Epigenetic silencing ZSCAN23 promotes pancreatic cancer growth by activating Wnt signaling

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most malignant tumor. Zinc finger and SCAN domain-containing protein 23 (ZSCAN23) is a new member of the SCAN domain family. The expression regulation and biological function remain to be elucidated. In this study, we explored the epigenetic regulation and the function of ZSCAN23 in PDAC. ZSCAN23 was methylated in 60.21% (171/284) of PDAC and its expression was regulated by promoter region methylation. The expression of ZSCAN23 inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and induced apoptosis and G1/S phase arrest. ZSCAN23 suppressed Panc10.05 cell xenograft growth in mice. Mechanistically, ZSCAN23 inhibited Wnt signaling by interacting with myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) in pancreatic cancer cells. ZSCAN23 is frequently methylated in PDAC and may serve as a detective marker. ZSCAN23 suppresses PDAC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo.

KDM5B promotes metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Wnt/β-catenin pathway in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Metastasis determines clinical management decision and restricts the therapeutic efficiency in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Epigenetic factor KDM5B serves as an oncogene in multiple cancers. However, its role in SCCHN metastasis remains unclear. Our previous study showed that KDM5B is significantly elevated in SCCHN tissue and is positively correlated with metastasis and recurrence. KDM5B overexpression predicted a poor prognosis in both disease-free survival and overall survival, which served as an independent prognostic factor in SCCHN patients. This study further investigates the exact impact of KDM5B in metastasis of SCCHN. We found that KDM5B knockdown significantly inhibits the migration and invasion of SCCHN cells both in vitro and in vivo. On the contrary, forced expression of KDM5B leads to enhanced migration and invasion, accompanied by canonical alterations of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanism investigations demonstrated that KDM5B activates Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin pathway via a small molecule inhibitor iCRT-14 partially reverses the enhanced migratory and invasive ability caused by KDM5B in SCCHN cells. Together, our data indicate that KDM5B promotes EMT and metastasis via Wnt/β-catenin pathway in SCCHN, suggesting that KDM5B may be a potential therapeutic target and prognosis biomarker in SCCHN.

Core planar cell polarity genes VANGL1 and VANGL2 in predisposition to congenital vertebral malformations

Congenital scoliosis (CS), affecting approximately 0.5 to 1 in 1,000 live births, is commonly caused by congenital vertebral malformations (CVMs) arising from aberrant somitogenesis or somite differentiation. While Wnt/ß-catenin signaling has been implicated in somite development, the function of Wnt/planar cell polarity (Wnt/PCP) signaling in this process remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of Vangl1 and Vangl2 in vertebral development and found that their deletion causes vertebral anomalies resembling human CVMs. Analysis of exome sequencing data from multiethnic CS patients revealed a number of rare and deleterious variants in VANGL1 and VANGL2, many of which exhibited loss-of-function and dominant-negative effects. Zebrafish models confirmed the pathogenicity of these variants. Furthermore, we found that Vangl1 knock-in (p.R258H) mice exhibited vertebral malformations in a Vangl gene dose- and environment-dependent manner. Our findings highlight critical roles for PCP signaling in vertebral development and predisposition to CVMs in CS patients, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying this disorder.

PAX1 represses canonical Wnt signaling pathway and plays dual roles during endoderm differentiation

BACKGROUND

Paired box 1 (PAX1) is a transcription factor and essential for the development of pharyngeal pouches-derived tissues, including thymus. PAX1 mutations are identified in Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) patients with Otofaciocervical Syndrome Type 2 (OTFCS2). However, despite the critical roles of PAX1 in embryonic development and diseases, detailed insights into its molecular mode of action are critically missing.

METHODS

The repressing roles of PAX1 and SCID associated mutants on Wnt signaling pathway were investigated by luciferase reporter assays, qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization in HEK293FT, HCT116 cells and zebrafish embryos, respectively. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) and western blotting assays were carried out to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying PAX1's role on Wnt signaling pathway. hESC based endoderm differentiation, flow cytometry, high-throughput sequencing data analysis, and qRT-PCR assays were utilized to determine the roles of PAX1 during endoderm differentiation.

RESULTS

Here, we show that PAX1 represses canonical Wnt signaling pathway in vertebrate cells. Mechanically, PAX1 competes with SUMO E3 ligase PIASy to bind to TCF7L2, thus perturbing TCF7L2 SUMOylation level, further reducing its transcriptional activity and protein stability. Moreover, we reveal that PAX1 plays dual roles in hESC-derived definitive and foregut/pharyngeal endoderm cells, which give rise to the thymus epithelium, by inhibiting Wnt signaling. Importantly, our data show PAX1 mutations found in SCID patients significantly compromise the suppressing ability of PAX1 on Wnt signaling.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study presents a novel molecular mode of action of PAX1 in regulation of canonical Wnt signaling and endoderm differentiation, thus providing insights for the molecular basis of PAX1 associated SCID, offering better understanding of the behavior of PAX1 in embryogenesis.

CMYC-initiated HNF1A-AS1 overexpression maintains the stemness of gastric cancer cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are believed to be responsible for cancer metastasis and recurrence due to their self-renewal ability and resistance to treatment. However, the mechanisms that regulate the stemness of CSCs remain poorly understood. Recently, evidence has emerged suggesting that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating cancer cell function in different types of malignancies, including gastric cancer (GC). However, the specific means by which lncRNAs regulate the function of gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs) are yet to be fully understood. In this study, we investigated a lncRNA known as HNF1A-AS1, which is highly expressed in GCSC s and serves as a critical regulator of GCSC stemness and tumorigenesis. Our experiments, both in vitro and in vivo, demonstrated that HNF1A-AS1 maintained the stemness of GC cells. Further analysis revealed that HNF1A-AS1, transcriptionally activated by CMYC, functioned as a competing endogenous RNA by binding to miR-150-5p to upregulate β-catenin expression. This in turn facilitated the entry of β-catenin into the nucleus to activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and promote CMYC expression, thereby forming a positive feedback loop that sustained the stemness of GCSCs. We also found that blocking the Wnt/β-catenin pathway effectively inhibited the function of HNF1A-AS1, ultimately resulting in the inhibition of GCSC stemness. Taken together, our results demonstrated that HNF1A-AS1 is a regulator of the stemness of GCSCs and could serve as a potential marker for targeted GC therapy.

Single-cell RNA-seq analysis reveals the Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway with inflammation, apoptosis in nucleus pulposus degeneration

BACKGROUND

Increasing studies have shown degeneration of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) as an critical part of the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). However, there are relatively few studies on single-cell transcriptome contrasts in human degenerated NPCs. Moreover, differences in Wnt/Ca2+ signaling in human degenerated nucleus pulposus cells have not been elucidated. The aim of this study is to investigate the differential expression of Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway between normal and degenerated nucleus pulposus cells in humans and try to investigate its mechanism.

METHODS

We performed bioinformatics analysis using our previously published findings to construct single cell expression profiles of normal and degenerated nucleus pulposus. Then, in-depth differential analysis was used to characterize the expression of Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway between normal and degenerated nucleus pulposus cells in humans.

RESULTS

The obtained cell data were clustered into five different chondrocytes clusters, which chondrocyte 4 and chondrocyte 5 mainly accounted for a high proportion in degenerated nucleus pulposus tissues, but rarely in normal nucleus pulposus tissues. Genes associated within the Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway, such as Wnt5B, FZD1, PLC (PLCB1), CaN (PPP3CA) and NAFATC1 are mainly present in chondrocyte 3, chondrocyte 4 and chondrocyte 5 from degenerated nucleus pulposus tissues. In addition, as a receptor that activates Wnt signaling pathway, LRP5 is mainly highly expressed in chondrocyte 5 of degenerated nucleus pulposus cells. Six genes, ANGPTL4, PTGES, IGFBP3, GDF15, TRIB3 and TNFRSF10B, which are associated with apoptosis and inflammatory responses, and are widespread in chondrocyte 4 and chondrocyte 5, may be closely related to degenerative of nucleus pulposus cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed differential expression of Wnt/Ca2+ signaling in human normal and degenerated nucleus pulposus cells, and this differential expression may be closely related to the abundance of chondrocyte 4 and chondrocyte 5 in degenerated nucleus pulposus cells. In degenerated nucleus pulposus cells, LRP5 activate Wnt5B, which promotes nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis and inflammatory response by regulating the Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway, thereby promoting disc degeneration. ANGPTL4, IGFBP3, PTGES in chondrocyte 4 and TRIB3, GDF15, TNFRSF10B in chondrocyte 5 may play an important role in this process.

Direct Reprogramming of Hepatocytes Into JAK/Stat-Dependent LGR5+ Liver Cells Able to Initiate Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Somatic cells that have been partially reprogrammed by the factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and cMyc (OSKM) have been demonstrated to be potentially tumorigenic in vitro and in vivo due to the acquisition of cancer-associated genomic alterations and the absence of OSKM clearance over time. In the present study, we obtained partially reprogrammed, SSEA1-negative cells by transducing murine hepatocytes with Δ1Δ3-deleted adenoviruses that expressed the 4 OSKM factors. We observed that, under long-term 2D and 3D culture conditions, hepatocytes could be converted into LGR5-positive cells with self-renewal capacity that was dependent on 3 cross-signaling pathways: IL6/Jak/Stat3, LGR5/R-spondin, and Wnt/β-catenin. Following engraftment in syngeneic mice, LGR5-positive cells that expressed the cancer markers CD51, CD166, and CD73 were capable of forming invasive and metastatic tumors reminiscent of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC): they were positive for CK19 and CK7, featured associations of cord-like structures, and contained cuboidal and atypical cells with dissimilar degrees of pleomorphism and mitosis. The LGR5+-derived tumors exhibited a highly vascularized stroma with substantial fibrosis. In addition, we identified pro-angiogenic factors and signaling pathways involved in neo-angiogenesis and vascular development, which represent potential new targets for anti-angiogenic strategies to overcome tumor resistance to current ICC treatments.

Dihydrotanshinone I exhibits antitumor effects via β-catenin downregulation in papillary thyroid cancer cell lines

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine carcinoma and, among its different subtypes, the papillary subtype (PTC) is the most frequent. Generally, PTCs are well differentiated, but a minor percentage of PTCs are characterized by a worse prognosis and more aggressive behavior. Phytochemicals, naturally found in plant products, represent a heterogeneous group of bioactive compounds that can interfere with cell proliferation and the regulation of the cell cycle, taking part in multiple signaling pathways that are often disrupted in tumor initiation, proliferation, and progression. In this work, we focused on 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I (DHT), a tanshinone isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen). We first evaluated DHT biological effect on PTC cells regarding cell viability, colony formation ability, and migration capacity. All of these parameters were downregulated by DHT treatment. We then investigated gene expression changes after DHT treatment by performing RNA-seq. The analysis revealed that DHT significantly reduced the Wnt signaling pathway, which plays a role in various diseases, including cancer. Finally, we demonstrate that DHT treatment decreases protein levels of β-catenin, a final effector of canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Overall, our data suggest a possible use of this nutraceutical as an adjuvant in the treatment of aggressive papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Hyperactivation of β-catenin signal in hepatocellular carcinoma recruits myeloid-derived suppressor cells through PF4-CXCR3 axis

The high mutation rate of CTNNB1 (37 %) and Wnt-β-catenin signal-associated genes (54 %) has been notified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The activation of Wnt-β-catenin signal pathway was reported to be associated with an immune "desert" phenotype, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we mainly employed orthotopic HCC models to explore on it. Mass cytometry depicted the immune contexture of orthotopic HCC syngeneic grafts, unveiling that the exogenous expression of β-catenin significantly increased the percentage of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and decreased the percentage of CD8+ T-cells. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry further confirmed the findings. The protein microarray analysis, Western blot and PCR identified PF4 as its downstream regulating cytokine. Intratumorally injection of cytokine PF4 enhanced the accumulation of MDSCs. Knockout of PF4 abolished the effect of β-catenin on recruiting MDSCs. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that β-catenin increases the mRNA level of PF4 via binding to PF4's promoter region. In vitro chemotaxis assay and in vivo administration of specific inhibitors identified CXCR3 on MDSCs as receptor for recruiting PF4. Lastly, the significant correlations across β-catenin, PF4 and MDSCs and CD8+ T-cells infiltration were verified in HCC clinical samples. Our results unveiled HCC tumor cell intrinsic hyperactivation of β-catenin can recruit MDSC through PF4-CXCR3, which contributes to the formation of immune "desert" phenotype. Our study provided new insights into the development of immunotherapeutic strategy of HCC with CTNNB1 mutation. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies PF4-CXCR3-MDSCs as a downstream mechanism underlying CTNNB1 mutation associated immune "desert" phenotype.

Peptide mimetic NC114 induces growth arrest by preventing PKCδ activation and FOXM1 nuclear translocation in colorectal cancer cells

The peptide mimetic, NC114, is a promising anticancer compound that specifically kills colorectal cancer cells without affecting normal colon epithelial cells. In our previous study, we observed that NC114 inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, with significant downregulation of both Ser 675-phosphorylated β-catenin and its target genes, cyclin D1 and survivin. However, the molecular mechanism responsible for its cytotoxic effect has not yet been fully characterized. In the present study, we demonstrated that NC114 prevented cell cycle progression from S to G2/M phase by downregulating cell cycle-related gene expression, and also induced growth arrest in SW480 and HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells. A novel covariation network analysis combined with transcriptome analysis revealed a series of signaling cascades affected by NC114 treatment, and identified protein kinase C-δ (PKCδ) and forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) as important regulatory factors for NC114-induced growth arrest. NC114 treatment inhibits the activation of PKCδ and its kinase activity, which suppresses MEK/ERK signaling. Attenuated MEK/ERK signaling then results in a reduction in FOXM1 phosphorylation and subsequent nuclear translocation of FOXM1 and β-catenin. Consequently, formation of a T-cell factor-4 (TCF4)/β-catenin transcription complex in the nucleus is inhibited and transcription of its target genes, such as cell cycle-related genes, is downregulated. The efficacy of NC114 on tumor growth was confirmed in a xenograft model. Collectively, elucidation of the mechanism by which NC114 induces growth arrest in colorectal cancer cells should provide a novel therapeutic strategy for colorectal cancer treatment.

Characterization and impact of non-canonical WNT signaling on outcomes of urothelial carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Non-canonical WNT family (WNT5A pathway) signaling via WNT5A through ROR1 and its partner, ROR2, or Frizzled2 (FZD2) is linked to processes driving tumorigenesis and therapy resistance. We utilized a large dataset of urothelial carcinoma (UC) tumors to characterize non-canonical WNT signaling through WNT5A, ROR1, ROR2, or FZD2 expression.

METHODS

NextGen Sequencing of DNA (592 genes or WES)/RNA (WTS) was performed for 4125 UC tumors submitted to Caris Life Sciences. High and low expression of WNT5A, ROR1, ROR2, and FZD2 was defined as ≥ top and

RESULTS

WNT5A pathway gene expression varied significantly between primary versus metastatic sites: WNT5A (25.2 vs. 16.8 TPM), FZD2 (3.2 vs. 4.05), ROR1 (1.7 vs. 2.1), and ROR2 (2.4 vs. 2.6) p < 0.05 for all. Comparison of high- and low-expression subgroups revealed variation in the prevalence of TP53, FGFR3, and RB1 pathogenic mutations, as well as increasing T cell-inflamed scores as expression of the target gene increased. High gene expression for ROR2 (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.15-1.50, p < 0.001) and FZD2 (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.32, p = 0.024) was associated with worse OS.

CONCLUSION

Distinct genomic and immune landscapes for the four investigated WNT5A pathway components were observed in patients with UC. External validation studies are needed.

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Key Words

• FZD2
• Non‐canonical
• ROR
• Urothelial carcinoma
• WNT signaling
• WNT5A

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MESH Headings

• Humans
• Wnt Proteins/genetics
• Wnt Proteins/metabolism
• Carcinoma, Transitional Cell
• Urinary Bladder Neoplasms
• Wnt Signaling Pathway/genetics
• Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptors/genetics
• Wnt-5a Protein/genetics
• Wnt-5a Protein/metabolism

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Affiliation(s)

Margaret Meagher Department of UrologyUC San Diego School of MedicineLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
Harris Krause Caris Life SciencesPhoenixArizonaUSA
Andrew Elliott Caris Life SciencesPhoenixArizonaUSA
Alex Farrell Caris Life SciencesPhoenixArizonaUSA
Emmanuel S. Antonarakis Division of Hematology, Oncology, and TransplantationUniversity of MinnesotaMinnesotaUSA
Bruno Bastos Miami Cancer InstituteMiamiFloridaUSA Karmanos Cancer Institute, Department of OncologyWayne State University School of MedicineDetroitMichiganUSA
Elisabeth I. Heath Department of MedicineUC San Diego School of MedicineLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
Christina Jamieson Department of UrologyUC San Diego School of MedicineLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
Tyler F. Stewart Department of UrologyUC San Diego School of MedicineLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
Aditya Bagrodia Department of UrologyUC San Diego School of MedicineLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
Chadi Nabhan Caris Life SciencesPhoenixArizonaUSA
Matt Oberley Caris Life SciencesPhoenixArizonaUSA
Rana R. McKay Department of UrologyUC San Diego School of MedicineLa JollaCaliforniaUSA Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer InstituteDetroitUSA
Amirali Salmasi Department of UrologyUC San Diego School of MedicineLa JollaCaliforniaUSA

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FEN1 promotes cancer progression of cholangiocarcinoma by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

PURPOSE

Cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL) comprises a cluster of highly heterogeneous malignant biliary tumors. Flap endonuclease-1 (FEN1) is a member of the Rad2 structure-specific nuclease family. This study aimed to explore the biological functions and mechanisms of FEN1 in CHOL.

METHODS

FEN1 expression was analyzed in tissues of patients with CHOL and FEN1 mutations. We observe the influence of FEN1 on cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as on DNA damage repair and glycolysis. Western blotting was performed to determine the regulatory mechanism of FEN1 in CHOL progression.

RESULTS

FEN1 was highly expressed in the cancer tissues of CHOL patients. The high mutation rate of FEN1 in CHOL tissues was mainly due to the amplified repeats. FEN1 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HUCCT1 and QBC939 cells. In addition, FEN1 induced DNA damage repair and aerobic glycolysis in CHOL cells. FEN1 also promoted xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, we showed that FEN1 mediated the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CHOL. FEN1-mediated EMT was found to be transduced by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

FEN1 was significantly overexpressed in CHOL tissues, and FEN1 regulates the progression of CHOL through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Transcriptome profile of subsynaptic myonuclei at the neuromuscular junction in embryogenesis

Skeletal muscle fiber is a large syncytium with multiple and evenly distributed nuclei. Adult subsynaptic myonuclei beneath the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) express specific genes, the products of which coordinately function in the maintenance of the pre- and post-synaptic regions. However, the gene expression profiles that promote the NMJ formation during embryogenesis remain largely unexplored. We performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) analysis of embryonic and neonatal mouse diaphragms, and found that each myonucleus had a distinct transcriptome pattern during the NMJ formation. Among the previously reported NMJ-constituting genes, Dok7, Chrna1, and Chrnd are specifically expressed in subsynaptic myonuclei at E18.5. In the E18.5 diaphragm, ca. 10.7% of the myonuclei express genes for the NMJ formation (Dok7, Chrna1, and Chrnd) together with four representative β-catenin regulators (Amotl2, Ptprk, Fam53b, and Tcf7l2). Additionally, the temporal gene expression patterns of these seven genes are synchronized in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts. Amotl2 and Ptprk are expressed in the sarcoplasm, where β-catenin serves as a structural protein to organize the membrane-anchored NMJ structure. In contrast, Fam53b and Tcf7l2 are expressed in the myonucleus, where β-catenin serves as a transcriptional coactivator in Wnt/β-catenin signaling at the NMJ. In C2C12 myotubes, knockdown of Amotl2 or Ptprk markedly, and that of Fam53b and Tcf7l2 less efficiently, impair the clustering of acetylcholine receptors. In contrast, knockdown of Fam53b and Tcf7l2, but not of Amotl2 or Ptprk, impairs the gene expression of Slit2 encoding an axonal attractant for motor neurons, which is required for the maturation of motor nerve terminal. Thus, Amotl2 and Ptprk exert different roles at the NM compared to Fam53b and Tcf7l2. Additionally, Wnt ligands originating from the spinal motor neurons and the perichondrium/chondrocyte are likely to work remotely on the subsynaptic nuclei and the myotendinous junctional nuclei, respectively. We conclude that snRNA-seq analysis of embryonic/neonatal diaphragms reveal a novel coordinated expression profile especially in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling that regulate the formation of the embryonic NMJ.

Sense and anti-sense: Role of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 in Wnt, EGFR, PI3K, EMT pathways and tumor progression

An increasing number of studies have shown that FAM83A, a member of the family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83), which consists of eight members, is a key tumor therapeutic target involved in multiple signaling pathways. It has been reported that FAM83A plays essential roles in the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin, EGFR, MAPK, EMT, and other signaling pathways and physiological processes in models of pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and other malignant tumors. Moreover, the expression of FAM83A could be significantly affected by multiple noncoding RNAs that are dysregulated in malignant tumors, the dysregulation of which is essential for the malignant process. Among these noncoding RNAs, the most noteworthy is the antisense long noncoding (Lnc) RNA of FAM83A itself (FAM83A-AS1), indicating an outstanding synergistic carcinogenic effect between FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1. In the present study, the specific mechanisms by which FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 cofunction in the Wnt/β-catenin and EGFR signaling pathways were reviewed in detail, which will guide subsequent research. We also described the applications of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 in tumor therapy and provided a certain theoretical basis for subsequent drug target development and combination therapy strategies.

ZNF554 Inhibits Endometrial Cancer Progression via Regulating RBM5 and Inactivating WNT/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

OBJECTIVE

Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC), a kind of gynecologic malignancy, poses a significant risk to women's health. The precise mechanism underlying the development of UCEC remains elusive. Zinc finger protein 554 (ZNF554), a member of the Krüppel-associated box domain zinc finger protein superfamily, was reported to be dysregulated in various illnesses, including malignant tumors. This study aimed to examine the involvement of ZNF554 in the development of UCEC.

METHODS

The expression of ZNF554 in UCEC tissues and cell lines were examined by qRT-PCR and Western blot assay. Cells with stably overexpressed or knocked-down ZNF554 were established through lentivirus infection. CCK-8, wound healing, and Transwell invasion assays were employed to assess cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Propidium iodide (PI) staining combined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) flow cytometer was utilized to detect cell cycle distribution. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were conducted to examine relative mRNA and protein levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and luciferase reporter assay were used to explore the regulatory role of ZNF554 in RNA binding motif 5 (RBM5).

RESULTS

The expression of ZNF554 was found to be reduced in both UCEC samples and cell lines. Decreased expression of ZNF554 was associated with higher tumor stage, decreased overall survival, and reduced disease-free survival in UCEC. ZNF554 overexpression suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while also inducing cell cycle arrest. In contrast, a decrease in ZNF554 expression resulted in the opposite effect. Mechanistically, ZNF554 transcriptionally regulated RBM5, leading to the deactivation of the Wingless (WNT)/β-catenin signaling pathway. Moreover, the findings from rescue studies demonstrated that the inhibition of RBM5 negated the impact of ZNF554 overexpression on β-catenin and p-glycogen synthase kinase-3β (p-GSK-3β). Similarly, the deliberate activation of RBM5 reduced the increase in β-catenin and p-GSK-3β caused by the suppression of ZNF554. In vitro experiments showed that ZNF554 overexpression-induced decreases in cell proliferation and migration were counteracted by RBM5 knockdown. Additionally, when RBM5 was overexpressed, it hindered the improvements in cell proliferation and migration caused by reducing the ZNF554 levels.

CONCLUSION

ZNF554 functions as a tumor suppressor in UCEC. Furthermore, ZNF554 regulates UCEC progression through the RBM5/WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway. ZNF554 shows a promise as both a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for UCEC.

A transcriptomics-based investigation of the mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis induced by nickel oxide nanoparticles

Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiONPs) are an emerging nanomaterial, which poses a huge threat to the health of workplace population. Nanoparticles induce pulmonary fibrosis, and its mechanisms are associated with noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). However, ncRNAs and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks which involved in NiONP-induced pulmonary fibrosis are still unclear. This study aimed to identify ncRNA-related ceRNA networks and investigate the role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in pulmonary fibrosis. Male Wistar rats were intratracheally instilled with 0.015, 0.06, and 0.24 mg/kg NiONPs twice a week for 9 weeks. First, we found there were 93 circularRNAs (circRNAs), 74 microRNAs (miRNAs), 124 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and 1675 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) differentially expressed through microarray analysis. Second, we constructed ceRNA networks among lncRNAs/circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs and identified two ceRNA networks (lncMelttl16/miR-382-5p/Hsd17b7 and circIqch/miR-181d-5p/Stat1) after real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) validation. Furthermore, based on Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses, ncRNAs were found to be involved in biological processes and signaling pathways related to pulmonary fibrosis. KEGG analysis showed that NiONPs activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in rats. In vitro, HFL1 cells were treated with 0, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL NiONPs for 24 h. We found that NiONPs induced collagen deposition and Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation. Moreover, a blockade of Wnt/β-catenin pathway alleviated NiONP-induced collagen deposition. In conclusion, these observations suggested that ncRNAs were crucial in pulmonary fibrosis development and that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway mediated the deposition of collagen.

Synthetic Lethality between Cohesin and WNT Signaling Pathways in Diverse Cancer Contexts

Cohesin is a highly conserved ring-shaped complex involved in topologically embracing chromatids, gene expression regulation, genome compartmentalization, and genome stability maintenance. Genomic analyses have detected mutations in the cohesin complex in a wide array of human tumors. These findings have led to increased interest in cohesin as a potential target in cancer therapy. Synthetic lethality has been suggested as an approach to exploit genetic differences in cancer cells to influence their selective killing. In this study, we show that mutations in ESCO1, NIPBL, PDS5B, RAD21, SMC1A, SMC3, STAG2, and WAPL genes are synthetically lethal with stimulation of WNT signaling obtained following LY2090314 treatment, a GSK3 inhibitor, in several cancer cell lines. Moreover, treatment led to the stabilization of β-catenin and affected the expression of c-MYC, probably due to the occupancy decrease in cohesin at the c-MYC promoter. Finally, LY2090314 caused gene expression dysregulation mainly involving pathways related to transcription regulation, cell proliferation, and chromatin remodeling. For the first time, our work provides the underlying molecular basis for synthetic lethality due to cohesin mutations and suggests that targeting the WNT may be a promising therapeutic approach for tumors carrying mutated cohesin.

METTL3-dependent m6A modification of PSEN1 mRNA regulates craniofacial development through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Craniofacial malformations, often associated with syndromes, are prevalent birth defects. Emerging evidence underscores the importance of m6A modifications in various bioprocesses such as stem cell differentiation, tissue development, and tumorigenesis. Here, in vivo, experiments with zebrafish models revealed that mettl3-knockdown embryos at 144 h postfertilization exhibited aberrant craniofacial features, including altered mouth opening, jaw dimensions, ethmoid plate, tooth formation and hypoactive behavior. Similarly, low METTL3 expression inhibited the proliferation and migration of BMSCs, HEPM cells, and DPSCs. Loss of METTL3 led to reduced mRNA m6A methylation and PSEN1 expression, impacting craniofacial phenotypes. Co-injection of mettl3 or psen1 mRNA rescued the level of Sox10 fusion protein, promoted voluntary movement, and mitigated abnormal craniofacial phenotypes induced by mettl3 knockdown in zebrafish. Mechanistically, YTHDF1 enhanced the mRNA stability of m6A-modified PSEN1, while decreased METTL3-mediated m6A methylation hindered β-catenin binding to PSEN1, suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Pharmacological activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway partially alleviated the phenotypes of mettl3 morphant and reversed the decreases in cell proliferation and migration induced by METTL3 silencing. This study elucidates the pivotal role of METTL3 in craniofacial development via the METTL3/YTHDF1/PSEN1/β-catenin signaling axis.

Smoking behavior associated upregulation of SERPINB12 promotes proliferation and metastasis via activating WNT signaling in NSCLC

BACKGROUND

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of morality among all malignant tumors. Smoking is one of the most important causes of NSCLC, which contributes not only to the initiation of NSCLC but also to its progression. The identification of specific biomarkers associated with smoking will promote diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

Data mining was used to identify the smoking associated gene SERPINB12. CCK8 assays, colony formation assays, a mouse xenograft model and transwell assays were performed to measure the biological functions of SERPINB12 in NSCLC. GSEA, luciferase reporter assays and immunofluorescence were conducted to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of SERPINB12 in NSCLC.

RESULTS

In this study, by data mining the TCGA database, we found that SERPINB12 was greatly upregulated in NSCLC patients with cigarette consumption behavior, while the expression level was positively correlated with disease grade and poor prognosis. SERPINB12 is a kind of serpin peptidase inhibitor, but its function in malignant tumors remains largely unknown. Functionally, knockdown of SERPINB12 observably inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, downregulation of SERPINB12 attenuated Wnt signaling by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of β-catenin, which explained the molecular mechanism underlying tumor progression.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, SERPINB12 functions as a tumorigenesis factor, which could be a promising biomarker for NSCLC patients with smoking behavior, as well as a therapeutic target.

Establishment and characterization of cisplatin-resistant cell lines from canine mammary gland tumors

The development of cisplatin resistance is one of the major causes of mammary cancer treatment failure, and is associated with changes in Sox4 gene expression. To investigate the characteristic changes that occur in canine mammary gland tumor (CMGT) cells following the development of acquired cisplatin resistance, along with the relationship between these changes and the Sox4 gene. We constructed cisplatin-resistant cell line, CHMpCIS, from the cell line CHMp, which was isolated from the primary lesion of a malignant CMGT. The biological characteristics of these cells were examined by Western blot analysis, Transwell assays, and mammosphere formation assays. Compared to CHMp cells, CHMpCIS cells exhibited elevated cisplatin resistance, apoptotic escape ability, enhanced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) features, in addition to over-activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and increased Sox4 protein. In CMGT cases, CMGT tissues (CMGTT) expressed higher levels of Sox4 protein and mRNA compared to adjacent tissues (CAMGTT). We found that these changes were inhibited by silencing of Sox4 expression in CHMpCIS cells. Furthermore, activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway increased Sox4 expression levels through a positive feedback loop. These results suggested that CHMpCIS cells circumvented the damage caused by cisplatin through altering the expression of the Sox4 gene and activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, thereby changing the cellular biological characteristics.

Deficiency of Cbfβ in articular cartilage leads to osteoarthritis-like phenotype through Hippo/Yap, TGFβ, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent degenerative joint disorder, causing physical impairments among the elderly. Core binding factor subunit β (Cbfβ) has a critical role in bone homeostasis and cartilage development. However, the function and mechanism of Cbfβ in articular cartilage and OA remains unclear. We found that Cbfβf/fAggrecan-CreERT mice with Cbfβ-deficiency in articular cartilage developed a spontaneous osteoarthritis-like phenotype with articular cartilage degradation. Immunofluorescence staining showed that Cbfβf/fAggrecan-CreERT mice exhibited a significant increase in the expression of articular cartilage degradation markers and inflammatory markers in the knee joints. RNA-sequencing analysis demonstrated that Cbfβ orchestrated Hippo/Yap, TGFβ/Smad, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in articular cartilage, and Cbfβ deficiency resulted in the abnormal expression of downstream genes involved in maintaining articular cartilage homeostasis. Immunofluorescence staining results showed Cbfβ deficiency significantly increased active β-catenin and TCF4 expression while reducing Yap, TGFβ1, and p-Smad 2/3 expression. Western blot and qPCR validated gene expression changes in hip articular cartilage of Cbfβ-deficient mice. Our results demonstrate that deficiency of Cbfβ in articular cartilage leads to an OA-like phenotype via affecting Hippo/Yap, TGFβ, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, disrupting articular cartilage homeostasis and leading to the pathological process of OA in mice. Our results indicate that targeting Cbfβ may be a potential therapeutic target for the design of novel and effective treatments for OA.

HIF signaling overactivation inhibits lateral line neuromast development through Wnt in zebrafish

The lateral line is critical for prey detection, predator avoidance, schooling, and rheotaxis behavior in fish. As similar to hair cells in the mammalian inner ear, the lateral line sensory organ called neuromasts is a popular model for hair cell regeneration. However, the mechanism of lateral line development has not been fully understood. In this study, we showed for the first time that hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) signaling is involved in lateral line development in zebrafish. hif1ab and epas1b were highly expressed in neuromasts during lateral line development. Hypoxia response induced by a prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing proteins (PHD) inhibitor treatment or vhl gene knockout significantly reduced hair cells and support cells in neuromast during lateral line development. In addition, inhibition of Hif-1α or Epas1 could partially rescue hair cells in the larvae with increased HIF activity, respectively. Moreover, the support cell proliferation and the expression of Wnt target genes decreased in vhl mutants which suggests that Wnt signaling mediated the role of HIF signaling in lateral line development. Collectively, our results demonstrate that HIF signaling overactivation inhibits lateral line development in zebrafish and suggest that inhibition of HIF signaling might be a potential therapeutic method for hair cell death.

Knockdown of Kmt2d leads to growth impairment by activating the Akt/β-catenin signaling pathway

The KMT2D variant-caused Kabuki syndrome (KS) is characterized by short stature as a prominent clinical characteristic. The initiation and progression of body growth are fundamentally influenced by chondrocyte proliferation. Uncertainty persists regarding the possibility that KMT2D deficiency affects growth by impairing chondrocyte proliferation. In this study, we used the CRISPR/Cas13d technique to knockdown kmt2d in zebrafish embryos and lentivirus to create a stable Kmt2d gene knockdown cell line in chondrocytes (ATDC5 cells). We also used CCK8 and flow cytometric studies, respectively, to determine proliferation and cell cycle state. The relative concentrations of phosphorylated Akt (ser473), phosphorylated β-catenin (ser552), and cyclin D1 proteins in chondrocytes and zebrafish embryos were determined by using western blots. In addition, Akt inhibition was used to rescue the phenotypes caused by kmt2d deficiency in chondrocytes, as well as a zebrafish model that was generated. The results showed that a knockdown of kmt2d significantly decreased body length and resulted in aberrant cartilage development in zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, the knockdown of Kmt2d in ATDC5 cells markedly increased proliferation and accelerated the G1/S transition. In addition, the knockdown of Kmt2d resulted in the activation of the Akt/β-catenin signaling pathway in ATDC5 cells. Finally, Akt inhibition could partly rescue body length and chondrocyte development in the zebrafish model. Our study demonstrated that KMT2D modulates bone growth conceivably via regulation of the Akt/β-catenin pathway.

The dual roles of circRNAs in Wnt/β-Catenin signaling and cancer progression

Cancer, a complex pathophysiological condition, arises from the abnormal proliferation and survival of cells due to genetic mutations. Dysregulation of cell cycle control, apoptosis, and genomic stability contribute to uncontrolled growth and metastasis. Tumor heterogeneity, microenvironmental influences, and immune evasion further complicate cancer dynamics. The intricate interplay between circular RNAs (circRNAs) and the Wnt/β-Catenin signalling pathway has emerged as a pivotal axis in the landscape of cancer biology. The Wnt/β-Catenin pathway, a critical regulator of cell fate and proliferation, is frequently dysregulated in various cancers. CircRNAs, a class of non-coding RNAs with closed-loop structures, have garnered increasing attention for their diverse regulatory functions. This review systematically explores the intricate crosstalk between circRNAs and the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway, shedding light on their collective impact on cancer initiation and progression. The review explores the diverse mechanisms through which circRNAs modulate the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway, including sponging microRNAs, interacting with RNA-binding proteins, and influencing the expression of key components in the pathway. Furthermore, the review highlights specific circRNAs implicated in various cancer types, elucidating their roles as either oncogenic or tumour-suppressive players in the context of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling. The intricate regulatory networks formed by circRNAs in conjunction with the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway are discussed, providing insights into potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers. This comprehensive review delves into the multifaceted roles of circRNAs in orchestrating tumorigenesis through their regulatory influence on the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway.

Long non-coding RNA TINCR suppresses growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells: Insights from in vitro and in vivo studies

There is increasing evidence that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in the development and progression of malignant tumors, particularly pancreatic cancer. In this study, the influence of the lncRNA TINCR on the behavior of human pancreatic cancer cells was investigated with the aim of deciphering its role in growth, migration, and invasion. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to investigate TINCR expression in pancreatic cancer cells. Ectopic expression of TINCR in PANC-1 cells was induced to evaluate the effects on cell viability and apoptosis, examining the apoptotic genes Bax and Bcl-2. Migration and invasion assays were used to measure the impact of TINCR on these cellular processes. In vivo studies using a xenograft mouse model examined the effects of TINCR on tumor growth, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. PANC-1 cells showed strikingly low TINCR expression compared to other pancreatic cancer cell lines. Ectopic TINCR expression reduced the viability of PANC-1 cells primarily by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by increased Bax and decreased Bcl-2 expression. Overexpression of TINCR significantly increased the percentage of apoptotic cells. It also decreased the migration and invasion ability of PANC-1 cells, as demonstrated in wound healing and transwell assays. In addition, overexpression of TINCR-suppressed proteins is associated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in PANC-1 cells. In the xenograft mouse model, overexpression of TINCR inhibited tumor growth, EMT markers, and proteins associated with the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This study sheds light on the tumour-suppressive role of TINCR in PANC-1 cells and suggests its potential as a therapeutic target. These results shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of TINCR on pancreatic cancer and offer promising opportunities for innovative therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes in this serious malignancy.

Stabilization of MOF (KAT8) by USP10 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma proliferation and metastasis through epigenetic activation of ANXA2/Wnt signaling

Dysregulation of MOF (also known as MYST1, KAT8), a highly conserved H4K16 acetyltransferase, plays important roles in human cancers. However, its expression and function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unknown. Here, we report that MOF is highly expressed in ESCC tumors and predicts a worse prognosis. Depletion of MOF in ESCC significantly impedes tumor growth and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo, whereas ectopic expression of MOF but not catalytically inactive mutant (MOF-E350Q) promotes ESCC progression, suggesting that MOF acetyltransferase activity is crucial for its oncogenic activity. Further analysis reveals that USP10, a deubiquitinase highly expressed in ESCC, binds to and deubiquitinates MOF at lysine 410, which protects it from proteosome-dependent protein degradation. MOF stabilization by USP10 promotes H4K16ac enrichment in the ANXA2 promoter to stimulate ANXA2 transcription in a JUN-dependent manner, which subsequently activates Wnt/β-Catenin signaling to facilitate ESCC progression. Our findings highlight a novel USP10/MOF/ANXA2 axis as a promising therapeutic target for ESCC.

POLE2 knockdown suppresses lymphoma progression via downregulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Lymphoma is the most common malignant tumor arising from immune system. Recently, DNA polymerase epsilon subunit 2 (POLE2) was identified to be a tumor promotor in a variety of malignant tumors. However, the biological role of POLE2 in lymphoma is still largely unclear. In our present study, the expression patterns of POLE2 in lymphoma tissues were identified by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of human tissue microarray. Cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay. Cell apoptosis and cycle distribution were evaluated by Annexin V and PI staining, respectively. Cell migration was analyzed by transwell assay. Tumor growth in vivo was observed by a xenograft model of mice. The potential signaling was explored by human phospho-kinase array and immunoblotting. POLE2 was significantly upregulated in human lymphoma tissues and cells. POLE2 knockdown attenuated the proliferation, migration capabilities of lymphoma cells, as well as induced cell apoptosis and cycle arrest. Moreover, POLE2 depletion impaired the tumor growth in mice. Furthermore, POLE2 knockdown apparently inhibited the activation of β-Catenin and downregulated the expression of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling-related proteins. POLE2 knockdown suppressed the proliferation and migration of lymphoma cells by inhibiting Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway. POLE2 may serve as a novel therapeutic target for lymphoma.

Tescalcin modulates bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells osteogenic differentiation via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are recognized for their intrinsic capacity for self-renewal and differentiation into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes, making them pivotal entities within the field of bone research. Tescalcin (TESC) is known to play a role in specific cellular processes related to proliferation and differentiation. However, the precise involvement of TESC in the regulation of BMSCs remains unclear. The present study was designed to verify the functional implications of TESC in BMSCs.

METHODS

An adenovirus vector was engineered to downregulate TESC expression, and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was activated using BML-284. The assessment of mRNA was conducted by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The assessment of protein expression was conducted by Western blotting and immunofluorescence techniques (IF), respectively. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and activity assays were performed to verify ALP changes, while Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining and quantitative analysis were employed to assess mineralization capacity.

RESULTS

Initially, we observed an upregulation of TESC expression during osteogenic differentiation. Subsequently, TESC knockdown was demonstrated to decrease the osteogenic-related genes expression and diminish BMSCs mineralization. Concomitantly, we identified the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling following the TESC knockdown. Furthermore, the administration of BML-284 effectively activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, successfully rescuing the compromised TESC-mediated osteogenic differentiation.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that TESC knockdown exerts an inhibitory effect on the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs through the modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This study unveils a novel target with potential applications for enhancing the regenerative potential of BMSCs in the realm of regenerative medicine.

TMEM64 aggravates the malignant phenotype of glioma by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Transmembrane protein 64 (TMEM64), a member of the family of transmembrane protein, is an α-helical membrane protein. Its precise role in various types of tumors, including glioma, is unclear. This study used immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, western blotting, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) techniques to show that TMEM64 expression was significantly higher in glioma cells and tissues compared to normal cells and tissues, respectively. Additionally, a correlation between high TMEM64 expression and higher grade as well as a worse prognosis was found. TMEM64 enhanced cell proliferation and tumorigenicity while inhibiting glioma cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, according to loss- and gain-of-function studies. Mechanistically, it was discovered that TMEM64 increased the malignant phenotype of gliomas by accelerating the translocation of β-catenin from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, thereby activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Stimulation with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activator CHIR-99021 successfully reversed the malignant phenotype of glioma; however, these effects were inhibited upon TMEM64 silencing. Stimulation with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway inhibitor XAV-939 successfully rescued the malignant phenotype of glioma, which was promoted upon TMEM64 overexpression. Our results provide that TMEM64 as a novel prognostic biomarker and a potential treatment target for glioma.

Long non-coding RNA LINC00491 accelerates head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression through regulating miR-508-3p/SATB1 axis and activating Wnt signaling pathway

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignancy of the head and neck epidermis. Accumulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proven to be involved in the occurrence and development of HNSCC. LncRNA long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 491 (LINC00491) has been confirmed to regulate the progression of some cancers. In our study, we aimed to explore the potential biological function of LINC00491 and expound the regulatory mechanism by which LINC00491 affects the progression of HNSCC. RT-qPCR was utilized to analyze the expression of LINC00491 in HNSCC cell lines and the normal cell line. Functionally, we carried out a series of assays to measure cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion, such as EdU assay, colony formation, wound healing and western blot assays. Also, mechanism assays including RNA pull down and RIP were also implemented to investigate the interaction of LINC00491 and RNAs. As a result, we discovered that LINC00491 was highly expressed in HNSCC cells. In addition, LINC00491 depletion suppressed cell proliferation, migration and EMT process. Furthermore, we discovered that LINC00491 could bind to miR-508-3p. MiR-508-3p overexpression can restrain HNSCC cell growth. Importantly, miR-508-3p can target SATB homeobox 1 (SATB1) in HNSCC cells. Further, Wnt signaling pathway was proved to be activated by LINC00491 through SATB1 in HNSCC cells. In a word, LINC00491 accelerated HNSCC progression through regulating miR-508-3p/SATB1 axis and activating Wnt signaling pathway.

Lesser prevalence of polyps/WNT-dysregulation and concomitant upregulation of gamma-catenin/MYC point to alternate pathways in colorectal cancer in India

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is known to follow adenoma carcinoma sequence (ACS) in majority of the tumors and the driver variants and associated pathways are well delineated. However, most of the published data are from the west and information in other ethnicities is sparse. We therefore comprehensively evaluated the CRC tumors from Indian ethnicity for the prevalence of ACS. In this cohort study, clinical data of 100,497 patients who attended hospital between 2013 and 2018 were accessed. Tumors from patients (n = 130) with CRC who were treated primarily by surgery were included. DNA and RNA were isolated to assess variants (direct sequencing) and WNT-pathway dysregulation in genes related to ACS. Global gene expression was generated and analyzed on microarrays (Affymetrix; N = 10) and next generation sequencing platforms (Illumina; N = 25). Gene expression at mRNA (qRT-PCR) and protein level (IHC) of JUP/CTNNB1/MYC were assessed. Correlation between expression of JUP and MYC was evaluated by Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient. The prevalence of polyps was 16.75%, while 18.26% variants in APC/CTNNB1, 20.00% in KRAS, and 18.33% WNT dysregulation were noted. Interestingly, 29/60 (48.33%) tumors showed only MYC upregulation with normal APC/CTNNB1 expression. Global gene expression and validation in an independent tumor cohort confirmed concomitant upregulation of JUP (gamma-catenin) & MYC (r = 0.71; p = 0.001) at mRNA and protein in sizeable number of tumors (45/96; 46.88%). Our study provides evidence for limited prevalence of ACS in the Indian ethnicity. Preventive colonoscopies for early identification and management of CRC may not be an effective strategy in this ethnicity.

BARX1 repressed FOXF1 expression and activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to drive lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Underlying molecular mechanisms of BARX homeobox 1 (BARX1) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain elusive.

METHODS

Abnormally expressed genes in LUAD tissues were analyzed by RNA-sequencing. CCK-8, colony formation, transwell, and wound healing assays examined proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and migration of LUAD cells, respectively. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay examined the interaction between BARX1 and Forkhead Box F1 (FOXF1). Xenograft mouse model of LUAD was constructed to monitor the growth and metastasis of tumor.

RESULTS

BARX1 was upregulated, FOXF1 was downregulated in LUAD tissues and cells. There was a negative correlation between BARX1 and FOXF1 expression. BARX1 deficiency limited malignant phenotypes of LUAD cells, including proliferation, invasion, migration and EMT. In vivo, BARX1 knockdown suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in A549-drove xenograft mouse model. BARX1 interacted with FOXF1 promoter and repressed FOXF1 expression. Upregulation of BARX1 promoted the expression of Wnt5a, β-catenin, and phosphorylated-glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (p-GSK3β), whereas inhibited FOXF1, p-β-catenin, and GSK3β in LUAD cells. BARX1 knockdown caused an opposite result. Rescue assays uncovered that FOXF1 reversed the impact of BARX1 on malignant phenotypes and Wnt/β-catenin of LUAD cells.

CONCLUSION

BARX1 repressed FOXF1 expression and activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to drive lung adenocarcinoma.

MiR-5590-3p inhibits the proliferation and invasion of ovarian cancer cells through mediating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by targeting TNIK

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulatory molecules involved in diverse biological processes and human diseases, including ovarian cancer (OC). miR-5590-3p has been involved in multiple malignant solid tumors, but its exact role in the progression of OC is largely unknown. This study mainly focuses on how miR-5590-3p works in OC and illuminating the underlying mechanism. We found that miR-5590-3p was significantly downregulated in human OC cell lines and patient tissues. Cell counting 8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays proved that overexpression or inhibition of miR-5590-3p suppressed or promoted cell proliferation and cell invasion. Subsequently, TNIK was identified as a target of miR-5590-3p. Silence of TNIK by small interfering RNA (siRNA) reversed the increasing effect of miR-5590-3p inhibition on cell proliferation and invasion in OC cell lines. Furthermore, our results showed that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was inhibited by its specific inhibitor XAV-939, but miR-5590-3p inhibitor and adenoviral TNIK overexpression vector (Ad-TNIK) reactivated the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and increased cell malignancy. Lastly, tumorigenicity assay demonstrated that inhibition of miR-5590-3p increased tumor volume and weight in vivo. In conclusion, miR-5590-3p may function as a cancer suppressor gene in OC progression through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling by transcriptionally suppressing TNIK expression, which provides a potential therapeutic approach for ovarian cancer treatment.

PARP1-stabilised FOXQ1 promotes ovarian cancer progression by activating the LAMB3/WNT/β-catenin signalling pathway

Metastasis is an important factor that causes ovarian cancer (OC) to become the most lethal malignancy of the female reproductive system, but its molecular mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, through bioinformatics analysis, as well as analysis of tissue samples and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients in our centre, it was found that Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) was correlated with metastasis and prognosis of OC. Through cell function experiments and animal experiments, the results show that FOXQ1 can promote the progression of ovarian cancer in vivo and in vitro. Through RNA-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), Western blotting (WB), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), luciferase assay, and ChIP-PCR, it was demonstrated that FOXQ1 can mediate the WNT/β-catenin pathway by targeting the LAMB promoter region. Through coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP), mass spectrometry (MS), ubiquitination experiments, and immunofluorescence (IF), the results showed that PARP1 could stabilise FOXQ1 expression via the E3 ubiquitin ligase Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP). Finally, the whole mechanism pathway was verified by animal drug combination experiments and clinical specimen prognosis analysis. In summary, our results suggest that PARP1 can promote ovarian cancer progression through the LAMB3/WNT/β-catenin pathway by stabilising FOXQ1 expression.

MicroRNA-203a inhibits breast cancer progression through the PI3K/Akt and Wnt pathways

MicroRNA expression in breast cancer (BC) is explored both as a potential biomarker and for therapeutic purposes. Recent studies have revealed that miR-203a-3p is involved in BC, and importantly contributes to BC chemotherapy responses; however, the regulatory pathways of miR-203a in BC remain elusive. Hence, we aimed to investigate the miR-203a regulatory mechanisms and their potential functions in the progress of BC. To this end, the miR-203a potential involving pathways was predicted by databases analyzing its target genes. The relations between miR-203a, the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K)-Akt, and Wnt signaling pathways were mechanistically investigated. Our results revealed that miR-203a inhibited the activation of the PI3K/Akt and Wnt pathways and reduced its downstream cell cycle signals, including Cyclin D1 and c-Myc. Moreover, the overexpression of miR-203a drastically arrested the cell cycle at subG1 and G1 phases, decreased the viability, proliferation, and migration, and increased apoptosis of BC cells. Therefore, miR-203a-3p may be considered a tumor suppressor factor and a potential biomarker or therapeutic target for BC.

Comprehensive analysis of mitochondria-related genes indicates that PPP2R2B is a novel biomarker and promotes the progression of bladder cancer via Wnt signaling pathway

Bladder cancer (BC) is the fourth and tenth most common malignancy in men and women worldwide, respectively. The complexity of the molecular biological mechanism behind BC is a major contributor to the lack of effective treatment management of the disease. The development and genesis of BC are influenced by mitochondrial retrograde control and mitochondria-nuclear cross-talk. However, the role of mitochondrial-related genes in BC remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed TCGA datasets and identified 752 DE-MRGs in BC samples, including 313 down-regulated MRGs and 439 up-regulated MRGs. Then, the results of machine-learning screened four critical diagnostic genes, including GLRX2, NMT1, PPP2R2B and TRAF3IP3. Moreover, we analyzed their prognostic value and confirmed that only PPP2R2B was associated with clinical prognosis of BC patients and Cox regression assays validated that PPP2R2B expression was a distinct predictor of overall survival in BC patients. Them, we performed RT-PCR and found that PPP2R2B expression was distinctly decreased in BC specimens and cell lines. Functional experiments revealed that overexpression of PPP2R2B distinctly suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cells via Wnt signaling pathway. In summary, these research findings offer potential molecular markers for the diagnosis and prognosis of BC, with the discovery of PPP2R2B particularly holding significant biological and clinical significance. This study provides valuable clues for future in-depth investigations into the molecular mechanisms of BC, as well as the development of new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

SENP3 mediates the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to accelerate the growth and metastasis of oesophagal squamous cell carcinoma in mice

As a common malignant tumor, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is occasionally seen in clinical practice. This type of disease has low incidence rate and mortality. The post-translational modification of small ubiquitin like modifiers (SUMO) can play a crucial role in regulating protein function, and can significantly impact the occurrence and development of diseases. SUMO-specific peptidase (SENP) affects cell activity by regulating the biological function of SUMO. SENP3 belongs to the SENP family, and available data indicate that many malignancies are associated with SENPs, it is currently unclear its role in ESCC. This study indicates that there is a high level of SENP3 expression in ESCC tumor cells. If the expression level of this gene is high, it can have a significant impact on ESCC cell lines and affect physiological activities such as invasion of KYSE170 cells. If the gene is knocked out, this situation will not occur. There is also research data indicating that this gene can effectively activate related signaling pathways, thereby promoting the physiological activities of malignant tumor cells. In a nude mouse xenograft tumor model, KYSE170 cells with SENP3 expression knockdown induced a smaller volume and weight of tumor tissue. Therefore, it can be clearly stated that SENP3 can enable Wnt/ β- The catenin signaling pathway is stimulated, which in turn affects the physiological activities of ESCC cells, including the invasion process. The results of this article lay the foundation for clinical staff to carry out clinical management.

Alternative Wnt-signaling axis leads to a break of oncogene-induced senescence

Oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) is an important process that suppresses tumor development, but the molecular mechanisms of OIS are still under investigation. It is known that BRAFV600E-mutated melanocytes can overcome OIS and develop melanoma, but the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. Using an established OIS model of primary melanocytes transduced with BRAFV600E, YAP activity was shown to be induced in OIS as well as in melanoma cells compared to that in normal epidermal melanocytes. This led to the assumption that YAP activation itself is not a factor involved in the disruption of OIS. However, its role and interaction partners potentially change. As Wnt molecules are known to be important in melanoma progression, these molecules were the focus of subsequent studies. Interestingly, activation of Wnt signaling using AMBMP resulted in a disruption of OIS in BRAFV600E-transduced melanocytes. Furthermore, depletion of Wnt6, Wnt10b or β-catenin expression in melanoma cells resulted in the induction of senescence. Given that melanoma cells do not exhibit canonical Wnt/β-catenin activity, alternative β-catenin signaling pathways may disrupt OIS. Here, we discovered that β-catenin is an interaction partner of YAP on DNA in melanoma cells. Furthermore, the β-catenin-YAP interaction changed the gene expression pattern from senescence-stabilizing genes to tumor-supportive genes. This switch is caused by transcriptional coactivation via the LEF1/TEAD interaction. The target genes with binding sites for LEF1 and TEAD are involved in rRNA processing and are associated with poor prognosis in melanoma patients. This study revealed that an alternative YAP-Wnt signaling axis is an essential molecular mechanism leading to OIS disruption in melanocytes.

Neutrophil extracellular trap-associated risk index for predicting outcomes and response to Wnt signaling inhibitors in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast cancer with poor prognosis, which is prone to distant metastasis and therapy resistance. The presence of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) contributes to the progression of breast cancer and is an efficient predictor of TNBC. We obtained the bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing data from public databases. Firstly, we identified five NET-related genes and constructed NET-related subgroups. Then, we constructed a risk index with three pivotal genes based on the differentially expressed genes between subgroups. Patients in the high-risk group had worse prognosis, clinicopathological features, and therapy response than low-risk group. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the low-risk group was enriched in Wnt signaling pathway, and surprisingly, the drug sensitivity prediction showed that Wnt signaling pathway inhibitors had higher drug sensitivity in the low-risk group. Finally, verification experiments in vitro based on MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 cells showed that tumor cells with low-risk scores had less migration, invasion, and proliferative abilities and high drug sensitivity to Wnt signaling pathway inhibitors. In this study, multi-omics analysis revealed that genes associated with NETs may influence the occurrence, progression, and treatment of TNBC. Moreover, the bioinformatics analysis and cell experiments demonstrated that the risk index could predict the population of TNBC likely to benefit from treatment with Wnt signaling pathway inhibitors.

Single-Exon Deletions of ZNRF3 Exon 2 Cause Congenital Adrenal Hypoplasia

CONTEXT

Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the inability of the adrenal cortex to produce sufficient steroid hormones. E3 ubiquitin protein ligase zinc and ring finger 3 (ZNRF3) is a negative regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. R-spondin 1 (RSPO1) enhances Wnt/β-catenin signaling via binding and removal of ZNRF3 from the cell surface.

OBJECTIVE

This work aimed to explore a novel genetic form of PAI.

METHODS

We analyzed 9 patients with childhood-onset PAI of biochemically and genetically unknown etiology using array comparative genomic hybridization. To examine the functionality of the identified single-exon deletions of ZNRF3 exon 2, we performed three-dimensional (3D) structure modeling and in vitro functional studies.

RESULTS

We identified various-sized single-exon deletions encompassing ZNRF3 exon 2 in 3 patients who showed neonatal-onset adrenal hypoplasia with glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid deficiencies. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis showed that the 3 distinct single-exon deletions were commonly transcribed into a 126-nucleotide deleted mRNA and translated into 42-amino acid deleted protein (ΔEx2-ZNRF3). Based on 3D structure modeling, we predicted that interaction between ZNRF3 and RSPO1 would be disturbed in ΔEx2-ZNRF3, suggesting loss of RSPO1-dependent activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Cell-based functional assays with the TCF-LEF reporter showed that RSPO1-dependent activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling was attenuated in cells expressing ΔEx2-ZNRF3 as compared with those expressing wild-type ZNRF3.

CONCLUSION

We provided genetic evidence linking deletions encompassing ZNRF3 exon 2 and congenital adrenal hypoplasia, which might be related to constitutive inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by ΔEx2-ZNRF3.

WNT5A regulates the proliferation, apoptosis and stemness of human stem Leydig cells via the β-catenin signaling pathway

Stem Leydig cells (SLCs) are essential for maintaining normal spermatogenesis as the significant component of testis microenvironment and gonadal aging. Although progress has been achieved in the regulation of male germ cells in mammals and humans, it remains unknown about the genes and signaling pathways of human SLCs. Here we have demonstrated, for the first time, that WNT5A (Wnt family member 5a) mediates the proliferation, apoptosis, and stemness of human SLCs, namely NGFR+ Leydig cells. We revealed that NGFR+ Leydig cells expressed NGFR, PDGFRA, NES, NR2F2, and THY1, hallmarks for SLCs. RNA-sequencing showed that WNT5A was expressed at a higher level in human SLCs than non-SLCs, while immunohistochemistry and Western blots further illustrated that WNT5A was predominantly expressed in human SLCs. Notably, CCK-8, EdU and Western blots displayed that WNT5A enhanced the proliferation and DNA synthesis and retained stemness of human SLCs, whereas flow cytometry and TUNEL analyses demonstrated that WNT5A inhibited the apoptosis of these cells. WNT5A knockdown caused an increase in LC lineage differentiation of human SLCs and reversed the effect of WNT5A overexpression on fate decisions of human SLCs. In addition, WNT5A silencing  resulted in the decreases in nuclear translocation of β-catenin and expression levels of c-Myc, CD44, and Cyclin D1. Collectively, these results implicate that WNT5A regulates the proliferation, apoptosis and stemness of human SLCs through the activation of the β-catenin signaling pathway. This study thus provides a novel molecular mechanism underlying the fate determinations of human SLCs, and it offers a new insight into the niche regulation of human testis.

Evaluating the effects of curcumin nano-chitosan on miR-221 and miR-222 expression and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and SKBR3 cell lines

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is one of the most common diseases worldwide that affects women of reproductive age. miR-221 and miR-222 are two highly homogeneous microRNAs that play pivotal roles in many cellular processes and regulate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Curcumin (CUR), a yellow polyphenolic compound, targets numerous signaling pathways relevant to cancer therapy. The main aim of this study was to compare the ability of chitosan curcumin nanoparticle (CC-CUR) formulation with the curcumin in modulating miR-221 and miR-222 expression through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cell lines.

METHOD

Chitosan-cyclodextrin-tripolyphosphate containing curcumin nanoparticles (CC-CUR) were prepared. Cytotoxicity of the CUR and CC-CUR was evaluated. Experimental groups including CC-CUR, CUR and negative control were designed. The expression of miR-221 and miR-222 and Wnt/β-catenin pathway genes was measured.

RESULTS

The level of miR-221 and miR-222 and β-catenin genes decreased in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and WIF1 gene increased in all cells in CC-CUR group. However, the results in SK-BR-3 cell line were unexpected; since miRs and WIF1 gene expressions were increased following CC-CUR administration and β-catenin decreased by administration of CUR.

CONCLUSION

Although the composite form of curcumin decreased the expression of miR-221 and miR-222 in MCF-7 and MDA cells, with significant decreasing of β-catenin and increasing of WIF1 gene in almost all three cell lines, we can conclude than this formulation exerts its effect mainly through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These preliminary findings may pave the way for the use of curcumin nanoparticles in the treatment of some known cancers.

miR-557 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by targeting RAB10

Accumulating evidence suggests that aberrant miRNAs participate in carcinogenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Abnormal miR-557 expression is reported to interfere with the progression of several human cancers. However, the potential roles of miR-557 in HCC remain largely unknown. In the current study, we found that miR-557 was down-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, and was closely related to recurrence and metastasis of HCC. Notably, overexpression of miR-557 inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression, blocked cells in G0/G1 phase of MHCC-97H cells in vitro, and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. However, loss of miR-557 facilitated these parameters in Huh7 cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, RAB10 was identified as a direct downstream target of miR-557 through its 3'-UTR. Furthermore, RAB10 re-expression or knockdown partially abolished the effects of miR-557 on proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT progression of HCC cells. Mechanistically, overexpression of miR-557 suppressed Wnt/β-catenin signaling by inhibiting GSK-3β phosphorylation, increasing β-catenin phosphorylation, and decreasing β-catenin transport to the nucleus, while knockdown of miR-557 activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Moreover, the TOP/FOP-Flash reporter assays showed that miR-557 overexpression or knockdown significantly suppressed or activated Wnt signaling activity, respectively. Additionally, low expression of miR-557 and high expression of RAB10 in HCC tissues was closely associated with tumor size, degree of differentiation, TNM stage and poor prognosis in HCC patients. Taken together, these results demonstrate that miR-557 blocks the progression of HCC via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by targeting RAB10.

HECW1 restrains cervical cancer cell growth by promoting DVL1 ubiquitination and downregulating the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling

HECW1 belongs to ubiquitin ligase (E3) HECT family, and is found to be involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, the function of HECW1 in cervical cancer (CC) remains unknown. Clinical analysis showed that HECW1 is significantly decreased in CC tumor tissues. Ectopic expression of HECW1 suppressed cell growth, promoting cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in CC cells, while downregulation of HECW1 reversed these trends, impeded proliferation and accelerated cell cycle progression of CC cells. Overexpressing of HECW1 reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and the protein expression of voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1). In addition, upregulation of HECW1 inhibited nuclear β-catenin accumulation, downregulated β-catenin/TCF/LEF-mediated transcriptional activity and the expression of downstream gene c-Myc, whereas inhibition of HECW1 received opposite results. Further results confirmed HECW1 affects the protein expression of dishevelled-1 (DVL1), a potent activator of Wnt/β-catenin, and inhibition of HECW1 inhibited the ubiquitination of DVL1, upregulating its expression. Inhibition of DVL1 restrained the promotion effect of HECW1 suppression on cell proliferation. In vivo experiments also verified that HECW1 suppression promoted the tumor formation of CC cells. Summary, we demonstrated that HECW1 inhibits CC cell proliferation and tumor formation by downregulating DVL1 induced Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activation.

MicroRNA-329-3p inhibits the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and proliferation of osteosarcoma cells by targeting transcription factor 7-like 1

An important factor in the emergence and progression of osteosarcoma (OS) is the dysregulated expression of microRNAs (miRNAs). Transcription factor 7-like 1 (TCF7L1), a member of the T cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) transcription factor family, interacts with the Wnt signaling pathway regulator β-catenin and acts as a DNA-specific binding protein. This study sought to elucidate the impact of the interaction between miR-329-3p and TCF7L1 on the growth and apoptosis of OS and analyze the regulatory expression relationship between miRNA and mRNA in osteosarcoma cells using a variety of approaches. MiR329-3p was significantly downregulated, while TCF7L1 was considerably up-regulated in all examined OS cell lines. Additionally, a clinical comparison study was performed using the TCGA database. Subsequently, the regulatory relationship between miR-329-3p and TCF7L1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of OS cells was verified through in vitro and in vivo experiments. When miR-329-3p was transfected into the OS cell line, the expression of TCF7L1 decreased, the proliferation of OS cells was inhibited, the cytoskeleton disintegrated, and the nucleus condensed to form apoptotic bodies. The expression of proteins that indicate apoptosis increased simultaneously. The cell cycle was arrested in the G0/G1 phase, and the G1/S transition was blocked. The introduction of miR-329-3p also inhibited downstream Cyclin D1 of the Wnt pathway. Xenograft experiments indicated that the overexpression of miR-329-3p significantly inhibited the growth of OS xenografts in nude mice, and the expression of TCF7L1 and c-Myc in tumor tissues decreased. MiR-329-3p was significantly reduced in OS cells and played a suppressive role in tumorigenesis and proliferation by targeting TCF7L1 both in vitro and in vivo. Osteosarcoma cell cycle arrest and pathway inhibition were observed upon the regulation of TCF7L1 by miR-329-3p. Summarizing these results, it can be inferred that miR-329-3p exerts anticancer effects in osteosarcoma by inhibiting TCF7L1.

Gene variants for the WNT pathway are associated with severity in periodontal disease

OBJECTIVE

Studies of Wnt variants-related to bone resorption in periodontitis are limited. The aim of this study was to establish the genotype and allele frequency of gene variants associated with the Wnt pathway in systemically healthy individuals with and without periodontitis (PD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred fifty-seven systemically healthy individuals were evaluated, 90 with PD and 67 without PD. Periodontal clinical indexes, serological and clinical indices of inflammation, and the following variants associated with the Wnt pathway: DKK, SOST, LRP5, and KREMEN were analyzed by high resolution melting and confirmed by Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS

In the PD-free group, 67.2% of the individuals presented the variant for DKKrs1896367 (p = 0.008) and 82.6% had the variant for KREMEN rs132274 (p = 0.016). The heterozygous variant for the DKK rs1896367 polymorphism was associated with the absence of PD and lower severity OR: 0.33 (CI95% 0.15-0.70) and OR: 0.24 (CI95% 0.11-0.53), respectively. Similarly, KREMEN rs132274 was the homozygous variant associated with the absence of PD (OR: 0.33 (CI95% 0.13-0.88)). On the contrary, 85.6% of individuals with PD presented a variant for DKK rs1896368 (p = 0.042), all suffering severe forms of periodontitis.

CONCLUSION

The presence of DKKrs1896367 and KREMENrs132274 variants in individuals without PD suggests that these single nucleotide polymorphisms could be protective factors for bone loss in PD. A very interesting finding is that the DKKrs1896368 variant was found in a high percentage of severe cases, suggesting that the presence of this variant may be related to the severe bone loss observed in PD.

Investigating the impact of Wnt pathway-related genes on biomarker and diagnostic model development for osteoporosis in postmenopausal females

The Wnt signaling pathway is essential for bone development and maintaining skeletal homeostasis, making it particularly relevant in osteoporosis patients. Our study aimed to identify distinct molecular clusters associated with the Wnt pathway and develop a diagnostic model for osteoporosis in postmenopausal Caucasian women. We downloaded three datasets (GSE56814, GSE56815 and GSE2208) related to osteoporosis from the GEO database. Our analysis identified a total of 371 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between low and high bone mineral density (BMD) groups, with 12 genes associated with the Wnt signaling pathway, referred to as osteoporosis-associated Wnt pathway-related genes. Employing four independent machine learning models, we established a diagnostic model using the 12 osteoporosis-associated Wnt pathway-related genes in the training set. The XGB model showed the most promising discriminative potential. We further validate the predictive capability of our diagnostic model by applying it to three external datasets specifically related to osteoporosis. Subsequently, we constructed a diagnostic nomogram based on the five crucial genes identified from the XGB model. In addition, through the utilization of DGIdb, we identified a total of 30 molecular compounds or medications that exhibit potential as promising therapeutic targets for osteoporosis. In summary, our comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the relationship between the osteoporosis and Wnt signaling pathway.

GCF2 mediates nicotine-induced cancer stemness and progression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Cigarette smoking is one of the most impactful behavior-related risk factors for multiple cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nicotine, as the principal component of tobacco, is not only responsible for smoking addiction but also a carcinogen; nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we report that nicotine enhances HCC cancer stemness and malignant progression by upregulating the expression of GC-rich binding factor 2 (GCF2), a gene that was revealed to be upregulated in HCC and whose upregulation predicts poor prognosis, and subsequently activating the Wnt/ꞵ-catenin/SOX2 signaling pathway. We found that nicotine significantly increased GCF2 expression and that silencing of GCF2 reduced nicotine-induced cancer stemness and progression. Mechanistically, nicotine could stabilize the protein level of GCF2, and then GCF2 could robustly activate its downstream Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Taken together, our results thus suggest that GCF2 is a potential target for a therapeutic strategy against nicotine-promoted HCC.

MiR-488-3p facilitates wound healing through CYP1B1-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by targeting MeCP2

INTRODUCTION

Diabetic wounds are difficult to heal, but the pathogenesis is unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are thought to play important roles in wound healing. The effect of miR-488-3p in wound healing was studied in this article.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The gene methylation was measured by methylation specific PCR (MSP) assay. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was adopted to analyze the interaction between miR-488-3p and MeCP2.

RESULTS

Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) is a monooxygenase belonging to the cytochrome P450 family that aids in wound healing. Our findings showed that the miR-488-3p and CYP1B1 expression levels were much lower in wound tissues of diabetics with skin defects, but the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) level was significantly higher than that in control skin tissues. MiR-488-3p overexpression increased cell proliferation and migration, as well as HUVEC angiogenesis, while inhibiting apoptosis, according to function experiments. In vitro, MeCP2 inhibited wound healing by acting as a target of miR-488-3p. We later discovered that MeCP2 inhibited CYP1B1 expression by enhancing its methylation state. In addition, CYP1B1 knockdown inhibited wound healing. Furthermore, MeCP2 overexpression abolished the promoting effect of miR-488-3p on wound healing. It also turned out that CYP1B1 promoted wound healing by activating the Wnt4/β-catenin pathway. Animal experiments also showed that miR-488-3p overexpression could accelerate wound healing in diabetic male SD rats.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-488-3p is a potential therapeutic target for diabetic wound healing since it improved wound healing by activating the CYP1B1-mediated Wnt4/-catenin signaling cascade via MeCP2.

SFRP5 Partially Inhibits the Proliferation and Migration of Airway Smooth Muscle Cells in Children with Asthma by Regulating the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

BACKGROUND

Childhood asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract characterized by bronchial inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, airflow disorder, and obstruction. Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) may be associated with respiratory inflammatory diseases. This study investigated the effect of SFRP5 on human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) to provide new ideas for treating asthma.

METHODS

A total of 30 children with asthma and 30 children who had a physical examination at the same time were selected and divided into asthma and healthy groups. Serum SFRP5 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Lipofectamine 2000™ regent was used to transfect the SFRP5 overexpression plasmid (pc-SFRP5) or corresponding negative control (pc-NC) into HASMCs. HASMCs were treated with 10 μg/L platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), which is an inducer to mimic the asthma-like condition at the cellular level of childhood asthma. HASMCs were divided into control, PDGF-BB (PDGF-BB treatment), PDGF-BB+pc-NC (pc-NC transfection and PDGF-BB treatment), and PDGF-BB+pc-SFRP5 (pc-SFRP5 transfection and PDGF-BB treatment) groups. Cell proliferation was measured by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell migration was detected by Transwell assay. The protein expression was detected by western blot.

RESULTS

Serum SFRP5 expression in the asthmatic group was decreased versus the healthy group (p < 0.0001). Induction of PDGF-BB decreased SFRP5 expression in HASMCs (p < 0.01). SFRP5 expression in the pc-SFRP5 group was increased (p < 0.01). The proliferation and migration of HASMCs increased after PDGF-BB treatment (p < 0.001, p < 0.0001), indicating that the asthma model was successfully inducted in vitro. Moreover, the expression of β-catenin, cellular-myelocytomatosis viral oncogene (c-Myc), and cyclinD1 proteins in HASMCs increased after PDGF-BB treatment (p < 0.0001). SFRP5 overexpression partly inhibited PDGF-BB-induced proliferation, migration, and expressions of β-catenin, c-Myc, and cyclinD proteins in HASMCs (p < 0.01, p < 0.001, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum SFRP5 expression decreases in children with asthma. SFRP5 overexpression partially inhibits PDGF-BB-induced HASMC proliferation and migration by regulating the wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family (Wnt)/β-catenin pathway.