Loss of full-length pumilio 1 abrogates miRNA-221-induced gene p27 silencing-mediated cell proliferation in the heart

Epigenome-wide association study on methamphetamine dependence

Repeated abuse of methamphetamine (METH) can cause dependence, repeated relapse of psychotic symptoms, compulsive drug-seeking behaviour, and various neurological symptoms. These long-term biological changes may be associated with epigenetic mechanisms; however, the association between METH use and epigenetic mechanisms has been poorly investigated. Thus, we performed an epigenome-wide association study of METH dependence using genomic DNA extracted from the blood samples of 24 patients with METH dependence and 24 normal controls. All participants were of Japanese descent. We tested the association between METH dependence and DNA methylation using linear regression analysis. We found epigenome-wide significant associations at four CpG sites, one of which occurred in the CNOT1 gene and another in the PUM1 gene. We especially noted the CNOT1 and PUM1 genes as well as several other genes that indicated some degree of association with METH dependence. Among the relatively enriched Gene Ontology terms, we were interested in terms of mRNA metabolism, respirasome, and excitatory extracellular ligand-gated ion channel activity. Among the relatively enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathways, we noted pathways of several neurological diseases. Our results indicate that genetic changes akin to those in other psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders may also occur via epigenetic mechanisms in patients with METH dependence.

Epigenetic signatures in cardiac fibrosis: Focusing on noncoding RNA regulators as the gatekeepers of cardiac fibroblast identity

Cardiac fibroblasts play a pivotal role in cardiac fibrosis by transformation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, which synthesis and secrete a large number of extracellular matrix proteins. Ultimately, this will lead to cardiac wall stiffness and impaired cardiac performance. The epigenetic regulation and fate reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts has been advanced considerably in recent decades. Non coding RNAs (microRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs) regulate the functions and behaviors of cardiac fibroblasts, including proliferation, migration, phenotypic transformation, inflammation, pyroptosis, apoptosis, autophagy, which can provide the basis for novel targeted therapeutic treatments that abrogate activation and inflammation of cardiac fibroblasts, induce different death pathways in cardiac fibroblasts, or make it sensitive to established pathogenic cells targeted cytotoxic agents and biotherapy. This review summarizes our current knowledge in this field of ncRNAs function in epigenetic regulation and fate determination of cardiac fibroblasts as well as the details of signaling pathways contribute to cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, we will comment on the emerging landscape of lncRNAs and circRNAs function in regulating signal transduction pathways, gene translation processes and post-translational regulation of gene expression in cardiac fibroblast. In the end, the prospect of cardiac fibroblasts targeted therapy for cardiac fibrosis based on ncRNAs is discussed.

Long noncoding RNA LINC01426 promotes the progression of lung adenocarcinoma via regulating miRNA-125a-5p/ casein kinase 2 alpha 1 axis

Although long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have been increasingly studied, LINC01426 has not been fully investigated in LUAD. The GEPIA database revealed that LINC01426 was upregulated in LUAD tissues. In our study, we further verified the significantly high expression of LINC01426 in LUAD tissues and cell lines. We also analyzed the LINC01426 expression level and LUAD clinical features and found that high LINC01426 expression was associated with tumor diameter; tumor, node, and metastases (TNM) staging; lymph node metastasis (LNM); and overall survival (OS) rate of LUAD patients. In vitro experiments revealed that suppression of LINC01426 could repress the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells. Then, the bioinformatic analysis revealed that there were binding domains between miR-125a-5p and the 3′-UTR of LINC01426. As revealed by dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment and RNA Binding Protein Immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, miR-125a-5p could bind to LINC01426. Additionally, the results of qRT-PCR and Pearson’s analysis respectively revealed that miR-125a-5p was slightly expressed in LUAD and its expression was negatively correlated with LINC01426. Moreover, casein kinase 2 alpha 1 (CSNK2A1) was predicted to bind to miR-125a-5p. CSNK2A1 expression was remarkably high in LUAD tissues, negatively associated with miR-125a-5p, and positively correlated with LINC01426. Subsequently, our results showed that CSNK2A1 enhanced the malignant progression of LUAD cells. Overall, our study revealed that LINC01426 might regulate the malignant phenotype of LUAD via the miR-125a-5p/CSNK2A1 axis.