ANP32A promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma by modulating the HMGA1/STAT3 pathway

Abstract ANP32A (acidic leucine-rich nuclear phosphoprotein-32A) has been reported to play an essential role in the development and progression of various human cancers. However, its expression pattern and possible mechanism in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain to be elucidated. In this study, we used western blot and immunohistochemical staining to detect protein expression. The effects of ANP32A on the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells were examined using 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation, CCK-8, and transwell assays. RT-qPCR was performed to detect mRNA expression. The interaction between ANP32A and the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) mRNA was assessed using RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). The tumorigenicity of ANP32A was assessed by establishing a xenograft tumor model in Balb/c nude mice. We found that the ANP32A protein was expressed at high levels in patients with HCC, which was associated with a poor prognosis. Functional experiments revealed that the silencing of ANP32A inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells, whereas overexpression of ANP32A promoted these processes. Further investigations indicated that ANP32A bound the HMGA1 mRNA and maintained its stability to promote the expression of HMGA1, thereby increasing the expression and activation of STAT3. Finally, a xenograft tumor model of Balb/c nude mice confirmed the tumorigenicity of ANP32A. This study found that ANP32A is up-regulated in patients with HCC and may accelerate the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells by modulating the HMGA1/STAT3 pathway.

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miR-9-5p Promotes β-Catenin-Activated Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Via Targeting LZTS2

10.21203/rs.3.rs-105343/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jie Zhang ◽

Lina Zhang ◽

Jianlong Wang ◽

Jing Zhao ◽

Xuelian Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Tumor Suppressor ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Nuclear Export ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Tumor Model ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Xenograft Tumor ◽

Xenograft Tumor Model ◽

Low Expression

Abstract Background: Leucine zipper tumor suppressor 2 (LZTS2), an emerging tumor-suppressor, is attenuated in multiple cancers including prostate, lung and colon cancer. However, its expression and upstream regulatory mechanisms in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) still remain unknown.Materials and methods: The expression of LZTS2 in TNBC and matched para-carcinoma tissues was detected with immunohistochemistry. The correlations between LZTS2 expression and clinicopathological parameters were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to determine the prognostic role of LZTS2 for TNBC patients. CCK-8, wound healing and transwell assay were used to detect the effect of LZTS2 overexpression on the proliferation, migration and invasion ability, respectively. The bioinformation algorithms were used to reveal the potential upstream regulatory miRNA. Then, dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the regulatory effect of the chosen miRNA on the expression of LZTS2. miR-9-5p inhibitor was used to determine the effect of miR-9-5p on the subcellular localization of β-catenin. Then, western blotting was performed to reveal the effect of miR-9-5p on EMT-related proteins in TNBC cells. Xenograft tumor model was established to reveal the effect of miR-9-5p on TNBC progression in vivo.Results: Low expression of LZTS2 was observed in 62 of 95 cases of TNBC tissue. Low expression of LZTS2 was correlated with poor postoperative DFS and OS of TNBC patients. LZTS2 could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of TNBC cells. LZTS2 could be downregulated by miR-9-5p in TNBC, and the nuclear export of β-catenin was suppressed. Consequently, miR-9-5p inhibitor downregulated E-cadherin and upregulated N-cadherin, Twist and Vimentin in TNBC cells. Xenograft tumor model showed that miR-9-5p inhibitor could upregulate the expression of LZTS2 and induce nuclear export of β-catenin in TNBC.Conclusions: miR-9-5p contributes to β-catenin-activated EMT via downregulating LZTS2, and thus promotes TNBC progression.

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Vincosamide inhibits malignant behaviors of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by activating caspase-3 activity and blocking the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

10.21203/rs.3.rs-28543/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mingyue Zhu ◽

Haipeng Feng ◽

Bo Lin ◽

Ying Zhou ◽

Yifeng Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Caspase 3 ◽

Tumor Model ◽

Akt Signaling ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mitochondrial Morphology ◽

Mouse Tumor ◽

Akt Signaling Pathway ◽

Hcc Cells

Abstract Background Vincosamide(Vinco) was first identified in the methanolic extract of the leaves of Psychotria leiocarpa, and Vinco has important anti-inflammatory effects and activity against cholinesterase. However, whether Vinco inhibits the malignant behaviors of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cells is still unclear. In the present study, we explored the role of Vinco in suppressing the malignant behaviors of HCC cells. Methods MTT and trypan blue exclusion assays were applied to detect the proliferation and death of HCC cells; electron microscopy was performed to observe change in cellular mitochondrial morphology; scratch repair and Transwell assays were used to analyze the migration and invasion of HCC cells; the expression and localization of proteins were detected by laser confocal microscopy and Western blotting; and the growth of the cancer cells in vivo was assessed in a mouse tumor model. Results At a dose of 10–80 µg/ml, Vinco inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells and promoted their apoptosis in a time- and dose-independent manner but had little effect on normal liver cells. Additionally, 80 µg/ml Vinco significantly disrupted the morphology of mitochondria and suppressed the migration and invasion of HCC cells. The growth of HCC cells in the animal tumor model was significantly inhibited after treatment with Vinco (10 mg/kg/day) for 3 days. The results of the present study indicate that Vinco (10–80 µg/ml) plays novel roles in activating caspase-3, promoting the expression of PTEN, and inhibiting the phosphorylation of AKT(Ser 473) and mTOR (Thr2448) and that Vinco was able to also suppress the expression of CXCR4, Src, MMP9, EpCAM, Ras and Oct4 in HCC cells. Conclusions Vinco plays a role in inhibiting the malignant behaviors of HCC cells, and the molecular mechanism may involve in suppressing the expression of the growth-, metastasis-related factors Src, Ras, MMP9, EpCAM and CXCR4 and activating the activity of caspase-3. Vinco also blocks the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Thus, Vinco is an available chemotherapy for HCC patients.

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SRSF1 promotes the inclusion of exon 3 of SRA1 and the invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by interacting with exon 3 of SRA1pre-mRNA

Cell Death Discovery ◽

10.1038/s41420-021-00498-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sijia Lei ◽

Bin Zhang ◽

Luyuan Huang ◽

Ziyou Zheng ◽

Shaohan Xie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Tumor Invasion ◽

Carcinoma Cells ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Regulated Expression ◽

Rna Immunoprecipitation ◽

Hcc Cells

AbstractSteroid receptor RNA activator 1 (SRA1) has been described as a novel transcriptional co-activator that affects the migration of cancer cells. Through RT-PCR, we identified that skipping exon 3 of SRA1 produces two isoforms, including the truncated short isoform, SRA1-S, and the long isoform, SRA1-L. However, the effect of these two isomers on the migration of HCC cells, as well as the specific mechanism of exon 3 skipping remain unclear. In this study, we found up regulated expression of SRSF1 and SRA1-L in highly metastatic HCCLM3, as well as in HCCs with SRSF1 demonstrating the strongest correlation with SRA1-L. In contrast, we observed a constitutively low expression of SRA1-S and SRSF1 in lowly metastatic HepG2 cells. Overexpression of SRSF1 or SRA1-L promoted migration and invasion by increasing the expression of CD44, while SRA1-S reversed the effect of SRSF1 and SRA1-L in vitro. In addition, lung metastasis in mice revealed that, knockdown of SRSF1 or SRA1-L inhibited the migration of HCC cells, while SRA1-L overexpression abolished the effect of SRSF1 knockout and instead promoted HCC cells migration in vivo. More importantly, RNA immunoprecipitation and Cross-link immunoprecipitation analyses showed that SRSF1 interacts with exon 3 of SRA1 to up regulate the expression of SRA1-L in HCC cells. RNA pull-down results indicated that SRSF1 could also bind to exon 3 of SRA1 in vitro. Finally, minigene -MS2 mutation experiments showed that mutation of the SRA1 exon 3 binding site for SRSF1 prevented the binding of SRA1 pre-mRNA. In summary, our results provide experimental evidence that SRA1 exon 3 inclusion is up regulated by SRSF1 to promote tumor invasion and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

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CircANKRD52 Promotes the Tumorigenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Sponging miR-497-5p and Upregulating BIRC5 Expression

Cell Transplantation ◽

10.1177/09636897211008874 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 096368972110088

Author(s):

Mingzhi Zhang ◽

Xinxin Yan ◽

Peihao Wen ◽

Wenkun Bai ◽

Qingyu Zhang

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Colony Formation ◽

Tumor Model ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Promoting Effect ◽

Clinical Prognosis ◽

Xenograft Tumor Model ◽

Elevated Expression ◽

Hcc Cells

CircRNAs participate in the pathogenesis of a variety of cancers. Previous studies showed that baculoviral IAP repeat containing 5 (BIRC5) can promote tumor progression. But, the mechanisms by which circRNAs regulate BIRC5 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. The clinical prognosis of BIRC5 or miR-497-5p expression in patients with HCC was assessed by TCGA RNA-seq dataset. hsa_circ_0026939 (circANKRD52) or BIRC5 was identified to bind with miR-497-5p by luciferase gene report, RIP and circRIP assays. MTT, colony formation, Transwell assays and a xenograft tumor model were used to estimate the role of miR-497-5p or circANKRD52 in HCC cells. As a result, we found that elevated expression of BIRC5 or decreased expression of miR-497-5p was linked to poor survival in HCC. Restored expression of miR-497-5p repressed cell proliferation, colony formation and invasiveness by targeting BIRC5, but its inhibitor showed the opposite results. Furthermore, circANKRD52 possessed a tumor-promoting effect by acting as a sponge of miR-497-5p and thereby upregulated BIRC5 in HCC cells. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that circANKRD52 enhances the tumorigenesis of HCC by sponging miR-497-5p and upregulating BIRC5 expression.

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m6A Modification-Mediated DUXAP8 Regulation of Malignant Phenotype and Chemotherapy Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through miR-584-5p/MAPK1/ERK Pathway Axis

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ◽

10.3389/fcell.2021.783385 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Zefeng Liu ◽

Jin Lu ◽

He Fang ◽

Jiyao Sheng ◽

Mengying Cui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Chemotherapy Resistance ◽

Tumor Model ◽

Mechanistic Study ◽

Xenograft Tumor ◽

Malignant Phenotype ◽

Sorafenib Treatment ◽

Xenograft Tumor Model

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis due to its high malignancy, rapid disease progression, and the presence of chemotherapy resistance. Long-stranded non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) affect many malignant tumors, including HCC. However, their mechanism of action in HCC remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the role of DUXAP8 in regulating the malignant phenotype and chemotherapy resistance in HCC. Using an in vivo xenograft tumor model, the regulatory functions and mechanisms of lncRNA DUXAP8 in the progression and response of HCC to chemotherapy were explored. It was found that DUXAP8 was significantly upregulated in a patient-derived xenograft tumor model based on sorafenib treatment, which is usually associated with a relatively poor prognosis in patients. In HCC, DUXAP8 maintained its upregulation in the expression by increasing the stability of m6A methylation-mediated RNA. DUXAP8 levels were positively correlated with the proliferation, migration, invasion, and chemotherapy resistance of HCC in vivo and in vitro. In the mechanistic study, it was found that DUXAP8 competitively binds to miR-584-5p through a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism, thus acting as a molecular sponge for miR-584-5p to regulate MAPK1 expression, which in turn activates the MAPK/ERK pathway. These findings can provide ideas for finding new prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets for patients with HCC.

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Sufentanil Inhibits the Proliferation and Metastasis of Esophageal Cancer by Inhibiting the NF-κB and Snail Signaling Pathways

Journal of Oncology ◽

10.1155/2021/7586100 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Huiyan Tang ◽

Chao Li ◽

Yongsheng Wang ◽

Liqiang Deng

Keyword(s):

Esophageal Cancer ◽

Esophageal Carcinoma ◽

Signaling Pathways ◽

Nude Mice ◽

Tumor Model ◽

Carcinoma Cells ◽

Xenograft Tumor ◽

Snail Expression ◽

Xenograft Tumor Model ◽

Proliferation And Metastasis

Sufentanil is a μ-opioid receptor agonist, widely used in intraoperative and postoperative analgesia of esophageal cancer. This study investigated the effects of sufentanil on the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of esophageal carcinoma cells and its molecular mechanisms. Human esophageal carcinoma cells CaES-17 and Eca-109 were cultured in vitro. Different concentrations of sufentanil (1 and 10 μmol/L) were added to the experimental group. MTT was used to detect the proliferative activity of esophageal carcinoma cells. The migration ability of esophageal carcinoma cells was measured by the scratch test. Transwell was used to detect the invasive ability of esophageal carcinoma cells. The EMT marker expression was detected by qPCR. Meanwhile, effects of sufentanil on NF-κB and Snail expression and nucleation were evaluated. Establish a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model of nude mice with esophageal carcinoma cells and evaluate the antitumor effect of sufentanil. Sufentanil can inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of CaES-17 and Eca-109 cells and has a dose-dependent relationship. The molecular mechanism showed that sufentanil could upregulate the expression of E-cadherin and inhibit the expression of vimentin. Sufentanil can inhibit the expression of NF-κB and Snail, as well as the nuclear expression of NF-κB and Snail. Xenograft tumor model results showed that sufentanil could inhibit tumor proliferation and NF-κB and Snail expression in tumor tissues of nude mice. Sufentanil inhibits esophageal cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by acting on NF-κB and Snail signaling pathways to inhibit proliferation and metastasis of esophageal cancer.

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LIN28B-AS1-IGF2BP1 binding promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell progression

Cell Death and Disease ◽

10.1038/s41419-020-02967-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jian Zhang ◽

Kewei Hu ◽

Yong-qiang Yang ◽

Yin Wang ◽

Yu-fan Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Hepg2 Cells ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Non Coding Rna ◽

Proliferation And Apoptosis ◽

Cell Progression ◽

Rna Immunoprecipitation ◽

Hcc Cells

Abstract IGF2BP1 overexpression promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. Long non-coding RNA LIN28B-AS1 directly binds to IGF2BP1. In the present study, LIN28B-AS1 and IGF2BP1 expression and their potential functions in HCC cells were tested. Genetic strategies were applied to interfere their expression, and cell survival, proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed. We show that LIN28B-AS1 is expressed in established/primary human HCC cells and HCC tissues. RNA-immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down results confirmed that LIN28B-AS1 directly associated with IGF2BP1 protein in HCC cells. LIN28B-AS1 silencing (by targeted siRNAs) or knockout (KO, by CRISPR-Cas9 method) depleted IGF2BP1-dependent mRNAs (IGF2, Gli1, and Myc), inhibiting HCC cell growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion. Conversely, ectopic overexpression of LIN28B-AS1 upregulated IGF2BP1-dependent mRNAs and promoted HCC cell progression in vitro. Importantly, ectopic IGF2BP1 overexpression failed to rescue LIN28B-AS1-KO HepG2 cells. LIN28B-AS1 siRNA and overexpression were ineffective in IGF2BP1-KO HepG2 cells. In vivo, LIN28B-AS1 KO-HepG2 xenograft tumors grew significantly slower than the control tumors in the nude mice. Taken together, we conclude that LIN28B-AS1 associates with IGF2BP1 to promote human HCC cell progression in vitro and in vivo.

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Overexpression of lncRNA PIK3CD-AS1 promotes expression of LATS1 by competitive binding with microRNA-566 to inhibit the growth, invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Cancer Cell International ◽

10.1186/s12935-019-0857-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Wei Song ◽

Jingjing Zhang ◽

Jianbo Zhang ◽

Miaomiao Sun ◽

Qingxin Xia

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Cell Cycle ◽

Growth Rate ◽

Nude Mice ◽

Competitive Binding ◽

Cell Cycle Distribution ◽

Xenograft Tumor ◽

Invasion And Metastasis ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Hcc Cells

Abstract Background This study is conducted to investigate the effect of lncRNA PIK3CD-AS1 on the growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its potential mechanism. Methods Hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and adjacent normal tissues together with HCC cells and normal liver cells were obtained for detecting expression of PIK3CD-AS1, microRNA-566 (miR-566) and LATS1. Additionally, a series of experiments were performed to determine cell proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis of HCC cells. The xenograft tumor model of HCC was established and the growth rate and weight of xenograft tumor in nude mice were compared. Furthermore, the binding site between PIK3CD-AS1 and miR-566 as well as between miR-566 and LATS1 were verified. Results LncRNA PIK3CD-AS1 was downregulated in HCC tissues and cells, and mainly located in cytoplasm. Overexpression of PIK3CD-AS1 inhibited proliferation, colony formation, invasion, migration, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell cycle progression and promoted apoptosis of HCC cells. Overexpression of PIK3CD-AS1 decreased the growth rate and weight of xenograft tumor in nude mice PIK3CD-AS1 competitively combined with miR-566 to regulate expression of LAST1. Conclusion Collectively, our study suggests that the expression of PIK3CD-AS1 was down-regulated in HCC, and overexpression of PIK3CD-AS1 promoted the expression of LATS1 by competitive binding of miR-566 to inhibit the growth, invasion and metastasis of HCC cells.

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Apoptotic Effects of Xanthium strumarium via PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2019/2176701 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Juyoung Kim ◽

Kyung Hee Jung ◽

Hyung Won Ryu ◽

Doo-Young Kim ◽

Sei-Ryang Oh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Cell Growth ◽

Caspase 3 ◽

Mtor Pathway ◽

Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase ◽

Mechanistic Study ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Xanthium Strumarium ◽

Apoptotic Effects ◽

Hcc Cells

Xanthium strumarium (XS) has been traditionally used as a medicinal herb for treating inflammatory diseases, such as appendicitis, chronic bronchitis, rheumatism, and rhinitis. In this study, we yielded ethanol extracts from XS and investigated whether they could inhibit the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its underlying mechanism. The XS-5 and XS-6 extracts dose-dependently inhibited the growth and proliferation in HCC cell lines. The apoptotic effects of them were observed via increased levels of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP, as well as elevated numbers of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin end labeling- (TUNEL-) positive apoptotic cells. They also decreased XIAP and Mcl-1 expression via loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, they inhibited the invasion and migration of HCC cells. In an ex vivo model, the extracts significantly inhibited tumor cell growth and induced apoptosis by increasing the expression of the cleaved caspase-3. A mechanistic study revealed that they effectively suppressed PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways in HCC cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that they could efficiently not only induce apoptosis but also inhibit cell growth, migration, and invasion of human HCC cells by blocking the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. We suggest XS-5 and XS-6 as novel natural anti-HCC agents.

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Long Non-Coding RNA ARAP1-AS1 Facilitates the Progression of Cervical Cancer by Regulating miR-149-3p and POU2F2

Pathobiology ◽

10.1159/000507830 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Ling Zhou ◽

Xiao-li Xu

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Tumor Model ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Non Coding Rna ◽

Injection Model ◽

Rna Immunoprecipitation ◽

Long Non Coding Rna

Background: Emerging research has demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) attach great importance to the progression of cervical cancer (CC). LncRNA ARAP1-AS1 was involved in the development of several cancers; however, its role in CC is far from being elucidated. Methods: Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was employed to detect ARAP1-AS1 and miR-149-3p expression in CC samples. CC cell lines (HeLa and C33A cells) were regarded as the cell models. The biological effect of ARAP1-AS1 on cancer cells was measured using CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, Transwell assay and wound healing assay in vitro, and subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model and tail vein injection model in vivo. Furthermore, interactions between ARAP1-AS1 and miR-149-3p, miR-149-3p and POU class 2 homeobox 2 (POU2F2) were determined by bioinformatics analysis, qRT-PCR, Western blot, luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assay, respectively. Results: The expression of ARAP1-AS1 was enhanced in CC samples, while miR-149-3p was markedly suppressed. Additionally, ARAP1-AS1 overexpression enhanced the viability, migration, and invasion of CC cells. ARAP1-AS1 downregulated miR-149-3p via sponging it. ARAP1-AS1 and miR-149-3p exhibited a negative correlation in CC samples. On the other hand, ARAP1-AS1 enhanced the expression of POU2F2, which was validated as a target gene of miR-149-3p. Conclusion: ARAP1-AS1 was abnormally upregulated in CC tissues and indirectly modulated the POU2F2 expression via reducing miR-149-3p expression. Our study identified a novel axis, ARAP1-AS1/miR-149-3p/POU2F2, in CC tumorigenesis.

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