Epigenetic Inactivation of Acetyl-Co A acetyltransferase 1 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma via decreasing ketogenesis

Abstract Background Acy1 Coenzyme A Acyltransferases1 (ACAT1) is a key enzyme in the metabolism of ketone bodies, but its expression and biological function in the pathogenesis of NPC remains underexplored. Methods The mRNA and protein expression levels of ACAT1 in NPC and normal control tissues were analyzed by qPCR and immunohistochemistry staining, respectively. GEO database was applied for meta-analysis of ACAT1 mRNA expression and DNA promoter methylation. The role of ACAT1 in NPC proliferation was examined by CCK8 and colony formation assays in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. The wound healing and transwell assays were used for analyzing the migratory and invasive ability. cDNA microarray analysis was performed to identify the genes involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and dysregulated by ACAT1. These changes were further confirmed by western blot. Results We found that ACAT1 is inactivated in NPC cell lines and primary tissues. DNA microarray data showed higher methylation in the CpG island region of ACAT1 in NPC than normal tissues. The demethylating reagent 5-aza-dC significantly restored the transcription of ACAT1 in NPC cell lines, suggesting that ACAT1 was inactivated by DNA promoter hypermethylation. Ectopic overexpression of ACAT1 remarkably suppressed the proliferation and colony formation of NPC cells in vitro. As well, the tumorigenesis of NPC cells overexpressing ACAT1 was decreased in vivo. In addition, the migratory and invasive capacities of NPC cells was inhibited by ACAT1 overexpression. Importantly, the higher level of ACAT1 was accompanied by an increased expression of CDH1, EPCAM, and a decreased expression of vimentin and SPARC. This strongly indicates that ACAT1 is able to affect the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in NPC, thereby controlling cellular motility. In addition, we found that ACAT1 expression increases the intracellular level of β-HB. Moreover, exogenous β-HB remarkably inhibits the growth of NPC cells in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions We have discovered that the ketone body metabolism enzyme ACAT1 is epigenetically downregulated in NPC and acts as a potential tumor suppressor in NPC. Our findings highlight the possibility of using the modulation of ketone body metabolism as effective adjuvant therapy for NPC.

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Long noncoding RNA LINC00941 promotes pancreatic cancer progression by competitively binding miR-335-5p to regulate ROCK1-mediated LIMK1/Cofilin-1 signaling

Cell Death and Disease ◽

10.1038/s41419-020-03316-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jie Wang ◽

Zhiwei He ◽

Jian Xu ◽

Peng Chen ◽

Jianxin Jiang

Keyword(s):

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Cell Growth ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Noncoding Rna ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Loss Of Function ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

AbstractAn accumulation of evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs are involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of pancreatic cancer (PC). In this study, we investigated the functions and molecular mechanism of action of LINC00941 in PC. Quantitative PCR was used to examine the expression of LINC00941 and miR-335-5p in PC tissues and cell lines, and to investigate the correlation between LINC00941 expression and clinicopathological features. Plasmid vectors or lentiviruses were used to manipulate the expression of LINC00941, miR-335-5p, and ROCK1 in PC cell lines. Gain or loss-of-function assays and mechanistic assays were employed to verify the roles of LINC00941, miR-335-5p, and ROCK1 in PC cell growth and metastasis, both in vivo and in vitro. LINC00941 and ROCK1 were found to be highly expressed in PC, while miR-335-5p exhibited low expression. High LINC00941 expression was strongly associated with larger tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis. Functional experiments revealed that LINC00941 silencing significantly suppressed PC cell growth, metastasis and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. LINC00941 functioned as a molecular sponge for miR-335-5p, and a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for ROCK1, promoting ROCK1 upregulation, and LIMK1/Cofilin-1 pathway activation. Our observations lead us to conclude that LINC00941 functions as an oncogene in PC progression, behaving as a ceRNA for miR-335-5p binding. LINC00941 may therefore have potential utility as a diagnostic and treatment target in this disease.

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Investigations on the Role of the MicroRNA-338-5p/Wnt Family Member 2B (WNT2B) Axis in Regulating the Pathogenesis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)

Frontiers in Oncology ◽

10.3389/fonc.2021.684462 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Suzhen Wang ◽

Tianning Yang ◽

Zhengxiang He

Keyword(s):

Family Member ◽

Colony Formation ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Colony Formation Assay ◽

Transwell Assay ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Downstream Target

BackgroundThe involvement of microRNA-338-5p in modulating NPC pathogenesis is still largely unknown, and this study aimed to investigate this issue.MethodsThe expressions of cancer associated genes were determined by Real-Time qPCR and Western Blot, and cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometer (FCM). CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay were respectively used to determine cell proliferation and colony formation abilities. Transwell assay was used to evaluate cell migration. The expression levels of Ki67 protein in mice tissues were measured by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay.ResultsThe present study found that microRNA-338-5p suppressed NPC progression by degrading its downstream target, Wnt family member 2B (WNT2B). Specifically, microRNA-338-5p tended to be low-expressed in NPC tissues and cell lines, compared to the non-tumor nasopharyngeal mucosa tissues and normal nasopharyngeal cell line (NP69). Upregulation of microRNA-338-5p inhibited proliferation, mobility, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NPC cells in vitro, while silencing of microRNA-338-5p had opposite effects. Consistently, microRNA-338-5p suppressed tumorigenesis of NPC cells in vivo. In addition, microRNA-338-5p targeted WNT2B for degradation and inhibition, and the inhibiting effects of microRNA-338-5p overexpression on NPC development were reversed by upregulating WNT2B.ConclusionsTaken together, we concluded that microRNA-338-5p targeted WNT2B to hinder NPC development.

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Wogonoside Inhibits Prostate Cancer Cell Growth and Metastasis via Regulating Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Pharmacology ◽

10.1159/000502400 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 104 (5-6) ◽

pp. 312-319 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Can Wei ◽

Junfeng Jing ◽

Yanbin Zhang ◽

Ling Fang

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Cell Viability ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Phase Cell ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Pc3 Cells ◽

Gsk 3Β

Background: Wogonoside, an effective component of Scutellaria baicalensis extract, has recently become a hot topic for its newly discovered anticancer efficacy, but the underlying pharmacological mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we tested the inhibitory effects of wogonoside in human prostate cancer PC3 cells in vitro and vivo. Methods: The effects of wogonoside on cell viability, cycle progression, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were assessed in vitro. The levels of proteins in related signaling pathways were detected by western blotting assay. Finally, nude mouse tumorigenicity assay was conducted to detect the anticancer effect of wogonoside in vivo. Results: Wogonoside inhibited cell viability, invasive and migratory ability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry indicated that wogonoside could induce cell apoptosis and S phase cell-cycle arrest. Mechanically, wogonoside suppressed the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and the level of p-glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β; Ser9) was inhibited by wogonoside. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process was also reversed in PC3 cell line after wogonoside treatment. In vivo experiments showed that wogonoside inhibited tumor growth in xenograft mouse models. Conclusion: These findings revealed that wogonoside could suppress Wnt/β-catenin pathway and reversing the EMT process in PC3 cells. GSK-3β acts as a tumor suppressor in prostate cancer. Wogonoside may serve as an effective agent for treating prostate cancer.

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LncRNA SNHG4 promotes the proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition of lung cancer cells by regulating miR-98-5p

Biochemistry and Cell Biology ◽

10.1139/bcb-2019-0065 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (6) ◽

pp. 767-776 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yufu Tang ◽

Lijian Wu ◽

Mingjing Zhao ◽

Guangdan Zhao ◽

Shitao Mao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Noncoding Rna ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Lung Cancer Cells ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Gene 4

Long noncoding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4) is usually up-regulated in cancer and regulates the malignant behavior of cancer cells. However, its role in lung cancer remains elusive. In this study, we silenced the expression of SNHG4 in NCI-H1437 and SK-MES-1, two representative non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines, by transfecting them with siRNA (small interfering RNA) that specifically targets SNHG4. We observed significantly inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and reduced tumor growth in vivo after SNHG4 silencing. SNHG4 knockdown also led to cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, accompanied with down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6. The migration and invasiveness of these two cell lines were remarkably inhibited after SNHG4 silencing. Moreover, our study revealed that the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lung cancer cells was suppressed by SNHG4 silencing, as evidenced by up-regulated E-cadherin and down-regulated SALL4, Twist, and vimentin. In addition, we found that SNHG4 silencing induced up-regulation of miR-98-5p. MiR-98-5p inhibition abrogated the effect of SNHG4 silencing on proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that SNHG4 is required by lung cancer cells to maintain malignant phenotype. SNHG4 probably exerts its pro-survival and pro-metastatic effects by sponging anti-tumor miR-98-5p.

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miR551b Regulates Colorectal Cancer Progression by Targeting the ZEB1 Signaling Axis

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers11050735 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 735 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kwang Seock Kim ◽

Dongjun Jeong ◽

Ita Novita Sari ◽

Yoseph Toni Wijaya ◽

Nayoung Jun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Ectopic Expression ◽

Xenograft Model ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Normal Tissues

Our current understanding of the role of microRNA 551b (miR551b) in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains limited. Here, studies using both ectopic expression of miR551b and miR551b mimics revealed that miR551b exerts a tumor suppressive effect in CRC cells. Specifically, miR551b was significantly downregulated in both patient-derived CRC tissues and CRC cell lines compared to normal tissues and non-cancer cell lines. Also, miR551b significantly inhibited the motility of CRC cells in vitro, including migration, invasion, and wound healing rates, but did not affect cell proliferation. Mechanistically, miR551b targets and inhibits the expression of ZEB1 (Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1), resulting in the dysregulation of EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) signatures. More importantly, miR551b overexpression was found to reduce the tumor size in a xenograft model of CRC cells in vivo. Furthermore, bioinformatic analyses showed that miR551b expression levels were markedly downregulated in the advanced-stage CRC tissues compared to normal tissues, and ZEB1 was associated with the disease progression in CRC patients. Our findings indicated that miR551b could serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker and could be utilized to improve the therapeutic outcomes of CRC patients.

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MiR-130a-3p inhibits the viability, proliferation, invasion, and cell cycle, and promotes apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by suppressing BACH2 expression

Bioscience Reports ◽

10.1042/bsr20160576 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Xin Chen ◽

Bo Yue ◽

Changming Zhang ◽

Meihao Qi ◽

Jianhua Qiu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Cell Apoptosis ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Down Regulation ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

The aim of the present study was to explore the mechanism through which miR-130a-3p affects the viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Tissue samples were collected from the hospital department. NPC cell lines were purchased to conduct the in vitro and in vivo assays. A series of biological assays including MTT, Transwell, and wound healing assays were conducted to investigate the effects of miR-130a-3p and BACH2 on NPC cells. MiR-130a-3p was down-regulated in both NPC tissues and cell lines, whereas BACH2 was up-regulated in both tissues and cell lines. MiR-130a-3p overexpression inhibited NPC cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion but promoted cell apoptosis. The converse was true of BACH2, the down-regulation of which could inhibit the corresponding cell abilities and promote apoptosis of NPC cells. The target relationship between miR-130a-3p and BACH2 was confirmed. The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway was also influenced by miR-130a-3p down-regulation. In conclusion, miR-130a-3p could bind to BACH2, inhibit NPC cell abilities, and promote cell apoptosis.

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CircSETD3 (Hsa_circ_0000567) Suppresses Hepatoblastoma Pathogenesis via Targeting the miR-423-3p/Bcl-2-Interacting Mediator of Cell Death Axis

Frontiers in Genetics ◽

10.3389/fgene.2021.724197 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Xin Li ◽

Haojie Wang ◽

Zhijie Liu ◽

Alimujiang Abudureyimu

Keyword(s):

Regulatory Mechanism ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Circular Rna ◽

Cell Counting ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Mice Model ◽

Gain Of Function ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

Background: Up until now, the role of circSETD3 (Has_circ_0000567) in regulating cancer development has been reported in several tumors, but the role and regulatory mechanism of circSETD3 in hepatoblastoma (HB) remain unclear.Methods: The qPCR and western blotting were used to determine the mRNA and protein levels in the present study. Stability of circular RNA was detected by RNA digested experiments. The gain-of-function and rescue experiments were used to explore the function and mechanism of circSETD3 in HB. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation, transwell assay, and xenograft mice model were used to detect effects and regulatory mechanism of circSETD3/miR-423-3p/Bim axis on cell aggressive phenotype in vitro and in vivo.Results: Here, we identified that circSETD3 downregulated in both HB clinical tissues and cell lines, compared to that of normal tissues and cells. Further gain-of-function experiments validated that circSETD3 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation, viability, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumorigenesis, and induced cell apoptosis in HB cells. Next, we validated that miR-423-3p targeted both circSETD3 and 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of Bim, and circSETD3 positively regulated Bim in HB cells through sponging miR-423-3p in a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA)-dependent manner. Furthermore, through conducting reversal experiments, we evidenced that the inhibiting effects of circSETD3 overexpression on HB development were abrogated by upregulating miR-423-3p and downregulating Bim.Conclusion: Taken together, we evidenced that circSETD3 sponged miR-423-3p to upregulate Bim, resulting in the inhibition of HB development.

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Orai3 Regulates Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis by Encoding a Functional Store Operated Calcium Entry Channel

10.20944/preprints202110.0400.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Samriddhi Arora ◽

Jyoti Tanwar ◽

Nutan Sharma ◽

Suman Saurav ◽

Rajender K. Motiani

Keyword(s):

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Survival Time ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Cancer Metastasis ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Critical Role ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most lethal forms of cancers with 5-year mean survival rate of less than 10%. Most of the PC associated deaths are due to metastasis to secondary sites. Calcium (Ca2+) signaling plays a critical role in regulating hallmarks of cancer progression including cell proliferation, migration and apoptotic resistance. Store operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) mediated by Orai1/2/3 channels is a highly regulated and ubiquitous pathway responsible for Ca2+ influx into non-excitable cells. In this study, we performed extensive bioinformatic analysis of publicly available datasets and observed that Orai3 expression is inversely associated with the mean survival time of PC patients. Orai3 expression analysis in a battery of PC cell lines corroborated its differential expression profile. We then carried out thorough Ca2+ imaging experiments in 6 PC cell lines and found that Orai3 forms a functional SOCE in PC cells. Our in vitro functional assays show that Orai3 regulates PC cell cycle progression, apoptosis and migration. Most importantly, our in vivo xenograft studies demonstrate a critical role of Orai3 in PC tumor growth and secondary metastasis. Mechanistically, Orai3 controls G1 phase progression, matrix metalloproteinase expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in PC cells. Taken together, this study for the first time reports that Orai3 drives aggressive phenotypes of PC cells i.e. migration in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Considering that Orai3 expression is inversely associated with the PC patients survival time, it appears to be a highly attractive therapeutic target.

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The MiR-193a-5p/NCX2/AKT Axis Promotes Invasion and Metastasis of Osteosarcoma

10.21203/rs.3.rs-348395/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ruiqi Chen ◽

Yichong Ning ◽

Guirong Zeng ◽

Hao Zhou ◽

Chao Tu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colony Formation ◽

Quantitative Proteomics ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Ectopic Expression ◽

Akt Inhibitor ◽

Proteomics Analysis ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Intracellular Ca

Abstract Background: MiR-193a-5p has been observed to have oncogenic or tumor-suppressive function in different kinds of cancers. Na+/Ca2+ exchangers (NCX1, NCX2 and NCX3) normally extrude Ca2+ from the cell, and deregulation of the intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis is related to several kinds of diseases, including cancer. However, their roles and molecular mechanism in osteosarcoma are elusive.Methods: The expression of miR-193a-5p and NCX2 in osteosarcoma and corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues was investigated by qRT-PCR. Colony formation assay, wound healing assay, transwell invasion assay and xenograft mouse model were used for in vitro and in vivo functional analyses. Tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics analysis was performed to identify the targets of miR-193a-5p.Results: This study showed that miR-193a-5p was upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues compared with the corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues, and promoted colony formation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro, as well as metastasis in vivo. Quantitative proteomics analysis identified NCX2 as a potential target of miR-193a-5p. Luciferase activity assay and Western blotting further confirmed that miR-193a-5p recognized the 3′-untranslated region of NCX2 mRNA, and negatively regulated NCX2 expression. NCX2 was downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues, and its expression was negatively correlated with miR-193a-5p levels. Ectopic expression of NCX2 in osteosarcoma cells could counteract the oncogenic effects of miR-193a-5p. These results indicate that miR-193a-5p exerts its effects by targeting NCX2. Further study demonstrated that NCX2 suppressed Ca2+-dependent Akt phosphorylation by decreasing intracellular Ca2+ efflux, then inhibited EMT process. Treatment with the antagomir against miR-193a-5p sensitized osteosarcoma to the Akt inhibitor afuresertib in a murine xenograft tumor model. Conclusion: This study revealed a miR-193a-5p/NCX2/AKT signaling axis in the progression of osteosarcoma, which may provide a new therapeutic target for osteosarcoma treatment.

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SNHG5 inhibits the progression of EMT through the ubiquitin-degradation of MTA2 in oesophageal cancer

Carcinogenesis ◽

10.1093/carcin/bgaa110 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sisi Wei ◽

Shiping Sun ◽

Xinliang Zhou ◽

Cong Zhang ◽

Xiaoya Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Lines ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

And Function

Abstract A substantial fraction of transcripts are known as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and these transcripts play pivotal roles in the development of cancer. However, little information has been published regarding the functions of lncRNAs in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and the underlying mechanisms. In our previous studies, we demonstrated that small nucleolar RNA host gene 5 (SNHG5), a known lncRNA, is dysregulated in gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we explored the expression and function of SNHG5 in development of ESCC. SNHG5 was found to be downregulated in human ESCC tissues and cell lines, and this downregulation was associated with cancer progression, clinical outcomes and survival rates of ESCC patients. Furthermore, we also found that overexpression of SNHG5 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC cells in vivo and in vitro. Notably, we found that metastasis-associated protein 2 (MTA2) was pulled down by SNHG5 in ESCC cells using RNA pulldown assay. We also found that SNHG5 reversed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition by interacting with MTA2. In addition, overexpression of SNHG5 downregulated the transcription of MTA2 and caused its ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Thus, overexpression of MTA2 partially abrogated the effect of SNHG5 in ESCC cell lines. Furthermore, we found that MTA2 mRNA expression was significantly elevated in ESCC specimens, and a negative correlation between SNHG5 and MTA2 expression was detected. Overall, this study demonstrated, for the first time, that SNHG5-regulated MTA2 functions as an important player in the progression of ESCC and provide a new potential therapeutic strategy for ESCC.

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