scholarly journals CircMTO1 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression via the miR-541-5p/ZIC1 axis by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dandan Li ◽  
Jiawei Zhang ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Jie Wang ◽  
Runling Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Bioinformatic Analysis ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Signal Pathways ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

AbstractCircRNA mitochondrial tRNA translation optimization 1 (circMTO1) functions as a tumor suppressor usually and is related to the progression of many tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CircMTO1 is downregulated in HCC as compared to adjacent nontumor tissue, which may suppress the HCC progression by certain signal pathways. However, the underlying signal pathway remains largely unknown. The interactions between circMTO1 and miR-541-5p were predicted through bioinformatics analysis and verified using pull-down and dual-luciferase reporter assays. CCK-8, transwell, and apoptosis assays were performed to determine the effect of miR-541-5p on HCC progression. Using bioinformatic analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay, RT-qPCR, and western blot, ZIC1 was found to be the downstream target gene of miR-541-5p. The regulatory mechanisms of circMTO1, miR-541-5p, and ZIC1 were investigated using in vitro and in vivo rescue experiments. The results depicted that silencing circMTO1 or upregulating miR-541-5p expression facilitated HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibited apoptosis. CircMTO1 silencing upregulated the expression of downstream ZIC1 regulators of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway markers, β-catenin, cyclin D1, c-myc, and the mesenchymal markers N-cadherin, Vimentin, and MMP2, while the epithelial marker E-cadherin was downregulated. MiR-541-5p knockdown had the opposite effect and reversed the effect of circMTO1 silencing on the regulation of downstream ZIC1 regulators. Intratumoral injection of miR-541-5p inhibitor suppressed tumor growth and reversed the effect of circMTO1 silencing on the promotion of tumor growth in HCC. These findings indicated that circMTO1 suppressed HCC progression via the circMTO1/ miR-541-5p/ZIC1 axis by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, making it a novel therapeutic target.

scholarly journals LncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 Promotes Metastasis and Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Targeting miR-3612/ADAM15 Axis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Yang ◽  
Tianxiang Chen ◽  
Bowen Yao ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Runkun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Luciferase Reporter Assay ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Reporter Assay ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have obtained growing attention due to their potential effects as novel regulators in various tumors. This study aimed to investigate the expression and roles of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Transwell was used to determine migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro. The lung metastasis mouse model was established to detect tumor metastasis of HCC in vivo. The direct binding of miR-3612 to 3'UTR of DAM15 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. The expression of ZFPM2-AS1 and miR-3612 in HCC specimens and cell lines were detected by real-time PCR. The correlation among ZFPM2-AS1 and miR-3612 were disclosed by a dual-luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay and biotin pull-down assay.Results: In present study, we found that ZFPM2-AS1 was up-regulated in HCC tissues and cells and its upregulation was associated with TNM stage, vascular invasion, and poor prognosis of HCC patients. Functionally, gain- and loss-of-function experiments indicated that ZFPM2-AS1 promoted cell migration, invasion and EMT progress in vitro and in vivo. ZFPM2-AS1 could function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-3612 in HCC cells. Mechanically, miR-3612 inhibited HCC metastasis and alternation of miR-3612 reversed the promotive effects of ZFPM2-AS1 on HCC cells. In addition, we confirmed that ADAM15 was a direct target of miR-3612 in HCC and mediated the biological effects of miR-3612 and ZFPM2-AS1 in HCC. Curcumin, an active derivative from turmeric, exerts its anticancer effects through ZFPM2-AS1/miR-3612/ADAM15 pathway. Our data identified ZFPM2-AS1 as a novel oncogenic lncRNA and correlated malignant clinical outcomes in HCC patients. Conclusions: ZFPM2-AS1 performed as oncogenic role via targeting miR-3612 and subsequently promoted ADAM15 expression in HCC. Our results revealed that ZFPM2-AS1 could be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.

scholarly journals TDO2 Promotes the EMT of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Kyn-AhR Pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Li ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
Shanbao Li ◽  
Zhengqian Chen ◽  
Junyi Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Aryl Hydrocarbon ◽  
Hcc Cells

Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2), an enzyme involved in tryptophan (Trp) metabolism has been linked with some malignant traits of various cancers. Kyn, the main product of Trp metabolism pathway catalyzed by TDO2 and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in tumor cells, was also demonstrated to activate aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which may regulate cancer growth and invasion in some malignancies. However, whether TDO2 participates in the metastasis and invasion of HCC has not been explored before. The underlying mechanism played by TDO2 in this process still requires further investigation. Here, we demonstrated that overexpression of TDO2 correlates with advanced stage or malignant traits in HCC patients. Knockdown or inhibition of TDO2 suppressed the migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential program happened in the initial phase of cancer metastasis. We found that in HCC cells, TDO2 promoted the EMT process evidenced by altered levels of biomarkers for EMT. Mechanically, TDO2 regulated the Kyn production in HCC cell via activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Together, these results indicate that TDO2 promotes the EMT of hepatocellular carcinoma through activating Kyn-AhR pathway, thereby participating in the metastasis and invasion of HCC.

scholarly journals MiR-205 suppresses epithelial–mesenchymal transition and inhibits tumor growth of human glioma through down-regulation of HOXD9

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Dai ◽  
Guanghua Zhou ◽  
Zhiqiang Hu ◽  
Guangtong Zhu ◽  
Beibei Mao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Human Glioma ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

AbstractEpithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in cancer progression. Hsa-miR-205 is considered one of the fundamental regulators of EMT. In the present study, we found that miR-205 was down-regulated in glioma tissues and human glioma cells U87 and U251. Meanwhile, miR-205 overexpression enhanced E-cadherin, reduced mesenchymal markers, and decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. In vivo, miR-205 suppressed tumor growth. Additionally, HOXD9 was confirmed as a direct target of miR-205. Suppression of HOXD9 by miR-205 was demonstrated by luciferase reporter assay, quantitative real time-PCR analysis, and western blot. Moreover, we observed a negative correlation between miR-205 and HOXD9 in human glioma tissues. In summary, our findings demonstrated that miR-205 suppresses glioma tumor growth, invasion, and reverses EMT through down-regulating its target HOXD9.

scholarly journals HDAC4 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression and serves as a therapeutic target

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Cheng ◽  
Jun Yang ◽  
Si-Wei Li ◽  
Guofu Huang ◽  
Chenxi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Therapeutic Target ◽  
Histone Deacetylases ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Poor Overall Survival ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
E Cadherin

AbstractHistone deacetylases (HDACs) are involved in tumor progression, and some have been successfully targeted for cancer therapy. The expression of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4), a class IIa HDAC, was upregulated in our previous microarray screen. However, the role of HDAC4 dysregulation and mechanisms underlying tumor growth and metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain elusive. Here, we first confirmed that the HDAC4 levels in primary and metastatic NPC tissues were significantly increased compared with those in normal nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues and found that high HDAC4 expression predicted a poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Functionally, HDAC4 accelerated cell cycle G1/S transition and induced the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition to promote NPC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, as well as tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Intriguingly, knockdown of N-CoR abolished the effects of HDAC4 on the invasion and migration abilities of NPC cells. Mechanistically, HDAC3/4 binds to the E-cadherin promoter to repress E-cadherin transcription. We also showed that the HDAC4 inhibitor tasquinimod suppresses tumor growth in NPC. Thus, HDAC4 may be a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in patients with NPC.

scholarly journals Loss of PR55α promotes proliferation and metastasis by activating MAPK/AKT signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
JiangSheng Zhao ◽  
GuoFeng Chen ◽  
Jingqi Li ◽  
Shiqi Liu ◽  
Quan Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Lung Metastases ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Signal Pathways ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Healthy Liver

Abstract Background PR55α plays important roles in oncogenesis and progression of numerous malignancies. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. This study aims to characterize the functions of PR55α in HCC. Methods PR55α expressions in HCC tissues and paired healthy liver samples were evaluated using Western blot and tissue microarray immunohistochemistry. We knocked down the expression of PR55α in SMMC-7721 and LM3 cell lines via small interfering and lentivirus. In vitro cell counting, colony formation, migration and invasion assays were performed along with in vivo xenograft implantation and lung metastases experiments. The potential mechanisms involving target signal pathways were investigated by RNA-sequencing. Results PR55α expression level was suppressed in HCC tissues in comparison to healthy liver samples. Decreased PR55α levels were correlated with poorer prognosis (P = 0.0059). Knockdown of PR55α significantly promoted cell proliferation and migration, induced repression of the cell cycle progression and apoptosis in vitro while accelerating in vivo HCC growth and metastasis. Mechanistic analysis indicated that PR55α silencing was involved with MAPK/AKT signal pathway activation and resulted in increased phosphorylation of both AKT and ERK1/2. Conclusions This study identifies PR55α to be a candidate novel therapeutic target in the treatment of HCC.

scholarly journals KLF7/VPS35 axis contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma progression through CCDC85C-activated β-catenin pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yarong Guo ◽  
Bao Chai ◽  
Junmei Jia ◽  
Mudan Yang ◽  
Yanjun Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Proliferation And Invasion ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Objective Dysregulation of KLF7 participates in the development of various cancers, but it is unclear whether there is a link between HCC and aberrant expression of KLF7. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of KLF7 in proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Methods CCK8, colony growth, transwell, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis detection were performed to explore the effect of KLF7, VPS35 and Ccdc85c on cell function in vitro. Xenografted tumor growth was used to assess in vivo role of KLF7. Chip-qPCR and luciferase reporter assays were applied to check whether KLF7 regulated VPS35 at transcriptional manner. Co-IP assay was performed to detect the interaction between VPS35 and Ccdc85c. Immunohistochemical staining and qRT-PCR analysis were performed in human HCC sampels to study the clinical significance of KLF7, VPS35 and β-catenin. Results Firstly, KLF7 was highly expressed in human HCC samples and correlated with patients’ differentiation and metastasis status. KLF7 overexpression contributed to cell proliferation and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. KLF7 transcriptional activation of VPS35 was necessary for HCC tumor growth and metastasis. Further, co-IP studies revealed that VPS35 could interact with Ccdc85c in HCC cells. Rescue assay confirmed that overexpression of VPS35 and knockdown of Ccdc85c abolished the VPS35-medicated promotion effect on cell proliferation and invasion. Finally, KLF7/VPS35 axis regulated Ccdc85c, which involved in activation of β-catenin signaling pathway, confirmed using β-catenin inhibitor, GK974. Functional studies suggested that downregulation of Ccdc85c partly reversed the capacity of cell proliferation and invasion in HCC cells, which was regulated by VPS35 upregulation. Lastly, there was a positive correlation among KLF7, VPS35 and active-β-catenin in human HCC patients. Conclusion We demonstrated that KLF7/VPS35 axis promoted HCC cell progression by activating Ccdc85c-medicated β-catenin pathway. Targeting this signal axis might be a potential treatment strategy for HCC.

scholarly journals Potential Role of microRNA-183 as a Tumor Suppressor in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 2065-2072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Bian ◽  
Hongfei Zhang ◽  
Miao Tang ◽  
Shaojun Zhang ◽  
Lichao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Hepg2 Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Metastatic Progression ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Reporter Assays

Background/Aims: Disseminated tumors, known as metastases, are responsible for ninety-percent of mortality due to cancer. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition, a phenomenon required for morphological conversion of non-motile discoid shaped epithelial cells to highly motile spindle-shaped mesenchymal cells, is thought to be a pre-requisite for metastatic progression. Metastasis-associated 1 (MTA1) protein is a prime inducer of EMT and metastatic progression in all solid tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the expression and function of MTA1 in HCC have not been elucidated. Methods: In silico prediction algorithms were used to find microRNAs (miRNAs) that may target MTA1. We examined the relationship between the expression of MTA1 and miR-183 using quantitative real time PCR. We also determined the levels of the MTA1 protein using immunohistochemistry. Reporter assays, in the presence and absence of the miR-183 mimic, were used to confirm MTA1 as a bona fide target of miR183. The effect of miR-183 on HCC pathogenesis was determined using a combination of in vitro migration and invasion assay, together with in vivo xenograft experiments. The correlation between miR-183 and MTA1 expression was also studied in samples from HCC patients, and in The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Results: Analysis of the sequence database revealed that MTA1 is a putative target of miR-183. MTA1 protein and RNA expression showed opposite trends to miR-183 expression in breast, renal, prostate, and testicular tissue samples from cancer patients, and in the metastatic HCC cell line HepG2. An inverse correlation was also observed between MTA1 (high) and miR-183 (low) expression within samples from HHC patients and in the TCGA dataset. Reporter assays in HepG2 cells showed that miR-183 could inhibit translation of a reporter harboring the wild-type, but not the mutant miR-183 3’-untranslated region (UTR). In addition, miR-183 significantly inhibited in vitro migration and invasion in HepG2 cells, and in vivo hepatic metastasis. Conclusion: Our results reveal a novel post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism for MTA1 expression via miR-183, which is suppressed during HCC pathogenesis.

scholarly journals Scorpion inhibits epithelial–mesenchymal transition and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

2018 ◽  
Vol 243 (7) ◽  
pp. 645-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Quan Yan ◽  
Juan Xie ◽  
Jing-Fu Wang ◽  
Zhao-Feng Shi ◽  
Xiang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Poor Prognosis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Unfavorable Clinical Outcome ◽  
Metastasis Models ◽  
Tumor Growth And Metastasis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant diseases worldwide. The unfavorable clinical outcome and poor prognosis are due to high rates of recurrence and metastasis after treatments. Some scholars of traditional Chinese medicine suggested that endogenous wind-evil had played an important role in metastasis of malignant tumor. Therefore, the drug of dispelling wind-evil could be used to prevent cancer metastasis and improve the poor prognosis. So we wondered whether Scorpion, one of the most important wind calming drugs, has antitumor effect especially in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of HCC in this research. We found that Scorpion-medicated serum could inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and decrease migration and invasion capacity of Hepa1-6 cells in vitro. Meanwhile, we observed that water decoction of Scorpion restrained tumor growth and metastasis in nude mouse of HCC metastasis models. Further experiments showed that Scorpion could suppress EMT, which is characterized by increased epithelial marker E-cadherin expression and decreased mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and Snail expression following Scorpion treatment both in vitro and in vivo. These results suggested that the Scorpion could inhibit Hepa1-6 cells’ invasion and metastasis in part by reversing EMT and providing a possible potential approach for preventing HCC metastasis. Impact statement The unfavorable clinical outcome and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are due to high rates of recurrence and metastasis after treatments. Here we found Scorpion, one of the most important wind calming drugs, has antitumor effect. Scorpion-medicated serum inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis, and decreased migration and invasion capacity of Hepa1-6 cells in vitro. Water decoction of Scorpion restrained tumor growth and metastasis in nude mouse of HCC metastasis models. Further experiments showed that Scorpion could suppress EMT of HCC both in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggested that the Scorpion could inhibit Hepa1-6 cells’ invasion and metastasis in part by reversing EMT and providing a possible potential approach for preventing HCC metastasis.

scholarly journals Sp1-Induced Upregulation of LBX2-AS1 Aggravates The Progression of Glioblastoma By Targeting The miR-491-5p/LIF Axis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wentao Li ◽  
Ismatullah Soufiany ◽  
Xiao Lyu ◽  
Lin Zhao ◽  
Chenfei Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Stat3 Signaling ◽  
Regulatory Effects

Abstract Background: Mounting evidences have shown the importance of lncRNAs in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. LBX2-AS1 is an oncogenic lncRNA that has been found abnormally expressed in gastric cancer and lung cancer samples. Nevertheless, the biological function of LBX2-AS1 in glioblastoma (GBM) and potential molecular mechanism are largely unclear. Methods: Relative levels of LBX2-AS1 in GBM samples and cell lines were detected by qRT-PCR and FISH. In vivo and in vitro regulatory effects of LBX2-AS1 on cell proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis in GBM were examined through xenograft models and functional experiments, respectively. The interaction between Sp1 and LBX2-AS1 was assessed by ChIP. Through bioinformatic analyses, dual-luciferase reporter assay, RIP and Western blot, the regulation of LBX2-AS1 and miR-491-5p on the target gene leukemia Inhibitory factor (LIF) was identified. Results: LBX2-AS1 was upregulated in GBM samples and cell lines, and its transcription was promoted by binding to the transcription factor Sp1. As a lncRNA mainly distributed in the cytoplasm, LBX2-AS1 upregulated LIF, and activated the LIF/STAT3 signaling by exerting the miRNA sponge effect on miR-491-5p, thus promoting cell proliferation, EMT and angiogenesis in GBM. Besides, LBX2-AS1 was unfavorable to the progression of glioma and the survival. Conclusion: Upregulated by Sp1, LBX2-AS1 promotes the progression of GBM by targeting the miR-491-5p/LIF axis. It is suggested that LBX2-AS1 may be a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target of GBM.

scholarly journals Circular RNA CDR1as Inhibits the Metastasis of Gastric Cancer through Targeting miR-876-5p/GNG7 Axis

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Jiajia Jiang ◽  
Rong Li ◽  
Junyi Wang ◽  
Jie Hou ◽  
Hui Qian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Circular Rna ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Luciferase Reporter Gene ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Circular RNA CDR1as has been demonstrated to participate in various cancer progressions as miRNA sponges. The exact underlying mechanisms of CDR1as on gastric cancer (GC) metastasis remain unknown. Here, we found that CDR1as knockdown facilitated GC cell migration and invasion while its overexpression inhibited the migration and invasion abilities of GC cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, epithelial-mesenchymal transition- (EMT-) associated proteins and MMP2 and MMP9 were downregulated by CDR1as. Bioinformatics analysis combined with dual-luciferase reporter gene assays, western blot, RT-qPCR analysis, and functional rescue experiments demonstrated that CDR1as served as a miR-876-5p sponge and upregulated the target gene GNG7 expression to suppress GC metastasis. In summary, our findings indicate that CDR1as suppresses GC metastasis through the CDR1as/miR-876-5p/GNG7 axis.

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