Identification of HGD and GSTZ1 as Biomarkers Involved Metabolic Reprogramming in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma

Potential shared gene signatures and molecular mechanisms between recurrent pregnancy loss and ovarian cancer

Background

Ovarian cancer (OV) is the second most prevalent gynecological tumor. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) refers to two or more spontaneous abortions. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying both OV and RPL remain poorly understood. This article focuses on the exploration of the common genetic characteristics of OV and RPL and their molecular mechanisms.

Methods

The 71 differentially expressed genes associated with RPL and 1427 genes associated with OV survival were analyzed, among which 7 common genes were both important in the pathogenesis of RPL and OV. Then stepAIC analysis was performed to simplify the model and decrease the number of genes, which yielded a final set of 5 prognostic genes with coefficients to construct a prognostic risk scoring system. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were conducted to verify the independent prognostic factor for OV patients. GSEA and GO analysis results showed enriched biological pathways in the high/low risk groups, thereby revealing their biological characteristics. The effect of immunotherapy is better in LR patients. There was a significantly higher enrichment score of stemness and higher tumor aneuploidy score in the HR group.

Results

A five-gene prognostic risk model provided a more accurate prognosis for OV, and this prognostic score system was validated using two external cohorts. The risk score was an independent prognostic index for OV patients. Based on levels of ICs, immune cell infiltration, and predicted response, low risk OV patients were more likely to benefit from immunotherapies.

Conclusions

The 5-gene risk model can predict the prognosis of OV patients, which can draw the attention of clinicians and help stratify patients into high and low risk groups for management.

MT1G induces lipid droplet accumulation through modulation of H3K14 trimethylation accelerating clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression

BACKGROUND

Lipid droplet formation is a prominent histological feature in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but the significance and mechanisms underlying lipid droplet accumulation remain unclear.

METHODS

Expression and clinical significance of MT1G in ccRCC were analyzed by using TCGA data, GEO data and scRNASeq data. MT1G overexpression or knockdown ccRCC cell lines were constructed and in situ ccRCC model, lung metastasis assay, metabolomics and lipid droplets staining were performed to explore the role of MT1G on lipid droplet accumulation in ccRCC.

RESULTS

Initially, we observed low MT1G expression in ccRCC tissues, whereas high MT1G expression correlated with advanced disease stage and poorer prognosis. Elevated MT1G expression promoted ccRCC growth and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, MT1G significantly suppressed acylcarnitine levels and downstream tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity, resulting in increased fatty acid and lipid accumulation without affecting cholesterol metabolism. Notably, MT1G inhibited H3K14 trimethylation (H3K14me3) modification. Under these conditions, MT1G-mediated H3K14me3 was recruited to the CPT1B promoter through direct interaction with specific promoter regions, leading to reduced CPT1B transcription and translation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study unveils a novel mechanism of lipid droplet accumulation in ccRCC, where MT1G inhibits CPT1B expression through modulation of H3K14 trimethylation, consequently enhancing lipid droplet accumulation and promoting ccRCC progression. Graphical abstract figure Schematic diagram illustrating MT1G/H3K14me3/CPT1B-mediated lipid droplet accumulation promoted ccRCC progression via FAO inhibition.

Identification of TAT as a Biomarker Involved in Cell Cycle and DNA Repair in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the primary cause of cancer-related mortality in women. Treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains particularly challenging due to its resistance to chemotherapy and poor prognosis. Extensive research efforts in BC screening and therapy have improved clinical outcomes for BC patients. Therefore, identifying reliable biomarkers for TNBC is of great clinical importance. Here, we found that tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) expression was significantly reduced in BC and strongly correlated with the poor prognosis of BC patients, which distinguished BC patients from normal individuals, indicating that TAT is a valuable biomarker for early BC diagnosis. Mechanistically, we uncovered that methylation of the TAT promoter was significantly increased by DNA methyltransferase 3 (DNMT3A/3B). In addition, reduced TAT contributes to DNA replication and cell cycle activation by regulating homologous recombination repair and mismatch repair to ensure genomic stability, which may be one of the reasons for TNBC resistance to chemotherapy. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Diazinon increases TAT expression as an inhibitor of DNMT3A/3B and inhibits the growth of BC by blocking downstream pathways. Taken together, we revealed that TAT is silenced by DNMT3A/3B in BC, especially in TNBC, which promotes the proliferation of tumor cells by supporting DNA replication, activating cell cycle, and enhancing DNA damage repair. These results provide fresh insights and a theoretical foundation for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of BC.

Exploration of a hypoxia-immune-related microenvironment gene signature and prediction model for hepatitis C-induced early-stage fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Liver fibrosis contributes to significant morbidity and mortality in Western nations, primarily attributed to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Hypoxia and immune status have been reported to be significantly correlated with the progression of liver fibrosis. The current research aimed to investigate the gene signature related to the hypoxia-immune-related microenvironment and identify potential targets for liver fibrosis.

METHOD

Sequencing data obtained from GEO were employed to assess the hypoxia and immune status of the discovery set utilizing UMAP and ESTIMATE methods. The prognostic genes were screened utilizing the LASSO model. The infiltration level of 22 types of immune cells was quantified utilizing CIBERSORT, and a prognosis-predictive model was established based on the selected genes. The model was also verified using qRT-PCR with surgical resection samples and liver failure samples RNA-sequencing data.

RESULTS

Elevated hypoxia and immune status were linked to an unfavorable prognosis in HCV-induced early-stage liver fibrosis. Increased plasma and resting NK cell infiltration were identified as a risk factor for liver fibrosis progression. Additionally, CYP1A2, CBS, GSTZ1, FOXA1, WDR72 and UHMK1 were determined as hypoxia-immune-related protective genes. The combined model effectively predicted patient prognosis. Furthermore, the preliminary validation of clinical samples supported most of the conclusions drawn from this study.

CONCLUSION

The prognosis-predictive model developed using six hypoxia-immune-related genes effectively predicts the prognosis and progression of liver fibrosis. The current study opens new avenues for the future prediction and treatment of liver fibrosis.

Clinical physiology and pharmacology of GSTZ1/MAAI

Herein I summarize the physiological chemistry and pharmacology of the bifunctional enzyme glutathione transferase zeta 1 (GSTZ1)/ maleylacetoacetate isomerase (MAAI) relevant to human physiology, drug metabolism and disease. MAAI is integral to the catabolism of the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of MAAI can be pathological in animals. However, to date, no clinical disease consequences are unequivocally attributable to inborn errors of this enzyme. MAAI is identical to the zeta 1 family isoform of GST, which biotransforms the investigational drug dichloroacetate (DCA) to the endogenous compound glyoxylate. DCA is a mechanism-based inhibitor of GSTZ1 that significantly reduces its rate of metabolism and increases accumulation of potentially harmful tyrosine intermediates and of the heme precursor δ-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA). GSTZ1 is most abundant in rodent and human liver, with its concentration several fold higher in cytoplasm than in mitochondria. Its activity and protein expression are dependent on the age of the host and the intracellular level of chloride ions. Gene association studies have linked GSTZ1 or its protein product to various physiological traits and pathologies. Haplotype variations in GSTZ1 influence the rate of DCA metabolism, enabling a genotyping strategy to allow potentially safe, precision-based drug dosing in clinical trials.

Tyrosine metabolic reprogramming coordinated with the tricarboxylic acid cycle to drive glioma immune evasion by regulating PD-L1 expression

Due to the existence of the blood-brain barrier in glioma, traditional drug therapy has a poor therapeutic outcome. Emerging immunotherapy has been shown to have satisfactory therapeutic effects in solid tumors, and it is clinically instructive to explore the possibility of immunotherapy in glioma. We performed a retrospective analysis of RNA-seq data and clinical information in 1027 glioma patients, utilizing machine learning to explore the relationship between tyrosine metabolizing enzymes and clinical characteristics. In addition, we also assessed the role of tyrosine metabolizing enzymes in the immune microenvironment including immune infiltration and immune evasion. Highly expressed tyrosine metabolizing enzymes 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, and fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase not only promote the malignant phenotype of glioma but are also closely related to poor prognosis. The expression of tyrosine metabolizing enzymes could distinguish the malignancy degree of glioma. More importantly, tyrosine metabolizing enzymes regulate the adaptive immune process in glioma. Mechanistically, multiple metabolic enzymes remodel fumarate metabolism, promote α-ketoglutarate production, induce programmed death-ligand 1 expression, and help glioma evade immune surveillance. Our data suggest that the metabolic subclass driven by tyrosine metabolism provides promising targets for the immunotherapy of glioma.

PI3K/AKT/mTOR Dysregulation and Reprogramming Metabolic Pathways in Renal Cancer: Crosstalk with the VHL/HIF Axis

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents 85-95% of kidney cancers and is the most frequent type of renal cancer in adult patients. It accounts for 3% of all cancer cases and is in 7th place among the most frequent histological types of cancer. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), accounts for 75% of RCCs and has the most kidney cancer-related deaths. One-third of the patients with ccRCC develop metastases. Renal cancer presents cellular alterations in sugars, lipids, amino acids, and nucleic acid metabolism. RCC is characterized by several metabolic dysregulations including oxygen sensing (VHL/HIF pathway), glucose transporters (GLUT 1 and GLUT 4) energy sensing, and energy nutrient sensing cascade. Metabolic reprogramming represents an important characteristic of the cancer cells to survive in nutrient and oxygen-deprived environments, to proliferate and metastasize in different body sites. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase-AKT-mammalian target of the rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) signaling pathway is usually dysregulated in various cancer types including renal cancer. This molecular pathway is frequently correlated with tumor growth and survival. The main aim of this review is to present renal cancer types, dysregulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway members, crosstalk with VHL/HIF axis, and carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acid alterations.

PRIM2 Promotes Cell Cycle and Tumor Progression in p53-Mutant Lung Cancer

Simple Summary

The mutation or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes is a key driving force during tumorigenesis, among which, p53 mutation is a common feature of human cancer. Therefore, exploring the potential role of p53 mutation in the occurrence and development of tumors is a powerful support for tumor diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we found that PRIM2 expression was abnormally elevated in p53-mutated lung cancer patients, and the elevated PRIM2 promoted DNA replication, enhanced mismatch repair, activated cell cycle, and promoted lung cancer progression. Here, we first report that the expression of PRIM2 is regulated by p53, and is identified as a biomarker of lung cancer malignancy and survival prognosis.

Abstract

p53 is a common tumor suppressor, and its mutation drives tumorigenesis. What is more, p53 mutations have also been reported to be indicative of poor prognosis in lung cancer, but the detailed mechanism has not been elucidated. In this study, we found that DNA primase subunit 2 (PRIM2) had a high expression level and associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer. Furthermore, we found that PRIM2 expression was abnormally increased in lung cancer cells with p53 mutation or altered the p53/RB pathway based on database. We also verified that PRIM2 expression was elevated by mutation or deletion of p53 in lung cancer cell lines. Lastly, silence p53 increased the expression of RPIM2. Thus, these data suggest that PRIM2 is a cancer-promoting factor which is regulated by the p53/RB pathway. The p53 tumor-suppressor gene integrates numerous signals that control cell proliferation, cell cycle, and cell death; and the p53/RB pathway determines the cellular localization of transcription factor E2F, which regulates the expression of downstream targets. Next, we explored the role of PRIM2 in lung cancer and found that knockdown of PRIM2 induced cell cycle arrest, increased DNA damage, and increased cell senescence, leading to decreased lung cancer cell proliferation. Lastly, the positive correlation between PRIM2 and E2F/CDK also indicated that PRIM2 was involved in promoting cell cycle mediated by p53/RB pathway. These results confirmed that the expression of PRIM2 is regulated by the p53/RB pathway in lung cancer cells, promotes DNA replication and mismatch repair, and activates the cell cycle. Overall, we found that frequent p53 mutations increased PRIM2 expression, activated the cell cycle, and promoted lung cancer progression.