scholarly journals Upregulation of LncDQ is Associated with Poor Prognosis and Promotes Tumor Progression via Epigenetic Regulation of the EMT Pathway in HCC

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 1122-1133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Zeng ◽  
Zewei Lin ◽  
Huilin Ye ◽  
Di Cheng ◽  
Guangtao Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Functional Role ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Hcc Cells

Background/Aims: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of cancer initiation and progression. In this study, we investigated the clinical value and functional role of LncRNA DQ786243 (LncDQ) in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: To investigate the expression level of LncDQ in HCC, we performed quantitative real-time PCR using total RNA extracted from HCC tumor tissues and their matched non-neoplastic counterparts, as well as from the serum of HCC patients and healthy volunteers. The correlation of LncDQ expression with clinicopathologic features and prognosis was analyzed. The functional role of LncDQ in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated by MTT cell viability, wound healing, and transwell assays in vitro and in vivo. RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to analyze the potential mechanism of LncDQ in HCC cells. Results: LncDQ was upregulated in both HCC tissue samples and serum and was correlated with low survival rate and adverse clinical pathological characteristics. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that LncDQ expression was an independent prognostic factor for HCC. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.804 with a sensitivity of 0.72 and a specificity of 0.8. Knockdown of LncDQ induced inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, LncDQ regulated the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway by interacting with EZH2, to epigenetically repress the expression of E-cadherin in HCC cells. Conclusions: Taken together, the results of our study indicate that LncDQ plays a critical role in HCC progression, and may serve as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for HCC.

SOX10 induces epithelial–mesenchymal transition and contributes to nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping He ◽  
Xiaojie Jin
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of SOX10 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: The expression of SOX10 was initially assessed in human NPC tissues and a series of NPC cell lines through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Then, cell proliferation, cycle, migration, and the invasiveness of NPC cells with knockdown of SOX10 were examined by MTT, flow cytometry, and Transwell migration and invasion assays, respectively. Finally, nude mice tumorigenicity experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of SOX10 on NPC growth and metastasis in vivo. Results: SOX10 was significantly increased in NPC tissues and cell lines. In-vitro experiments revealed that loss of SOX10 obviously inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness, as well as the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in NPC cells. In-vivo experiments further demonstrated that disrupted SOX10 expression restrained NPC growth and metastasis, especially in lung and liver. Conclusion: Taken together, our data confirmed the role of SOX10 as an oncogene in NPC progression, and revealed that SOX10 may serve as a novel biomarker for diagnosis of NPC, as well as a potential therapeutic target against this disease.

scholarly journals CircRNA circ_0004370 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibits cell apoptosis of esophageal cancer via miR-1301-3p/COL1A1 axis

Open Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-116
Author(s):  
Xiaobo Chen ◽  
Hongwen Sun ◽  
Yunping Zhao ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Guosheng Xiong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Ec Cells

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the circ_0004370 expression in EC, its effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms in EC.MethodsThe protein levels of COL1A1 and EMT-related proteins were detected by western blot. The role of circ_0004370 on cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. The transwell assay was used to examine cell migration and invasion. The binding sites between miR-1301-3p and circ_0004370 or COL1A1 were predicted by starbase software and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay.ResultsWe discovered that circ_0004370 was remarkably upregulated in EC tissues and cells. Knockdown of circ_0004370 inhibited cell proliferation, migration as well as invasion, and promoted apoptosis in vitro, while its effect was rescued by miR-1301-3p inhibition. And circ_0004370 mediated the EMT process in EC cells. Moreover, we explored its regulatory mechanism and found that circ_0004370 directly bound to miR-1301-3p and COL1A1 was verified as a target of miR-1301-3p. COL1A1 was highly expressed in EC cells and upregulation of COL1A1 reversed the effects of miR-1301-3p on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. In addition, silencing of circ_0004370 reduced tumor volumes and weights in vivo. We showed that circ_0004370/miR-1301-3p/COL1A1 axis played the critical role in EC to regulate the cell activities.ConclusionCirc_0004370 promotes EC proliferation, migration and invasion, and EMT process and suppresses apoptosis by regulating the miR-1301-3p/COL1A1 axis, indicating that circ_0004370 may be used as a potential therapeutic target for EC.

scholarly journals MCCC2 promotes HCC development by supporting leucine oncogenic function

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Yan Chen ◽  
Xue-Ning Zhang ◽  
Chen-Zhou Xu ◽  
Dan-Hua Zhou ◽  
Jing Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Leucine Metabolism ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background The role of methylcrotonoyl-CoA carboxylase 2 (MCCC2) in the development of tumors is well-established, and the involvement of leucine in the liver is well-known. However, the role of MCCC2 and the correlation between MCCC2 and leucine in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not yet been reported. Methods In this study, the Gepia database was used to evaluate the prognostic value of MCCC2 in HCC. The expression and localization of MCCC2 in HCC cells were determined by western blot and immunofluorescence assays. Flow cytometry and CCK-8 and transwell assays were carried out to explore the effect of MCCC2 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis was used to predict the potential cell function of MCCC2 in HCC. Results We found that the expression of MCCC2 increased in HCC tissues and that high expression of MCCC2 could predict poor outcomes in HCC patients. Knockdown expression of MCCC2 in HCC cells could reduce cell proliferation, migration, and invasion ability in vitro and could inhibit HCC cell proliferation in vivo. Interestingly, we found that HCC cells transfected with MCCC2-sgRNA failed to respond to leucine deprivation. Meanwhile, leucine deprivation inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cells where MCCC2 was present rather than in cells where MCCC2 was absent. In addition, knockdown of MCCC2 significantly reduced the glycolysis markers, glucose consumption, lactate secretion, and acetyl-CoA level, which is a product of leucine metabolism. Furthermore, we found that MCCC2 promotes the activation of ERK. Profiling the MCCC2 binding proteins revealed that MCCC2-associated proteins are enriched in biological processes, such as protein metabolism, energy pathway, and metabolism in HCC cells. Conclusions Our findings revealed that MCCC2 plays a critical role in the development of HCC, and the leucine metabolism pathway might be a novel target in HCC treatment.

scholarly journals New Actors Driving the Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer: The Role of Leptin

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1676
Author(s):  
Monserrat Olea-Flores ◽  
Juan C. Juárez-Cruz ◽  
Miriam D. Zuñiga-Eulogio ◽  
Erika Acosta ◽  
Eduardo García-Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Progression ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Epithelial Cancers ◽  
Patients With Cancer

Leptin is a hormone secreted mainly by adipocytes; physiologically, it participates in the control of appetite and energy expenditure. However, it has also been linked to tumor progression in different epithelial cancers. In this review, we describe the effect of leptin on epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in different study models, including in vitro, in vivo, and patient studies and in various types of cancer, including breast, prostate, lung, and ovarian cancer. The different studies report that leptin promotes the expression of mesenchymal markers and a decrease in epithelial markers, in addition to promoting EMT-related processes such as cell migration and invasion and poor prognosis in patients with cancer. Finally, we report that leptin has the greatest biological relevance in EMT and tumor progression in breast, lung, prostate, esophageal, and ovarian cancer. This relationship could be due to the key role played by the enriched tumor microenvironment in adipose tissue. Together, these findings demonstrate that leptin is a key biomolecule that drives EMT and metastasis in cancer.

scholarly journals Knockdown of microRNA-214-3p Promotes Tumor Growth and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Prostate Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 5875
Author(s):  
Patrice Cagle ◽  
Nikia Smith ◽  
Timothy O. Adekoya ◽  
Yahui Li ◽  
Susy Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Protein Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Oncogenic Signaling ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

Abnormal expression of microRNA miR-214-3p (miR-214) is associated with multiple cancers. In this study, we assessed the effects of CRISPR/Cas9 mediated miR-214 depletion in prostate cancer (PCa) cells and the underlying mechanisms. Knockdown of miR-214 promoted PCa cell proliferation, invasion, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and increased resistance to anoikis, a key feature of PCa cells that undergo metastasis. The reintroduction of miR-214 in miR-214 knockdown cells reversed these effects and significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. These in vitro studies are consistent with the role of miR-214 as a tumor suppressor. Moreover, miR-214 knockout increased tumor growth in PCa xenografts in nude mice supporting its anti-oncogenic role in PCa. Knockdown of miR-214 increased the expression of its target protein, Protein Tyrosine Kinase 6 (PTK6), a kinase shown to promote oncogenic signaling and tumorigenesis in PCa. In addition, miR-214 modulated EMT as exhibited by differential regulation of E-Cadherin, N-Cadherin, and Vimentin both in vitro and in vivo. RNA-seq analysis of miR-214 knockdown cells revealed altered gene expression related to PCa tumor growth pathways, including EMT and metastasis. Collectively, our findings reveal that miR-214 is a key regulator of PCa oncogenesis and is a potential novel therapeutic target for the treatment of the disease.

scholarly journals The POU2F1/miR-4490/USP22 axis regulates cell proliferation and metastasis in gastric cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 1017-1033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yizhi Xiao ◽  
Side Liu ◽  
Jiaying Li ◽  
Weiyu Dai ◽  
Weimei Tang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

Abstract Purpose Growing evidence indicates that aberrant expression of microRNAs contributes to tumor development. However, the biological role of microRNA-4490 (miR-4490) in gastric cancer (GC) remains to be clarified. Methods To explore the function of miR-4490 in GC, we performed colony formation, EdU incorporation, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, in situ hybridization (ISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC), flow cytometry, ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays. In addition, the growth, migration and invasion capacities of GC cells were evaluated. Results We found that miR-4490 was significantly downregulated in primary GC samples and in GC-derived cell lines compared with normal controls, and that this expression level was negatively correlated with GC malignancy. Exogenous miR-4490 expression not only reduced cell cycle progression and proliferation, but also significantly inhibited GC cell migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro. Mechanistically, we found that miR-4490 directly targets USP22, which mediates inhibition of GC cell proliferation and EMT-induced metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we found through luciferase and ChIP assays that transcription factor POU2F1 can directly bind to POU2F1 binding sites within the miR-4490 and USP22 promoters and, by doing so, modulate their transcription. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between USP22 and POU2F1 expression and negative correlations between miR-4490 and USP22 as well as miR-4490 and POU2F1 expression in primary GC tissues. Conclusion Based on our results we conclude that miR-4490 acts as a tumor suppressor, and that the POU2F1/miR-4490/USP22 axis plays an important role in the regulation of growth, invasion and EMT of GC cells.

scholarly journals FEZF1-AS1 is a key regulator of cell cycle, epithelial–mesenchymal transition and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunzhou Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Expression Levels

AbstractBackground: Accumulating studies discloses that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve important roles in human tumorigenesis, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 in NPC.Materials and methods: The expression levels of FEZF1-AS1 in NPC tissues and cell lines were detected by RT-qPCR analysis. MTT assay was performed to investigate the proliferation of NPC cells in vitro, whereas the migration and invasion of NPC cells were determined by wound healing assay and transwell assay. A nude mouse tumor model was established to study the role of FEZF1-AS1 in NPC tumorigenesis in vivo. The expression levels of proteins were detected by Western blot assay.Results: The results showed that FEZF1-AS1 expression was increased in the NPC tissues and cell lines, and the higher expression of FEZF1-AS1 was closely associated with poor prognosis of NPC patients. We further observed that knockdown of FEZF1-AS1 inhibited the proliferation of NPC cells in vitro and suppressed NPC xenograft growth in vivo through inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest. The migratory and invasive abilities of NPC cells were also reduced upon FEZF1-AS1 knockdown. Moreover, we demonstrated that inhibition of FEZF1-AS1 remarkably suppressed epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and reduced β-catenin accumulation in nucleus in NPC cells.Conclusions: Collectively, we showed that FEZF1-AS1 might be a key regulator of cell cycle, EMT and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in NPC cells, which may be helpful for understanding of pathogenesis of NPC.

scholarly journals LncRna CPS1-IT1 Suppresses Cell Proliferation, Invasion and Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 567-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Weitang Yuan ◽  
Junmin Song ◽  
Shijun Wang ◽  
Xiaoming Gu
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Survival Outcomes ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
In Vivo Animal Model

Background/Aims: Increasing evidence demonstrates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate diverse cellular processes and cancer progression. Whether lncRNAs play any functional role in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of lncRNA CPS1 intronic transcript 1 (CPS1-IT1) in CRC. Methods: Expression of CPS1-IT1 was initially assessed in human CRC tissues and in a series of CRC cell lines. The correlations between CPS1-IT1 levels and survival outcomes were analyzed to elucidate the clinical significance of CPS1-IT1 in CRC. The underlying mechanisms of CPS1-IT1 in CRC were analyzed through in vitro and in vivo functional assays. Results: Expression of CPS1-IT1 was significantly decreased in CRC tissues and cell lines, and patients with low CPS1-IT1 expression had poor survival outcomes. The results of in vitro assays revealed that CPS1-IT1 significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasion capacities and accelerated cell apoptosis, thereby suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). An in vivo animal model also demonstrated the tumor-suppressive role of CPS1-IT1. Conclusion: In this study, we found that CPS1-IT1 has a tumor-suppressive role in CRC. Our data suggest that CPS1-IT1 could be used as a new prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC.

scholarly journals miR-186 Suppresses the Progression of Cholangiocarcinoma Cells Through Inhibition of Twist1

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 1061-1068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Zhang ◽  
Baochang Shi ◽  
Kai Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Tumor Formation ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cycle Arrest

Deregulation of miR-186 and Twist1 has been identified to be involved in the progression of multiple cancers. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying miR-186-involved cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are still unknown. In this study, we found that miR-186 was downregulated in CCA tissues and cell lines, and negatively correlated with the expression of Twist1 protein. In vitro assays demonstrated that miR-186 mimics repressed cell proliferation, in vivo tumor formation, and caused cell cycle arrest. miR-186 mimics also inhibited the migration and invasion of CCLP1 and SG-231 cells. Mechanistically, the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of Twist1 mRNA is a direct target of miR-186. Further, miR-186 inhibited the expressions of Twist1, N-cadherin, vimentin, and matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) proteins, whereas it increased the expression of E-cadherin in CCLP1 and SG-231 cells. Silencing of Twist1 expression enhanced the inhibitory effects of miR-186 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CCLP1 and SG-231 cells. In conclusion, miR-186 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) through targeting Twist1 in human CCA. Thus, miR-186/Twist1 axis may benefit the development of therapies for CCA.

scholarly journals WASF2 Overexpression and Promoter Hypomethylation Are Associated With Poor Clinical Outcomes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye Ri Ahn ◽  
Geum Ok Baek ◽  
Moon Gyeong Yoon ◽  
Ju A Son ◽  
Jung Hwan Yoon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Regulatory Mechanism ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and lethal cancers worldwide. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family member 2 (WASF2) is an integral member of the actin cytoskeleton pathway that plays a crucial role in cell motility. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of WASF2 in HCC carcinogenesis and its regulatory mechanism. Methods: WASF2 expression in HCC was analyzed using six public RNA-seq datasets and 66 paired tissues from patients with HCC. Role of WASF2 in HCC cell phenotypes was evaluated using small interfering RNA (siRNA) in vitro and in vivo. Epigenetic regulatory mechanism of WASF2 was assessed in the Cancer Genome Atlas liver hepatocellular carcinoma project (TCGA_LIHC) dataset and also validated in 38 paired HCC tissues. Results: WASF2 is overexpressed in HCC and is clinically correlated with prognosis. WASF2 inactivation decreased the viability, growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion of Huh-7 and SNU475 HCC cells by restoring G2/M checkpoint function, inducing cell death, and inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and hindering actin polymerization. In addition, WASF2 knockdown using siWASF2 in a xenograft mouse model exerted tumor suppressive effect. Furthermore, we observed a negative correlation between WASF2 methylation status and mRNA expression. The cg24162579 CpG island in the WASF2 5′ promoter region was hypomethylated in HCC compared to matched non-tumor samples. Patients with high WASF2 methylation and low WASF2 expression displayed the highest overall survival.Conclusions: WASF2 is overexpressed and hypomethylated in HCC and correlates with patient prognosis. Moreover, WASF2 inactivation exerts anti-tumorigenic effects on HCC cells in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that WASF2 could be a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

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