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Liu J, Deng C, Lin H, Zhang X, Zhu J, Zhou C, Wu H, He J. Genetic variants of m7G modification genes influence neuroblastoma susceptibility. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23658. [PMID: 38173492 PMCID: PMC10761801 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Neuroblastoma is a life-threatening pediatric solid tumor whose etiology remains unclear. N7-methylguanosine (m7G) is one of the most important epigenetic modifications of RNA, which plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis. The m7G-mediated genes METTL1 and WDR4 also have been reported to be dysregulated in various cancers. However, the implications of METTL1 and WDR4 in neuroblastoma have not been clarified. Methods Given the oncogenic potential of m7G modification, we performed a case-control study to assess the association of METTL1 and WDR4 genes polymorphisms with neuroblastoma risk in a Chinese population consisting of 402 cases and 473 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to evaluate the associations between studied polymorphisms and neuroblastoma risk. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) was adjusted for age and gender. Results Overall, four polymorphisms were significantly associated with neuroblastoma risk, including METTL1 rs2291617 (recessive model: adjusted OR = 1.59, 95 % CI = 1.08-2.34, P = 0.019), WDR4 rs2156316 (dominant model: adjusted OR = 0.74, 95 % CI = 0.57-0.97, P = 0.028), WDR4 rs6586250 (dominant model: adjusted OR = 0.59, 95 % CI = 0.42-0.84, P = 0.004) and WDR4 rs15736 (dominant model: adjusted OR = 0.60, 95 % CI = 0.42-0.85, P = 0.004). Stratified analysis showed stronger correlations between significant polymorphisms and neuroblastoma risk among subgroups divided by age, gender, tumor origin, and clinical stage. Furthermore, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis revealed that significant polymorphisms were associated with the expression of the adjacent genes. Conclusions Our study indicated that four polymorphisms in m7G-mediated genes contribute to neuroblastoma susceptibility in the eastern Chinese population. However, our findings should be verified further by large-scale and well-designed studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabin Liu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Changmi Deng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiran Lin
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Jinhong Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Biobank, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chunlei Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haiyan Wu
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing He
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
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Ying Y, Zhang W, Zhu H, Luo J, Xu X, Yang S, Zhao Y, Zhang Z. A novel m7G regulator-based methylation patterns in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Mol Carcinog 2023; 62:1902-1917. [PMID: 37642290 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal RNA N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification is known to contribute to effects on tumor occurrence and development. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of its function in immunoregulation, tumor microenvironment (TME) modulation, and tumor promotion remain largely unknown. A series of computer-aided bioinformatic analyses were conducted based on transcriptomic, single-cell sequence, and spatial transcriptomic data to determine the m7G modification patterns in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Consensus clustering approach was employed according to the expressions of 33 m7G regulators. ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and single sample gene set enrichment analysis algorithms were adopted to investigate the immune cell infiltration features. A prognostic model named m7Gscore was established. Seurat, SingleR, and Monocle2 were used to analyze the single-cell sequence profiling. STUtility was used to integrate multiple spatial transcriptomic datasets. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, transwell, and wound-healing assay were performed to verify the oncogenes. Here, three different m7G modification patterns were highlighted in HNSCC patients, which were also related to various clinical manifestations and three representative immunophenotypes: immune-excluded, immune-desert, and inflamed, separately. Patients with lower m7Gscore were highlighted by higher immune cell infiltrations, better overall survival rates, lesser tumor mutation burden (TMB), lower sensitivities to target inhibitors therapies, and better immunotherapeutic response. Moreover, DCPS, EIF4E, EIF4E2, LSM1, NCBP2, NUDT1, and NUDT5 were identified to play critical roles in T-cell differentiation. Knockdown of LSM1/NUDT5 could restrain the malignancy of HNSCC cells. Collectively, quantitative assessment of m7G modification patterns in individual HNSCC patients could contribute to identifying more efficient immunotherapeutic approaches and improve the clinical outcome of HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukang Ying
- Department of stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huaian, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Haoran Zhu
- Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jun Luo
- Department of stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xuhui Xu
- Department of stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Suqing Yang
- Department of stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Zhenxing Zhang
- Department of stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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Xu X, Zhao Y, Ying Y, Zhu H, Luo J, Mou T, Zhang Z. m7G-related genes-NCBP2 and EIF4E3 determine immune contexture in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by regulating CCL4/CCL5 expression. Mol Carcinog 2023; 62:1091-1106. [PMID: 37067401 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant N7 -methylguanosine (m7G) levels closely correlate with tumor genesis and progression. NCBP2 and EIF4E3 are two important m7G-related cap-binding genes. This study aimed to identify the relationship between the EIF4E3/NCBP2 function and immunological characteristics of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Hierarchical clustering was employed in classifying HNSCC patients into two groups based on the expressions of NCBP2 and EIF4E3. The differentially expressed genes were identified between the two groups, and GO functional enrichment was subsequently performed. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was conducted to identify the hub genes related to EIF4E3/NCBP2 expression and immunity. The differential infiltration of immune cells and the response to immunotherapy were compared between the two groups. Single-cell sequence and trajectory analyses were performed to predict cell differentiation and display the expression of EIF4E3/NCBP2 in each state. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR, spatial transcriptome analysis, transwell assay, and western blotting were conducted to verify the biological function of EIF4E3/NCBP2. Here, group A showed a higher EIF4E3 expression and a lower NCBP2 expression, which had higher immune scores, proportion of most immune cells, immune activities, expression of immunomodulatory targets, and a better response to cancer immunotherapy. Besides, 56 hub molecules with notable immune regulation significance were identified. A risk model containing 17 hub genes and a prognostic nomogram was successfully established. Moreover, HNSCC tissues had a lower EIF4E3 expression and a higher NCBP2 expression than normal tissues. NCBP2 and EIF4E3 played a vital role in the differentiation of monocytes. Furthermore, the expression of CCL4/CCL5 can be regulated via EIF4E3 overexpression and NCBP2 knockdown. Collectively, NCBP2 and EIF4E3 can affect downstream gene expression, as well as immune contexture and response to immunotherapy, which could induce "cold-to-hot" tumor transformation in HNSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhui Xu
- Department of Stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yukang Ying
- Department of Stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haoran Zhu
- Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jun Luo
- Department of Stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tingchen Mou
- Department of Stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhenxing Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
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Deng L, Hua RX, Deng C, Zhu J, Zhang Z, Cheng J, Zhang J, Zhou H, Li S, Ruan J, Liu G, He J, Fu W. WDR4 gene polymorphisms and Wilms tumor susceptibility in Chinese children: A five-center case-control study. J Cancer 2023; 14:1293-1300. [PMID: 37283791 PMCID: PMC10240673 DOI: 10.7150/jca.83747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Wilms tumor is the most common embryonal renal malignancy in children. WDR4 is an indispensable noncatalytic subunit of the RNA N7-methylguanosine (m7G) methyltransferase complex and plays an essential role in tumorigenesis. However, the relationship between polymorphisms in the WDR4 gene and susceptibility to Wilms tumor remains to be fully investigated. We performed a large case-control study involving 414 patients and 1199 cancer-free controls to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the WDR4 gene are associated with Wilms tumor susceptibility. WDR4 gene polymorphisms (rs2156315 C > T, rs2156316 C > G, rs6586250 C > T, rs15736 G > A, and rs2248490 C > G) were genotyped using the TaqMan assay. In addition, unconditioned logistic regression analysis was performed, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the association between WDR4 gene SNPs and Wilms tumor susceptibility as well as the strength of the associations. We found that only the rs6586250 C>T polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of Wilms tumor (adjusted OR=2.99, 95% CI = 1.28-6.97, P = 0.011 for the rs6586250 TT genotype; adjusted OR=3.08, 95% CI = 1.33-7.17, P = 0.009 for the rs6586250 CC/CT genotype). Furthermore, the stratification analysis revealed that patients with the rs6586250 TT genotype and carriers with 1-5 risk genotypes exhibited statistically significant associations with increased Wilms tumor risk in specific subgroups. However, the rs2156315 CT/TT genotype was identified as having a protective effect against Wilms tumor in the age >18 months subgroup compared with the rs2156315 CC genotype. In brief, our study demonstrated that the rs6586250 C > T polymorphism of the WDR4 gene was significantly associated with Wilms tumor. This finding may contribute to the understanding of the genetic mechanism of Wilms tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqing Deng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Rui-Xi Hua
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Changmi Deng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Jinhong Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Biobank, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Zhengtao Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiwen Cheng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China
| | - Haixia Zhou
- Department of Hematology, The Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Diseases of Wenzhou, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Suhong Li
- Department of Pathology, Children Hospital and Women Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan 030013, Shannxi, China
| | - Jichen Ruan
- Department of Hematology, The Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Diseases of Wenzhou, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guochang Liu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing He
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Wen Fu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
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Ma M, Li J, Zeng Z, Zheng Z, Kang W. Integrated analysis from multicentre studies identities m7G-related lncRNA-derived molecular subtypes and risk stratification systems for gastric cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1096488. [PMID: 36936957 PMCID: PMC10017847 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1096488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Due to the lack of effective chemotherapy methods for advanced gastric cancer and poor prognosis, the emergence of immunotherapy has brought new hope to gastric cancer. Further research is needed to improve the response rate to immunotherapy and identify the populations with potential benefits of immunotherapy. It is unclear whether m7G-related lncRNAs influence tumour immunity and the prognosis of immunotherapy. Methods This study evaluated 29 types of immune cells and immune functions in gastric cancer patients, and m7G-related lncRNAs and their molecular subtypes were identified. In addition, we also studied the biological function characteristics of m7G-related lncRNA molecular subtypes. Finally, the patient's risk score was calculated based on m7G-related lncRNAs, and a nomogram of staging and risk groups was established to predict the prognosis. For experimental verification, RT-qPCR were preformed from the native cohort. Results After identifying m7G-related lncRNAs and their molecular subtypes, we found three molecular subtypes, the B subtype had the highest level of infiltration, and the B subtype may benefit more from immunotherapy. We divided GC patients into two regulator subtypes based on biological function. The two subtypes have significant immunological differences and can be used to judge ICI treatment. We established a risk score formula based on five lncRNAs, including LINC00924, LINC00944, LINC00865, LINC00702, and ZFAS1. Patients with poor prognoses were closely related to patients in the high-risk group. After comprehensive analysis of different risk groups, the efficacy of the high-risk group on bleomycin, cisplatin, docetaxel, doxorubicin and etoposide was better than that of the low-risk group, suggesting that risk subgroups based on risk scores play a guiding role in chemotherapy and that the high-risk group may benefit more from immunotherapy. RT-qPCR results showed that LINC00924, LINC00944, and LINC00865 were highly expressed in tumour tissues, while LINC00702 and ZFAS1 were expressed at low levels in tumour tissues. Discussion In conclusion, we were the first to discover that m7G-related lncRNAs play a vital role in the tumour immune microenvironment of gastric cancer, and a risk prediction model was established to identify patients with potential benefits from immunotherapy and predict the prognosis of GC patients.
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Ge L, Zhu J, Liu J, Li L, Zhang J, Cheng J, Li Y, Yang Z, Li S, He J, Zhang X. METTL1 gene polymorphisms synergistically confer hepatoblastoma susceptibility. Discov Oncol 2022; 13:77. [PMID: 35986847 PMCID: PMC9392666 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-022-00545-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatoblastoma is a rare but devastating pediatric liver malignancy. Overexpressed methyltransferase-like 1 (METTL1) is a methyltransferase that catalyzes essential N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification of eukaryotic mRNA. Accumulating evidence has revealed the oncogenic potential of METTL1. However, whether METTL1 gene polymorphisms confer susceptibility to hepatoblastoma has not been reported. This study aimed to identify causal relationships between genetic variants of this gene and susceptibility to hepatoblastoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using the TaqMan assay, we genotyped three METTL1 polymorphisms (rs2291617 G > T, rs10877013 T > C, rs10877012 T > G) in germline DNA samples from 1759 Chinese children of Han ethnicity (313 cases vs. 1446 controls). RESULTS None of these polymorphisms were associated with hepatoblastoma risk. However, combination analysis showed that children with 1 to 3 risk genotypes were associated with increased hepatoblastoma risk (adjusted odds ratio = 1.47, 95% confidence interval 1.07-2.02; P = 0.018). Stratified analyses revealed significant effects of combined polymorphisms mainly among young children (< 17 months of age), boys, and those with advanced hepatoblastoma. CONCLUSION We identified some potential functional METTL1 gene polymorphisms that work together to increase the risk of hepatoblastoma among Chinese Han children; single polymorphism showed only weak effects. These METTL1 polymorphisms may be promising biomarkers for screening high-risk individuals for hepatoblastoma. These findings are inspiring and deserve to be validated among individuals of different ethnicities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Ge
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450018, Henan, China
| | - Jinhong Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Biobank, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jiabin Liu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Li Li
- Kunming Key Laboratory of Children Infection and Immunity, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Children's Major Disease Research, Yunnan Institute of Pediatrics Research, Yunnan Medical Center for Pediatric Diseases, Kunming Children's Hospital, Kunming, 650228, Yunnan, China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Jiwen Cheng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China
| | - Zhonghua Yang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China
| | - Suhong Li
- Department of Pathology, Children Hospital and Women Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, 030013, Shannxi, China
| | - Jing He
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.
| | - Xianwei Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Oncologic Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, 33 Longhu Waihuan East Road, Zhengzhou, 450018, Henan, China.
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Chen J, Li K, Chen J, Wang X, Ling R, Cheng M, Chen Z, Chen F, He Q, Li S, Zhang C, Jiang Y, Chen Q, Wang A, Chen D. Aberrant translation regulated by METTL1/WDR4-mediated tRNA N7-methylguanosine modification drives head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2022; 42:223-244. [PMID: 35179319 PMCID: PMC8923133 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer cells selectively promote the translation of oncogenic transcripts to stimulate cancer progression. Although growing evidence has revealed that tRNA modifications and related genes participate in this process, their roles in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we sought to investigate the function and mechanisms of the transfer RNA (tRNA) N7‐methylguanosine (m7G) modification in regulating the occurrence and development of HNSCC. Methods Cell lost‐of‐function and gain‐of‐function assays, xenograft models, conditional knockout and knockin mouse models were used to study the physiological functions of tRNA m7G modification in HNSCC tumorigenesis. tRNA modification and expression profiling, mRNA translation profiling and rescue assays were performed to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms. Single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) was conducted to explore the tumor microenvironment changes. Results The tRNA m7G methyltransferase complex components Methyltransferase‐like 1 (METTL1)/WD repeat domain 4 (WDR4) were upregulated in HNSCC and associated with a poor prognosis. Functionally, METTL1/WDR4 promoted HNSCC progression and metastasis in cell‐based and transgenic mouse models. Mechanistically, ablation of METTL1 reduced the m7G levels of 16 tRNAs, inhibiting the translation of a subset of oncogenic transcripts, including genes related to the phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) signaling pathway. In addition, chemical modulators of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway reversed the effects of Mettl1 in mouse HNSCC. Furthermore, scRNA‐seq results revealed that Mettl1 knockout in mouse tumor cells altered the immune landscape and cell‐cell interaction between the tumor and stromal compartment. Conclusions The tRNA m7G methyltransferase METTL1 was found to promote the development and malignancy of HNSCC through regulating global mRNA translation, including the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and found to alter immune landscape. METTL1 could be a promising treatment target for HNSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Kang Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Jianwen Chen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Rongsong Ling
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, P. R. China
| | - Maosheng Cheng
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Zhi Chen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Fangfang Chen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Qianting He
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Shuai Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Caihua Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Yizhou Jiang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, P. R. China
| | - Qianming Chen
- School of Stomatology, Cancer Center, and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Clinical Research Center of Oral Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Stomatology Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310006, P. R. China
| | - Anxun Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Demeng Chen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
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