Involvement of the TGF-β Signaling Pathway in the Development of YAP-Driven Osteosarcoma Lung Metastasis

BackgroundThe poor survival rate of patients with osteosarcoma (OS), specifically with metastases at diagnosis, undergoes the urgency to develop new therapeutic strategies. Although we recently demonstrated the key role of YAP/TEAD signaling in the growth of OS primary tumor, the molecular mechanisms by which YAP regulates metastases development remain poorly understood.MethodsThe molecular mechanisms by which YAP regulates metastases development were studied using an overexpression of mutated forms of YAP able or not able to interact with TEAD. Molecular signatures were identified using RNA-sequencing analysis and gene set enrichment. Interactions between YAP and Smad3 were studied using proximity ligation assay (PLA), immunoprecipitation, and promoter/specific gene assays. The involvement of the TGF-β pathway in the ability of YAP to stimulate metastatic development in vivo was studied using an inhibitor of the TGF-β cascade in a preclinical model of OS and in vitro on the ability of OS cells to migrate and invade.ResultsOur work shows that a high YAP expression is associated with the presence of lung metastases which predicts a poor prognosis. Molecular analysis indicates that TGF-β signaling is involved in YAP-driven osteosarcoma cell pro-migratory phenotype, epithelial mesenchymal transition, cell migration, and in vivo lung metastasis development. Regardless of its ability to bind to TEAD, YAP interacts with Smad3 and stimulates the transcriptional activity of TGF-β/Smad3, thereby enhancing the ability of TGF-β to stimulate lung metastasis development.ConclusionsWe demonstrated the crucial involvement of the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway in YAP-driven lung metastasis development in OS.

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Tanshinone IIA Inhibits Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition Through Regulating β-arrestin1 Mediated β-catenin Signaling Pathway in Colorectal Cancer

10.21203/rs.3.rs-45689/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Qing Song ◽

Liu Yang ◽

Zhifen Han ◽

Xinnan Wu ◽

Ruixiao Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Western Blot ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Lung Metastasis ◽

Nude Mice ◽

Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Tanshinone Iia ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

Abstract Background: Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is a major active ingredient extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza, which has been proved to inhibit metastasis of various cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the detailed mechanisms of Tan IIA against CRC metastasis are not well explored. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) exerts an important regulatory role in CRC metastasis, and our previous mechanism studies demonstrated that β-arrestin1 could regulate CRC EMT partly through β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, in this work we investigated whether Tan IIA could regulate CRC EMT through β-arrestin1-mediated β-catenin signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro.Methods: The nude mice tail vein metastasis model was established to observe the effect of Tan IIA on CRC lung metastasis in vivo. The lung metastasis was evaluated by living animal imaging and hemaoxylin-eosin staining. The migratory ability of CRC cells in vitro were measured by transwell and wound healing assays. The protein expression and cellular localization of β-arrestin1 and β-catenin were characterized by immunofluorescence staining and western blot. The β-catenin signaling pathway related proteins and EMT associated proteins in CRC cells were detected by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Results: Our results showed that Tan IIA inhibited the lung metastases of CRC cells in vivo and extended the survival time of nude mice. In vitro, Tan IIA increased the expression of E-cadherin, decreased the secretion of Snail, N-cadherin and Vimentin, thus suppressed EMT and the migratory ability of CRC cells. Further study found the mechanism involving in Tan IIA regulating EMT and metastasis, referring to the suppression of β-arrestin1 expression, reduction of β-catenin nuclear localization, thereby the decreased activity of β-catenin signaling. Conclusion: Our data revealed a new mechanism of Tan IIA on the suppression of EMT and metastasis in CRC via β-arrestin1-mediated β-catenin signaling pathway, and provided support for Tan IIA as anti-metastatic agents in CRC.

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SphK2/S1P promotes metastasis in triple negative breast cancer through PAK1/LIMK1/Cofilin1 signaling pathway

10.21203/rs.3.rs-43512/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Weiwei Shi ◽

Ding Ma ◽

Yin Cao ◽

Lili Hu ◽

Shuwen Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Antitumor Activity ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Lung Metastasis ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Specific Inhibitor ◽

Downstream Signaling

Abstract Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) features poor prognosis which partialy attributed to the high metastasis rate. However, there is no effective target for systemic TNBC therapy due to the absence of estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor 2 receptors (ER, PR, HER-2) up to date. In the present study, we evaluated the role of sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2) and its catalysate sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in TNBC metastasis, and the antitumor activity of SphK2 specific inhibitor ABC294640 in TNBC metastasis. Methods: The function of SphK2 and S1P in migration of TNBC cells was evaluated by Transwell migration and wound healing assays. The molecular mechanisms of SphK2/S1P mediating TNBC metastasis were investigated using cell line establishment, western blot, histological examination and immunohistochemistry assays. The antitumor activity of ABC294640 was examined in TNBC lung metastasis model in vivo. Results: SphK2 regulated TNBC cells migration through the generation of S1P. Targeting SphK2 with ABC294640 inhibited TNBC lung metastasis in vivo . p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1), p-Lin-11/Isl-1/Mec-3 kinase 1 (LIMK1) and Cofilin1 was the downstream signaling cascade of SphK2/S1P. Inhibition of PAK1 suppressed SphK2/S1P induced TNBC cells migration. Concusion: SphK2/S1P promotes TNBC metastasis through the activation of the PAK1/LIMK1/Cofilin1 signaling pathway. ABC294640 potently inhibits TNBC metastasis in vivo which could be developed as a novel agent for the clinical treatment of TNBC.

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MicroRNA-375: Potential cancer suppressor and therapeutic drug

Bioscience Reports ◽

10.1042/bsr20211494 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jiahui Wei ◽

Yiran Lu ◽

Ruiqing Wang ◽

Xiangzhu Xu ◽

Qing Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Signaling Pathway ◽

Noncoding Rna ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Transforming Growth Factor ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Wnt Signaling Pathway ◽

Human Tumor ◽

Therapeutic Drug ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

MiR-375 is a conserved noncoding RNA that is known to be involved in tumor cell proliferation, migration, and drug resistance. Previous studies have shown that miR-375 affects the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human tumor cells via some key transcription factors, such as Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), Specificity protein 1 (SP1) -and signaling pathways (Wnt signaling pathway, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) pathway and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway) and is vital for the development of cancer. Additionally, recent studies have identified miRNA delivery system carriers for improved in vivo transportation of miR-375 to specific sites. Here, we discussed the role of miR-375 in different types of cancers, as well as molecular mechanisms, and analyzed the potential of miR-375 as a molecular biomarker and therapeutic target to improve the efficiency of clinical diagnosis of cancer.

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CXCL1/CXCR2 Paracrine Axis Contributes to Lung Metastasis in Osteosarcoma

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers12020459 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 459 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chia-Chia Chao ◽

Chiang-Wen Lee ◽

Tsung-Ming Chang ◽

Po-Chun Chen ◽

Ju-Fang Liu

Keyword(s):

Lung Metastasis ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Lung Metastases ◽

Osteosarcoma Cell ◽

Osteosarcoma Cells ◽

Cxcr2 Expression ◽

Metastasis Model ◽

Human Pulmonary Artery ◽

Positive Correlations

Osteosarcoma, the most common of all bone malignancies, has a high likelihood of lung metastasis. Up until now, the molecular mechanisms involved in osteosarcomas with lung metastases are not clearly understood. Recent observations have shown that the chemokine CXCL1 and its receptor CXCR2 assist with the homing of neutrophils into the tumor microenvironment. Here, we show that the CXCL1/CXCR2 paracrine axis is crucial for lung metastasis in osteosarcoma. In an in vivo lung metastasis model of osteosarcoma, lung blood vessels expressed CXCL1 and osteosarcoma cells expressed the CXCR2 receptor. CXCR2 expression was higher in osteosarcoma cell lines than in normal osteoblast cells. Immunohistochemistry staining of clinical osteosarcoma specimens revealed positive correlations between CXCR2 expression and pathology stage and also vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) expression. High levels of CXCL1 secreted by human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs) promoted osteosarcoma cell mobility, which was mediated by the upregulation of VCAM-1 expression. When HPAECs-conditioned media was incubated in osteosarcoma cells, we observed that the CXCR2 receptor and FAK/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling cascade were required for VCAM-1 expression. Our findings illustrate a molecular mechanism of lung metastasis in osteosarcoma and indicate that CXCL1/CXCR2 is worth targeting in treatment schemas.

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P4HA2 is associated with prognosis, promotes proliferation, invasion, migration and EMT in glioma

10.1101/2020.02.05.935221 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jing Lin ◽

Xiao-Jun Wu ◽

Wen-Xin Wei ◽

Xing-Chun Gao ◽

Ming-Zhu Jin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Signaling Pathway ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Akt Signaling ◽

Tumor Xenograft ◽

Receptor Interaction ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Akt Signaling Pathway ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

AbstractProlyl-4-hydroxylase subunit 2 (P4HA2), as a member of collagen modification enzymes, is induced under hypoxic conditions with essential roles in the collagen maturation, deposition as well as the remodeling of extracellular matrix(ECM). Mounting evidence has suggested that deregulation of P4HA2 is common in cancer. However, the expression pattern and molecular mechanisms of P4HA2 in glioma remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that P4HA2 is overexpressed in glioma and inversely correlates with patient survival. Knockdown of P4HA2 inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like phenotype of glioma cells in vitro and suppressed tumor xenograft growth in vivo. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis shows that ECM-receptor interaction and PI3K/AKT pathway are the most enriched pathways of the co-expressed genes with P4HA2. Furthermore, P4HA2 mRNA was positively correlated with mRNA expressions of a series of collagen genes, but not mRNA of PI3K or AKT1/2. Conversely, both the protein expressions of collagens and phosphorylated PI3K/AKT could be downregulated either by silencing of P4HA2 expression or inhibition of its prolyl hydroxylase. Moreover, the inhibitory effects on the migration, invasion and the EMT-related molecules by P4HA2 knockdown can be recapitulated by the Akt phosphorylation activator. Taken together, our findings for the first time reveal an oncogenic role of P4HA2 in the glioma malignancy. By regulating the expression of fibrillar collagens and the downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, it may serve as a potential anti-cancer target for the treatment of glioma.HighlightsP4HA2 is overexpressed and correlated with poor prognosis in glioma.P4HA2 depletion inhibits glioma proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT-like phenotype in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo.P4HA2 depletion attenuates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in a collagen-dependent manner.

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Wnt2 Contributes to the Development of Atherosclerosis

Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine ◽

10.3389/fcvm.2021.751720 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Jinyu Zhang ◽

Samuel Rojas ◽

Sanjay Singh ◽

Phillip R. Musich ◽

Matthew Gutierrez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Signaling Pathway ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Wnt Signaling Pathway ◽

Chronic Inflammatory Disease ◽

Aortic Endothelial Cells ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Atherosclerotic Lesions ◽

Endothelial To Mesenchymal Transition

Atherosclerosis, is a chronic inflammatory disease, characterized by the narrowing of the arteries resulting from the formation of intimal plaques in the wall of arteries. Yet the molecular mechanisms responsible for maintaining the development and progression of atherosclerotic lesions have not been fully defined. In this study, we show that TGF-β activates the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in cultured human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and this transition is dependent on the key executor of the Wnt signaling pathway in vitro. This study presents the first evidence describing the mechanistic details of the TGF-β-induced EndMT signaling pathway in HAECs by documenting the cellular transition to the mesenchymal phenotype including the expression of mesenchymal markers α-SMA and PDGFRα, and the loss of endothelial markers including VE-cadherin and CD31. Furthermore, a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) screening revealed that Wnt2 signaling is required for TGF-β-mediated EndMT of HAECs. Also, we found that LDLR−/− mice fed on a high-fat western-type diet (21% fat, 0.2% cholesterol) expressed high levels of Wnt2 protein in atherosclerotic lesions, confirming that this signaling pathway is involved in atherosclerosis in vivo. These findings suggest that Wnt2 may contribute to atherosclerotic plaque development and this study will render Wnt2 as a potential target for therapeutic intervention aiming at controlling atherosclerosis.

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FER Regulated by miR-206 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via NF-κB Signaling

Frontiers in Oncology ◽

10.3389/fonc.2021.683878 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Wenzhou Ding ◽

Ye Fan ◽

Wenbo Jia ◽

Xiongxiong Pan ◽

Guoyong Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Western Blot ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Metastatic Progression ◽

Loss Of Function ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Hcc Cells

ObjectivesFeline sarcoma-related protein (FER) is known to play a critical regulatory role in several carcinomas. However, the exact biological function of FER in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still needs to be investigated. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the unknown function and molecular mechanisms of FER in HCC.Materials and MethodsThe expression level of FER in HCC tissue samples and cells was examined by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry and western blot. Cellular and animal experiments were used to explore the effect of FER on the proliferative and metastatic capacities of HCC cells. The crosstalk between FER and NF-κB signaling was explored by western blot. The upstream factors that regulate FER were evaluated through dual-luciferase experiments and western blot assays.ResultsFER was overexpressed in HCC specimens and HCC cell lines. FER expression levels were positively associated with unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics. The higher the expression of FER was, the worse the overall survival of HCC patients was. The results of loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments indicated that knockdown of FER decreased, while overexpression of FER increased, the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that FER activated the NF-κB signaling pathway and stimulated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We also found that FER was directly regulated by miR-206, and the downregulation of miR-206 was associated with proliferation and metastatic progression in HCC.ConclusionsThe present research was the first to reveal that a decrease in miR-206 levels results in an increase in FER expression in HCC, leading to enhanced cell growth and metastatic abilities via activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

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Operative ubiquitin-specific protease 22 deubiquitination confers a more invasive phenotype to cholangiocarcinoma

Cell Death and Disease ◽

10.1038/s41419-021-03940-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

Author(s):

Yu Tian ◽

Bo Tang ◽

Chengye Wang ◽

Yan Wang ◽

Jiakai Mao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tumour Growth ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Sirtuin 1 ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Specific Protease ◽

Ubiquitin Specific Protease ◽

Paired Tumour

AbstractOncogenic ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) is implicated in a variety of tumours; however, evidence of its role and underlying molecular mechanisms in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) development remains unknown. We collected paired tumour and adjacent non-tumour tissues from 57 intrahepatic CCA (iCCA) patients and evaluated levels of the USP22 gene and protein by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Both the mRNA and protein were significantly upregulated, correlated with the malignant invasion and worse OS of iCCA. In cell cultures, USP22 overexpression increased CCA cell proliferation and mobility, and induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Upon an interaction, USP22 deubiquitinated and stabilized sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), in conjunction with Akt/ERK activation. In implantation xenografts, USP22 overexpression stimulated tumour growth and metastasis to the lungs of mice. Conversely, the knockdown by USP22 shRNA attenuated the tumour growth and invasiveness in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, SIRT1 overexpression reversed the USP22 functional deficiency, while the knockdown acetylated TGF-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and Akt. Our present study defines USP22 as a poor prognostic predictor in iCCA that cooperates with SIRT1 and facilitates tumour development.

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DNA methylation mediated RSPO2 to promote follicular development in mammals

Cell Death and Disease ◽

10.1038/s41419-021-03941-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

Author(s):

Xiaofeng Zhou ◽

Yingting He ◽

Nian Li ◽

Guofeng Bai ◽

Xiangchun Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Wnt Signaling ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Methylation Level ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Cpg Island ◽

Wnt Signaling Pathway ◽

Follicular Development ◽

Expression Level

AbstractIn female mammals, the proliferation, apoptosis, and estradiol-17β (E2) secretion of granulosa cells (GCs) have come to decide the fate of follicles. DNA methylation and RSPO2 gene of Wnt signaling pathway have been reported to involve in the survival of GCs and follicular development. However, the molecular mechanisms for how DNA methylation regulates the expression of RSPO2 and participates in the follicular development are not clear. In this study, we found that the mRNA and protein levels of RSPO2 significantly increased during follicular development, but the DNA methylation level of RSPO2 promoter decreased gradually. Inhibition of DNA methylation or DNMT1 knockdown could decrease the methylation level of CpG island (CGI) in RSPO2 promoter and upregulate the expression level of RSPO2 in porcine GCs. The hypomethylation of −758/−749 and −563/−553 regions in RSPO2 promoter facilitated the occupancy of transcription factor E2F1 and promoted the transcriptional activity of RSPO2. Moreover, RSPO2 promoted the proliferation of GCs with increasing the expression level of PCNA, CDK1, and CCND1 and promoted the E2 secretion of GCs with increasing the expression level of CYP19A1 and HSD17B1 and inhibited the apoptosis of GCs with decreasing the expression level of Caspase3, cleaved Caspase3, cleaved Caspase8, cleaved Caspase9, cleaved PARP, and BAX. In addition, RSPO2 knockdown promoted the apoptosis of GCs, blocked the development of follicles, and delayed the onset of puberty with decreasing the expression level of Wnt signaling pathway-related genes (LGR4 and CTNNB1) in vivo. Taken together, the hypomethylation of −758/−749 and −563/−553 regions in RSPO2 promoter facilitated the occupancy of E2F1 and enhanced the transcription of RSPO2, which further promoted the proliferation and E2 secretion of GCs, inhibited the apoptosis of GCs, and ultimately ameliorated the development of follicles through Wnt signaling pathway. This study will provide useful information for further exploration on DNA-methylation-mediated RSPO2 pathway during follicular development.

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A Novel Multidrug-Resistant Cell Line from an Italian Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Patient

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13092051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 2051

Author(s):

Caterina Peraldo-Neia ◽

Annamaria Massa ◽

Francesca Vita ◽

Marco Basiricò ◽

Chiara Raggi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Resistance ◽

Cell Line ◽

Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma ◽

Biological Behavior ◽

Population Doubling ◽

Sequencing Analysis ◽

Tumor Type ◽

Clinical Issue ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

Chemotherapy resistance is a relevant clinical issue in tumor treatment, in particular in biliary tract carcinoma (BTC), for which there are no effective therapies, neither in the first nor in the second line. The development of chemoresistant cell lines as experimental models to investigate the mechanisms of resistance and identify alternative druggable pathways is mandatory. In BTC, in which genetics and biological behavior depend on the etiology, ethnicity, and anatomical site of origin, the creation of models that better recapitulate these characteristics is even more crucial. Here we have established and characterized an intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) cell line derived from an Italian patient, called 82.3. Cells were isolated from a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and, after establishment, immunophenotypic, biological, genetic, molecular characteristics, and tumorigenicity in vivo in NOD/SCID mice were investigated. 82.3 cells exhibited epithelial morphology and cell markers (EPCAM, CK7, and CK19); they also expressed different cancer stem markers (CD44, CD133, CD49b, CD24, Stro1, PAX6, FOXA2, OCT3/4), α–fetoprotein and under anchorage-independent and serum-free conditions were capable of originating cholangiospheres. The population doubling time was approximately 53 h. In vitro, they demonstrated a poor ability to migrate; in vivo, 82.3 cells retained their tumorigenicity, with a long latency period (16 weeks). Genetic identity using DNA fingerprinting analysis revealed 16 different loci, and the cell line was characterized by a complex hyperdiploid karyotype. Furthermore, 82.3 cells showed cross-resistance to gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin; in fact, their genetic profile showed that 60% of genes (n = 168), specific for drug resistance and related to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, were deregulated in 82.3 cells compared to a control iCCA cell line sensitive to chemotherapeutics. RNA sequencing analysis revealed the enrichment for genes associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), vasculature development, and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, underlining an aggressive phenotype. In conclusion, we have created a new iCCA cell line of Caucasian origin: this could be exploited as a preclinical model to study drug resistance mechanisms and to identify alternative therapies to improve the prognosis of this tumor type.

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