scholarly journals Gly-tRF enhances LCSC-like properties and promotes HCC cells migration by targeting NDFIP2

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongqiang Zhou ◽  
Jinjing Hu ◽  
Lu Liu ◽  
Mengchao Yan ◽  
Qiyu Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence demonstrates that tRFs (tRNA-derived small RNA fragments) and tiRNAs (tRNA-derived stress-induced RNA), an emerging category of regulatory RNA molecules derived from transfer RNAs (tRNAs), are dysregulated in in various human cancer types and play crucial roles. However, their roles and mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) are still unknown. Methods The expression of glycine tRNA-derived fragment (Gly-tRF) was measured by qRT-PCR. Flow cytometric analysis and sphere formation assays were used to determine the properties of LCSCs. Transwell assays and scratch wound assays were performed to detect HCC cell migration. Western blotting was conducted to evaluate the abundance change of Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins. Dual luciferase reporter assays and signalling pathway analysis were performed to explore the underlying mechanism of Gly-tRF functions. Results Gly-tRF was highly expressed in HCC cell lines and tumour tissues. Gly-tRF mimic increased the LCSC subpopulation proportion and LCSC-like cell properties. Gly-tRF mimic promoted HCC cell migration and EMT. Loss of Gly-tRF inhibited HCC cell migration and EMT. Mechanistically, Gly-tRF decreased the level of NDFIP2 mRNA by binding to the NDFIP2 mRNA 3′ UTR. Importantly, overexpression of NDFIP2 weakened the promotive effects of Gly-tRF on LCSC-like cell sphere formation and HCC cell migration. Signalling pathway analysis showed that Gly-tRF increased the abundance of phosphorylated AKT. Conclusions Gly-tRF enhances LCSC-like cell properties and promotes EMT by targeting NDFIP2 and activating the AKT signalling pathway. Gly-tRF plays tumor-promoting role in HCC and may lead to a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Open Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 921-931
Author(s):  
Juan Zhao ◽  
Xue-Bin Zeng ◽  
Hong-Yan Zhang ◽  
Jie-Wei Xiang ◽  
Yu-Song Liu

AbstractLong non-coding RNA forkhead box D2 adjacent opposite strand RNA 1 (FOXD2-AS1) has emerged as a potential oncogene in several tumors. However, its biological function and potential regulatory mechanism in glioma have not been fully investigated to date. In the present study, RT-qPCR was conducted to detect the levels of FOXD2-AS1 and microRNA (miR)-506-5p, and western blot assays were performed to measure the expression of CDK2, cyclinE1, P21, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)7, MMP9, N-cadherin, E-cadherin and vimentin in glioma cells. A luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the direct targeting of miR-506-5p by FOXD2-AS1. Subsequently, cell viability was analyzed using the CCK-8 assay. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed using Transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. The results demonstrated that FOXD2-AS1 was significantly overexpressed in glioma cells, particularly in U251 cells. Knockdown of FOXD2-AS1 in glioma cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and regulated the expression of CDK2, cyclinE1, P21, MMP7 and MMP9. Next, a possible mechanism for these results was explored, and it was observed that FOXD2-AS1 binds to and negatively regulates miR-506-5p, which is known to be a tumor-suppressor gene in certain human cancer types. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-506-5p significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, and these effects could be reversed by transfecting FOXD2-AS1 into the cells. In conclusion, our data suggested that FOXD2-AS1 contributed to glioma proliferation, metastasis and EMT via competitively binding to miR-506-5p. FOXD2-AS1 may be a promising target for therapy in patients with glioma.


2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1928-1941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan He ◽  
Zhigang Liu ◽  
Li Jin ◽  
Fang Zhang ◽  
Xinhao Peng ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: MicroRNA-142-3p (miR-142-3p) is dysregulated in many malignancies and may function as a tumor suppressor or oncogene in tumorigenesis and tumor development. However, few studies have investigated the clinical significance and biological function of miR-142-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The expression levels of taurine upregulated gene 1 (TUG1), miR-142-3p, and zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) were evaluated in HCC tissues and cell lines by quantitative real-time PCR. MTT and colony formation assays were used to detect cell proliferation ability, transwell assays were used to assess cell migration and invasion, and luciferase reporter assays were used to examine the interaction between the long noncoding RNA TUG1 and miR-142-3p. Tumor formation was evaluated through in vivo experiments. Results: miR-142-3p was significantly downregulated in HCC tissues, but TUG1 was upregulated in HCC tissues. Knockdown of TUG1 and upregulation of miR-142-3p inhibited cell proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). miR-142-3p was found to be a prognostic factor of HCC, and the mechanism by which TUG1 upregulated ZEB1 was via direct binding to miR-142-3p. In vivo assays showed that TUG1 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation and the EMT in nude mice. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the TUG1/miR-142-3p/ ZEB1 axis contributes to the formation of malignant behaviors in HCC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Liang-Chun Yin ◽  
Gang Xiao ◽  
Rui Zhou ◽  
Xiao-Ping Huang ◽  
Ning-Lei Li ◽  
...  

MicroRNA-361-5p (miR-361-5p) is a tumor suppressor miRNA that is dysregulated in several types of human cancer. However, the functional significance of miR-361-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. This study explored the biological function of miR-361-5p in regulating the progression of HCC and the underlying molecular mechanism. RT-qPCR analysis showed that miR-361-5p was downregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Functional analysis revealed that miR-361-5p acted as a tumor suppressor, inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cell lines. Bioinformatics analyses identified Twist1 as a direct target of miR-361-5p, which was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assays, RT-qPCR, and western blotting. Rescue experiments indicated that Twist1 may mediate the tumor-suppressive effect of miR-361-5p in HCC cells, and this was supported by the effect of miR-361-5p on inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by targeting Twist1. This study is the first to suggest that miR-361-5p inhibits tumorigenesis and EMT in HCC by targeting Twist1. These findings are valuable for the diagnosis and clinical management of HCC.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Lalitha Gopalan ◽  
Aswathy Sebastian ◽  
Craig A. Praul ◽  
Istvan Albert ◽  
Ramesh Ramachandran

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy in women. Metformin intake is associated with a reduced incidence of ovarian cancer and increased overall survival rate. We determined the effect of metformin on sphere formation, extracellular matrix invasion, and transcriptome profile of ovarian cancer cells (COVCAR) isolated from ascites of chickens that naturally developed ovarian cancer. We found that metformin treatment significantly decreased sphere formation and invasiveness of COVCAR cells. RNA-Seq data analysis revealed 0, 4, 365 differentially expressed genes in cells treated with 0.5, 1, 2 mM metformin, respectively compared to controls. Transcriptomic and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) revealed significant downregulation of MMP7, AICDA, GDPD2, APOC3, APOA1 and predicted inhibition of upstream regulators NFKB, STAT3, TP53 that are involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition, DNA repair, and lipid metabolism. The analysis revealed significant upregulation of RASD2, IHH, CRABP-1 and predicted activation of upstream regulators VEGF and E2F1 that are associated with angiogenesis and cell cycle. Causal network analysis revealed novel pathways suggesting predicted inhibition of ovarian cancer through master regulator ASCL1 and dataset genes DCX, SEMA6B, HEY2, and KCNIP2. In summary, advanced pathway analysis in IPA revealed novel target genes, upstream regulators, and pathways affected by metformin treatment of COVCAR cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Tonglei Xu ◽  
Fangliang Xie ◽  
Dazhou Xu ◽  
Weidong Xu ◽  
Xuming Ge ◽  
...  

Purpose. Accumulating evidence indicates that miRNAs (miRs) play crucial roles in the modulation of tumors development. However, the accurately mechanisms have not been entirely clarified. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of miR-200b in the development of gastric cancer (GC). Methods. Western blot and RT-PCR were applied to detect epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker expression and mRNA expression. Transwell assay was used for measuring the metastasis and invasiveness of GC cells. TargetScan system, luciferase reporter assay, and rescue experiments were applied for validating the direct target of miR-200b. Results. MiR-200b was prominently decreased in GC tissues and cells, and its downregulation was an indicator of poor prognosis of GC patients. Reexpression of miR-200b suppressed EMT along with GC cell migration and invasion. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) was validated as the target of miR-200b, and it rescued miR-200b inhibitory effect on GC progression. In GC tissues, the correlation of miR-200b with NRG1 was inverse. Conclusion. MiR-200b suppressed EMT-related migration and invasion of GC through the ERBB2/ERBB3 signaling pathway via targeting NRG1.


Author(s):  
Jye-Yu Huang ◽  
Shu-Fen Peng ◽  
Fu-Shin Chueh ◽  
Po-Yuan Chen ◽  
Yi-Ping Huang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Gastric cancer has a poor prognosis; once cancer has metastasized, it can easily lead to patient death. Melittin is one of the major components extracted from the bee venom. It has been shown that melittin emerges antitumor activities against many human cancer cell lines. Our results indicated that melittin at 0.2-0.5 µm significantly reduced total cell viability in human gastric cancer AGS cells. At low concentrations (0.05-0.15 µm), melittin displayed antimetastasis effects and inhibited cell adhesion and colony formation. Besides, it inhibited cell motility and suppressed cell migration and invasion. Melittin inhibited the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and the integrity of cell membrane in AGS cells. Furthermore, Western blotting results showed that melittin decreased the protein expressions of Wnt/BMP and MMP-2 signaling pathways. Based on these observations, melittin inhibited cell migration and invasion of AGS cells through multiple signaling pathways. It may be used to treat metastasized gastric cancers in the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching Tzao ◽  
Meng-Hsun Wu ◽  
Ben-Hen Chen

Abstract   Cancer stem-like cell (CSC) is an important player in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Snail has been demonstrated as a key driver for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that is closely linked with generation of stem-like cell in human cancer. We aim to investigate if Snail transfection induces EMT and properties of stem-like cell in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell lines. Methods A lentivirus system was used to transfect human Snail via a plasmid pLV-EF1a-hSnail-Hyg into KYSE-170 and KYSE-510 ESCC cell lines. Immunoblotting was used to determine expression of EMT associated markers including Vimentin, E-cadherin, Fibronectin and N-cadherin. Assays for cell migration and invasion were conducted in Snail-transfected cells and its vector control. Cytotoxicity (MTT) and cell proliferation assay was used to determine cell growth. Sphere formation assay and flow cytometry (FCM) were employed to characterize stem cell properties while examining expression of stemness genes by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results After Snail transfection, mesenchymal markers, Vimentin, N-cadherin increased, whereas epithelial marker E-cadherin decreased. Snail-transfected. ESCC cells presented a significant increase in RNA expression of stemness genes such as Nanog, Oct4, ABCG2 and Sox2 with an induction in sphere formation. Moreover, ability of cell migration and invasion increased after Snail-transfection in ESCC with increased chemoresistance to cisplatin, taxol, and 5-Fluorouracil(5-FU) and an increase in radioresistance as well. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that Snail transfection induced EMT with properties of CSC in ESCC cell lines.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-298
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Wang ◽  
Lili Zhang ◽  
Xingfeng Zhang ◽  
Cuihong Xing ◽  
Ruidong Liu ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION: Osteosarcoma (OS), aggressive neoplasms of the bone, is the most common primary bone cancer in children. MiR-196a usually low expressed in several tumors and its functions in osteosarcoma still unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to assess the expression of miR-196a and the HOXA5. Cell metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) abilities were assessed using Transwell and western blot. The dual luciferase reporter assay was carried out to verify whether miR-196a directly targeted the 3’-untranslated region (UTR) of HOXA5 mRNA. RESULTS: MiR-196a was overexpressed and HOXA5 was low expressed in osteosarcoma versus the non-tumor tissues and normal cell lines. Upregulation of miR-196a or downregulation of HOXA5 was associated with worse outcome of osteosarcoma patients. MiR-196a enhanced cell migration, invasion and EMT by regulating the expression of HOXA5 through directly targeting the 3’-UTR of its mRNA in osteosarcoma. HOXA5 partially reversed roles of miR-196a on metastasis and EMT in osteosarcoma. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-196a promoted cell metastasis and EMT by targeting the 3’-UTR of HOXA5 mRNA in osteosarcoma. The newly identified miR-196a/HOXA5 axis provides novel insight into the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daozhi Xu ◽  
Peixin Dong ◽  
Ying Xiong ◽  
Junming Yue ◽  
Yosuke Konno ◽  
...  

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key process contributing to cervical cancer (CC) metastasis, and microRNAs (miRNAs) modulate the expression of genes implicated in EMT. However, the accurate role of miR-361 in CC-associated EMT and the mechanisms underlying its function in CC remains largely unknown. The functional roles of miR-361 in CC cells were explored by a series of cell functional assays. Luciferase reporter assays were used to demonstrate the potential interaction between miR-361, HSP90, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) NEAT1. We detected a reduction of miR-361 expression in CC tissues compared with normal tissues, and miR-361 overexpression inhibited invasion and EMT phenotypes of CC cells by directly targeting a key EMT activator HSP90. Additionally, we detected significantly higher levels of HSP90 in CC tissues compared with normal tissues, and high expression of HSP90 predicted a poorer prognosis. We further identified NEAT1 as a significantly upregulated lncRNA in CC tissues and high expression of NEAT1 was associated with worse survival in CC patients. NEAT1 directly repressed miR-361 expression and played an oncogenic role in CC cell invasion and sphere formation. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that miR-361 directly targets HSP90 to inhibit the invasion and EMT features, and NEAT1 functions as an oncogenic lncRNA that suppresses miR-361 expression and induces EMT and sphere formation in CC cells, thus providing critical insights into the molecular pathways operating in this malignancy.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siying He ◽  
Yifang Huang ◽  
Shiqi Dong ◽  
Chen Qiao ◽  
Guohua Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Recently, it has been reported that miRNA is involved in pterygium, however the exact underlying mechanism in pterygium is unrevealed and require further investigation. Methods The differential expression of miRNA in pterygium was profiled using microarray and validated with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR). Human conjunctival epithelial cells (HCEs) were cultured and treated with transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transfected with miR-199a-3p/5p mimic and inhibitor. Markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCEs were detected using western blot and immunohistochemistry. Cell migration ability was determined using wound healing and transwell assay, while apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. The target genes of miR-199a were confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results TGF-β and EGF could induced EMT in HCEs and increase miR-199a-3p/5p but suppress target genes, DUSP5 and MAP3K11. With the occurrence of EMT, cell migration ability was enhanced, and apoptosis was impeded. Promoting miR-199a-3p/5p expression could induce EMT in HCEs without TGF-β and EGF, while suppressing miR-199a-3p/5p could inhibit EMT in TGF-β and EGF induced HCEs. In a word, TGF-β and EGF induced EMT could be regulated with miR-199a-3p/5p-DUSP5/MAP3K11 axes. The validated results in tissues showed that, compared with control conjunctival tissues, miR-199a-3p/5p were more overexpressed in pterygium, while DUSP5/MAP3K11 were lower expressed. In addition, bioinformatics analysis indicated the miR-199a-3p/5p-DUSP5/MAP3K11 was belong to MAPK signalling pathway. Conclusions TGF-β and EGF induce EMT of HCEs through miR-199a-3p/5p-DUSP5/MAP3K11 axes, which explains the pathogenesis of EMT in pterygium and may provide new targets for pterygium prevention and therapy.


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