The mitotic regulator RCC2 promotes glucose metabolism through BACH1-dependent transcriptional upregulation of hexokinase II in glioma

Metabolic cross-talk between glioblastoma and glioblastoma-associated microglia/macrophages: From basic insights to therapeutic strategies

Glioblastoma (GBM), a highly malignant "cold" tumor of the central nervous system, is characterized by its ability to remodel the GBM immune microenvironment (GME), leading to significant resistance to immunotherapy. GBM-associated microglia/macrophages (GAMs) are essential components of the GME. Targeting GAMs has emerged as a promising strategy against GBM. However, their highly immunosuppressive nature contributes to GBM progression and drug resistance, significantly impeding anti-GBM immunotherapy. Accumulating evidence suggests that metabolic reprogramming accompanies GBM progression and GAM polarization, which are in turn driven by specific metabolic abnormalities and altered cellular signaling pathways. Importantly, metabolic crosstalk between GBM and GAMs further promotes tumor progression. Clarifying and disrupting this metabolic crosstalk is expected to enhance the antitumor phenotype of GAMs and inhibit GBM malignant progression. This review explores metabolism-based interregulation between GBM and GAMs and summarizes recent therapeutic strategies targeting this crosstalk, offering new insights into GBM immunotherapy.

Gastrodin alleviates Aβ25-35-induced glycolytic dysfunction via activating PI3K/AKT/BACH1 signaling in Alzheimer's disease models

Cerebral glycolytic alteration has been identified as an important contributor to the pathological progress of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Research has shown that gastrodin (GAS) possesses neuroprotection in various experimental models of AD, but its specific mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we determined whether GAS exerted neuroprotective effects on AD models through regulating PI3K/AKT/BACH1 signaling axis. Eight-week-old C57BL/6 J male mice were intracerebroventricularly injected with Aβ25-35, to establish an AD model, followed by the administration of GAS (30, 60 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) for 21 days. Treatment of GAS markedly alleviated the downregulation of p-PI3K Tyr199/458, p-AKT Ser473, BACH1 and HK1 in the hippocampus of the Aβ25-35-induced AD mice. To further explore the mechanism of GAS-mediated neuroprotection, an in vitro AD cellular model was established by challenging HT22 cells with Aβ25-35. In the Aβ25-35 induced cells, the expression of BACH1, p-PI3K Tyr199/458 and p-AKT Ser473 was reduced, the mRNA and protein levels of HK1 were decreased, and the levels of pyruvate and ATP were reduced. After treatment of GAS, the decline of these indicators was reversed. In addition, overexpression of BACH1 by lentivirus transfection significantly upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of HK1, thereby enhancing glycolytic function and protecting HT22 cells from Aβ25-35-induced injury. The results of chromatin immunoprecipitation assay-real-time quantitative PCR revealed that BACH1 directly bound to the HK1 promoter region. Collectively, these findings suggest that GAS can play a protective role in Aβ25-35-induced experimental AD models by increasing HK1 expression and ameliorating glycolytic dysfunction through activation of the PI3K/AKT/BACH1 signaling axis.

The Multifaceted Roles of BACH1 in Disease: Implications for Biological Functions and Therapeutic Applications

BTB domain and CNC homolog 1 (BACH1) belongs to the family of basic leucine zipper proteins and is expressed in most mammalian tissues. It can regulate its own expression and play a role in transcriptionally activating or inhibiting downstream target genes. It has a crucial role in various biological processes, such as oxidative stress, cell cycle, heme homeostasis, and immune regulation. Recent research highlights BACH1's significant regulatory roles in a series of conditions, including stem cell pluripotency maintenance and differentiation, growth, senescence, and apoptosis. BACH1 is closely associated with cardiovascular diseases and contributes to angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, restenosis, pathological cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. BACH1 promotes tumor cell proliferation and metastasis by altering tumor metabolism and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype. Moreover, BACH1 appears to show an adverse role in diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, leukemia, pulmonary fibrosis, and skin diseases. Inhibiting BACH1 may be beneficial for treating these diseases. This review summarizes the role of BACH1 and its regulatory mechanism in different cell types and diseases, proposing that precise targeted intervention of BACH1 may provide new strategies for human disease prevention and treatment.

Inhibition of glutathione peroxidase 4 suppresses gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis via regulation of RCC2 homeostasis

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most lethal malignancies due to high metastatic rate, making the identification of new therapeutic targets critical for developing effective anti-GC treatments. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4), a key regulator of ferroptosis and redox homeostasis, contributes to progression and influences patient survival. However, the molecular mechanism by which GPx4 drives GC progression has not been fully illuminated. In this study, we found that GPx4 was overexpressed and negatively associated with poor prognosis and distant metastasis, as confirmed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and validation with retrospective clinical samples. GPx4 knockdown suppressed GC invasion, migration and peritoneal metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Proteomic analysis revealed that GPx4 expression regulated the Homeostasis of RCC2, an oncogene link to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation induced by GPx4 inhibition or knockdown activated aurora A phosphorylation, leading to RCC2 ubiquitination and degradation, thereby suppressing peritoneal metastasis in GC. We also identified that the Thr418 phosphorylation site is crucial for RCC2 ubiquitination at the K377, initiating its degradation in response to ROS. In conclusion, our results indicate that GPx4 acts as an oncogene in GC, and that suppressing GPx4 prevents GC progression and metastasis by promoting ROS-induced RCC2 ubiquitination and degradation.

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) in the glioma metabolism: A potent enhancer of malignancy

The glioma hallmark includes reprogramming metabolism to support biosynthetic and bioenergetic demands, as well as to maintain their redox equilibrium. It has been suggested that the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and glycolysis are directly involved in the dynamics and regulation of glioma cell proliferation and migration. The PPP is implicated in cellular redox homeostasis and the modulation of signaling pathways, which play a fundamental role in the progression of tumors to malignant grades, metastasis, and drug resistance. Several studies have shown that in glioblastoma cells, the activity, expression, and metabolic flux of some PPP enzymes increase, leading to heightened activity of the pathway. This generates higher levels of DNA, lipids, cholesterol, and amino acids, favoring rapid cell proliferation. Due to the crucial role played by the PPP in the development of glioma cells, enzymes from this pathway have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets. This review summarizes and highlights the role that the PPP plays in glioma cells and focuses on the key functions of the enzymes and metabolites generated by this pathway, as well as the regulation of the PPP. The studies described in this article enrich the understanding of the PPP as a therapeutic tool in the search for pharmacological targets for the development of a new generation of drugs to treat glioma.

Single-cell multi-omics sequencing uncovers region-specific plasticity of glioblastoma for complementary therapeutic targeting

Glioblastoma (GBM) cells are highly heterogeneous and invasive, leading to treatment resistance and relapse. However, the molecular regulation in and distal to tumors remains elusive. Here, we collected paired tissues from the tumor core (TC) and peritumoral brain (PTB) for integrated snRNA-seq and snATAC-seq analyses. Tumor cells infiltrating PTB from TC behave more like oligodendrocyte progenitor cells than astrocytes at the transcriptome level. Dual-omics analyses further suggest that the distal regulatory regions in the tumor genome and specific transcription factors are potential determinants of regional heterogeneity. Notably, while activator protein 1 (AP-1) is active in all GBM states, its activity declines from TC to PTB, with another transcription factor, BACH1, showing the opposite trend. Combined inhibition of AP-1 and BACH1 more efficiently attenuates the tumor progression in mice and prolongs survival than either single-target treatment. Together, our work reveals marked molecular alterations of infiltrated GBM cells and a synergy of combination therapy targeting intratumor heterogeneity in and distal to GBM.

Metabolism: an important player in glioma survival and development

Gliomas are malignant tumors originating from both neuroglial cells and neural stem cells. The involvement of neural stem cells contributes to the tumor's heterogeneity, affecting its metabolic features, development, and response to therapy. This review provides a brief introduction to the importance of metabolism in gliomas before systematically categorizing them into specific groups based on their histological and molecular genetic markers. Metabolism plays a critical role in glioma biology, as tumor cells rely heavily on altered metabolic pathways to support their rapid growth, survival, and progression. Dysregulated metabolic processes, involving carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids not only fuel tumor development but also contribute to therapy resistance and metastatic potential. By understanding these metabolic changes, key intervention points, such as mutations in genes like RTK, EGFR, RAS, and IDH can be identified, paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies. This review emphasizes the connection between metabolic pathways and clinical challenges, offering actionable insights for future research and therapeutic development in gliomas.

Remifentanil represses oxidative stress to relieve hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury via regulating BACH1/PRDX1 axis

BACKGROUND

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) is a major cause of liver dysfunction after clinical liver surgery, which seriously affects the prognosis of patients. Remifentanil (RE) has been verified to attenuate HIRI. However, its therapeutic mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to explore the protective mechanism of RE against HIRI.

METHODS

A mouse HIRI model and an in vitro model of hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-stimulated AML12 hepatocytes were established. Liver histopathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Oxidative stress damage was assessed by malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Liver function was determined by serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assessed cell viability. Apoptosis was measured by terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) and flow cytometry. The levels of inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The differentially expressed genes were evaluated by mRNA microarray analysis. Western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were conducted to detect molecule expression. The binding of BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) to peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1) was validated by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

RE treatment improved liver function, and repressed oxidative stress damage and apoptosis in HIRI mice. Nine differentially expressed genes in the liver tissues of HIRI mice were selected by microarray analysis, among which BACH1 was down-regulated and PRDX1 was up-regulated after RE treatment. In addition, BACH1 directly bound to the promoter region of PRDX1 to inhibit its transcription and expression, which led to oxidative stress injury. BACH1 overexpression or PRDX1 silencing could counteract the beneficial effects of RE against HIRI.

CONCLUSION

RE suppressed oxidative stress injury and inflammation via inactivation of the BACH1/PRDX1 axis, thereby ameliorating HIRI. Our findings enrich the understanding of the protective mechanisms of RE against HIRI, and provide novel evidence for its clinical application.

BACH1 impairs hepatocyte regeneration after hepatectomy with repeated ischemia/reperfusion by reprogramming energy metabolism and exacerbating oxidative stress

BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) regulates biological processes, including energy metabolism and oxidative stress. Insufficient liver regeneration after hepatectomy remains an issue for surgeons. The Pringle maneuver is widely used during hepatectomy and induces ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in hepatocytes. A rat model of two-thirds partial hepatectomy with repeated I/R treatment was used to simulate clinical hepatectomy with Pringle maneuver. Delayed recovery of liver function after hepatectomy with the repeated Pringle maneuver in clinic and impaired liver regeneration in rat model were observed. Highly elevated lactate levels, along with reduced mitochondrial complex III and IV activities in liver tissues, indicated that the glycolytic phenotype was promoted after hepatectomy with repeated I/R. mRNA expression profile analysis of glycolysis-related genes in clinical samples and further verification experiments in rat models showed that high BACH1 expression levels correlated with the glycolytic phenotype after hepatectomy with repeated I/R. BACH1 overexpression restricted the proliferative potential of hepatocytes stimulated with HGF. High PDK1 expression and high lactate levels, together with low mitochondrial complex III and IV activities and reduced ATP concentrations, were detected in BACH1-overexpressing hepatocytes with HGF stimulation. Moreover, HO-1 expression was downregulated, and oxidative stress was exacerbated in the BACH1-overexpressing hepatocytes with HGF stimulation. Cell experiments involving repeated hypoxia/reoxygenation revealed that reactive oxygen species accumulation triggered the TGF-β1/BACH1 axis in hepatocytes. Finally, inhibiting BACH1 with the inhibitor hemin effectively restored the liver regenerative ability after hepatectomy with repeated I/R. These results provide a potential therapeutic strategy for impaired liver regeneration after repeated I/R injury.

Analysis of gene expression in microglial apoptotic cell clearance following spinal cord injury based on machine learning algorithms

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe neurological complication following spinal fracture, which has long posed a challenge for clinicians. Microglia play a dual role in the pathophysiological process after SCI, both beneficial and detrimental. The underlying mechanisms of microglial actions following SCI require further exploration. The present study combined three different machine learning algorithms, namely weighted gene co-expression network analysis, random forest analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis, to screen for differentially expressed genes in the GSE96055 microglia dataset after SCI. It then used protein-protein interaction networks and gene set enrichment analysis with single genes to investigate the key genes and signaling pathways involved in microglial function following SCI. The results indicated that microglia not only participate in neuroinflammation but also serve a significant role in the clearance mechanism of apoptotic cells following SCI. Notably, bioinformatics analysis and lipopolysaccharide + UNC569 (a MerTK-specific inhibitor) stimulation of BV2 cell experiments showed that the expression levels of Anxa2, Myo1e and Spp1 in microglia were significantly upregulated following SCI, thus potentially involved in regulating the clearance mechanism of apoptotic cells. The present study suggested that Anxa2, Myo1e and Spp1 may serve as potential targets for the future treatment of SCI and provided a theoretical basis for the development of new methods and drugs for treating SCI.

Hspb1 and Lgals3 in spinal neurons are closely associated with autophagy following excitotoxicity based on machine learning algorithms

Excitotoxicity represents the primary cause of neuronal death following spinal cord injury (SCI). While autophagy plays a critical and intricate role in SCI, the specific mechanism underlying the relationship between excitotoxicity and autophagy in SCI has been largely overlooked. In this study, we isolated primary spinal cord neurons from neonatal rats and induced excitotoxic neuronal injury by high concentrations of glutamic acid, mimicking an excitotoxic injury model. Subsequently, we performed transcriptome sequencing. Leveraging machine learning algorithms, including weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), random forest analysis (RF), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis (LASSO), we conducted a comprehensive investigation into key genes associated with spinal cord neuron injury. We also utilized protein-protein interaction network (PPI) analysis to identify pivotal proteins regulating key gene expression and analyzed key genes from public datasets (GSE2599, GSE20907, GSE45006, and GSE174549). Our findings revealed that six genes-Anxa2, S100a10, Ccng1, Timp1, Hspb1, and Lgals3-were significantly upregulated not only in vitro in neurons subjected to excitotoxic injury but also in rats with subacute SCI. Furthermore, Hspb1 and Lgals3 were closely linked to neuronal autophagy induced by excitotoxicity. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of excitotoxicity and autophagy, offering potential targets and a theoretical foundation for SCI diagnosis and treatment.

Polo-like kinase 4 promotes tumorigenesis and glucose metabolism in glioma by activating AKT1 signaling

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an extremely aggressive tumor associated with a poor prognosis that impacts the central nervous system. Increasing evidence suggests an inherent association between glucose metabolism dysregulation and the aggression of GBM. Polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4), a highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase, was found to relate to glioma progression and unfavorable prognosis. As revealed by the integration of proteomics and phosphoproteomics, PLK4 was found to be involved in governing metabolic processes and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. For the first time, this study supports evidence demonstrating that PLK4 activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling through direct binding to AKT1 and subsequent phosphorylating AKT1 at S124, T308, and S473 to promote tumorigenesis and glucose metabolism in glioma. In addition, PLK4-mediated phosphorylation of AKT1 S124 significantly augmented the phosphorylation of AKT1 S473. Therefore, PLK4 exerted an influence on glucose metabolism by stimulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Additionally, the expression of PLK4 protein exhibited a positive correlation with AKT1 phosphorylation in glioma patient tissues. These findings highlight the pivotal role of PLK4-mediated phosphorylation of AKT1 in glioma tumorigenesis and dysregulation of glucose metabolism.

Transcription factor BACH1 in cancer: roles, mechanisms, and prospects for targeted therapy

Transcription factor BTB domain and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) belongs to the Cap 'n' Collar and basic region Leucine Zipper (CNC-bZIP) family. BACH1 is widely expressed in mammalian tissues, where it regulates epigenetic modifications, heme homeostasis, and oxidative stress. Additionally, it is involved in immune system development. More importantly, BACH1 is highly expressed in and plays a key role in numerous malignant tumors, affecting cellular metabolism, tumor invasion and metastasis, proliferation, different cell death pathways, drug resistance, and the tumor microenvironment. However, few articles systematically summarized the roles of BACH1 in cancer. This review aims to highlight the research status of BACH1 in malignant tumor behaviors, and summarize its role in immune regulation in cancer. Moreover, this review focuses on the potential of BACH1 as a novel therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker. Notably, the mechanisms underlying the roles of BACH1 in ferroptosis, oxidative stress and tumor microenvironment remain to be explored. BACH1 has a dual impact on cancer, which affects the accuracy and efficiency of targeted drug delivery. Finally, the promising directions of future BACH1 research are prospected. A systematical and clear understanding of BACH1 would undoubtedly take us one step closer to facilitating its translation from basic research into the clinic.

Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) knockdown alleviates airway remodeling in asthma via regulating miR-410-3p/RCC2 and inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Background

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder with high prevalence in childhood. Airway remodeling, an important structural change of the airways, is resulted from epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Long non-coding RNA non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) has been found to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition in multiple cancers. This study aimed to analyze the role of NORAD in asthma, mainly focusing on epithelial-mesenchymal transition-mediated airway remodeling, and further explored the NORAD-miRNA-mRNA network.

Methods

NORAD expression was analyzed in transforming growth factor-β1-induced BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells and ovalbumin-challenged asthmatic mice. The influences of NORAD on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition characteristics and Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation were analyzed in vitro. The interactions between NORAD and miR-410-3p as well as miR-410-3p and regulator of chromosome condensation 2 were detected by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay. Rescue experiments using miR-410-3p antagonist and chromosome condensation 2 overexpression were used to confirm the mechanism of NORAD. Additionally, the role and mechanism of NORAD were further evaluated in asthmatic mice.

Results

NORAD expression was elevated in both asthmatic models. Knockdown of NORAD impeded spindle-like morphology changes, elevated E-cadherin expression, decreased N-cadherin expression, suppressed cell migration, and inactivated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in transforming growth factor-β1-stimulated BEAS-2B cells. NORAD acted as a sponge of miR-410-3p to regulate chromosome condensation 2 expression. Rescue assays demonstrated that silencing of NORAD ameliorated transforming growth factor-β1-induced EMT via miR-410-3p/chromosome condensation 2/Wnt/β-catenin axis. In vivo, knockdown of NORAD led to the reduction of inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition, suppression of IL-4, IL-13, transforming growth factor-β1 and immunoglobulin E production, decreasing of N-cadherin, chromosome condensation 2, β-catenin and c-Myc expression, but increasing of E-cadherin and miR-410-3p expression.

Conclusions

Silencing of NORAD alleviated epithelial-mesenchymal transition-mediated airway remodeling in asthma via mediating miR-410-3p/chromosome condensation 2/Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

BACH1 changes microglial metabolism and affects astrogenesis during mouse brain development

Microglia are highly heterogeneous as resident immune cells in the central nervous system. Although the proinflammatory phenotype of microglia is driven by the metabolic transformation in the disease state, the mechanism of metabolic reprogramming in microglia and whether it affects surrounding astrocyte progenitors have not been well elucidated. Here, we illustrate the communication between microglial metabolism and astrogenesis during embryonic development. The transcription factor BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) reduces lactate production by inhibiting two key enzymes, HK2 and GAPDH, during glycolysis. Metabolic perturbation of microglia reduces lactate-dependent histone modification enrichment at the Lrrc15 promoter. The microglia-derived LRRC15 interacts with CD248 to participate in the JAK/STAT pathway and influence astrogenesis. In addition, Bach1cKO-Cx3 mice exhibit abnormal neuronal differentiation and anxiety-like behaviors. Altogether, this work suggests that the maintenance of microglia metabolic homeostasis during early brain development is closely related to astrogenesis, providing insights into astrogenesis and related diseases.

Mesenchymal stem cells under epigenetic control - the role of epigenetic machinery in fate decision and functional properties

Mesenchymal stem cells (mesenchymal stromal cells, MSC) are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into cells of at least three mesodermal lineages, namely adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes, and have potent immunomodulatory properties. Epigenetic modifications are critical regulators of gene expression and cellular differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Epigenetic machinery controls MSC differentiation through direct modifications to DNA and histones. Understanding the role of epigenetic machinery in MSC is crucial for the development of effective cell-based therapies for degenerative and inflammatory diseases. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the role of epigenetic control of MSC differentiation and immunomodulatory properties.