scholarly journals CASK Silence Overcomes Sorafenib Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Activating Apoptosis and Autophagic Cell Death

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bisha Ding ◽  
Chang Bao ◽  
Luqi Jin ◽  
Liang Xu ◽  
Weimin Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Autophagic Cell Death ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Tumor Xenograft ◽  
Confocal Laser ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Jnk Pathway ◽  
Interfering Rna

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients usually fail to be treated because of drug resistance, including sorafenib. In this study, the effects of CASK in HCC were investigated using gain- or loss-of-function strategies by performing cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescent confocal laser microscopy, tumor xenograft experiment and immunohistochemistry staining. The current results suggested that CASK expression was positively associated with sorafenib resistance and poor prognosis of HCC. Moreover, inhibition of CASK increased the role of sorafenib partially by promoting apoptosis and autophagy, while CASK overexpression presented the opposite effects. Besides, when treatment with sorafenib, inhibition of apoptosis using the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK and inhibition of autophagy using autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) or small interfering RNA (siRNA) of LC3B all significantly reversed CASK knockout-induced effects, suggesting that both apoptosis and autophagy were involved in CASK-mediated above functions and autophagy played a pro-death role in this research. Intriguingly, similar results were observed in vivo. In molecular level, CASK knockout activated the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, and treatment with JNK inhibitor SP600125 or transiently transfected with siRNA targeting JNK significantly attenuated CASK knockout-mediated autophagic cell death. Collectively, all these results together indicated that CASK might be a promising biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for HCC patients.

scholarly journals CASK Silence Enhances Chemosensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through activating Apoptosis, Inducing JNK/c-Jun-Mediated Autophagic Cell Death and Decreasing ABCG2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
BiSha Ding ◽  
Chang Bao ◽  
Luqi Jin ◽  
Liang Xu ◽  
Zhijun Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Autophagic Cell Death ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Sorafenib Treatment

Abstract Background: Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients usually fail to be treated because of drug resistance, including sorafenib. Methods: The expression and prognostic role of calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK) in HCC were assessed by combination of bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation. The effects of CASK in regulating proliferation, apoptosis and drug resistance of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo were investigated using gain- or loss-of-function strategies by performing lots of specific methods including Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK8), colony formation assay, flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescent confocal laser microscopy and tumor xenograft experiments, immunohistochemistry staining. Moreover, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for CASK’s functions in HCC were also explored. Results: Currently, we discovered that CASK was positively associated with sorafenib resistance of HCC in vitro and in vivo, and was significantly related with poor prognosis in HCC. Moreover, inhibition of CASK can increase the effect of sorafenib partially by promoting apoptosis and autophagy, while CASK overexpression presented the opposite results. Besides, all the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK, autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) of LC3B reversed CASK knockout-induced effects with sorafenib treatment, suggesting that both apoptosis and autophagy were involved in CASK-mediated above functions and autophagy played a pro-death role in this research. Intriguingly, similar results were observed in vivo. In molecular level, CASK knockout activated the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, and treatment with JNK inhibitor SP600125 or transiently transfected with si-JNK significantly attenuated CASK knockout-mediated autophagic cell death. Besides, knockout of CASK dramatically inhibited the expression of ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) and reversed of multidrug-resistance (MDR) of HCC. Conclusions: Collectively, all these results together indicated that CASK might be a promising biomarker for HCC patients and a potential therapeutic target for relieving drug resistance of HCC.

scholarly journals Loss offlflTriggers JNK-Dependent Cell Death inDrosophila

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiuhong Huang ◽  
Lei Xue
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Jnk Pathway ◽  
Dependent Cell ◽  
Jnk Activation ◽  
First Time

falafel(flfl) encodes aDrosophilahomolog of human SMEK whosein vivofunctions remain elusive. In this study, we performed gain-of-function and loss-of-function analysis inDrosophilaand identified flfl as a negative regulator of JNK pathway-mediated cell death. While ectopic expression offlflsuppresses TNF-triggered JNK-dependent cell death, loss offlflpromotes JNK activation and cell death in the developing eye and wing. These data report for the first time an essential physiological function offlflin maintaining tissue homeostasis and organ development. As the JNK signaling pathway has been evolutionary conserved from fly to human, a similar role of PP4R3 in JNK-mediated physiological process is speculated.

scholarly journals ATF2-Induced Overexpression of lncRNA LINC00882, as a Novel Therapeutic Target, Accelerates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via Sponging miR-214-3p to Upregulate CENPM

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Ren ◽  
Zhi-cheng Wei ◽  
Yan-xia Sun ◽  
Chun-yan Qiu ◽  
Wen-jue Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Promoter Region ◽  
Tumor Xenograft ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Invasion And Migration ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Hcc Cells

BackgroundLong intergenic non-protein coding RNA 882 (LINC00882) are abnormally expressed in several tumors. Our research aimed to uncover the functions and the potential mechanisms of LINC00882 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression.MethodsRT-qPCR was applied to identify LINC00882 and miR-214-3p levels in HCC specimens and cells. Luciferase reporter was applied for the exploration of whether activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) could bind to the promoter region of LINC00882. Cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were evaluated. In vivo tumor xenograft models were constructed to assess tumorigenicity. RT-PCR, Western blot and Luciferase reporter assays were conducted to examine the regulatory relationships among LINC00882, miR-214-3p and ATF2.ResultsLINC00882 was markedly upregulated in HCC cells and clinical specimens. Additionally, ATF2 could bind directly to the LINC00882 promoter region and activate its transcription. Loss-of-function studies further demonstrated that LINC00882 knockdown inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration of HCC cells. Mechanistically, LINC00882 adsorbed miR-214-3p, thus promoting the expressions of CENPM. Rescue assays demonstrated that functions of LINC00882 deficiency in HCC cells were reversed through suppressing miR-214-3p.ConclusionOur group identified a novel regulatory axis of ATF2/LINC00882/miR-214-3p/CENPM, which may provide potential therapeutic targets for HCC.

DUSP4 inhibits autophagic cell death in PTC by inhibiting JNK-BCL2-Beclin1 signaling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huixiang He ◽  
zhenshuang Du ◽  
Jianqing Lin ◽  
Wenyi Wu ◽  
Yihuang Yu
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Specific Inhibitor ◽  
Autophagic Cell Death ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
In Vivo Assays ◽  
Prevention And Cure ◽  
The Relationship

DUSP4 is a prognostic marker and potential target of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the molecular mechanism underlying DUSP4-regulated PTC carcinogenesis is unclear. DUSP4 is a negative regulator of the autophagy promoter, JNK. This study aimed to explore the relationship between DUSP4 and JNK-mediated autophagic cell death in PTC. In this study, we explored the roles of DUSP4 in PTC using gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays. In addition, we further identified the significance of JNK-BCL2-Beclin1-autophagy signaling on DUSP4-regulated PTC carcinogenesis by combining DUSP4 silencing with JNK specific inhibitor (SP600125). We found that DUSP4 silencing promoted the phosphorylation of JNK and BCL2 in PTC cells and enhanced the release of Beclin1 from BCL2-Beclin1 complex. DUSP4 silencing promoted autophagy and death in PTC cells.The death and autophagy enhanced by DUSP4 silencing was reversed by JNK inhibitor. We further extended the in vitro experiments by injecting K1 cells transduced with DUSP4-silencing vector subcutaneously into nude mice. In vivo assays showed that DUSP4 silencing not only inhibited tumor growth, but also promoted JNK and BCL2 phosphorylation and LC3II expression.Overall, DUSP4 inhibits BCL2-Beclin1- autophagy signaling through negatively regulating JNK activity, thus inhibiting PTC oncogenesis.This study provides more potential clues for the prevention and cure of PTC.

scholarly journals Crizotinib and Doxorubicin Cooperatively Reduces Drug Resistance by Mitigating MDR1 to Increase Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Death

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Shao ◽  
Run Shi ◽  
Zhen-Xing Gao ◽  
Shan-Shan Gao ◽  
Jing-Feng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Multiple Drug Resistance ◽  
Autophagic Cell Death ◽  
Multiple Drug ◽  
Parp 1

As the sixth most lethal cancers worldwide, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been treated with doxorubicin (Dox) for decades. However, chemotherapy resistance, especially for Dox is an even more prominent problem due to its high cardiotoxicity. To find a regimen to reduce Dox resistance, and identify the mechanisms behind it, we tried to identify combination of drugs that can overcome drug resistance by screening tyrosine kinase inhibitor(s) with Dox with various HCC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. We report here that combination of Crizo and Dox has a synergistic effect on inducing HCC cell death. Accordingly, Crizo plus Dox increases Dox accumulation in nucleus 3-16 times compared to Dox only; HCC cell death enhanced at least 50% in vitro and tumor weights reduced ranging from 35 to 65%. Combining these two drugs reduces multiple drug resistance 1 (MDR1) protein as a result of activation of protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), which phosphorylates eIF2α, leading to protein translational repression. Additionally, PERK stimulation activates C-Jun terminal kinase (JNK), resulting in accumulation of unfused autophagosome to enhance autophagic cell death via Poly-ADP-ribosyltransferase (PARP-1) cleavage. When the activity of PERK or JNK is blocked, unfused autophagosome is diminished, cleaved PARP-1 is reduced, and cell death is abated. Therefore, Crizo plus Dox sensitize HCC drug resistance by engaging PERK-p- eIF2α-MDR1, and kill HCC cells by engaging PERK-JNK- autophagic cell death pathways. These newly discovered mechanisms of Crizo plus Dox not only provide a potential treatment for HCC but also point to an approach to overcome MDR1 related drug resistance in other cancers.

scholarly journals FBXL6 governs c-MYC to promote hepatocellular carcinoma through ubiquitination and stabilization of HSP90AA1

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidong Shi ◽  
Lanyun Feng ◽  
Shu Dong ◽  
Zhouyu Ning ◽  
Yongqiang Hua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Tumor Xenograft ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
F Box Protein

Abstract BACKGROUND: Heat shot protein 90 (HSP90) AA1 functions as an onco-protein to regulate the assembly, manipulation, folding and degradation of its client proteins, including c-MYC. However, little is known about the mechanism of HSP90AA1 regulation.METHODS: Transcriptome RNA-sequencing data of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples were used to detect the mRNA expression of FBXL6. Immunoprecipitation/Mass Spectrum (IP/MS) method was used to identify the interacting proteins of FBXL6. The co-immunoprecipitation assay was used to determine the interaction between FBXL6 and HSP90AA1. The in vivo ubiquitination assay was performed to determine the regulation of HSP90AA1 by FBXL6. Luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were used to determine the transcriptional regulation of FBXL6 by c-MYC. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed to study the correlation of FBXL6 and HSP90AA1 protein expression in 87 HCC samples. Cell counting and colony formation assays were implemented to detect the biological effects of FBXL6 on the growth of HCC cells in vitro. The effect of FBXL6 on HCC tumor growth in vivo was studied in a tumor xenograft model in mice. RESULTS: Here, we identified the orphan F-box protein FBXL6, a substrate recognition subunit of an SCF (Skp1-Cul1-F-box protein) complex, as the ubiquitin ligase for HSP90AA1. FBXL6 promoted K63-dependent ubiquitination of HSP90AA1 to stabilize it. Through analysis of the TCGA dataset, we found that FBXL6 was significantly increased in HCC tissues and positively correlated with c-MYC pathway. FBXL6 accumulation in HCC causes the stabilization and activation of c-MYC by preventing HSP90AA1 degradation. The activated c-MYC directly binds to the promoter region of FBXL6 to induce its mRNA expression.CONCLUSION: Collectively, our data revealed an unknown FBXL6-HSP90AA1-c-MYC axis which might contribute to the oncogenesis of HCC, and we propose that inhibition of FBXL6 might represent an effective therapeutic strategy for HCC treatment.

Long noncoding RNA Linc01296 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma development through regulation of the miR-26a/PTEN axis

2020 ◽  
Vol 401 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Libin Zhang ◽  
Jing Hu ◽  
Menghui Hao ◽  
Liang Bu
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Long Noncoding Rna ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Tumor Xenograft ◽  
Migration And Invasion

AbstractLong noncoding RNA 01296 (Lnc01296) is dysregulated in malignant tumors. However, the detailed effect of Linc01296 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. In this study, we identified the biological role of Linc01296 in HCC. The levels of Linc01296 in HCC tissues and a panel of cell lines were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effects of Linc01296 on HCC progression were explored using a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, migration and Transwell invasion assays. The interactions among Linc01296, miR-26a and PTEN were determined using luciferase, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and Western blot assays. Tumor xenograft models were utilized to confirm the in vivo functional roles of Linc01296 in HCC development. Linc01296 expression was increased in both HCC tissue samples and cell lines. Knockdown of Linc01296 suppressed HCC cell processes, such as proliferation, migration and invasion, and enhanced apoptosis in vitro; these effects were reversed by a miR-26a mimic or PTEN overexpression. Furthermore, knockdown of Linc01296 suppressed HCC growth in vivo. These findings indicated that Linc01296 is involved in HCC progression via regulating miR-26a/PTEN.

scholarly journals Loss of PR55α promotes proliferation and metastasis by activating MAPK/AKT signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
JiangSheng Zhao ◽  
GuoFeng Chen ◽  
Jingqi Li ◽  
Shiqi Liu ◽  
Quan Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Lung Metastases ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Signal Pathways ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Healthy Liver

Abstract Background PR55α plays important roles in oncogenesis and progression of numerous malignancies. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. This study aims to characterize the functions of PR55α in HCC. Methods PR55α expressions in HCC tissues and paired healthy liver samples were evaluated using Western blot and tissue microarray immunohistochemistry. We knocked down the expression of PR55α in SMMC-7721 and LM3 cell lines via small interfering and lentivirus. In vitro cell counting, colony formation, migration and invasion assays were performed along with in vivo xenograft implantation and lung metastases experiments. The potential mechanisms involving target signal pathways were investigated by RNA-sequencing. Results PR55α expression level was suppressed in HCC tissues in comparison to healthy liver samples. Decreased PR55α levels were correlated with poorer prognosis (P = 0.0059). Knockdown of PR55α significantly promoted cell proliferation and migration, induced repression of the cell cycle progression and apoptosis in vitro while accelerating in vivo HCC growth and metastasis. Mechanistic analysis indicated that PR55α silencing was involved with MAPK/AKT signal pathway activation and resulted in increased phosphorylation of both AKT and ERK1/2. Conclusions This study identifies PR55α to be a candidate novel therapeutic target in the treatment of HCC.

scholarly journals A novel phosphoramide compound, DCZ0805, shows potent anti-myeloma activity via the NF-κB pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuejie Gao ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
Anqi Ye ◽  
Houcai Wang ◽  
Yongsheng Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Model ◽  
Tumor Burden ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Tumor Xenograft ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Xenograft Mouse Model

Abstract Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a highly aggressive and incurable clonal plasma cell disease with a high rate of recurrence. Thus, the development of new therapies is urgently needed. DCZ0805, a novel compound synthesized from osalmide and pterostilbene, has few observed side effects. In the current study, we intend to investigate the therapeutic effects of DCZ0805 in MM cells and elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying its anti-myeloma activity. Methods We used the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, immunofluorescence staining, cell cycle assessment, apoptosis assay, western blot analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay and a tumor xenograft mouse model to investigate the effect of DCZ0805 treatment both in vivo and in vitro. Results The results showed that DCZ0805 treatment arrested the cell at the G0/G1 phase and suppressed MM cells survival by inducing apoptosis via extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. DCZ0805 suppressed the NF-κB signaling pathway activation, which may have contributed to the inhibition of cell proliferation. DCZ0805 treatment remarkably reduced the tumor burden in the immunocompromised xenograft mouse model, with no obvious toxicity observed. Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that DCZ0805 can serve as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of MM.

scholarly journals LINC00680 enhances hepatocellular carcinoma stemness behavior and chemoresistance by sponging miR-568 to upregulate AKT3

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gege Shu ◽  
Huizhao Su ◽  
Zhiqian Wang ◽  
Shihui Lai ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Mechanism Study ◽  
Downstream Signaling ◽  
Mouse Xenograft Model ◽  
High Level

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has an extremely poor prognosis due to the development of chemoresistance, coupled with inherently increased stemness properties. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are key regulators for tumor cell stemness and chemosensitivity. Currently the relevance between LINC00680 and tumor progression was still largely unknown, with only one study showing its significance in glioblastoma. The study herein was aimed at identifying the role of LINC00680 in the regulation HCC stemness and chemosensitivity. Methods QRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of LINC00680, miR-568 and AKT3 in tissue specimen and cell lines. Gain- or loss-of function assays were applied to access the function of LINC00680 in HCC cells, including cell proliferation and stemness properties. HCC stemness and chemosensitivity were determined by sphere formation, cell viability and colony formation. Luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA pull-down assays were performed to examine the interaction between LINC00680 and miR-568 as well as that between miR-568 and AKT3. A nude mouse xenograft model was established for the in vivo study. Results We found that LINC00680 was remarkably upregulated in HCC tissues. Patients with high level of LINC00680 had poorer prognosis. LINC00680 overexpression significantly enhanced HCC cell stemness and decreased in vitro and in vivo chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), whereas LINC00680 knockdown led to opposite results. Mechanism study revealed that LINC00680 regulated HCC stemness and chemosensitivity through sponging miR-568, thereby expediting the expression of AKT3, which further activated its downstream signaling molecules, including mTOR, elF4EBP1, and p70S6K. Conclusion LINC00680 promotes HCC stemness properties and decreases chemosensitivity through sponging miR-568 to activate AKT3, suggesting that LINC00680 might be a potentially important HCC diagnosis marker and therapeutic target.

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