scholarly journals Circulating microRNA-762 promotes colorectal cancer proliferation and invasion by upregulating the Wnt-1/β-catenin pathway

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng-Sheng Lai ◽  
Wei-Min Chang ◽  
Ying-Yin Chen ◽  
Yi-Feng Lin ◽  
Hui-Fen Liao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: A number of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be associated with the diagnosis, progression and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the function of miRNA-762 (miR-762) in CRC remains unclear, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of miR‑762 in CRC require further investigation. Methods: The circulating miRNAs from BALB/c mice with CRC CT26 cell implantation were assayed by microarray. Then, miR-762 mimic and inhibitor were transfected to CT26 cells for analysis of cell viability, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell cycle, and regulatory molecule expression. Human subjects were included for comparison the circulating miR-762 levels in CRC patients and control donors, as well as the patients with and without distant metastasis. Results: The screening for miRNA levels in mice with CRC cell implantation indicated that plasma miR-762 was upregulated. Transfection of miR-762 mimic to CT26 cells increased cell viability, invasion, and EMT, whereas transfection of miR-762 inhibitor decreased the above abilities. Western blot analysis showed that miR-762 mimic transfection upregulated the expression of Wnt-1 and b-catenin, as well as increased the nuclear translocation of b-catenin. Further analysis showed that serum miR-762 levels in CRC patients were higher than in control donors. Among the CRC patients (n = 20), six patients with distant metastasis showed higher serum miR-762 levels than the patients without distant metastasis. Conclusions: Circulating miR-762 could promote CRC disease development and progression through the Wnt/b-catenin signaling. miR-762 might be used as a biomarker for CRC diagnosis and targeted therapy.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng-Sheng Lai ◽  
Wei-Min Chang ◽  
Ying-Yin Chen ◽  
Yi-Feng Lin ◽  
Hui-Fen Liao ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackgroundA number of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be correlated with the diagnosis, progression and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the key miRNAs and the associated signaling pathways that regulate the growth and metastasis of CRC remain unclear.MethodsThe circulating miRNAs from BALB/c mice with CRC CT26 cell implantation were assayed by microarray. Then, mmu-miR-762 mimic and inhibitor were transfected to CT26 cells for analysis of cell viability, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell cycle, and regulatory molecule expression. Human subjects were included for comparison the circulating has-miR-762 levels in CRC patients and control donors, as well as the patients with and without distant metastasis.ResultsThe miRNA levels in mice with CRC cell implantation indicated that plasma mmu-miR-762 was upregulated. Transfection of mmu-miR-762 mimic to CT26 cells increased cell viability, invasion, and EMT, whereas transfection of mmu-miR-762 inhibitor decreased the above abilities. Cells treated with high-concentration mmu-miR-762 inhibitor induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. Western blot analysis showed that mmu-miR-762 mimic transfection upregulated the expression of Wnt-1 and β-catenin. Further analysis was performed to demonstrate the correlation of has-miR-762 with CRC patients. The results showed that serum has-miR-762 levels in CRC patients were higher than in control donors. Among the CRC patients, patients with distant metastasis showed higher serum has-miR-762 levels than patients without distant metastasis.ConclusionsThe present study demonstrated that circulating miR-762 might be a biomarker with upregulation of CRC cell growth and invasion through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Peng-Sheng Lai ◽  
Wei-Min Chang ◽  
Ying-Yin Chen ◽  
YiFeng Lin ◽  
Hui-Fen Liao ◽  
...  

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has become the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. CRC occurs because of abnormal growth of cells that can invade other tissues and cause distant metastases. Researchers have suggested that aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression is involved in the initiation and progression of cancers. However, the key miRNAs that regulate the growth and metastasis of CRC remain unclear. The circulating miRNAs from BALB/c mice with CRC CT26 cell implantation were assayed by microarray. Then, Mus musculus (house mouse) mmu-miR-762 mimic and inhibitor were transfected to CT26 cells for analysis of cell viability, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell cycle, and regulatory molecule expression. Human subjects were included for comparison the circulating Homo sapiens (human) has-miR-762 levels in CRC patients and control donors, as well as the patients with and without distant metastasis. The result for miRNA levels in mice with CRC cell implantation indicated that plasma mmu-miR-762 was upregulated. Transfection of mmu-miR-762 mimic to CT26 cells increased cell viability, invasion, and EMT, whereas transfection of mmu-miR-762 inhibitor decreased the above abilities. Cells treated with high-concentration mmu-miR-762 inhibitor induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. However, mmu-miR-762 did not cause apoptosis of cells. Western blot analysis showed that mmu-miR-762 mimic transfection upregulated the expression of Wnt-1 and β-catenin, as well as increased the nuclear translocation of β-catenin. Further analysis was performed to demonstrate the correlation of miR-762 with CRC, and blood samples were collected from CRC patients and control donors. The results showed that serum has-miR-762 levels in CRC patients were higher than in control donors. Among the CRC patients (n= 20), six patients with distant metastasis showed higher serum has-miR-762 levels than patients without distant metastasis. Conclusions, the present study suggests that circulating miR-762 might be a potential biomarker for upregulation of CRC cell growth and invasion, and may be accompanied by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Lin Zhou ◽  
Qing Chen ◽  
Jie Wu ◽  
Jian Yang ◽  
Huancai Yin ◽  
...  

Although colorectal cancer (CRC) is common, there is a paucity of information regarding its molecular pathogenesis. Studies have shown that miRNAs play pivotal roles in the development and progression of CRC. There is a need to further investigate the biological functions of miRNAs in CRC. In particular, it has been reported that miR-942-5p exhibits tumor-suppressive properties. Thus, we analyzed the functional significance of miR-942-5p in CRC and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that miR-942-5p was downregulated in CRC tissues and cells. Cell Counting Kit-8, EdU, and colony formation assays revealed that the overexpression of miR-942-5p by mimics inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells. Use of the miR-942-5p inhibitor effectively enhanced the proliferative potential of CRC cells. Further, in vivo xenograft experiments confirmed these results. Increased expression of miR-942-5p suppressed the invasion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of CRC cell lines, while decreased miR-942-5p expression had the opposite effect. CCBE1, a secretory molecule for lymphangiogenesis, was established as a downstream target of miR-942-5p, and its expression was inversely correlated with the expression of miR-942-5p in CRC cells. Additionally, cotransfection of the miR-942-5p inhibitor with si-CCBE1 into CRC cells reversed the effects induced by miR-942-5p overexpression. In conclusion, we confirmed that miR-942-5p exerts oncogenic actions in CRC by targeting CCBE1 and identified miR-942-5p as a potential clinical biomarker for CRC diagnosis and therapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Lv ◽  
Qiyi Yi ◽  
Ying Yan ◽  
Fengmei Chao ◽  
Ming Li

Spinster homologue 2 (SPNS2), a transporter of S1P (sphingosine-1-phosphate), has been reported to mediate immune response, vascular development, and pathologic processes of diseases such as cancer via S1P signaling pathways. However, its biological functions and expression profile in colorectal cancer (CRC) is elusive. In this study, we disclosed that SPNS2 expression, which was regulated by copy number variation and DNA methylation of its promoter, was dramatically upregulated in colon adenoma and CRC compared to normal tissues. However, its expression was lower in CRC than in colon adenoma, and low expression of SPN2 correlated with advanced T/M/N stage and poor prognosis in CRC. Ectopic expression of SPNS2 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and metastasis in CRC cell lines, while silencing SPNS2 had the opposite effects. Meanwhile, measuring the intracellular and extracellular level of S1P after overexpression of SPNS2 pinpointed a S1P-independent model of SPNS2. Mechanically, SPNS2 led to PTEN upregulation and inactivation of Akt. Moreover, AKT inhibitor (MK2206) abrogated SPNS2 knockdown-induced promoting effects on the migration and invasion, while AKT activator (SC79) reversed the repression of migration and invasion by SPNS2 overexpression in CRC cells, confirming the pivotal role of AKT for SPNS2’s function. Collectively, our study demonstrated the suppressor role of SPNS2 during CRC metastasis, providing new insights into the pathology and molecular mechanisms of CRC progression.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 480-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangsheng Wan ◽  
Manli Xie ◽  
Hongjie Yu ◽  
Hongyu Chen

In this study we investigated the association between intestinal dysbacteriosis with colorectal cancer progress and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Tumor progression was evaluated using xenograft mice model. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were quantified by both real-time PCR and immunoblotting. The serum content of IL-6 and TNF-α were measured with ELISA kits. Cell proliferation was determined by the Cell Counting Kit-8. Intestinal dysbacteriosis was successfully simulated by the administration of a large dose of antibiotics and was demonstrated to promote xenograft tumor growth and induce EMT. Accordingly, the serum concentrations of cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased. Furthermore, the production and secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α were remarkably elevated in macrophages isolated from intestinal dysbiotic mice in comparison with the normal counterparts, and conditioned medium from these was shown to significantly stimulate EMT process in HT29 cells in vitro. Macrophage depletion completely abrogated the pro-tumor effect of intestinal dysbacteriosis. Our results suggest that intestinal dysbacteriosis stimulates macrophage activation and subsequently induces EMT process via secreted pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenxian Xiang ◽  
Guoquan Huang ◽  
Haitao Wu ◽  
Qiuming He ◽  
Chaogang Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Circulating tumor cells are important precursor of colorectal cancer metastasis, which attributes to the main cause of cancer-related death. The ability to adopt epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process facilitates CTCs generation, thereby overcoming metastatic bottlenecks and realizing distant metastasis. However, the potential molecular mechanism of CRC EMT remains largely unknown.Methods: RT-qPCR, immunohistochemical staining, and western blot were used to detect the expression of mRNA and protein in CRC. Loss- and gain-of-function approaches were performed to investigate the effect of SNHG16 on CRC cell phenotypes. Function assays, including wounding healing, transwell assay, and clone formation were used to assess the effect of SNHG16 on tumor biological behavior. Then, RNA immunoprecipitation, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation, Co-Immunoprecipitation, GST-pull down, biotin-labeled miR-195-5p pull down, and dual-luciferase assay were performed to uncover the underlying mechanism for molecular interaction. Finally, CRC nude mice xenograft model experiment was performed to evaluate the influence of SNHG16 on tumor progression in vivo Results: Compared with normal tissue and cell line, SNHG16 was significantly upregulated in CRC. Clinical investigation revealed that SNHG16 high expression was correlated with advanced TNM stage, distant metastasis, and poor prognosis of cancer patients. According to Loss- and gain-of-function experiment, SNHG16 could promote CRC proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT, mesenchymal-type CTCs (MCTCs) generation, and liver metastasis through YAP1 in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic research indicates that, SNHG16 could act as miRNA sponge to sequester miR-195-5p on Ago2, thereby protecting YAP1 from repression and facilitating CRC liver metastasis and tumor progression. Moreover, YAP1 could combine with TEA Domain Transcription Factor 1 (TEAD1) to form a YAP1/TEAD1 complex, which could in turn bind to the promoter of SNHG16 and regulate its transcription. In addition, both of YAP1 and TEAD1 are indispensable during this process. Finally, we demonstrated that YAP1 significantly promoted the tumor progression, and SNHG16 could rescue the effect of YAP1 on tumor progressionConclusion: Herein, we clarified a hitherto unexplored positive feedback loop between SNHG16 and YAP1/TEAD1. These findings provided new sights in CRC liver metastasis, and it may act as a potential candidate in the treatment of CRC.


2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 578-589
Author(s):  
Liang Wu ◽  
Zili Zhou ◽  
Shengbo Han ◽  
Jinhuang Chen ◽  
Zhengyi Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background We previously demonstrated that the pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PLAGL2) is involved in the pathogenesis of Hirschsprung disease. Enhanced PLAGL2 expression was observed in several malignant tumours. However, the exact function of PLAGL2 and its underlying mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain largely unknown. Methods Immunohistochemical analysis of PLAGL2 was performed. A series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to reveal the role of PLAGL2 in the progression of CRC. Results Enhanced PLAGL2 expression was significantly associated with EMT-related proteins in CRC. The data revealed that PLAGL2 promotes CRC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, PLAGL2 promoted the expression of ZEB1. PLAGL2 enhanced the expression and nuclear translocation of β-catenin by decreasing its phosphorylation. The depletion of β-catenin neutralised the regulation of ZEB1 that was caused by enhanced PLAGL2 expression. The small-molecule inhibitor PNU-74654, also impaired the enhancement of ZEB1 that resulted from the modified PLAGL2 expression. The depletion of ZEB1 could block the biological function of PLAGL2 in CRC cells. Conclusions Collectively, our findings suggest that PLAGL2 mediates EMT to promote colorectal cancer metastasis via β-catenin-dependent regulation of ZEB1.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng-Sheng Lai ◽  
Wei-Min Chang ◽  
Ying-Yin Chen ◽  
Yi-Feng Lin ◽  
Hui-Fen Liao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A number of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be correlated with the diagnosis, progression and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the key miRNAs and the associated signaling pathways that regulate the growth and metastasis of CRC remain unclear. Methods miRNA array was analyzed in CRC CT26 cell-transplanted BALB/c mice. The effects of miR-762 mimics and inhibitors on the growth, invasion, cell cycle, and regulatory pathways of CRC CT26 cells were assessed. Cell cycle and sub-G1 assay were collected from the treated CT26 cells. Finally, blood samples were collected from patients with CRC. Further analysis to compare miR-762 levels in blood samples collected from CRC patients and normal control donors. Patients’ basic data were retrieved from electronic medical records and analyzed for age, gender, tumor staging, and survival. Results The miRNA levels in mice with CRC cell implantation indicated that plasma mmu-miR-762 was upregulated. Transfection of mmu-miR-762 mimic to CT26 cells increased cell viability, invasion, and EMT, whereas transfection of mmu-miR-762 inhibitor decreased the above abilities. Cells treated with high-concentration mmu-miR-762 inhibitor induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. However, mmu-miR-762 did not cause apoptosis of cells. Western blot analysis showed that mmu-miR-762 mimic transfection upregulated the expression of Wnt-1 and β-catenin, as well as increased the nuclear translocation of β-catenin. Further analysis was performed to demonstrate the correlation of has-miR-762 with CRC, and blood samples were collected from CRC patients and control donors. The results showed that serum has-miR-762 levels in CRC patients were higher than in control donors. Among the CRC patients, patients with distant metastasis showed higher serum has-miR-762 levels than patients without distant metastasis. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that circulating miR-762 might be a biomarker with upregulation of CRC cell growth and invasion through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahan Si ◽  
Yujia Song ◽  
Xiaohui Wang ◽  
Dong Wang ◽  
Xiaohui Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: CXCR7 is an atypical chemokine receptor that transmits biased signal independent of G-protein activation. However, whether CXCL12/CXCR7 biased signal activation plays an essential role in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and metastasis remains obscure. Methods: The functional role of CXCL12/CXCR7 biased signal in CRC was investigated by RNA-sequencing, Transwell assay and in vivo tumor xenografts. YAP1 nuclear translocation and molecular mechanisms were determined by cell transfection, luciferase activity assay, immunofluorescence, coimmunoprecipitation and immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR analysis.Results: In this study, CXCR7 CXCL12/overexpression promotes Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and upregulates the expression of stem marker doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) in CRC cells with concurrent repression of miR-124-3p and miR-188-5p. Further luciferase assay prove that these miRNAs could regulate EMT by direct targeting vimentin and DCLK1. More importantly, CXCL12/CXCR7/β-arrestin1-mediated biased signal induces YAP1 nuclear translocation, which functions as a transcriptional repressor by interacting with Yin Yang 1 (YY1) and recruiting YY1 to the promoter of miR-124-3p and miR-188-5p. Pharmacological inhibitor of YAP1 recapitulates the anti-tumorigenesis and anti-metastasis effects of YAP1 depletion upon CXCR7 activation in tumor xenografts. Clinically, the expression of CXCR7 was positively correlated with nuclear YAP1 levels and EMT markers. Conclusions: Our findings revealed the novel role of YAP1 nuclear translocation in promoting EMT of CRC by repressing miR-124-3p and miR-188-5p through CXCL12/CXCR7/β-arrestin1 biased signal activation. These findings highlight the potential of targeting YAP1 nuclear translocation in hampering CXCL12/CXCR7 biased signal-induced metastasis of CRC.


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