scholarly journals Long non-coding RNA TUG1 promotes cell progression in hepatocellular carcinoma via regulating miR-216b-5p/DLX2 axis

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qun Dai ◽  
Jingyi Deng ◽  
Jinrong Zhou ◽  
Zhuhong Wang ◽  
Xiao-feng Yuan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence indicates that the long noncoding RNA taurine upregulated gene 1(TUG1) plays a critical role in cancer progression and metastasis. However, the overall biological role and clinical significance of TUG1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unknown. Methods The expressions of TUG1, microRNA-216b-5p and distal-less homeobox 2 (DLX2) were detected by Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The target relationships were predicted by StarBase v.2.0 or TargetScan and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The cell growth, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), Flow cytometry and Transwell assays, respectively. All protein expression levels were detected by western blot. Tumor xenografts were implemented to explore the role of TUG1 in vivo. Results We found that there was a marked rise in TUG1 expression in HCC tissues and cells, and knockdown of TUG1 repressed the growth and metastasis and promoted apoptosis of HCC cells. In particular, TUG1 could act as a ceRNA, effectively becoming a sink for miR-216b-5p to fortify the expression of DLX2. Additionally, repression of TUG1 impared the progression of HCC cells by inhibiting DLX2 expression via sponging miR-216b-5p in vitro. More importantly, TUG1 knockdown inhibited HCC tumor growth in vivo through upregulating miR-216b-5p via inactivation of the DLX2. Conclusion TUG1 interacting with miR-216b-5p contributed to proliferation, metastasis, tumorigenesis and retarded apoptosis by activation of DLX2 in HCC.

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Y. Li ◽  
K. Yang ◽  
F. G. Liu ◽  
X. G. Sun ◽  
L. Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in tumorigenesis, but their biological functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Alternative splicing of five exons results in three transcript variants of cancer susceptibility 2 (CASC2): the lncRNAs CASC2a, CASC2b, and CASC2c. CASC2a/b have been found to have crucial regulatory functions in a number of malignancies, but few studies have examined the effects of CASC2c in cancers. The objective of the study was to investigate the role of CASC2c in the proliferation and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Methods This study first investigated the expression levels of CASC2c in tumor tissues, corresponding non-tumor tissues and cells using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The function and underlying molecular mechanism of CASC2c in human HCC were investigated in QGY-7703 cell line, as well as in gastric cancer (GC) cell and colorectal cancer (CRC) cell. Results In the present work, we observed that CASC2c was significantly down-regulated in HCC tissues and cells. Moreover, its overexpression remarkably inhibited the growth, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and promoted their apoptosis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CASC2c overexpression decreased p-ERK1/2 levels in HCC, GC, and CRC cells. Interestingly, while overexpression of CASC2c decreased β-catenin expression in HCC and GC cells, it increased that in CRC cells. Conclusion The lncRNA–CASC2c has a vital role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, and may serve as a biomarker or therapeutic target in cancer treatment via down-regulation of the ERK1/2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidan Ji ◽  
Zhangxiao Peng ◽  
Bin Sun ◽  
Lei Chen ◽  
Qin Zhang ◽  
...  

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant cancer with rapid proliferation and high metastasis ability. To explore the crucial genes that maintain the aggressive behaviors of cancer cells is very important for clinical gene therapy of HCC. LpCat1 was reported to be highly expressed and exert pro-tumorigenic effect in a variety of cancers, including HCC. However, its detailed molecular mechanism remained unclear. In this study, we confirmed that LpCat1 was up-regulated in HCC tissues and cancer cell lines. The overexpressed LpCat1 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells, and accelerated cell cycle progression, while knocking down LpCat1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo, and arrested HCC cells at G0/G1 phase. Moreover, we proved for the first time that LpCat1 directly interacted with STAT1 which was generally recognized as a tumor suppressor in HCC. High levels of LpCat1 in HCC could inhibit STAT1 expression, up-regulate CyclinD1, CyclinE, CDK4 and MMP-9, and decrease p27kip1 to promote cancer progression. Conversely, down-regulation of LpCat1 would cause the opposite changes to repress the viability and motility of HCC cells. Consequently, we concluded that LpCat1 was a contributor to progression and metastasis of HCC by interacting with STAT1.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Yang ◽  
Tianxiang Chen ◽  
Bowen Yao ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Runkun Liu ◽  
...  

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.


Gut ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1309-1321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Ping Xu ◽  
Jin-Pei Liu ◽  
Ji-Feng Feng ◽  
Chang-Peng Zhu ◽  
Yuan Yang ◽  
...  

ObjectiveAutophagy participates in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the resistance of HCC cells to sorafenib. We investigated the feasibility of sensitising HCC cells to sorafenib by modulating miR-541-initiated microRNA-autophagy axis.DesignGain- and loss-of-function assays were performed to evaluate the effects of miR-541 on the malignant properties and autophagy of human HCC cells. Autophagy was quantified by western blotting of LC3, transmission electron microscopy analyses and confocal microscopy scanning of mRFP-GFP-LC3 reporter construct. Luciferase reporter assays were conducted to confirm the targets of miR-541. HCC xenograft tumours were established to analyse the role of miR-541 in sorafenib-induced lethality.ResultsThe expression of miR-541 was downregulated in human HCC tissues and was associated with malignant clinicopathologic phenotypes, recurrence and survival of patients with HCC. miR-541 inhibited the growth, metastasis and autophagy of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Prediction software and luciferase reporter assays identified autophagy-related gene 2A (ATG2A) and Ras-related protein Rab-1B (RAB1B) as the direct targets of miR-541. Consistent with the effects of the miR-541 mimic, inhibition of ATG2A or RAB1B suppressed the malignant phenotypes and autophagy of HCC cells. Furthermore, siATG2A and siRAB1B partially reversed the enhancement of the malignant properties and autophagy in HCC cells mediated by the miR-541 inhibitor. More interestingly, higher miR-541 expression predicted a better response to sorafenib treatment, and the combination of miR-541 and sorafenib further suppressed the growth of HCC cells in vivo compared with the single treatment.ConclusionsDysregulation of miR-541-ATG2A/RAB1B axis plays a critical role in patients’ responses to sorafenib treatment. Manipulation of this axis might benefit survival of patients with HCC, especially in the context of the highly pursued strategies to eliminate drug resistance.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
cailin xue ◽  
xudong zhang ◽  
peng gao ◽  
weiwei yu ◽  
xiaohan cui ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, and has an unfavorable clinical outcome. Emerging evidences have demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC. However, the clinical significances, the biological roles of most lncRNAs in HCC remain poorly understood. Methods The expression levels of lncRNA loc339803 in HCC tissues and cell lines were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) assay. The cellular sublocalization of loc339803 were determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization and nuclear & cytoplasmic RNA isolation assay. Western blot, CCK-8, Edu, colony formation, migration and invasion assays were used to investigate the roles of loc339803 in progression of HCC in vitro. A mouse model for lung metastasis was constructed to evaluate the role of loc339803 in HCC development in vivo. The correlations among loc339803, miR-30a-5p and SNAIL1 were validated by qRT-PCR and a dual- luciferase reporter assay. Results The expression of loc339803 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, and positively correlated with tumor size, advanced tumor stage, higher serum AFP level and poor prognosis of HCC patients. loc339803 can promote the migration and invasion of HCC cells in vivo and in vitro. Further studies demonstrated the loc339803 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by directly binding to miR-30a-5p, thus up-regulating the expression of snai1, a target gene of miR-30a-5p. Moreover, miR-30a-5p upregulation blocked the enhancement of migration and invasion of HCC cells induced by loc339803 overexpression. Conclusions Loc339803 may be oncogenic in HCC and associated with poor clinical outcomes. LncRNA loc339803 might promote the invasion and migration of HCC cells through regulating miR-30a-5p/ SNAIL1 axis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yahui Zheng ◽  
Chong Huang ◽  
Lu Lu ◽  
Kangkang Yu ◽  
Jing Zhao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dysregulation of both mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy is critical to sustain oncogenic signaling pathways. However, the mechanism of mitophagy in promoting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance and biological involvement of mitochondrial inner membrane protein STOML2 in HCC. Methods STOML2 was identified by gene expression profiles of HCC tissues and was measured in tissue microarray and cell lines. Gain/loss-of-function experiment was applied to study the biological function of STOML2 in HCC. Flow cytometry, Western blotting, laser confocal microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and co-immunoprecipitation were used to detect and analyze mitophagy. ChIP and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to evaluate the relationship between STOML2 and HIF-1α. The sensitivity to lenvatinib was assessed in HCC both in vitro and in vivo. Results Increased expression of STOML2 was found in HCC compared with paired peritumoral tissues. It was more significant in HCC with metastasis and correlated with worse overall survival and higher probability of recurrence after hepatectomy. Upregulation of STOML2 accelerated HCC cells colony formation, migration and invasion. Mechanically, TCGA dataset-based analysis showed enrichment of autophagy-related pathways in STOML2 highly-expressed HCC. Next, STOML2 was demonstrated to interact and stabilize PINK1 under cellular stress, amplify PINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy and then promote HCC growth and metastasis. Most interestingly, HIF-1α was upregulated and transcriptionally increased STOML2 expression in HCC cells under the treatment of lenvatinib. Furthermore, higher sensitivity to lenvatinib was found in HCC cells when STOML2 was downregulated. Combination therapy with lenvatinib and mitophagy inhibitor hydroxychloroquine obtained best efficacy. Conclusions Our findings suggested that STOML2 could amplify mitophagy through interacting and stabilizing PINK1, which promote HCC metastasis and modulate the response of HCC to lenvatinib. Combinations of pharmacologic inhibitors that concurrently block both angiogenesis and mitophagy may serve as an effective treatment for HCC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 160 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 650-658
Author(s):  
Yichen Le ◽  
Yi He ◽  
Meirong Bai ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Jiaxue Wu ◽  
...  

Ajuba has been found to be mutated or aberrantly regulated in several human cancers and plays important roles in cancer progression via different signaling pathways. However, little is known about the role of Ajuba in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we found an upregulation of Ajuba expression in HCC tissues compared with normal liver tissues, while a poor prognosis was observed in HCC patients with high Ajuba expression. Knockout of Ajuba in HCC cells inhibited cell growth in vitro and in vivo, suppressed cell migration, and enhanced the cell apoptosis under stress. Moreover, re-expression of Ajuba in Ajuba-deficient cells could restore the phenotype of Ajuba-deficient cells. In conclusion, these results indicate that Ajuba is upregulated in HCC and promotes cell growth and migration of HCC cells, suggesting that Ajuba could possibly be a new target for HCC diagnosis and treatment.


Author(s):  
Jiongwei Pan ◽  
Gang Huang ◽  
Zhangyong Yin ◽  
Xiaoping Cai ◽  
Enhui Gong ◽  
...  

AbstractSignificantly high-expressed circFLNA has been found in various cancer cell lines, but not in lung cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the role of circFLNA in the progression of lung cancer. The target gene of circFLNA was determined by bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assay. Viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of the transfected cells were detected by CCK-8, colony formation, wound-healing, and transwell assays, respectively. A mouse subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model was established, and the expressions of circFLNA, miR-486-3p, XRCC1, CYP1A1, and related genes in the cancer cells and tissues were detected by RT-qPCR, Western blot, or immunohistochemistry. The current study found that miR-486-3p was low-expressed in lung cancer. MiR-486-3p, which has been found to target XRCC1 and CYP1A1, was regulated by circFLNA. CircFLNA was located in the cytoplasm and had a high expression in lung cancer cells. Cancer cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion were promoted by overexpressed circFLNA, XRCC1, and CYP1A1 but inhibited by miR-486-3p mimic and circFLNA knockdown. The weight of the xenotransplanted tumor was increased by circFLNA overexpression yet reduced by miR-486-3p mimic. Furthermore, miR-486-3p mimic reversed the effect of circFLNA overexpression on promoting lung cancer cells and tumors and regulating the expressions of miR-486-3p, XRCC1, CYP1A1, and metastasis/apoptosis/proliferation-related factors. However, overexpressed XRCC1 and CYP1A1 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-486-3p mimic on cancer cells and tumors. In conclusion, circFLNA acted as a sponge of miR-486-3p to promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by regulating XRCC1 and CYP1A1.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yarong Guo ◽  
Bao Chai ◽  
Junmei Jia ◽  
Mudan Yang ◽  
Yanjun Li ◽  
...  

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoguang Gu ◽  
Jianan Zhang ◽  
Yajuan Ran ◽  
Hena Pan ◽  
JinHong Jia ◽  
...  

AbstractCircular RNAs have been reported to play significant roles in regulating pathophysiological processes while also guiding clinical diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, only a few circRNAs have been identified thus far. Herein, we investigated the role of a specific closed-loop structure of hsa_circ_101555 that was generated by back-splicing of the host gene casein kinase 1 gamma 1 (CSNK1G1) in the development and proliferation of HCC. We investigated the expression of Hsa_circ_101555 in HCC and normal tissues using bioinformatics. The expression level of hsa_circ_101555 was further detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization and qRT-PCR in ten HCC patients. Transwell, migration, WST-1 assays, and colony formation assays were used to evaluate the role of hsa_circ_101555 in HCC development and proliferation. The regulatory mechanisms of hsa_circ_101555 in miR-145-5p and CDCA3 were determined by dual luciferase reporter assay. A mouse xenograft model was also used to determine the effect of hsa_circ_101555 on HCC growth in vivo. hsa_circ_101555 showed greater stability than the linear RNA; while in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that hsa_circ_101555 silencing significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Rescue experiments further demonstrated that suppression of miR-145-5p significantly attenuated the biological effects of hsa_circ_101555 knockdown in HCC cells. We also identified a putative oncogene CDCA3 as a potential miR-145-5p target. Thus, our results demonstrated that hsa_circ_101555 might function as a competing endogenous RNA of miR-145-5p to upregulate CDCA3 expression in HCC. These findings suggest that hsa_circ_101555 may be a potential therapeutic target for patients with HCC.


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