scholarly journals Upregulation of lncRNA DQ679794 contributes to preventing the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma both in vitro and in vivo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ze-wei Lin ◽  
Qing-qi Ren ◽  
Zhi-feng Huang ◽  
Ji-kui Liu

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of tumor development. However, lncRNA profiles in HCC remain largely unknown. In previous studies, we found that lncRNA DQ786243 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of HCC and promotes the development of HCC. In this study, we investigated the role of lncRNA DQ679794 in the pathogenesis of HCC. Methods and Results We first used quantitative real-time PCR among 64 paired HCC tissues, and the level of lncRNA DQ679794 was found to be significantly lower in tumors than in normal tissues. In addition, the effects of lncRNA DQ679794 were assessed by overexpression in vitro and in vivo . We found that the level of apoptosis was increased and that cell proliferation was weakened in HepG2 cells overexpressing DQ679794. Finally, the transplanted tumor experiment confirmed that after the overexpression of lncRNA DQ679794, the growth of transplanted tumors formed by liver cancer cells was inhibited. Conclusion This study suggests that lncRNA DQ679794 is an oncogene that inhibits tumor progression, and we believe that lncRNAs may be a key regulatory center in HCC progression.

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinjin Liu ◽  
Jun Rao ◽  
Xuming Lou ◽  
Jian Zhai ◽  
Zhenhua Ni ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: The tripartite motif containing (TRIM) family plays crucial roles in tumor development and progression. However, little is known about the function and mechanism of TRIM11 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The expression levels of TRIM11 were examined by real-time PCR, Western blot and Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. TRIM11 knockdown cells were produced by lentivirus infection, and functional assays, such as MTT, colony formation assay, migration and invasion assays and a xenograft tumor model were used to investigate the role of TRIM11 in HCC. We also determined the effect of TRIM11 on p53 signaling and its downstream molecules. Results: We found that TRIM11 mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased in HCC tissues as compared with normal tissues; increased levels correlated with poor patient survival. By loss- and gain-of-function investigations, knockdown of TRIM11 suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, TRIM11 negatively regulated p53 expression. Knockdown of p53 abrogated the in vitro and in vivo biological functions of TRIM11 shRNA in HCC cells. Conclusions: These data show that TRIM11 exerts its oncogenic effect in HCC by downregulating p53 both in vitro and in vivo. Our data provide new insights into the pathogenesis of HCC and indicate that TRIM11 may serve as a new therapeutic target for HCC treatment.


Author(s):  
Chenwei Wang ◽  
Yadi Liao ◽  
Wei He ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Dinglan Zuo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Elafin is a serine protease inhibitor critical for host defence. We previously reported that Elafin was associated with the recurrence of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after surgery. However, the exact role of Elafin in HCC remains obscure. Methods HCC tissue microarrays were used to investigate the correlation between Elafin expression and the prognosis of HCC patients. In vitro migration, invasion and wound healing assays and in vivo lung metastasis models were used to determine the role of Elafin in HCC metastasis. Mass spectrometry, co-immunoprecipitation, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining assays were performed to uncover the mechanism of Elafin in HCC. Dual-luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were employed to observe the transcriptional regulation of Elafin. Results Elafin expression was frequently increased in HCC tissues compared to normal tissues, and high Elafin expression in HCC tissues was correlated with aggressive tumour phenotypes and a poor prognosis in HCC patients. Elafin dramatically enhanced the metastasis of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo by interacting with EGFR and activating EGFR/AKT signalling. Moreover, Elafin attenuated the suppressive effects of erlotinib on HCC metastasis. Besides, Elafin was transcriptionally regulated by Sp1 in HCC cells. Clinically, Elafin expression was positively correlated with Sp1, Vimentin, and EGFR signalling in both our HCC tissue microarrays and TCGA database analysis. Conclusions Upregulation of Elafin by Sp1 enhanced HCC metastasis via EGFR/AKT pathway, and overexpression of Elafin attenuated the anti-metastatic effects of erlotinib, suggesting a valuable prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhicheng Yao ◽  
Ruiyun Xu ◽  
Lin Yuan ◽  
Mingxing Xu ◽  
Haiyun Zhuang ◽  
...  

AbstractCircular RNAs (circRNAs) have been increasingly demonstrated to function as novel promising therapeutic RNA molecules for diverse human diseases, including cancer. Although the important role of circRNAs has been well documented in HCC, the complex mechanisms of circRNAs in HCC need to be elucidated. Here, a novel circRNA circ_0001955 was identified from three GSE datasets (GSE7852, GSE94508, and GSE97322) as a differentially expressed circRNA between HCC and normal samples. We revealed that circ_0001955, TRAF6 and MAPK11 levels were increased, while miR-516a-5p levels were decreased in HCC tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Knockdown of circ_0001955 repressed HCC tumor growth in vitro and in vivo, while overexpression of circ_0001955 exhibited the opposite effect. Circ_0001955 was identified as a sponge for miR-145-5p and miR-516a-5p, and TRAF6 and MAPK11 were demonstrated to be two target genes of miR-516a-5p. In conclusion, circ_0001955 facilitated HCC tumorigenesis by sponging miR-516a-5p to release TRAF6 and MAPK11 expression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawei Chen ◽  
Zhenguo Zhao ◽  
Lu Chen ◽  
Qinghua Li ◽  
Jixue Zou ◽  
...  

AbstractEmerging evidence has demonstrated that alternative splicing has a vital role in regulating protein function, but how alternative splicing factors can be regulated remains unclear. We showed that the PPM1G, a protein phosphatase, regulated the phosphorylation of SRSF3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and contributed to the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of HCC. PPM1G was highly expressed in HCC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, and higher levels of PPM1G were observed in adverse staged HCCs. The higher levels of PPM1G were highly correlated with poor prognosis, which was further validated in the TCGA cohort. The knockdown of PPM1G inhibited the cell growth and invasion of HCC cell lines. Further studies showed that the knockdown of PPM1G inhibited tumor growth in vivo. The mechanistic analysis showed that the PPM1G interacted with proteins related to alternative splicing, including SRSF3. Overexpression of PPM1G promoted the dephosphorylation of SRSF3 and changed the alternative splicing patterns of genes related to the cell cycle, the transcriptional regulation in HCC cells. In addition, we also demonstrated that the promoter of PPM1G was activated by multiple transcription factors and co-activators, including MYC/MAX and EP300, MED1, and ELF1. Our study highlighted the essential role of PPM1G in HCC and shed new light on unveiling the regulation of alternative splicing in malignant transformation.


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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e001364
Author(s):  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Hui Yang ◽  
Jun Zhao ◽  
Ping Wan ◽  
Ye Hu ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe activation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) facilitates the progression of gastric cancer (GC). Cell metabolism reprogramming has been shown to play a vital role in the polarization of TAMs. However, the role of methionine metabolism in function of TAMs remains to be explored.MethodsMonocytes/macrophages were isolated from peripheral blood, tumor tissues or normal tissues from healthy donors or patients with GC. The role of methionine metabolism in the activation of TAMs was evaluated with both in vivo analyses and in vitro experiments. Pharmacological inhibition of the methionine cycle and modulation of key metabolic genes was employed, where molecular and biological analyses were performed.ResultsTAMs have increased methionine cycle activity that are mainly attributed to elevated methionine adenosyltransferase II alpha (MAT2A) levels. MAT2A modulates the activation and maintenance of the phenotype of TAMs and mediates the upregulation of RIP1 by increasing the histone H3K4 methylation (H3K4me3) at its promoter regions.ConclusionsOur data cast light on a novel mechanism by which methionine metabolism regulates the anti-inflammatory functions of monocytes in GC. MAT2A might be a potential therapeutic target for cancer cells as well as TAMs in GC.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000622
Author(s):  
Lydia Meziani ◽  
Marine Gerbé de Thoré ◽  
Pauline Hamon ◽  
Sophie Bockel ◽  
Ruy Andrade Louzada ◽  
...  

BackgroundMacrophages play pivotal roles in tumor progression and the response to anticancer therapies, including radiotherapy (RT). Dual oxidase (DUOX) 1 is a transmembrane enzyme that plays a critical role in oxidant generation.MethodsSince we found DUOX1 expression in macrophages from human lung samples exposed to ionizing radiation, we aimed to assess the involvement of DUOX1 in macrophage activation and the role of these macrophages in tumor development.ResultsUsing Duox1−/− mice, we demonstrated that the lack of DUOX1 in proinflammatory macrophages improved the antitumor effect of these cells. Furthermore, intratumoral injection of Duox1−/− proinflammatory macrophages significantly enhanced the antitumor effect of RT. Mechanistically, DUOX1 deficiency increased the production of proinflammatory cytokines (IFNγ, CXCL9, CCL3 and TNFα) by activated macrophages in vitro and the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II in the membranes of macrophages. We also demonstrated that DUOX1 was involved in the phagocytotic function of macrophages in vitro and in vivo. The antitumor effect of Duox1−/− macrophages was associated with a significant increase in IFNγ production by both lymphoid and myeloid immune cells.ConclusionsOur data indicate that DUOX1 is a new target for macrophage reprogramming and suggest that DUOX1 inhibition in macrophages combined with RT is a new therapeutic strategy for the management of cancers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Fei Liu ◽  
Jing-Wei Li ◽  
Hong-Zhi Chen ◽  
Zi-Yuan Sun ◽  
Guang-Xi Shi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Yanghe Huayan Decoction (YHD), a traditional Chinese medicine, is one of the most common complementary medicine currently used in the treatment of breast cancer (BC). It has been recently linked to suppress precancerous lesion and tumor development. The current study sought to explore the role of YHD on trans-endothelium and angiogenesis of BC. Methods: HER2+ BC cells were treated with YHD, Trastuzumab, or the combination in vitro and in vivo to compare the effects of them on trans-endothelium and angiogenesis features. The present study also investigated the potential molecular mechanism of YHD in inhibiting angiogenesis of BC. Results: YHD significantly suppressed the invasion and angiogenesis of BC cells via elevated pAkt signaling. Administration of YHD in vivo also strikingly repressed angiogenesis in tumor grafts. Conclusion: YHD could partially inhibit and reverse tumorigenesis of BC. It also could inhibit Akt activation and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Its effect was superior to trastuzumab. Thus it was suitable for prevention and treatment of BC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongli Li ◽  
Qingjie Mu ◽  
Guoxin Zhang ◽  
Zhixin Shen ◽  
Yuanyuan Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractIncreasing lines of evidence indicate the role of long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) in gene regulation and tumor development. Hence, it is important to elucidate the mechanisms of LncRNAs underlying the proliferation, metastasis, and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). We employed microarrays to screen LncRNAs in LUAD tissues with and without lymph node metastasis and revealed their effects on LUAD. Among them, Linc00426 was selected for further exploration in its expression, the biological significance, and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Linc00426 exhibits ectopic expression in LUAD tissues and cells. The ectopic expression has been clinically linked to tumor size, lymphatic metastasis, and tumor differentiation of patients with LUAD. The deregulation of Linc00426 contributes to a notable impairment in proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the deregulation of Linc00426 could reduce cytoskeleton rearrangement and matrix metalloproteinase expression. Meanwhile, decreasing the level of Linc00426 or increasing miR-455-5p could down-regulate the level of UBE2V1. Thus, Linc00426 may act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to abate miR-455-5p-dependent UBE2V1 reduction. We conclude that Linc00426 accelerates LUAD progression by acting as a molecular sponge to regulate miR-455-5p, and may be a potential novel tumor marker for LUAD.


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