ARHGAP10, downregulated in ovarian cancer, suppresses tumorigenicity of ovarian cancer cells

Long non-coding RNA Loc105611671 promotes the proliferation of ovarian granulosa cells and steroid hormone production upregulation of CDC42

Granulosa cells (GCs) are essential for follicular development, and long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are known to support the maintenance of this process and hormone synthesis in mammals. Nevertheless, the regulatory roles of these lncRNAs within sheep follicular GCs remain largely unexplored. This study delved into the influence of a Loc105611671, on the proliferation and steroid hormone synthesis of sheep ovarian GCs and the associated target genes in vitro. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) gain-of-function experiments indicated that overexpression of Loc105611671 significantly boosted GCs proliferation, along with estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels. Further mechanistic scrutiny revealed that Loc105611671 is primarily localized within the cytoplasm of ovarian granulosa cells and engages in molecular interplay with CDC42. This interaction results in the upregulation of CDC42 protein expression. Moreover, it was discerned that increased CDC42 levels contribute to augmented proliferation of follicular granulosa cells and the secretion of E2 and P4. Experiments involving co-transfection elucidated that the concurrent overexpression of CDC42 and Loc105611671 acted synergistically to potentiate these effects. These findings provide insights into the molecular underpinnings of fecundity in ovine species and may inform future strategies for enhancing reproductive outcomes.

SMAD4 inhibits glycolysis in ovarian cancer through PI3K/AKT/HK2 signaling pathway by activating ARHGAP10

BACKGROUND

ARHGAP10 is a tumor-suppressor gene related to ovarian cancer (OC) progression; however, its specific mechanism is unclear.

AIMS

To investigate the effect of ARHGAP10 on OC cell migration, invasion, and glycolysis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) quantified mRNA and protein expressions of AKT, p-AKT, HK2, and SMAD4 were tested by Western blot. EdU, Wound healing, and Transwell assay were utilized to evaluate OC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. We used a Seahorse XF24 Extracellular Flux Analyzer to monitor cellular oxygen consumption rates (OCR) and extracellular acidification rates (ECAR). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was used to analyze the transcriptional regulation of ARHGAP10 by SMAD4. ARHGAP10 expression in OC tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. Our results showed that ARHGAP10 expression was negatively related to lactate levels in human OC tissues. ARHGAP10 overexpression can inhibit the migration, proliferation, and invasion of OC cells, and this function can be blocked by 2-Deoxy-D-glucose. Moreover, we found that ARHGAP10 expression can be rescued with the AKT inhibitor LY294002.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that the antitumor effects of ARHGAP10 in vivo and in vitro possibly suppress oncogenic glycolysis through the PI3K/AKT/HK2-regulated glycolysis metabolism pathway.

Construction of a prognostic risk score model based on the ARHGAP family to predict the survival of osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignancy of bone tumors. More and more ARHGAP family genes have been confirmed are to the occurrence, development, and invasion of tumors. However, its significance in osteosarcoma remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify the relationship between ARHGAP family genes and prognosis in patients with OS.

METHODS

OS samples were retrieved from the TCGA and GEO databases. We then performed LASSO regression analysis and multivariate COX regression analysis to select ARHGAP family genes to construct a risk prognosis model. We then validated this prognostic model. We utilized ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms to calculate the stroma and immune scores of samples, as well as the proportions of tumor infiltrating immune cells (TICs). Finally, we conducted in vivo and in vitro experiments to investigate the effect of ARHGAP28 on osteosarcoma.

RESULTS

We selected five genes to construct a risk prognosis model. Patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups and the survival time of the high-risk group was lower than that of the low-risk group. The high-risk group in the prognosis model constructed had relatively poor immune function. GSEA and ssGSEA showed that the low-risk group had abundant immune pathway infiltration. The overexpression of ARHGAP28 can inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of osteosarcoma cells and tumor growth in mice, and IHC showed that overexpression of ARHGAP28 could inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells.

CONCLUSION

We constructed a risk prognostic model based on five ARHGAP family genes, which can predict the overall survival of patients with osteosarcoma, to better assist us in clinical decision-making and individualized treatment.

Loss of ARHGAP40 expression in basal cell carcinoma via CpG island hypermethylation

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant tumour arising from the basal cells of the epidermis or follicular structures. The aetiology of BCC is a multifactorial combination of genotype, phenotype and environmental factors. The pathogenesis of BCC remains unclear, with diverse and complex signalling pathways involved. ARHGAP40 is a Rho GTPase-activating protein (RhoGAP). Rho GTPases play a crucial role in the formation and progression of numerous cancers. The expression levels and roles of ARHGAP40 in BCC have not been explored. Here, ARHGAP40 expression was detected in a set of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples of basal cell carcinoma, paracancerous normal skin and benign skin lesions. The epigenetic mechanism that downregulates ARHGAP40 in basal cell carcinoma was investigated. We found that ARHGAP40 is expressed in normal basal cells and most benign skin lesions but lost in most basal cell carcinomas. We detected CpG island hypermethylation at the promoter-associated region of ARHGAP40. Our data suggest that ARHGAP40 is downregulated in BCC due to hypermethylation. ARHGAP40 protein is a potential novel biomarker for distinguishing trichoblastoma from BCC. This report is preliminary, and extensive research into the role of ARHGAP40 in BCC carcinogenesis and its potential as a treatment target is required in the future.

Molecular mechanism of vimentin nuclear localization associated with the migration and invasion of daughter cells derived from polyploid giant cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs), a specific type of cancer stem cells (CSCs), can be induced by hypoxic microenvironments, chemical reagents, radiotherapy, and Chinese herbal medicine. Moreover, PGCCs can produce daughter cells that undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which leads to cancer recurrence and disseminated metastasis. Vimentin, a mesenchymal cell marker, is highly expressed in PGCCs and their daughter cells (PDCs) and drives migratory persistence. This study explored the molecular mechanisms by which vimentin synergistically regulates PGCCs to generate daughter cells with enhanced invasive and metastatic properties.

METHODS

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) was used to induce the formation of PGCCs in Hct116 and LoVo cells. Immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical assays were performed to determine the subcellular localization of vimentin. Cell function assays were performed to compare the invasive metastatic abilities of the PDCs and control cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying vimentin expression and nuclear translocation were investigated by real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, cell function assays, cell transfection, co-immunoprecipitation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation, followed by sequencing. Finally, animal xenograft experiments and clinical colorectal cancer samples were used to study vimentin expression in tumor tissues.

RESULTS

Daughter cells derived from PGCCs showed strong proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities, in which vimentin was highly expressed and located in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Vimentin undergoes small ubiquitin-like modification (SUMOylation) by interacting with SUMO1 and SUMO2/3, which are associated with nuclear translocation. P62 regulates nuclear translocation of vimentin by controlling SUMO1 and SUMO2/3 expression. In the nucleus, vimentin acts as a transcription factor that regulates CDC42, cathepsin B, and cathepsin D to promote PDC invasion and migration. Furthermore, animal experiments and human colorectal cancer specimens have confirmed the nuclear translocation of vimentin.

CONCLUSION

P62-dependent SUMOylation of vimentin plays an important role in PDC migration and invasion. Vimentin nuclear translocation and overexpressed P62 of cancer cells may be used to predict patient prognosis, and targeting vimentin nuclear translocation may be a promising therapeutic strategy for metastatic cancers.

Detection of Cancer-Associated Gene Mutations in Urinary Cell-Free DNA among Prostate Cancer Patients in South Africa

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cause of cancer death among African men. The presence of tumor-specific variations in cell-free DNA (cfDNA), such as mutations, microsatellite instability, and DNA methylation, has been explored as a source of biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the diagnostic role of cfDNA among South African PCa patients. We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) of urinary cfDNA. We identified a novel panel of 31 significantly deregulated somatic mutated genes between PCa and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Additionally, we performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on matching PCa and normal prostate tissue in an independent PCa cohort from South Africa. Our results suggest that the mutations are of germline origin as they were also found in the normal prostate tissue. In conclusion, our study contributes to the knowledge of cfDNA as a biomarker for diagnosing PCa in the South African population.

ARHGAP21 Is Involved in the Carcinogenic Mechanism of Cholangiocarcinoma: A Study Based on Bioinformatic Analyses and Experimental Validation

Background and Objectives: Rho GTPase-activating protein (RhoGAP) is a negative regulatory element of Rho GTPases and participates in tumorigenesis. Rho GTPase-activating protein 21 (ARHGAP21) is one of the RhoGAPs and its role in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) has never been disclosed in any publications. Materials and Methods: The bioinformatics public datasets were utilized to investigate the expression patterns and mutations of ARHGAP21 as well as its prognostic significance in CCA. The biological functions of ARHGAP21 in CCA cells (RBE and Hccc9810 cell) were evaluated by scratch assay, cell counting kit-8 assay (CCK8) assay, and transwell migration assay. In addition, the underlying mechanism of ARHGAP21 involved in CCA was investigated by the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, and the most significant signaling pathway was identified through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and the Western blot method. The ssGSEA algorithm was further used to explore the immune-related mechanism of ARHGAP21 in CCA. Results: The ARHGAP21 expression in CCA tissue was higher than it was in normal tissue, and missense mutation was the main alteration of ARHGAP21 in CCA. Moreover, the expression of ARHGAP21 had obvious differences in patients with different clinical characteristics and it had great prognostic significance. Based on cell experiments, we further observed that the proliferation ability and migration ability of the ARHGAP21-knockdown group was reduced in CCA cells. Several pathological signaling pathways correlated with proliferation and migration were determined by GO and KEGG analysis. Furthermore, the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was the most significant one. GSEA analysis further verified that ARHGAP21 was highly enriched in PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and the results of Western blot suggested that the phosphorylated PI3K and Akt were decreased in the ARHGAP21-knockdown group. The drug susceptibility of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway targeted drugs were positively correlated with ARHGAP21 expression. Moreover, we also discovered that ARHGAP21 was correlated with neutrophil, pDC, and mast cell infiltration as well as immune-related genes in CCA. Conclusions: ARHGAP21 could promote the proliferation and migration of CCA cells by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and ARHGAP21 may participate in the immune modulating function of the tumor microenvironment.

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase: Role in human health, disease and potential therapeutic target

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGDPS), an enzyme in the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway, is responsible for the production of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). GGPP serves as a substrate for the post-translational modification (geranylgeranylation) of proteins, including those belonging to the Ras superfamily of small GTPases. These proteins play key roles in signalling pathways, cytoskeletal regulation and intracellular transport, and in the absence of the prenylation modification, cannot properly localise and function. Aberrant expression of GGDPS has been implicated in various human pathologies, including liver disease, type 2 diabetes, pulmonary disease and malignancy. Thus, this enzyme is of particular interest from a therapeutic perspective. Here, we review the physiological function of GGDPS as well as its role in pathophysiological processes. We discuss the current GGDPS inhibitors under development and the therapeutic implications of targeting this enzyme.

Apical-basal polarity and the control of epithelial form and function

Epithelial cells are the most common cell type in all animals, forming the sheets and tubes that compose most organs and tissues. Apical-basal polarity is essential for epithelial cell form and function, as it determines the localization of the adhesion molecules that hold the cells together laterally and the occluding junctions that act as barriers to paracellular diffusion. Polarity must also target the secretion of specific cargoes to the apical, lateral or basal membranes and organize the cytoskeleton and internal architecture of the cell. Apical-basal polarity in many cells is established by conserved polarity factors that define the apical (Crumbs, Stardust/PALS1, aPKC, PAR-6 and CDC42), junctional (PAR-3) and lateral (Scribble, DLG, LGL, Yurt and RhoGAP19D) domains, although recent evidence indicates that not all epithelia polarize by the same mechanism. Research has begun to reveal the dynamic interactions between polarity factors and how they contribute to polarity establishment and maintenance. Elucidating these mechanisms is essential to better understand the roles of apical-basal polarity in morphogenesis and how defects in polarity contribute to diseases such as cancer.

Identification and Validation of an Apoptosis-Related Gene Prognostic Signature for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

To identify an apoptosis-related gene (ARG) prediction model for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), we analyzed and validated the data from TCGA and GEO, respectively. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and ROC curves showed a good prognostic ability of the model both in the internal training set and in the external testing set. Furthermore, we built a nomogram using these ARGs to forecast the survival probability of OSCC patients. Moreover, we evaluated the rate of immune cells infiltrating in the tumor samples and found obvious, different patterns between the high and low risk groups. GO and KEGG analyses demonstrated multiple molecular biological processes and signaling pathways connecting with this prognostic model in OSCC. The expression of these risk genes in clinical specimens was higher in the non-survival patients than in the well-survival patients by immunohistochemical staining analysis. In conclusion, we established a signature made up of six risk apoptosis-related genes to predict the survival rate of OSCC. These genes could also be targets for the treatment of OSCC.

miR-21-5p serves as a promoter in renal cell carcinoma progression through ARHGAP24 downregulation

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a highly recurrent aggressive tumor. This study works for the regulation of miR-21-5p on RCC cell functions and novel ideas for therapies of RCC. Isoform expression quantification data were offered by The Cancer Genome Atlas Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) to investigate differentially expressed miRNAs. The way miR-21-5p works on biological functions of RCC was examined with MTT and Transwell assays. The downstream targets of miR-21-5p were predicted using bioinformatics analysis. The binding of two researched objects was verified by the dual-luciferase method. TCGA data manifested a considerably high level of miR-21-5p in RCC tissue, while ARHGAP24 was significantly lowly expressed. miR-21-5p bound ARHGAP24 and stimulated RCC cell functions, whereas ARHGAP24 mimic could reverse such promotion. This work observed miR-21-5p, a stimulator in RCC, and it deteriorated this cancer via repressing its downstream target gene ARHGAP24 expression.

Integrative analysis of the DNA methylome and transcriptome in uterine leiomyoma shows altered regulation of genes involved in metabolism, proliferation, extracellular matrix and vesicles

Uterine leiomyomas are the most common benign tumors in women of reproductive age. Despite the high prevalence, tumor pathology remains unclear, which hampers development of safe and effective treatments. Epigenetic mechanisms appear to be involved in uterine leiomyoma development, particularly via DNA methylation that regulates gene expression. We aimed to determine the relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression in uterine leiomyoma compared to adjacent myometrium to identify molecular mechanisms involved in uterine leiomyoma formation that are under epigenetic control. Our results showed a different DNA methylation profile between uterine leiomyoma and myometrium, leading to hypermethylation of uterine leiomyoma, and a different global transcriptome profile. Integration of DNA methylation and whole-transcriptome RNA-sequencing data identified 93 genes regulated by methylation, with 22 hypomethylated/upregulated and 71 hypermethylated/downregulated. Functional enrichment analysis showed dysregulated biological processes and molecular functions involved in metabolism and cell physiology, response to extracellular signals, invasion, and proliferation, as well as pathways related to uterine biology and cancer. Cellular components such as cell membranes, vesicles, extracellular matrix, and cell junctions were dysregulated in uterine leiomyoma. In addition, we found hypomethylation/upregulation of oncogenes (PRL, ATP8B4, CEMIP, ZPMS2-AS1, RIMS2, TFAP2C) and hypermethylation/downregulation of tumor suppressor genes (EFEMP1, FBLN2, ARHGAP10, HTATIP2), which are related to proliferation, invasion, altered metabolism, deposition of extracellular matrix, and Wnt/β-catenin pathway dysregulation. This confirms that key processes of uterine leiomyoma development are under DNA methylation control. Finally, inhibition of DNA methyltransferases by 5-aza-2'-deoxycitidine increased expression of hypermethylated/downregulated genes in uterine leiomyoma cells in vitro. In conclusion, gene regulation by DNA methylation is implicated in uterine leiomyoma pathogenesis, and reversion of this methylation could offer a therapeutic option for uterine leiomyoma. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

TLR4 Agonist and Hypoxia Synergistically Promote the Formation of TLR4/NF-κB/HIF-1α Loop in Human Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Inflammation and hypoxia are involved in numerous cancer progressions. Reportedly, the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) are activated and closely related to the chemoresistance and poor prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). However, the potential correlation between TLR4/NF-κB and HIF-1α remains largely unknown in EOC. In our study, the possible positive correlation among TLR4, NF-κB, and HIF-1α proteins was investigated in the EOC tissues. Our in vitro results demonstrated that LPS can induce and activate HIF-1α through the TLR4/NF-κB signaling in A2780 and SKOV3 cells. Moreover, hypoxia-induced TLR4 expression and the downstream transcriptional activity of NF-κB were HIF-1α-dependent. The cross talk between the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and HIF-1α was also confirmed in the nude mice xenograft model. Therefore, we first proposed the formation of a TLR4/NF-κB/HIF-1α loop in EOC. The positive feedback loop enhanced the susceptibility and responsiveness to inflammation and hypoxia, which synergistically promote the initiation and progression of EOC. The novel mechanism may act as a future therapeutic candidate for the treatment of EOC.

ARHGAP11A Is a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlated With Immune Infiltrates in Gastric Cancer

Background: ARHGAP11A, belongs to RhoGAPs family, is vital for cell motility. However, the role of ARHGAP11A in gastric cancer is obscure. Methods: The expression level of ARHGAP11A was analyzed by Oncomine database. The correlation of ARHGAP11A expression with immune infiltrates and associated gene markers was clarified by Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database. The correlation between ARHGAP11A expression and the patient prognosis was identified by Kaplan-Meier plotter and PrognoScan. Genetic changes of ARHGAP11A were analyzed by cBioPortal. The protein-protein interaction network and gene functional enrichment analysis were constructed and performed by GeneMANIA and Metascape. Results: We found that the expression levels of ARHGAP11A were elevated in various cancers including gastric cancer when compared with normal tissues. High expression of ARHGAP11A was significantly correlated with a better prognosis in gastric cancer. We revealed that the expression of ARHGAP11A was negatively associated with infiltration levels of CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. In addition, ARHGAP11A expression was significantly correlated with gene markers of these immune cells. Lastly, gene functional enrichment analysis indicated that ARHGAP11A involved in regulating lymphocyte activation, cell division, cell killing, myeloid leukocyte differentiation and leukocyte apoptosis. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that ARHGAP11A was a valuable prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer. Further work is needed to validate its role and underlying mechanisms in regulating immune infiltrates.

CdGAP promotes prostate cancer metastasis by regulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis

High mortality of prostate cancer patients is primarily due to metastasis. Understanding the mechanisms controlling metastatic processes remains essential to develop novel therapies designed to prevent the progression from localized disease to metastasis. CdGAP plays important roles in the control of cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation, which are central to cancer progression. Here we show that elevated CdGAP expression is associated with early biochemical recurrence and bone metastasis in prostate cancer patients. Knockdown of CdGAP in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells reduces cell motility, invasion, and proliferation while inducing apoptosis in CdGAP-depleted PC-3 cells. Conversely, overexpression of CdGAP in DU-145, 22Rv1, and LNCaP cells increases cell migration and invasion. Using global gene expression approaches, we found that CdGAP regulates the expression of genes involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Subcutaneous injection of CdGAP-depleted PC-3 cells into mice shows a delayed tumor initiation and attenuated tumor growth. Orthotopic injection of CdGAP-depleted PC-3 cells reduces distant metastasic burden. Collectively, these findings support a pro-oncogenic role of CdGAP in prostate tumorigenesis and unveil CdGAP as a potential biomarker and target for prostate cancer treatments.

Mehra et al. investigate the role of CdGAP in early biochemical recurrence and bone metastasis in prostate cancer. The authors find that knocking down CdGAP leads to reduced cell motility, invasion and proliferation in PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells while orthotopic injection of CdGAP-depleted PC-3 cells reduces distant metastatic burden.

Transcriptomic Analysis Identified ARHGAP Family as a Novel Biomarker Associated With Tumor-Promoting Immune Infiltration and Nanomechanical Characteristics in Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer (BCa) is a common lethal urinary malignancy worldwide. The role of ARHGAP family genes in BCa and its association with immuno-microenvironment remain largely unknown. ARHGAP family expression and immune infiltration in BCa were analyzed by bioinformatics analysis. Then, we investigated cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in vivo and in vitro of the ARHGAP family. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed in measuring cellular mechanical properties of BCa cells. The results demonstrated that ARHGAP family genes correlate with a tumor-promoting microenvironment with a lower Th1/Th2 cell ratio, higher DC cell infiltration, higher Treg cell infiltration, and T-cell exhaustion phenotype. Silencing ARHGAP5, ARHGAP17, and ARHGAP24 suppressed BCa cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Knocking down of ARHGAPs in T24 cells caused a relatively higher Young’s modulus and lower adhesive force and cell height. Taken together, ARHGAP family genes promote BCa progressing through establishing a tumor-promoting microenvironment and promoting cancer progression.

ARHGAP10 inhibits the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of non-small cell lung cancer by inactivating PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway

Background

Rho GTPase activating protein 10 (ARHGAP10) has been implicated as an essential element in multiple cellular process, including cell migration, adhesion and actin cytoskeleton dynamic reorganization. However, the correlation of ARHGAP10 expression with epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung cancer cells is unclear and remains to be elucidated. Herein, we investigated the relationship between the trait of ARHGAP10 and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) pathological process.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was conducted to evaluate the expression of ARHGAP10 in NSCLC tissues. CCK-8 assays, Transwell assays, scratch assays were applied to assess cell proliferation, invasion and migration. The expression levels of EMT biomarkers and active molecules involved in PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway were examined through immunofluorescence and Western blot.

Results

ARHGAP10 was detected to be lower expression in NSCLC tissues compared with normal tissues from individuals. Moreover, overexpression of ARHGAP10 inhibited migratory and invasive potentials of A549 and NCI-H1299 cells. In addition, ARHGAP10 directly mediated the process of EMT via PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway. Meanwhile, activation of the signaling pathway of insulin-like growth factors-1 (IGF-1) reversed ARHGAP10 overexpression regulated EMT in NSCLC cells.

Conclusion

ARHGAP10 inhibits the epithelial–mesenchymal transition in NSCLC via PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway, suggesting agonist of ARHGAP10 may be an optional remedy for NSCLC patients than traditional opioids.

Potential prognostic markers and significant lncRNA-mRNA co-expression pairs in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

lncRNA-mRNA co-expression pairs and prognostic markers related to the development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) were investigated. The lncRNA and mRNA expression data of LSCC in GSE84957 and RNA-seq data of 112 LSCC samples from TCGA database were used. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and lncRNAs (DE-lncRNAs) between LSCC and para-cancer tissues were identified. Co-expression analysis of DEGs and DE-lncRNA was conducted. Protein-protein interaction network for co-expressed DEGs of top 25 DE-lncRNA was constructed, followed by survival analysis for key nodes in co-expression network. Finally, expressions of several DE-lncRNAs and DEGs were verified using qRT-PCR. The lncRNA-mRNA network showed that ANKRD20A5P, C21orf15, CYP4F35P, LOC_I2_011146, XLOC_006053, XLOC_I2_003881, and LOC100506027 were highlighted in network. Some DEGs, including FUT7, PADI1, PPL, ARHGAP40, MUC21, and CEACAM1, were co-expressed with above lncRNAs. Survival analysis showed that PLOD1, GLT25D1, and KIF22 were significantly associated with prognosis. qRT-PCR results showed that the expressions of MUC21, CEACAM1, FUT7, PADI1, PPL, ARHGAP40, ANKRD20A5P, C21orf15, CYP4F35P, XLOC_I2_003881, LOC_I2_011146, and XLOC_006053 were downregulated, whereas the expression of LOC100506027 was upregulated in LSCC tissues. PLOD1, GLT25D1, and KIF22 may be potential prognostic markers in the development of LSCC. C21orf15-MUC21/CEACAM1/FUT7/PADI1/PPL/ARHGAP40 are potential lncRNA-mRNA pairs that play significant roles in the development of LSCC.

ARHGAP25 Inhibits Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Growth by Suppressing Glycolysis via AKT/mTOR Pathway

Increasing evidence reveals that the Rho GTPase-activating protein is a crucial negative regulator of Rho family GTPase involved in tumorigenesis. The Rho GTPase-activating protein 25 (ARHGAP25) has been shown to specifically inactivate the Rho family GTPase Rac1, which plays an important role in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) progression. Therefore, here we aimed to clarify the expression and functional role of ARHGAP25 in PAAD. The ARHGAP25 expression was lower in PAAD tissues than that in normal pancreatic tissues based on bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemistry staining. Overexpression of ARHGAP25 inhibited cell growth of AsPC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro, while opposite results were observed in BxPC-3 human pancreatic cancer cells with ARHGAP25 knockdown. Consistently, in vivo tumorigenicity assays also confirmed that ARHGAP25 overexpression suppressed tumor growth. Mechanically, overexpression of ARHGAP25 inactivated AKT/mTOR signaling pathway by regulating Rac1/PAK1 signaling, which was in line with the results from the Gene set enrichment analysis on The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Furthermore, we found that ARHGAP25 reduced HIF-1α-mediated glycolysis in PAAD cells. Treatment with PF-04691502, a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, hampered the increased cell growth and glycolysis due to ARHGAP25 knockdown in PAAD cells. Altogether, these results conclude that ARHGAP25 acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which might provide a therapeutic target for PAAD.

miR-769-5p is associated with prostate cancer recurrence and modulates proliferation and apoptosis of cancer cells

MicroRNAs (miRs) are relevant in biological processes, including human prostate cancer. In the present study, the role of miR-769-5p and its targets in prostate cancer were explored. Publicly available data on expression of genes, miRs and disease-free survival of patients with prostate cancer were analyzed along with RNAseq of transfected cell lines. miR-769-5p expression was inversely associated with patient survival and in vitro assays indicated that its inhibition reduced the proliferation and increased apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. miR-769-5p was revealed to target Rho GTPase activating protein 10 (ARHGAP10) and increased expression of ARHGAP10 in tumors was determined to be associated with a favorable prognosis regarding disease-free survival. Of note, ARHGAP10 is a purported tumor suppressor in ovarian cancer, where it inhibits cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) activity and increases apoptosis. Similar effects were observed in prostate cancer cells, where miR-769-5p inhibition increased ARHGAP10 and led to reduced CDC42 activity. Furthermore, miR-769-5p inhibition increased apoptosis, which was partly reversed by additional knockdown of ARHGAP10. These results suggested that miR-769-5p is an oncogene targeting ARHGAP10, which in turn is a candidate tumor suppressor in prostate cancer.

Protein anabolism is key to long-term survival in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

This study aimed to identify the biological processes associated with long-term survival in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). HGSOC cases obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas Ovarian Cancer (TCGA-OV) database were divided into long-term survivors (LTS) and normal-term survivors (NTS) based on survival cutoffs defined by the HGSOC cohort in the SEER database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the generalized linear modeling (GLM) method. Gene Ontology (GO) functional and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using DAVID Bioinformatics Resources. DEG-related protein-protein interactions (PPI) were extracted from the STRING database and hub genes were identified using CytoHubba in the Cytoscape program. In total, 157 DEGs, including 155 upregulated and 2 downregulated genes, were identified. Upregulated genes were statistically enriched in 80 GO terms and 11 KEGG pathways related to energy and substrate metabolism, such as protein absorption, digestion, and metabolism as well as signaling pathways, including chromatin silencing, regulation of ERK1 and ERK2 cascade, and regulation of MAPKKK. ALB and POMC were the common hub genes. These findings reveal that protein anabolism is crucial to long-term survival, regulated by activation of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway and chromatin silencing. Comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms via further exploration may contribute toward an effective treatment for ovarian cancer.

Rho GTPases in Gynecologic Cancers: In-Depth Analysis toward the Paradigm Change from Reactive to Predictive, Preventive, and Personalized Medical Approach Benefiting the Patient and Healthcare

Rho guanosine triphospatases (GTPases) resemble a conserved family of GTP-binding proteins regulating actin cytoskeleton dynamics and several signaling pathways central for the cell. Rho GTPases create a so-called Ras-superfamily of GTPases subdivided into subgroups comprising at least 20 members. Rho GTPases play a key regulatory role in gene expression, cell cycle control and proliferation, epithelial cell polarity, cell migration, survival, and apoptosis, among others. They also have tissue-related functions including angiogenesis being involved in inflammatory and wound healing processes. Contextually, any abnormality in the Rho GTPase function may result in severe consequences at molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. Rho GTPases also play a key role in tumorigenesis and metastatic disease. Corresponding mechanisms include a number of targets such as kinases and scaffold/adaptor-like proteins initiating GTPases-related signaling cascades. The accumulated evidence demonstrates the oncogenic relevance of Rho GTPases for several solid malignancies including breast, liver, bladder, melanoma, testicular, lung, central nervous system (CNS), head and neck, cervical, and ovarian cancers. Furthermore, Rho GTPases play a crucial role in the development of radio- and chemoresistance e.g. under cisplatin-based cancer treatment. This article provides an in-depth overview on the role of Rho GTPases in gynecological cancers, highlights relevant signaling pathways and pathomechanisms, and sheds light on their involvement in tumor progression, metastatic spread, and radio/chemo resistance. In addition, insights into a spectrum of novel biomarkers and innovative approaches based on the paradigm shift from reactive to predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine are provided.

ARHGAP17 inhibits pathological cyclic strain-induced apoptosis in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts via Rac1/Cdc42

Rho GTPase-activating protein (Rho-GAP) and Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor (Rho- GDI) are two main negative regulators of Rho GTPase. Our previous work has found that Rho-GDI and Rho GTPase are involved in the response of human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells to mechanical stress. However, whether Rho-GAP also has a role in this process remains unknown. Here, we attempted to find the Rho-GAP gene that may be involved in pathological stretch-induced apoptosis of PDL cells. Human PDL fibroblasts were exposed to 20% cyclic strain for 6 hours or 24 hours, after which the expression levels of ARHGAP10, ARHGAP17, ARHGAP21, ARHGAP24 and ARHGAP28 were determined. Results showed that ARHGAP17 expression decreased the most obviously after treatment of stretch. In addition, ARHGAP17 overexpression abolished 20% cyclic strain-induced apoptosis. Therefore, ARHGAP17 has an important role in pathological stretch-induced apoptosis of human PDL fibroblasts. Moreover, we found that ARHGAP17 overexpression also alleviated cyclic strain-induced activation of Rac1/Cdc42, a major downstream target of ARHGAP17. Furthermore, two Rac1 inhibitors, NSC23766 and EHT 1864, both attenuated ARHGAP17 knockdown-mediated apoptosis in human PDL fibroblasts. Collectively, our data demonstrate that ARHGAP17 inhibits pathological cyclic strain-induced apoptosis in human PDL fibroblasts through inactivating Rac1/Cdc42. This study highlights the importance of Rho signalling in the response of human PDL fibroblasts to mechanical stress.

Dysregulation of Rho GTPases in Human Cancers

Rho GTPases play central roles in numerous cellular processes, including cell motility, cell polarity, and cell cycle progression, by regulating actin cytoskeletal dynamics and cell adhesion. Dysregulation of Rho GTPase signaling is observed in a broad range of human cancers, and is associated with cancer development and malignant phenotypes, including metastasis and chemoresistance. Rho GTPase activity is precisely controlled by guanine nucleotide exchange factors, GTPase-activating proteins, and guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors. Recent evidence demonstrates that it is also regulated by post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and sumoylation. Here, we review the current knowledge on the role of Rho GTPases, and the precise mechanisms controlling their activity in the regulation of cancer progression. In addition, we discuss targeting strategies for the development of new drugs to improve cancer therapy.

Extracellular biophysical environment: Guilty of being a modulator of drug sensitivity in ovarian cancer cells

The roles of the extracellular biophysical environment in cancer are barely studied. This study considers the possibility that cell-like topography of a cancer cell environment may influence chemo-responses. Here, a novel bioimprinting technique was employed to produce cell-like topography on the polystyrene substrates used for cell culture. In this work, we have shown that extracellular biophysical cues generated from the topography alter the chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer cells. The three-dimensionality of the bioimprinted surface altered the cell-surface interaction, which consequently modulated intracellular signalling and chemoresponses. Sensitivity to platinum was altered more than that to paclitaxel. The effect was largely mediated through the integrin/focal adhesion system and the Rho/ROCK pathway. Moreover, the results provided evidence that biophysical cues also modulate MAPK signalling associated with chemo-resistance in ovarian cancer. Therefore, the novel findings from of this study revealed for the first time that the effects of the biophysical environment, such as substrate topography, influences ovarian cancer cell responses to clinical drugs. These observations suggest that a full clinical understanding of ovarian cancer will include biophysical aspects of tumour microenvironment.

Fine-mapping of a novel premenopausal breast cancer susceptibility locus at Chr4q31.22 in Caucasian women and validation in African and Chinese women

We previously identified a novel breast cancer susceptibility variant on chromosome 4q31.22 locus (rs1429142) conferring risk among women of European ancestry. Here, we report replication of findings, validation of the variant in diverse populations and fine-mapping of the associated locus in Caucasian population. The SNP rs1429142 (C/T, minor allele frequency 18%) showed association for the overall breast cancer risk in Stages 1-4 (n = 4,331 cases/4271 controls; p = 4.35 × 10^-8 ; odds ratio, OR_C-allele ,1.25), and an elevated risk among premenopausal women (n = 1,503 cases/4271 controls; p = 5.81 × 10^-10 ; OR_C-allele 1.40) in European populations. SNP rs1429142 was associated with premenopausal breast cancer risk in women of African (T/C; p-value 1.45 × 10^-02 ; OR_C-allele 1.2) but not from Chinese ancestry. Fine-mapping of the locus revealed several potential causal variants which are present within a single association signal, revealed from the conditional regression analysis. Functional annotation of the potential causal variants revealed three putative SNPs rs1366691, rs1429139 and rs7667633 with active enhancer functions inferred based on histone marks, DNase hypersensitive sites in breast cell line data. These putative variants were bound by transcription factors (C-FOS, STAT1/3 and POL2/3) with known roles in inflammatory pathways. Furthermore, Hi-C data revealed several short-range interactions in the fine-mapped locus harboring the putative variants. The fine mapped locus was predicted to be within a single topologically associated domain, potentially facilitating enhancer-promoter interactions possibly leading to the regulation of nearby genes.

ARHGAP10 Inhibits the Proliferation and Metastasis of CRC Cells via Blocking the Activity of RhoA/AKT Signaling Pathway

Introduction

ARHGAP10 belongs to the ARHGAP family, which is downregulated in certain human tumors. However, the detailed function of ARHGAP10 remains unclear in human colon carcinoma (CRC). In the current study, we aimed to explore the role of ARHGAP10 in the growth and metastasis of CRC cells.

Methods

ARHGAP10 was induced silencing and overexpression using RNA interference (RNAi) and lentiviral-vector in CRC cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to quantify the mRNA and protein contents of ARHGAP10. Cell proliferation was determined by using Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Transwell assay was utilized to examine the role of ARHGAP10 in the migration and invasion of CRC cells.

Results

Our results indicated that ARHGAP10 was downregulated in human CRC tissues and low expression of ARHGAP10 was associated with poor prognosis of patients with CRC. Moreover, ARHGAP10 overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of CRC cells. Moreover, a PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002 was utilized to examine the connection between ARHGAP10 and AKT. Our findings demonstrated that the AKT inhibitor LY294002 could rescue the function of ARHGAP10 in CRC cells.

Discussion

It was the first time to elucidate that AKT involved in the ARHGAP10 signaling pathway and ARHGAP10 negatively mediated the phosphorylation of AKT (p-AKT) and RhoA activity in CRC cells. Interestingly, the Rho/MRTF/SRF inhibitor CCG-1423 significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT in ARHGAP10 siRNA transfected CRC cells. Much importantly, overexpression of ARHGAP10 deeply suppressed the metastasis of CRC cells in the lung in vivo. Taken together, our findings not only enhanced the understanding of the anti-cancer effect of ARHGAP10 in CRC cells but also indicated its underlying pathway in CRC.

miR‑337‑3p inhibits gastric tumor metastasis by targeting ARHGAP10

Several microRNAs (miRNAs) are known as regulatory molecules involved in gastric tumor metastasis. The expression of miR‑337‑3p was revealed to be downregulated in metastatic gastric tumor cells. Overexpression of miR‑337‑3p in gastric cancer cells resulted in the reduction of their invasive abilities. To characterize the functions of miR‑337‑3p, miR‑337‑3p was expressed in a metastatic lymph node‑derived gastric tumor cell line, SGC‑7901. Overexpression of miR‑337‑3p reduced the viability of cells but had no effects on the cell cycle. Wound healing and Transwell migration assays revealed that miR‑337‑3p inhibited the migration capacity of cells. miR‑337‑3p was capable of binding to the 3'‑untranslated region of a cytoskeleton‑associated molecule, ARHGAP10. Overexpression of miR‑337‑3p reduced the mRNA and protein levels of ARHGAP10 and the co‑expression of ARHGAP10 and miR‑337‑3p resulted in the recovery of cell migration capacity. Furthermore, the injection of miR‑337‑3p‑overexpressing SGC‑7901 cells into an immunodeficient mouse model resulted in a decrease in tumor metastasis in the liver and lungs. The present results indicated that miR‑337‑3p regulates gastric tumor metastasis by targeting the cytoskeleton‑associated protein ARHGAP10.

Spatiotemporal Control of Intracellular Membrane Trafficking by Rho GTPases

As membrane-associated master regulators of cytoskeletal remodeling, Rho GTPases coordinate a wide range of biological processes such as cell adhesion, motility, and polarity. In the last years, Rho GTPases have also been recognized to control intracellular membrane sorting and trafficking steps directly; however, how Rho GTPase signaling is regulated at endomembranes is still poorly understood. In this review, we will specifically address the local Rho GTPase pools coordinating intracellular membrane trafficking with a focus on the endo- and exocytic pathways. We will further highlight the spatiotemporal molecular regulation of Rho signaling at endomembrane sites through Rho regulatory proteins, the GEFs and GAPs. Finally, we will discuss the contribution of dysregulated Rho signaling emanating from endomembranes to the development and progression of cancer.

Expression of ARHGAP10 correlates with prognosis of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men worldwide. Altered expression of ARHGAP10, a member of the Rho GTPase activating protein (RhoGAP) family, has been found in several human cancers. However, its clinical significance in prostate cancer remains unknown. In the current study, we found that mRNA levels of ARHGAP10 were significantly higher in prostate cancer tissues than in the non-cancerous controls. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that ARHGAP10 expression was negatively correlated with the Wnt signaling pathway. Immunohistochemical staining results showed that 62.2% (56/90) and 65.5% (59/90) of prostate cancer tissues displayed low expression of ARHGAP10 and high expression of β-catenin, respectively. ARHGAP10 protein expression was significantly correlated with histologic grade (P < 0.0001), tumor stage (P = 0.0298), preoperative prostate specific antigen level (P = 0.0261), vital status (P = 0.0017) and β-catenin expression (P < 0.0001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that patients with low levels of ARHGAP10 and high levels of β-catenin had poor overall survival. Multivariate analyses revealed that ARHGAP10 and β-catenin expression was independent prognostic factor for prostate cancer. In summary, the current study suggests that ARHGAP10 in association with β-catenin may play a role in the development of prostate cancer and serve as a prognostic factor for this disease.

Downregulated expression of ARHGAP10 correlates with advanced stage and high Ki-67 index in breast cancer

Background

Rho GTPase-activating protein 10 (ARHGAP10), which catalyzes the conversion of active Rho GTPase to the inactive form, is downregulated in some cancers. However, little is known about ARHGAP10 in breast cancer.

Methods

The transcriptional expression level of ARHGAP10 in breast cancer was analyzed with the data downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Oncomine, then verified by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in 30 pairs of breast cancer tissues and the corresponding adjacent normal tissues. ARHGAP10 protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 190 breast cancer and 30 corresponding adjacent normal breast tissue samples. The associations between ARHGAP10 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of patients were analyzed, and Kaplan-Meier Plotter was used to assess the relationship between ARHGAP10 and relapse-free survival (RFS). Different expression levels of ARHGAP10 in response to chemotherapy agents were determined by GEO2R online tool. The potential biological functions of ARHGAP10 were analyzed by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) using data downloaded from TCGA.

Results

ARHGAP10 mRNA and protein expression was lower in breast cancer tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Low expression of ARHGAP10 was associated with advanced clinical TNM (cTNM) stage (p _b  = 0.001) and high Ki-67 index (p = 0.015). Low expression of ARHGAP10 indicated worse RFS (p = 0.0015) and a poor response to chemotherapy (p = 0.006). GSEA results showed that ARHGAP10 was involved in signaling pathways including protein export, nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, focal adhesion, JAK-STAT pathway and the actin cytoskeleton.

SMURF1-mediated ubiquitination of ARHGAP26 promotes ovarian cancer cell invasion and migration

Rho GTPase-activating protein 26 (ARHGAP26) is a negative regulator of the Rho family that converts the small GTP-binding protein RhoA (GTP-RhoA) to its inactive GDP-bound form and is a putative tumor suppressor gene associated with cell growth and migration. Here, the involvement of ARHGAP26 in ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration was investigated. In this study, low ARHGAP26 expression was observed in ovarian cancer tissues and was associated with a poor overall survival and higher β-catenin expression in patients with ovarian cancer. A2780 and HEY cells with ARHGAP26 upregulation showed decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, along with decreased GTP-RhoA, β-catenin, VEGF, MMP2, and MMP7 expression. ARHGAP26 upregulation in A2780 cells also inhibited lung metastasis in vivo. SKOV3 cells with ARHGAP26 downregulation demonstrated an inverse effect, which was inhibited by ARHGAP26 overexpression or DKK1, an antagonist of the β-catenin pathway. SMURF1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, interacted with and induced ubiquitination of ARHGAP26. ARHGAP26 upregulation in SKOV3 cells significantly inhibited SMURF1 upregulation-induced cell migration and invasion. Overall, SMURF1-mediated ubiquitination of ARHGAP26 may promote invasion and migration of ovarian cancer cells via the β-catenin pathway.

MUC16 impacts tumor proliferation and migration through cytoplasmic translocation of P120-catenin in epithelial ovarian cancer cells: an original research

Background

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains one of the most lethal gynecologic cancers, and its pathogenetic mechanism remains unclear. Here we show that MUC16 promotes the translocation of p120-catenin (p120ctn) to the cytoplasm and consequently activates ras homolog (Rho) GTPases RhoA/Cdc42 activation to modulate the proliferation and migration abilities of EOC cells.

Methods

We collect 94 ovarian cancer (OC) patients’ tissue samples to constitute tissue microarray (TMA) and analyze the MUC16 and p120ctn expression levels. Lentivirus transfection is used to overexpress cytoplasmic tail domain (CTD) of MUC16 and CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing system is firstly used to knock out MUC16 in EOC cells. The proliferation or migration ability of cells is analyzed by MTS or migration assay.

Results

We find that MUC16 and p120ctn are aberrantly overexpressed in 94 clinical OC samples compared with benign ovarian tumors (BOT). MUC16 is a critical inducer of the proliferation and migration of EOC cells and the CTD of MUC16 plays an important role during this process. In addition, we reveal the relationship between MUC16 and p120ctn, which has not previously been studied. We show that MUC16 promotes the translocation of p120ctn to the cytoplasm and consequently activates Rho GTPases to modulate the proliferation and migration abilities of EOC cells. The cell proliferation and migration abilities induced by MUC16 are mediated by p120ctn through RhoA/Cdc42 activation.

Conclusions

The highly expressed MUC16 promotes the translocation of p120ctn to the cytoplasm, where it activates RhoA/Cdc42 to modulate the proliferation and migration abilities of EOC cells. These findings may provide new targets for the treatment of EOC.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-5371-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Rho GTPase Activating Protein 24 (ARHGAP24) Silencing Promotes Lung Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion by Activating β-Catenin Signaling

BACKGROUND Rho GTPase activating protein (RhoGAPs) is an important negative regulator of the Rho signaling pathway that is involved in tumorigenesis in liver, colon, and renal cancer. However, the mechanism by which Rho GTPase activating protein 24 (ARHGAP24) regulates cell invasion and migration of lung cancer has not been fully explained. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study, ARHGAP24 expression in lung cancer tissues and cell lines was measured by immunohistochemical and Western blot analysis. Transwell or wound healing analysis was performed to detect the cell migration and invasion of ARHGAP24 modulated A549 and NCI-H1975 cells with β-catenin inhibitor XAV-939 (10 µM) treatment, and the expression of MMP9, VEGF, and β-catenin protein was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS Our results showed that ARHGAP24 expression was downregulated in lung cancer tissues and cell lines. pLVX-Puro-ARHGAP24 transfection in A549 cells significantly inhibited cell invasion and migration, along with increased E-cadherin and decreased MMP9, VEGF, Vimentin, and β-catenin protein expression. pLKO.1-ARHGAP24-shRNA transfection in NCI-H1975 cells significantly promoted cell invasion and migration, accompanied with decreased E-cadherin and increased MMP9, VEGF, and β-catenin protein expression. Moreover, NCI-H1975 cells with XAV-939 treatment showed decreased cell invasion and migration when compared with pLKO.1-ARHGAP24-shRNA transfection. ARHGAP24 silencing promoted the transcriptional activity of β-catenin in NCI-H1975 cells. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that ARHGAP24 silencing promotes lung cancer cell migration and invasion through activating β-catenin signaling.

Blockade of ARHGAP11A reverses malignant progress via inactivating Rac1B in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

The molecular signaling events involving in high malignancy and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are extremely complicated. Blockade of currently known targets has not yet led to successful clinical outcome. More understanding about the regulatory mechanisms in HCC is necessary for developing new effective therapeutic strategies for HCC patients.

Methods

The expression of Rho GTPase-activating protein 11A (ARHGAP11A) was examined in human normal liver and HCC tissues. The correlations between ARHGAP11A expression and clinicopathological stage or prognosis in HCC patients were analyzed. ARHGAP11A was downregulated to determine its role in the proliferation, invasion, migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) development, and regulatory signaling of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo.

Results

ARHGAP11A exhibited high expression in HCC, and was significantly correlated with clinicopathological stage and prognosis in HCC patients. Moreover, ARHGAP11A facilitated Hep3B and MHCC97-H cell proliferation, invasion, migration and EMT development in vitro. ARHGAP11A knockdown significantly inhibited the in vivo growth and metastasis of HCC cells. Furthermore, ARHGAP11A directly interacted with Rac1B independent of Rho GTPase- activating activity. Rac1B blockade effectively interrupted ARHGAP11A-elicited HCC malignant phenotype. Meanwhile, upregulation of Rac1B reversed ARHGAP11A knockdown mediated mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) development in HCC cells.

Conclusion

ARHGAP11A facilitates malignant progression in HCC patients via ARHGAP11A-Rac1B interaction. The ARHGAP11A/Rac1B signaling could be a potential therapeutic target in the clinical treatment of HCC.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12964-018-0312-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ginsenoside Rg3 inhibits the migration and invasion of liver cancer cells by increasing the protein expression of ARHGAP9

Ginsenoside Rg3, a naturally occurring phytochemical, serves an important role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. In the present study, with the aim to reveal the molecular mechanism of Rg3 in liver cancer cell metastasis, the anti-migration and anti-invasion effects of Rg3 on liver cancer cells were investigated. It was demonstrated that Rg3 caused marked inhibition of cell migration and invasion of human liver cancer cells, HepG2 and MHCC-97L, in vitro, and the growth of HepG2 and MHCC-97L tumors in BABL/c nude mice. The protein expression of Rho GTPase activating protein 9 (ARHGAP9) was increased both in HepG2 and MHCC-97L cells. Following ARHGAP9 knockdown, the results of Transwell and tumorigenesis assays revealed that the anti-migration, anti-invasion and anti-tumor growth effects of Rg3 were impaired significantly. The increased expression of ARHGAP9 protein induced by Rg3 was remarkably suppressed. All results suggested that ARHGAP9 protein may be a vital regulator in the anti-metastatic role of Rg3. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to report that Rg3 effectively suppressed the migration and invasion of liver cancer cells by upregulating the protein expression of ARHGAP9, indicating a novel natural therapeutic agent and a therapeutic target for the treatment of liver cancer.

TRIM52 plays an oncogenic role in ovarian cancer associated with NF-kB pathway

Emerging evidence suggests that the members of the tripartite motif (TRIM) family play a crucial role in cancer development and progression. The purpose of the study was to explore TRIM52's role in tumorigenesis and its potential molecular mechanism in ovarian cancer. The study demonstrated that knockdown of TRIM52 in SKOV3 and CAOV3 cells inhibited ovarian cancer cell invasion, migration, and proliferation, and induced cell apoptosis. On the contrary, overexpression of TRIM52 in HO8910 cells showed contrary results. Further, overexpression of TRIM52 enhanced the expression of phosphorylated IKKβ and IKBα proteins and nuclear protein P65, which implied the activation of NF-kB signal pathway. Knockdown of TRIM52 downregulated the mRNA and protein levels of NF-kB signal downstream effectors of the NF-kB pathway, including MMP9, Bcl2, IL8, and TNFα, but upregulated caspase-3 expression. These results suggested that activation of the NF-kB pathway is involved in TRIM52-mediated regulation in ovarian cancer. The nude mice study further confirmed that knockdown of TRIM52 blocked tumor growth, inhibited cell proliferation, and promoted cell apoptosis. Our data strongly suggested that TRIM52 plays an oncogenic role in ovarian cancer development associated with the NF-kB signal pathway and may be a potential target for cancer therapy.

Association between the HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway and the clinicopathological features of ovarian cancer

In the present study, the expression levels of high‑mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1), Toll‑like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor (NF)‑κB and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α in malignant epithelial ovarian cancer (MEOC) were investigated in regards to several clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 20 patients with MEOC who underwent surgery were recruited in the present study. The mRNA and protein expression of HMGB1, TLR4, NF‑κB and TNF‑α was determined in patients with MEOC and compared with expression levels in 20 patients diagnosed with benign ovarian cysts (BOC). It was demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expression of HMGB1, TLR4, NF‑κB and TNF‑α in MEOC was significantly increased, compared with the BOC group (P<0.01). The gene and protein expression of HMGB1, TLR4, NF‑κB and TNF‑α was significantly increased in the advanced tumor stage and poorly differentiated group (P<0.01). The present study suggested that the HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway was overactive in MEOC, and was associated with MEOC tumor cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Furthermore, this may have been mediated via NF‑κB signaling.

ARHGAP24 regulates cell ability and apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells via the regulation of P53

Colorectal cancer is a human malignancy ranked the third highest of the global incidence of malignant tumors. Rho GTPase-activating proteins (RHOGAPs) were identified functional in several processes of tumors. In the present study, through reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis, expression of Rho GTPase-activating protein 24 (ARHGAP24) and p53 was measured in colorectal cancer tissues, which was lower than that in adjacent normal tissues, revealing that ARHGAP24 may be implicated in the progress of colorectal cancer and in vitro, overexpression of ARHGAP24 in LoVo and HCT116 cells inhibited the cell ability and enhanced cell apoptosis, and accompanied with high protein expression of p53, p21 and Bax. Further, addition of p53 inhibitor PFT-α had an antagonistic effect on cell proliferation and apoptosis of LoVo and HCT116 cells induced by ARHGAP24 overexpression. In addition, the expression of p21 and Bax was positively correlated with p53 expression. All of the above data demonstrated that ARHGAP24 was likely to be a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer and may function closely related to p53, p21 and Bax. We inferred that ARHGAP24 may be a novel target for in-depth study of colorectal cancer.

The effect of CA125 on metastasis of ovarian cancer: old marker new function

CA125 has been used extensively to screen for neoplasms, especially in ovarian cancer. The serum CA125 level can be used as a better prognosis evaluation and it may dynamic monitoring the disease progression. We explored the effect of CA125 on ovarian cancer cell migration and its underlying mechanism. Transwell assays showed that exposure to 0.2 μg/ml or 0.4 μg/ml CA125 for 48 h increased migration of A2780 and OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cells. This effect of CA125 was blocked addition of 200 ng/ml DKK-1, a Wnt pathway inhibitor. Conversely, addition of CA125 reversed the inhibitory effect of Wnt inhibition in A2780 cells pretreated with DKK-1. Examination of CA125 levels in serum from 97 ovarian cancer patients revealed no relationship between a patient's age or CA125 level currently used clinically for ovarian cancer diagnosis and metastasis. However, using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, we identified a new cut-off value for the serum CA125 concentration (82.9 U/ml) that is predictive of metastasis. The area under the curve is 0.632. This new cut-off value has the potential to serve as a clinically useful indicator of metastasis in ovarian cancer patients.

Whole body ARHGAP21 reduction improves glucose homeostasis in high-fat diet obese mice

GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) are ubiquitously expressed, and their role in cellular adhesion and membrane traffic processes have been well described. TBC1D1, which is a Rab-GAP, is necessary for adequate glucose uptake by muscle cells, whereas increased TCGAP, which is a Rho-GAP, decreases GLUT4 translocation, and consequently glucose uptake in adipocytes. Here, we assessed the possible involvement of ARHGAP21, a Rho-GAP protein, in glucose homeostasis. For this purpose, wild type mice and ARHGAP21 transgenic whole-body gene-deficiency mice (heterozygous mice, expressing approximately 50% of ARHGAP21) were fed either chow (Ctl and Het) or high-fat diet (Ctl-HFD and Het-HFD). Het-HFD mice showed a reduction in white fat storage, reflected in a lower body weight gain. These mice also displayed an improvement in insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, which likely contributed to reduced insulin secretion and pancreatic beta cell area. The reduction of body weight was also observed in Het mice and this phenomenon was associated with an increase in brown adipose tissue and reduced muscle weight, without alteration in glucose-insulin homeostasis. In conclusion, the whole body ARHGAP21 reduction improved glucose homeostasis and protected against diet-induced obesity specifically in Het-HFD mice. However, the mechanism by which ARHGAP21 leads to these outcomes requires further investigation.

BAR Domain Proteins Regulate Rho GTPase Signaling

The Bin-Amphiphysin-Rvs (BAR) domain is a membrane lipid binding domain present in a wide variety of proteins, often proteins with a role in Rho-regulated signaling pathways. BAR domains do not only confer binding to lipid bilayers, they also possess a membrane sculpturing ability and thereby directly control the topology of biomembranes. BAR domain-containing proteins participate in a plethora of physiological processes but the common denominator is their capacity to link membrane dynamics to actin dynamics and thereby integrate processes such as endocytosis, exocytosis, vesicle trafficking, cell morphogenesis and cell migration. The Rho family of small GTPases constitutes an important bridging theme for many BAR domain-containing proteins. This review article will focus predominantly on the role of BAR proteins as regulators or effectors of Rho GTPases and it will only briefly discuss the structural and biophysical function of the BAR domains.

Identification and validation of salivary proteomic signatures for non-invasive detection of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most lethal cancers among all gynecological malignancies. An effective and non-invasive screening approach is needed urgently to reduce high mortality rate. The purpose of this study was to identify the salivary protein signatures (SPS) for non-invasive detection of ovarian cancer. Differentially expressed SPS were identified by fluorescence-based 2D-DIGE coupled with MALDI/TOF-MS. The expression levels of three differential proteins (Lipocalin-2, indoleamine-2, 3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1) and S100A8) were validated using western blotting and ELISA. Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were performed in an independent cohort of ovarian tumor tissues. 25 over expressed and 19 under expressed (p<0.05) proteins between healthy controls and cancer patients were identified. Lipocalin-2, IDO1 and S100A8 were selected for initial verification and successfully verified by immunoassay. Diagnostic potential of the candidate biomarkers was evaluated by ROC analysis. The selected biomarkers were further validated by immunohistochemistry in an independent cohort of ovarian tissues. The global expression of selected targets was also analyzed by microarray and validated using qRT-PCR to strengthen our hypothesis. Tumor secreted proteins identified by 'dual-omics' strategy, whose concentration are significantly high in ovarian cancer patients have obvious potential to be used as screening biomarker after large scale validation.

miR-3174 Contributes to Apoptosis and Autophagic Cell Death Defects in Gastric Cancer Cells by Targeting ARHGAP10

Gastric cancer (GC) is a major health problem worldwide because of its high morbidity and mortality. Considering the well-established roles of miRNA in the regulation of GC carcinogenesis and progression, we screened differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the GEO databases. We found that miR-3174 was the most significantly differentially expressed miRNA in GC. Ectopic miR-3174 expression was also detected in clinical GC patient samples and cell lines and associated with poor patient prognosis. Apoptosis and autophagic cell death are two types of programmed cell death, whereas both are deficient in gastric cancer. Our functional analyses demonstrated that miR-3174 inhibited mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and autophagic cell death in GC. Moreover, high expression of miR-3174 also resulted in Cisplatin resistance in GC cells. Using bioinformatics analyses combined with in vitro and in vivo experiments, we determined that miR-3174 directly targets ARHGAP10. Notably, ARHGAP10 promoted mitochondria-dependent apoptosis by enhancing p53 expression, which was followed by Bax trans-activation and caspase cleavage. ARHGAP10 also facilitated autophagic cell death by suppressing mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTOC1) activity. Our results reveal a potential miRNA-based clinical therapeutic target that may also serve as a predictive marker for GC.

The roles of ARHGAP10 in the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortalities worldwide. In the present study, a comparison of To determine the roles of ARHGAP10 in the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells expression levels between normal lung tissues and lung cancer tissues were compared using immunoblotting, and CCK-8 and Transwell assays. Lung cancer tissues had a decreased ARHGAP10 mRNA expression level compared to the adjacent normal tissues. The ectopic expression of ARHGAP10 significantly suppressed the migration, invasion and proliferation of lung cancer cells. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that metastasis and Wnt signaling pathways were negatively correlated with ARHGAP10 expression. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that ARHGAP10 overexpression inhibited metastasis [matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and VEGF] and the expression of Wnt pathway-related proteins (β-catenin and c-Myc). Moreover, the stimulation effects of lithium chloride, a GSK3β inhibitor, on the accumulation of β-catenin were notably suppressed by ARHGAP10 overexpression. Collectively, ARHGAP10 acts to suppress tumor within lung cancer by affecting metastasis and Wnt signaling pathways. The results therefore suggest that ARHGAP10 is a potentially attractive target for the treatment of lung cancer.