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Hu H, Zhong Z, Meng L, Chen J, Yu Z, Lu K. Knockdown of NR4A1 alleviates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity through inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 700:149582. [PMID: 38306930 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used antitumor drug, but its clinical applicability is hampered by the unfortunate side effect of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). In our current study, we retrieved three high-throughput sequencing datasets related to DIC from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. We conducted differential analysis using R (DESeq2) to pinpoint differentially expressed genes (DEGs, and identified 11 genes that were consistently altered in both the control and DOX-treated groups. Notably, our Random Forest analysis of these three GEO datasets highlighted the significance of nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1) in the context of DIC. The DOX-induced mouse model and cell model were used for the in vivo and in vitro studies to reveal the role of NR4A1 in DIC. We found that silencing NR4A1 by adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) contained shRNA in vivo alleviated the DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction, cardiomyocyte injury and fibrosis. Mechanistically, we found NR4A1 silencing was able to inhibit DOX-induced the cleavage of NLRP3, IL-1β and GSDMD in vivo. Further in vitro studies have shown that inhibition of NR4A1 suppressed DOX-induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress through the same molecular mechanism. We prove that NR4A1 plays a critical role in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by inducing pyroptosis via activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, and it might be a promising therapeutic target for DIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Hu
- Department of Cardiology, Fifth School of Clinical Medicine of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Huzhou Central Hospital, Zhejiang, 313000, China
| | - Zuoquan Zhong
- The First Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Liping Meng
- Department of Cardiology, Shaoxing People's Hospital, Zhejiang, 312000, China
| | - Jiming Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Fifth School of Clinical Medicine of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Huzhou Central Hospital, Zhejiang, 313000, China
| | - Ziheng Yu
- Department of Cardiology, Fifth School of Clinical Medicine of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Huzhou Central Hospital, Zhejiang, 313000, China
| | - Kongjie Lu
- Department of Cardiology, Fifth School of Clinical Medicine of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Huzhou Central Hospital, Zhejiang, 313000, China.
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Huang F, Xue F, Wang Q, Huang Y, Wan Z, Cao X, Zhong L. Transcription factor-target gene regulatory network analysis in human lung adenocarcinoma. J Thorac Dis 2023; 15:6996-7012. [PMID: 38249888 PMCID: PMC10797383 DOI: 10.21037/jtd-23-1688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Background Transcription factors (TFs) play a crucial role in the occurrence and progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and targeting TFs is an important direction for treating LUAD. However, targeting a single TF often fails to achieve satisfactory therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, the regulatory TF-target gene networks involved in the development of LUAD is complex and not yet fully understood. Methods In this study, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze the transcriptome profile of human LUAD tissues and matched adjacent nontumor tissues. We selected the differentially expressed TFs, performed enrichment analysis and survival curve analysis, and predicted the regulatory networks of the top differential TFs with their target genes. Finally, alternative splicing analyses were also performed. Results We found that TFs GRHL3, SIX1, SIX2, SPDEF, and ETV4 were upregulated, while TAL1, EPAS1, SOX17, NR4A1, and EGR3 were significantly downregulated in LUAD tissues compared to normal tissues. We propose a potential GRHL3-CDH15-Wnt-β-catenin pro-oncogenic signaling axis and a potential TAL1-ADAMTS1-vascular antioncogenic signaling axis. In addition, we found that alternative splicing of intron retention (IR), approximate IR (XIR), multi-IR (MIR), approximate MIR (XMIR), and approximate alternative exon ends (XAE) showed abnormally increased frequencies in LUAD tissues. Conclusions These findings revealed a novel TF-target gene regulatory axis related to tumorigenesis and provided potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms for LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Huang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Fangsu Xue
- Department of Respiration, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Department of Thoracic surgery, Nantong Tumor Hospital/Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yuchen Huang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Zixin Wan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xiaowen Cao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Lou Zhong
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Fan C, González-Prieto R, Kuipers TB, Vertegaal ACO, van Veelen PA, Mei H, Ten Dijke P. The lncRNA LETS1 promotes TGF-β-induced EMT and cancer cell migration by transcriptionally activating a TβR1-stabilizing mechanism. Sci Signal 2023; 16:eadf1947. [PMID: 37339182 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adf1947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling is a critical driver of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer progression. In SMAD-dependent TGF-β signaling, activation of the TGF-β receptor complex stimulates the phosphorylation of the intracellular receptor-associated SMADs (SMAD2 and SMAD3), which translocate to the nucleus to promote target gene expression. SMAD7 inhibits signaling through the pathway by promoting the polyubiquitination of the TGF-β type I receptor (TβRI). We identified an unannotated nuclear long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that we designated LETS1 (lncRNA enforcing TGF-β signaling 1) that was not only increased but also perpetuated by TGF-β signaling. Loss of LETS1 attenuated TGF-β-induced EMT and migration in breast and lung cancer cells in vitro and extravasation of the cells in a zebrafish xenograft model. LETS1 potentiated TGF-β-SMAD signaling by stabilizing cell surface TβRI, thereby forming a positive feedback loop. Specifically, LETS1 inhibited TβRI polyubiquitination by binding to nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT5) and inducing the expression of the gene encoding the orphan nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1), a component of a destruction complex for SMAD7. Overall, our findings characterize LETS1 as an EMT-promoting lncRNA that potentiates signaling through TGF-β receptor complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuannan Fan
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Román González-Prieto
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands
- Genome Proteomics Laboratory, Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), University of Seville, Américo Vespucio 24, 41092 Seville, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Seville, Américo Vespucio 24, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Thomas B Kuipers
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Sequencing Analysis Support Core, Leiden University Medical Center, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Alfred C O Vertegaal
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Peter A van Veelen
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Hailiang Mei
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Sequencing Analysis Support Core, Leiden University Medical Center, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands
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Tao Y, Tang C, Wei J, Shan Y, Fang X, Li Y. Nr4a1 promotes renal interstitial fibrosis by regulating the p38 MAPK phosphorylation. Mol Med 2023; 29:63. [PMID: 37161357 PMCID: PMC10169452 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00657-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) is a common pathway to end-stage renal disease regardless of the initial etiology. Currently, the molecular mechanisms for RIF remains not fully elucidated. Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1(Nr4a1), a member of the NR4A subfamily of nuclear receptors, is a ligand-activated transcription factor. The role of Nr4a1 in RIF remains largely unknown. METHODS In this study, we determined the role and action mechanism of Nr4a1 in RIF. We used unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mice and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-treated human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) as in vivo and in vitro models of RIF. A specific Nr4a1 agonist Cytosporone B (Csn-B) was applied to activate Nr4a1 both in vivo and in vitro, and Nr4a1 small interfering RNA was applied in vitro. Renal pathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining, and the expression of fibrotic proteins including fibronectin (Fn) and collagen-I (Col-I), and phosphorylated p38 MAPK was measure by immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis. RESULTS The results showed that Nr4a1 was upregulated in UUO mouse kidneys, and was positively correlated with the degree of interstitial kidney injury and the levels of fibrotic proteins. Csn-B treatment aggravated UUO-induced renal interstitial fibrosis, and induced p38 MAPK phosphorylation. In vitro, TGF-β induced Nr4a1 expression, and Nr4a1 downregulation prevented TGF-β1-induced expression of Fn and Col-I and the activation of p38 MAPK. Csn-B induced fibrotic proteins expression and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, and moreover Csn-B induced fibrotic proteins expression was abrogated by treatment with p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. We provided further evidence that Csn-B treatment promoted cytoplasmic accumulation of Nr4a1. CONCLUSION The findings in the present study indicate that Nr4a1 promotes renal fibrosis potentially through activating p38 MAPK kinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Tao
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Human, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification in Human Province, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Chengyuan Tang
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Human, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification in Human Province, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Ju Wei
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Human, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification in Human Province, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Yi Shan
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Human, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification in Human Province, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Xi Fang
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Human, China
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification in Human Province, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Human, China.
- Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification in Human Province, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China.
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Mohankumar K, Shrestha R, Safe S. Nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1) antagonists target paraspeckle component 1 (PSPC1) in cancer cells. Mol Carcinog 2022; 61:73-84. [PMID: 34699643 PMCID: PMC8665050 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Paraspeckles compound 1 (PSPC1) is a multifunctional protein that plays an important role in cancer cells, where PSPC1 is a master regulator of pro-oncogenic responses that includes activation of TGFβ (TGFβ1), TGFβ-dependent EMT, and metastasis. The pro-oncogenic activities of PSPC1 closely resembled those observed for the orphan nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1, Nur77) and knockdown of NR4A1 decreased expression of PSPC1 in MDA-MB-231 breast, H1299 lung, and SNU449 liver cancer cells. Similar results were observed in these same cell lines after treatment with bisindole-derived (CDIMs) NR4A1 antagonists. Moreover, PSPC1-dependent regulation of TGFβ, genes associated with cancer stem cells and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) were also downregulated after NR4A1 silencing or treatment of breast, lung, and liver cancer cells with CDIM/NR4A1 antagonists. Results of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays suggest that NR4A1 regulates PSPC1 through interaction with an NBRE sequence in the PSPC1 gene promoter. These results coupled with in vivo studies showing that NR4A1 antagonists inhibit breast tumor growth and downregulate PSPC1 in tumors indicate that the pro-oncogenic nuclear PSPC1 factor can be targeted by CDIM/NR4A1 antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumaravel Mohankumar
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA
| | - Rupesh Shrestha
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, 77843
| | - Stephen Safe
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA
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Sun E, Zhang P. RNF12 Promotes Glioblastoma Malignant Proliferation via Destructing RB1 and Regulating MAPK Pathway. JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING 2021; 2021:4711232. [PMID: 34900190 PMCID: PMC8654525 DOI: 10.1155/2021/4711232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Background RNF12 has been linked to a variety of biological activities, including the control of the MDM2/P53 pathway, although its additional functions remain unclear. RNF12 was discovered to be a new ubiquitin ligase (E3) for RB1, amongst the most frequently repressed proteins in cancer of human. Method Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to detect the cell proliferation; coimmunoprecipitation was used to determine that RNF12 interacts with RB1. Xenograft studies were used to verify the results. Result In vivo and in vitro RNF12 interacts with RB1 regardless of E3 ligase activity. The ubiquitination of RB1 by RNF12 had an effect on its stability. RNF12 inhibits the RB1 protein and stimulates the MAPK pathway, promoting the growth of GBMs. Conclusion Our findings show that RNF12 may operate as a tumour promoter by modulating the cancerous proliferation of glioblastoma by controlling the activity of a new RNF12/RB1/MAPK pathway regulatory axis and that this regulatory axis might be a valuable diagnostic focus in glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eryi Sun
- Zhenjiang First People's Hospital, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Medical Supplies Center of PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
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Hatano S, Matsuda S, Okanobu A, Furutama D, Memida T, Kajiya M, Ouhara K, Fujita T, Mizuno N, Kurihara H. The role of nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1) in drug-induced gingival overgrowth. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21693. [PMID: 34109683 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100032r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Drug-induced gingival overgrowth (DIGO) is a side effect of cyclosporine A (CsA), nifedipine (NIF), and phenytoin (PHT). Nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1) plays a role in fibrosis in multiple organs. However, the relationship between NR4A1 and DIGO remains unclear. We herein investigated the involvement of NR4A1 in DIGO. In the DIGO mouse model, CsA inhibited the up-regulation of Nr4a1 expression induced by periodontal disease (PD) in gingival tissue, but not that of Col1a1 and Pai1. We detected gingival overgrowth (GO) in Nr4a1 knock out (KO) mice with PD. A NR4A1 agonist inhibited the development of GO in DIGO model mice. TGF-β increased Col1a1 and Pai1 expression levels in KO mouse gingival fibroblasts (mGF) than in wild-type mice, while the overexpression of NR4A1 in KO mGF suppressed the levels. NR4A1 expression levels in gingival tissue were significantly lower in DIGO patients than in PD patients. We also investigated the relationship between nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and NR4A1. NFATc3 siRNA suppressed the TGF-β-induced up-regulation of NR4A1 mRNA expression in human gingival fibroblasts (hGF). CsA suppressed the TGF-β-induced translocation of NFATc3 into the nuclei of hGF. Furthermore, NIF and PHT also decreased NR4A1 mRNA expression levels and suppressed the translocation of NFATc3 in hGF. We confirmed that CsA, NIF, and PHT reduced cytosolic calcium levels increased by TGF-β, while CaCl2 enhanced the TGF-β-up-regulated NR4A1 expression. We propose that the suppression of the calcium-NFATc3-NR4A1 cascade by these three drugs plays a role in the development of DIGO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saki Hatano
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shinji Matsuda
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ai Okanobu
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Daisuke Furutama
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takumi Memida
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Mikihito Kajiya
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Ouhara
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Fujita
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Noriyoshi Mizuno
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hidemi Kurihara
- Department of Periodontal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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NR4A1 Regulates Tamoxifen Resistance by Suppressing ERK Signaling in ER-Positive Breast Cancer. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071633. [PMID: 34209871 PMCID: PMC8307977 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocrine therapy is used to treat estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. Tamoxifen is effective against this cancer subtype. Nonetheless, approximately 30% of patients treated with tamoxifen acquire resistance, resulting in therapeutic challenges. NR4A1 plays key roles in processes associated with carcinogenesis, apoptosis, DNA repair, proliferation, and inflammation. However, the role of NR4A1 in tamoxifen-resistant ER-positive breast cancer has not yet been elucidated. Here, we propose that NR4A1 is a promising target to overcome tamoxifen resistance. NR4A1 gene expression was downregulated in tamoxifen-resistant MCF7 (TamR) cells compared to that in MCF7 cells. Kaplan-Meier plots were used to identify high NR4A1 expression correlated with increased survival rates in patients with ER-positive breast cancer following tamoxifen treatment. Gain and loss of function experiments showed that NR4A1 restores sensitivity to tamoxifen by regulating cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. NR4A1 localized to the cytoplasm enhanced the expression of apoptotic factors. In silico and in vitro analyses revealed that NR4A1 enhanced responsiveness to tamoxifen by suppressing ERK signaling in ER-positive breast cancer, suggesting that the NR4A1/ERK signaling axis modulates tamoxifen resistance. These results indicate that NR4A1 could be a potential therapeutic target to overcome tamoxifen resistance in ER-positive breast cancer.
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9
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NR4A1 Regulates Tamoxifen Resistance by Suppressing ERK Signaling in ER-Positive Breast Cancer. Cells 2021. [PMID: 34209871 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071633/s1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine therapy is used to treat estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. Tamoxifen is effective against this cancer subtype. Nonetheless, approximately 30% of patients treated with tamoxifen acquire resistance, resulting in therapeutic challenges. NR4A1 plays key roles in processes associated with carcinogenesis, apoptosis, DNA repair, proliferation, and inflammation. However, the role of NR4A1 in tamoxifen-resistant ER-positive breast cancer has not yet been elucidated. Here, we propose that NR4A1 is a promising target to overcome tamoxifen resistance. NR4A1 gene expression was downregulated in tamoxifen-resistant MCF7 (TamR) cells compared to that in MCF7 cells. Kaplan-Meier plots were used to identify high NR4A1 expression correlated with increased survival rates in patients with ER-positive breast cancer following tamoxifen treatment. Gain and loss of function experiments showed that NR4A1 restores sensitivity to tamoxifen by regulating cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. NR4A1 localized to the cytoplasm enhanced the expression of apoptotic factors. In silico and in vitro analyses revealed that NR4A1 enhanced responsiveness to tamoxifen by suppressing ERK signaling in ER-positive breast cancer, suggesting that the NR4A1/ERK signaling axis modulates tamoxifen resistance. These results indicate that NR4A1 could be a potential therapeutic target to overcome tamoxifen resistance in ER-positive breast cancer.
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Naderi A, Soltanmaohammadi E, Kaza V, Barlow S, Chatzistamou I, Kiaris H. Persistent effects of pair bonding in lung cancer cell growth in monogamous Peromyscus californicus. eLife 2021; 10:e64711. [PMID: 33960931 PMCID: PMC8104960 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence suggests that social interactions and especially bonding between couples influence tumorigenesis, yet whether this is due to lifestyle changes, homogamy (likelihood of individuals to marry people of similar health), or directly associated with host-induced effects in tumors remains debatable. In the present study, we explored if tumorigenesis is associated with the bonding experience in monogamous rodents at which disruption of pair bonds is linked to anxiety and stress. Comparison of lung cancer cell spheroids that formed in the presence of sera from bonded and bond-disrupted deer mice showed that in monogamous Peromyscus polionotus and Peromyscus californicus, but not in polygamous Peromyscus maniculatus, the disruption of pair bonds altered the size and morphology of spheroids in a manner that is consistent with the acquisition of increased oncogenic potential. In vivo, consecutive transplantation of human lung cancer cells between P. californicus, differing in bonding experiences (n = 9 for bonded and n = 7 for bond-disrupted), and nude mice showed that bonding suppressed tumorigenicity in nude mice (p<0.05), suggesting that the protective effects of pair bonds persisted even after bonding ceased. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering indicated that the transcriptomes of lung cancer cells clustered according to the serum donors' bonding history while differential gene expression analysis pointed to changes in cell adhesion and migration. The results highlight the pro-oncogenic effects of pair-bond disruption, point to the acquisition of expression signatures in cancer cells that are relevant to the bonding experiences of serum donors, and question the ability of conventional mouse models to capture the whole spectrum of the impact of the host in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asieh Naderi
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Elham Soltanmaohammadi
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Vimala Kaza
- Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Shayne Barlow
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Department of Laboratory Animal Resources, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Ioulia Chatzistamou
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Hippokratis Kiaris
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
- Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
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Yang HX, Sun JH, Yao TT, Li Y, Xu GR, Zhang C, Liu XC, Zhou WW, Song QH, Zhang Y, Li AY. Bellidifolin Ameliorates Isoprenaline-Induced Myocardial Fibrosis by Regulating TGF-β1/Smads and p38 Signaling and Preventing NR4A1 Cytoplasmic Localization. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:644886. [PMID: 33995055 PMCID: PMC8120298 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.644886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Myocardial fibrosis is closely related to high morbidity and mortality. In Inner Mongolia, Gentianella amarella subsp. acuta (Michx.) J.M.Gillett (G. acuta) is a kind of tea used to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Bellidifolin (BEL) is an active xanthone molecule from G. acuta that protects against myocardial damage. However, the effects and mechanisms of BEL on myocardial fibrosis have not been reported. In vivo, BEL dampened isoprenaline (ISO)-induced cardiac structure disturbance and collagen deposition. In vitro, BEL inhibited transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced cardiac fibroblast (CF) proliferation. In vivo and in vitro, BEL decreased the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ, and inhibited TGF-β1/Smads signaling. Additionally, BEL impeded p38 activation and NR4A1 (an endogenous inhibitor for pro-fibrogenic activities of TGF-β1) phosphorylation and inactivation in vitro. In CFs, inhibition of p38 by SB203580 inhibited the phosphorylation of NR4A1 and did not limit Smad3 phosphorylation, and blocking TGF-β signaling by LY2157299 and SB203580 could decrease the expression of α-SMA, collagen I and III. Overall, both cell and animal studies provide a potential role for BEL against myocardial fibrosis by inhibiting the proliferation and phenotypic transformation of CFs. These inhibitory effects might be related to regulating TGF-β1/Smads pathway and p38 signaling and preventing NR4A1 cytoplasmic localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Xia Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China.,Department of Clinical Foundation of Chinese Medicine, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Jia-Huan Sun
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Ting-Ting Yao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Geng-Rui Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Chuang Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xing-Chao Liu
- Hebei Higher Education Institute Applied Technology Research Center on TCM Formula Preparation, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Wei-Wei Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Qiu-Hang Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Higher Education Institute Applied Technology Research Center on TCM Formula Preparation, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research on Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Higher Education Institute Applied Technology Research Center on TCM Formula Preparation, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research on Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Ai-Ying Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Higher Education Institute Applied Technology Research Center on TCM Formula Preparation, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research on Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, China
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12
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Ye H, Pan J, Gong E, Cai X, Xu C, Li Y, Zheng H, Cao Z. Inhibitory Effect of Immunologically Activated Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Lung Cancer Cell Growth and Metastasis. Cancer Biother Radiopharm 2021. [PMID: 33769841 DOI: 10.1089/cbr.2020.3855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could inhibit the proliferation of lung cancer cells. The authors' study aimed to investigate the effects of immunologically activated human umbilical cord (HUC)-MSCs on A549 lung cancer cells. Materials and Methods: HUC-MSCs were separated from the umbilical cord using the adherence method. Surface markers of HUC-MSCs were detected by flow cytometry for MSC identification. Imiquimod (TLR7 agonist) was incubated with HUC-MSCs for immune activation, and the expression of MSC-specific markers and immune inflammatory molecules was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. HUC A549 cells were cocultured with HUC-MSCs treated with imiquimod, siTLR7 (small interfering RNA for TLR7) or TLR7 overexpression, and then cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion, and the expression of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and NF-κB was investigated using MTT assay, clone formation assay, transwell assay, and western blot, respectively. Results: HUC-MSCs were identified as positive for CD73, CD105, CD44, CD29, and CD90. Expression of MSC markers was inhibited, while those of immune inflammatory molecules expression except IL-6 (interleukin-6) was enhanced after MSCs were immunologically activated by imiquimod. After being cocultured with HUC-MSCs treated with imiquimod or overexpressed TLR7, cell viability, proliferation, and metastasis, and the phosphorylation of P65 and AKT in A549 cells were decreased, but apoptosis was increased, while siTLR7 showed the opposite effect HUC. Conclusions: Immunologically activated HUC-MSCs inhibited the growth and metastasis, yet, promoted the apoptosis of A549 lung cancer cells via regulating the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Ye
- Department of Medical Examination Center, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, China
| | - Jiongwei Pan
- Department of Respiratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, China
| | - Enhui Gong
- Department of Respiratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, China
| | - Xiaoping Cai
- Department of Respiratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, China
| | - Cunlai Xu
- Department of Respiratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, China
| | - Yuling Li
- Department of Respiratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- Department of Respiratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, China
| | - Zhuo Cao
- Department of Respiration, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, People's Hospital of Longquan, Lishui, China
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13
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Teicher BA. TGFβ-Directed Therapeutics: 2020. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 217:107666. [PMID: 32835827 PMCID: PMC7770020 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) pathway is essential during embryo development and in maintaining normal homeostasis. During malignancy, the TGFβ pathway is co-opted by the tumor to increase fibrotic stroma, to promote epithelial to mesenchymal transition increasing metastasis and producing an immune-suppressed microenvironment which protects the tumor from recognition by the immune system. Compelling preclinical data demonstrate the therapeutic potential of blocking TGFβ function in cancer. However, the TGFβ pathway cannot be described as a driver of malignant disease. Two small molecule kinase inhibitors which block the serine-threonine kinase activity of TGFβRI on TGFβRII, a pan-TGFβ neutralizing antibody, a TGFβ trap, a TGFβ antisense agent, an antibody which stabilizes the latent complex of TGFβ and a fusion protein which neutralizes TGFβ and binds PD-L1 are in clinical development. The challenge is how to most effectively incorporate blocking TGFβ activity alone and in combination with other therapeutics to improve treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beverly A Teicher
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, DCTD, National Cancer Institute, RM 4-W602, MSC 9735, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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14
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Jin JO, Lee GD, Nam SH, Lee TH, Kang DH, Yun JK, Lee PCW. Sequential ubiquitination of p53 by TRIM28, RLIM, and MDM2 in lung tumorigenesis. Cell Death Differ 2020; 28:1790-1803. [PMID: 33328571 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-020-00701-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tripartite motif-containing 28 (TRIM28) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase harboring multiple cellular functions. We found that the TRIM28 protein is frequently overexpressed in patients with lung cancer. The stable overexpression of TRIM28 in lung cancer cells and xenograft models significantly increased the proliferation, migration, and invasiveness, whereas knockdown of TRIM28 had the opposite effect. We further observed that TRIM28 regulates the ubiquitin ligases RLIM and MDM2 to target the p53 levels during lung tumorigenesis. These data provide new insights into lung cancer development and potential new therapeutic targets for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-O Jin
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, China.,Department of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Geun Dong Lee
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.,Lung Cancer Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Hee Nam
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hyeong Lee
- Lung Cancer Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Hoon Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Kwang Yun
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.,Lung Cancer Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Peter Chang-Whan Lee
- Lung Cancer Research Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Shrestha R, Mohankumar K, Jin UH, Martin G, Safe S. The Histone Methyltransferase Gene G9A Is Regulated by Nuclear Receptor 4A1 in Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 20:612-622. [PMID: 33277444 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The histone methyltransferase G9A (EHMT2) gene catalyzes methylation of histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9), and this gene silencing activity contributes to the tumor promoter-like activity of G9A in several tumor types including alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS). Previous studies show the orphan nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1, Nur77) is overexpressed in rhabdomyosarcoma and exhibits pro-oncogenic activity. In this study, we show that knockdown of NR4A1 in ARMS cells decreased expression of G9A mRNA and protein. Moreover, treatment of ARMS cells with several bis-indole-derived NR4A1 ligands (antagonists) including 1,1-bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane (CDIM8), 3,5-dimethyl (3,5-(CH3)2), and 3-bromo-5-methoxy (3-Br-5-OCH3) analogs also decreased G9A expression. Furthermore, NR4A1 antagonists also decreased G9A expression in breast, lung, liver, and endometrial cancer cells confirming that G9A is an NR4A1-regulated gene in ARMS and other cancer cell lines. Mechanistic studies showed that the NR4A1/Sp1 complex interacted with the GC-rich 511 region of the G9A promoter to regulate G9A gene expression. Moreover, knockdown of NR4A1 or treatment with NR4A1 receptor antagonists decreased overall H3K9me2, H3K9me2 associated with the PTEN promoter, and PTEN-regulated phospho-Akt. In vivo studies showed that the NR4A1 antagonist (3-Br-5-OCH3) inhibited tumor growth in athymic nude mice bearing Rh30 ARMS cells and confirmed that G9A was an NR4A1-regulated gene that can be targeted by NR4A1 receptor antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupesh Shrestha
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Kumaravel Mohankumar
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Un-Ho Jin
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gregory Martin
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Stephen Safe
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. .,Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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16
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Safe S, Karki K. The Paradoxical Roles of Orphan Nuclear Receptor 4A (NR4A) in Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2020; 19:180-191. [PMID: 33106376 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-20-0707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The three-orphan nuclear receptor 4A genes are induced by diverse stressors and stimuli, and there is increasing evidence that NR4A1 (Nur77), NR4A2 (Nurr1), and NR4A3 (Nor1) play an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and in pathophysiology. In blood-derived tumors (leukemias and lymphomas), NR4A expression is low and NR4A1-/-/NR4A3-/- double knockout mice rapidly develop acute myelocytic leukemia, suggesting that these receptors exhibit tumor suppressor activity. Treatment of leukemia and most lymphoma cells with drugs that induce expression of NR4A1and NR4A3 enhances apoptosis, and this represents a potential clinical application for treating this disease. In contrast, most solid tumor-derived cell lines express high levels of NR4A1 and NR4A2, and both receptors exhibit pro-oncogenic activities in solid tumors, whereas NR4A3 exhibits tumor-specific activities. Initial studies with retinoids and apoptosis-inducing agents demonstrated that their cytotoxic activity is NR4A1 dependent and involved drug-induced nuclear export of NR4A1 and formation of a mitochondrial proapoptotic NR4A1-bcl-2 complex. Drug-induced nuclear export of NR4A1 has been reported for many agents/biologics and involves interactions with multiple mitochondrial and extramitochondrial factors to induce apoptosis. Synthetic ligands for NR4A1, NR4A2, and NR4A3 have been identified, and among these compounds, bis-indole derived (CDIM) NR4A1 ligands primarily act on nuclear NR4A1 to inhibit NR4A1-regulated pro-oncogenic pathways/genes and similar results have been observed for CDIMs that bind NR4A2. Based on results of laboratory animal studies development of NR4A inducers (blood-derived cancers) and NR4A1/NR4A2 antagonists (solid tumors) may be promising for cancer therapy and also for enhancing immune surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Safe
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
| | - Keshav Karki
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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17
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Li R, Liu X, Zhou XJ, Chen X, Li JP, Yin YH, Qu YQ. Identification of a Prognostic Model Based on Immune-Related Genes of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1588. [PMID: 33014809 PMCID: PMC7493716 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune-related genes (IRGs) play considerable roles in tumor immune microenvironment (IME). This research aimed to discover the differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs) based on the Cox predictive model to predict survival for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) through bioinformatics analysis. First of all, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were acquired based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) using the limma R package, the DEIRGs were obtained from the ImmPort database, whereas the differentially expressed transcription factors (DETFs) were acquired from the Cistrome database. Thereafter, a TFs-mediated IRGs network was constructed to identify the candidate mechanisms for those DEIRGs in LUSC at molecular level. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO), together with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, was conducted for exploring those functional enrichments for DEIRGs. Besides, univariate as well as multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted for establishing a prediction model for DEIRGs biomarkers. In addition, the relationship between the prognostic model and immunocytes was further explored through immunocyte correlation analysis. In total, 3,599 DEGs, 223 DEIRGs, and 46 DETFs were obtained from LUSC tissues and adjacent non-carcinoma tissues. According to multivariate Cox regression analysis, 10 DEIRGs (including CALCB, GCGR, HTR3A, AMH, VGF, SEMA3B, NRTN, ENG, ACVRL1, and NR4A1) were retrieved to establish a prognostic model for LUSC. Immunocyte infiltration analysis showed that dendritic cells and neutrophils were positively correlated with IRGs, which possibly exerted an important part within the IME of LUSC. Our study identifies a prognostic model based on IRGs, which is then used to predict LUSC prognosis and analyze immunocyte infiltration. This may provide a novel insight for exploring the potential IRGs in the IME of LUSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xi-Jia Zhou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tai'an City Central Hospital, Tai'an, China
| | - Jian-Ping Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yun-Hong Yin
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yi-Qing Qu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
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18
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Wang Z, Jiang Z, Zhou J, Liu Z. circRNA RNF111 regulates the growth, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells by binding to miR‑27b‑3p. Int J Mol Med 2020; 46:1873-1885. [PMID: 33000178 PMCID: PMC7521560 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2020.4709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
hsa_circ_0001982 [circRNA ring finger protein 111 (RNF111)] has been found to promote cancer growth; however, its role in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. The present study examined the effects of circR-RNF111 on the growth, migration and invasion of GC cells and aimed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The expression levels of circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p in GC tissues and GC cell lines were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). StarBase v2.0 and dual-luciferase assay were used to predict and analyze the association between circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p. The effects of circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p on cell growth, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, wound-healing assay and Transwell assay, respectively. In addition, western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression levels of genes related to cell apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The results revealed that circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p were closely related to the clinicopathological characteristics of GC, and that circR-RNF111 and miR-27b-3p negatively correlated and were abnormally expressed in GC. circR-RNF111 acted as a sponge of miR-27b-3p. The silencing of circR-RNF111 significantly inhibited GC cell viability, colony formation, migration and invasion, and exerted a pro-apoptotic effect. miR-27b-3p inhibitor promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells, and inhibited cell apoptosis. In addition, circR-RNF111 silencing significantly decreased the expression levels of Bcl2, Vimentin and N-cadherin, and increased those of cleaved caspase-3 and E-cadherin. Furthermore, miR-27b-3p inhibition reversed the regulatory effects of circR-RNF111 silencing on the GC cells. On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrate that circR-RNF111 is involved in the regulation of growth, migration and invasion of GC cells by binding to miR-27b-3p.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibing Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210006, P.R. China
| | - Zongdan Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210006, P.R. China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210006, P.R. China
| | - Zheng Liu
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210011, P.R. China
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19
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Shrestha R, Mohankumar K, Safe S. Bis-indole derived nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1) antagonists inhibit TGFβ-induced invasion of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:2495-2509. [PMID: 32905449 PMCID: PMC7471359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) enhances invasion of breast and lung cancer cells through phosphorylation-dependent nuclear export of the nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1, Nur77). This response is inhibited by the NR4A1 antagonist 1,1-bis(3'-indoly)-1-(p-hydroxyphenyl) methane (CDIM8) and we hypothesized that similar effects would be observed in Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cells. Although some kinase inhibitors block TGFβ-induced invasion of embryonal RMS (ERMS) cells, the mechanism differs from breast and lung cancer cells since NR4A1 is extranuclear in ERMS cells. However, CDIM8 blocks basal and TGFβ-induced invasion of RD and SMS-CTR ERMS cell lines but not Rh30 alveolar RMS (ARMS) cells. Moreover, this response in ERMS cells was independent of SMAD7 degradation or activation of SMAD2/SMAD3. β-Catenin silencing decreased ERMS cell invasion and CDIM8 induced proteasome-independent downregulation of β-catenin. The novel mechanism of CDIM8-mediated inhibition of basal and TGFβ-induced ERMS cell invasion was due to activation of the Bcl-2-NR4A1 complex, mitochondrial disruption, induction of the tumor suppressor-like cytokine interleukin-24 (IL-24) which in turn downregulates β-catenin expression. Thus, the NR4A1 antagonist inhibits TGFβ-induced invasion of ERMS cells through initial targeting of cytosolic NR4A1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupesh Shrestha
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Kumaravel Mohankumar
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Stephen Safe
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, TX 77843, USA
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20
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Mohankumar K, Li X, Sung N, Cho YJ, Han SJ, Safe S. Bis-Indole-Derived Nuclear Receptor 4A1 (NR4A1, Nur77) Ligands as Inhibitors of Endometriosis. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5758064. [PMID: 32099996 PMCID: PMC7105386 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease that primarily affects women during their reproductive years, and since current hormonal therapies are of concern, new hormone-independent treatment regimens are needed. The orphan nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1, Nur77) is expressed in patient-derived (stromal) endometriotic cells and also epithelial cell lines, and we observed that knockdown of NR4A1 in patient-derived ectopic endometrium-isolated ovarian endometrioma (ESECT)-7 and ESECT-40 cells decreased cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Moreover, the treatment of these cells with bis-indole derived NR4A1 ligands 1,1-bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(p-hydroxyphenyl)methane (DIM-C-pPhOH) and its buttressed 3-chloro-5-methoxy analog (DIM-C-pPhOH-3-Cl-5-OCH3) inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis and related genes. The compounds exhibit NR4A1 antagonist activities in both functional and transactivation assays whereas these effects were not observed in normal endometrial cells. We also observed that NR4A1 knockdown and treatment with NR4A1 antagonists decreased fibrosis, α-smooth muscle actin, and related pro-fibrotic genes in ESECT-7 and ESECT-40 cells, and similar results were observed in epithelial-derived endometriotic cell lines. Moreover, in an endometriosis mouse model with auto-transplantation and also in severe combined immune deficiency mice transplanted with human endometriotic cells treatment with 25 mg/kg/day DIM-C-pPhOH-3-Cl-5-OCH3 significantly inhibited growth and expansion of endometriotic lesions. Thus, bis-indole-derived NR4A1 ligands represent a novel class of drugs as nonhormonal therapy for endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumaravel Mohankumar
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX US
| | - Xi Li
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX US
| | - Nuri Sung
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX US
| | - Yeon Jean Cho
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dong-A University, College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jun Han
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX US
- Correspondence: Stephen Safe, Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, 4466 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4466. E-mail: ; or Sang Jun Han, Department of molecular and Cell Biology, Baylor college of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail:
| | - Stephen Safe
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX US
- Correspondence: Stephen Safe, Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, 4466 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4466. E-mail: ; or Sang Jun Han, Department of molecular and Cell Biology, Baylor college of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail:
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21
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Xiong Y, Ran J, Xu L, Tong Z, Adel Abdo MS, Ma C, Xu K, He Y, Wu Z, Chen Z, Hu P, Jiang L, Bao J, Chen W, Wu L. Reactivation of NR4A1 Restrains Chondrocyte Inflammation and Ameliorates Osteoarthritis in Rats. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:158. [PMID: 32258036 PMCID: PMC7090231 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease and uncontrolled inflammation is now recognized to play vital roles in OA development. Targeting the endogenous counterpart of inflammation may develop new therapeutic approaches in resolving inflammation persistence and treating inflammatory disease including OA. The orphan nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1) is a key negative regulator of inflammatory responses but its role in osteoarthritis remains unclear. In the present study, we found that the NR4A1 expression was elevated in human osteoarthritis cartilage and in vitro OA model, which could be blocked by NF-κB signal inhibitor JSH23. The overexpression of NR4A1 inhibited, whereas knockdown of NR4A1 enhanced IL-1β induced COX-2, iNOS, MMP3, MMP9 and MMP13 expression, and luciferase reporter activity of NF-κB response element. Though NR4A1 was upregulated in inflammatory stimulation and creates a negative feedback loop, persistent inflammatory stimulation inhibited NR4A1 expression and activation. The expression of NR4A1 declined rapidly after an initial peak in conditions of chronic IL-1β stimulation, which could be partially restored by HDACs inhibitor SAHA. The phosphorylation of NR4A1 was increased in human osteoarthritis cartilage, and p38 inhibitor SB203580, JNK inhibitor SP600125 and ERK inhibitor FR180204 could significantly inhibited IL-1β induced NR4A1 phosphorylation. Reactivation of NR4A1 by its agonist cytosporone B could inhibit IL-1β induced chondrocyte inflammation and expression of COX-2, iNOS, MMP3, MMP9, and MMP13. In rat OA model, intra-articular injection of cytosporone B protected cartilage damage and ameliorated osteoarthritis. Thus, our study demonstrated that the NR4A1 is a key endogenous inhibitor of chondrocyte inflammation, which was relatively inactivated under chronic inflammatory stimulation through HDACs mediated transcriptional suppression and MAKP dependent phosphorylation in osteoarthritis. NR4A1 agonist cytosporone B could reactivate and restore the inhibitory regulatory ability of NR4A1, prevent excessive inflammation, and ameliorates osteoarthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xiong
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jisheng Ran
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Langhai Xu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhou Tong
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Moqbel Safwat Adel Abdo
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chiyuan Ma
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kai Xu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuzhe He
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhipeng Wu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhonggai Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pengfei Hu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lifeng Jiang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiapeng Bao
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weiping Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lidong Wu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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22
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Karki K, Wright GA, Mohankumar K, Jin UH, Zhang XH, Safe S. A Bis-Indole-Derived NR4A1 Antagonist Induces PD-L1 Degradation and Enhances Antitumor Immunity. Cancer Res 2020; 80:1011-1023. [PMID: 31911554 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-2314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PD-L1 is expressed in tumor cells and its interaction with PD-1 plays an important role in evading immune surveillance; this can be overcome using PD-L1 or PD-1 immunotherapy antibodies. This study reports a novel approach for targeting PD-L1. In human breast cancer cell lines and 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cells, PD-L1 expression was regulated by the nuclear receptor NR4A1/Sp1 complex bound to the proximal germinal center (GC)-rich region of the PD-L1 gene promoter. Treatment of breast cancer cells with bis-indole-derived NR4A1 antagonists including 1,1-bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(3-chloro-4-hydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl)methane (Cl-OCH3) decreased expression of PD-L1 mRNA, promoter-dependent luciferase activity, and protein. In in vivo studies using a syngeneic mouse model bearing orthotopically injected 4T1 cells, Cl-OCH3 decreased tumor growth and weight and inhibited lung metastasis. Cl-OCH3 also decreased expression of CD3+/CD4+/CD25+/FoxP3+ regulatory T cells and increased the Teff/Treg ratio. Therefore, the potent anticancer activities of NR4A1 antagonists are also accompanied by enhanced antitumor immunity in PD-L1-expressing triple-negative breast cancer and thus represent a novel class of drugs that mimic immunotherapy. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show that the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1 controls PD-L1 expression and identify a chemical probe capable of disrupting this regulatory axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keshav Karki
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gus A Wright
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Kumaravel Mohankumar
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Un-Ho Jin
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Xing-Han Zhang
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Stephen Safe
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
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23
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Enabling precision medicine by unravelling disease pathophysiology: quantifying signal transduction pathway activity across cell and tissue types. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1603. [PMID: 30733525 PMCID: PMC6367506 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38179-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transduction pathways are important in physiology and pathophysiology. Targeted drugs aim at modifying pathogenic pathway activity, e.g., in cancer. Optimal treatment choice requires assays to measure pathway activity in individual patient tissue or cell samples. We developed a method enabling quantitative measurement of functional pathway activity based on Bayesian computational model inference of pathway activity from measurements of mRNA levels of target genes of the pathway-associated transcription factor. Oestrogen receptor, Wnt, and PI3K-FOXO pathway assays have been described previously. Here, we report model development for androgen receptor, Hedgehog, TGFβ, and NFκB pathway assays, biological validation on multiple cell types, and analysis of data from published clinical studies (multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, contact dermatitis, Ewing sarcoma, lymphoma, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, skin and prostate cancer). Multiple pathway analysis of clinical prostate cancer (PCa) studies showed increased AR activity in hyperplasia and primary PCa but variable AR activity in castrate resistant (CR) PCa, loss of TGFβ activity in PCa, increased Wnt activity in TMPRSS2:ERG fusion protein-positive PCa, active PI3K pathway in advanced PCa, and active PI3K and NFκB as potential hormonal resistance pathways. Potential value for future clinical practice includes disease subtyping and prediction and targeted therapy response prediction and monitoring.
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