scholarly journals DLG1-AS1 is activated by MYC and drives the proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through miR-497-5p/SSRP1 axis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Min ◽  
Dayong Jin ◽  
Feng Zhang ◽  
Yanxia Kang ◽  
Yuhong Qi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be biological regulators in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). DLG1 antisense RNA 1 (DLG1-AS1) has been found to be up-regulated in cervical cancer. However, its function and underlying mechanism in HCC remains unknown. Methods DLG1-AS1 expression was assessed in HCC cells and normal cell by RT-qPCR. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull down assay and RIP assay were used to demonstrate the interaction between DLG1-AS1 and miR-497-5p. Results DLG1-AS1 was highly expressed in HCC cells. Silencing of DLG1-AS1 led to the inhibition of HCC cell growth and migration. Besides, MYC induced the transcriptional activation of DLG1-AS1. MYC could facilitate HCC cellular processes by up-regulating DLG1-AS1. MiR-497-5p could interact with DLG1-AS1 in HCC cells. Down-regulation of miR-497-5p could reverse the impacts of DLG1-AS1 silencing on HCC cells. SSRP1 expression could be positively regulated by DLG1-AS1 but was negatively regulated by miR-497-5p. Knockdown of DLG1-AS1 suppressed tumor growth in nude mice. Conclusions DLG1-AS1 is activated by MYC and functions as an oncogene in HCC via miR-497-5p/SSRP1 axis.

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-qi Cao ◽  
Xue-wei Yang ◽  
Yu-bin Chen ◽  
Da-wei Zhang ◽  
Xiao-Feng Jiang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background As an important means of communication, exosomes play an important role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assays, methylation-specific quantitative PCR, and ChIP-PCR analysis were used to gain insight into the underlying mechanism of miR-21 in HCC. Results The detection of miRNAs in exosomes of HCC showed that miR-21 expression in exosomes was positively correlated with the expression level of miR-21 in cells and negatively correlated with the expression of its target genes PTEN, PTENp1 and TETs. HCC cell-derived exosomes could increase miR-21 and p-Akt expression in HCC cells and downregulate the expression of PTEN, PTENp1 and TETs. MiR-21 inhibitors or PTENp1 overexpression vectors could weaken the effect of the abovementioned exosomes and simultaneously weaken their role in promoting cell proliferation and migration and inhibiting apoptosis. Further studies showed that miR-21 not only directly regulated the expression of PTEN, PTENp1 and TETs but also increased the methylation level of the PTENp1 promoter by regulating the expression of TETs, thereby inhibiting the expression of PTENp1 and further downregulating the expression of PTEN. Conclusions Exosomal miR-21 can regulate the expression of the tumor suppressor genes PTEN and PTENp1 in various ways and affect the growth of HCC cells.


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.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiu-Ping Liu ◽  
Qing Luo ◽  
Bin Deng ◽  
Yang Ju ◽  
Guan-Bin Song

Increased extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness and metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells are two fundamental mediators of tumor progression, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yet, the correlation between ECM stiffness and excessive aerobic glycolysis in promoting the development of HCC remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated that stiffer ECM promotes HCC cell migration depending on their accelerated aerobic glycolysis. Our results also indicated that stiffer ECM-induced YAP activation plays a major role in promoting aerobic glycolysis of HCC cells. Moreover, we showed that JNK and p38 MAPK signaling are critical for mediating YAP activation in HCC cells. Together, our findings established that the MAPK-YAP signaling cascade that act as a mechanotransduction pathway is essential for promoting HCC cell aerobic glycolysis and migration in response to ECM stiffness.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Keqing He ◽  
Xing Liu ◽  
Shiping Cheng ◽  
Pingsheng Zhou

Objective. Saponins are a group of compounds from various plants, which exhibit an anticancer activity. This study aimed to explore the anticancer effect of zingiberensis newsaponin (ZnS) against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying mechanism involving autophagy. Methods. HCC cells (Huh7 and SMMC7721) were treated with ZnS and/or 3-MA. The cell viability, migration, and apoptosis were determined using CCK-8 assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. The levels of oxidative stress markers (ROS, SOD, and MDA) were measured by ELISA assay. Autophagy was monitored using MDC assay, immunofluorescence staining, and transmission electron microscopy. The relative protein expression of LC3II/LC3I, P62, AKR1C1, p-JAK2, p-STAT3, JAK2, and STAT3 was determined using Western blot. Results. ZnS or 3-MA inhibited the cell viability and migration, and it promoted cell apoptosis and oxidative stress in HCC. MDC-positive cells and autophagosomes were reduced by ZnS or 3-MA treatment. The expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3 (LC3II/LC3I) and P62 was, respectively, downregulated and upregulated after ZnS or 3-MA treatment. In addition, ZnS or 3-MA suppressed the protein expression of AKR1C1, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 in HCC cells. Furthermore, the above phenomena were evidently enhanced by ZnS combined 3-MA treatment. AKR1C1 overexpression weakened the effect of ZnS on inhibiting the expression of AKR1C1, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3. Conclusion. ZnS exerts an anticancer effect on HCC via inhibiting autophagy moderated by the AKR1C1-mediated JAK2/STAT3 pathway. ZnS and 3-MA exert a synergistic effect on inhibiting HCC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Ren ◽  
Zhi-cheng Wei ◽  
Yan-xia Sun ◽  
Chun-yan Qiu ◽  
Wen-jue Zhang ◽  
...  

BackgroundLong intergenic non-protein coding RNA 882 (LINC00882) are abnormally expressed in several tumors. Our research aimed to uncover the functions and the potential mechanisms of LINC00882 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression.MethodsRT-qPCR was applied to identify LINC00882 and miR-214-3p levels in HCC specimens and cells. Luciferase reporter was applied for the exploration of whether activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) could bind to the promoter region of LINC00882. Cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were evaluated. In vivo tumor xenograft models were constructed to assess tumorigenicity. RT-PCR, Western blot and Luciferase reporter assays were conducted to examine the regulatory relationships among LINC00882, miR-214-3p and ATF2.ResultsLINC00882 was markedly upregulated in HCC cells and clinical specimens. Additionally, ATF2 could bind directly to the LINC00882 promoter region and activate its transcription. Loss-of-function studies further demonstrated that LINC00882 knockdown inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration of HCC cells. Mechanistically, LINC00882 adsorbed miR-214-3p, thus promoting the expressions of CENPM. Rescue assays demonstrated that functions of LINC00882 deficiency in HCC cells were reversed through suppressing miR-214-3p.ConclusionOur group identified a novel regulatory axis of ATF2/LINC00882/miR-214-3p/CENPM, which may provide potential therapeutic targets for HCC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wang ◽  
Jingbo Yang

Abstract Objective To probe into the regulatory mechanism of miR-375 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells under sorafenib treatment. Methods Western blotting and qRT-PCR were applied to measure the expressions of miR-375 and SIRT5 in parental HCC cells (HepG2 and Huh7) and sorafenib-resistant HCC cells (HepG2/so and Huh7/so). HepG2/so cells were accordingly transfected with miR-375 mimic, miR-375 inhibitor, sh-SIRT5, pcDNA3.1-SIRT5 or negative control. Western blotting measured the expressions of p62, LC3I and LC3II in HCC cells. CCK-8 and flow cytometry assessed the survivability and apoptosis of HCC cells, respectively. Bioinformatics techniques and dual-luciferase reporter assay predicted and verified the targeting relationship between miR-375 and SIRT5. Results MiR-375 was under-expressed and SIRT5 was over-expressed in HCC cells. Autophagy inhibitor impaired the survival of HepG2/so cells transfected with miR-375 inhibitor. Autophagy activator enhanced the drug resistance of HepG2/so cells transfected with miR-375 mimic. MiR-375 suppressed the drug resistance of HepG2/so cells by inhibiting autophagy. SIRT5 enhanced the drug resistance of HepG2/so cells by promoting autophagy and it could be targeted by miR-375. Conclusion MiR-375 suppresses autophagy to attenuate the drug resistance of HCC cells by regulating SIRT5. The findings of this study may provide new therapeutic targets for treating hepatocellular carcinoma.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Duan ◽  
Bin Quan ◽  
Ni Wang ◽  
Jianghua Yang ◽  
Yan-Lin Yu

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with high morbidity. The current study aimed to explore the molecular mechannism of lncRNA SLC16A1-AS1 in the tumorigenesis of HCC.Material and Methods: The expression of SLC16A1-AS1 and miR-411 were examined in clinical HCC tissues. HCC cell lines Hep3B and Huh-7 were employed and transfected with si-SLC16A1-AS1. The correlation between SLC16A1-AS1 and miR-411 was verified by luciferase reporter assay. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. Cell migration and invasion capacity were examined by transwell assay. The protein level of MITD1 was analyzed by western blotting.Results: The expression of SLC16A1-AS1 markedly increased in HCC tissues and cell lines. Subsequent studies identified SLC16A1-AS1 as a downstream target of miR-411. In addition, SLC16A1-AS1 knockdown and miR-411 overexpression significantly stagnated progression of HCC cells. SLC16A1-AS1 knockdown also downregulated MITD1 levels. Conclusion: Our findings showed that SLC16A1-AS1 was overexpressed in HCC cells and tissues. SLC16A1-AS1 promoted the malignant characteristics of HCC cells and acted as an oncogene. Its regulatory effect may be associated with miR-411/MITD1 axis. Therefore, SLC16A1-AS1 has a potential be used as a biomarker or therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Long Li ◽  
Jie Shi ◽  
Qi Qi ◽  
Yue Huang ◽  
Chi Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract MiR-130a-3p has been certified to have low expression in several types of tumors. However, the function of miR-130a-3p in glucose metabolism and hepatocellular carcinoma progression is still elusive. Here we report that miR-130a-3p has explicitly low expression in human HCC tissues and cells and is closely related to the patient's tumor size and grade. Overexpression of miR-130a-3p significantly inhibits the glucose metabolism, proliferation and migration of HCC cells in vitro. In order to further study the effects of miR-130a-3p in the glucose metabolism of HCC cells, we found that overexpression of miR-130a-3p significantly inhibited the expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1). Consistently, we confirmed that PDK1 is the target gene of miR-130a-3p through dual luciferase reporter gene assays. Cell rescue experiments showed that PDK1 inhibitors reversed the enhancement of cell proliferation, migration and glucose metabolism by miR-130a-3p inhibitor in Hep3B cells. In terms of mechanism, overexpression of miR-130a-3p targeted and inhibited the expression of PDK1, after which pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) is activated, thus glycolysis is inhibited, the production of lactic acid and ATP is reduced, and the ability to proliferate and migrate in HCC cells is weakened. In conclusion, our study highlights efforts to target PDK1 and miR-130a-3p as potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of HCC.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 757-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongdan Li ◽  
Haoqi Wang ◽  
Zhen Ren

Background/Aims: This study aims to explore the effects of microRNA-214-5p (miR-214-5p) on the invasion and migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma cells (HCC). Methods: Hepatocellular Carcinoma tissues and adjacent normal tissues from 44 hepatocellular carcinoma patients were prepared for this study. The HepG2 and BEL-7402 cells were transfected with miR-214-5p mimic and inhibitor. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expressions of miR-214-5p. Transwell assays were used to detect the invasion and migration assays in HepG2 and BEL-7402 cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to examine the effect of miR-214-5p on Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Like (WASL/ N-WASP). Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to measure the expressions of the E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin proteins. Transwell chamber assays were performed to detect cell invasion and migration. Results: Compared with normal tissues, HCC tissues demonstrated significantly lower expression of miR-214-5p. Overexpression of miR-214-5p significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of HCC cells and inhibition of miR-214-5p promoted the migration and invasion. Additionally, miR-214-5p suppressed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Further study showed WASL was a putative target gene of miR-214-5p. Up-regulating the expression of WASL could reverse the inhibition effect of miR-214-5p on invasion and migration. Conclusion: Our data suggested that miR-214-5p inhibited the invasion and migration of HepG2 and BEL-7402 by targeting WASL in Hepatocellular carcinoma.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liqing Ye ◽  
Weijian Feng ◽  
Hanqin Weng ◽  
Chongde Yuan ◽  
Jia Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A host of researches have demonstrated the regulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the progression of pancreatic cancers (PC). In this study, our main task was to analyze the function of MAF bZIP transcription factor G antisense RNA 1 (MAFG-AS1) in PC. Methods RT-qPCR measured gene expression. Functional experiments, including EdU assay, flow cytometry analysis, TUNEL assay and transwell assay, assessed the biological changes of PC cells. RNA pull down assay, luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay verified the interaction between RNAs. Results MAFG-AS1 was lowly expressed in normal pancreatic samples but up-regulated in PC tissues and cell lines. Besides, MAFG-AS1 silence suppressed cell proliferation and migration whereas promoted cell apoptosis in PC. Mechanism assays verified that miR-3196 could bind with MAFG-AS1. Moreover, miR-3196 was discovered to be lowly expressed in PC cell lines, and its overexpression inhibited PC cell growth and migration. Importantly, nuclear factor I X (NFIX), overexpressed in PC cell lines, was validated to be positively modulated by MAFG-AS1 through absorbing miR-3196. Moreover, overexpression of NFIX could countervail the restraining effects of MAFG-AS1 knockdown on the growth and migration of PC cells. Conclusion MAFG-AS1 had an oncogenic function in the progression of PC via regulating miR-3196/NFIX pathway, and decreasing MAFG-AS1 expression could attenuate PC progression.


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