Upregulated TUBG1 expression is correlated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

TuBG1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma via ATR/P53-apoptosis and cycling pathways

BACKGROUND

As reported, γ-tubulin (TuBG1) is related to the occurrence and development of various types of malignant tumors. However, its role in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is not clear. The present study was to investigate the relationship between TuBG1 and clinical parameters and survival in HCC patients.

METHODS

The correlation between TuBG1 and clinical parameters and survival in HCC patients was explored by bioinformatics analysis. Immunohistochemistry was used for the verification. The molecular function of TuBG1 was measured using colony formation, scratch assay, trans-well assay and flow cytometry. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to pick up the enriched pathways, followed by investigating the target pathways using Western blotting. The tumor-immune system interactions and drug bank database (TISIDB) was used to evaluate TuBG1 and immunity. Based on the TuBG1-related immune genes, a prognostic model was constructed and was further validated internally and externally.

RESULTS

The bioinformatic analysis found high expressed TuBG1 in HCC tissue, which was confirmed using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. After silencing the TuBG1 in HCC cell lines, more G1 arrested cells were found, cell proliferation and invasion were inhibited, and apoptosis was promoted. Furthermore, the silence of TuBG1 increased the expressions of Ataxia-Telangiectasia and Rad-3 (ATR), phospho-P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (P-P38MAPK), phospho-P53 (P-P53), B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein (Bax), cleaved caspase 3 and P21; decreased the expressions of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), cyclin D1, cyclin E2, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and CDK4. The correlation analysis of immunohistochemistry and clinical parameters and survival data revealed that TuBG1 was negatively correlated with the overall survival. The constructed immune prognosis model could effectively evaluate the prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased expression of TuBG1 in HCC is associated with poor prognosis, which might be involved in the occurrence and development of HCC.

Identification of key genes and molecular pathways associated with claw regeneration in mud crab (Scylla paramamosain)

The mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) possesses extensive regenerative abilities, enabling it to replace missing body parts, including claws, legs, and even eyes. Studying the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying regenerative ability in diverse animal phyla has the potential to provide new insights into regenerative medicine in humans. In the present study, we performed mRNA sequencing to reveal the genetic mechanisms underlying the claw regeneration in mud crab. Several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were expressed in biological pathways associated with cuticle synthase, collagen synthase, tissue regeneration, blastema formation, wound healing, cell cycle, cell division, and cell migration. The top GO enrichment terms were microtubule-based process, collagen trimer, cell cycle process, and extracellular matrix structural constituent. The most enriched KEGG pathways were ECM-receptor interaction and focal adhesion. The genes encoding key functional proteins, such as collagen alpha, cuticle protein, early cuticle protein, arthrodial cuticle protein, dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1), and DNA replication licensing factor mcm2-like (MCM2) were the most significant and important DEGs suspected to participate in claw regeneration. The findings of this research offer a comprehensive and insightful understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying claw regeneration in S. paramamosain. By elucidating the specific genes and molecular pathways implicated in this process, our study contributes significantly to the broader field of regenerative biology and offers potential avenues for further exploration in crustacean limb regeneration.