosarcoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, hemangioma and gastric cancer have reported down-regulation of miR-424. On the other hand, this miRNA has been found to be up-regulated in melanoma, laryngeal and esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, glioma, multiple myeloma and thyroid cancer. Expression of this miRNA is regulated by methylation status of its promoter. Besides, LINC00641, CCAT2, PVT1, LIN00657, LINC00511 and NNT-AS1 are among lncRNAs that act as molecular sponges for miR-424, thus regulating its expression. Moreover, several members of SNHG family of lncRNAs have been found to regulate expression of miR-424. This miRNA is also involved in the regulation of E2F transcription factors. The current review aims at summarization of the role of miR-424 in the process of cancer evolution and its impact on clinical outcome of patients in order to find appropriate markers for malignancies.

Regulatory factor X7 Represses Ox-LDL-Induced Proliferation and Migration of VSMCs via SIRT4-Mediated Inactivation of JAK2/STAT3 Pathway

The regulatory factor X7 (RFX7) is a vital mediator in atherosclerosis. This study aims to discuss the effect and underlying mechanism of RFX7 on the regulation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) -induced proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).Ox-LDL was used to construct atherosclerosis in vitro model. The mRNA and protein levels of RFX7 and Sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot assays. The cellular functions were measured via 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), EdU, flow cytometry, and wound healing assay assays. The interaction between RFX7 and SIRT4 promoter was validated using chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assays.The stimulation with ox-LDL elevated the viability of VSMCs and decreased the mRNA and protein levels of RFX7 and SIRT4 in VSMCs in a dose-dependent manner. Functionally, RFX7 overexpression restrained the VSMC viability, proliferation, and migration induced by ox-LDL, but facilitated VSMC apoptosis. RFX7 elevated SIRT4 expression via binding to its promoter. Furthermore, overexpressing either SIRT4 or RFX7 inactivated JAK2/STAT3 signaling, causing a decrease in VSMC proliferation and migration and an increase in VSMC apoptosis when exposed to ox-LDL. The impact of RFX7 overexpression on JAK2/STAT3 signaling and cellular function following ox-LDL exposure was abrogated by SIRT4 silencing.The heightened RFX7 expression restrained the proliferation and migration of ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs via SIRT4-mediated inactivation of JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

MiR-424-5p targets HSP90AA1 to facilitate proliferation and restrain differentiation in skeletal muscle development

MiR-424-5p was found to be a potential regulator in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of various cancer cells. However, the effects and functional mechanism of miR-424-5p in the process of myogenesis are still unclear. Previously, using microRNA (miRNA) sequencing and expression analysis, we discovered that miR-424-5p was expressed differentially in the different skeletal muscle growth periods of Xuhuai goats. We hypothesized that miR-424-5p might play an important role in skeletal muscle myogenesis. Then, we found that the proliferation ability of the mouse myoblast cell (C2C12 myoblast cell line) was significantly augmented, whereas the C2C12 differentiation was repressed after increasing the expression of miR-424-5p. Mechanistically, HSP90AA1 presented a close interrelation with miR-424-5p, which was predicted as a target gene in the progression of skeletal muscle myogenesis, using transcriptome sequencing, dual luciferase reporter gene detection, and qRT-PCR. The silencing of HSP90AA1 obviously increased C2C12 proliferation and diminished differentiation, which is consistent with the ability of miR-424-5p in C2C12. Altogether, our findings indicated the role of miR-424-5p as a novel potential regulator via HSP90AA1 during muscle myogenesis progression.

RNA sequencing reveals the implication of the circRNA-associated ceRNA network in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have attracted increasing attention in cancer research. However, there are few studies about the high-throughput sequencing for clinical cohorts focussing on the expression characteristics and regulatory networks of circRNAs in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) until now. Present study aim to comprehensively recognize the functional and mechanistic patterns of circRNA through constructing a circRNA-related competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network in ESCC. Summarily, RNA high-throughput sequencing was adopted to assess the circRNA, miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in ESCC. Through bioinformatics methods, a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA coexpression network was constructed and hub genes was identified. Finally, cellular function experiments combined with bioinformatics analysis were conducted to verify the identified circRNA was involved in the progression of ESCC through ceRNA mechanism. In this study, we established a ceRNA regulatory network, including 5 circRNAs, 7 miRNAs and 197 target mRNAs, and 20 hub genes were screened and identified to exert important roles in the progression of ESCC. As a verification, hsa_circ_0002470 (circIFI6) was revealed to be highly expressed in ESCC and regulate the expression of hub genes by absorbing miR-497-5p and miR-195-5p through ceRNA mechanism. Our results further indicated that silencing of circIFI6 repressed proliferation and migration of ESCC cells, highlighting the tumour promotion effects of circIFI6 in ESCC. Collectively, our study contributes a new insight into the progression of ESCC from the perspective of the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network, shedding light on the circRNA research in ESCC.

Down-regulation of miR-424 inhibited the metastasis of endometrial carcinoma via targeting PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Background: The incidence of endometrial carcinoma (EC) has been increasing annually, and treatment of advanced cases remains challenging. MicroRNA-424 (miR-424) was reported to affect several types of tumors, but its role in EC has not been studied. Methods: We generated transient knockdown models of miR-424 and PTEN in EC cells. We measured mRNA and protein expression using RT-PCR and western blotting. We evaluated cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis using CCK8, Transwell, wound healing, and flow cytometry assays. We also investigated the effect of miR-424 and PTEN on tumor growth using a metastatic tumor model in nude mice. Results: The expression of miR-424 was significantly elevated in EC tissues and cell lines. MiR-424 inhibitor significantly restrained PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling, while miR-424 mimic activated this pathway. Knockdown of PTEN significantly reversed the effects of miR-424 inhibitor on cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis in EC cells. The significant inhibition of tumor growth and ki67 expression caused by miR-424 inhibitor were markedly promoted by sh-PTEN. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that miR-424 inhibitor could inhibit cell proliferation, invasion, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, and tumor growth, while promoting apoptosis in EC. However, the effects of miR-424 inhibitor were markedly reversed by sh-PTEN. This study provides a potential novel therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of EC by targeting miR-424.

Ultrasound and microbubble-mediated delivery of miR-424-5p has a therapeutic effect in preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

To determine the influence of ultrasound/microbubble-mediated miR-424-5p delivery on trophoblast cells and the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Blood pressure and 24-h proteinuria of patients with preeclampsia (PE) were measured as well as the levels of miR-424-5p and amine oxidase copper containing 1 (AOC1) in placental tissues. HTR-8/Svneo and TEV-1 cells were subjected to cell transfection or ultrasonic microbubble transfection for determination of the expression of miR-424-5p, AOC1, β-catenin and c-Myc as well as cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasiveness. The concentrations of placental growth factor (PLGF), human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured in HTR-8/Svneo and TEV-1 cells. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and dual luciferase reporter assay detected the binding of miR-424-5p to AOC1. A PE mouse model was induced by subcutaneous injection of L-NAME, where the influence of ultrasound/microbubble-mediated miR-424-5p delivery was evaluated.

RESULTS

miR-424-5p was downregulated while AOC1 was upregulated in the placental tissues from PE patients. Overexpression of miR-424-5p activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and promoted the proliferation of HTR-8/Svneo and TEV-1 cells as well as enhanced the migratory and invasive behaviors. AOC1 overexpression partly eliminated the effects of miR-424-5p on HTR-8/Svneo and TEV-1 cells. Ultrasound and microbubble mediated gene delivery enhanced the transfection efficiency of miR-424-5p and further promoted the effects of miR-424-5p in trophoblast cells. Ultrasound/microbubble-mediated miR-424-5p delivery alleviated experimental PE in mice.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound and microbubble-mediated miR-424-5p delivery targets AOC1 and activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thus promoting the aggressive phenotype of trophoblast cells, which indicating that miR-424-5p/AOC1 axis might be involved with PE pathogenesis.

Silencing of circ_0007299 suppresses proliferation, migration, and invasiveness and promotes apoptosis of ectopic endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis via miR-424-5p-dependent modulation of CREB1

BACKGROUND

The abnormality of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) can contribute to endometriosis pathogenesis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) possess critical roles in endometriosis pathogenesis. Here, we defined the activity and mechanism of human circ_0007299 in the regulation of ectopic ESCs in vitro.

METHODS

Circ_0007299, miR-424-5p and cAMP response element-binding protein 1 (CREB1) were quantified by qRT-PCR or immunoblotting. Cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and motility were gauged by CCK-8, 5-Ethynyl-2'-Deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, transwell, and wound-healing assays, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were used to verify the direct relationship between miR-424-5p and circ_0007299 or CREB1.

RESULTS

Our data showed that circ_0007299 was upregulated in human ectopic endometrium tissues and ectopic ESCs. Silencing endogenous circ_0007299 impeded the proliferation, invasiveness, and motility and enhanced apoptosis of ectopic ESCs. Mechanistically, circ_0007299 regulated miR-424-5p expression. Moreover, circ_0007299 silencing impeded the proliferation, invasiveness, and motility and enhanced apoptosis of ectopic ESCs via its regulation on miR-424-5p. CREB1 was identified as a direct miR-424-5p target, and miR-424-5p overexpression suppressed ectopic ESC proliferation, migration, and invasiveness and promoted apoptosis by downregulating CREB1. Furthermore, circ_0007299 positively modulated CREB1 expression through miR-424-5p competition.

CONCLUSION

Our findings establish that circ_0007299 silencing impedes the proliferation, invasiveness, and motility and promotes apoptosis of ectopic ESCs at least in part via miR-424-5p-dependent modulation of CREB1.

The emerging roles of HDACs and their therapeutic implications in cancer

Deregulation of protein post-translational modifications is intensively involved in the etiology of diseases, including degenerative diseases, inflammatory injuries, and cancers. Acetylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications of proteins, and the acetylation levels are controlled by two mutually antagonistic enzyme families, histone acetyl transferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). HATs loosen the chromatin structure by neutralizing the positive charge of lysine residues of histones; whereas HDACs deacetylate certain histones, thus inhibiting gene transcription. Compared with HATs, HDACs have been more intensively studied, particularly regarding their clinical significance. HDACs extensively participate in the regulation of proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, immune escape, and therapeutic resistance of cancer cells, thus emerging as critical targets for clinical cancer therapy. Compared to HATs, inhibitors of HDAC have been clinically used for cancer treatment. Here, we enumerate and integratethe mechanisms of HDAC family members in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, and address the new and exciting therapeutic implications of single or combined HDAC inhibitor (HDACi) treatment.

The Role and Interactions of Programmed Cell Death 4 and its Regulation by microRNA in Transformed Cells of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Data from GLOBOCAN 2020 estimates that there were 19.3 million new cases of cancer and 10.0 million cancer-related deaths in 2020 and that this is predicted to increase by 47% in 2040. The combined burden of cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including oesophageal-, gastric- and colorectal cancers, resulted in 22.6% of the cancer-related deaths in 2020 and 18.7% of new diagnosed cases. Understanding the aetiology of GI tract cancers should have a major impact on future therapies and lessen this substantial burden of disease. Many cancers of the GI tract have suppression of the tumour suppressor Programmed Cell Death 4 (PDCD4) and this has been linked to the expression of microRNAs which bind to the untranslated region of PDCD4 mRNA and either inhibit translation or target the mRNA for degradation. This review highlights the properties of PDCD4 and documents the evidence for the regulation of PDCD4 expression by microRNAs in cancers of the GI tract.

The role of long non-coding RNAs in angiogenesis and anti-angiogenic therapy resistance in cancer

It is well known that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the regulation of tumor genesis and development. They can modulate gene expression of transcriptional regulation, epigenetic regulation of chromatin modification, and post-transcriptional regulation, thus influencing the biological behavior of tumors, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, invasion, and migration. Tumor angiogenesis not only provides nutrients and helps excrete metabolites, but it also opens a pathway for tumor metastasis. Anti-angiogenic therapy has become one of the effective treatment methods for tumor. But its drug resistance leads to the limitation of clinical application. Recent studies have shown that lncRNAs are closely related to tumor angiogenesis and anti-angiogenic therapy resistance, which provides a new direction for tumor research. lncRNAs are expected to be new targets for tumor therapy. For the first time to our knowledge, this paper reviews advancement of lncRNAs in tumor angiogenesis and anti-angiogenic therapy resistance and further discusses their potential clinical application.

Role of sirtuins in esophageal cancer: Current status and future prospects

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a malignant cancer that still has a poor prognosis, although its prognosis has been improving with the development of multidisciplinary treatment modalities such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, identifying specific molecular markers that can be served as biomarkers for the prognosis and treatment response of EC is highly desirable to aid in the personalization and improvement of the precision of medical treatment. Sirtuins are a family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent proteins consisting of seven members (SIRT1-7). These proteins have been reported to be involved in the regulation of a variety of biological functions including apoptosis, metabolism, stress response, senescence, differentiation and cell cycle progression. Given the variety of functions of sirtuins, they are speculated to be associated in some manner with cancer progression. However, while the role of sirtuins in cancer progression has been investigated over the past few years, their precise role remains difficult to characterize, as they have both cancer-promoting and cancer-suppressing properties, depending on the type of cancer. These conflicting characteristics make research into the nature of sirtuins all the more fascinating. However, the role of sirtuins in EC remains unclear due to the limited number of reports concerning sirtuins in EC. We herein review the current findings and future prospects of sirtuins in EC.

Sequence Requirements for miR-424-5p Regulating and Function in Cancers

MiRNAs (microRNAs) are the most abundant family of small noncoding RNAs in mammalian cells. Increasing evidence shows that miRNAs are crucial regulators of individual development and cell homeostasis by controlling various biological processes. Therefore, miRNA dysfunction can lead to human diseases, especially in cancers with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. MiRNAs play different roles in these processes. In recent years, studies have found that miR-424-5p is closely related to the occurrence, development, prognosis and treatment of tumors. This review discusses how miR-424-5p plays a role in different kinds of cancers from different stages of tumors, including its roles in (i) promoting or inhibiting tumorigenesis, (ii) regulating tumor development in the tumor microenvironment and (iii) participating in cancer chemotherapy. This review provides a deep discussion of the latest findings on miR-424-5p and its importance in cancer, as well as a mechanistic analysis of the role of miR-424-5p in various tissues through target gene verification and pathway analysis.

MicroRNAs in Body Fluids: A More Promising Biomarker for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the second most common cancer of the urinary system, accounting for approximately 10–15% of kidney cancers in the world. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common RCC subtype with the highest mortality. Surgical resection or puncture of tumor tissue is still an important clinical treatment and diagnosis of ccRCC, but its high recurrence rate and poor prognosis often lead to the short survival period of patients. Hence, the development of novel molecular biomarkers is of great clinical importance. miRNAs are endogenous non-coding small RNAs with a length of 19–24 nt. A growing number of studies have reported that miRNAs, as proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, play a key role in the development of ccRCC and might be effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. In addition, miRNAs can also predict the efficacy of treatment drug, thus improving the accuracy of clinical medication. Furthermore, non-invasive detection of miRNAs or extracellular vesicles (EV) in body fluids has better convenience and repeatability, which shows remarkable advantages compared with tissue detection. In this review, we summarized the typical miRNAs reported in recent years and place emphasis on evaluating miRNAs in different body fluids to provide reference for the clinical diagnosis and prognosis of ccRCC in the future.

ADP-Ribosylation as Post-Translational Modification of Proteins: Use of Inhibitors in Cancer Control

Among the post-translational modifications of proteins, ADP-ribosylation has been studied for over fifty years, and a large set of functions, including DNA repair, transcription, and cell signaling, have been assigned to this post-translational modification (PTM). This review presents an update on the function of a large set of enzyme writers, the readers that are recruited by the modified targets, and the erasers that reverse the modification to the original amino acid residue, removing the covalent bonds formed. In particular, the review provides details on the involvement of the enzymes performing monoADP-ribosylation/polyADP-ribosylation (MAR/PAR) cycling in cancers. Of note, there is potential for the application of the inhibitors developed for cancer also in the therapy of non-oncological diseases such as the protection against oxidative stress, the suppression of inflammatory responses, and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This field of studies is not concluded, since novel enzymes are being discovered at a rapid pace.

Tumor suppressive role of mitochondrial sirtuin 4 in induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is developed from uncontrolled cell growth after the malignant transformation of hepatocytes. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBx) has shown to induce cell cycle progression and hepatocarcinogenesis. A sub-fraction of HBx is localized in the mitochondria. Sirtuin 4 (SIRT4), a mitochondrial protein, has been demonstrated to play a tumor-suppressive role in many cancers, including HCC. However, little is known about the association between mitochondrial HBx and SIRT4 during hepatocarcinogenesis. We aimed to investigate the clinical significance and functional role of SIRT4 in HBV-related HCC. SIRT4 expression was significantly lower in the HCC tissues collected from 30 patients with HBV-related HCC than in normal liver tissues from control patients (p < 0.0001). TCGA data analysis indicated that SIRT4 expression was also lower in patients with HBV infection than in those without, and SIRT4 levels were positively associated with better patient survival. Similarly, HCC cell lines had lower SIRT4 expression than normal liver cell lines (all p < 0.01). Among the HCC cell lines, those harbored HBV had a lower SIRT4 expression than those without HBV (p < 0.0001). In vitro experiments revealed that stable HBx transfection suppressed SIRT4 expression in both HepG2 and Huh7 cells (both p < 0.001). Ectopic SIRT4 overexpression alone could induce cellular senescence through arresting cell-cycle progression at G2/M, and inducing cell apoptosis in HCC cells. Mechanistically, SIRT4 upregulated cell-cycle governing genes p16 and p21 protein expression, suppressed CyclinB1/Cdc2 and Cdc25c which normally induce cell-cycle progression, and suppressed survivin to induce apoptosis. Our findings demonstrate the interaction between HBV and SIRT4 in the context of HCC. SIRT4 involves in G2/M DNA damage checkpoint control and genomic stability in hepatocarcinogenesis, which could be targeted for future anticancer strategies.

Research Progress of Sirtuin4 in Cancer

Sirtuins (SIRTs) are members of the silent information regulator-2 family. They are a conserved family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent protein lysine deacylases. SIRTS are involved in intricate cellular processes. There are seven subtypes of SIRTs (1–7) in mammals. SIRT4 is located mainly in mitochondria and has various catalytic activities. These enzyme activities give it a diverse range of important biologic functions, such as energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and aging. Cancer is characterized as reprogramming of energy metabolism and redox imbalance, and SIRT4 can affect tumorigenesis. Here, we review the structure, localization, and enzyme activity of SIRT4 and its role in various neoplasms.