Mex-3 RNA binding MEX3A promotes the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells via regulating RhoA/ROCK1/LIMK1 signaling pathway

Correlation between prognostic markers and clinical parameters in hepatocellular carcinoma: Pathophysiological aspects to therapeutic targets

One of the main causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality globally is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). At every stage of the disease, HCC may now be treated using a variety of therapy techniques. Nevertheless, despite the abundance of effective therapeutic choices, the prognosis for patients with HCC is still typically dismal. Prognostic indicators are crucial when assessing prognosis and tracking tumor metastases or recurrence. There are many prognostic markers in HCC. We mainly focused on newly reported prognostic markers such as MEX3A, apolipoprotein B, alpha-fetoprotein, circulating tumor cells, SAMD13, Agrin, and Glypican-3 in the pathogenesis of HCC. Further, we highlighted how these prognostic markers correlated to clinical parameters such as tumor node metastasis, tumor diameter, differentiation, hepatocirrhosis, vascular invasion, and others in HCC. Therefore, identifying specific prognostic biomarkers of HCC helps to provide a great opportunity to improve the prognosis in patients with HCC and provide therapeutic targets.

S1PR3 in hippocampal neurons improves synaptic plasticity and decreases depressive behavior via downregulation of RhoA/ROCK1

The study investigates how Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 3 (S1PR3) and the Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) affects depression-like behaviors. The S1P/S1PR3 signaling pathway is known to play a role in mood regulation, but it is not yet fully understood how it is connected to depression. This study looks to further explore this topic. To investigate the effect of CUMS on S1PR3 expression in hippocampus neurons and the synaptic plasticity, we observed animals' behavior with Sucrose Preference Test (SPT), Forced Swim Test (FST) and Open Field Test (OFT). Combining molecular and histological analysis, we investigated the S1PR3 expression, the change in synapse density, and synaptic structure change in the hippocampus. The CUMS caused a significant decrease in the S1PR3 expression, the density of the synaptic spine and synaptic ultrastructure change in mice. On the other hand, over-expression of S1PR3 by adeno-associated virus (AAV) in hippocampal neurons alleviated the depressive-like behaviors and synaptic deficits observed in stress-susceptible animals. Furthermore, the depressive-like phenotype and synaptic impairments were normalized by the expression of RhoA, implicating the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway in S1PR3 actions. Collectively, our findings provide strong evidence that S1PR3 plays a key role in hippocampal synaptic plasticity and depression and that modulation of S1PR3/RhoA/ROCK1 signaling may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for MDD. This study not only underscores the therapeutic potential of S1PR3 but also provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying depression.

B7-H3 promotes the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells via regulating the actin cytoskeleton and RhoA/ROCK1/LIMK1 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Aberrant expression of B7 homolog 3 protein (B7-H3) has been detected in various cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC) and implicated in modulating multiple biological functions of CRC cells. However, its role in CRC metastasis has not yet been determined. This study aims to explore and unravel the underlying mechanisms through which B7-H3 contributes to migration, invasion and actin cytoskeleton in CRC.

METHODS

The expression of B7-H3 and LIMK1 in CRC tumor samples was determined by IHC staining. Transwell and F-actin immunofluorescence staining assays were performed to explore the role of B7-H3 in migration, invasion and actin filament accumulating of CRC cells. RNA-seq and Western blot assays were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms.

RESULTS

B7-H3 was highly expressed in CRC tissues and positively associated with poor prognosis of CRC patients by immunohistochemistry. Migration and invasion assays showed that B7-H3 knockdown significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of CRC cells. B7-H3 overexpression had the opposite effect. Moreover, we determined that B7-H3 could regulate actin cytoskeleton and the RhoA/ROCK1/LIMK1 pathway by F-actin immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. Importantly, the BDP5290, an inhibitor of the RhoA/ROCK1/(LIM domain kinase 1) LIMK1 axis, reversed the effects of B7-H3 overexpression on actin filament accumulating, migration, and invasion of CRC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study concluded that B7-H3 facilitated CRC cell actin filament accumulating, migration, and invasion through the RhoA/ROCK1/LIMK1 axis.

GluOC promotes proliferation and metastasis of TNBC through the ROCK1 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast cancer that is negative for oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, is highly malignant and aggressive, lacks of corresponding targeted therapy, and has a relatively poor prognosis. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of TNBC development and formulating effective treatment strategies for inducing cell death are still urgent tasks in the treatment of TNBC. Research has shown that uncarboxylated osteocalcin can promote the proliferation of prostate cancer, lung adenocarcinoma and TNBC cells, but the mechanism by which GluOC affects TNBC growth and metastasis needs further study.

METHODS

MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were used for in vitro cell analysis. Key target molecules or pathways were identified by RNA sequencing, and migration ability was detected by scratch assays, Transwell assays, cell adhesion assays and western blot analysis. Fluorescence staining, colony detection, qRT‒PCR and flow cytometry were used to detect apoptosis, oxidative stress, the cell cycle and the stemness of cancer cells, and a xenotransplantation model in BALB/C nude mice was used for in vivo analysis.

RESULTS

This study demonstrated that GluOC facilitates the migration of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells through the ROCK1/MYPT1/MLC2 signalling pathway and promotes the proliferation of TNBC cells via the ROCK1/JAK2/PIK3CA/AKT signalling pathway. Experiments in nude mice demonstrated that GluOC promoted tumour cell proliferation and metastasis in tumour-bearing mice, which further clarified the molecular mechanism of TNBC growth and invasion.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the importance of GluOC in driving TNBC progression and its association with poor patient outcomes. This study clarifies the functional effects of GluOC on TNBC growth, providing insight into the molecular basis of TNBC and potentially providing new ideas for developing targeted therapies to improve patient outcomes.

Decoding the tumour-modulatory roles of LIMK2

LIM domains kinase 2 (LIMK2) is a 72 kDa protein that regulates actin and cytoskeleton reorganization. Once phosphorylated by its upstream activator (ROCK1), LIMK2 can phosphorylate cofilin to inactivate it. This relieves the levering stress on actin and allows polymerization to occur. Actin rearrangement is essential in regulating cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and migration. Dysregulation of the ROCK1/LIMK2/cofilin pathway has been reported to link to the development of various solid cancers such as breast, lung, and prostate cancer and liquid cancer like leukemia. This review aims to assess the findings from multiple reported in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies on the potential tumour-regulatory role of LIMK2 in different human cancers. The findings of the selected literature unraveled that activated AKT, EGF, and TGF-β pathways can upregulate the activities of the ROCK1/LIMK2/cofilin pathway. Besides cofilin, LIMK2 can modulate the cellular levels of other proteins, such as TPPP1, to promote microtubule polymerization. The tumour suppressor protein p53 can transactivate LIMK2b, a splice variant of LIMK2, to induce cell cycle arrest and allow DNA repair to occur before the cell enters the next phase of the cell cycle. Additionally, several non-coding RNAs, such as miR-135a and miR-939-5p, could also epigenetically regulate the expression of LIMK2. Since the expression of LIMK2 is dysregulated in several human cancers, measuring the tissue expression of LIMK2 could potentially help diagnose cancer and predict patient prognosis. As LIMK2 could play tumour-promoting and tumour-inhibiting roles in cancer development, more investigation should be conducted to carefully evaluate whether introducing a LIMK2 inhibitor in cancer patients could slow cancer progression without posing clinical harms.

Scutellaria barbata D.Don extract regulates Ezrin-mediated triple negative breast cancer progress via suppressing the RhoA /ROCK1 signaling

Background

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks effective therapeutic targets. Scutellaria barbata D.Don (SB) has been revealed to have anti-breast cancer (BC) effect, but the effect of SB extract in TNBC is still unclear. Herein, this research delves into the underlying mechanism.

Methods

SB was extracted by solvent extraction, and the main components were identified using an Agilent 6,520 HPLC-Chip/Q-TOF (Chip/Q-TOF) MS system. In vitro cell experiments were conducted. The effects of SB extract alone, SB extract plus EGF, GSK alone, GSK plus Ezrin overexpression, or SB extract plus Ezrin overexpression on cell viability, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were examined by cell function experiments. The apoptosis- and RhoA/ROCK1 pathway-related protein levels were analyzed by western blot assay.

Results

Mass spectrometry analysis exhibited that SB extract mainly contains long-chain fatty acids and ursolic acid. SB extract mitigated TNBC cell biological phenotypes, apoptosis- and RhoA/ROCK1 pathway-related marker expressions, which were reversed by EGF. The further results found that GSK obviously weakens TNBC cell biological behaviors, apoptosis- and RhoA/ROCK1 signaling-related protein levels, while oe-Ezrin treatment reverses the effect of GSK on TNBC cells. Moreover, SB extract regulated Ezrin-mediated function of TNBC cells by impeding the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrated that SB extract regulated Ezrin-mediated proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of TNBC cells via suppressing the RhoA /ROCK1 signaling. Our results offer the experimental foundation for further investigation of the anti-cancer role of SB in TNBC cells.

Highlights

SB extract inhibits the biological phenotypes of TNBC cells.SB extract inhibits the biological behaviors of TNBC cells through the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway.SB extract modulates Ezrin-mediated TNBC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis via restraining the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling.

PDZ and LIM Domain-Encoding Genes: Their Role in Cancer Development

PDZ-LIM family proteins (PDLIMs) are a kind of scaffolding proteins that contain PDZ and LIM interaction domains. As protein-protein interacting molecules, PDZ and LIM domains function as scaffolds to bind to a variety of proteins. The PDLIMs are composed of evolutionarily conserved proteins found throughout different species. They can participate in cell signal transduction by mediating the interaction of signal molecules. They are involved in many important physiological processes, such as cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, and the maintenance of cellular structural integrity. Studies have shown that dysregulation of the PDLIMs leads to tumor formation and development. In this paper, we review and integrate the current knowledge on PDLIMs. The structure and function of the PDZ and LIM structural domains and the role of the PDLIMs in tumor development are described.

The correlation of leukocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1) rs3817198(T>C) polymorphism with breast cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Multiple studies have investigated the correlation of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in leukocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1) with susceptibility to breast cancer (BC) and have yielded inconsistent conclusions, particularly rs3817198(T > C). Consequently, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate this relationship more comprehensively.

METHODS

Four databases were utilized to locate eligible publications: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. This meta-analysis included 14 studies, including 22 reports of 33194 cases and 36661 controls. The relationship of rs3817198 polymorphism with breast cancer was estimated using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The LSP1 co-expression network was constructed by STRING, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed using DAVIDE. Download TCGA breast cancer mRNA-seq data and analyze the relationship between LSP1 expression and breast cancer chemotherapy sensitivity.

RESULTS

The results indicated that rs3817198(T > C) was positively correlated to with breast malignancy (dominant model: OR = 1.11, 95%CI = 1.06-1.17; recessive model: OR = 1.10, 95%CI = 1.04-1.15; heterozygous model: OR = 1.09, 95%CI = 1.04-1.15; homozygous model: OR = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.09-1.28; additive model: OR = 1.09, 95%CI = 1.05-1.13), among Caucasians and Asians. However, rs3817198(T > C) may reduce the risk of breast carcinoma in Africans. Rs3817198(T > C) might result in breast carcinoma in individuals with BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants and can contribute to estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast carcinoma. The expression of LSP1 was inversely correlated with the IC50 of doxorubicin (P = 8.91e-15, Cor = -0.23), 5-fluorouracil (P = 1.18e-22, Cor = -0.29), and cisplatin (P = 1.35e-42, Cor = -0.40).

CONCLUSION

Our study identified that LSP1 rs3817198 polymorphism might result in breast malignancy, particularly among Caucasians and Asians, but lower breast cancer susceptibility in African populations. The expression of LSP1 was negatively correlated with the IC50 of doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and cisplatin.

Nesfatin-1 protects against diabetic cardiomyopathy in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse model via the p38-MAPK pathway

Nesfatin-1 is a novel anorexigenic peptide that possesses antihyperglycemic and cardiovascular effects. We hypothesized that nesfatin-1 has a beneficial protective effect against diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). We investigated the therapeutic effect of nesfatin-1 on diabetes-associated cardiac dysfunction in the high-fat diet (HFD)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mouse model. We found that the cardiac nesfatin-1 level was lower in diabetic mice than in normal mice. Nesfatin-1 treatment (180 mg/kg/day for two weeks) improved insulin sensitivity and mitigated diabetic dyslipidemia. Nesfatin-1 ameliorated the diabetes-related myocardial hypertrophy and heart dysfunction, as revealed by the reduced hypertrophy index, heart rate, mean arterial pressure (MAP), creatine kinase (CK)-MB, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. Nesfatin-1 exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in diabetic mice, as shown by decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative lipid product malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH), decreased cardiac and plasma interleukin-1 β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels. Mechanistically, we found that nesfatin-1 inhibited the cardiac p38-MAPK pathway activation and subsequent glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) level. Collectively, our data shows nesfatin-1 exerted protective effects against diabetic cardiomyopathy. Our study suggests that nesfatin-1 therapy has therapeutic implications against diabetic cardiomyopathy.

RNA-binding protein MEX3D promotes cervical carcinoma tumorigenesis by destabilizing TSC22D1 mRNA

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been related to cancer development. Their functions in cervical cancer, however, are virtually unknown. One of these proteins, Mex-3 RNA-binding family member D (MEX3D), has been recently found to exhibit oncogenic properties in a variety of cancer types. In this present study, the functional roles and the regulatory mechanisms underlying MEX3D were examined in cervical cancer. The detection of MEX3D mRNA expression levels in cervical tissues was performed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. For functional analysis, for detecting apoptosis and cell proliferation in cervical cancer cells, the Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, and flow cytometry were utilized (SiHa and CaSki). The potential mechanisms of MEX3D were assessed and elucidated utilizing western blot analysis, RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation, and mRNA stability assays. For verification of MEX3D role in vivo, mouse xenograft models were established. When compared to normal cervical tissues, MEX3D expression was observed to be higher in cervical cancer tissues. MEX3D expression was increased in human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 positive cervical cancer tissues and positively regulated by HPV16 E7. When MEX3D expression was knocked down in cervical cancer cells, cell proliferation was decreased, colony formation was inhibited, and apoptosis was promoted. Furthermore, in a mouse xenograft model, knocking down MEX3D expression reduced cervical cancer tumor growth. In addition, MEX3D acted as an RBP to reduce TSC22 domain family protein 1 (TSC22D1) mRNA stability by directly binding to TSC22D1 mRNA. The findings revealed that MEX3D is upregulated by HPV16 E7 and has a crucial oncogenic in cervical cancer development via sponging TSC22D1 for destabilizing its mRNA levels. According to the findings of this study, MEX3D may be a potential therapeutic target for treating cervical cancer patients.

Knockdown of nuclear receptor binding SET domain-containing protein 1 (NSD1) inhibits proliferation and facilitates apoptosis in paclitaxel-resistant breast cancer cells via inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

The burden of breast cancer (BC) has exacerbated over decades. Paclitaxel resistance is responsible for increasing BC treatment burden. Nuclear receptor binding SET domain-containing protein 1 (NSD1) is positively correlated with a poor prognosis in patients with BC. This study investigates the function of NSD1 in paclitaxel-resistant (PR) BC cells. The high levels of NSD1 and Wnt10b in PR BC cell lines (MCF-7/PR) or MCF-7 parental cells were determined by RT-qPCR. Western blotting was conducted to measure the levels of NSD1 protein, apoptosis-associated proteins, Wnt10b protein, H3K36me2 protein, H3K27me3 protein, and signal pathway-associated proteins in MCF-7/PR cells or MCF-7 cells or in vivo subcutaneous xenografted tumor model, and the results demonstrated that NSD1 inhibited cell apoptosis and promoted cell proliferation and tumor growth via activating Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Cell apoptosis and viability were estimated using cell counting kit-8 assays and flow cytometry. Positive correlation between NSD1 and Wnt10b was identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. The distribution of β-catenin was determined by immunofluorescence assays. We conclude that NSD1 knockdown inhibits the viability and promotes the apoptosis of paclitaxel-resistant BC cells by inactivating the NSD1/H3K27me3/Wnt10b/β-catenin signaling pathway.