Microarray data analysis to identify crucial genes regulated by CEBPB in human SNB19 glioma cells

Leveraging diverse cell-death patterns to predict the prognosis, immunotherapy and drug sensitivity of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) poses clinical challenges due to its varied prognosis, tumor microenvironment attributes, and responses to immunotherapy. We established a novel Programmed Cell Death-related Signature (PRS) for ccRCC assessment, derived through the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression method. We validated PRS using the E-MTAB-1980 dataset and created PCD-related clusters via non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). Our investigation included an in-depth analysis of immune infiltration scores using various algorithms. Additionally, we integrated data from the Cancer Immunome Atlas (TCIA) for ccRCC immunotherapy insights and leveraged the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) database to assess drug sensitivity models. We complemented our findings with single-cell sequencing data and employed the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) and qRT-PCR to compare gene expression profiles between cancerous and paracancerous tissues. PRS serves as a valuable tool for prognostication, immune characterization, tumor mutation burden estimation, immunotherapy response prediction, and drug sensitivity assessment in ccRCC. We identify five genes with significant roles in cancer promotion and three genes with cancer-suppressive properties, further validated by qRT-PCR and CPTAC analyses, showcasing gene expression differences in ccRCC tissues. Our study introduces an innovative PCD model that amalgamates diverse cell death patterns to provide accurate predictions for clinical outcomes, mutational profiles, and immune characteristics in ccRCC. Our findings hold promise for advancing personalized treatment strategies in ccRCC patients.

Molecular signatures distinguish senescent cells from inflammatory cells in aged mouse callus stromal cells

Cellular senescence plays important roles in age-related diseases, including musculoskeletal disorders. Senescent cells (SCs) exert a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) by producing SASP factors, some of which overlap with factors produced by inflammatory cells (Inf-Cs). However, the differences between SCs and Inf-Cs and how they interact with each other during fracture repair have not been well studied. Here, we analyzed single cell RNA sequencing data of aged mouse fracture callus stromal cells. We defined Inf-Cs as cells that express NF-κB Rela/Relb, SCs as cells that express the senescence genes, Cdkn1a, Cdkn2a or Cdkn2c, and inflammatory SCs (Inf-SCs) as cells that express both NF-κB and senescence genes. Differentially expressed genes and pathway analyses revealed that Inf-SCs and SCs had a similar gene expression profile and upregulated pathways that are related to DNA damage/oxidation-reduction and cellular senescence, while Inf-Cs expressed different gene signatures and pathways from SCs and Inf-SCs, mainly related to inflammation. Cellchat software analysis indicated that SCs and Inf-SCs are potential ligand-producing cells that affect Inf-Cs as target cells. Cell culture experiments demonstrated that SC conditioned medium promoted inflammatory gene expression by callus-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells, and Inf-Cs had reduced osteoblast differentiation capacity. In summary, we have identified three cell subclusters associated with inflammation and senescence in callus stromal cells, predicted potential effects of Inf-SCs and SCs on Inf-Cs by production of active ligands, and demonstrated that when mesenchymal progenitors acquire inflammatory phenotypes their osteogenic potential is reduced.

CEBPB regulates the bile acid receptor FXR to accelerate colon cancer progression by modulating aerobic glycolysis

BACKGROUND

Aerobic glycolysis is a main characteristic of tumors, and inhibited glycolysis impedes the tumor development. Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) mainly regulates bile acid metabolism. In this research, we mainly investigated whether FXR was involved in the regulation of glycolysis in colon cancer.

METHODS

The differential expression analysis was performed on FXR and Enhancer Binding Protein Beta (CEBPB) data in colon cancer downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expression levels of CEBPB and FXR. The upstream gene of FXR was predicted through bioinformatic analysis. ChIP and dual luciferease assays were performed to confirm the targeted relationship between CEBPB and FXR. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed on FXR. Finally, the glycolysis capabilities of cells in each treatment group were detected. CCK-8, colony formation assay and flow cytometry were performed to test proliferation and apoptosis of colon cancer cells.

RESULTS

FXR was lowly expressed at the cell level in colon cancer. In vitro assays verified the antitumor effect of FXR on colon cancer. ChIP and dual luciferase assays verified that transcription factor CEBPB bound with the promotor region of FXR, and negatively regulated the expression of FXR. Cell function assays proved that silenced expression of FXR promoted glycolysis, which promoted the development of colon cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

The study on FXR-regulated glycolysis of colon cancer cells helps us to further understand the molecular mechanism by which FXR regulated the development of colon cancer cells.

Scouting for common genes in the heterogenous hypoxic tumor microenvironment and their validation in glioblastoma

Investigating the therapeutic and prognostic potential of genes in the heterogeneous hypoxic niche of glioblastoma. We have analyzed RNA expression of U87MG cells cultured in hypoxia compared to normoxia. Common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from GSE45301 and GSE18494 and their functional enrichment was performed using MetaScape and PANTHER. Hub genes and their ontology were identified using MCode cytoHubba and ClueGO and validated with GlioVis, Oncomine, HPA and PrognoScan. Using the GEO2R analysis of GSE45301 and GSE18494 datasets, we have found a total of 246 common DEGs (180 upregulated and 66 downregulated) and identified 2 significant modules involved in ribosome biogenesis and TNF signaling. Meta-analysis of key genes of each module in cytoHubba identified 17 hub genes (ATF3, BYSL, DUSP1, EGFR, JUN, ETS1, LYAR, NIP7, NOLC1, NOP2, NOP56, PNO1, RRS1, TNFAIP3, TNFRSF1B, UTP15, VEGFA). Of the 17 hub genes, ATF3, BYSL, EGFR, JUN, NIP7, NOLC1, PNO1, RRS1, TNFAIP3 and VEGFA were identified as hypoxia signatures associated with poor prognosis in Glioma. Ribosome biogenesis emerged as a vital contender of possible therapeutic potential with BYSL, NIP7, NOLC1, PNO1 and RRS1 showing prognostic value.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02987-2.

Identification of WHO II/III gliomas by 16 prognostic-related gene signatures using machine learning methods

BACKGROUND

It is found that the prognosis of gliomas of the same grade has large differences among World Health Organization(WHO) grade II and III in clinical observation. Therefore, a better understanding of the genetics and molecular mechanisms underlying WHO grade II and III gliomas is required, with the aim of developing a classification scheme at the molecular level rather than the conventional pathological morphology level.

METHOD

We performed survival analysis combined with machine learning methods of Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator using expression datasets downloaded from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas as well as The Cancer Genome Atlas. Risk scores were calculated by the product of expression level of overall survival-related genes and their multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression coefficients. WHO grade II and III gliomas were categorized into the low-risk subgroup, medium-risk subgroup, and high-risk subgroup. We used the 16 prognostic-related genes as input features to build a classification model based on prognosis using a fully connected neural network. Gene function annotations were also performed.

RESULTS

The 16 genes (AKNAD1, C7orf13, CDK20, CHRFAM7A, CHRNA1, EFNB1, GAS1, HIST2H2BE, KCNK3, KLHL4, LRRK2, NXPH3, PIGZ, SAMD5, ERINC2, and SIX6) related to the glioma prognosis were screened. The 16 selected genes were associated with the development of gliomas and carcinogenesis. The accuracy of an external validation data set of the fully connected neural network model from the two cohorts reached 95.5%. Our method has good potential capability in classifying WHO grade II and III gliomas into low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk subgroups. The subgroups showed significant (P<0.01) differences in overall survival.

CONCLUSION

This resulted in the identification of 16 genes that were related to the prognosis of gliomas. Here we developed a computational method to discriminate WHO grade II and III gliomas into three subgroups with distinct prognoses. The gene expression-based method provides a reliable alternative to determine the prognosis of gliomas.

Persistence of Drug-Resistant Leukemic Stem Cells and Impaired NK Cell Immunity in CML Patients Depend on MIR300 Antiproliferative and PP2A-Activating Functions

Persistence of drug-resistant quiescent leukemic stem cells (LSC) and impaired natural killer (NK) cell immune response account for relapse of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Inactivation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is essential for CML-quiescent LSC survival and NK cell antitumor activity. Here we show that MIR300 has antiproliferative and PP2A-activating functions that are dose dependently differentially induced by CCND2/CDK6 and SET inhibition, respectively. MIR300 is upregulated in CML LSCs and NK cells by bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) signals to induce quiescence and impair immune response, respectively. Conversely, BCR-ABL1 downregulates MIR300 in CML progenitors to prevent growth arrest and PP2A-mediated apoptosis. Quiescent LSCs escape apoptosis by upregulating TUG1 long noncoding RNA that uncouples and limits MIR300 function to cytostasis. Genetic and pharmacologic MIR300 modulation and/or PP2A-activating drug treatment restore NK cell activity, inhibit BMM-induced growth arrest, and selectively trigger LSC apoptosis in vitro and in patient-derived xenografts; hence, the importance of MIR300 and PP2A activity for CML development and therapy.

Genome-wide copy number variation analysis identified ANO1 as a novel oncogene and prognostic biomarker in esophageal squamous cell cancer

Copy number variations (CNVs) represent one of the most common genomic alterations. This study aimed to evaluate the roles of genes within highly aberrant genome regions in the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). Exome sequencing data from 81 paired ESCC tissues were used to screen aberrant genomic regions. The associations between CNVs and gene expression were evaluated using gene expression data from the same individuals. Then, an RNA expression array profile from 119 ESCC samples was adopted for differential gene expression and prognostic analyses. Two independent ESCC cohorts with 315 subjects were further recruited to validate the prognostic value using immunohistochemistry tests. Finally, we explored the potential mechanism of our identified novel oncogene in ESCC. In total, 2003 genes with CNVs were observed, of which 76 genes showed recurrent CNVs in more than three samples. Among them, 32 genes were aberrantly expressed in ESCC tumor tissues and statistically correlated with CNVs. Strikingly, 4 (CTTN, SHANK2, INPPL1 and ANO1) of the 32 genes were significantly associated with the prognosis of ESCC patients. Patients with a positive expression of ANO1 had a poorer prognosis than ANO1 negative patients (overall survival rate: 42.91% versus 26.22% for ANO1-/+ samples, P < 0.001). Functionally, ANO1 promoted ESCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion by activating transforming growth factor-β pathway. Knockdown of ANO1 significantly inhibited tumor progression in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, ANO1 is a novel oncogene in ESCC and may serve as a prognostic biomarker for ESCC.

Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified six hub genes associated with rupture of intracranial aneurysms

Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are characterized by localized dilation or ballooning of a cerebral artery. When IAs rupture, blood leaks into the space around the brain to create a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The latter is associated with a higher risk of disability and mortality. The aims of this study were to gain greater insight into the pathogenesis of ruptured IAs, and to clarify whether identified hub genes represent potential biological markers for assessing the likelihood of IA progression and rupture. Briefly, the GSE36791 and GSE73378 datasets from the National Center of Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Omnibus database were reanalyzed and subjected to a weighted gene co-expression network analysis to test the association between gene sets and clinical features. The clinical significance of these genes as potential biomarkers was also examined, with their expression validated by quantitative real-time PCR. A total of 14 co-expression modules and 238 hub genes were identified. In particular, three modules (labeled turquoise, blue, and brown) were found to highly correlate with IA rupture events. Additionally, six potential biomarkers were identified (BASP1, CEBPB, ECHDC2, GZMK, KLHL3, and SLC2A3), which are strongly associated with the progression and rupture of IAs. Taken together, these findings provide novel insights into potential molecular mechanisms responsible for IAs and they highlight the potential for these particular genes to serve as biomarkers for monitoring IA rupture.

PAI-1 augments mucosal damage in colitis

There is a major unmet clinical need to identify pathways in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to classify patient disease activity, stratify patients that will benefit from targeted therapies such as anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and identify new therapeutic targets. In this study, we conducted global transcriptome analysis to identify IBD-related pathways using colon biopsies, which highlighted the coagulation gene pathway as one of the most enriched gene sets in patients with IBD. Using this gene-network analysis across 14 independent cohorts and 1800 intestinal biopsies, we found that, among the coagulation pathway genes, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression was highly enriched in active disease and in patients with IBD who did not respond to anti-TNF biologic therapy and that PAI-1 is a key link between the epithelium and inflammation. Functionally, PAI-1 and its direct target, the fibrinolytic protease tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), played an important role in regulating intestinal inflammation. Intestinal epithelial cells produced tPA, which was protective against chemical and mechanical-mediated colonic injury in mice. In contrast, PAI-1 exacerbated mucosal damage by blocking tPA-mediated cleavage and activation of anti-inflammatory TGF-β, whereas the inhibition of PAI-1 reduced both mucosal damage and inflammation. This study identifies an immune-coagulation gene axis in IBD where elevated PAI-1 may contribute to more aggressive disease.

Transcription factor CEBPB inhibits the proliferation of osteosarcoma by regulating downstream target gene CLEC5A

Objective

To screen the gene related to osteosarcoma (OS) metastasis and the molecular mechanism.

Methods

GEO database and R2 chip analysis platform were used to screen genes related to OS metastasis. UCSC gene browser was used to find the transcription factor (TF) of CLEC5A. The mRNA level and protein expression of CLEC5A in OS tissues and normal tissues were determined by RT‐PCR and Western blotting, respectively. OS cell lines MG‐63 were transfected with CEBPB recombinant plasmid. After transfection, the expression of CLEC5A in MG‐63 cells was determined and the cell proliferation situation was determined by clone formation assay.

Results

Three genes CLEC5A, ALOX5AP, and RNASE3 were obtained, and CLEC5A has the highest correlation with OS. CLEC5A has screened the gene related to OS metastasis, and CEBPB can be taken as TF regulating downstream gene CLEC5A. CEBPB can regulate the downstream CLEC5A as transcription factor. The relative mRNA level and protein expression of CLEC5A in OS tissues were significantly higher than those in normal tissues. CLEC5A can prevent OS metastasis. Transfection of CEBPB increased the expression of CLEC5A in MG‐63 cells and also inhibited the proliferation of OS.

Conclusion

CEBPB can inhibit the proliferation of OS cells via regulating the expression of CLEC5A.

MiR-9 promotes tumorigenesis and angiogenesis and is activated by MYC and OCT4 in human glioma

BACKGROUND

Glioma, characterized by its undesirable prognosis and poor survival rate, is a serious threat to human health and lives. MicroRNA-9 (miR-9) is implicated in the regulation of multiple tumors, while the mechanisms underlying its aberrant expression and functional alterations in human glioma are still controversial.

METHODS

Expressions of miR-9 were measured in GEO database, patient specimens and glioma cell lines. Gain- and loss-of-function assays were applied to identify the effects of miR-9 on glioma cells and HUVECs in vitro and in vivo. Potential targets of miR-9 were predicted by bioinformatics and further verified via in vitro experiments. Transcriptional regulation of miR-9 by MYC and OCT4 was determined in glioma cells.

RESULTS

MiR-9 was frequently up-regulated in glioma specimens and cells, and could significantly enhance proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells. In addition, miR-9 could be secreted from glioma cells via exosomes and was then absorbed by vascular endothelial cells, leading to an increase in angiogenesis. COL18A1, THBS2, PTCH1 and PHD3 were verified as the direct targets of miR-9, which could elucidate the miR-9-induced malignant phenotypes in glioma cells. MYC and OCT4 were able to bind to the promoter region of miR-9 to trigger its transcription.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results highlight that miR-9 is pivotal for glioma pathogenesis and can be treated as a potential therapeutic target for glioma.

Targeting JUN, CEBPB, and HDAC3: A Novel Strategy to Overcome Drug Resistance in Hypoxic Glioblastoma

Hypoxia is a predominant feature in glioblastoma (GBM) and contributes greatly to its drug resistance. However, the molecular mechanisms which are responsible for the development of the resistant phenotype of GBM under hypoxic conditions remain unclear. To analyze the key pathways promoting therapy resistance in hypoxic GBM, we utilized the U87-MG cell line as a human GBM cell model and the human brain HEB cell line as a non-neoplastic brain cell model. These cell lines were cultured in the presence of 21, 5, and 1% O2 for 24 h. We detected the changes in transcriptional profiling and analyzed the biological processes and functional interactions for the genes with different expression levels under different hypoxia conditions. The results indicated that those alterations of U87-MG cells presented specific transcriptional signature in response to diverse hypoxia levels. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the genes related to the DNA replication and cell cycle were suppressed, while the genes involved in tissue and system development to promote cancer development were activated following hypoxia. Moreover, functional interaction analysis suggested that the epigenetic regulator HDAC3 and the transcriptional factors CEBPB and JUN played a central role in organ and system developmental process pathway. Previous studies reported the global alterations caused by activation of HDAC3, CEBPB, and JUN could form the molecular basis of the resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy of hypoxic GBM. In our study, the significant growth inhibitory effect of temozolomide on hypoxic GBM cells could be promoted under downregulation of these genes. The experiment suggested that HDAC3, CEBPB, and JUN were closely involved in the drug-resistance phenotype of hypoxic GBM. In summary, we profiled the hypoxia-dependent changes in the transcriptome of the U87-MG cell line and the human brain cell line HEB to identify the transcriptional signatures of U87-MG cells and elucidate the role of hypoxia in the drug-resistant phenotype of GBM. Furthermore, we identified three key genes and explored their important roles in the drug resistance of hypoxic GBM.

TRIM8-driven transcriptomic profile of neural stem cells identified glioma-related nodal genes and pathways

BACKGROUND

We recently reported TRIM8, encoding an E3 ubiquitin ligase, as a gene aberrantly expressed in glioblastoma whose expression suppresses cell growth and induces a significant reduction of clonogenic potential in glioblastoma cell lines.

METHODS

we provided novel insights on TRIM8 functions by profiling the transcriptome of TRIM8-expressing primary mouse embryonal neural stem cells by RNA-sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Functional analysis including luciferase assay, western blot, PCR arrays, Real time quantitative PCR were performed to validate the transcriptomic data.

RESULTS

Our study identified enriched pathways related to the neurotransmission and to the central nervous system (CNS) functions, including axonal guidance, GABA receptor, Ephrin B, synaptic long-term potentiation/depression, and glutamate receptor signalling pathways. Finally, we provided additional evidence about the existence of a functional interactive crosstalk between TRIM8 and STAT3.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results substantiate the role of TRIM8 in the brain functions through the dysregulation of genes involved in different CNS-related pathways, including JAK-STAT.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

This study provides novel insights on the physiological TRIM8 function by profiling for the first time the primary Neural Stem Cell over-expressing TRIM8 by using RNA-Sequencing methodology.