Gene expression profile analysis identifies metastasis and chemoresistance-associated genes in epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells

Detection distribution of CNVs of SNX29 in three goat breeds and their associations with growth traits

As a member of the SNX family, the goat sorting nexin 29 (SNX29) is initially identified as a myogenesis gene. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the polymorphism in the SNX29 gene and its association with growth traits. In this study, we used an online platform to predict the structures of the SNX29 protein and used quantitative real-time PCR to detect potential copy number variation (CNV) in Shaanbei white cashmere (SBWC) goats (n = 541), Guizhou black (GB) goats (n = 48), and Nubian (NB) goats (n = 39). The results showed that goat SNX29 protein belonged to non-secretory protein. Then, five CNVs were detected, and their association with growth traits was analyzed. In SBWC goats, CNV1, CNV3, CNV4, and CNV5 were associated with chest width and body length (P < 0.05). Among them, the CNV1 individuals with gain and loss genotypes were superior to those individuals with a median genotype, but CNV4 and CNV5 of individuals with the median genotype were superior to those with the loss and gain genotypes. In addition, individuals with the gain genotype had superior growth traits in CNV3. In brief, this study suggests that the CNV of SNX29 can be used as a molecular marker in goat breeding.

Identification of transcriptional programs using dense vector representations defined by mutual information with GeneVector

Deciphering individual cell phenotypes from cell-specific transcriptional processes requires high dimensional single cell RNA sequencing. However, current dimensionality reduction methods aggregate sparse gene information across cells, without directly measuring the relationships that exist between genes. By performing dimensionality reduction with respect to gene co-expression, low-dimensional features can model these gene-specific relationships and leverage shared signal to overcome sparsity. We describe GeneVector, a scalable framework for dimensionality reduction implemented as a vector space model using mutual information between gene expression. Unlike other methods, including principal component analysis and variational autoencoders, GeneVector uses latent space arithmetic in a lower dimensional gene embedding to identify transcriptional programs and classify cell types. In this work, we show in four single cell RNA-seq datasets that GeneVector was able to capture phenotype-specific pathways, perform batch effect correction, interactively annotate cell types, and identify pathway variation with treatment over time.

SNX29, a new susceptibility gene shared with major mental disorders in Han Chinese population

OBJECTIVES

Environmental and genetic factors play important roles in the development of schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BPD) or major depressive disorder (MDD). Some risk loci are identified with shared genetic effects on major psychiatric disorders. To investigate whether SNX29 gene played a significant role in these psychiatric disorders in the Han Chinese population.

METHODS

We focussed on 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) harbouring SNX29 gene and carried out case-control studies in patients with SCZ (n = 1248), BPD (n = 1344), or MDD (n = 1056), and 1248 healthy controls (HC) recruited from the Han Chinese population. We constructed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and extracted significant modules by R package.

RESULTS

We found that rs3743592 was significantly associated with MDD and rs6498263 with BPD in both allele and genotype distributions. Before correction, rs3743592 showed allelic and genotypic significance with SCZ, rs6498263 showed allelic significance with SCZ. WGCNA identified top 10 modules of co-expressed genes. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway analysis were used to examine the functions of SNX29, which revealed that SNX29 was involved in the regulation of a number of biological processes, such as TGF-beta, ErbB, and Wnt signalling pathway, etc.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results supported common risk factors in SNX29 might share among these three mental disorders in the Han Chinese population.

Advanced bioinformatic analysis and pathway prediction of NSCLC cells upon cisplatin resistance

This study aims to identify pathway involvement in the development of cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II); CDDP) resistance in A549 lung cancer (LC) cells by utilizing advanced bioinformatics software. We developed CDDP-resistant A549 (A549/DDP) cells through prolonged incubation with the drug and performed RNA-seq on RNA extracts to determine differential mRNA and miRNA expression between A549/DDP and A549 cells. We analyzed the gene dysregulation with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA; QIAGEN) software. In contrast to prior research, which relied on the clustering of dysregulated genes to pathways as an indication of pathway activity, we utilized the IPA software for the dynamic evaluation of pathway activity depending on the gene dysregulation levels. We predicted 15 pathways significantly contributing to the chemoresistance, with several of them to have not been previously reported or analyzed in detail. Among them, the PKR signaling, cholesterol biosynthesis, and TEC signaling pathways are included, as well as genes, such as PIK3R3, miR-34c-5p, and MDM2, among others. We also provide a preliminary analysis of SNPs and indels, present exclusively in A549/DDP cells. This study's results provide novel potential mechanisms and molecular targets that can be explored in future studies and assist in improving the understanding of the chemoresistance phenotype.

The long non-coding RNA GHSROS reprograms prostate cancer cell lines toward a more aggressive phenotype

It is now appreciated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important players in orchestrating cancer progression. In this study we characterized GHSROS, a human lncRNA gene on the opposite DNA strand (antisense) to the ghrelin receptor gene, in prostate cancer. The lncRNA was upregulated by prostate tumors from different clinical datasets. Transcriptome data revealed that GHSROS alters the expression of cancer-associated genes. Functional analyses in vitro showed that GHSROS mediates tumor growth, migration and survival, and resistance to the cytotoxic drug docetaxel. Increased cellular proliferation of GHSROS-overexpressing PC3, DU145, and LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines in vitro was recapitulated in a subcutaneous xenograft model. Conversely, in vitro antisense oligonucleotide inhibition of the lncRNA reciprocally regulated cell growth and migration, and gene expression. Notably, GHSROS modulates the expression of PPP2R2C, the loss of which may drive androgen receptor pathway-independent prostate tumor progression in a subset of prostate cancers. Collectively, our findings suggest that GHSROS can reprogram prostate cancer cells toward a more aggressive phenotype and that this lncRNA may represent a potential therapeutic target.

Sorting nexins: A novel promising therapy target for cancerous/neoplastic diseases

Sorting nexins (SNXs) are a diverse group of cytoplasmic- and membrane-associated phosphoinositide-binding proteins containing the PX domain proteins. The function of SNX proteins in regulating intracellular protein trafficking consists of endocytosis, endosomal sorting, and endosomal signaling. Dysfunctions of SNX proteins are demonstrated to be involved in several cancerous/neoplastic diseases. Here, we review the accumulated evidence of the molecular structure and biological function of SNX proteins and discuss the regulatory role of SNX proteins in distinct cancerous/neoplastic diseases. SNX family proteins may be a valuable potential biomarker and therapeutic strategy for diagnostics and treatment of cancerous/neoplastic diseases.

Functional Transcription Factor Target Networks Illuminate Control of Epithelial Remodelling

Cell identity is governed by gene expression, regulated by transcription factor (TF) binding at cis-regulatory modules. Decoding the relationship between TF binding patterns and gene regulation is nontrivial, remaining a fundamental limitation in understanding cell decision-making. We developed the NetNC software to predict functionally active regulation of TF targets; demonstrated on nine datasets for the TFs Snail, Twist, and modENCODE Highly Occupied Target (HOT) regions. Snail and Twist are canonical drivers of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a cell programme important in development, tumour progression and fibrosis. Predicted "neutral" (non-functional) TF binding always accounted for the majority (50% to 95%) of candidate target genes from statistically significant peaks and HOT regions had higher functional binding than most of the Snail and Twist datasets examined. Our results illuminated conserved gene networks that control epithelial plasticity in development and disease. We identified new gene functions and network modules including crosstalk with notch signalling and regulation of chromatin organisation, evidencing networks that reshape Waddington's epigenetic landscape during epithelial remodelling. Expression of orthologous functional TF targets discriminated breast cancer molecular subtypes and predicted novel tumour biology, with implications for precision medicine. Predicted invasion roles were validated using a tractable cell model, supporting our approach.

High expression and potential synergy of human epididymis protein 4 and Annexin A8 promote progression and predict poor prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common cause of gynecological cancer-related deaths. Aberrant expression of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and Annexin A8 (ANXA8) plays crucial roles in some malignancies; however, their functions in EOC remain unclear. In this study, we utilized immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence labeling, and gene interaction and enrichment pathway analyses to explore the roles of HE4 and ANXA8 in EOC. They were highly expressed in EOC tissues, which significantly correlated with higher tumor burden, advanced FIGO stages, poor differentiation, presence of > 1 cm residual tumor, and tumor recurrence. The expression patterns of HE4 and ANXA8 were similar, and Spearman's correlation analysis showed that they were positively correlated (r=0.671, P < 0.001). Large sample database analyses also showed significant positive correlation between their mRNA expression (R=0.304, 0.321, and 0.304 in TCGA, CCLE and GTEx, respectively, all P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that advanced FIGO stages, lymph node metastasis, residual tumor size > 1 cm, and high HE4 and ANXA8 expression were significantly associated with poor overall survival (all P < 0.05). Moreover, multivariate Cox analysis showed that advanced FIGO stages and HE4 expression were independent factors for poor survival (P < 0.001, 0.012, respectively). Interaction network analysis of genes associated with ANXA8, expressed in response to HE4, revealed that these genes participated in TP53 expression, autophagy regulation, and the PID FOXO pathway. In conclusion, the potential synergy between HE4 and ANXA8 may exacerbate the disease condition. Thus, targeting HE4 and ANXA8 could be a novel therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer.

Bioinformatics analysis of the genes involved in the extension of prostate cancer to adjacent lymph nodes by supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods: The role of SPAG1 and PLEKHF2

The present study aimed to identify the genes associated with the involvement of adjunct lymph nodes of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and to provide valuable information for the identification of potential diagnostic biomarkers and pathological genes in PCa metastasis. The most important candidate genes were identified through several machine learning approaches including K-means clustering, neural network, Naïve Bayesian classifications and PCA with or without downsampling. In total, 21 genes associated with lymph nodes involvement were identified. Among them, nine genes have been identified in metastatic prostate cancer, six have been found in the other metastatic cancers and four in other local cancers. The amplification of the candidate genes was evaluated in the other PCa datasets. Besides, we identified a validated set of genes involved in the PCa metastasis. The amplification of SPAG1 and PLEKHF2 genes were associated with decreased survival in patients with PCa.

Expression profiles of PRKG1, SDF2L1 and PPP1R12A are predictive and prognostic factors for therapy response and survival in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGS-EOCs) is generally sensitive to front-line platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapy although most patients at an advanced stage relapse with progressive resistant disease. Clinical or molecular data to identify primary resistant cases at diagnosis are not yet available. HGS-EOC biopsies from 105 Pt-sensitive (Pt-s) and 89 Pt-resistant (Pt-r) patients were retrospectively selected from two independent tumor tissue collections. Pathway analysis was done integrating miRNA and mRNA expression profiles. Signatures were further validated in silico on a cohort of 838 HGS-EOC cases from a published dataset. In all, 131 mRNAs and 5 miRNAs belonging to different functionally related molecular pathways distinguish Pt-s from Pt-r cases. Then, 17 out of 23 selected elements were validated by orthogonal approaches (SI signature). As resistance to Pt is associated with a short progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), the prognostic role of the SI signature was assessed, and 14 genes associated with PFS and OS, in multivariate analyses (SII signature). The prognostic value of the SII signature was validated in a third extensive cohort. The expression profiles of SDF2L1, PPP1R12A and PRKG1 genes (SIII signature) served as independent prognostic biomarkers of Pt-response and survival. The study identified a prognostic molecular signature based on the combined expression profile of three genes which had never been associated with the clinical outcome of HGS-EOC. This may lead to early identification, at the time of diagnosis, of patients who would not greatly benefit from standard chemotherapy and are thus eligible for novel investigational approaches.

Annexin A8 can serve as potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer: based on the comprehensive analysis of Annexins

BACKGROUND

Annexins are involved in vesicle trafficking, cell proliferation and apoptosis, but their functional mechanisms in ovarian cancer remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed Annexins in ovarian cancer using different databases and selected Annexin A8 (ANXA8), which showed the greatest prognostic value, for subsequent validation in immunohistochemical (IHC) assays.

METHODS

The mRNA expression levels, genetic variations, prognostic values and gene-gene interaction network of Annexins in ovarian cancer were analyzed using the Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), cBioPortal, Kaplan-Meier plotter and GeneMANIA database. ANXA8 was selected for analyzing the biological functions and pathways of its co-expressed genes, and its correlation with immune system responses via the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) and the TISIDB database, respectively. We validated the expression of ANXA8 in ovarian cancer via IHC assays and analyzed its correlation with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis.

RESULTS

ANXA2/3/8/11 mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated in ovarian cancer, and ANXA5/6/7 mRNA expression levels were significantly downregulated. Prognostic analysis suggested that significant correlations occurred between ANXA2/4/8/9 mRNA upregulation and poor overall survival, and between ANXA8/9/11 mRNA upregulation and poor progression-free survival in patients with ovarian serous tumors. Taken together, results suggested that ANXA8 was most closely associated with ovarian cancer tumorigenesis and progression. Further analyses indicated that ANXA8 may be involved in cell migration, cell adhesion, and vasculature development, as well as in the regulation of PI3K-Akt, focal adhesion, and proteoglycans. Additionally, ANXA8 expression was significantly correlated with lymphocytes and immunomodulators. The IHC results showed that ANXA8 expression was higher in the malignant tumor group than in the borderline and benign tumor groups and normal ovary group, and high ANXA8 expression was an independent risk factor for survival and prognosis of ovarian cancer patients (P = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

Members of the Annexin family display varying degrees of abnormal expressions in ovarian cancer. ANXA8 was significantly highly expressed in ovarian cancer, and high ANXA8 expression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis. Therefore, ANXA8 is a high candidate as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

TMEFF1 overexpression and its mechanism for tumor promotion in ovarian cancer

Background

Transmembrane protein with epidermal growth factor-like and two follistatin-like domains 1 (TMEFF1) has an anticarcinogenic effect in brain tumors. However, little is known about the role of TMEFF1 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Materials and methods

TMEFF1 expression in EOC was detected by immunohistochemistry; its relationship with clinical pathological parameters and its influence on prognosis were analyzed. The MTT, scratch, Transwell assays, and flow cytometry were used to assess the malignant behavior of ovarian cancer cell. Changes in node proteins in MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways and the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transformation markers were measured by Western blot. The regulatory effect of p53 on TMEFF1 was verified by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and Western blot.

Results

TMEFF1 expression was higher in the EOC group than in the borderline and benign tumor groups and normal ovary group; its high expression was significantly related to International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (P=0.024) and independently predicted shorter overall survival (P<0.01). TMEFF1 overexpression in ovarian cancer cells induced increased cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion but reduced apoptosis. In addition, the percentage of phosphorylated node proteins in MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways increased significantly. The expression of E-cadherin decreased but that of vimentin and N-cadherin increased. After the addition of MAPK (PD98059) and PI3K (GDC-0941) pathway inhibitors, ovarian cancer cells overexpressing TMEFF1 showed suppressed malignant behavior. TMEFF1 protein expression in an ovarian cancer cell lines (CAOV3 and ES-2) was downregulated after the inhibition of TP53. The transcription factor, p53, bound the promoter region of the TMEFF1 gene according to ChIP.

Conclusion

TMEFF1 is a carcinogenic gene in ovarian cancer and can be regulated by p53 transcription. Through MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, TMEFF1 promotes the malignant behavior in EOC. Therefore, TMEFF1 may be considered as a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

Lewis(y) antigen-mediated positive feedback loop induces and promotes chemotherapeutic resistance in ovarian cancer

The present study aimed to investigate the association between Lewis(y) antigen and chemoresistance in ovarian cancer and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Lewis(y) expression in chemoresistant ovarian cancer tissues and cells was detected by immunohistochemistry. α1,2‑fucosyltransferase (FUT1) expression in different ovarian cancer chemotherapy-resistant cells was analyzed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Genes differentially expressed in the chemoresistant and sensitive groups were screened using a gene chip followed by validation using RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. We found that Lewis(y) and FUT1 expression in ovarian cancer cells was significantly increased following the induction of drug resistance. The positive expression rate and intensity of Lewis(y) in ovarian cancer chemoresistant tissues were also significantly higher than those in the sensitive group. Compared with the non-resistant cell lines, the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the terms related to the transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathway and positive regulation of cell proliferation. Interaction network analysis predicted genes participating in the regulation of apoptotic processes. The highly differential expression of Annexin A4 (ANXA4), BCL2 interacting killer (BIK), transmembrane 4 L six family member 4 (TM4SF4) and pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 1 (PHLDA1) was validated using RT-qPCR in ovarian cancer cell lines. Finally, ANXA4 expression was increased at both the mRNA and protein level in the drug‑resistant cells, and in addition, ANXA4 contained a Lewis(y) structure. The expression of Bcl-2 and other anti-apoptotic proteins increased with the increase of Lewis(y) expression. After blocking Lewis(y) using an antibody, the expression of the involved signaling pathway and apoptosis-related proteins decreased significantly. These findings provide strong evidence that Lewis(y) is a component of the structure of the ANXA4 membrane protein. Its overexpression can abnormally activate signaling pathways and regulate the expression of a number of factors, forming a positive feedback loop to induce the chemoresistance of ovarian cancer cells, and ultimately promoting the progression of ovarian cancer.

The NLR family pyrin domain-containing 11 protein contributes to the regulation of inflammatory signaling

Mammalian Nod-like receptor (NLR) proteins contribute to the regulation and induction of innate and adaptive immunity in mammals, although the function of about half of the currently identified NLR proteins remains poorly characterized. Here we analyzed the function of the primate-specific NLRP11 gene product. We show that NLRP11 is highly expressed in immune cells, including myeloid cells, B cells, and some B cell lymphoma lines. Overexpression of NLRP11 in human cells did not trigger key innate immune signaling pathways, including NF-κB and type I interferon responses. NLRP11 harbors a pyrin domain, which is responsible for inflammasome formation in related NLR proteins. However, NLRP11 did not interact with the inflammasome adaptor protein ASC, and it did not trigger caspase-1 activation. By contrast, expression of NLRP11 specifically repressed NF-κB and type I interferon responses, two key innate immune pathways involved in inflammation. This effect was independent of the pyrin domain and ATPase activity of NLRP11. siRNA-mediated knockdown of NLRP11 in human myeloid THP1 cells validated these findings and revealed enhanced lipopolysaccharide and Sendai virus-induced cytokine and interferon responses, respectively, in cells with reduced NLRP11 expression. In summary, our work identifies a novel role of NLRP11 in the regulation of inflammatory responses in human cells.

Garcinol sensitizes breast cancer cells to Taxol through the suppression of caspase-3/iPLA2 and NF-κB/Twist1 signaling pathways in a mouse 4T1 breast tumor model

Breast cancer is a significant threat to women's health and has high incidence and mortality. Metastasis in breast cancer patients is a major cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Clinical experience suggests that patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) relapse quickly and often have chemotherapy resistance. Taxol (paclitaxel) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent for treating metastatic breast cancer, but Taxol at high doses can cause adverse effects and recurrent resistance. Thus, the selection of a synergistic combination therapy is recommended, which is safer and has a more significant response rate than monotherapy. In this study, our strategy is to combine a low dose of Taxol (5 mg kg^-1, i.p.) and garcinol (1 mg kg^-1, i.g.) to investigate the synergistic antitumor and anti-metastasis effects and to determine the underlying mechanisms of these effects in vivo. For the in vivo study, metastasis-specific mouse mammary carcinoma 4T1 cells were inoculated in Balb/c mice to establish an orthotopic primary tumor and spontaneous metastasis model. Tumor growth and metastases were monitored. The mechanisms of synergistic efficacies were evaluated at different signaling pathways, including proliferation, survival, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-regulated metastatic propensity. We demonstrated that garcinol combined with Taxol significantly increased the therapeutic efficacy when compared with either treatment alone. The synergistic antitumor and anti-metastasis effects were enhanced primarily through the induction of Taxol-stimulated G2/M phase arrest and the inhibition of caspase-3/cytosolic Ca²⁺-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA₂) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/Twist-related protein 1 (Twist1) drive downstream events including tumor cell repopulation, survival, inflammation, angiogenesis, invasion, and EMT. Our current findings provide the first experimental evidence that a combination of a low dose of Taxol and garcinol is a promising therapeutic strategy for controlling advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Finally, our results also point to the possible role of NF-κB/Twist1 and caspase-3/iPLA₂ signaling pathways as biomarkers to predict the tumor response to treatment.

The clinicopathological significance of forkhead box P1 and forkhead box O3a in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly malignant tumor with poor prognosis, and the biomarkers for the early diagnosis, targeting therapy, and prognosis are still not clinically available. This study investigated the expression of forkhead box P1 and forkhead box O3a proteins in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumor tissues and pancreatic tissues with and without benign lesions using immunohistochemical staining. Results showed that the positive rates of forkhead box P1 and forkhead box O3a protein expression were significantly lower in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors compared to peritumoral tissues, benign pancreatic tissues, and normal pancreatic tissues (p < 0.01). Pancreatic tissues with negative forkhead box P1 and forkhead box O3a protein expression exhibited dysplasia or intraepithelial neoplasia. The positive rates of forkhead box P1 and forkhead box O3a expression were significantly lower in cases with tumor mass >5 cm, lymph node metastasis, invasion to surrounding tissues and organs, and tumor-node-metastasis III + IV stage disease compared to cases with tumor mass ⩽5 cm (p < 0.05), no lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively), no invasion (p = 0.003 and p = 0.004, respectively), and tumor-node-metastasis I or II stage disease (p < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients with negative forkhead box P1 and forkhead box O3a expression survived significantly shorter than patients with positive forkhead box P1 and forkhead box O3a expression (p = 0.000). Cox multivariate analysis revealed that negative forkhead box P1 and forkhead box O3a expression was an independent poor prognosis factor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients. The area under the curve of a receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.642 for forkhead box P1 (95% confidence interval: 0.553-0.730) and 0.655 for forkhead box O3a (95% confidence interval: 0.6568-0.742). Loss of forkhead box P1 and forkhead box O3a protein expression is associated with carcinogenesis, progression, and poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas.

Inflammatory pathway genes associated with inter-individual variability in the trajectories of morning and evening fatigue in patients receiving chemotherapy

Fatigue, a highly prevalent and distressing symptom during chemotherapy (CTX), demonstrates diurnal and interindividual variability in severity. Little is known about the associations between variations in genes involved in inflammatory processes and morning and evening fatigue severity during CTX. The purposes of this study, in a sample of oncology patients (N=543) with breast, gastrointestinal (GI), gynecological (GYN), or lung cancer who received two cycles of CTX, were to determine whether variations in genes involved in inflammatory processes were associated with inter-individual variability in initial levels as well as in the trajectories of morning and evening fatigue. Patients completed the Lee Fatigue Scale to determine morning and evening fatigue severity a total of six times over two cycles of CTX. Using a whole exome array, 309 single nucleotide polymorphisms SNPs among the 64 candidate genes that passed all quality control filters were evaluated using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). Based on the results of the HLM analyses, the final SNPs were evaluated for their potential impact on protein function using two bioinformational tools. The following inflammatory pathways were represented: chemokines (3 genes); cytokines (12 genes); inflammasome (11 genes); Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT, 10 genes); mitogen-activated protein kinase/jun amino-terminal kinases (MAPK/JNK, 3 genes); nuclear factor-kappa beta (NFkB, 18 genes); and NFkB and MAP/JNK (7 genes). After controlling for self-reported and genomic estimates of race and ethnicity, polymorphisms in six genes from the cytokine (2 genes); inflammasome (2 genes); and NFkB (2 genes) pathways were associated with both morning and evening fatigue. Polymorphisms in six genes from the inflammasome (1 gene); JAK/STAT (1 gene); and NFkB (4 genes) pathways were associated with only morning fatigue. Polymorphisms in three genes from the inflammasome (2 genes) and the NFkB (1 gene) pathways were associated with only evening fatigue. Taken together, these findings add to the growing body of evidence that suggests that morning and evening fatigue are distinct symptoms.

FOXP1 functions as an oncogene in promoting cancer stem cell-like characteristics in ovarian cancer cells

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecological cancers with a high recurrence rate. It is important to understand the nature of recurring cancer cells to terminally eliminate ovarian cancer. The winged helix transcription factor Forkhead box P1 (FOXP1) has been reported to function as either oncogene or tumor-suppressor in various cancers. In the current study, we show that FOXP1 promotes cancer stem cell-like characteristics in ovarian cancer cells. Knockdown of FOXP1 expression in A2780 or SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells decreased spheroid formation, expression of stemness-related genes and epithelial to mesenchymal transition-related genes, cell migration, and resistance to Paclitaxel or Cisplatin treatment, whereas overexpression of FOXP1 in A2780 or SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells increased spheroid formation, expression of stemness-related genes and epithelial to mesenchymal transition-related genes, cell migration, and resistance to Paclitaxel or Cisplatin treatment. In addition, overexpression of FOXP1 increased promoter activity of ABCG2, OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2, among which the increases in ABCG2, OCT4, and SOX2 promoter activity were dependent on the presence of FOXP1-binding site. In xenotransplantation of A2780 ovarian cancer cells into nude mice, knockdown of FOXP1 expression significantly decreased tumor size. These results strongly suggest FOXP1 functions as an oncogene by promoting cancer stem cell-like characteristics in ovarian cancer cells. Targeting FOXP1 may provide a novel therapeutic opportunity for developing a relapse-free treatment for ovarian cancer patients.

The small FOXP1 isoform predominantly expressed in activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and full-length FOXP1 exert similar oncogenic and transcriptional activity in human B cells

The forkhead transcription factor FOXP1 is generally regarded as an oncogene in activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Previous studies have suggested that a small isoform of FOXP1 rather than full-length FOXP1, may possess this oncogenic activity. Corroborating those studies, we herein show that activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell lines and primary activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells predominantly express a small FOXP1 isoform, and that the 5′-end of the Foxp1 gene is a common insertion site in murine lymphomas in leukemia virus- and transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis screens. By combined mass spectrometry, (quantative) reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction/sequencing, and small interfering ribonucleic acid-mediated gene silencing, we determined that the small FOXP1 isoform predominantly expressed in activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma lacks the N-terminal 100 amino acids of full-length FOXP1. Aberrant overexpression of this FOXP1 isoform (ΔN100) in primary human B cells revealed its oncogenic capacity; it repressed apoptosis and plasma cell differentiation. However, no difference in potency was found between this small FOXP1 isoform and full-length FOXP1. Furthermore, overexpression of full-length FOXP1 or this small FOXP1 isoform in primary B cells and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell lines resulted in similar gene regulation. Taken together, our data indicate that this small FOXP1 isoform and full-length FOXP1 have comparable oncogenic and transcriptional activity in human B cells, suggesting that aberrant expression or overexpression of FOXP1, irrespective of the specific isoform, contributes to lymphomagenesis. These novel insights further enhance the value of FOXP1 for the diagnostics, prognostics, and treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients.

Overexpression of HE4 (human epididymis protein 4) enhances proliferation, invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer

Overexpression of Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) related with a role in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis while little is known about the molecular mechanism alteration by HE4 up regulation. Here we reported that overexpressed HE4 promoted ovarian cancer cells proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Furthermore, human whole genome gene expression profile microarrays revealed that 231 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were altered in response to HE4, in which MAPK signaling, ECM receptor, cell cycle, steroid biosynthesis pathways were involved. The findings suggested that overexpressed HE4 played an important role in ovarian cancer progression and metastasis and that HE4 has the potential to serve as a novel therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

Deregulation of the miR-222-ABCG2 regulatory module in tongue squamous cell carcinoma contributes to chemoresistance and enhanced migratory/invasive potential

Chemoresistance is often associated with other clinical characteristics such as enhanced migratory/invasive potential. However, the correlation and underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to elucidate the function of the miR-222-ABCG2 pathway in the correlation between cisplatin (DDP) resistance and enhanced cell migration/invasion in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). Using TSCC cell lines and primary cultures from TSCC cases, we first confirmed the correlation among DDP resistance (measured by IC50 values and ABCG2/ERCC1 expression), migratory/invasive potential (assessed by migration/invasion assays) and miR-222 expression. In TSCC cells, siRNA-mediated ABCG2 knockdown led to enhanced DDP responsiveness and reduced migratory/invasive potential, whereas ABCG2 overexpression induced DDP resistance and enhanced cell migration/invasion. Luciferase assays revealed that ABCG2 is a direct target of miR-222. In addition to reducing cell migration/invasion, functional analyses in TSCC cells indicated that miR-222 can reduce expression of the ABCG2 gene and enhance DDP responsiveness. However, co-transfection with ABCG2 cDNA restored both DDP resistance and migration/invasion. Moreover, miR-222 mimics and ABCG2 siRNA inhibited tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Thus, our results verified that DDP resistance is correlated with enhanced migratory/invasive potential in TSCC. ABCG2 is a direct target of miR-222,and deregulation of the miR-222-ABCG2 regulatory module in TSCC contributes to both DDP resistance and enhanced migratory/invasive potential.

CYLD downregulates Livin and synergistically improves gemcitabine chemosensitivity and decreases migratory/invasive potential in bladder cancer: the effect is autophagy-associated

Although GC (gemcitabine and cisplatin) chemotherapy remains an effective method for treating bladder cancer (BCa), chemoresistance is a major obstacle in chemotherapy. In this study, we determined whether gemcitabine resistance correlates with migratory/invasive potential in BCa and whether this relationship is regulated by the cylindromatosis (CYLD)-Livin module. First, we independently investigated the correlation of CYLD/Livin and gemcitabine resistance with the potential for tumor migration and invasiveness. Second, we found that co-transfected CYLD and Livin dramatically improved sensitivity to gemcitabine chemotherapy and decreased migration/invasion potential. Next, we determined that CYLD may regulate Livin by the NF-κB-dependent pathway. We also found that CYLD overexpression and Livin knockdown might improve gemcitabine chemosensitivity by decreasing autophagy and increasing apoptosis in BCa cells. Finally, the effects of CYLD-Livin on tumor growth in vivo were evaluated. Our study demonstrates that CYLD-Livin might represent a potential therapeutic for chemoresistant BCa.

Downregulation of SASH1 correlates with tumor progression and poor prognosis in ovarian carcinoma

SAM- and SH3-domain containing 1 (SASH1) is a recently identified tumor suppressor gene that is required in the tumorigenesis of breast and other solid carcinomas. The SASH1 protein contains SH3 and SAM domains, indicating that it may serve an important role in intracellular signal transduction. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression of SASH1 in ovarian carcinoma and the correlation between its expression with clinical pathological features and clinical significance, and the effect of SASH1 on cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration of ovarian SKOV3 cells. The human ovarian carcinoma tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected following surgery. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to detect the expression levels of SASH1 mRNA and protein, respectively. The expression levels of SASH1 mRNA and protein in ovarian carcinoma tissues were significantly lower than that observed in adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). The expression levels of SASH1 in samples from patients without lymph nodes metastasis and patients with early FIGO stage was lower than those with lymph nodes metastasis and patients with advanced FIGO stage (P<0.05). Flow cytometry analysis and Transwell invasion chamber experiments were used to investigate the effect of SASH1 on the cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration of SKOV3 cells. The recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1-SASH1 was constructed and transfected into SKOV3 cells. In addition, the SKOV3 cells in the pcDNA3.1-SASH1 group exhibited significantly reduced cell growth, proliferation, and migration ability compared to the empty vector group and normal group (P<0.01). There were a greater number of apoptotic cells in the pcDNA3.1-SASH1 group compared to the empty vector group and normal group (P<0.01). Taken together, these results indicated that SASH1 may be a tumor suppressor gene in ovarian carcinoma, and SASH1 expression inhibited growth, proliferation and migration, and enhanced apoptosis of SKOV3 cells.