Integrative genomics analysis reveals the multilevel dysregulation and oncogenic characteristics of TEAD4 in gastric cancer

Transcription enhanced associate domain factor 1 (TEAD1) predicts liver regeneration outcome of ALPPS-treated patients

BACKGROUND

The two-stage surgical technique of associated liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) enables extensive liver resection and promotes future liver remnant regeneration (FLR), in part by inhibiting the Hippo signalling pathway. Its main effector, Yes-associated protein (YAP), has low intrinsic transcriptional activity and requires the transcription enhanced associated domain factor (TEAD) family members as cofactors for target gene transcription. We evaluated the intracellular localization and expression of TEAD1-4, hypothesized to regulate the activity of YAP and, consequently, liver regeneration.

METHODS

The intracellular localization of TEAD1-4 was characterized in tumor-free liver (TFL) tissue samples from 44 ALPPS patients obtained during the two stages of ALPPS surgery. Expression levels were correlated with clinical and pathological data as well as liver regeneration metrics.

RESULTS

TEAD family members are simultaneously expressed in individual hepatocytes and show relations with liver regeneration, clinical outcome and outcome parameters when comparing TFL tissue obtained at different stages of ALPPS surgery. Furthermore, differences in TEAD expression and localization within hepatocytes appeared to be independent of global factors.

CONCLUSION

TEAD1-4 expression correlates with liver regeneration outcomes. Specifically, cytoplasmic and nuclear expression scores of TEAD1 serve as predictive markers for clinical outcomes following ALPPS.

RBM8A, a new target of TEAD4, promotes breast cancer progression by regulating IGF1R and IRS-2

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor in women worldwide, and further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in BC pathogenesis is essential to improve the prognosis of BC patients. RNA Binding Motif Protein 8 A (RBM8A), with high affinity to a myriad of RNA transcripts, has been shown to play a crucial role in genesis and progression of multiple cancers. We attempted to explore its functional significance and molecular mechanisms in BC.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis was performed on publicly available BC datasets. qRT-PCR was used to determine the expression of RBM8A in BC tissues. MTT assay, clone formation assay and flow cytometry were employed to examine BC cell proliferation and apoptosis in vitro. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RIP-seq were used to investigate the binding of RBM8A/EIF4A3 to the mRNA of IGF1R/IRS-2. RBM8A and EIF4A3 interactions were determined by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and immunofluorescence. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (Ch-IP) and dual-luciferase reporter assay were carried out to investigate the transcriptional regulation of RBM8A by TEAD4. Xenograft model was used to explore the effects of RBM8A and TEAD4 on BC cell growth in vivo.

RESULTS

In this study, we showed that RBM8A is abnormally highly expressed in BC and knockdown of RBM8A inhibits BC cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in vitro. EIF4A3, which phenocopy RBM8A in BC, forms a complex with RBM8A in BC. Moreover, EIF4A3 and RBM8A complex regulate the expression of IGF1R and IRS-2 to activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thereby promoting BC progression. In addition, we identified TEAD4 as a transcriptional activator of RBM8A by Ch-IP, dual luciferase reporter gene and a series of functional rescue assays. Furthermore, we demonstrated the in vivo pro-carcinogenic effects of TEAD4 and RBM8A by xenograft tumor experiments in nude mice.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, these findings suggest that TEAD4 novel transcriptional target RBM8A interacts with EIF4A3 to increase IGF1R and IRS-2 expression and activate PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thereby further promoting the malignant phenotype of BC cells.

PKP2 induced by YAP/TEAD4 promotes malignant progression of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) exhibits significant heterogeneity and its prognosis remains dismal. Therefore, it is essential to investigate new approaches for diagnosing and treating GC. Desmosome proteins are crucial for the advancement and growth of cancer. Plakophilin-2 (PKP2), a member of the desmosome protein family, frequently exhibits aberrant expression and is strongly associated with many tumor types' progression. In this study, we found upregulation of PKP2 in GC. Further correlation analysis showed a notable association between increased PKP2 expression and both tumor stage and poor prognosis in individuals diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma. In addition, our research revealed that the Yes-associated protein1 (YAP1)/TEAD4 complex could stimulate the transcriptional expression of PKP2 in GC. Elevated PKP2 levels facilitate activation of the AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway, thereby promoting the malignant progression of GC. By constructing a mouse model, we ultimately validated the molecular mechanism and function of PKP2 in GC. Taken together, these discoveries suggest that PKP2, as a direct gene target of YAP/TEAD4 regulation, has the potential to be used as an indication of GC progression and prognosis. PKP2 is expected to be a promising therapeutic target for GC.

TEAD4 Activates PCSK9 to Promote Stomach Adenocarcinoma Cell Stemness through Fatty Acid Metabolism

INTRODUCTION

This study attempted to investigate how proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) influences the stemness of stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) cells.

METHODS

CCK-8 and sphere-formation assays were used to detect cell viability and stemness. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect PCSK9 and TEAD4 expression. The binding relationship was verified by dual-luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The effect of TEAD4 activating PCSK9 on the stemness of STAD cells was detected by bioinformatics, BODIPY 493/503, Oil red O, Western blot, and kits. In vivo experiments verified the role of the TEAD4/PCSK9 axis in tumor formation in nude mice.

RESULTS

PCSK9 and TEAD4 were highly expressed in STAD. PCSK9 was enriched in the fatty acid metabolism (FAM) pathway. PCSK9 activated the fatty acid metabolism and promoted the proliferation and stemness of STAD cells. TEAD4 as a transcription factor upstream of PCSK9, cell experiments revealed that knockdown of PCSK9 inhibited STAD cell stemness, whereas further addition of fatty acid inhibitors could attenuate the promoting effect on STAD cell stemness brought by STAD overexpression. Rescue experiments showed overexpressed PCSK9 exerted an inhibitory effect on the stemness of STAD cells brought by TEAD4 knockdown. The hypothesis that TEAD4/PCSK9 axis can promote STAD cell growth was confirmed by in vivo experiments.

CONCLUSION

Transcription factor TEAD4 could activate PCSK9 to promote the stemness of STAD cells through FAM. These results added weight to the assumption that TEAD4/PCSK9 axis has the potential to be the therapeutic target that inhibits cancer stem cell in STAD.

Chromatin accessibility complex subunit 1 enhances tumor growth by regulating the oncogenic transcription of YAP in breast and cervical cancer

Background

As a component of chromatin remodeling complex, chromatin accessibility complex subunit 1 (CHRAC1) is critical in transcription and DNA replication. However, the significance of CHRAC1 in cancer progression has not been investigated extensively. This research aimed to determine the function of CHRAC1 in breast and cervical cancer and elucidate the molecular mechanism.

Methods

The Bio-ID method was used to identify the interactome of transcriptional activator Yes-associated protein (YAP) and the binding between YAP and CHRAC1 was verified by immunofluorescence. CCK8, colony formation and subcutaneous xenograft assays were conducted to explore the function of CHRAC1 in cancer cell proliferation. RNA-seq analysis and RT-PCR were used to analyze the transcription program change after CHRAC1 ablation. The diagnostic value of CHRAC1 was analyzed by TCGA database and further validated by immunohistochemistry staining.

Results

In the current study, we found that the chromatin remodeler CHRAC1 was a potential YAP interactor. CHRAC1 depletion suppressed breast and cervical cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. The potential mechanism may be that CHRAC1 interacts with YAP to facilitate oncogenic transcription of YAP target genes in Hippo pathway, thereby promoting tumorigenesis. CHRAC1 was elevated in cervical and breast cancer biopsies and the upregulation correlated with shorter survival, poor pathological stages and metastasis of cancer patients. Moreover, CHRAC1 expression was statistically associated with YAP in breast and cervical cancer biopsies.

Conclusions

These findings highlight that CHRAC1 contributes to cancer progression through regulating the oncogenic transcription of YAP, which makes it a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Copy number variants landscape of multiple cancers and clinical applications based on NGS gene panel

BACKGROUND

The rapid adoption of next-generation sequencing in clinical oncology has enabled detection of molecular biomarkers which are shared between multiple tumour types. Intra-tumour heterogeneity is a mechanism of therapeutic resistance and therefore an important clinical challenge. However, the tumour-related copy number variants (CNVs), as key regulators of cancer origination, development, and progression, across various types of cancers are poorly understood.

METHODS

We performed pan-cancer CNV analysis of cancer-related genes in 15 types of cancers including 1438 cancerous patients by next-generation sequencing using a commercially available pan-cancer panel (Onco PanScan™). Downstream bioinformatics analysis was performed in order to detect CNVs, cluster analysis of the found CNVs, and comparison of the frequency of gained CNVs between different types of cancers. LASSO analysis was used for identification of the most important CNVs.

RESULTS

We also identified 523 CNVs among which 16 CNVs were common while 22 CNVs were caner-specific CNVs. Meanwhile, FAM58A was most commonly found in all studied cancers in this study and significant differences were found in FAM58A between female and male patients (p = .001). Common CNVs, such as FOXA1, NFKBIA, HEY1, MECOM, CHD7, AGO2, were mutated in 6.79%, 8.45%, 7.51%, 6.43%, 7.59%, 8.16% of tumours, while most of these mutations have proven roles in positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter. 11 features including sex, DIS3, EPHB1, ERBB2, FLT1, HCK, KEAP1, MYD88, PARP3, TBX3, and TOP2A were found as the key features for classification of cancers using CNVs.

CONCLUSION

The 16 common CNVs between cancers can be used to identify the target of pan-cancer drug design and targeted therapies. Additionally, 22 caner-specific CNVs can be used as unique diagnostic markers for each cancer type.

Elastic modulus of hydrogel regulates osteogenic differentiation via liquid-liquid phase separation of YAP

Craniofacial bone defects induced by congenital malformations, trauma, or diseases frequently challenge the orthodontic or restorative treatment. Stem cell-based bone regenerative approaches emerged as a promising method to resolve bone defects. Microenvironment physical cues, such as the matrix elastic modulus or matrix topography, regulate stem cell differentiation via multiple genes. We constructed gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), a well-known scaffold, to investigate the impact of elastic modulus on osteogenic differentiation in a three-dimensional environment. Confocal microscope was used to observe and assess the condensates fission and fusion. New bone formation was evaluated by micro-computed tomography at 6 weeks in calvarial defect rat. We found that the light curing increased elastic modulus of GelMA, and the pore size of GelMA decreased. The expression of osteogenic markers was inhibited in hBMSCs cultured in the low-elastic-modulus GelMA. In contrast, the expression of YAP, TAZ and TEAD was increased in the hBMSCs in the low-elastic-modulus GelMA. Furthermore, YAP assembled via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) into condensates that were sensitive to 1'6-hexanediol. YAP recruit TAZ and TEAD4, but not RUNX2 into the condensates. In vivo, we also found that hBMSCs in high-elastic-modulus GelMA was more apt to form new bone. This study provides new insight into the mechanism of osteogenic differentiation. Reagents that can regulate the elastic modulus of substrate or LLPS may be applied to promote bone regeneration.

TEAD4 predicts poor prognosis and transcriptionally targets PLAGL2 in serous ovarian cancer

The oncogenic function of TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) has been confirmed in multiple human malignancies, while its potential role and regulatory mechanism in serous ovarian cancer progression are left unknown. By the gene expression analyses from Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database, TEAD4 expression is shown to be up-regulated in serous ovarian cancer samples. Here, we confirmed the high expression of TEAD4 in clinical serous ovarian cancer specimens. In the following functional experiments, we found that TEAD4 overexpression promoted serous ovarian cancer malignant phenotypes, including proliferation, migration and invasion in serous ovarian cancer SK-OV-3 and OVCAR-3 cells, while TEAD4 knockout exerted the opposite function. The tumor growth inhibition of TEAD4 depletion was also affirmed by a Xenograft model in mice. In addition, this phenotypic deterioration induced by TEAD4 overexpression was diminished by PLAG1 like zinc finger 2 (PLAGL2) silencing. More importantly, combined with the results of the dual-luciferase assay, the transcriptional regulation of TEAD4 on PLAGL2 promoter was evidenced. Our results showed that the cancer-promoting gene TEAD4 was involved in serous ovarian cancer progression via targeting PLAGL2 at the transcriptional level.

The Hippo signaling pathway in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is an aggressive malignant disease which still lacks effective early diagnosis markers and targeted therapies, representing the fourth-leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. The Hippo signaling pathway plays crucial roles in organ size control and tissue homeostasis under physiological conditions, yet its aberrations have been closely associated with several hallmarks of cancer. The last decade witnessed a burst of investigations dissecting how Hippo dysregulation contributes to tumorigenesis, highlighting the therapeutic potential of targeting this pathway for tumor intervention. In this review, we systemically document studies on the Hippo pathway in the contexts of gastric tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, acquired drug resistance, and the emerging development of Hippo-targeting strategies. By summarizing major open questions in this field, we aim to inspire further in-depth understanding of Hippo signaling in GC development, as well as the translational implications of targeting Hippo for GC treatment.

Differential DNA methylation associated with multiple sclerosis and disease modifying treatments in an underrepresented minority population

Black and Hispanic American patients frequently develop earlier onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) and a more severe disease course that can be resistant to disease modifying treatments. The objectives were to identify differential methylation of genomic DNA (gDNA) associated with disease susceptibility and treatment responses in a cohort of MS patients from underrepresented minority populations. Patients with MS and controls with non-inflammatory neurologic conditions were consented and enrolled under an IRB-approved protocol. Approximately 64% of donors identified as Black or African American and 30% as White, Hispanic-Latino. Infinium MethylationEPIC bead arrays were utilized to measure epigenome-wide gDNA methylation of whole blood. Data were analyzed in the presence and absence of adjustments for unknown covariates in the dataset, some of which corresponded to disease modifying treatments. Global patterns of differential methylation associated with MS were strongest for those probes that showed relative demethylation of loci with lower M values. Pathway analysis revealed unexpected associations with shigellosis and amoebiasis. Enrichment analysis revealed an over-representation of probes in enhancer regions and an under-representation in promoters. In the presence of adjustments for covariates that included disease modifying treatments, analysis revealed 10 differentially methylated regions (DMR's) with an FDR <1E-77. Five of these genes (ARID5B, BAZ2B, RABGAP1, SFRP2, WBP1L) are associated with cancer risk and cellular differentiation and have not been previously identified in MS studies. Hierarchical cluster and multi-dimensional scaling analysis of differential DNA methylation at 147 loci within those DMR's was sufficient to differentiate MS donors from controls. In the absence of corrections for disease modifying treatments, differential methylation in patients treated with dimethyl fumarate was associated with immune regulatory pathways that regulate cytokine and chemokine signaling, axon guidance, and adherens junctions. These results demonstrate possible associations of gastrointestinal pathogens and regulation of cellular differentiation with MS susceptibility in our patient cohort. This work further suggests that analyses can be performed in the presence and absence of corrections for immune therapies. Because of their high representation in our patient cohort, these results may be of specific relevance in the regulation of disease susceptibility and treatment responses in Black and Hispanic Americans.

Emerging role of caldesmon in cancer: A potential biomarker for colorectal cancer and other cancers

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a devastating disease, mainly because of metastasis. As a result, there is a need to better understand the molecular basis of invasion and metastasis and to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets to aid in managing these tumors. The actin cytoskeleton and actin-binding proteins are known to play an important role in the process of cancer metastasis because they control and execute essential steps in cell motility and contractility as well as cell division. Caldesmon (CaD) is an actin-binding protein encoded by the CALD1 gene as multiple transcripts that mainly encode two protein isoforms: High-molecular-weight CaD, expressed in smooth muscle, and low-molecular weight CaD (l-CaD), expressed in nonsmooth muscle cells. According to our comprehensive review of the literature, CaD, particularly l-CaD, plays a key role in the development, metastasis, and resistance to chemoradiotherapy in colorectal, breast, and urinary bladder cancers and gliomas, among other malignancies. CaD is involved in many aspects of the carcinogenic hallmarks, including epithelial mesenchymal transition via transforming growth factor-beta signaling, angiogenesis, resistance to hormonal therapy, and immune evasion. Recent data show that CaD is expressed in tumor cells as well as in stromal cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts, where it modulates the tumor microenvironment to favor the tumor. Interestingly, CaD undergoes selective tumor-specific splicing, and the resulting isoforms are generally not expressed in normal tissues, making these transcripts ideal targets for drug design. In this review, we will analyze these features of CaD with a focus on CRC and show how the currently available data qualify CaD as a potential candidate for targeted therapy in addition to its role in the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer.

TAZ Induces Migration of Microglia and Promotes Neurological Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), microglia gradually migrate to the edge of the lesion, interweaving around the border of the lesion to form the microglial scar, which performs inflammatory limiting and neuroprotective functions. Recent reports showed that Yes-associated protein (YAP) was expressed in astrocytes and promoted the formation of astrocytic scars, while YAP was not expressed in microglia after SCI. YAP and its paralogue transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are transcriptional coactivators, which have a similar functional role as both are negatively regulated by the Hippo signalling pathway. However, the expression and function of TAZ after SCI are unclear. Our research group previously found that Fascin-1 was highly expressed in microglia and promoted migration of microglia after SCI, and that, there was a close regulatory relationship between Fascin-1 and YAP/TAZ. In this study, we demonstrated that TAZ was significantly upregulated and mainly expressed in microglia after SCI, and accumulated in the nuclei of microglia in the spinal cord at 14 days post-SCI. Moreover, TAZ was upregulated and accumulated in the nuclei of anti-inflammatory M2-like (M2-L) polarized or myelin-treated microglia. Additionally, XMU-MP-1 (an inhibitor of the Hippo kinase MST1/2 to active TAZ) promoted the aggregation of microglia around the lesion core, resulting in the formation of microglial scars and the functional recovery of mice after SCI. Our findings also indicated that TAZ promoted microglial migration in vitro. Mechanistically, Fascin-1 interacted with TAZ, which upregulated TAZ expression and induced TAZ nuclear accumulation in microglia to promote microglial migration. These findings revealed that TAZ mediated microglial migration to the edge of the lesion core, promoting the formation of microglial scars and functional recovery after SCI. Moreover, TAZ was downstream of Fascin-1, which positively regulated microglial migration after SCI.

TEADs serve as potential prognostic biomarkers and targets for human gastric cancer

TEADs are critical transcription factors that participate in the Hippo pathway. Evidence indicates the promotion role of TEADs in cancer progression. However, the role of TEADs and the expression patterns in gastric cancer remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the expression levels of TEADs in gastric cancer samples, and the clinical outcomes of patients with high TEADs expression were observed. Co-expression and interaction analysis as well as functional enrichment analysis were further conducted to determine the potential role of TEADs in gastric cancer. These results suggested TEADs may serve as the prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for gastric cancer. However, more studies are warranted to verify our findings and promote the application in gastric cancer patients.

TEAD4 as an Oncogene and a Mitochondrial Modulator

TEAD4 (TEA Domain Transcription Factor 4) is well recognized as the DNA-anchor protein of YAP transcription complex, which is modulated by Hippo, a highly conserved pathway in Metazoa that controls organ size through regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. To acquire full transcriptional activity, TEAD4 requires co-activator, YAP (Yes-associated protein) or its homolog TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif) the signaling hub that relays the extracellular stimuli to the transcription of target genes. Growing evidence suggests that TEAD4 also exerts its function in a YAP-independent manner through other signal pathways. Although TEAD4 plays an essential role in determining that differentiation fate of the blastocyst, it also promotes tumorigenesis by enhancing metastasis, cancer stemness, and drug resistance. Upregulation of TEAD4 has been reported in several cancers, including colon cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer and serves as a valuable prognostic marker. Recent studies show that TEAD4, but not other members of the TEAD family, engages in regulating mitochondrial dynamics and cell metabolism by modulating the expression of mitochondrial- and nuclear-encoded electron transport chain genes. TEAD4’s functions including oncogenic activities are tightly controlled by its subcellular localization. As a predominantly nuclear protein, its cytoplasmic translocation is triggered by several signals, such as osmotic stress, cell confluency, and arginine availability. Intriguingly, TEAD4 is also localized in mitochondria, although the translocation mechanism remains unclear. In this report, we describe the current understanding of TEAD4 as an oncogene, epigenetic regulator and mitochondrial modulator. The contributing mechanisms will be discussed.

TEAD4 nuclear localization and regulation by miR-4269 and miR-1343-3p in colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

TEAD4 transcription factor belonging to TEAD-family, is a key downstream element of the Hippo Signalling pathway and is very important for YAPinduced tumor progression. YAP-TEAD interaction is required to promote tumor progression and metastasis in various cancers. This study aims to investigate the role of TEAD4 in CRC progression and to compare the TEAD4 expression with different clinicopathological parameters of the study population. We also aim to explore the expression pattern of miR-4269 and miR-1343-3p and their functional role in TEAD4 mediated CRC progression. Furthermore, we intend to evaluate the prognostic significance of TEAD4, miR-4269, and miR-1343-3p in colorectal carcinoma.

METHODS

Real-time PCR, Immunohistochemical Staining, and Western Blotting were performed on 71 human CRC tissue specimens and their adjacent normal tissues to evaluate the TEAD4 expression and the results were statistically analyzed against the clinicopathological variables of patient data and also with survival data using STATA software. miRNA expression was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR.

RESULTS

TEAD4 expression levels in tumor specimens were significantly higher than their paired normal specimens. The higher protein expression levels showed a significant association with TNM stage, Duke Stage, tumor grade, invasion depth, node status, necrosis of tumor tissue, lymphovascular and perineural invasion. As per the cox-regression model and classification tree analysis, TNM stage and perineural invasion were important predictors for TEAD4 expression and prognosis of CRC patients. Survival analysis indicated that TEAD4 overexpression was associated with poorer overall and disease-free survival. miR-4269 and miR-1343-3p were downregulated in CRC tumors and showed a negative correlation with TEAD4. The nuclear overexpressed TEAD4 and downregulated miR-4269 and miR-1343-3p evaluated for the first time in CRC, are believed to serve as important prognostic markers in CRC.

CONCLUSION

Expression of TEAD4 was increased in CRC and was negatively regulated by miR-4269 and miR-1343-3p. The overexpression of TEAD4 is linked with poor overall and disease-free survival of CRC patients. These findings support prior observations and thus TEAD4 may be a possible prognostic marker in CRC.

Revealing the transcriptional heterogeneity of organ-specific metastasis in human gastric cancer using single-cell RNA Sequencing

BACKGROUND

Deciphering intra- and inter-tumoural heterogeneity is essential for understanding the biology of gastric cancer (GC) and its metastasis and identifying effective therapeutic targets. However, the characteristics of different organ-tropism metastases of GC are largely unknown.

METHODS

Ten fresh human tissue samples from six patients, including primary tumour and adjacent non-tumoural samples and six metastases from different organs or tissues (liver, peritoneum, ovary, lymph node) were evaluated using single-cell RNA sequencing. Validation experiments were performed using histological assays and bulk transcriptomic datasets.

RESULTS

Malignant epithelial subclusters associated with invasion features, intraperitoneal metastasis propensity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition-induced tumour stem cell phenotypes, or dormancy-like characteristics were discovered. High expression of the first three subcluster-associated genes displayed worse overall survival than those with low expression in a GC cohort containing 407 samples. Immune and stromal cells exhibited cellular heterogeneity and created a pro-tumoural and immunosuppressive microenvironment. Furthermore, a 20-gene signature of lymph node-derived exhausted CD8+ T cells was acquired to forecast lymph node metastasis and validated in GC cohorts. Additionally, although anti-NKG2A (KLRC1) antibody have not been used to treat GC patients even in clinical trials, we uncovered not only malignant tumour cells but one endothelial subcluster, mucosal-associated invariant T cells, T cell-like B cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils may contribute to HLA-E-KLRC1/KLRC2 interaction with cytotoxic/exhausted CD8+ T cells and/or natural killer (NK) cells, suggesting novel clinical therapeutic opportunities in GC. Additionally, our findings suggested that PD-1 expression in CD8+ T cells might predict clinical responses to PD-1 blockade therapy in GC.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided insights into heterogeneous microenvironment of GC primary tumours and organ-specific metastases and provide support for precise diagnosis and treatment.

Transcriptional profiling and network pharmacology analysis identify the potential biomarkers from Chinese herbal formula Huosu Yangwei Formula treated gastric cancer in vivo

Huosu Yangwei (HSYW) Formula is a traditioanl Chinese herbal medicine that has been extensively used to treat chronic atrophic gastritis, precancerous lesions of gastric cancer and advanced gastric cancer. However, the effective compounds of HSYW and its related anti-tumor mechanisms are not completely understood. In the current study, 160 ingredients of HSYW were identified and 64 effective compounds were screened by the ADMET evaluation. Furthermore, 64 effective compounds and 2579 potential targets were mapped based on public databases. Animal experiments demonstrated that HSYW significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Transcriptional profiles revealed that 81 mRNAs were differentially expressed in HSYW-treated N87-bearing Balb/c mice. Network pharmacology and PPI network showed that 12 core genes acted as potential markers to evaluate the curative effects of HSYW. Bioinformatics and qRT-PCR results suggested that HSYW might regulate the mRNA expression of DNAJB4, CALD, AKR1C1, CST1, CASP1, PREX1, SOCS3 and PRDM1 against tumor growth in N87-bearing Balb/c mice.

CircCRIM1 promotes ovarian cancer progression by working as ceRNAs of CRIM1 and targeting miR-383-5p/ZEB2 axis

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death in patients with gynecologic cancer, and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in cancer progression. However, there are limited studies on the roles of circRNAs in ovarian cancer.

METHODS

We designed divergent and convergent primers, used sanger sequencing and RNase R digestion to verify the source of circCRIM1. We detected the expression of circCRIM1 and its parental gene cysteine rich transmembrane BMP regulator 1 (CRIM1) in ovarian cancer and normal ovarian samples via qRT-PCR. MTT viability assay, apoptosis assay, wound healing assay and invasion assay were used to investigate the function of circCRIM1 and CRIM1 in ovarian cancer cell lines OVCAR3 and CAOV3. Mice xenografts experiment was performed. Bioinformatics predicted the microRNAs that bond with circCRIM1 and CRIM1, and dual luciferase reporter system confirmed it. Rescue experiments of microRNAs mimics transfection on the basis of circCRIM1 over-expression were carried out to uncover the mechanism by which circCRIM1 played cancer-promoting roles in ovarian cancer.

RESULTS

CircCRIM1 was derived from CRIM1 by back-splicing. CircCRIM1 and CRIM1 had higher expression in ovarian cancer than in normal ovarian tissues, and both of them promoted ovarian cancer progression in vitro. In vivo circCRIM1 promoted the growth of tumors. CircCRIM1 and CRIM1 had a positive correlation relationship in the same cohort of ovarian cancer tissues. Bioinformatics predicted and dual luciferase assay confirmed circCRIM1 and CRIM1 bond with miR-145-5p, and circCRIM1 bond with miR-383-5p additionally. CircCRIM1 positively affected the expression of CRIM1. After circCRIM1 was over-expressed, miR-145-5p mimics transfection reversed the expression of CRIM1. Western blot discovered circCRIM1 positively affected the expression of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2). Rescue experiments found miR-383-5p mimics reversed ZEB2 expression and the cancer-promoting effects of circCRIM1.

CONCLUSIONS

CircCRIM1 bond with miR-145-5p to work as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of CRIM1, and circCRIM1 bond with miR-383-5p to improve the expression of ZEB2 in ovarian cancer. CircCRIM1 and CRIM1 promoted the ovarian cancer progression and supplied a novel insight into the researches of ovarian cancer.

CHRAC1 promotes human lung cancer growth through regulating YAP transcriptional activity

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes regulate chromatin structure and play important roles in gene expression, differentiation, development and cancer progression. Dysregulation in the subunits of the complexes often has been found in different cancers, but how they influence cancer initiation and progression is not fully understood. Here we show that Chromatin Accessibility Complex Subunit 1 (CHRAC1), the accessory subunit of chromatin remodeling complex, is highly expressed in lung cancer tissues, which correlates with poor prognosis in lung cancer patients. CHRAC1 overexpression promotes lung cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro and tumor growth in genetically engineered Kras G12D.LSL lung adenocarcinoma mouse model. Consistent with this, CHRAC1 silencing inhibits cell proliferation and migration in lung cancer cells and suppresses tumor growth in xenograft mouse model. Further, CHRAC1 binds to the transcription co-activator Yes-associated protein (YAP), enhances the transcription of downstream target oncogenes in Hippo pathway and thus promotes the tumor growth. Together, our study defines a critical role of CHRAC1 in promoting YAP transcriptional activity and lung cancer tumorigenesis, which makes it a potential target for lung cancer.

The transcription factor TEAD4 enhances lung adenocarcinoma progression through enhancing PKM2 mediated glycolysis

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a deadly disease with a hallmark of aberrant metabolism. TEA domain 4 (TEAD4) is involved in the progression of several forms of cancer including LUAD. However, the role of TEAD4 in LUAD glucose metabolism is rarely reported as well as its potential mechanisms. Pyruvate kinase isozymes M2 (PKM2), the key regulatory enzymes in glycolysis, was predicted to be a target for TEAD4 by bioinformatics analysis. Thus, we aimed to explore whether TEAD4/PKM2 axis was related to LUAD glucose metabolism and malignant phenotype. The expression level of TEAD4 and PKM2 was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot. Luciferase reporter assay were employed to verify the effect of TEAD4 on PKM2 promoter as well as TEAD4/PKM2 axis on reporter activity of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Glycolysis was investigated according to glucose consumption, lactate production and the extracellular acidification rate. The present study indicated that TEAD4 and PKM2 were upregulated in LUAD and closely related to prognosis. Mechanistic investigations identified that TEAD4 played a key role as a transcription factor and promoted PKM2 transcription and expression, which further altered the reporter activity of HIF-1α and upregulated HIF-1α-targeted glycolytic genes glucose transporter-1 and hexokinase II. Functional assays revealed that TEAD4 and PKM2 affected glycolytic and 2-DG blocked the positive function of TEAD4 and PKM2 on glycolytic. Besides, TEAD4/PKM2 axis affects LUAD cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Together, these data provided evidence that both TEAD4 and PKM2 were poor prognosticator. Targeting TEAD4/PKM2 axis might be an effective therapeutic strategy for LUAD.

CALD1 promotes the expression of PD-L1 in bladder cancer via the JAK/STAT signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer (BC) is a common malignant neoplasm with a high rate of recurrence and progression, despite optimal treatment. There is a pressing need to identify new effective biomarkers for the targeted treatment of BC.

METHODS

The key gene CALD1 was screened via weighed gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) from encoding protein genes of BC. Clinical and prognostic significance was explored in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, transwell chamber experiment and nude mouse xenograft assay were performed to test cell growth, apoptosis, migration, invasion and tumorigenesis capacities. Immune correlation was analyzed in The Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. Relevant signaling pathways were explored using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA).

RESULTS

Increased expression of CALD1 was significantly correlated with histological grade, clinical stage, T stage, and lymphatic metastasis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that high CALD1 expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in TCGA database, and with poor OS in the four GEO databases. CALD1 promotes growth, migration, invasion, and cell cycle of tumor cell, and inhibits tumor cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. CADL1 expression was positively correlated with increased CD274 levels (r=0.357, P=9.71e-14). JAK/STAT signaling pathway was significantly enriched in the high CALD1 expression group. CALD1-mediated PD-L1 overexpression (OE) was via the activation of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway; this effect was blocked by the specific JAK inhibitor Ruxolitinib.

CONCLUSIONS

CALD1 is a potential molecular marker associated with prognosis. It promotes the malignant progression of BC and upregulates the PD-L1 expression via the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.

Development of LM98, a Small-Molecule TEAD Inhibitor Derived from Flufenamic Acid

The YAP-TEAD transcriptional complex is responsible for the expression of genes that regulate cancer cell growth and proliferation. Dysregulation of the Hippo pathway due to overexpression of TEAD has been reported in a wide range of cancers. Inhibition of TEAD represses the expression of associated genes, demonstrating the value of this transcription factor for the development of novel anti-cancer therapies. We report herein the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of LM98, a flufenamic acid analogue. LM98 shows strong affinity to TEAD, inhibits its autopalmitoylation and reduces the YAP-TEAD transcriptional activity. Binding of LM98 to TEAD was supported by ¹⁹ F-NMR studies while co-crystallization experiments confirmed that LM98 is anchored within the palmitic acid pocket of TEAD. LM98 reduces the expression of CTGF and Cyr61, inhibits MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell migration and arrests cell cycling in the S phase during cell division.

CALD1 is a prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in gastric cancers

Background

Caldesmon gene (CALD1) plays an important role in many cellular functions. Some researchers have found the correlation between CALD1 expression and prognosis of gastrointestinal cancer (GI), but the association with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) still unclear.

Methods

The expression of CALD1 in different human tumor was analyzed by Oncomine and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) databases. The correlations between CALD1 and prognosis in types cancer were explored by Kaplan–Meier plotter and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases. The association between CALD1 expression and tumor immune cell infiltration was further analyzed via TIMER and GEPIA databases.

Results

The CALD1 expressions in types cancer between tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were significantly different. The high expression of CALD1 was related with poor overall survival (OS) of patients with gastric cancer, especially in gastric cancer patients at N1, N2 and N3 stages. The expression of CALD1 was positively associated with immune-infiltrated, such as CD8+T cells, CD4+T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells (DCs) in gastric cancer.

Conclusions

CALD1 was considerably a key role in prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. The expression level of CALD1 is significantly associated with immune-infiltrated in gastric cancer. Furthermore, CALD1 expression may be involved in regulating tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), dendritic cells, exhausted T cells and regulatory T cells in gastric cancer. These findings suggest that CALD1 could be utilized as a marker of prognosis and immune infiltration in gastric cancer.

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CALD1 plays an important role in immune infiltration in gastric cancer.

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CALD1 can affect the prognosis in gastric cancer patients with lymph node metastasis.

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CALD1 plays a vital role in immune escape in the gastric cancer microenvironment.

TEAD4 is an Immune Regulating-Related Prognostic Biomarker for Bladder Cancer and Possesses Generalization Value in Pan-Cancer

Recent studies have revealed the significant role of TEA domain family member 4 (TEAD4) in the development and progression of cancer. However, the potential role of TEAD4 in the progression of bladder cancer (BC) remains to be explored. The aim of this study was to determine whether TEAD4 could serve as a pan-cancer predictor of the prognosis for BC. Based on data mined from public databases, expression levels and clinical value of TEAD4 were identified in BC and human pan-cancers. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis was performed to detect the TEAD4 expression levels in BC cell lines. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was carried out for functional analysis in BC, and the relationship between infiltrating immune cells and TEAD4 expression was evaluated by the CIBERSORT algorithm in BC and pan-cancer data. TEAD4 was overexpressed and associated with poor prognosis in BC and several types of cancers. GSEA and CIBERSORT algorithm suggested that various pathways including immune-related pathways were enriched in TEAD4 high expression group and several immunocytes infiltrated were correlated with the expression of TEAD4. This study revealed TEAD4 is an immune regulating-related predictor of prognosis for BC and has generalization value in pan-cancer.

Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated with the Senescence-Accelerated Phenotype of OXYS Rats: A Focus on Alzheimer's Disease-Like and Age-Related-Macular-Degeneration-Like Pathologies

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are two complex incurable neurodegenerative disorders the common pathogenesis of which is actively discussed. There are overlapping risk factors and molecular mechanisms of the two diseases; at the same time, there are arguments in favor of the notion that susceptibility to each of these diseases is associated with a distinct genetic background. Here we identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are specific for senescence-accelerated OXYS rats, which simulate key characteristics of both sporadic AD and AMD. Transcriptomes of the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and retina (data of RNA-Seq) were analyzed. We detected SNPs in genes Rims2, AABR07072639.2, Lemd2, and AABR07045405.1, which thus can express significantly truncated proteins lacking functionally important domains. Additionally, 33 mutations in genes-which are related to various metabolic and signaling pathways-cause nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions presumably leading to disturbances in protein structure or functions. Some of the genes carrying these SNPs are associated with aging, neurodegenerative, and mental diseases. Thus, we revealed the SNPs can lead to abnormalities in protein structure or functions and affect the development of the senescence-accelerated phenotype of OXYS rats. Our data are consistent with the latest results of genome-wide association studies that highlight the importance of multiple pathways for the pathogenesis of AD and AMD. Identified SNPs can serve as promising research objects for further studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying this particular rat model as well as for the prediction of potential biomarkers of AD and AMD.

Analysis in silico of the functional interaction between WNT5A and YAP/TEAD signaling in cancer

To date, most data regarding the crosstalk between the Wnt signaling pathway and the YAP/TAZ transcriptional coactivators focuses on the Wnt/β-catenin branch of the pathway. In contrast, the relationship between the non-canonical Wnt pathway and YAP/TAZ remains significantly less explored. Wnt5a is usually regarded as a prototypical non-canonical Wnt ligand, and its expression has been related to cancer progression. On the other hand, YAP/TAZ transcriptional coactivators act in concert with TEAD transcription factors to control gene expression. Although one article has shown previously that WNT5A is a YAP/TEAD target gene, there is a need for further evidence supporting this regulatory relationship, because a possible YAP/Wnt5a regulatory circuit might have profound implications for cancer biology. This article analyzes publicly available ChIP-Seq, gene expression, and protein expression data to explore this relationship, and shows that WNT5A might be a YAP/TEAD target gene in several contexts. Moreover, Wnt5a and YAP expression are significantly correlated in specific cancer types, suggesting that the crosstalk between YAP/TAZ and the Wnt pathway is more intricate than previously thought.

Matrix stiffness epigenetically regulates the oncogenic activation of the Yes-associated protein in gastric cancer

In many cancers, tumour progression is associated with increased tissue stiffness. Yet, the mechanisms associating tissue stiffness with tumorigenesis and malignant transformation are unclear. Here we show that in gastric cancer cells, the stiffness of the extracellular matrix reversibly regulates the DNA methylation of the promoter region of the mechanosensitive Yes-associated protein (YAP). Reciprocal interactions between YAP and the DNA methylation inhibitors GRHL2, TET2 and KMT2A can cause hypomethylation of the YAP promoter and stiffness-induced oncogenic activation of YAP. Direct alteration of extracellular cues via in situ matrix softening reversed YAP activity and the epigenetic program. Our findings suggest that epigenetic reprogramming of the mechanophysical properties of the extracellular microenvironment of solid tumours may represent a therapeutic strategy for the inhibition of cancer progression.

Structural and Functional Overview of TEAD4 in Cancer Biology

TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) is an important member of the TEAD family. As a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, TEAD4 has essential roles in cell proliferation, cell survival, tissue regeneration, and stem cell maintenance. TEAD4 contains a TEA DNA binding domain that binds the promoters of target genes and a Yes-associated protein/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (YAP/TAZ) binding domain that associates with transcriptional cofactors. TEAD4 coordinates with YAP, TAZ, VGLL, and other transcription factors to regulate different cellular processes in cancer via its transcriptional output. Moreover, TEAD4 undergoes post-translational modifications and subcellular translocations, and both processes have been shown to shed new insights on how TEAD transcriptional activity can be modified. In summary, TEAD4 has important roles in cancer, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, cancer stem cell dynamics, and chemotherapeutic drug resistance, suggesting that TEAD4 may be a promising prognostic biomarker in cancer.

TEAD4 transcriptional regulates SERPINB3/4 and affect crosstalk between keratinocytes and T cells in psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory disease with the prevalence rate of approximately 1-3 %. Currently, it is generally believed that the pathogenesis of psoriasis is a T-cell immune-mediated skin disease mediated by multiple genes and factors, and the interaction between keratinocytes and T cells. TEA domain family member 4 (TEAD4) is a transcription factor which regulates the expression of downstream genes in Hippo pathway and affects several biological processes, such as regulating cell differentiation and embryonic development. However, few studies have reported the role of TEAD4 in psoriasis and its possible regulatory mechanism. In this study, we found the expression level of TEAD4 in the skin of psoriasis was significantly higher than that of normal skin. In patients with the pathological keratinocytes, TEAD4 can transcriptionally regulate the expression of SERPINB3/4 and affect the secretion of chemokines, and the depletion of SERPINB3/4 inhibited the secretion of chemokines. In addition, the supernatant of keratinocytes of patients can significantly increase the migration ability of T cells, and the supernatant of T cells cultured by the supernatant of keratinocytes of patients can significantly enhance the proliferation ability of keratinocytes. Therefore, our results suggested that TEAD4 is a key regulatory factor in progression of psoriasis, and the crosstalk between keratinocytes and T cells mediated by TEAD4 plays a critical role in the psoriasis pathogenesis.

TEAD4 promotes tumor development in patients with lung adenocarcinoma via ERK signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

Whether TEAD4 itself plays a vital role in the tumorigenesis and development of lung adenocarcinoma remains unclear. In our study, we aim to investigate the expression pattern and biological functions of TEAD4 and further investigate the potential mechanisms.

METHODS

Clinical tumor and paired normal samples were collected for preparing tissue microarray. Western blot and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of TEAD4 expression in these tissues were conducted to explore the expression pattern. Moreover, A549 cell line was select for investigating the function of TEAD4 for lung adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. RNA sequencing was finally performed to further detect the potential downstream genes.

RESULTS

The elevated TEAD4 expression level was observed in tumor tissues and the patients with higher TEAD4 expression tended to have worse overall survival. The knockdown of TEAD4 inhibits A549 cells proliferation ability and migration ability. A total of 431 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 239 down-regulated genes and 191 up-regulated genes, were finally identified and some of DEGs were validated. Moreover, knockdown of TEAD4 led to the down-regulation of pERK, which maybe the potential TEAD4-targeted signaling pathway to play the pro-tumorigenic function.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression level of TEAD4 is high in lung adenocarcinoma tumor tissues and positively associated with worse prognosis. Up-regulation of TEAD4 may lead to excessive transcription and phosphorylation of ERK proteins and therefore accelerates the process of tumor development. Our results demonstrate that overexpression of TEAD4 is a new mechanism of dysregulation of Hippo pathway.

The Role of ARID5B in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Beyond

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in children with distinct characteristics among different subtypes. Although the etiology of ALL has not been fully unveiled, initiation of ALL has been demonstrated to partly depend on genetic factors. As indicated by several genome wide association studies (GWASs) and candidate gene analyses, ARID5B, a member of AT-rich interactive domain (ARID) protein family, is associated with the occurrence and prognosis of ALL. However, the mechanisms by which ARID5B genotype impact on the susceptibility and treatment outcome remain vague. In this review, we outline developments in the understanding of ARID5B in the susceptibility of ALL and its therapeutic perspectives, and summarize the underlying mechanisms based on the limited functional studies, hoping to illustrate the possible mechanisms of ARID5B impact and highlight the potential treatment regimens.

Association of Genetic Polymorphisms in FOXA1 with the Progression of Genetic Susceptibility to Gastric Cancer

Objective

To investigate the relationship between polymorphism of FOXA1 gene rs12894364 and rs7144658 and susceptibility to gastric cancer.

Methods

A case-control study was conducted to select 577 cases of primary gastric cancer and 678 cases of normal control. We extracted whole blood genomic DNA and amplified the target gene fragment by PCR. The genotyping and allele was tested through a snapshot method.

Results

There was no significant difference in the frequency distribution of genotype between the case group and control group (P > 0.05). Stratified analyses showed the SNPs were not correlated with the susceptibility of GC according to different age, gender, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking status.

Conclusion

There is no significant correlation between the polymorphisms of FOXA1 gene rs12894364 and rs7144658 and the risk of gastric cancer.

Expression and prognostic significance of YAP, TAZ, TEAD4 and p73 in human laryngeal cancer

OBJECTIVES

The Hippo signaling pathway plays a critical role in organ size control and tissue homeostasis and its perturbation is associated with tumorigenesis. YAP (Yes associated protein) and TAZ (transcriptional co-activator with PDZ- binding motif) are the major nuclear effectors of the Hippo pathway interacting with TEADs (TEA domain) and p73 transcriptional factors to regulate gene expression. Altered expression of the above proteins promotes tumor initiation, progression and metastasis in a variety of cancer types. This study addresses their expression and prognostic significance in human laryngeal carcinoma.

METHODS

Protein expression of YAP, TAZ, TEAD4 and p73 was examined by immunohistochemistry in 121 human laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas. Correlations with clinicopathological data and survival were evaluated.

RESULTS

All proteins were overexpressed in human laryngeal carcinomas compared to non-neoplastic adjacent epithelium. High expression of YAP, TAZ, TEAD4 and p73 correlated significantly with high grade, advanced stage, supraglottic location of tumor, nodal metastases and recurrence. Furthermore, high expression of all proteins was significantly associated with poor overall and disease- free survival. p73 expression proved to be an independent predictive factor of survival and YAP expression proved to be an independent predictive factor of disease recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Deregulation of the expression of the Hippo pathway proteins is implicated in human laryngeal carcinogenesis and YAP and p73 have prognostic significance in the outcome of the disease.

AMOTL1 enhances YAP1 stability and promotes YAP1-driven gastric oncogenesis

Hippo signaling functions to limit cellular growth, but the aberrant nuclear accumulation of its downstream YAP1 leads to carcinogenesis. YAP1/TEAD complex activates the oncogenic downstream transcription, such as CTGF and c-Myc. How YAP1 is protected in the cytoplasm from ubiquitin-mediated degradation remains elusive. In this study, a member of Angiomotin (Motin) family, AMOTL1 (Angiomotin Like 1), was screened out as the only one to promote YAP1 nuclear accumulation by several clinical cohorts, which was further confirmed by the cellular functional assays. The interaction between YAP1 and AMOTL1 was suggested by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent staining. The clinical significance of the AMOTL1–YAP1–CTGF axis in gastric cancer (GC) was analyzed by multiple clinical cohorts. Moreover, the therapeutic effect of targeting the oncogenic axis was appraised by drug-sensitivity tests and xenograft-formation assays. The upregulation of AMOTL1 is associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes of GC, and knocking down AMOTL1 impairs its oncogenic properties. The cytoplasmic interaction between AMOTL1 and YAP1 protects each other from ubiquitin-mediated degradation. AMOTL1 promotes YAP1 translocation into the nuclei to activate the downstream expression, such as CTGF. Knocking down AMOTL1, YAP1, and CTGF enhances the therapeutic efficacies of the first-line anticancer drugs. Taken together, AMOTL1 plays an oncogenic role in gastric carcinogenesis through interacting with YAP1 and promoting its nuclear accumulation. A combination of AMOTL1, YAP1, and CTGF expression might serve as a surrogate of Hippo activation status. The co-activation of the AMOTL1/YAP1–CTGF axis is associated with poor clinical outcomes of GC patients, and targeting this oncogenic axis may enhance the chemotherapeutic effects.

TEAD2 as a novel prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma

TEA Domain Transcription Factors (TEADs) are important in development and serve essential roles in tumorigenesis; however, the role of TEAD2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been widely examined. The present study was conducted to investigate the expression status of TEAD2 in HCC and to evaluate whether the expression of TEAD2 is associated with the prognosis of patients with HCC. mRNA expression data was retrieved for Hippo pathway genes of 50 normal control and 377 HCC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas data portal. Gene set enrichment, GeneNeighbors, ClassNeighbors and survival analyses were then performed based on the gene expression levels. The mRNA expression of TEAD2 and VGLL4 was significantly higher in HCC compared with the normal control samples, and the mRNA expression of TEAD2 was higher in advanced stages than in early stages. Specifically, survival analysis revealed that higher mRNA expression of TEAD2 was significantly associated with a less favorable overall survival rate (P=0.0067) and there was a trend towards significance between higher mRNA expression of VGLL4 and poor overall survival rate (P=0.051). According to the gene set enrichment analysis, patients with higher mRNA expression of TEAD2 and VGLL4 had strongly enhanced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis, which are associated with tumor progression. In conclusion, increased mRNA expression of TEAD2 is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with HCC. TEAD2 may serve as a prognostic factor for HCC and a novel therapeutic target.

PI3K/AKT/β-Catenin Signaling Regulates Vestigial-Like 1 Which Predicts Poor Prognosis and Enhances Malignant Phenotype in Gastric Cancer

Although gastric cancer is a common cause of cancer mortality worldwide, its biological heterogeneity limits the available therapeutic options. Therefore, identifying novel therapeutic targets for developing effective targeted therapy of gastric cancer is a pressing need. Here, we investigate molecular function and regulatory mechanisms of Vestigial-like 1 (VGLL1) in gastric cancer. Microarray analysis of 556 gastric cancer tissues revealed that VGLL1 was a prognostic biomarker that correlated with PI3KCA and PI3KCB. VGLL1 regulates the proliferation of gastric cancer cells, as shown in live cell imaging, sphere formation, and in vivo xenograft model. Tail vein injection of NUGC3 cells expressing shVGLL1 resulted in less lung metastasis occurring when compared to the control. In contrast, larger metastatic lesions in lung and liver were detected in the VGLL1-overexpressing NUGC3 cell xenograft excision mouse model. Importantly, VGLL1 expression is transcriptionally regulated by the PI3K-AKT-β-catenin pathway. Subsequently, MMP9, a key molecule in gastric cancer, was explored as one of target genes that were transcribed by VGLL1-TEAD4 complex, a component of the transcription factor. Taken together, PI3K/AKT/β-catenin signaling regulates the transcription of VGLL1, which promotes the proliferation and metastasis in gastric cancer. This finding suggests VGLL1 as a novel prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target.

Verteporfin targeting YAP1/TAZ-TEAD transcriptional activity inhibits the tumorigenic properties of gastric cancer stem cells

Gastric carcinomas (GC) are heterogeneous tumors, composed of a subpopulation of cluster of differentiation-44 (CD44)+ tumorigenic and chemoresistant cancer stem cells (CSC). YAP1 and TAZ oncoproteins (Y/T) interact with TEA domain family member 1 (TEAD) transcription factors to promote cell survival and proliferation in multiple tissues. Their activity and role in GC remain unclear. This work aimed to analyze Y/T-TEAD activity and molecular signature in gastric CSC, and to assess the effect of verteporfin, a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug preventing Y/T-TEAD interaction, on gastric CSC tumorigenic properties. Y/T-TEAD molecular signature was investigated using bioinformatical (KmPlot database), transcriptomic and immunostaining analyses in patient-derived GC and cell lines. Verteporfin effects on Y/T-TEAD transcriptional activity, CSC proliferation and tumorigenic properties were evaluated using in vitro tumorsphere assays and mouse models of patient-derived GC xenografts. High expressions of YAP1, TAZ, TEAD1, TEAD4 and their target genes were associated with low overall survival in nonmetastatic human GC patients (n = 444). This Y/T-TEAD molecular signature was enriched in CD44+ patient-derived GC cells and in cells resistant to conventional chemotherapy. Verteporfin treatment inhibited Y/T-TEAD transcriptional activity, cell proliferation and CD44 expression, and decreased the pool of tumorsphere-forming CD44⁺ /aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)^high gastric CSC. Finally, verteporfin treatment inhibited GC tumor growth in vivo; the residual tumor cells exhibited reduced expressions of CD44 and ALDH1, and more importantly, they were unable to initiate new tumorspheres in vitro. All these data demonstrate that Y/T-TEAD activity controls gastric CSC tumorigenic properties. The repositioning of verteporfin targeting YAP1/TAZ-TEAD activity could be a promising CSC-based strategy for the treatment of GC.

Ventricular Zone Expressed PH Domain Containing 1 (VEPH1): an adaptor protein capable of modulating multiple signaling transduction pathways during normal and pathological development

Ventricular Zone Expressed PH Domain-Containing 1 (VEPH1) is an 833-amino acid protein encoded by an evolutionarily conserved single-copy gene that emerged with pseudocoelomates. This gene has no paralog in any species identified to date and few studies have investigated the function of its encoded protein. Loss of expression of its ortholog, melted, in Drosophila results in a severe neural phenotype and impacts TOR, FoxO, and Hippo signaling. Studies in mammals indicate a role for VEPH1 in modulating TGFβ signaling and AKT activation, while numerous studies indicate VEPH1 expression is altered in several pathological conditions, including cancer. Although often referred to as an uncharacterized protein, available evidence supports VEPH1 as an adaptor protein capable of modulating multiple signal transduction networks. Further studies are required to define these adaptor functions and the role of VEPH1 in development and disease progression.

Antiproliferative and Antimigratory Effects of a Novel YAP-TEAD Interaction Inhibitor Identified Using in Silico Molecular Docking

The Hippo pathway is an important regulator of cell growth, proliferation, and migration. TEAD transcription factors, which lie at the core of the Hippo pathway, are essential for regulation of organ growth and wound repair. Dysregulation of TEAD and its regulatory cofactor Yes-associated protein (YAP) have been implicated in numerous human cancers and hyperproliferative pathological processes. Hence, the YAP–TEAD complex is a promising therapeutic target. Here, we use in silico molecular docking using Bristol University Docking Engine to screen a library of more than 8 million druglike molecules for novel disrupters of the YAP–TEAD interaction. We report the identification of a novel compound (CPD3.1) with the ability to disrupt YAP–TEAD protein–protein interaction and inhibit TEAD activity, cell proliferation, and cell migration. The YAP–TEAD complex is a viable drug target, and CPD3.1 is a lead compound for the development of more potent TEAD inhibitors for treating cancer and other hyperproliferative pathologies.

DNA methylome and transcriptome alterations and cancer prevention by curcumin in colitis-accelerated colon cancer in mice

Inflammation is highly associated with colon carcinogenesis. Epigenetic mechanisms could play an important role in the initiation and progression of colon cancer. Curcumin, a dietary phytochemical, shows promising effects in suppressing colitis-associated colon cancer in azoxymethane-dextran sulfate sodium (AOM-DSS) mice. However, the potential epigenetic mechanisms of curcumin in colon cancer remain unknown. In this study, the anticancer effect of curcumin in suppressing colon cancer in an 18-week AOM-DSS colon cancer mouse model was confirmed. We identified lists of differentially expressed and differentially methylated genes in pairwise comparisons and several pathways involved in the potential anticancer effect of curcumin. These pathways include LPS/IL-1-mediated inhibition of RXR function, Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress response, production of NO and ROS in macrophages and IL-6 signaling. Among these genes, Tnf stood out with decreased DNA CpG methylation of Tnf in the AOM-DSS group and reversal of the AOM-DSS induced Tnf demethylation by curcumin. These observations in Tnf methylation correlated with increased and decreased Tnf expression in RNA-seq. The functional role of DNA methylation of Tnf was further confirmed by in vitro luciferase transcriptional activity assay. In addition, the DNA methylation level in a group of inflammatory genes was decreased in the AOM+DSS group but restored by curcumin and was validated by pyrosequencing. This study shows for the first time epigenomic changes in DNA CpG methylation in the inflammatory response from colitis-associated colon cancer and the reversal of their CpG methylation changes by curcumin. Future clinical epigenetic studies with curcumin in inflammation-associated colon cancer would be warranted.

YAPping about and not forgetting TAZ

The Hippo pathway has emerged as a major eukaryotic signalling pathway and is increasingly the subject of intense interest, as are the key effectors of canonical Hippo signalling, YES-associated protein (YAP) and TAZ. The Hippo pathway has key roles in diverse biological processes, including network signalling regulation, development, organ growth, tissue repair and regeneration, cancer, stem cell regulation and mechanotransduction. YAP and TAZ are multidomain proteins and function as transcriptional coactivators of key genes to evoke their biological effects. YAP and TAZ interact with numerous partners and their activities are controlled by a complex set of processes. This review provides an overview of Hippo signalling and its role in growth. In particular, the functional domains of YAP and TAZ and the complex mechanisms that regulate their protein stability and activity are discussed. Notably, the similarities and key differences are highlighted between the two paralogues including which partner proteins interact with which functional domains to regulate their activity.

CALD1, CNN1, and TAGLN identified as potential prognostic molecular markers of bladder cancer by bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant neoplasms in the genitourinary tract. We employed the GSE13507 data set from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database in order to identify key genes related to tumorigenesis, progression, and prognosis in BC patients.

METHODS

The data set used in this study included 10 normal bladder mucosae tissue samples and 165 primary BC tissue samples. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the 2 types of samples were identified by GEO2R. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the online website DAVID. The online website STRING was used to construct a protein-protein interaction network. Moreover, the plugins in MCODE and cytoHubba in Cytoscape were employed to find the hub genes and modules in these DEGs.

RESULTS

We identified 154 DEGs comprising 135 downregulated genes and 19 upregulated genes. The GO enrichment results were mainly related to the contractile fiber part, extracellular region part, actin cytoskeleton, and extracellular region. The KEGG pathway enrichment results mainly comprised type I diabetes mellitus, asthma, systemic lupus erythematosus, and allograft rejection. A module was identified from the protein-protein interaction network. In total, 15 hub genes were selected and 3 of them comprising CALD1, CNN1, and TAGLN were associated with both overall survival and disease-free survival.

CONCLUSION

CALD1, CNN1, and TAGLN may be potential biomarkers for diagnosis as well as therapeutic targets in BC patients.

Nutrient-Dependent Changes of Protein Palmitoylation: Impact on Nuclear Enzymes and Regulation of Gene Expression

Diet is the main environmental stimulus chronically impinging on the organism throughout the entire life. Nutrients impact cells via a plethora of mechanisms including the regulation of both protein post-translational modifications and gene expression. Palmitoylation is the most-studied protein lipidation, which consists of the attachment of a molecule of palmitic acid to residues of proteins. S-palmitoylation is a reversible cysteine modification finely regulated by palmitoyl-transferases and acyl-thioesterases that is involved in the regulation of protein trafficking and activity. Recently, several studies have demonstrated that diet-dependent molecules such as insulin and fatty acids may affect protein palmitoylation. Here, we examine the role of protein palmitoylation on the regulation of gene expression focusing on the impact of this modification on the activity of chromatin remodeler enzymes, transcription factors, and nuclear proteins. We also discuss how this physiological phenomenon may represent a pivotal mechanism underlying the impact of diet and nutrient-dependent signals on human diseases.

TEAD4 overexpression promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and associates with aggressiveness and adverse prognosis in head neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Deregulated Hippo signaling has been uncovered to be intricately involved in tumorigenesis. Transcriptional factor TEADs serve as key mediators of Hippo signaling and have been increasingly appreciated as putative oncogenes driving cancer initiation and progression. However, its expression pattern and oncogenic role of TEAD4 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain largely unexplored.

METHODS

TEAD4 mRNA expression in HNSCC was determined by data mining and analyses from TCGA dataset and four independent cohorts with transcriptional profiling data publically available. The protein abundance of TEAD4 was measured by immunohistochemistry in 105 primary HNSCC samples and associations between its expression and clinicopathological parameters and patient survival were evaluated. The oncogenic roles of TEAD4 was further determined by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO)-induced animal model, both knockdown/overexpression assay and TGF-β1-induced epithelia-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro.

RESULTS

Both mRNA and protein abundance of TEAD4 were significantly increased in HNSCC as compared to its non-tumor counterparts. Overexpression of TEAD4 significantly associated with high pathological grade, cervical node metastasis, advanced clinical stage and reduced overall and disease-free survival. In the 4NQO-induced HNSCC mouse model, increased TEAD4 immunostaining was found associated with disease progression. TEAD4 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis in HNSCC cells, while its overexpression resulted in opposite effects and EMT. Moreover, TEAD4 was critically involved in TGF-β1-induced EMT in HNSCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings reveal that TEAD4 serves as a novel prognostic biomarker and putative oncogene for HNSCC by promoting cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and EMT.

Transcriptional Landscape of PARs in Epithelial Malignancies

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest family of cell receptors, act as important regulators of diverse signaling pathways. Our understanding of the impact of GPCRs in tumors is emerging, yet there is no therapeutic platform based on GPCR driver genes. As cancer progresses, it disrupts normal epithelial organization and maintains the cells outside their normal niche. The dynamic and flexible microenvironment of a tumor contains both soluble and matrix-immobilized proteases that contribute to the process of cancer advancement. An example is the activation of cell surface protease-activated receptors (PARs). Mammalian PARs are a subgroup of GPCRs that form a family of four members, PAR_1–4, which are uniquely activated by proteases found in the microenvironment. PAR₁ and PAR₂ play central roles in tumor biology, and PAR₃ acts as a coreceptor. The significance of PAR₄ in neoplasia is just beginning to emerge. PAR₁ has been shown to be overexpressed in malignant epithelia, in direct correlation with tumor aggressiveness, but there is no expression in normal epithelium. In this review, the involvement of key transcription factors such as Egr1, p53, Twist, AP2, and Sp1 that control PAR₁ expression levels specifically, as well as hormone transcriptional regulation by both estrogen receptors (ER) and androgen receptors (AR) are discussed. The cloning of the human protease-activated receptor 2; Par2 (hPar2) promoter region and transcriptional regulation of estrogen (E₂) via binding of the E₂–ER complex to estrogen response elements (ERE) are shown. In addition, evidence that TEA domain 4 (TEAD₄) motifs are present within the hPar2 promoter is presented since the YAP oncogene, which plays a central part in tumor etiology, acts via the TEAD₄ transcription factor. As of now, no information is available on regulation of the hPar3 promoter. With regard to hPar4, only data showing CpG methylation promoter regulation is available. Characterization of the PAR transcriptional landscape may identify powerful targets for cancer therapies.

TEAD4 exerts pro-metastatic effects and is negatively regulated by miR6839-3p in lung adenocarcinoma progression

Several studies have shown the tumorigenesis role of transcriptional enhancer associate domain (TEAD) proteins; here, we initially explored expression, function and signalling mechanisms of TEAD4 in lung adenocarcinoma (LAD). Both the mRNA and protein levels of TEAD4 were increased in LAD tissues than those in adjacent nontumourous tissues. Besides, database search indicated a poorer clinical outcome in LAD patients with higher TEAD4 expression, revealing its potential tumour-promoting role. Therefore, we conducted cellular experiments to further investigate its effect on tumour phenotypes. Accordingly, TEAD4 showed little impact on LAD cell cycle, proliferation, or apoptosis. However, silencing TEAD4 remarkably attenuated cell migration and invasion capacities. Consistently, several important epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers such as E-cadherin and Slug were consequently altered by silencing TEAD4. Furthermore, we identified a novel TEAD4-targeted microRNA, namely miR6839-3p, and confirmed its function in suppressing TEAD4 expression. Finally, the impact of overexpressing miR6839-3p mimics on LAD progression was validated, which showed a similar pattern with TEAD4 knockdown cells. Taken together, our data not only revealed the significant role of TEAD4 in promoting LAD progression and predicting clinical outcome but also distinguished miR6839-3p mimics as a promising therapeutic direction.

Molecular Signaling in Tumorigenesis of Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is regarded as the fifth most common cancer and the third cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Mechanism of GC pathogenesis is still unclear and relies on multiple factors, including environmental and genetic characteristics. One of the most important environmental factors of GC occurrence is infection with Helicobacter pylori that is classified as class one carcinogens. Dysregulation of several genes and pathways play an essential role during gastric carcinogenesis. Dysregulation of developmental pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin signaling, Hedgehog signaling, Hippo pathway, Notch signaling, nuclear factor-kB, and epidermal growth factor receptor have been found in GC. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as an important process during embryogenesis and tumorigenesis, is supposed to play a role in initiation, invasion, metastasis, and progression of GC. Although surgery is the main therapeutic modality of the disease, the understanding of biological processes of cell signaling pathways may help to develop new therapeutic targets for GC.

Epigenetic silencing of miR-1271 enhances MEK1 and TEAD4 expression in gastric cancer

Epigenetic dysregulation is a major driver of tumorigenesis. To identify tumor-suppressive microRNAs repressed by DNA methylation in gastric cancer (GC), we analyzed the genome-wide DNA methylation and microRNA expression profiles of EpCAM+/CD44+ GC cells. Among the set of microRNAs screened, miR-1271 was identified as a microRNA repressed by DNA methylation in GC. Forced miR-1271 expression substantially suppressed the growth, migration, and invasion of GC cells. To identify candidate target genes and signaling pathways regulated by miR-1271, we performed RNA sequencing. Among the genes down-regulated by miR-1271, MAP2K1 (MEK1) was significantly repressed by miR-1271, and the associated ERK/MAPK signaling pathway was also inhibited. TEAD4 was also repressed by miR-1271, and the associated YAP1 signatures within genes regulated by miR-1271 were significantly enriched. These findings uncovered MEK1 and TEAD4 as novel miR-1271 targets and suggest that the epigenetic silencing of miR-1271 is crucial for GC development.