Tripartite motif 52 (TRIM52) promotes proliferation, migration, and regulation of colon cancer cells associated with the NF-κB signaling pathway

TRIM52 maintains cellular fitness and is under tight proteolytic control by multiple giant E3 ligases

Tripartite motif 52 (TRIM52) exhibits strong positive selection in humans, yet is lost in many other mammals. In contrast to what one would expect for such a non-conserved factor, TRIM52 loss compromises cell fitness. We set out to determine the cellular function of TRIM52. Genetic and proteomic analyses revealed TRIM52 physically and functionally interacts with the DNA repair machinery. Our data suggest that TRIM52 limits topoisomerase 2 adducts, thereby preventing cell-cycle arrest. Consistent with a fitness-promoting function, TRIM52 is upregulated in various cancers, prompting us to investigate its regulatory pathways. We found TRIM52 to be targeted for ultra-rapid proteasomal degradation by the giant E3 ubiquitin ligases BIRC6, HUWE1, and UBR4/KCMF1. BIRC6 mono-ubiquitinates TRIM52, with subsequent extension by UBR4/KCMF1. These findings suggest a role for TRIM52 in maintaining genome integrity, and regulation of its own abundance through multi-ligase degradation.

Association of the TRIM family protein with survival outcomes and clinicopathological features in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins have been reported to play crucial roles in various malignancies. However, the clinical significance of TRIM proteins in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the association between TRIM proteins and the clinicopathological features and survival outcomes in patients with CRC.

METHODS

We performed a meta-analysis to investigate whether TRIM is a prognostic factor in CRC. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI and Weipu databases were searched to identify eligible studies that evaluated the association between TRIM proteins and overall survival (OS), as well as the clinicopathological features of patients with CRC. Hazard ratios (HR) or odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were derived and pooled using a fixed-effects model.

RESULTS

From inception to March 2023, we extracted study characteristics and prognostic data for each identified study. Twelve studies enrolling 1608 patients were eligible for inclusion. Data on OS and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were available for 12 and 2 studies, respectively. The pooled analysis results showed a significant correlation between the elevated TRIM proteins and shorter OS (HR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.96-2.99) and worse RFS (HR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.78-3.54) in patients with CRC. The combined ORs indicated that TRIM protein over-expression was significantly associated with advanced TNM stage (OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.25-4.10), deep tumor invasion (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.04-3.88), lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.99, 95% CI: 2.19-4.09) and perineural invasion (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.18-3.23).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that TRIM proteins can predict tumor progression and poor prognosis in CRC. Therefore, TRIM proteins may be promising therapeutic targets for patients with CRC.

Development and Validation of a Prognostic Model based on 11 E3-related Genes for Colon Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

Colon cancer is a common tumor in the gastrointestinal tract with a poor prognosis. According to research reports, ubiquitin-dependent modification systems have been found to play a crucial role in the development and advancement of different types of malignant tumors, including colon cancer. However, further investigation is required to fully understand the mechanism of ubiquitination in colon cancer.

METHODS

We collected the RNA expression matrix of the E3 ubiquitin ligase-related genes (E3RGs) from the patients with colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) using The Cancer Genome Atlas program (TCGA). The "limma" package was used to obtain differentially expressed E3RGs between COAD and adjacent normal tissues. Then, univariate COX regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis were performed to construct the prognostic signature and nomogram model. Afterward, we used the original copy number variation data of COAD to find potential somatic mutation and employed the "pRRophetic" package to investigate the disparity in the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs between high and low-risk groups. The RT-qPCR was also implied to detect mRNA expression levels in tumor tissues.

RESULTS

A total of 137 differentially expressed E3RG3 were screened and 11 genes (CORO2B, KCTD9, RNF32, BACH2, RBCK1, DPH7, WDR78, UCHL1, TRIM58, WDR72, and ZBTB18) were identified for the construction of prognostic signatures. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed a worse prognosis for patients with high risk both in the training and test cohorts (P = 1.037e-05, P = 5.704e-03), and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.728 and 0.892 in the training and test cohorts, respectively. Based on the stratified analysis, this 11- E3RGs signature was a novel and attractive prognostic model independent of several clinicopathological parameters (age, sex, stage, TNM) in COAD. The DEGs were subjected to GO and KEGG analysis, which identified pathways associated with cancer progression. These pathways included the cAMP signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, signaling pathways regulating stem cell pluripotency, and proteoglycans in cancer. Additionally, immune infiltration analysis revealed significant differences in the infiltration of macrophages M0, T cells follicular helper, and plasma cells between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

We developed a novel independent risk model consisting of 11 E3RGs and verified the effectiveness of this model in test cohorts, providing important insights into survival prediction in COAD and several promising targets for COAD therapy.

Tripartite motif containing 59 mediates protective anti-oxidative effects in intestinal injury through Nrf2 signaling

Elevated evidence has reported the important role of oxidative stress injury and inflammatory response in the progression of colitis. Tumor Suppressor TSBF1, TRIM59, is a ubiquitin E3 ligase and mediates immune response. However, the underlying molecular function of TRIM59 on regulation of colitis is still not understood. In the current study, we identify the TRIM59 as a critical and novel endogenous suppressor of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), and we also determine that TRIM59 is a KEAP1-interacting partner protein that catalyses its ubiquitination and degradation in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC). Moreover, IEC-specific loss of the Trim59 disrupts colon metabolic homeostasis, accompanied by intestinal oxidative stress injury, elevated endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and pro-inflammatory cytokines release, significantly promotes acute or chronic colitis progression. Conversely, transgenic mice with Trim59 overexpression by adeno-associated virus (AAV)-induced Trim59 gene therapeutics mitigates colitis in acute or chronic colitis rodent models and in vitro experiments. Mechanistically, in response to onset of colitis, TRIM59 directly interacts with KEAP1 and promotes ubiquitin-proteasome degradation, thus results in NRF2 activation and its downstream cascade anti-oxidative stress-related pathway activation, which facilitates anti-oxidant defense and reduces tissue damage. All the findings elucidated the potential role of TRIM59 in colitis progression by mediating KEAP1 deactivation and degradation, and could be considered as a therapeutic target for the treatment of such disease.

In vitro study of miRNA-369-3p targeting TCF4 regulating the malignant biological behavior of colon cancer cells

Background

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract. It is characterized by a high degree of malignancy, early metastasis and poor prognosis. Studies have shown the effect of miR-369-3p on the biological function of a variety of tumors. However, the mechanism by which miR-369-3p and its potential target genes participate in the pathogenesis of CRC has not been elucidated. This study aims to study the relationship between miR-369-3p and transcription factor 4 (TCF4), to reveal the mechanism of the occurrence and development of CRC, and to provide a promising target for the treatment of CRC.

Methods

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the miR-369-3p levels in CRC tissues and cells. miR-369-3p mimics and/or TCF4 overexpression vectors were transfected into SW480 cells. The expression of miR-369-3p and TCF4 mRNA was detected using RT-qPCR. Bioinformatics analysis predicted the binding site of miR-369-3p to the TCF4 3'UTR, and the targeting relationship was verified by a dual luciferase reporter gene assay. Cell proliferation and invasion were investigated by labeled immunofluorescence assay using BrdU antibody and Transwell assay. The oxidative stress ability of cells was determined by commercial kits. The levels of proteins related to cell proliferation and invasion were measured by western blotting.

Results

The level of miR-369-3p was significantly down-regulated in CRC tissues and cell lines, especially in SW480 cells (P<0.05). The expression of TCF4 was negatively correlated with that of miR-369-3p. High levels of miR-369-3p targeting TCF4 suppressed cell proliferation and downregulated the protein expression of Ki67 and PCNA (P<0.05). Overexpressed miR-369-3p binding TCF4 inhibited cell invasion and decreased the protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and E-cadherin (P<0.05). Furthermore, upregulation of miR-369-3p increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) while decreasing the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) by blocking the expression of TCF4 (P<0.05).

Conclusions

MiR-369-3p inhibits the proliferation, invasion and oxidative stress of CRC cells by targeting TCF4, thus defining miR-369-3p as a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.

Malignant function of nuclear factor-kappaB axis in prostate cancer: Molecular interactions and regulation by non-coding RNAs

Prostate carcinoma is a malignant situation that arises from genomic alterations in the prostate, leading to changes in tumorigenesis. The NF-κB pathway modulates various biological mechanisms, including inflammation and immune responses. Dysregulation of NF-κB promotes carcinogenesis, including increased proliferation, invasion, and therapy resistance. As an incurable disease globally, prostate cancer is a significant health concern, and research into genetic mutations and NF-κB function has the efficacy to facilitate the introduction of novel therapies. NF-κB upregulation is observed during prostate cancer progression, resulting in increased cell cycle progression and proliferation rates. Additionally, NF-κB endorses resistance to cell death and enhances the capacity for metastasis, particularly bone metastasis. Overexpression of NF-κB triggers chemoresistance and radio-resistance, and inhibition of NF-κB by anti-tumor compounds can reduce cancer progression. Interestingly, non-coding RNA transcripts can regulate NF-κB level and its nuclear transfer, offering a potential avenue for modulating prostate cancer progression.