Zinc Finger E-Box-Binding Homeobox 2

As documented in numerous studies, microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in various biological processes associated with melanoma occurrence and development. In this study, we found that miRNA-342 (miR-342) was significantly downregulated in melanoma tissues and cell lines. Additionally, the ectopic expression of miR-342 prohibited the cell proliferation and invasion of melanoma. Moreover, zinc-finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) was identified as a direct target gene of miR-342 in melanoma. Similar with the results induced by miR-342 overexpression, ZEB1 knockdown attenuated cell proliferation and invasion in melanoma. Furthermore, the restoration of ZEB1 expression reversed the suppressive effects of miR-342 on the proliferation and invasion of melanoma cells. These findings suggest that miR-342 may play tumor-suppressing roles in melanoma, at least partially, by directly inhibiting ZEB1 expression. Therefore, miR-342 may be developed as a potential candidate for the treatment of patients with this aggressive type of cancer.

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The Functional Role of Zinc Finger E Box-Binding Homeobox 2 (Zeb2) in Promoting Cardiac Fibroblast Activation

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms19103207 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 3207 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Fahmida Jahan ◽

Natalie Landry ◽

Sunil Rattan ◽

Ian Dixon ◽

Jeffrey Wigle

Keyword(s):

Smooth Muscle ◽

Zinc Finger ◽

Cardiac Fibrosis ◽

Smooth Muscle Actin ◽

Critical Role ◽

Cardiac Fibroblast ◽

In Vivo Studies ◽

Fibroblast Activation ◽

E Box

Following cardiac injury, fibroblasts are activated and are termed as myofibroblasts, and these cells are key players in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and fibrosis, itself a primary contributor to heart failure. Nutraceuticals have been shown to blunt cardiac fibrosis in both in-vitro and in-vivo studies. However, nutraceuticals have had conflicting results in clinical trials, and there are no effective therapies currently available to specifically target cardiac fibrosis. We have previously shown that expression of the zinc finger E box-binding homeobox 2 (Zeb2) transcription factor increases as fibroblasts are activated. We now show that Zeb2 plays a critical role in fibroblast activation. Zeb2 overexpression in primary rat cardiac fibroblasts is associated with significantly increased expression of embryonic smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMemb), ED-A fibronectin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). We found that Zeb2 was highly expressed in activated myofibroblast nuclei but not in the nuclei of inactive fibroblasts. Moreover, ectopic Zeb2 expression in myofibroblasts resulted in a significantly less migratory phenotype with elevated contractility, which are characteristics of mature myofibroblasts. Knockdown of Zeb2 with siRNA in primary myofibroblasts did not alter the expression of myofibroblast markers, which may indicate that Zeb2 is functionally redundant with other profibrotic transcription factors. These findings add to our understanding of the contribution of Zeb2 to the mechanisms controlling cardiac fibroblast activation.

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Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma of renal pelvis with positive zinc finger E–box–binding homeobox 1: a case report

10.21203/rs.3.rs-52096/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Atsuko Takada-Owada ◽

Yumi Nozawa ◽

Masato Onozaki ◽

Shuhei Noda ◽

Tsengelumaa Jamiyan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urothelial Carcinoma ◽

Zinc Finger ◽

Renal Pelvis ◽

Plasma Cells ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Resected Specimen ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

E Box ◽

Tumor Transformation ◽

E Cadherin

Abstract BackgroundThe tumor transformation mechanism of a plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma remains unexplained. We describe the case of a plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis in which the expression of zinc finger E–box–binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), a key nuclear transcription factor in an epithelial–mesenchymal transition, is involved in tumor transformation.Case presentationThe patient had a left nephrectomy with the clinical diagnosis of left pelvic renal cancer. The resected specimen showed that the tumor surface comprised a noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinoma with the carcinoma in situ, and the invasive area comprised a plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma characterized by the presence of single dyscohesive malignant cells that resembled plasma cells in a loose myxoid stroma. The noninvasive urothelial carcinoma was positive for cytokeratin and E–cadherin, and negative for vimentin and ZEB1. In contrast, the invasive plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma was positive for cytokeratin and also vimentin and ZEB1, and negative for E–cadherin. Additionally, this component was immunoreactive for CD138 and CD38 that are immunohistochemical markers for plasma cells.ConclusionWe suggest that ZEB1 is involved in the plasmacytoid transformation by repressing the E–cadherin in a plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma.

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