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Guo Q, Xin M, Lu Q, Feng D, Yang V, Peng LF, Whelan KA, Hu W, Wu S, Yang X, Wang H, Rothberg BS, Gamero AM, Gerhard GS, Gao B, Yang L. A novel NEDD4L-TXNIP-CHOP axis in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Theranostics 2023; 13:2210-2225. [PMID: 37153733 PMCID: PMC10157740 DOI: 10.7150/thno.81192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a leading cause of chronic liver diseases worldwide. There is a pressing clinical need to identify potential therapeutic targets for NASH treatment. Thioredoxin interacting protein (Txnip) is a stress responsive gene that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of NASH, but its exact role is not fully understood. Here, we investigated the liver- and gene-specific role of Txnip and its upstream/downstream signaling in the pathogenesis of NASH. Methods and Results: Using four independent NASH mouse models, we found that TXNIP protein abnormally accumulated in NASH mouse livers. A decrease in E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4L resulted in impaired TXNIP ubiquitination and its accumulation in the liver. TXNIP protein levels were positively correlated with that of CHOP, a major regulator of ER stress-mediated apoptosis, in NASH mouse liver. Moreover, gain- and loss-of-function studies showed that TXNIP increased protein not mRNA levels of Chop both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the C-terminus of TXNIP associated with the N-terminus of the α-helix domain of CHOP and decreased CHOP ubiquitination, thus increasing the stability of CHOP protein. Lastly, selective knockdown of Txnip by adenovirus-mediated shRNA (not targets Txnip antisense lncRNA) delivery in the livers of both young and aged NASH mice suppressed the expression of CHOP and its downstream apoptotic pathway, and ameliorated NASH by reducing hepatic apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Conclusions: Our study revealed a pathogenic role of hepatic TXNIP in NASH and identified a novel NEDD4L-TXNIP-CHOP axis in the pathogenesis of NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Guo
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mingyang Xin
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Qingchun Lu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dechun Feng
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Vicky Yang
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lee F. Peng
- Division of Hepatology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kelly A. Whelan
- Department of Cancer and Cellular Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Wenhui Hu
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences/Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sheng Wu
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences/Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences/Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences/Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brad S. Rothberg
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ana M. Gamero
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Glenn S. Gerhard
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Bin Gao
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- ✉ Corresponding author: Ling Yang, Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, 3440 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA19140, USA. ; Phone: +1-215-707-3779
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Xu K, Xia P, Gongye X, Zhang X, Ma S, Chen Z, Zhang H, Liu J, Liu Y, Guo Y, Yao Y, Gao M, Chen Y, Zhang Z, Yuan Y. A novel lncRNA RP11-386G11.10 reprograms lipid metabolism to promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Mol Metab 2022; 63:101540. [PMID: 35798238 PMCID: PMC9287641 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Emerging studies suggest that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A rapidly increasing number of studies have shown that metabolic changes including lipid metabolic reprogramming play a significant role in the progression of HCC. But it remains to be elucidated how lncRNAs affect tumor cell metabolism. Methods Through analysis and screening of The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) dataset, we found a novel lncRNA RP11-386G11.10 was overexpressed, related to prognosis, conserved and non-protein-coding in HCC and related to poor prognosis. Then, CCK-8, colony formation, Transwell invasion, wound healing assays were performed and nude mouse subcutaneous tumour formation and lung metastasis models were established to explore the effect of RP11-386G11.10 on HCC tumour growth and metastasis. Chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Nile red staining detected the effect of RP11-386G11.10 on lipid metabolism in HCC. Mechanistically, we clarified the RP11-386G11.10/miR-345-3p/HNRNPU signalling pathway through dual luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays and identified ZBTB7A as a transcription factor of RP11-386G11.10. Results RP11-386G11.10 was overexpressed in HCC and positively correlated with tumour size, TNM stage, and poor prognosis in HCC patients. RP11-386G11.10 promoted the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, RP11-386G11.10 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-345-3p to regulate the expression of HNRNPU and its downstream lipogenic enzymes, leading to lipid accumulation in HCC cells and promoting their growth and metastasis. In addition, we identified ZBTB7A as a transcription factor of RP11-386G11.10. Moreover, HNRNPU promoted the expression of ZBTB7A in HCC cells, thereby increasing the transcriptional activity of RP11-386G11.10, and forming a positive feedback loop, ultimately leading continuous lipid accumulation, growth and metastasis in HCC cells. Conclusions Our results indicated that the lncRNA RP11-386G11.10 was a novel oncogenic lncRNA that was strongly correlated with the poor prognosis of HCC. The ZBTB7A-RP11-386G11.10-HNRNPU positive feedback loop promoted the progression of HCC by regulating lipid anabolism. RP11-386G11.10 may become a new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and therapy target for HCC. LncRNA RP11-386G11.10 was up-regulated in HCC. Overexpression of lncRNA RP11-386G11.10 promoted the proliferation, metastasis of HCC cells in vivo and in vitro. We confirmed that regulation of HNRNPU expression by RP11-286H15.1 resulted in lipid accumulation in HCC cells. HNRNPU forms a ZBTB7A- RP11-386G11.10 -HNRNPU positive feedback loop by promoting mRNA stability of ZBTB7A.
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