Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) is overexpressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and promotes migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in SCC15 cells

The emerging role of miRNAs in pituitary adenomas: From molecular signatures to diagnostic potential

Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are an array of tumors originating from the pituitary gland. PAs are sorted as functional or nonfunctional according to their hormonal activity and classified according to size into microadenomas and macroadenomas. Still, the cellular events that trigger the transformations in pituitary neoplasms are not fully understood, and the current classification methods do not precisely predict clinical behavior. A rising number of researches have emphasized the role of miRNAs, that drawn more attention as oncogenic molecules or tumor suppressors. The etiopathological mechanisms of PAs include multiple molecular cascades that are influenced by different miRNAs. miRNAs control the cell cycle control, pro- or antiapoptotic processes, and tumor invasion and metastasis. miRNAs offer a novel perspective on tumor features and behaviors and might be valuable in prognostication and therapeutic plans. In pituitary adenomas, miRNAs showed a specific expression pattern depending on their size, cell origin, remission, and treatments. Screening miRNA expression patterns is promising to monitor and evaluate recurrence, as well as to investigate the efficacy of radiation and chemotherapy for PAs exhibiting aggressive behavior. Thus, the current review investigated the interplay of the miRNAs' pivotal role in offering new opportunities to translate these innovative epigenetic tools into healthcare applications.

Elevated PTTG1 predicts poor prognosis in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma and correlates with immunity

Background

PTTG1 has been reported to be linked with the prognosis and progression of various cancers, including kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). In this article, we mainly investigated the associations between prognosis, immunity, and PTTG1 in KIRC patients.

Method

We downloaded transcriptome data from the TCGA-KIRC database. PCR and immunohistochemistry were used, respectively, to validate the expression of PTTG1 in KIRC at the cell line and the protein levels. Survival analyses as well as univariate or multivariate Cox hazard regression analyses were used to prove whether PTTG1 alone could affect the prognosis of KIRC. The most important point was to study the relationship between PTTG1 and immunity.

Results

The results of the paper revealed that the expression levels of PTTG1 were elevated in KIRC compared with para-cancerous normal tissues, validated by PCR and immunohistochemistry at the cell line and the protein levels (P < 0.05). High PTTG1 expression was related to shorter overall survival (OS) in patients with KIRC (P < 0.05). Through univariate or multivariate regression analysis, PTTG1 was confirmed to be an independent prognostic factor for OS of KIRC (P < 0.05), and its related seven pathways were obtained through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA; P < 0.05). Moreover, tumor mutational burden (TMB) and immunity were found to be significantly connected with PTTG1 in KIRC (P < 0.05). Correlations between PTTG1 and immunotherapy responses implied that the low-PTTG1 group was more sensitive to immunotherapy (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

PTTG1 was closely associated with TMB or immunity, and it had a superior ability to forecast the prognosis of KIRC patients.

Clinical significance of securin expression in solid cancers: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis of published studies and bioinformatics analysis based on TCGA dataset

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have investigated the clinical significance of securin expression in solid cancers; however, the results have been inconsistent. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis of published studies to assess the clinical value of securin expression in patients with solid cancers.

METHODS

The Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Web of Science, PubMed, and EMDASE databases were searched for eligible studies (from inception up to April 2021). Bioinformatics analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset was also performed to evaluate the prognostic value of securin expression.

RESULTS

A total of 25 articles with 26 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis implied that high securin expression was positively correlated with unfavorable overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio = 1.52, 95% CI, 1.33-1.73; P < .001) and lymph node metastasis (odd ratio = 2.96, 95% CI, 2.26-3.86; P < .001). Consistently, our bioinformatics analysis showed that increased securin expression was associated with worse OS and shorter disease-free survival in cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

Our study indicated that securin overexpression was positively associated with metastasis and inversely related to the prognosis of patients with solid cancers. However, additional high-quality studies should be conducted to validate these findings.

Molecular Crosstalk between the Immunological Mechanism of the Tumor Microenvironment and Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is a significant non-communicable disease affecting both emergent nations and developed countries. Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck represent the eight major familiar cancer types worldwide, accounting for more than 350,000 established cases every year. Oral cancer is one of the most exigent tumors to control and treat. The survival rate of oral cancer is poor due to local invasion along with recurrent lymph node metastasis. The tumor microenvironment contains a different population of cells, such as fibroblasts associated with cancer, immune-infiltrating cells, and other extracellular matrix non-components. Metastasis in a primary site is mainly due to multifaceted progression known as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). For the period of EMT, epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal cell functional and structural characteristics, which lead to cell migration enhancement and promotion of the dissemination of tumor cells. The present review links the tumor microenvironment and the role of EMT in inflammation, transcriptional factors, receptor involvement, microRNA, and other signaling events. It would, in turn, help to better understand the mechanism behind the tumor microenvironment and EMT during oral cancer.

MicroRNA in Acromegaly: Involvement in the Pathogenesis and in the Response to First-Generation Somatostatin Receptor Ligands

Acromegaly is a chronic and systemic disease due to excessive growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor type I caused, in the vast majority of cases, by a GH-secreting pituitary adenoma. About 40% of these tumors have somatic mutations in the stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit 1 gene. The pathogenesis of the remaining tumors, however, is still not fully comprehended. Surgery is the first-line therapy for these tumors, and first-generation somatostatin receptor ligands (fg-SRL) are the most prescribed medications in patients who are not cured by surgery. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that control the translation of many mRNAs, and are involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Differentially expressed miRNAs can explain differences in the pathogenesis of acromegaly and tumor resistance. In this review, we focus on the most validated miRNAs, which are mainly involved in acromegaly’s tumorigenesis and fg-SRL resistance, as well as in circulating miRNAs in acromegaly.

A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis for Pituitary Tumor-Transforming Gene 1

Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) encodes a multifunctional protein that is involved in many cellular processes. However, the potential role of PTTG1 in tumor formation and its prognostic function in human pan-cancer is still unknown. The analysis of gene alteration, PTTG1 expression, prognostic function, and PTTG1-related immune analysis in 33 types of tumors was performed based on various databases such as The Cancer Genome Atlas database, the Genotype-Tissue Expression database, and the Human Protein Atlas database. Additionally, PTTG1-related gene enrichment analysis was performed to investigate the potential relationship and possible molecular mechanisms between PTTG1 and tumors. Overexpression of PTTG1 may lead to tumor formation and poor prognosis in various tumors. Consequently, PTTG1 acts as a potential oncogene in most tumors. Additionally, PTTG1 is related to immune infiltration, immune checkpoints, tumor mutational burden, and microsatellite instability. Thus, PTTG1 could be potential biomarker for both prognosis and outcomes of tumor treatment and it could also be a promising target in tumor therapy.

Atractylenolide III inhibits epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in small intestine epithelial cells by activating the AMPK signaling pathway

Compared with the available drugs for the treatment of fibrosis in other organs, the development of intestinal anti-fibrosis drugs is limited. Therefore, it is of practical significance to examine novel drugs to delay or block the development of intestinal fibrosis. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of atractylenolide III (ATL-III) on intestinal fibrosis. An MTT assay was used to detect the effect of ATL-III on the activity of IEC-6 cells. The migration and invasion of fibrotic cells stimulated with TGF-β were determined via wound healing and Transwell assays. An immunofluorescence assay and western blotting were conducted to assess the expression levels of protein associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The role of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway was verified using compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) treatment. The results of the present study indicated that ATL-III had no effect on the cells at a dose of 1–20 µmol/l. Moreover, ATL-III can inhibit the invasion and migration of cells induced by TGF-β1, as well as block the EMT process. It was found that ATL-III could also activate the AMPK pathway. Furthermore, compound C reduced the inhibitory effect of ATL-III on stimulated cells, which indicated that the AMPK pathway plays a role in the inhibition process. In conclusion, ATL-III may inhibit the EMT of IEC-6 cells stimulated with TGF-β1 by activating the AMPK signaling pathway.

Alteration of Pituitary Tumor Transforming Gene 1 by MicroRNA-186 and 655 Regulates Invasion Ability of Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) was recently shown to be involved in the progression as well as the metastasis of cancers. However, their expression and function in the invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) remain unclear. Methods: The expressions of PTTG1 and PTTG1-targeted miRNA in oral SCC cell lines and their invasion capability depended on PTTG1 expression were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR, Western blots, the transwell insert system and Zymography. Results: Invasion abilities were decreased in oral SCC cells treated with siRNA-PTTG1. When PTTG1 were downregulated in oral SCC cells treated with microRNA-186 and -655 inhibited their invasion abilities via MMP-9 activity. Conclusions: These results indicate that alteration of expression of PTTG1 in oral SCC cells by newly identified microRNA-186 and -655 can regulate invasion activity. Therefore, these data offer new insights into further understanding PTTG1 function in oral SCC and should provide new strategies for diagnostic markers for oral SCC.

Y-Box Binding Protein-1 Promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Sorafenib-Resistant Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancer types worldwide. In cases of advanced-stage disease, sorafenib is considered the treatment of choice. However, resistance to sorafenib remains a major obstacle for effective clinical application. Based on integrated phosphoproteomic and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, we identified a transcription factor, Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1), with elevated phosphorylation of Ser102 in sorafenib-resistant HuH-7^R cells. Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (AKT) were activated by sorafenib, which, in turn, increased the phosphorylation level of YB-1. In functional analyses, knockdown of YB-1 led to decreased cell migration and invasion in vitro. At the molecular level, inhibition of YB-1 induced suppression of zinc-finger protein SNAI1 (Snail), twist-related protein 1 (Twist1), zinc-finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (Zeb1), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and vimentin levels, implying a role of YB-1 in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in HuH-7^R cells. Additionally, YB-1 contributes to morphological alterations resulting from F-actin rearrangement through Cdc42 activation. Mutation analyses revealed that phosphorylation at S102 affects the migratory and invasive potential of HuH-7^R cells. Our collective findings suggest that sorafenib promotes YB-1 phosphorylation through effect from the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway, leading to significant enhancement of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell metastasis. Elucidation of the specific mechanisms of action of YB-1 may aid in the development of effective strategies to suppress metastasis and overcome resistance.

miR-362-3p suppresses sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma progression via directly targeting pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1

BACKGROUND

Sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) is a main subtype of sinonasal malignancy with unclear pathogenesis. microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in SNSCC progression. Nevertheless, the role and mechanism of miR-362-3p in SNSCC development are unclear.

METHODS

The SNSCC tissues (n = 23) and normal sinonasal samples (n = 13) were harvested. SNSCC cell line RPMI-2650 cells were transfected using Lipofectamine 3000. miR-362-3p and pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Cell proliferation was analyzed via Cell Counting Kit-8 and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assays. Cell migration and invasion was assessed using wound healing assay and transwell assay. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated protein (E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin) levels were measured via western blot. The binding relationship was analyzed via bioinformatic analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

miR-362-3p abundance was decreased in SNSCC samples. miR-362-3p addition constrained cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, but miR-362-3p knockdown played an opposite effect. PTTG1 was targeted and negatively modulated by miR-362-3p. PTTG1 abundance was elevated in SNSCC samples. PTTG1 overexpression mitigated miR-362-3p-modulated suppression of cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in SNSCC cells.

CONCLUSION

miR-362-3p repressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in SNSCC via targeting PTTG1.

Upregulation of PTTG1 is associated with poor prognosis in prostate cancer

Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) is a regulator of chromosome stability. PTTG1 overexpression had been associated with tumor aggressiveness in several cancer types. To examine its prognostic utility in prostate cancer, a tissue microarray including 12 427 tumors with clinical and molecular data was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. PTTG1 immunostaining was largely absent in normal prostate epithelial cells. In cancers, staining was considered weak in 5.4%, moderate in 5.6% and strong in 0.8%. Strong staining was linked to advanced pT stage, high classical and quantitative Gleason grade, high Ki67-labeling index (all P < 0.0001) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0083). The prognostic impact of PTTG1 expression was independent of established preoperative and postoperative prognostic features. Comparison with molecular features revealed that PTTG1 upregulation was associated with nine of 12 common genomic deletions (P < 0.05), p53 alterations and high androgen receptor levels (P < 0.001 each), but was unrelated to the TMPRSS2:ERG fusion status. In conclusion, these data identify PTTG1 as a strong and independent prognostic feature in prostate cancer. PTTG1 measurement, either alone or in combination with other biomarkers might be instrumental for determining prostate cancer aggressiveness.

Expression of proteins associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147), pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG) and CD44v6 are proteins involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). To investigate the prognostic value of CD147 and PTTG, and CD44v6 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), tissue microarray specimens from 76 patients with ESCC were evaluated by immunohistochemistry staining and scored by intensity and proportion of positive areas. Expression levels of CD147, PTTG and CD44v6 were higher in tumor tissues than in matched adjacent tissues. CD147 expression was positively associated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.025) and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) system clinical grades (P=0.037). CD147 expression was positively correlated with the expression levels of PTTG (R=0.369; P=0.001) and CD44v6 (R=0.320; P=0.005). In addition, Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that positive expression of CD147, PTTG and CD44v6 was significantly associated with poor overall survival times (P=0.045, P=0.014 and P=0.027, respectively). Patients exhibiting CD147-PTTG co-expression, CD147-CD44v6 co-expression and CD147-PTTG-CD44v6 triple-positive expression had the poorest overall survival rates. In conclusion, the expression of EMT-associated proteins, including CD147, PTTG and CD44v6, was significantly associated with poor survival in ESCC and these novel targets may serve as potential biomarkers for anticancer therapies.

Targeting the PTTG1 oncogene impairs proliferation and invasiveness of melanoma cells sensitive or with acquired resistance to the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib

The pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) is implicated in tumor growth, metastasis and drug resistance. Here, we investigated the involvement of PTTG1 in melanoma cell proliferation, invasiveness and response to the BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) dabrafenib. We also preliminary assessed the potential value of circulating PTTG1 protein to monitor melanoma patient response to BRAFi or to dabrafenib plus trametinib. Dabrafenib-resistant cell lines (A375R and SK-Mel28R) were more invasive than their drug-sensitive counterparts (A375 and SK-Mel28), but expressed comparable PTTG1 levels. Dabrafenib abrogated PTTG1 expression and impaired invasion of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in A375 and SK-Mel28 cells. In contrast, it affected neither PTTG1 expression in A375R and SK-Mel28R cells, nor ECM invasion in the latter cells, while further stimulated A375R cell invasiveness. Assessment of proliferation and ECM invasion in control and PTTG1-silenced A375 and SK-Mel28 cells, exposed or not to dabrafenib, demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of this drug were, at least in part, dependent on its ability to down-regulate PTTG1 expression. PTTG1-silencing also impaired proliferation and invasiveness of A375R and SK-Mel28R cells, and counteracted dabrafenib-induced stimulation of ECM invasion in A375R cells. Further experiments performed in A375R cells indicated that PTTG1-silencing impaired cell invasiveness through inhibition of MMP-9 and that PTTG1 expression and ECM invasion could be also reduced by the CDK4/6 inhibitor LEE011. PTTG1 targeting might, therefore, represent a useful strategy to impair proliferation and metastasis of melanomas resistant to BRAFi. Circulating PTTG1 also appeared to deserve further investigation as biomarker to monitor patient response to targeted therapy.

Effects of 12C6+ heavy ion beam irradiation on the p53 signaling pathway in HepG2 liver cancer cells

The heavy ion beam is considered to be the ideal source for radiotherapy. The p53 tumor suppressor gene senses DNA damage and transducts intracellular apoptosis signals. Previous reports showed that the heavy ion beam can trigger complex forms of damage to cellular DNA, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of HepG2 human liver cancer cells; however, the mechanisms remains unclear fully. In order to explore whether the intrinsic or extrinsic pathway participates this process, HepG2 cells were treated with 12C6+ HIB irradiation at doses of 0 (control), 1, 2, 4, and 6 Gy with various methods employed to understand relevant mechanisms, such as detection of apoptosis, cell cycle, and Fas expression by flow cytometry, analysis of apoptotic morphology by electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy, and screening differentially expressed genes relating to p53 signaling pathway by PCR-array assay following with any genes confirmed by western blot analysis. This study showed that 12C6+ heavy ion beam irradiation at a dose of 6 Gy leads to endogenous DNA double-strand damage, G2/M cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis of human HepG2 cells via synergistic effect of the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. Differentially expressed genes in the p53 signaling pathway related to DNA damage repair, apoptosis, cycle regulation, metastasis, deterioration and radioresistance were also discovered. Consequently, the expressions of Fas, TP53BP2, TP53AIP1, and CASP9 were confirmed upregulated after 12C6+ HIB irradiation treatment. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the mechanisms of inhibition and apoptosis induced by 12C6+ heavy ion beam irradiation on HepG2 cancer cells is mediated by initiation of the biological function of p53 signaling pathway including extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathway.

The clinical value and biological function of PTTG1 in colorectal cancer

Pituitary tumor transforming gene-1 (PTTG1) has been suggested to serve as an oncogene in several types of human tumors, but little is known about the biological function of PTTG1 in colorectal cancer. PTTG1 mRNA and protein expressions in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines were measured by qRT-PCR, western blot or immunohistochemistry. The association between PTTG1 protein expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed. The function of PTTG1 on colorectal cancer cell proliferation and metastasis were explored through MTT, colony formation, migration and invasion assays. In our results, PTTG1 mRNA and protein expressions were increased in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines compared with normal colonic tissues and colon epithelial cell line. PTTG1 overexpression positively associated with clinical stage, T classification, N classification, M classification and differentiation. The univariate and multivariate analyses suggested PTTG1 overexpression was an independent poor prognostic factor for colorectal cancer patients. The in vitro experiments showed knocking down PTTG1 inhibited colorectal cancer growth and metastasis. In conclusion, PTTG1 is an independent prognostic factor and acts as an oncogene in colorectal cancer.

Differential transcription profiles of long non-coding RNAs in primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells in response to meningitic Escherichia coli

Accumulating studies have indicated the influence of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) on various biological processes as well as disease development and progression. However, the lncRNAs involved in bacterial meningitis and their regulatory effects are largely unknown. By RNA-sequencing, the transcriptional profiles of host lncRNAs in primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs) in response to meningitic Escherichia coli were demonstrated. Here, 25,257 lncRNAs were identified, including 24,645 annotated lncRNAs and 612 newly found ones. A total of 895 lncRNAs exhibited significant differences upon infection, among which 382 were upregulated and 513 were downregulated (≥2-fold, p < 0.05). Via bioinformatic analysis, the features of these lncRNAs, their possible functions, and the potential regulatory relationships between lncRNAs and mRNAs were predicted. Moreover, we compared the transcriptional specificity of these differential lncRNAs among hBMECs, human astrocyte cell U251, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and demonstrated the novel regulatory effects of proinflammatory cytokines on these differential lncRNAs. To our knowledge, this is the first time the transcriptional profiles of host lncRNAs involved in E. coli-induced meningitis have been reported, which shall provide novel insight into the regulatory mechanisms behind bacterial meningitis involving lncRNAs, and contribute to better prevention and therapy of CNS infection.

Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 regulates invasion of prostate cancer cells through MMP13

It is critical to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the migration and invasiveness of prostate cancer (PC) for improving the outcome of therapy. A relationship of pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (Pttg1) and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) in PC as well as their roles in the metastases of PC has not been studied. Here, we reported significantly higher levels of Pttg1 and MMP13 in the resected PC specimens, compared to the adjacent normal prostate tissue from the same patient. Interestingly, Pttg1 and MMP13 levels strongly correlated with each other. In vitro, Pttg1 activated MMP13, which determined PC cell invasiveness. However, Pttg1 levels were not significantly affected by MMP13. Furthermore, the Pttg1-activated MMP13 in PC cells was significantly suppressed by inhibition of PI3k/Akt, but not ERK/MAPK or JNK pathways. Together, our data suggest that Pttg1 may increase PC cell metastasis by MMP13, and highlight Pttg1/MMP13 axis as a promising therapeutic target for PC treatment.

Pituitary tumor transforming gene-1 in non-small cell lung cancer: Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical analysis

Pituitary tumor transforming gene-1 (PTTG1) is a novel oncogene and overexpressed in a wide variety of human cancers. However, the clinical and prognostic significance of PTTG1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unknown. The expression status of PTTG1 in NSCLC at the publicly available GEO databases (GSE19804) was observed. The mRNA and protein expression of PTTG1 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot, and the association between PTTG1 expression and clinicopathological factors was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In our Results, PTTG1 was one of genes overexpressed in NCSLC samples compared with paired adjacent normal lung samples in microarray data (GSE19804). PTTG1 mRNA and protein expressions were increased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. PTTG1 protein expression was correlated with malignant status and poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. In conclusion, PTTG1 is correlated with NSCLC progression and as an independent poor prognostic factor in NSCLC patients.