scholarly journals A Positive Feedback Loop of lncRNA-RMRP/ZNRF3 axis and Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Regulates Temozolomide Resistance in Glioma

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tie Liu ◽  
Jie Hu ◽  
Bo Han ◽  
Shishan Tan ◽  
Wenqing Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Mrna Stability ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Glioma Cells ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Glioma Xenograft ◽  
Rna Immunoprecipitation

Abstract Background: Drug resistance strikingly limits the therapeutic effect of temozolomide (TMZ) (a common drug for glioma). Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) RMRP was found to be implicated in glioma progression. However, the effects of RMRP on TMZ resistance along with related molecular mechanisms are poor defined in glioma. Methods: RMRP, ZNRF3, and IGF2BP3 were screened out by bioinformatics analysis. The expression levels of lncRNAs and mRNAs were measured by RT-qPCR assay. Protein levels of genes were detected by western blot and immunofluorescence assays. ZNRF3 mRNA stability was analyzed using Actinomycin D assay. Cell proliferative ability and survival rate were determined by CCK-8 assay. Cell apoptotic patterns were estimated by flow cytometry. The effects of RMRP knockdown on the growth of TMZ-treated glioma xenograft tumors were explored in vivo. The relationships among IGF2BP3, RMRP and ZNRF3 were explored by bioinformatics prediction analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down assays. Results: RMRP was highly expressed in glioma. RMRP knockdown curbed cell proliferation, facilitated cell apoptosis and reduced TMZ resistance in glioma cells and hindered the growth of TMZ-treated glioma xenograft tumors. RMRP exerted its functions by down-regulating ZNRF3 in glioma cells. IGF2BP3 interacted with RMRP and ZNRF3 mRNA. RMRP reduced ZNRF3 expression and mRNA stability by IGF2BP3. RMRP knockdown inhibited β-catenin expression by up-regulating ZNRF3 and β-catenin promoted RMRP expression in glioma cells. Conclusion: RMRP/ZNRF3 axis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling formed a positive feedback loop to regulate TMZ resistance in glioma. The sustained activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by RMRP contributes the better management of cancers.

scholarly journals A positive feedback loop of lncRNA-RMRP/ZNRF3 axis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates the progression and temozolomide resistance in glioma

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tie Liu ◽  
Jie Hu ◽  
Bo Han ◽  
Shishan Tan ◽  
Wenqing Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Mrna Stability ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Glioma Cells ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop ◽  
Argonaute 2 ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Glioma Xenograft

AbstractDrug resistance strikingly limits the therapeutic effect of temozolomide (TMZ) (a common drug for glioma). Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) RMRP has been found to be implicated in glioma progression. However, the effect of RMRP on TMZ resistance along with related molecular mechanisms is poorly defined in glioma. In the present study, RMRP, ZNRF3, and IGF2BP3 were screened out by bioinformatics analysis. The expression levels of lncRNAs and mRNAs were measured by RT-qPCR assay. Protein levels of genes were detected by western blot and immunofluorescence assays. ZNRF3 mRNA stability was analyzed using Actinomycin D assay. Cell proliferative ability and survival rate were determined by CCK-8 assay. Cell apoptotic pattern was estimated by flow cytometry. The effect of RMRP knockdown on the growth of TMZ-treated glioma xenograft tumors was explored in vivo. The relationships of IGF2BP3, RMRP, and ZNRF3 were explored by bioinformatics prediction analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation, luciferase, and RNA pull-down, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The results showed that RMRP was highly expressed in glioma. RMRP knockdown curbed cell proliferation, facilitated cell apoptosis and reduced TMZ resistance in glioma cells, and hindered the growth of TMZ-treated glioma xenograft tumors. RMRP exerted its functions by down-regulating ZNRF3 in glioma cells. IGF2BP3 interacted with RMRP and ZNRF3 mRNA. IGF2BP3 knockdown weakened the interaction of Argonaute 2 (Ago2) and ZNRF3. RMRP reduced ZNRF3 expression and mRNA stability by IGF2BP3. RMRP knockdown inhibited β-catenin expression by up-regulating ZNRF3. The inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by XAV-939 weakened RMRP-mediated TMZ resistance in glioma cells. β-catenin promoted RMRP expression by TCF4 in glioma cells. In conclusion, RMRP/ZNRF3 axis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling formed a positive feedback loop to regulate TMZ resistance in glioma. The sustained activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by RMRP might contribute to the better management of cancers.

scholarly journals The Positive Feedback Loop Between RLIP76 and HIF-1α Promotes Glycolysis and Tumorigenesis in Glioma Cells Under Hypoxic Conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Wang ◽  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Huairui Chen ◽  
Jun Qian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Glioma Cells ◽  
U251 Cell ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop ◽  
Gene Therapy Approach ◽  
Hypoxic Conditions ◽  
Novel Target

Abstract BackgroundHypoxia is intimately associated with increased glycolysis in gliomas, and HIF-1α plays a critical role in this process. Here, we aim to show that RLIP76 is a novel target of HIF-1α and is involved in hypoxia-enhanced glycolysis in glioma cells. MethodsThe human glioma cell lines U87 and U251 were used to explore the interactions of RLIP76-HIF-1α and RLIP76-VHL using Western blot, a Biotin pull-down assay, Immunoprecipitation, and a Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay under hypoxia. U251 cells pretreated with hypoxia were used for tumor xenografts. ResultsRLIP76 is a novel target of HIF-1α and contributes to hypoxia-enhanced glycolysis in glioma cells. HIF-1α-induced RLIP76 can critically regulate the stability of HIF-1α by alleviating VHL-mediated HIF-1α ubiquitination under hypoxia. RLIP76 interacts with HIF-1α and VHL through an RLIP76 GAP-dependent mechanism. The GAP function of RLIP76 regulates its complex formation because of the dependence of RLIP76 GAP on interactions between RLIP76 and these proteins. RLIP76 knockdown results in decreased U251 cell growth after hypoxia pretreatment in vivo. ConclusionsThis study reveals a positive feedback loop between HIF-1α and RLIP76, suggesting that RLIP76 may undergo a complex series of GAP-dependent interactions with HIF-1α and VHL to protect HIF-1α from degradation while promoting glycolysis under hypoxic conditions. We indicate that RLIP76 is crucial for the regulation of hypoxia-enhanced glycolysis and may provide a new gene therapy approach for glioma patients.

scholarly journals SNHG17 promotes colorectal tumorigenesis and metastasis via regulating Trim23-PES1 axis and miR-339-5p-FOSL2-SNHG17 positive feedback loop

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zehua Bian ◽  
Mingyue Zhou ◽  
Kaisa Cui ◽  
Fan Yang ◽  
Yulin Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Tumor Xenograft ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop ◽  
Tumorigenesis And Progression ◽  
Rna Immunoprecipitation ◽  
Tumor Growth And Metastasis

Abstract Background Small nucleolar RNA host gene (SNHG) long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are frequently dysregulated in human cancers and involved in tumorigenesis and progression. SNHG17 has been reported as a candidate oncogene in several cancer types, however, its regulatory role in colorectal cancer (CRC) is unclear. Methods SNHG17 expression in multiple CRC cohorts was assessed by RT-qPCR or bioinformatic analyses. Cell viability was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays. Cell mobility and invasiveness were assessed by Transwell assays. Tumor xenograft and metastasis models were applied to confirm the effects of SNHG17 on CRC tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo. Immunohistochemistry staining was used to measure protein expression in cancer tissues. RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and dual luciferase assays were used to investigate the molecular mechanism of SNHG17 in CRC. Results Using multiple cohorts, we confirmed that SNHG17 is aberrantly upregulated in CRC and correlated with poor survival. In vitro and in vivo functional assays indicated that SNHG17 facilitates CRC proliferation and metastasis. SNHG17 impedes PES1 degradation by inhibiting Trim23-mediated ubiquitination of PES1. SNHG17 upregulates FOSL2 by sponging miR-339-5p, and FOSL2 transcription activates SNHG17 expression, uncovering a SNHG17-miR-339-5p-FOSL2-SNHG17 positive feedback loop. Conclusions We identified SNHG17 as an oncogenic lncRNA in CRC and identified abnormal upregulation of SNHG17 as a prognostic risk factor for CRC. Our mechanistic investigations demonstrated, for the first time, that SNHG17 promotes tumor growth and metastasis through two different regulatory mechanisms, SNHG17-Trim23-PES1 axis and SNHG17-miR-339-5p-FOSL2-SNHG17 positive feedback loop, which may be exploited for CRC therapy.

scholarly journals CDK13 upregulation-induced formation of the positive feedback loop among circCDK13, miR-212-5p/miR-449a and E2F5 contributes to prostate carcinogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Chun Qi ◽  
Zhan Yang ◽  
Tao Lin ◽  
Long Ma ◽  
Ya-Xuan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Therapeutic Benefit ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop

Abstract Background Both E2F transcription factor and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), which increase or decrease E2F activity by phosphorylating E2F or its partner, are involved in the control of cell proliferation, and some circRNAs and miRNAs regulate the expression of E2F and CDKs. However, little is known about whether dysregulation among E2Fs, CDKs, circRNAs and miRNAs occurs in human PCa. Methods The expression levels of CDK13 in PCa tissues and different cell lines were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. In vitro and in vivo assays were preformed to explore the biological effects of CDK13 in PCa cells. Co-immunoprecipitation anlysis coupled with mass spectrometry was used to identify E2F5 interaction with CDK13. A CRISPR-Cas9 complex was used to activate endogenous CDK13 and circCDK13 expression. Furthermore, the mechanism of circCDK13 was investigated by using loss-of-function and gain-of-function assays in vitro and in vivo. Results Here we show that CDK13 is significantly upregulated in human PCa tissues. CDK13 depletion and overexpression in PCa cells decrease and increase, respectively, cell proliferation, and the pro-proliferation effect of CDK13 is strengthened by its interaction with E2F5. Mechanistically, transcriptional activation of endogenous CDK13, but not the forced expression of CDK13 by its expression vector, remarkably promotes E2F5 protein expression by facilitating circCDK13 formation. Further, the upregulation of E2F5 enhances CDK13 transcription and promotes circCDK13 biogenesis, which in turn sponges miR-212-5p/449a and thus relieves their repression of the E2F5 expression, subsequently leading to the upregulation of E2F5 expression and PCa cell proliferation. Conclusions These findings suggest that CDK13 upregulation-induced formation of the positive feedback loop among circCDK13, miR-212-5p/miR-449a and E2F5 is responsible for PCa development. Targeting this newly identified regulatory axis may provide therapeutic benefit against PCa progression and drug resistance.

scholarly journals Interaction of Apoptotic Cells with Macrophages Upregulates COX-2/PGE2and HGF Expression via a Positive Feedback Loop

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Yeon Byun ◽  
Young-So Youn ◽  
Ye-Ji Lee ◽  
Youn-Hee Choi ◽  
So-Yeon Woo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Tissue Repair ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Apoptotic Cell ◽  
Raw 264.7 Cells ◽  
Apoptotic Cells ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop ◽  
Cox 2

Recognition of apoptotic cells by macrophages is crucial for resolution of inflammation, immune tolerance, and tissue repair. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) play important roles in the tissue repair process. We investigated the characteristics of macrophage COX-2 and PGE2expression mediated by apoptotic cells and then determined how macrophages exposed to apoptotic cellsin vitroandin vivoorchestrate the interaction between COX-2/PGE2and HGF signaling pathways. Exposure of RAW 264.7 cells and primary peritoneal macrophages to apoptotic cells resulted in induction of COX-2 and PGE2. The COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 suppressed apoptotic cell-induced PGE2production. Both NS-398 and COX-2-siRNA, as well as the PGE2receptor EP2 antagonist, blocked HGF expression in response to apoptotic cells. In addition, the HGF receptor antagonist suppressed increases in COX-2 and PGE2induction. Thein vivorelevance of the interaction between the COX-2/PGE2and HGF pathways through a positive feedback loop was shown in cultured alveolar macrophages followingin vivoexposure of bleomycin-stimulated lungs to apoptotic cells. Our results demonstrate that upregulation of the COX-2/PGE2and HGF in macrophages following exposure to apoptotic cells represents a mechanism for mediating the anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic consequences of apoptotic cell recognition.

scholarly journals A novel positive feedback-loop between the HTLV-1 oncoprotein Tax and NF-κB activity in T-cells

Retrovirology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Millen ◽  
Lina Meretuk ◽  
Tim Göttlicher ◽  
Sarah Schmitt ◽  
Bernhard Fleckenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Protein Expression ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Cell Leukemia ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop ◽  
Transcript Levels ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Tax Protein

Abstract Background Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infects primarily CD4+ T-lymphocytes and evoques severe diseases, predominantly Adult T-Cell Leukemia/ Lymphoma (ATL/L) and HTLV-1-associated Myelopathy/ Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The viral transactivator of the pX region (Tax) is important for initiating malignant transformation, and deregulation of the major signaling pathway nuclear factor of kappa B (NF-κB) by Tax represents a hallmark of HTLV-1 driven cancer. Results Here we found that Tax mutants which are defective in NF-κB signaling showed diminished protein expression levels compared to Tax wildtype in T-cells, whereas Tax transcript levels were comparable. Strikingly, constant activation of NF-κB signaling by the constitutive active mutant of inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKK2, IKK-β), IKK2-EE, rescued protein expression of the NF-κB defective Tax mutants M22 and K1-10R and even increased protein levels of Tax wildtype in various T-cell lines while Tax transcript levels were only slightly affected. Using several Tax expression constructs, an increase of Tax protein occurred independent of Tax transcripts and independent of the promoter used. Further, Tax and M22 protein expression were strongly enhanced by 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-Acetate [TPA; Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)]/ ionomycin, inducers of NF-κB and cytokine signaling, but not by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). On the other hand, co-expression of Tax with a dominant negative inhibitor of κB, IκBα-DN, or specific inhibition of IKK2 by the compound ACHP, led to a vast decrease in Tax protein levels to some extent independent of Tax transcripts in transiently transfected and Tax-transformed T-cells. Cycloheximide chase experiments revealed that co-expression of IKK2-EE prolongs the half-life of M22, and constant repression of NF-κB signaling by IκBα-DN strongly reduces protein stability of Tax wildtype suggesting that NF-κB activity is required for Tax protein stability. Finally, protein expression of Tax and M22 could be recovered by NH4Cl and PYR-41, inhibitors of the lysosome and the ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1, respectively. Conclusions Together, these findings suggest that Tax’s capability to induce NF-κB is critical for protein expression and stabilization of Tax itself. Overall, identification of this novel positive feedback loop between Tax and NF-κB in T-cells improves our understanding of Tax-driven transformation.

scholarly journals A Positive Feedback Loop of lncRNA MIR31HG-miR-361-3p -YY1 Accelerates Colorectal Cancer Progression Through Modulating Proliferation, Angiogenesis, and Glycolysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Guo ◽  
Defeng Liu ◽  
Shihao Peng ◽  
Meng Wang ◽  
Yangyang Li
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop ◽  
Related Proteins

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor with high metastatic and recurrent rates. This study probes the effect and mechanism of long non-coding RNA MIR31HG on the progression of CRC cells.Materials and MethodsQuantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression of MIR31HG and miR-361-3p in CRC tissues and normal tissues. Gain- or loss-of-function assays were conducted to examine the roles of MIR31HG, miR-361-3p and YY1 transcription factor (YY1) in the CRC progression. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and colony formation experiment were conducted to test CRC cell proliferation. CRC cell invasion was determined by Transwell assay. The glucose detection kit and lactic acid detection kit were utilized to monitor the levels of glucose and lactate in CRC cells. The glycolysis level in CRC cells was examined by the glycolytic stress experiment. Western blot was performed to compare the expression of glycolysis-related proteins (PKM2, GLUT1 and HK2) and angiogenesis-related proteins (including VEGFA, ANGPT1, HIF1A and TIMP1) in HUVECs. The binding relationships between MIR31HG and miR-361-3p, miR-361-3p and YY1 were evaluated by the dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP).ResultsMIR31HG was up-regulated in CRC tissues and was associated with poorer prognosis of CRC patients. The in-vitro and in-vivo experiments confirmed that overexpressing MIR31HG heightened the proliferation, growth, invasion, glycolysis and lung metastasis of CRC cells as well as the angiogenesis of HUVECs. In addition, MIR3HG overexpression promoted YY1 mRNA and protein level, and forced overexpression of YY1 enhanced MIR31HG level. Overexpressing YY1 reversed the tumor-suppressive effect mediated by MIR31HG knockdown. miR-361-3p, which was inhibited by MIR31HG overexpression, repressed the malignant behaviors of CRC cells. miR-361-3p-mediated anti-tumor effects were mostly reversed by upregulating MIR31HG. Further mechanism studies illustrated that miR-361-3p targeted and negatively regulated the expression of YY1.ConclusionThis study reveals that MIR31HG functions as an oncogenic gene in CRC via forming a positive feedback loop of MIR31HG-miR-361-3p-YY1.

scholarly journals Mathematical modelling of diurnal regulation of carbohydrate allocation by osmo-related processes in plants

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (104) ◽  
pp. 20141357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Pokhilko ◽  
Oliver Ebenhöh
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Mathematical Modelling ◽  
Growth Regulator ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop ◽  
Sink Demand ◽  
Sucrose Supply ◽  
Diurnal Regulation

Plants synthesize sucrose in source tissues (mainly mature leafs) and supply it for growth of sink tissues (young leafs). Sucrose is derived from photosynthesis during daytime and from starch at night. Because the diurnal regulation of sucrose fluxes is not completely understood, we built a mathematical model designed to reproduce all key experimental observations. For this, assumptions were made about the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulations, which are all motivated by experimental facts. The key regulators in our model are two kinases (SnRK1 and osmo-sensitive kinase OsmK) under the control of the circadian clock. SnRK1 is activated in the night to prepare for regularly occurring carbon-limiting conditions, whereas OsmK is activated during the day to prepare for water deficit, which often occurs in the afternoon. Decrease of SnRK1 and increase of OsmK result in partitioning of carbon towards sucrose to supply growing sink tissues. Concomitantly, increasing levels of the growth regulator trehalose-6-phosphate stimulates the development of new sink tissues and thus sink demand, which further activates sucrose supply in a positive feedback loop. We propose that OsmK acts as a timer to measure the length of the photoperiod and suggest experiments how this hypothesis can be validated.

scholarly journals Long Noncoding RNA HCG18 Promotes Malignant Phenotypes of Breast Cancer Cells via the HCG18/miR-103a-3p/UBE2O/mTORC1/HIF-1α–Positive Feedback Loop

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Liu ◽  
Kun Qiao ◽  
Kaiyuan Zhu ◽  
Xianglan Li ◽  
Chunbo Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop ◽  
Downstream Target

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in breast cancer (BC) progression and metastasis. Another study group of our research center reported that lncRNA HCG18 was one of the 30 upregulated lncRNAs in BC tissues compared with normal tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas database. However, the exact biological roles of HCG18 in BC remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that HCG18 is significantly upregulated in BC tissues and cells and that BC patients with high HCG18 expression tend to have poor prognosis. In vitro assays indicated that HCG18 promotes BC cell proliferation and invasion and endows BC cells with cancer stemness properties. In vivo assays revealed that reducing HCG18 expression in the BC cell line MDA-MB-231 markedly decreased tumor growth and lung metastasis in xenograft mouse models. In terms of mechanism, we found that HCG18 positively regulated the expression of BC-related ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2O (UBE2O) by sponging miR-103a-3p, and our previous research verified that UBE2O could promote the malignant phenotypes of BC cells through the UBE2O/AMPKα2/mTORC1 axis. Furthermore, as a downstream target of the HCG18/miR-103a-3p/UBE2O/mTORC1 axis, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α transcriptionally promoted HCG18 expression and then formed a positive feedback loop in BC. Taken together, these results confirm that HCG18 plays an oncogenic role in BC and might serve as a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for BC treatment.

scholarly journals DNMT1-induced miR-378a-3p silencing promotes angiogenesis via the NF-κB signaling pathway by targeting TRAF1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Zhu ◽  
Jun-Jie Chen ◽  
Ying Feng ◽  
Jun-Ling Yang ◽  
Hua Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Tube Formation ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Positive Feedback Loop

Abstract Background Angiogenesis plays an important role in the occurrence, development and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). According to previous studies, miR-378a participates in tumorigenesis and tumor metastasis, but its exact role in HCC angiogenesis remains poorly understood. Methods qRT-PCR was used to investigate the expression of miR-378a-3p in HCC tissues and cell lines. The effects of miR-378a-3p on HCC in vitro and in vivo were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), Transwell, tube formation and Matrigel plug assays, RNA sequencing, bioinformatics, luciferase reporter, immunofluorescence and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were used to detect the molecular mechanism by which miR-378a-3p inhibits angiogenesis. Results We confirmed that miR-378a-3p expression was significantly downregulated and associated with higher microvascular density (MVD) in HCC; miR-378a-3p downregulation indicated a short survival time in HCC patients. miR-378a-3p knockdown led to a significant increase in angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. We found that miR-378a-3p directly targeted TNF receptor associated factor 1 (TRAF1) to attenuate NF-κB signaling, and then downregulated secreted vascular endothelial growth factor. DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)-mediated hypermethylation of miR-378a-3p was responsible for downregulating miR-378a-3p. Moreover, a series of investigations indicated that p65 initiated a positive feedback loop that could upregulate DNMT1 to promote hypermethylation of the miR-378a-3p promoter. Conclusion Our study indicates a novel DNMT1/miR-378a-3p/TRAF1/NF-κB positive feedback loop in HCC cells, which may become a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

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