PDE4 Differential Expression Is a Potential Prognostic Factor and Therapeutic Target in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia

Low PDE4A expression promoted the progression of ovarian cancer by inducing Snail nuclear translocation

Widespread metastasis is the primary reason for the high mortality associated with ovarian cancer (OC), and effective targeted therapy for tumor aggressiveness is still insufficient in clinical practice. Therefore, it is urgent to find new targets to improve prognosis of patients. PDE4A is a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase that plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development in various malignancies. Our study firstly reported the function of PDE4A in OC. Expression of PDE4A was validated through bioinformatics analysis, RT-qPCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, its impact on cell growth and motility was assessed via in vitro and in vivo experiments. PDE4A was downregulated in OC tissues compared with normal tissues and low PDE4A expression was correlated with poor clinical outcomes in OC patients. The knockdown of PDE4A significantly promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of OC cells while overexpression of PDE4A resulted in the opposite effect. Furthermore, smaller and fewer tumor metastatic foci were observed in mice bearing PDE4A-overexpressing OVCAR3 cells. Mechanistically, downregulation of PDE4A expression can induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and nuclear translocation of Snail, which suggests that PDE4A plays a pivotal role in suppressing OC progression. Notably, Rolipram, the PDE4 inhibitor, mirrored the effects observed with PDE4A deletion. In summary, the downregulation of PDE4A appears to facilitate OC progression by modulating the Snail/EMT pathway, underscoring the potential of PDE4A as a therapeutic target against ovarian cancer metastasis.

Cancer: Phosphodiesterase type 4C (PDE4C), the forgotten subfamily as a therapeutic target

Phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) enzymes specifically hydrolyse cAMP in many cell signalling systems that are transduced by hormones and other primary messengers. The physiological function of the four PDE4 subfamilies (A, B, C and D) are numerous and varied due to the differentially localised plethora of isoforms that can be detected in cardiovascular, CNS and immune systems. Of the four subfamilies, least is known about PDE4C probably due to its restricted distribution pattern, scarcity of selective inhibitors and the lack of developed research tools. Here, for the first time, we chart the discovery of PDE4C, describe its regulation and highlight cancers where future development of PDE4C selective small molecules may have potential.

Blood Transcriptome Analysis of Beef Cow with Different Parity Revealed Candidate Genes and Gene Networks Regulating the Postpartum Diseases

Maternal parity is an important physiological factor influencing beef cow reproductive performance. However, there are few studies on the influence of different calving periods on early growth and postpartum diseases. Here, we conducted blood transcriptomic analysis on cows of different parities for gene discovery. We used Short Time Series Expression Miner (STEM) analysis to determine gene expression levels in cows of various parities and divided multiple parities into three main periods (nulliparous, primiparous, and multiparous) for subsequent analysis. Furthermore, the top 15,000 genes with the lowest median absolute deviation (MAD) were used to build a co-expression network using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), and six independent modules were identified. Combing with Exon Wide Selection Signature (EWSS) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis revealed that TPCN2, KIF22, MICAL3, RUNX2, PDE4A, TESK2, GPM6A, POLR1A, and KLHL6 involved in early growth and postpartum diseases. The GO and KEGG enrichment showed that the Parathyroid hormone synthesis, secretion, and action pathway and stem cell differentiation function-related pathways were enriched. Collectively, our study revealed candidate genes and gene networks regulating the early growth and postpartum diseases and provided new insights into the potential mechanism of reproduction advantages of different parity selection.

Single cell RNA sequencing of AML initiating cells reveals RNA-based evolution during disease progression

The prognosis of most patients with AML is poor due to frequent disease relapse. The cause of relapse is thought to be from the persistence of leukemia initiating cells (LIC's) following treatment. Here we assessed RNA based changes in LICs from matched patient diagnosis and relapse samples using single-cell RNA sequencing. Previous studies on AML progression have focused on genetic changes at the DNA mutation level mostly in bulk AML cells and demonstrated the existence of DNA clonal evolution. Here we identified in LICs that the phenomenon of RNA clonal evolution occurs during AML progression. Despite the presence of vast transcriptional heterogeneity at the single cell level, pathway analysis identified common signaling networks involving metabolism, apoptosis and chemokine signaling that evolved during AML progression and become a signature of relapse samples. A subset of this gene signature was validated at the protein level in LICs by flow cytometry from an independent AML cohort and functional studies were performed to demonstrate co-targeting BCL2 and CXCR4 signaling may help overcome therapeutic challenges with AML heterogeneity. It is hoped this work will facilitate a greater understanding of AML relapse leading to improved prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic strategies to target LIC's.

PDE4 subtypes in cancer

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDE) break down cyclic nucleotides such as cAMP and cGMP, reducing the signaling of these important intracellular second messengers. Several unique families of phosphodiesterases exist, and certain families are clinically important modulators of vasodilation. In the current work, we have summarized the body of literature that describes an emerging role for the PDE4 subfamily of phosphodiesterases in malignancy. We have systematically investigated PDE4A, PDE4B, PDE4C, and PDE4D isoforms and found evidence associating them with several cancer types including hematologic malignancies and lung cancers, among others. In this review, we compare the evidence examining the functional role of each PDE4 subtype across malignancies, looking for common signaling themes, signaling pathways, and establishing the case for PDE4 subtypes as a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

PDE4a predicts poor prognosis and promotes metastasis by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) was found to be involved in a variety of cancer pathologies by modulating the degradation of levels of cAMP/cGMP. However, the prognostic significance and biological effect of PDE4a in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been understood completely. In the present study, PDE4a expression was detected in a cohort of HCC and matched adjacent liver tissues (n = 210) by immunohistochemistry staining and Western immunoblotting assay, And in vitro experiments were conducted to determine the effect of PDE4a on metastatic capacity of HCC cells. The data here displayed that the majority of HCC patients had higher PDE4a expression in tumor tissues compared to matched adjacent liver tissues and enhanced PDE4a expression in tumor tissues was associated positively with HBV infection, liver cirrhosis, higher serum AFP level, advanced TNM stage, vascular embolus, intrahepatic metastases and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Survival analyses suggested that higher PDE4a was indicated the poor prognosis of HCCs after liver resection. Ectopic expression of PDE4a in Huh7 cells leaded to significant repression of E-cadherin and up-regulated the expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin, and facilitated migration and invasion abilities. Silencing PDE4a in MHCC97h cells acquired the opposite results. Taken together, PDE4a triggered EMT in HCC cells and acted as a predictive factor candidate and a potential therapeutic target for HCC.