PTCSC3-mediated glycolysis suppresses thyroid cancer progression via interfering with PGK1 degradation

Overexpression of MFAP5 inhibits the progression of papillary thyroid cancer and aerobic glycolysis by regulating the EFEMP2/Wnt/β-catenin pathway

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism and role of MFAP5 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), laying the foundation for future clinical treatment of PTC. Using WB and RT-qPCR to determine MFAP5 expression in PTC tissues and paracancerous tissues, as well as human normal thyroid cell lines and human PTC cell lines. Viral infection of PTC cells by overexpressing MFAP5 and knocking down EFEMP2. CCK8 and a colony formation assay were used to assess PTC cell proliferation. Kits detect glucose uptake, lactate production, and WB analyses of GLUT1, HK-II, and LDHA expression to evaluate aerobic glycolysis. Nude mice were used as xenograft models for tumor growth assessment. MFAP5. WB detects the expression of EFEMP2, Myc, cyclin D1 and β-catenin. MFAP5 expression is significantly reduced in PTC tissues and cells. MFAP5 overexpression inhibits PTC cell proliferation and aerobic glycolysis. MFAP5 overexpression activates EFEMP2 and suppresses the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Knockdown of EFEMP2 reverses PTC cell proliferation and aerobic glycolysis. Tumor growth can be inhibited in vivo by MFAP5 overexpression, which regulates the EFEMP2/Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Overexpression of MFAP5 inhibits PTC progression and aerobic glycolysis by regulating the EFEMP2/Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Identification of a glycolysis-associated lncRNA signature to predict survival of patients with colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE

Colorectal cancer (CRC) still has a poor prognosis and is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Recently, a close correlation between glycolysis and the progression of CRC has been reported. Hence, explorations of the prognostic value of glycolysis-associated long noncoding RNAs in CRC patients are urgently needed. This study aimed to investigate the role of glycolysis-associated lncRNAs for predicting the prognosis and treatment response of CRC, thereby identifying more biomarkers for CRC.

METHODS

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data for CRC from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were used. A glycolysis-associated long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) signature was estimated by Cox regression analysis, and its predictive capacity was assessed by constructing a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and performing a gene set enrichment analysis.

RESULTS

One of our constructed glycolysis-related clusters was strongly correlated with an immunosuppressive tumor environment. Moreover, a signature consisting of 14 glycolysis-associated lncRNAs was used as a prognostic model, and CRC patients were classified into a low-risk group and a high-risk group based on the average risk score of this signature. In addition, the low-risk group experienced longer overall survival (OS) than the high-risk group. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) validated the sensitivity and specificity of the signature. The signature was identified as an individual element and was closely related to the progression of CRC. Finally, two glycolysis-associated lncRNAs, namely, TNFRSF10A-AS1 and ZKSCAN2-DT, were further clinically verified to effectively predict the prognosis of CRC patients.

CONCLUSION

Glycolysis-associated lncRNAs may be employed as prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers for CRC.

Reprogramming of Thyroid Cancer Metabolism: from Mechanism to Therapeutic Strategy

Thyroid cancer as one of the most prevalent malignancies of endocrine system, has raised public concern and more research on its mechanism and treatment. And metabolism-based therapies have advanced rapidly, for the exclusive metabolic profiling of thyroid cancer. In thyroid cancer cells, plenty of metabolic pathways are reprogrammed to accommodate tumor microenvironment. In this review, we initiatively summarize recent progress in the full-scale thyroid cancer metabolic rewiring and the interconnection of various metabolites. We also discuss the efficacy and prospect of metabolic targeted detection as well as therapy. Comprehending metabolic mechanism and characteristics of thyroid cancer roundly will be highly beneficial to managing individual patients.

PLOD1 promote proliferation and migration with glycolysis via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in THCA

THCA (Thyroid carcinoma) is the most common endocrine malignancy in the world. The PLOD1 is highly expressed in THCA, but the mechanism is still unclear. It is found that the cell proliferation and migration were inhibited in si-PLOD1 group, and promoted with PLOD1 overexpression. MAZ is the transcription factor of PLOD1. The cell activities induced MAZ were reversed by si-PLOD1. The Glucose uptake, lactate production and ATP/ADP ratio were decreased with si-PLOD1. The glycolysis related proteins GLUT1, HK2, PFKP, PKM2, LDHA and Wnt/β-catenin pathway proteins WNT5A, cyclin D1, β-catenin were inhibited, GSK-3β is increased in si-PLOD1 group. BML-284 could reversed the si-PLOD1 effects on cell activities and Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The tumor xenografts were inhibited in si-PLOD1 group. As a potential therapeutic target, PLOD1 is regulated by MAZ in THCA. PLOD1 depletion could inhibit THCA cell proliferation and metastasis by glycolysis, which is inhibited by Wnt/β-catenin pathway in THCA.

HIF1α/ATF3 partake in PGK1 K191/K192 succinylation by modulating P4HA1/succinate signaling in glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

Hypoxia is a pathological hallmark in most cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM). Hypoxic signaling activation and post-translational modification (PTM) of oncogenic proteins are well-studied in cancers. Accumulating studies indicate glycolytic enzyme PGK1 plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.

METHODS

We first used ChIP assays to uncover the crosstalk between HIF1α and ATF3 and their roles in P4HA1 regulation. Protein degradation analysis, LC-MS/MS, and in vitro succinate production assays were performed to examine the effect of protein succinylation on GBM pathology. Seahorse assay measured the effects of PGK1 succinylation at K191/K192 or its mutants on glucose metabolism. We utilized an in vivo intracranial mouse model for biochemical studies to elucidate the impact of ATF3 and P4HA1 on aerobic glycolysis and the tumor immune microenvironment.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that HIF1α and ATF3 positively and negatively regulate the transcription of P4HA1, respectively, leading to an increased succinate production and increased activation of HIF1α signaling. P4HA1 expression elevated the succinate concentration, resulting in the enhanced succinylation of PGK1 at the K191 and K192 sites. Inhibition of proteasomal degradation of PGK1 by succinylation significantly increased aerobic glycolysis to generate lactate. Furthermore, ATF3 overexpression and P4HA1 knockdown reduced succinate and lactate levels in GBM cells, inhibiting immune responses and tumor growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our study demonstrates that HIF1α/ATF3 participated in P4HA1/succinate signaling, which is the major regulator of succinate biosynthesis and PGK1 succinylation at K191 and K192 sites in GBM. The P4HA1/succinate pathway might be a novel and promising target for aerobic glycolysis in GBM.

Decreased levels of PTCSC3 promote the deterioration of prostate cancer and affect the prognostic outcome of patients through sponge miR-182-5p

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer, characterized by its insidious onset and short overall survival, and has seen a rise in incidence over recent decades. This study aims to investigate the expression and molecular mechanism of lncRNA PTCSC3 (PTCSC3) in prostate cancer in order to develop new prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers.

METHODS

The level of PTCSC3 in serum and cell samples of prostate cancer was quantitatively measured using RT-qPCR assays. The correlation between the variation in PTCSC3 levels and clinical indicators of patients was evaluated. The survival status of the prostate cancer patients included in the study was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curve and multivariable Cox analysis. The impact of PTCSC3 overexpression on cell growth and activity was revealed by CCK-8 and Transwell assays. The targeting relationship between PTCSC3 and miR-182-5p was determined by bioinformatics prediction and luciferase activity.

RESULTS

PTCSC3 was found to be downregulated in prostate cancer, and its low levels were associated with short overall survival in patients. It influenced the progression of prostate cancer by targeting miR-182-5p. Increasing PTCSC3 levels suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion levels of cells, and miR-182-5p mimic counteracted PTCSC3's effects on cells.

CONCLUSIONS

As a potential prognostic biological factor for prostate cancer, PTCSC3 may regulate the progression of prostate cancer by sponging miR-182-5p and affect the prognosis of patients.

Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-driven LncRNA PTCSC3 upregulation within lung adenocarcinoma cells reduces erlotinib resistance by mitigating Wnt/β-Catenin pathway

lncRNA PTCSC3, which stands for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Susceptibility Candidate 3, has been found to play a role in various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration, acting as either an oncogene or a tumor suppressor depending on the context. This study investigates the influence of lncRNA PTCSC3, derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (hBMSC), on the efficacy of erlotinib (Er)-resistant lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells and elucidates underlying mechanism. The hBMSCs and LUAD (PC9 and A549) cells were employed to establish an Er-resistant LUAD cell model. It was observed that exposure to hBMSCs reduced the viability of A549-Er and PC9-Er cells and increased their rate of apoptosis. Further investigations revealed that in the presence of hBMSCs-containing medium, PTCSC3 expression was significantly upregulated, concomitantly with a suppression of the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway. Conversely, silencing PTCSC3 led to enhanced A549-Er and PC9-Er activities, reduced cell apoptosis, and activated Wnt/β-Catenin pathway. The effects of PTCSC3 modulation were also examined by transfecting LUAD cells with different PTCSC3 expression vectors and treating them with XAV939, a Wnt/β-Catenin pathway inhibitor, which similarly decreased cell viability. In the rescue experiment, the effect of hBMSCs on LUAD cells could be counteracted by down-regulation of PTCSC3, and the effect of PTCSC3 down-regulation on cells was mitigated by XAV939. This study revealed that hBMSCs promote the up-regulation of PTCSC3 in LUAD cells, thus inhibiting Wnt/β-Catenin pathway and reversing Er resistance, offering a potential novel strategy to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy in LUAD.

CircPHGDH downregulation decreases papillary thyroid cancer progression through miR-122-5p/PKM2 axis

BACKGROUND

Although papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has a favorable prognosis, it could affect patient life quality and become a serious threat because of invasion and metastasis. Many investigations have suggested that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in different cancer regulations. Nevertheless, circRNAs role in invasive PTC remains unclear.

METHODS

In the present investigation, next-generation sequencing was applied to explore abnormal circRNA expression. The expression of circRNA phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (circPHGDH) in PTC cell lines and tissues were examined. Then, we investigated regulatory mechanism and circPHGDH downstream targets using bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporting analysis. Then transwell migration, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays were used for cells migration and proliferation analysis. In vivo metastasis and tumorigenesis assays were also employed to evaluate the circPHGDH role in PTC.

RESULTS

The data showcased that circPHGDH expression increased in both PTC cell lines and tissues, which suggested that circPHGDH functions in PTC progression. circPHGDH downregulation suppressed PTC invasion and proliferation in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter results confirmed that both microRNA (miR)-122-5p and pyruvate kinase M2 subtype (PKM2) were downstream targets of circPHGDH. PKM2 overexpression or miR-122-5p suppression reversed PTC cell invasion and proliferation post silencing circPHGDH by restoring aerobic glycolysis.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, our research found that circPHGDH downregulation reduced PTC progression via miR-122-5p/PKM2 axis regulation mediated by aerobic glycolysis.

PGK1 is a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a common type of liver cancer, is increasing in incidence worldwide. An early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still challenging: Currently, few biomarkers are available to diagnose the early stage of HCC, therefore, additional prognostic biomarkers are required to identify potential risk factors. The present study analyzed gene expression levels of HCC tissue samples and the protein expression levels obtained from the GSE46408 HCC dataset using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses. The metabolically associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including DEGs involved in the glucose metabolism pathway, were selected for further analysis. Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), a glycolytic enzyme, was determined as a potential prognostic biomarker through Kaplan-Meier curve and clinical association variable analyses. This was also verified based on the expression levels of PGK1 in tumor tissue and protein expression levels in several liver cancer cell lines. PGK1 mRNA demonstrated a high level of expression in HCC tissue and was significantly associated with a poor prognosis, showing a negative association with survival time. In addition, as an independent risk factor, PGK1 may potentially be a valuable prognostic biomarker for patients with HCC. Furthermore, expression of PGK1 was associated with the early stages (stage I and T1) of HCC. Moreover, PGK1 mRNA expression levels demonstrated a positive association with progression of liver cancer. The results suggested that PGK1 mRNA may be involved in the degree of HCC malignancy and may be a future potential prognostic biomarker for HCC progression.

PTCSC3, XIST, GAS5, UCA1, and HIFAL: Five lncRNAs Emerging as Potential Prognostic Players in Egyptian Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

So far, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) signatures in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are poorly understood. The present study aims to explore the prognostic significance of eleven cancer-related lncRNAs in bone marrow (BM) samples from adult Egyptian AML patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we analyzed eleven lncRNAs using the qRT-PCR assay in the bone marrow (BM) of 79 de novo AML adult patients before receiving any therapy.

RESULTS

Five lncRNAs out of 11 were aberrantly expressed, and two lncRNAs influenced significantly the patient's overall survival (OS). LncRNA-XIST was favorable when overexpressed (in univariate and multivariate analysis, P-value = .001). LncRNA-GAS5 adversely affected the OS (only in multivariate analysis P-value = .02). Two other lncRNAs (UCA1 and HIFAL) impacted complete remission induction (CR) significantly in univariate analysis (P-value = .046 for both). Furthermore, lncRNA-UCA1 affected CR significantly in multivariate COX regression analysis (P-value = .004). The 4 previously mentioned lncRNAs were among the 9 downregulated lncRNAs. Instead, the only 2 upregulated lncRNAs (SNHG15, MALAT1) did not significantly influence neither CR induction nor OS. LncRNA-PTCSC3, a fifth lncRNA, emerged as the only one that could predict relapse occurrence in an upfront original BM sample.

CONCLUSION

Two lncRNAs out of eleven (lncRNA-XIST and GAS5) impacted OS, and two other lncRNAs (UCA1 and HIFAL) affected CR in adult de novo AML patients. LncRNA-PTCSC3 predict relapse, however, further validation is still required.

Selection of M7G-related lncRNAs in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma and their putative diagnostic and prognostic role

BACKGROUND

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is a common malignant tumor of the urinary system. This study aims to develop new biomarkers for KIRC and explore the impact of biomarkers on the immunotherapeutic efficacy for KIRC, providing a theoretical basis for the treatment of KIRC patients.

METHODS

Transcriptome data for KIRC was obtained from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified KIRC-related modules of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Intersection analysis was performed differentially expressed lncRNAs between KIRC and normal control samples, and lncRNAs associated with N(7)-methylguanosine (m7G), resulting in differentially expressed m7G-associated lncRNAs in KIRC patients (DE-m7G-lncRNAs). Machine Learning was employed to select biomarkers for KIRC. The prognostic value of biomarkers and clinical features was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. A nomogram was constructed based on biomarkers and clinical features, and its efficacy was evaluated using calibration curves and decision curves. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to investigate the functional enrichment of biomarkers. Correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between biomarkers and immune cell infiltration levels and common immune checkpoint in KIRC samples.

RESULTS

By intersecting 575 KIRC-related module lncRNAs, 1773 differentially expressed lncRNAs, and 62 m7G-related lncRNAs, we identified 42 DE-m7G-lncRNAs. Using XGBoost and Boruta algorithms, 8 biomarkers for KIRC were selected. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed significant survival differences in KIRC patients with high and low expression of the PTCSC3 and RP11-321G12.1. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that AP000696.2, PTCSC3 and clinical characteristics were independent prognostic factors for patients with KIRC. A nomogram based on these prognostic factors accurately predicted the prognosis of KIRC patients. The biomarkers showed associations with clinical features of KIRC patients, mainly localized in the cytoplasm and related to cytokine-mediated immune response. Furthermore, immune feature analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in immune cell infiltration levels in KIRC samples compared to normal samples, with a negative correlation observed between the biomarkers and most differentially infiltrating immune cells and common immune checkpoints.

CONCLUSION

In summary, this study discovered eight prognostic biomarkers associated with KIRC patients. These biomarkers showed significant correlations with clinical features, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint expression in KIRC patients, laying a theoretical foundation for the diagnosis and treatment of KIRC.

A review on the biological roles of LncRNA PTCSC3 in cancerous and non-cancerous disorders

Long non-coding RNA papillary thyroid carcinoma susceptibility candidate 3 (LncRNA PTCSC3) is located on human chromosome 14q13.3. PTCSC3 functions as a tumor suppressor lncRNA to regulate essential cellular processes such as apoptosis, cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. PTCSC3 is also involved in the regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, aerobic glycolysis, and p53 pathways. Downregulation of PTCSC3 has been associated with an increased risk of many tumors such as thyroid, gastric, laryngeal, breast, cervical, oral, lung, and glioma cancers. In addition, dysregulation of PTCSC3 has been reported in non-cancerous disorders notably osteoporosis and periodontitis. However, a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms at PTCSC3 have been linked to a higher risk of human diseases. This literature review summarizes the diagnostic, prognostic, and the clinical value of abnormal expression of PTCSC3 in cancerous and non-cancerous disorders and comprehensively analyzes potential molecular regulatory mechanism related to PTCSC3, which is expected to provide clear guidance for future PTCSC3 research.

LINC01089 blocks malignant progression of thyroid cancer by binding miR-27b-3p to enhance the FBLN5 protein level

LINC01089 suppresses the malignant progression of breast, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers. However, the function of LINC01089 in thyroid cancer has not yet been elucidated. Here, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database showed that LINC01089 expression is remarkably reduced in thyroid cancer tissues. Lower LINC01089 expression was correlated with higher tumor stage and regional lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, LINC01089 overexpression effectively blocked thyroid cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. LINC01089 acted as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-27b-3p, thus inhibiting miR-27b-3p expression. miR-27b-3p overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of thyroid cancer, reversing the effect of LINC01089 overexpression on thyroid cancer. Fibulin-5 (FBLN5) was discovered as a target of miR-27b-3p in thyroid cancer. FBLN5 expression was found to be underexpressed in thyroid cancer and was enhanced and reduced by LINC00987 overexpression and miR-27b-3p overexpression, respectively. Furthermore, FBLN5 knockdown promoted the malignant progression of thyroid cancer cells by counteracting the effect of LINC00987. In conclusion, LINC01089 plays a tumor-suppressive role by binding miR-27b-3p to increase FBLN5 expression, confirming that LINC01089 has tremendous potential to become a therapeutic target for thyroid cancer treatment.

Research progress on the interaction between long non‑coding RNAs and RNA‑binding proteins to influence the reprogramming of tumor glucose metabolism (Review)

As epigenetic regulators, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in various important regulatory processes and typically interact with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) to exert their core functional effects. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs can regulate the occurrence and development of cancer through a variety of complex mechanisms and can also participate in tumor glucose metabolism by directly or indirectly regulating the Warburg effect. As one of the metabolic characteristics of tumor cells, the Warburg effect provides a large amount of energy and numerous intermediate products to meet the consumption demands of tumor metabolism, providing advantages for the occurrence and development of tumors. The present review article summarizes the regulatory effects of lncRNAs on the reprogramming of glucose metabolism after interacting with RBPs in tumors. The findings discussed herein may aid in the better understanding of the pathogenesis of malignancies, and may provide novel therapeutic targets, as well as new diagnostic and prognostic markers for human cancers.

Identification of Long Noncoding RNAs Associated With the Clinicopathological Features of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Complicated With Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a significant role in cancer biology. This study aimed to determine the roles of lncRNAs in establishing the differences in clinical features between patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and patients with PTC and HT. In the present study, we detected the differentially expressed lncRNAs between tumor tissues of patients with PTC with or without HT through lncRNA microarrays. The data were verified and analyzed through qRT-PCR, cell viability, cell cycle and bioinformatics analyses. We found that 1031 lncRNAs and 1338 mRNAs were abnormally expressed in 5 tissue samples of PTC complicated with HT [PTC/HT (+)] compared with 5 samples of PTC without HT [PTC/HT (-)]. Gene Ontology and pathway analyses of the mRNAs suggested that several biological processes and pathways, particularly immune system processes, were induced in the PTC/HT (+) tissues. Twenty lncRNAs were verified in 31 PTC/HT (+) and 64 PTC/HT (-) specimens by qRT-PCR, and the results were consistent with the microarray data. Specifically, ENST00000452578, a downregulated lncRNA in PTC/HT(+), was negatively correlated with the tumor size. Cell viability assays revealed that ENST00000452578 could inhibit cell proliferation. Our results indicate that lncRNAs and mRNAs play an important role in establishing the different clinical characteristics between patients with PTC/HT(+) and patients with PTC/HT(-), and might provide new insights from the perspective of RNA for obtaining a further understanding of the clinical features related to PTC with HT.