lncRNA SNHG4 modulates colorectal cancer cell cycle and cell proliferation through regulating miR-590-3p/CDK1 axis

Construction of a cell cycle-specific lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network reveals novel key lncRNAs in colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to determine the roles of pivotal and novel lncRNAs associated with the cell cycle in the occurrence and development of Colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

The TCGA-COAD project related to CRC was downloaded, and differential expression analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. A cell cycle-associated lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed, and two novel lncRNAs were selected. Two subnetworks were constructed for selected lncRNAs. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were illustrated for the genes in each sub-network. qPCR analysis was used to validate the expression levels of the selected lncRNAs in CRC tissues compared to those adjacent normal tissues.

RESULTS

The differential expression analysis identified 416 lncRNAs, 317 miRNAs, and 117 mRNAs. The ceRNA subnetwork genes were associated with different pathways, including cellular senescence, DNA replication, human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection, and oocyte meiosis. The bioinformatic results based on the TCGA project indicated the dysregulation of two novel lncRNAs, MIR29B2CHG and HELLPAR, in CRC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, qPCR confirmed the dysregulation of lncRNAs in the CRC tissues. ROC curves revealed that both selected lncRNAs had acceptable specificity and sensitivity as biomarkers.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, novel cell cycle-associated lncRNAs have the potential to be understood as the underlying molecular mechanisms that influence CRC. Therefore, these lncRNAs can be considered as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.

Apparent lncRNAs involvement in pathogenesis of endometriosis

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, debilitating gynecologic disease impacting millions of women globally. One of the main characteristics of this benign condition is the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, causing dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. However, despite many reports on the origin and molecular pathogenesis of endometriosis, the etiology of this disease has not been fully explored yet. Recently, significant attention has been paid to long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Numerous studies focused on exploring the association between lncRNAs and the progression of various human diseases. LncRNAs function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) interacting with microRNAs as a “sponge” to regulate cell functions. According to multiple studies, lncRNAs seem to have the potential as markers for diagnosing, and monitoring progression and staging in endometriosis. In this review, we summarized the lncRNAs that were found to influence the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Furthermore, we tried to assess its potential in the process of endometriosis transition from benign through atypical forms, up to EAOC (Endometriosis Associated Ovarian Cancer).

Circ_0076490 silencing inhibits MAPK1 expression to decrease the proliferation and increase apoptosis of Jurkat cells by regulating miR-144-3p in myasthenia gravis

BACKGROUND

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a both neuromuscular junction and antibody-mediated autoimmune disease, and its pathogenesis involves the regulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs). However, the role of circ_0076490 in MG and the underlying mechanism remain unknown.

METHODS

RNA levels of circ_0076490, microRNA-144-3p (miR-144-3p), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability and proliferation were investigated by cell counting kit-8 and 5-Ethynyl-29-deoxyuridine assays, respectively. Cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry analysis. The putative binding relationship of miR-144-3p and circ_0076490 or MAPK1 was predicted by circular RNA interactome and TargetScan online databases, respectively, and identified through dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay.

RESULTS

We observed dramatic increases of circ_0076490 and MAPK1 expression and a decrease of miR-144-3p expression in the peripheral blood of MG patients in comparison with healthy controls. Reduced expression of circ_0076490 induced an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of Jurkat cells and a promoting effect on cell apoptosis. Additionally, miR-144-3p was identified as a target miRNA of circ_0076490, and its depletion attenuated circ_0076490 knockdown-mediated effects on the proliferation and apoptosis of Jurkat cells. MAPK1 was a target gene of miR-144-3p and its overexpression rescued decreased cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis induced by miR-144-3p introduction. Furthermore, circ_0076490 regulated MAPK1 expression by interacting with miR-144-3p.

CONCLUSION

Circ_0076490 knockdown inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of Jurkat cells through the regulation of the miR-144-3p/MAPK1 axis, providing potential targets for developing improved therapy of MG.

Ginsenoside Rh2 suppresses ferroptosis in ulcerative colitis by targeting specific protein 1 by upregulating microRNA-125a-5p

BACKGROUND

Worldwide, ulcerative colitis (UC) is becoming increasingly fast growing. Ginsenoside Rh2 has been reported to alleviate UC. However, the latent biological mechanism of Rh2 in the treatment of UC remains uncertain. In this study, the goal was to determine the therapeutic effect of Rh2 on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC.

METHODS

A DSS-induced UC mouse model was established and divided into 7 groups for Rh2 gavage and/or miR-125a-5p lentivirus injection (n = 10 per group). Colonic specimens were collected for phenotypic and pathological analysis. miR-125a-5p and specific protein 1 (SP1) expression, inflammation-related factors IL-6 and IL-10, and apoptosis were detected in mice. Human normal colon epithelial cell line NCM460 was treated with H2O2 and ferric chloride hexahydrate to construct an in vitro cell model of colitis and induce ferroptosis. Independent sample t-test was used to compare cell proliferation, cell entry, apoptosis, and oxidative stress between the two groups. One way analysis of variance combined with the least significant difference t test was used for comparison between groups. Multiple time points were compared by repeated measurement analysis of variance.

RESULTS

DSS-induced UC mice had significantly decreased body weight, increased disease activity index, decreased colon length, and decreased miR-125a-5p expression (all P < 0.05). In the DSS-induced mouse model, the expression of miR-125a-5p rebounded and ferroptosis was inhibited after Rh2 treatment (all P < 0.05). Inhibition of miR-125a-5p or upregulation of SP1 expression counteracted the protective effects of Rh2 on UC mice and ferroptosis cell models (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Rh2 mitigated DSS-induced colitis in mice and restrained ferroptosis by targeting miR-125a-5p. Downregulating miR-125a-5p or elevating SP1 could counteract the protective impacts of Rh2 on ferroptotic cells. The findings convey that Rh2 has a latent application value in the treatment of UC.

Long noncoding RNA KCNMA1-AS2 regulates the function of colorectal cancer cells and sponges miR-1227-5p

BACKGROUND

Many long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with altered expression significantly influence colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and behavior. The functions of many lncRNAs in CRC are not clear yet. This study aimed to discover novel lncRNA entities and comprehensively examine and validate their roles and underlying molecular mechanisms in CRC.

METHODS

Tissue samples, both tumourous and non-tumourous, from three CRC patients were submitted for sequencing. Following expression validation in samples from ten patients and four CRC cell lines. The lncRNA KCNMA1-AS2 was synthesized by In-vitro transcription RNA synthesis and the lncRNA was directly transfected into CRC cell lines to overexpress. Functional assays including MTT proliferation assay, Annexin-V/propidium iodide apoptosis assay, wound healing migration assay and cell cycle assays were performed to evaluate the effect of overexpression of KCNMA1-AS2. Furthermore, the binding of KCNMA1-AS2 to miR-1227-5p was confirmed using dual luciferase reporter assays and qPCR analyses. Subsequent bioinformatics analyses identified 58 potential downstream targets of miR-1227-5p across three databases.

RESULTS

In this study, we identified the lncRNA KCNMA1-AS2, the expression of which was down-regulated consistently in cancer tissues and CRC cell lines compared to non-cancerous tissues. The overexpression of lncRNA KCNMA1-AS2 led to significant reduction in CRC cell proliferation and migration, increase in cell apoptosis, and more cells arrested in S phase. Additionally, the interaction between KCNMA1-AS2 and miR-1227-5p was confirmed through dual luciferase reporter assay and qPCR analysis. It is also putatively predicted that MTHFR and ST8SIA2 may be linked to CRC based on bioinformatics analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

LncRNA KCNMA1-AS2 exhibited distinct gene expression patterns in both CRC tissue and cell lines, impacting various cellular functions while also acting as a sponge for miR-1227-5p.The findings spotlight lncRNA KCNMA1-AS2 as a potential marker for diagnosis and treatment of CRC.

The crosstalk between non-coding RNAs and cell-cycle events: A new frontier in cancer therapy

The cell cycle comprises sequential events during which a cell duplicates its genome and divides it into two daughter cells. This process is tightly regulated to ensure that the daughter cell receives identical copied chromosomal DNA and that any errors in the DNA during replication are correctly repaired. Cyclins and their enzyme partners, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), are critical regulators of G- to M-phase transitions during the cell cycle. Mitogenic signals induce the formation of the cyclin/CDK complexes, resulting in phosphorylation and activation of the CDKs. Once activated, cyclin/CDK complexes phosphorylate specific substrates that drive the cell cycle forward. The sequential activation and inactivation of cyclin-CDK complexes are tightly controlled by activating and inactivating phosphorylation events induced by cell-cycle proteins. The non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which do not code for proteins, regulate cell-cycle proteins at the transcriptional and translational levels, thereby controlling their expression at different cell-cycle phases. Deregulation of ncRNAs can cause abnormal expression patterns of cell-cycle-regulating proteins, resulting in abnormalities in cell-cycle regulation and cancer development. This review explores how ncRNA dysregulation can disrupt cell division balance and discusses potential therapeutic approaches targeting these ncRNAs to control cell-cycle events in cancer treatment.

SNHG4-mediated PTEN destabilization confers oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer cells by inhibiting ferroptosis

Oxaliplatin resistance poses a significant challenge in colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy, necessitating further investigation into the underlying molecular mechanisms. This study aimed to elucidate the regulatory role of SNHG4 in oxaliplatin resistance and ferroptosis in CRC. Our findings revealed that treatment with oxaliplatin led to downregulation of SNHG4 expression in CRC cells, while resistant CRC cells exhibited higher levels of SNHG4 compared to parental cells. Silencing SNHG4 attenuated oxaliplatin resistance and reduced the expression of resistance-related proteins MRD1 and MPR1. Furthermore, induction of ferroptosis effectively diminished oxaliplatin resistance in both parental and resistant CRC cells. Notably, ferroptosis induction resulted in decreased SNHG4 expression, whereas SNHG4 overexpression suppressed ferroptosis. Through FISH, RIP, and RNA pull-down assays, we identified the cytoplasmic localization of both SNHG4 and PTEN, establishing that SNHG4 directly targets PTEN, thereby reducing mRNA stability in CRC cells. Silencing PTEN abrogated the impact of SNHG4 on oxaliplatin resistance and ferroptosis in CRC cells. In vivo experiments further validated the influence of SNHG4 on oxaliplatin resistance and ferroptosis in CRC cells through PTEN regulation. In conclusion, SNHG4 promotes resistance to oxaliplatin in CRC cells by suppressing ferroptosis through instability of PTEN, thus serves as a target for patients with oxaliplatin-base chemoresistance.

lncRNA SNHG4 inhibits ferroptosis by orchestrating miR-150-5p/c-Myb axis in colorectal cancer

LncRNAs have shown to regulate ferroptosis in colorectal cancer (CRC), but the mechanism remains largely unknown. This study unveiled the mechanism of SNHG4 underlying ferroptosis in CRC. RNA-seq and RT-PCR assay confirmed SNHG4 was decreased after Erastin treatment in CRC cells. Overexpression of SNHG4 inhibited and silence promoted CRC cells ferroptosis. SNHG4 was positively correlated to c-Myb in CRC tissues and both located in cytoplasm of CRC cells. RIP and RNA pull-down assays verified the interaction between SNHG4 and c-Myb. Silence of c-Myb alleviated the suppressing effect on ferroptosis by SNHG4 in CRC cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that SNHG4 sponging miR-150-5p in CRC cells. Overexpression of SNHG4 decreased the miR-150-5p and increased c-Myb expression. c-Myb was a direct target gene of miR-150-5p in CRC cells. Moreover, effect of CDO1 on ferroptosis was regulated transcriptionally by c-Myb, overexpression of c-Myb reduce CDO1 expression and enhance the GPX4 levels. The animal models confirmed that regulatory effect of SNHG4 on miR-150-5p and c-Myb after inducing ferroptosis. We concluded that SNHG4 inhibited Erastin-induce ferroptosis in CRC, this effect is via sponging miR-150-5p to regulate c-Myb expression, and activated CDO1/GPX4 axis. These findings provide insights into the regulatory mechanism of SNHG4 on ferroptosis.

Functional role of lncRNAs in gastrointestinal malignancies: the peculiar case of small nucleolar RNA host gene family

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in normal physiology and are often de-regulated in disease states such as cancer. Recently, a class of lncRNAs referred to as the small nucleolar RNA host gene (SNHG) family have emerged as important players in tumourigenesis. Here, we discuss new findings describing the role of SNHGs in gastrointestinal tumours and summarize the three main functions by which these lncRNAs promote carcinogenesis, namely: competing with endogenous RNAs, modulating protein function, and regulating epigenetic marking. Furthermore, we discuss how SNHGs participate in different hallmarks of cancer, and how this class of lncRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Comprehensive analysis of cuproptosis-related long non-coding RNAs in prognosis, immune microenvironment infiltration and chemotherapy response of hepatocellular carcinoma

The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between cuproptosis-related long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RNA-seq data, including lncRNAs and related clinical information of HCC patients, were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. A signature composed 3 cuproptosis-related lncRNAs was constructed by LASSO analysis, and HCC patients were classified into high- and low-risk groups. Patients in the high-risk group had a poorer prognosis compared with the low-risk group. Univariate Cox and multivariate Cox regression analyses confirmed that the signature model was an independent risk factor compared to other clinical biomarkers. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis indicated that metabolism-related pathways were enriched in low-risk group, including drug metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism. Further research demonstrated that there were markedly differences in drug response between the high- and low-risk group. Immune related analysis showed that the most type of immune cells and immunological function in the high-risk group were different with the risk-group. Finally, TP53 mutation rate and the tumor mutational burden in the high-risk group were higher compared with the low-risk group. In conclusion, we constructed a prognostic signature based on the expression of cuproptosis-related lncRNAs to predict HCC patients' prognosis, drug response and immune microenvironment, and further research will be conducted to uncover the mechanisms.

The siRNA-mediated knockdown of SNHG4 efficiently induced pro-apoptotic signaling and suppressed metastasis in SW1116 colorectal cancer cell line

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNAs are broadly dysregulated in disease conditions, especially cancer, and are associated with tumor initiation, invasion, and overall survival. This study aimed to elucidate the expression level of Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 4 (SNHG4) lncRNA in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its effect on cell cycle progression, invasion, and death.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We evaluated the expression level of SNHG4 in clinical samples, including CRC tissues, adenomatous colorectal polyps (ACP), and their marginals. SNHG4-silenced SW1116 cells were used to evaluate the cell viability, cycle arrest, invasion, and apoptosis using MTT assay, scratching, flow cytometry, and immunoblotting. We also predicted molecular networks related to the SNHG4 involvement in CRC development. Results showed that SNHG4 expresses in cancerous tissues significantly higher than in polyps and marginals. This overexpression discriminated CRC from marginals and ACP with a suitable prognostic potential. Silencing of SNHG4 arrested the cell cycle at S and G2 phases and promoted early apoptosis in SW1116. It affected the active form of MMP2 and prevented cell invasion. Sponging of miRNAs which promotes the choline metabolism is the probable mechanism of SNHG4 involvement in CRC.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, SNHG4 promotes CRC by dysregulating apoptosis and cell migration, and shows significant prognostic potential for CRC.

Long Non-Coding RNA Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 4 Induced by Transcription Factor SP1 Promoted the Progression of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Through Modulating microRNA-510-5p/Centromere Protein F Axis

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are implicated with tumorigenesis and the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Previous studies suggested that long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4) exerted oncogenic roles in various cancers. However, the function and molecular mechanism of SNHG4 in NPC have not been investigated. In our study, it was confirmed that the SNHG4 level was enriched in NPC tissues and cells. Functional assays indicated that SNHG4 depletion inhibited the proliferation and metastasis but promoted apoptosis of NPC cells. Furthermore, we identified miR-510-5p as a downstream gene of SNHG4 in NPC cells and SNHG4 upregulated CENPF expression by binding to miR-510-5p. Moreover, there was a positive (or negative) association between CENPF and SNHG4 (or miR-510-5p) expression in NPC. In addition, rescue experiments verified that CENPF overexpression or miR-510-5p silencing abrogated inhibitory effects on NPC tumorigenesis caused by SNHG4 deficiency. The study demonstrated that SNHG4 promoted NPC progression via miR-510-5p/CENPF axis, providing a novel potential therapeutic target for NPC treatments.

LncRNA SNHG4 promotes prostate cancer cell survival and resistance to enzalutamide through a let-7a/RREB1 positive feedback loop and a ceRNA network

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer threatens the health of men over sixty years old, and its incidence ranks first among all urinary tumors among men. Enzalutamide remains the first-line drug for castration-resistant prostate cancer, however, tumors inevitably become resistant to enzalutamide. Hence, it is of great importance to investigate the mechanisms that induce enzalutamide resistance in prostate cancer cells.

METHODS

Bioinformatic analyzing approaches were used to identified the over-expressed genes in prostate cancer tumor tissues from three GEO datasets. qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunochemistry/In situ hybridization staining assays were performed to assess the expression of SNHG4, RRM2, TK1, AURKA, EZH2 and RREB1. Cell cycle was measured by flow cytometry. CCK-8, plate colony formation and EdU assays were performed to assess the cell proliferation. Senescence-associated β-Gal assay was used to detect the cell senescence level. γ-H2AX staining assay was performed to assess the DNA damages of PCa cells. Luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were performed to verify the RNA-RNA interactions. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to assess the bindings between protein and genomic DNA.

RESULTS

We found that RRM2 and NUSAP1 are highly expressed in PCa tumors and significantly correlated with poor clinical outcomes in PCa patients. Bioinformatic analysis as well as experimental validation suggested that SNHG4 regulates RRM2 expression via a let-7 miRNA-mediated ceRNA network. In addition, SNHG4 or RRM2 knockdown significantly induced cell cycle arrest and cell senescence, and inhibited DNA damage repair and cell proliferation, and the effects can be partially reversed by let-7a knockdown or RRM2 reoverexpression. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that SNHG4 overexpression markedly enhanced cell resistance to enzalutamide. RREB1 was demonstrated to transcriptionally regulate SNHG4, and RREB1 was also validated to be a target of let-7a and thereby regulated by the SNHG4/let-7a feedback loop.

CONCLUSION

Our study uncovered a novel molecular mechanism of lncRNA SNHG4 in driving prostate cancer progression and enzalutamide resistance, revealing the critical roles and therapeutic potential of RREB1, SNHG4, RRM2 and let-7 miRNAs in anticancer therapy.

Long noncoding RNA FGD5-AS1 alleviates childhood IgA nephropathy by targeting PTEN-mediated JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway via miR-196b-5p

This paper studied lncRNA FGD5 antisense RNA 1 (FGD5-AS1)-associated mechanisms in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). FGD5-AS1, miR-196b-5p, and PTEN in the serum of children with IgAN were assessed. MES-13 cells were stimulated by p-IgA1 to construct an in vitro model of IgAN. After plasmid intervention, cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and inflammatory response were correspondingly evaluated. An IgAN mouse model was established to define FGD5-AS1/miR-196b-5p/PTEN axis-mediated alternations of 24-h proteinuria, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, glomerular IgA deposition, renal fibrosis, and glycogen content in renal tissue. The changes in JNK/c-Jun pathway activation in the cell model were also tested. Our results discovered that FGD5-AS1 and PTEN were down-regulated and miR-196b-5p was up-regulated in children with IgAN. Overexpression of FGD5-AS1 or silencing of miR-196b-5p impeded the proliferation and inflammatory response and induced apoptosis of p-IgA1-stimulated MES-13 cells, and improved pathological conditions in IgAN mice. Inhibition of PTEN rescued the therapeutic effects of overexpression of FGD5-AS1 or inhibition of miR-196b-5p on IgAN. FGD5-AS1/miR-196b-5p/PTEN axis inhibited the activation of the JNK/c-Jun pathway. Taken together, FGD5-AS1 attenuates IgAN by targeting PTEN-mediated JNK/c-Jun signaling via miR-196b-5p. Therefore, FGD5-AS1 may be a new therapeutic target for IgAN.

Long Non-Coding RNA SNHG4 Expression in Women with Endometriosis: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Endometriosis is a chronic disease of the genital organs that mainly affects women of reproductive age. The analysis of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in endometriosis is a novel field of science. Recently, attention has been drawn to SNHG4, which is incorrectly expressed in various human diseases, including endometriosis.

AIM

The aim of this pilot study was to analyze the expression of lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4) and to investigate its significance in endometriosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

LncRNA SNHG4 expression was investigated in paraffin blocks in endometriosis patients (n = 100) and in endometriosis-free controls (n = 100) using a real-time PCR assay.

RESULTS

This study revealed a higher expression of SNHG4 in endometriosis patients than in controls. A statistically significant relationship between expression level and SNHG4 was found in relation to The Revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine classification of endometriosis, 1996, in the group of patients with endometriosis.

CONCLUSION

This pilot study has revealed that gene expression in SNHG4 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Long non-coding RNA SNHG4 enhances RNF14 mRNA stability to promote the progression of colorectal cancer by recruiting TAF15 protein

SNHG4 is a lncRNA that was previously reported to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) progression via molecular sponge mechanism. Bioinformatic analysis suggested SNHG4 might scaffold TAF15 protein-RNF14 mRNA interaction. We aimed to investigate the mechanisms of potential SNHG4/TAF15/RNF14 axis in promoting CRC malignant phenotypes. Protein-RNA interaction was determined using RNA immunoprecipitation, pull-down and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) combined immunofluorescence assays. Cell apoptosis rates were quantified using flow cytometry. CCK-8 and colony formation were adopted to determine cell proliferation. Wound healing and transwell assays were employed to assess cell migration and invasion, respectively. Xenograft tumor model was applied to assess the effects of SNHG4 on CRC tumorigenesis in vivo. SNHG4, TAF15 and RNF14 were up-regulated in CRC tissues. SNHG4 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation in vitro, as well as tumor growth in vivo. The inhibited malignant phenotypes caused by SNHG4 knockdown were impeded by TAF15 or RNF14 overexpression. Mechanistically, SNHG4 recruited TAF15 protein and thus promoted the interaction between TAF15 protein and RNF14 mRNA, leading to the increased RNF14 mRNA stability. This in turn facilitated the Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction. SNHG4 enhanced RNF14 mRNA stability and activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to promote the progression of colorectal cancer by recruiting TAF15 protein.

Long Noncoding RNA SNHG4 Attenuates the Injury of Myocardial Infarction via Regulating miR-148b-3p/DUSP1 Axis

Objective

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), including some members of small nucleolar RNA host gene (SNHG), are important regulators in myocardial injury, while the role of SNHG4 in myocardial infarction (MI) is rarely known. This study is aimed at exploring the regulatory role and mechanisms of SNHG4 on MI.

Methods

Cellular and rat models of MI were established. The expression of relating genes was measured by qRT-PCR and/or western blot. In vitro, cell viability was detected by MTT assay, and cell apoptosis was assessed by caspase-3 level, Bax/Bcl-2 expression, and/or flow cytometry. The inflammation was evaluated by TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels. The myocardial injury in MI rats was evaluated by echocardiography, TTC/HE/MASSON/TUNEL staining, and immunohistochemistry (Ki67). DLR assay was performed to confirm the target relationships.

Results

SNHG4 was downregulated in hypoxia-induced H9c2 cells and MI rats, and its overexpression enhanced cell viability and inhibited cell apoptosis and inflammation both in vitro and in vivo. SNHG4 overexpression also decreased infarct and fibrosis areas, relieved pathological changes, and improved heart function in MI rats. In addition, miR-148b-3p was an action target of SNHG4, and its silencing exhibited consistent results with SNHG4 overexpression in vitro. DUSP1 was a target of miR-148b-3p, which inhibited the apoptosis of hypoxia-induced H9c2 cells. Both miR-148b-3p overexpression and DUSP1 silencing weakened the effects of SNHG4 overexpression on protecting H9c2 cells against hypoxia.

Conclusions

Overexpression of SNHG4 relieved MI through regulating miR-148b-3p/DUSP1, providing potential therapeutic targets.

The Regulatory Mechanisms and Clinical Significance of Lnc SNHG4 in Cancer

BACKGROUND

LncRNAs have been reported to be involved in a variety of biological functions, including gene expression, cell growth, and differentiation. They may also serve as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in diseases. lncRNAs that can encode small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have been named small nucleolar RNA host genes (SNHGs).

OBJECTIVE

In this review article, we readily review the regulatory mechanisms and clinical significance of Lnc SNHG4 in cancer.

METHODS

We systematically investigated databases, like Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library database for all research articles, and have provided an overview regarding the biological functions and mechanisms of lncRNA SNHG4 in tumorigenesis.

RESULTS

Compared to neighboring normal tissues, SNHG4 is significantly dysregulated in various tumor tissues. SNHG4 upregulation is mainly associated with advanced tumor stage, tumor size, TNM stage, and decreased overall survival. In addition, aberrant SNHG4 expression promotes cell proliferation, metastasis, migration, and invasion of cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

SNHG4 may serve as a new therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker in patients with cancer.

Genetic and environmental perturbations alter the rhythmic expression pattern of a circadian long non-coding RNA, Per2AS, in mouse liver

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a wide variety of biological roles without encoding a protein. Although the functions of many lncRNAs have been uncovered in recent years, the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA expression is still poorly understood despite that the expression patterns of lncRNAs are much more specific compared to mRNAs. Here, we investigated the rhythmic expression of Per2AS, a novel lncRNA that regulates circadian rhythms. Given that Per2AS expression is antiphasic to Period2 ( Per2), a core circadian clock gene, and transcribed from the antisense strand of Per2, we hypothesized that the rhythmic Per2AS expression is driven either by its own promoter or by the rhythmic Per2 transcription via transcriptional interference. Methods: We leveraged existing circadian RNA-seq datasets and analyzed the expression patterns of Per2AS and Per2 in response to the genetic or environmental disruption of the circadian rhythm in mouse liver. We tested our hypotheses by comparing the changes in the expression patterns of Per2AS and Per2. Conclusions: We found that, in some cases, Per2AS expression is independently controlled by other circadian transcription factors. In other cases, the pattern of expression change is consistent with both transcriptional interference and independent regulation hypotheses. Although additional experiments will be necessary to distinguish these possibilities, findings from this work contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanism of how the expression of lncRNA is regulated.

A review on the role of cyclin dependent kinases in cancers

The Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) class of serine/threonine kinases has crucial roles in the regulation of cell cycle transition and is mainly involved in the pathogenesis of cancers. The expression of CDKs is controlled by a complex regulatory network comprised of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, which are dysregulated during the progression of cancer. The abnormal activation of CDKs results in uncontrolled cancer cell proliferation and the induction of cancer stem cell characteristics. The levels of CDKs can be utilized to predict the prognosis and treatment response of cancer patients, and further understanding of the function and underlying mechanisms of CDKs in human tumors would pave the way for future cancer therapies that effectively target CDKs. Defects in the regulation of cell cycle and mutations in the genes coding cell-cycle regulatory proteins lead to unrestrained proliferation of cells leading to formation of tumors. A number of treatment modalities have been designed to combat dysregulation of cell cycle through affecting expression or activity of CDKs. However, effective application of these methods in the clinical settings requires recognition of the role of CDKs in the progression of each type of cancer, their partners, their interactions with signaling pathways and the effects of suppression of these kinases on malignant features. Thus, we designed this literature search to summarize these findings at cellular level, as well as in vivo and clinical levels.

LncRNA-miRNA axis in tumor progression and therapy response: An emphasis on molecular interactions and therapeutic interventions

Epigenetic factors are critical regulators of biological and pathological mechanisms and they could interact with different molecular pathways. Targeting epigenetic factors has been an idea approach in disease therapy, especially cancer. Accumulating evidence has highlighted function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as epigenetic factors in cancer initiation and development and has focused on their association with downstream targets. microRNAs (miRNAs) are the most well-known targets of lncRNAs and present review focuses on lncRNA-miRNA axis in malignancy and therapy resistance of tumors. LncRNA-miRNA regulates cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis and autophagy in cancers. This axis affects tumor metastasis via regulating EMT and MMPs. Besides, lncRNA-miRNA axis determines sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Based on the studies, lncRNAs can be affected by drugs and genetic tools in cancer therapy and this may affect expression level of miRNAs as their downstream targets, leading to cancer suppression/progression. LncRNAs have both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressor functions in cancer and this unique function of lncRNAs has complicated their implication in tumor therapy. LncRNA-miRNA axis can also affect other signaling networks in cancer such as PI3K/Akt, STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin and EZH2 among others. Notably, lncRNA/miRNA axis can be considered as a signature for diagnosis and prognosis in cancers.

Competing Endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) in Colorectal Cancer: A Review

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) that contain microRNA response elements (MREs) are involved in CRC progression. They can compete with microRNAs (miRNAs) via their MREs, which can combine non-coding and coding RNAs via complex ceRNA networks. This molecular interaction has the potential to affect a wide variety of biological processes, and many cancers can occur as a result of an imbalanced ceRNA network. Recent research indicates that numerous dysregulated RNAs in CRC may function as ceRNAs, regulating multiple biological functions of the tumour, including proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, invasion and migration. In this review, we discuss the role of protein-coding and non-coding RNAs, such as long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs and pseudogenes, in the occurrence of ceRNA networks in CRC, and their function in cancer-related pathways, such as Wnt/β-catenin, mitogen-activated protein kinase and transforming growth factor-β signalling pathways. Additionally, we discuss validated ceRNAs associated with CRC biological functions and their potential role as novel prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers. Examining the role of ceRNAs in CRC sheds new light on cancer treatment and pathogenesis.

Identification of Hub Genes for Early Diagnosis and Predicting Prognosis in Colon Adenocarcinoma

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is among the most common digestive system malignancies worldwide, and its pathogenesis and gene signatures remain unclear. This study explored the genetic characteristics and molecular mechanisms underlying colon cancer development. Three gene expression data sets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. GEO2R was used to determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between COAD and normal tissues. Then, the intersection of the data sets was obtained. Metascape was used to perform the functional enrichment analyses. Next, STRING was used to build protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Hub genes were identified and analysed using Cytoscape. Next, survival analysis and expression analysis of the hub genes were performed. ROC curve analysis was performed for further test of the diagnostic efficacy. Finally, alterations in the hub genes were predicted and analysed by cBioPortal. Altogether, 436 DEGs were detected. The DEGs were mainly enriched in cell cycle phase transition, nuclear division, meiotic nuclear division, and cytokinesis. Based on PPI networks, 20 hub genes were selected. Among them, 6 hub genes (CCNB1, CCNA2, AURKA, NCAPG, DLGAP5, and CENPE) showed significant prognostic value in colon cancer (P < 0.05), while 5 hub genes (CDK1, CCNB1, CCNA2, MAD2L1, and DLGAP5) were associated with early colon cancer diagnosis and ROC curve analysis showed good diagnostic accuracy. In conclusion, integrated bioinformatics analysis was used to identify hub genes that reveal the potential mechanism of carcinogenesis and progression of colon cancer. The hub genes might be novel biomarkers for early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of colon cancer.

Overall Survival Signature of 5-Methylcytosine Regulators Related Long Non-Coding RNA in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Purpose

Studies reported that 5-methylcytosine (m5C) RNA transferase alters tumor progression; however, studies of m5C-related lncRNA remain lacking. This article intends to study the lncRNA modified by m5C RNA transferase in hepatocellular carcinoma using a combination of computational biology and basic experiments.

Method

We identified 13 m5C RNA transferase-related genes and selected long non-coding RNAs with a Pearson correlation coefficient greater than 0.4. Univariate Cox regression analysis was used to screen m5C RNA transferase lncRNA related to survival phenotype. We divided TCGA-LIHC into two types of m5C RNA using non-negative matrix decomposition. According to WGCNA, the co-expression models of two lncRNA regulation modes were constructed to analyze the characteristic biological processes of the two m5C RNA transferase-related lncRNA gene models. Then, a predictive model of m5C RNA transferase lncRNA was using LASSO regression. Finally, we used cell experiments, transwell experiments, and clone formation experiments to test the relationship between SNHG4 and tumor cell proliferation in Hep-G2 and Hep-3b cells line.

Results

We identified 436 m5C RNA transferase-related lncRNAs. Using univariate Cox regression analysis, 43 prognostic-related lncRNAs were determined according to P < 0.001. We divided TCGA-LIHC into two regulation modes of m5C RNA transferase using non-negative matrix factorization. The two regulation modes showed significant differences in overall and disease-free survival. We used LASSO to construct m5c-related lncRNA prognostic signature. Thus, a predictive m5C-lncRNA model was established using four lncRNAs: AC026412.3, AC010969.2, SNHG4, and AP003392.5. The score calculated by the m5C-lncRNA model significantly correlated with the overall survival of hepatocellular carcinoma. The receiver operating characteristic curve and decision curve analysis verified the accuracy of the predictive model. We observed a more robust immune response in the high-risk score group. The transwell experiments and clone formation experiments suggested that m5C RNA transferase-related lncRNA SNHG4 promotes the proliferation and migration of Hep-G2 and Hep-3b cells line.

Conclusion

Two lncRNA expression patterns regulated by m5C RNA transferase were identified. The difference between the two expression patterns and the survival phenotype in the biological process was pointed out. A 5-methylcytosine RNA methyltransferases-related lncRNA overall survival signature was constructed. These results provide some understanding of the influence of m5C transferase on hepatocellular carcinoma. The prediction model of m5C transferase lncRNA has potential clinical value in managing hepatocellular carcinoma.

Multi-channel graph attention autoencoders for disease-related lncRNAs prediction

MOTIVATION

Predicting disease-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be used as the biomarkers for disease diagnosis and treatment. The development of effective computational prediction approaches to predict lncRNA-disease associations (LDAs) can provide insights into the pathogenesis of complex human diseases and reduce experimental costs. However, few of the existing methods use microRNA (miRNA) information and consider the complex relationship between inter-graph and intra-graph in complex-graph for assisting prediction.

RESULTS

In this paper, the relationships between the same types of nodes and different types of nodes in complex-graph are introduced. We propose a multi-channel graph attention autoencoder model to predict LDAs, called MGATE. First, an lncRNA-miRNA-disease complex-graph is established based on the similarity and correlation among lncRNA, miRNA and diseases to integrate the complex association among them. Secondly, in order to fully extract the comprehensive information of the nodes, we use graph autoencoder networks to learn multiple representations from complex-graph, inter-graph and intra-graph. Thirdly, a graph-level attention mechanism integration module is adopted to adaptively merge the three representations, and a combined training strategy is performed to optimize the whole model to ensure the complementary and consistency among the multi-graph embedding representations. Finally, multiple classifiers are explored, and Random Forest is used to predict the association score between lncRNA and disease. Experimental results on the public dataset show that the area under receiver operating characteristic curve and area under precision-recall curve of MGATE are 0.964 and 0.413, respectively. MGATE performance significantly outperformed seven state-of-the-art methods. Furthermore, the case studies of three cancers further demonstrate the ability of MGATE to identify potential disease-correlated candidate lncRNAs. The source code and supplementary data are available at https://github.com/sheng-n/MGATE.

CONTACT

huanglan@jlu.edu.cn, wy6868@jlu.edu.cn.

Zebrafish xenograft model for studying the function of lncRNA SNHG4 in the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

The zebrafish xenograft model has become a reliable in vivo model for human cancer research. Compared to a mouse model, the zebrafish xenograft has many advantages, including optical transparency, intuitive in vivo observation, and speed. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as crucial regulatory factors in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). The biological function of lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4) in CRC is still unclear.

METHODS

We analyzed the expression of SNHG4 in CRC patient samples by the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) software. The quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to verify in CRC cell lines. The colony formation assay was used to study the cell proliferation, and we used the transwell assay to detect the migration ability. Then the zebrafish xenograft models were used to confirm these roles of SNHG4 in vivo. Moreover, we detected epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) related genes by qRT-PCR.

RESULTS

We found the expression of SNHG4 was upregulated in CRC patient samples by analyzing GEPIA software, which was also verified in CRC cell lines. We also found that silencing SNHG4 inhibited the proliferation and migration of CRC cells, and its roles were verified in zebrafish xenografts in vivo. Further, we found that the expression of E-cadherin was significantly upregulated and N-cadherin was downregulated when knocking-down SNHG4 in CRC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrated that SNHG4 played oncogenic roles in CRC, which could be a potential target for treatment of CRC patients, and the results strongly revealed that zebrafish xenograft could be used for functional research of lncRNAs in human cancer.

Crosstalk between lncRNAs and miRNAs in gastrointestinal cancer drug resistance

Gastrointestinal cancers are one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. Dysregulation of lncRNAs by epigenetic alteration is crucial in gastrointestinal carcinogenesis. Epigenetic alteration includes DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, histone modifications, and deregulated-gene expression by miRNAs. LncRNAs are involved in biological processes, including, uncontrolled cell division, migration, invasion, and resistance to apoptosis and drugs. Multiple-drug resistance (MDR) is a crucial obstacle in effective chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers. MDR can be associated with the prognosis and diagnosis of patients receiving chemotherapeutic agents (i.e. cisplatin, oxaliplatin, platinum, 5-fluorouracil, gefitinib, methotrexate, taxol, cetuximab, docetaxel, and gemcitabine). In this review, we focused on recently known lncRNAs and their relation with miRNAs and chemotherapeutic drugs, and their modulation in gastrointestinal cancers. Moreover, we mentioned the future prospective and clinical application of lncRNAs as a critical indicator and biomarker in diagnosis, prognosis, staging, grading, and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG4: a novel target in human diseases

Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have attracted great attention from researchers. LncRNAs are non-protein-coding RNAs of more than 200 nucleotides in length. Multiple studies have been published on the relationship between lncRNA expression and the progression of human diseases. LncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4), a member of the lncRNA SNHG family, is abnormally expressed in a variety of human diseases, including gastric cancer, renal cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, osteosarcoma, cervical cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, neonatal pneumonia, diabetic retinopathy, neuropathic pain, acute cerebral infarction, acute myeloid leukaemia, and endometriosis. In this paper, the structure of SNHG4 is first introduced, and then studies in humans, animal models and cells are summarized to highlight the expression and function of SNHG4 in the above diseases. In addition, the specific mechanism of SNHG4 as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) is discussed. The findings indicate that SNHG4 can be used as a biomarker for disease prognosis evaluation and as a potential target for disease diagnosis and treatment.

Proteomic Analysis of Hypoxia-Induced Senescence of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Methods

Hypoxia in hBMSCs was induced for 0, 4, and 12 hours, and cellular senescence was evaluated by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining. Tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling was combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for differential proteomic analysis of hypoxia in hBMSCs. Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) analysis was used to validate the candidate proteins. Verifications of signaling pathways were evaluated by western blotting. Cell apoptosis was evaluated using Annexin V/7-AAD staining by flow cytometry. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by the fluorescent probe 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA).

Results

Cell senescence detected by SA-β-gal activity was higher in the 12-hour hypoxia-induced group. TMT analysis of 12-hour hypoxia-induced cells identified over 6000 proteins, including 686 differentially expressed proteins. Based on biological pathway analysis, we found that the senescence-associated proteins were predominantly enriched in the cancer pathways, PI3K-Akt pathway, and cellular senescence signaling pathways. CDK1, CDK2, and CCND1 were important nodes in PPI analyses. Moreover, the CCND1, UQCRH, and COX7C expressions were verified by PRM. Hypoxia induction for 12 hours in hBMSCs reduced CCND1 expression but promoted ROS production and cell apoptosis. Such effects were markedly reduced by the PI3K agonist, 740 Y-P, and attenuated by LY294002.

Conclusions

Hypoxia of hBMSCs inhibited CCND1 expression but promoted ROS production and cell apoptosis through activating the PI3K-dependent signaling pathway. These findings provided a detailed characterization of the proteomic profiles related to hypoxia-induced senescence of hBMSCs and facilitated our understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to stem cell senescence.

Comprehensive analysis of lncRNA biomarkers in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma by lncRNA-mediated ceRNA network

Introduction

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) has a high incidence globally, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), as a molecular sponge, participates in the regulation of competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA). We aimed to construct a ceRNA network and screened out possible lncRNAs to predict KIRC prognosis.

Material and methods

All KIRC data were downloaded from the TCGA database and screened to find the possible target lncRNA; a ceRNA network was designed. Next, GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway of differentially expressed mRNA related to lncRNA were performed. We used Kaplan-Meier curve analysis to predict the survival of these RNAs. We used Cox regression analysis to construct a model to predict KIRC prognosis.

Results

In the KIRC datasets, 1457 lncRNA, 54 miRNA and 2307 mRNA were screened out. The constructed ceRNA network contained 81 lncRNAs, nine miRNAs, and 17 mRNAs differentially expressed in KIRC. Survival analysis of all differentially expressed RNAs showed that 21 lncRNAs, four miRNAs, and two mRNAs were related to the overall survival rate. Cox regression analysis was performed again, and we found that eight lncRNAs were related to prognosis and used to construct predictive models. Three lnRNAs from independent samples were meaningful.

Conclusion

The construction of ceRNA network was involved in the process and transfer of KIRC, and three lncRNAs may be potential targets for predicting KIRC prognosis.