Sense and anti-sense: Role of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 in Wnt, EGFR, PI3K, EMT pathways and tumor progression

An increasing number of studies have shown that FAM83A, a member of the family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83), which consists of eight members, is a key tumor therapeutic target involved in multiple signaling pathways. It has been reported that FAM83A plays essential roles in the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin, EGFR, MAPK, EMT, and other signaling pathways and physiological processes in models of pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and other malignant tumors. Moreover, the expression of FAM83A could be significantly affected by multiple noncoding RNAs that are dysregulated in malignant tumors, the dysregulation of which is essential for the malignant process. Among these noncoding RNAs, the most noteworthy is the antisense long noncoding (Lnc) RNA of FAM83A itself (FAM83A-AS1), indicating an outstanding synergistic carcinogenic effect between FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1. In the present study, the specific mechanisms by which FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 cofunction in the Wnt/β-catenin and EGFR signaling pathways were reviewed in detail, which will guide subsequent research. We also described the applications of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 in tumor therapy and provided a certain theoretical basis for subsequent drug target development and combination therapy strategies.

High-risk histological subtype-related FAM83A hijacked FOXM1 transcriptional regulation to promote malignant progression in lung adenocarcinoma

Background

According to the histopathology, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) could be divided into five distinct pathological subtypes, categorized as high-risk (micropapillary and solid) group, intermediate-risk (acinar and papillary) group, and low-risk (lepidic) group. Despite this classification, there is limited knowledge regarding the role of transcription factors (TFs) in the molecular regulation of LUAD histology patterns.

Methods

Publish data was mined to explore the candidate TFs associated with high-risk histopathology in LUAD, which was validated in tissue samples. Colony formation, CCK8, EdU, transwell, and matrigel assays were performed to determine the biological function of FAM83A in vitro. Subcutaneous tumor-bearing in BALB/c nude mice and xenograft perivitelline injection in zebrafish were utilized to unreal the function of FAM83A in vivo. We also performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), dual-luciferase reporter, and rescue assays to uncover the underline mechanism of FAM83A. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to confirm the oncogenic role of FAM83A in clinical LUAD tissues.

Results

Screening the transcriptional expression data from TCGA-LUAD, we focus on the differentially expressed TFs across the divergent pathological subtypes, and identified that the expression of FAM83A is higher in patients with high-risk groups compared with those with intermediate or low-risk groups. The FAM83A expression is positively correlated with worse overall survival, progression-free survival, and advanced stages. Gain- and loss-of-function assays revealed that FAM83A promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of tumor cell lines both in vivo and in vitro. Pathway enrichment analysis shows that FAM83A expression is significantly enriched in cell cycle-related pathways. The ChIP and luciferase reporter assays revealed that FAM83A hijacks the promoter of FOXM1 to progress the malignant LUAD, and the rescue assay uncovered that the function of FAM83A is partly dependent on FOXM1 regulation. Additionally, patients with high FAM83A expression positively correlated with higher IHC scores of Ki-67 and FOXM1, and patients with active FAM83A/FOXM1 axis had poor prognoses in LUAD.

Conclusions

Taken together, our study revealed that the high-risk histological subtype-related FAM83A hijacks FOXM1 transcriptional regulation to promote malignant progression in lung adenocarcinoma, which implies targeting FAM83A/FOXM1 is the therapeutic vulnerability.

ncRNA-mediated upregulation of FAM83A is associated with poor prognosis and immune infiltration in pancreatic cancer

INTRODUCTION

Malignant pancreatic cancer has poor long-term survival. Increasing evidence shows that FAM83A (family with sequence similarity 83 member A) plays a vital role in tumorigenesis and malignant progression in some human cancer types. The present study explored the potential mechanism of FAM83A in improving the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients.

METHODS

Transcriptomic and clinical data from patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas while FAM83A expression was measured in tumorous pancreatic tissue compared with normal controls by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

FAM83A is a vital prognostic indicator and potential oncogene in pancreatic cancer via pan-cancer analysis. In silico analysis revealed that AL049555.1/hsa-miR-129-5p axis was the pivotal upstream ncRNA- mediated pathway of FAM83A in pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, FAM83A expression was related to immune cell infiltration through vital immune-related genes including programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1), and tumorigenesis through common mutation genes including KRAS protooncogene GTPase (KRAS), and SMAD family member 4 (SMAD4). In summary, ncRNA-mediated upregulation of FAM83A is associated with poor long-term survival and immune cell infiltration in pancreatic cancer.

DISCUSSION

FAM83A may be used as a novel survival-related and immune-related biomarker. This information suggests that FAM83A may be a novel therapeutic target for combined or individual treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer.

FAM83A promotes the progression and metastasis of human pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways

PURPOSE

Family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A) has been reported to play an important role in cancer progression and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role and mechanism of FAM83A in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs).

METHODS

PanNET specimens and adjacent nontumor pancreatic tissues obtained from 68 patients who underwent curative surgery for PanNETs were assessed for FAM83A expression using immunochemical staining. The relationships between FAM83A expression, clinicopathological parameters and prognosis were statistically analyzed. PanNET cell lines were used to study the role of FAM83A in the progression and metastasis of PanNETs in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

FAM83A was overexpressed in PanNET specimens compared with adjacent nontumor tissues. Furthermore, FAM83A expression was closely associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.02), perineural invasion (P = 0.001), WHO classification (P = 0.039), AJCC stage (P = 0.01) and shorter disease-free survival in patients with PanNETs (P < 0.001). FAM83A overexpression effectively promoted PanNET cell proliferation, migration, invasion and growth both in vitro and in vivo, whereas FAM83A inhibition exerted the opposite effects. Subsequent mechanistic investigations revealed that FAM83A promotes the progression and metastasis of PanNETs by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

FAM83A plays an important role in the progression and metastasis of PanNET by inducing the EMT via the activation of the ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways and may serve as a valuable molecular target in PanNET treatment.

Proto-oncogene FAM83A contributes to casein kinase 1-mediated mitochondrial maintenance and white adipocyte differentiation

Family with sequence similarity 83 A (FAM83A) is a newly discovered proto-oncogene that has been shown to play key roles in various cancers. However, the function of FAM83A in other physiological processes is not well known. Here, we report a novel function of FAM83A in adipocyte differentiation. We used an adipocyte-targeting fusion oligopeptide (FITC-ATS-9R) to deliver a FAM83A-sgRNA/Cas9 plasmid to knockdown Fam83a (ATS/sg-FAM83A) in white adipose tissue in mice, which resulted in reduced white adipose tissue mass, smaller adipocytes, and mitochondrial damage that was aggravated by a high-fat diet. In cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we found loss or knockdown of Fam83a significantly repressed lipid droplet formation and downregulated the expression of lipogenic genes and proteins. Furthermore, inhibition of Fam83a decreased mitochondrial ATP production through blockage of the electron transport chain, associated with enhanced apoptosis. Mechanistically, we demonstrate FAM83A interacts with casein kinase 1 (CK1) and promotes the permeability of the mitochondrial outer membrane. Furthermore, loss of Fam83a in adipocytes hampered the formation of the TOM40 complex and impeded CK1-driven lipogenesis. Taken together, these results establish FAM83A as a critical regulator of mitochondria maintenance during adipogenesis.

LncRNA RMRP Contributes to the Development and Progression of Spinal Cord Injury by Regulating miR-766-5p/FAM83A Axis

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is known as a central nervous system disorder. Previous studies suggested that long-non-coding RNA RMRP (LncRNA RMRP) was abnormally expressed in SCI, but the potential underlying mechanism remains to be further explored. To explore the regulatory roles of LncRNA RMRP/miR-766-5p/FAM83A axis in SCI. Spinal T9 hemisection was performed on healthy adult male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats to establish the SCI rat models. The expressions of LncRNA RMRP in spinal cord of rats in different groups were examined by RT-qPCR. Moreover, AGE1.HN and PC12 cells were treated with hypoxic condition, and expression of LncRNA RMRP was examined by RT-qPCR methods. Furthermore, hypoxic PC12 cells were transfected with LncRNA RMRP OE, and the cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were examined. Next, the direct targeting relationship between LncRNA RMRP and miR-766-5p, as well as miR-766-5p and FAM83A, was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. Finally, the effects of LncRNA RMRP/miR-766-5p/FAM83A axis on cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were examined. LncRNA RMRP was downregulated in SCI rats and over-expression of LncRNA RMRP alleviated the SCI condition. LncRNA RMRP over-expression increased the viability and proliferation, and inhibited the apoptosis of hypoxic PC12 cells in vitro. miR-766-5p was confirmed as a target of LncRNA RMRP, and FAM83A was confirmed as a target of miR-766-5p. LncRNA RMRP could regulate the proliferation and apoptosis of hypoxic PC12 cells via regulating miR-766-5p/FAM83A axis in vitro. LncRNA RMRP may contribute to the pathogenesis of SCI via regulating miR-766-5p/FAM83A axis.

FAM83A has a pro-tumor function in ovarian cancer by affecting the Akt/Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A) is a tumor-exclusive gene that has a vital role in numerous tumors. However, its role in tumorigenesis remains controversial. This work is dedicated to the study of the role of FAM83A in ovarian cancer. We observed elevated levels of FAM83A in ovarian cancer specimens and cells. Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that elevated FAM83A levels predicted a worse overall survival in ovarian cancer patients. The inhibition of FAM83A caused remarkable suppressive effects on the proliferation and invasion of ovarian cancer cells, and enhanced their chemosensitivity. On the contrary, the upregulation of FAM83A had opposite effects. Mechanistically, FAM83A had an effect on the Akt and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in ovarian cancer cells. The repression of Akt could cancel the regulatory effect of FAM83A overexpression on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Moreover, reactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway abolished FAM83A-inhibition-evoked antitumor effects. Additionally, FAM83A inhibition weakened the tumorigenic potential of ovarian cancer in vivo. Taken together, this work shows that FAM83A exerts a pro-tumor function in ovarian cancer by affecting the Akt/Wnt/β-catenin pathway and proposes FAM83A as an effective and possible treatment target for ovarian cancer.

Long non-coding RNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes rectal cancer progression by competitively binding miR-632 with FAM83A

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) forebrain embryonic zinc finger protein 1 antisense RNA1 (FEZF1-AS1) was recently identified as an oncogenic gene in several types of tumors. The biological function of FEZF1-AS1 in rectal cancer progression, however, remains unknown. In the present study, we discover that FEZF1-AS1 is significantly upregulated in rectal cancer tissues and cells. Knocking down of FEZF1-AS1 suppresses cell proliferation, migration, and invasion , and tumorigenesis . Furthermore, FEZF1-AS1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-632, resulting in the suppression of family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A). Overall, our findings reveal that FEZF1-AS1/miR-632/FAM83A axis plays an oncogenic role in rectal cancer progression, suggesting that it may be a novel therapeutic target for rectal cancer.

CircMIIP Contributes to Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression by Binding miR-766-5p to Upregulate FAM83A Expression

BACKGROUND

Circular RNA migration and invasion inhibitory protein (circMIIP) is reported to be upregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues compared with normal tissues. However, the role and working mechanism of circMIIP in NSCLC progression remain largely unclear.

METHODS

Cell proliferation ability was analyzed by colony formation assay, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Transwell assays were performed to analyze the migration and invasion abilities of NSCLC cells. The interaction between microRNA-766-5p (miR-766-5p) and circMIIP or family with sequence similarity 83A (FAM83A) was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. Xenograft tumor model was established to analyze the role of circMIIP on tumor growth in vivo.

RESULTS

CircMIIP was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. CircMIIP knockdown restrained the proliferation, migration and invasion and induced the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. CircMIIP acted as a molecular sponge for miR-766-5p, and circMIIP silencing-mediated anti-tumor effects were largely overturned by the knockdown of miR-766-5p in NSCLC cells. miR-766-5p interacted with the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of FAM83A, and FAM83A overexpression largely reversed miR-766-5p accumulation-induced anti-tumor effects in NSCLC cells. CircMIIP competitively bound to miR-766-5p to elevate the expression of FAM83A in NSCLC cells. CircMIIP knockdown significantly restrained xenograft tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

CircMIIP promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion and suppressed cell apoptosis in NSCLC cells through mediating miR-766-5p/FAM83A axis.

FAM83A promotes proliferation and metastasis via Wnt/β-catenin signaling in head neck squamous cell carcinoma

This research aimed to investigate the expression and function of FAM83A in the proliferation and metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). FAM83A mRNA and protein expressions in HNSCC were detected in primary HNSCC samples and cell lines. The associations between FAM83A expression and clinicopathologic variables were evaluated through tissue microarrays. Besides, FAM83A knockdown and overexpression cell lines were constructed to assess cell growth and metastasis in vitro and the relationship between FAM83A and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, two models of xenograft tumors in nude mice were used to assess the tumorigenicity and metastasis ability of FAM83A in vivo. In the present study, overexpression of FAM83A in HNSCC samples was significantly associated with tumor size, lymph node status and clinical tumor stages. Mechanically, FAM83A could promote HNSCC cell growth and metastasis by inducing EMT via activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Rescue experiment demonstrated the inhibition of β-catenin could counteract the function of FAM83A. Also, the FAM83A knockdown could suppress tumor growth and distant metastasis in the xenograft animal models of HNSCC. In conclusion, this study identifies FAM83A as an oncogene of HNSCC. This study provides new insights into the molecular pathways that contribute to EMT in HNSCC. We revealed a previously unknown FAM83A-Wnt–β-catenin signaling axis involved in the EMT of HNSCC. There may be a potential bi-directional signaling loop between FAM83A and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in HNSCC.

Family with sequence similarity 83 member A promotes tumor cell proliferation and metastasis and predicts poor prognosis in cervical cancer

Family with sequence similarity 83 member A (FAM83A) is a member of the FAM83 family and is proven to have oncogenic properties in several cancers. However, the mechanisms of FAM83A in human cervical cancer (CC) progression are unknown. Here, we found that FAM83A is highly expressed in CC tissues and cell lines through western blot and qRT-PCR. We utilized GEO datasets to assess FAM83A expression in CC in comparison to the normal cervical tissue (NCT) (GSE6791), and similarly, in lymph node positive CC compared to the lymph node negative CC (GSE26511). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to quantify FAM83A expression in 20 NCT and 105 CC patient samples. FAM83A expression is upregulated in early-stage CC and correlates with aggressive clinicopathologic features. Moreover, both our hospital's and TCGA datasets revealed that patients of early-stage CC with higher FAM83A expression had a poorer prognosis. Subsequently, CCK-8 and transwell assays verified that FAM83A promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of CC cells. Additionally, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed that FAM83A is not only involved in cell development, differentiation, and proliferation but is also correlated with cell junction assembly and cell matrix adhesion. It might also be affiliated with the regulation of tumor necrosis factor-mediated signaling pathway and the regulation of the ErbB signaling pathway in CC. These results indicate that FAM83A promotes tumor cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Our study provides novel evidence FAM83A may act as a promising therapeutic target for CC.

LncRNA FAM83A-AS1 promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression by enhancing the pre-mRNA stability of FAM83A

Background

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) affect a series of cellular biological processes, including oncogene function promotion. In this study, we explored the functions and mechanisms of FAM83A antisense RNA 1 (FAM83A‐AS1) in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression.

Methods

The expression of FAM83A‐AS1and FAM83A mRNA was analyzed using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Proliferation, migration, invasion and Western blotting were measured after treatment with overexpressed or knockdown FAM83A‐AS1. To determine the relationship between FAM83A‐AS1 and FAM83A, RNase protection assay (RPA), amanitin treatment, RNA pulldown assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were performed.

Results

High expression of FAM83A‐AS1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) was closely associated with low overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). Functionally, high FAM83A‐AS1 expression increased LUAD cell proliferation and metastasis, indicating that FAM83A‐AS1 exerted its oncogenic functions. Furthermore, FAM83A‐AS1 promoted NSCLC progression via ERK signaling pathways. Mechanistically, FAM83A‐AS1 post‐transcriptionally increased FAM83A expression by enhancing pre‐mRNA stability. FAM83A‐AS1 enhanced FAM83A mRNA stability not only by forming an RNA duplex but also by binding to FBL.

Conclusions

We determined that FAM83A‐AS1 increased FAM83A expression by enhancing FAM83A pre‐mRNA stability and promoted the tumorigenesis of LUAD.

FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 both play oncogenic roles in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of lung cancer. Nevertheless, the detailed molecular mechanisms of the progression of LUAD remain largely unknown. The present bioinformatics analysis reported that FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 were upregulated in LUAD tissues and associated with prognosis in patients with LUAD. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the role of FAM83A and its antisense long non-coding (lnc)RNA FAM83A-AS1 in LUAD. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis was used to screen for potential oncogenes in LUAD and to analyze the clinical significance of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1. Small interfering RNAs were constructed and transfected into LUAD cells to knock down the expression of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1. EdU, Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell and Matrigel assays were performed to detect the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells. The interaction between FAM83A-AS1, microRNA (miR)-495-3p and FAM83A was explored using a luciferase reporter assay. FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 were both overexpressed in LUAD tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. High expression of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 predicted worse survival and more advanced clinical stage. Knockdown of FAM83A or FAM83A-AS1 could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells. Moreover, lncRNA FAM83A-AS1 regulated the expression of FAM83A by functioning as competing endogenous RNA for miR-495-3p. These results implicated that FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 both played oncogenic roles in LUAD and FAM83A-AS1 could regulate the expression of FAM83A by sponging miR-495-3p. The study revealed a novel regulatory mechanism of tumor development in LUAD and FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 may be novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for LUAD.

FAM83A as a Potential Biological Marker Is Regulated by miR-206 to Promote Cervical Cancer Progression Through PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway

Background and Objective: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective treatment options for cervical cancer (CC), but their efficacy is limited by short survival rate of about 5 years particularly for advance stage CC. Bioinformatics analysis combined with experimental in vivo and in vitro data can identify potential markers of tumorigenesis and cancer progression to improve CC prognosis and survival rate of the patients. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A) gene and miR-206 in promoting CC progression and the involved genetic signaling pathways.

Method: This was a bioinformatic analysis study based on RNA sequencing data of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and verification by in vivo and in vitro experimental data. It was designed to evaluate whether the aberrantly expressed gene signatures could serve as new potential biomarker to improve prognosis prediction in CC. The TCGA RNA sequencing data [306 cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and endocervical adenocarcinoma samples and 13 adjacent samples] and GEO data (GSE9750 and GSE52903 datasets) were integrated and performed a bioinformatics analysis.

Results: The results showed that CC-associated FAM83A gene serves as a key regulator of CC development and progression. Functionally, we observed that FAM83A is significantly overexpressed in CC, which is linked to poor overall survival as well as disease-free survival in CC patients. The in-vitro and in-vivo assessments performed after silencing FAM83A revealed that cell proliferation was significantly inhibited and the S-phase cell cycle arrest was induced. Mechanistically, FAM83A plays a role in PI3K/AKT signaling, and its downstream molecules could promote CC cell proliferation. Furthermore, functionality assessments by in-vitro luciferase reporter system and immunoblot analysis showed that miR-206 was the upstream of FAM83A and negatively correlated with FAM83A.

Conclusion: The miR-206/FAM83A/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway possibly serves as a critical effector in CC progression indicating the potential prognostic value of FAM83A gene as a novel biomarker for CC progression.

miR-613 Suppresses Chemoresistance and Stemness in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Targeting FAM83A

Introduction

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive malignancy of breast cancer, which represents about 20% of all cases. The prognosis of TNBC remains unfavorable due to the lack of targeted therapy and chemoresistance. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of miR-613 in TNBC.

Material and Methods

Quantitative RT-PCT was used to explore the expression of miR-613 in breast cancer clinical samples and cell lines. MTT, colony formation assay, spheroid formation assay and xenograft tumor growth assay were used to investigate the role of miR-613 in vitro and in vivo. Cell apoptosis and surface marker expression were measured by flow cytometry. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to explore the function of miR-613 in regulating FAM83A 3ʹUTR. Immunohistochemical staining was used to investigate the expression of FAM83A in TNBC tissues.

Results

We found that miR-613 expression was significantly downregulated in breast cancer tissues and was even lower in TNBC compared with that in other types of breast cancer. A similar result was found in breast cancer cell lines. Further analysis indicated that miR-613 could suppress TNBC cell growth, chemoresistance and stem-cell-like phenotype. Moreover, we also demonstrated that miR-613 suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. Mechanically, we explored the downstream target of miR-613 and identified that miR-613 could directly bind to the 3ʹUTR of FAM83A, which contributed to the miR-613 mediated tumor suppression. The expression of miR-613 and FAM83A was negatively correlated. Restoring the expression of FAM83A attributed to the chemoresistance and stemness of TNBC cells.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that loss of miR-613 was critical for TNBC malignancy and restoring its expression could be served as a potential approach for TNBC treatment.

Involvement of MicroRNA-1-FAM83A Axis Dysfunction in the Growth and Motility of Lung Cancer Cells

Lung cancer is the most prevalent types of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Among all cancers, lung cancer has the highest incidence, accompanied by a high mortality rate at the advanced stage. Favorable prognostic biomarkers can effectively increase the survival rate in lung cancer. Our results revealed FAM83A (Family with sequence similarity 83, member A) overexpression in lung cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, high FAM83A expression was closely associated with poor lung cancer survival. Here, through siRNA transfection, we effectively inhibited FAM83A expression in the lung cancer cell lines H1355 and A549. FAM83A knockdown significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of these cells. Furthermore, FAM83A knockdown could suppress Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/Choline kinase alpha (CHKA) signaling activation in A549 and H1355. By using a bioinformatics approach, we found that FAM83A overexpression in lung cancer may result from miR-1-3p downregulation. In summary, we identified a novel miR-1-FAM83A axis could partially modulate the EGFR/choline phospholipid metabolism signaling pathway, which suppressed lung cancer growth and motility. Our findings provide new insights for the development of lung cancer therapeutics.

TSPAN1 promotes autophagy flux and mediates cooperation between WNT-CTNNB1 signaling and autophagy via the MIR454-FAM83A-TSPAN1 axis in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive tumors associated with a poor clinical prognosis, weakly effective therapeutic options. Therefore, there is a strong impetus to discover new therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer. In the present study, we first demonstrated that TSPAN1 is upregulated in pancreatic cancer and that TSPAN1 depletion decreases pancreatic cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. TSPAN1 expression was correlated with poor overall survival of pancreatic cancer patients. Moreover, we demonstrated that TSPAN1 is a novel positive regulator of macroautophagy/autophagy characterized by decreased LC3-II and SQSTM1/p62 expressions, inhibited puncta formation of GFP-LC3 and autophagic vacuoles. We also demonstrated that tspan1 mutation impaired autophagy in the zebrafish model. Furthermore, we showed that TSPAN1 promoted autophagy maturation via direct binding to LC3 by two conserved LIR motifs. Mutations in the LIR motifs of TSPAN1 resulted in a loss of the ability to induce autophagy and promote pancreatic cancer proliferation. Second, we discovered two conservative TCF/LEF binding elements present in the promoter region of the TSPAN1 gene, which was further verified through luciferase activity and ChIP assays. Furthermore, TSPAN1 was upregulated by FAM83A through the canonical WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway. We further demonstrated that both TSPAN1 and FAM83A are both direct targets of MIR454 (microRNA 454). Additionally, we revealed the role of MIR454-FAM83A-TSPAN1 in the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that components of the MIR454-FAM83A-TSPAN1 axis may be valuable prognosis markers or therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer.Abbreviations: AMPK: adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase; APC: APC regulator of WNT signaling pathway; ATG: autophagy related; AXIN2: axin 2; BECN1: beclin 1; CCND1: cyclin D1; CSNK1A1/CK1α: casein kinase 1 alpha 1; CTNNB1/β-catenin: catenin beta 1; DAPI: 4'6-diamino-2-phenylindole; EBSS: Earle's balanced salt solution; EdU: 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine; FAM83A: family with sequence similarity 83 member A; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GFP: green fluorescent protein; GSEA: gene set enrichment analysis; GSK3B: glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta; IHC: immunohistochemical; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; LIR: LC3-interacting region; MAP1LC3/LC3, microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MIR454: microRNA 454; miRNA: microRNA; MKI67: antigen identified by monoclonal antibody Ki 67; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; MTT: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; MYC: MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor; OS: overall survival; PDAC: pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; RAB7A: RAB7A, member RAS oncogene family; shRNA: short hairpin RNA; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TBE: TCF/LEF binding element; TCGA: The Cancer Genome Atlas; TCF/LEF: transcription factor/lymphoid enhancer binding factor; TCF4: transcription factor 4; TSPAN1: tetraspanin 1; TUNEL: terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling; UTR: untranslated region; WT: wild type.

Long noncoding RNA FAM83A-AS1 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma progression by binding with NOP58 to enhance the mRNA stability of FAM83A

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as one of the commonest cancers globally, is a primary malignancy in human liver with a characteristic of high mortality rate. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are confirmed to be implicated with multiple cancers including HCC. LncRNA FAM83A-AS1 has also been validated as an oncogene in lung cancer, but its mechanism in HCC is poorly understood. Our research is intended to investigate the underlying mechanism of FAM83A-AS1 in HCC. In the present study, we found the abundantly increased expression level of FAM83A-AS1 in HCC tissues and cells. FAM83A-AS1 inhibition hampered cell proliferation, migration and elevated cell apoptosis in HCC. Moreover, FAM83A-AS1 could positively regulate FAM83A, and FAM83A could also promote the progression of HCC. In addition, FAM83A-AS1 and FAM83A were both verified to bind with NOP58, and FAM83A-AS1 enhanced the mRNA stability of FAM83A by binding with NOP58. In rescue assays, the suppressed influence of down-regulated FAM83A-AS1#1 on cell proliferation, migration as well as the accelerated influence of FAM83A-AS1#1 knockdown on cell apoptosis could be partially recovered by overexpression of FAM83A. In conclusion, FAM83A-AS1 facilitated HCC progression by binding with NOP58 to enhance the stability of FAM83A. These findings offer a novel biological insight into HCC treatment.

FAM83A drives PD-L1 expression via ERK signaling and FAM83A/PD-L1 co-expression correlates with poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

The purpose of this research was to explore the correlation and prognostic significance of FAM83A and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein expression in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

METHODS

A total of 130 LUAD specimens and 50 normal lung tissue specimens were analyzed for both FAM83A and PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The effect of FAM83A on PD-L1 and ERK pathway was evaluated by RT-PCR and western blot in vitro.

RESULTS

Both FAM83A and PD-L1 were upregulated in patients with LUAD and co-expression of them was significantly associated with tumor stage, metastasis and worse survival in LUAD. Multivariate cox regression analysis revealed that co-expression of FAM83A and PD-L1 was an independent prognostic factor impacting survival. Moreover, experiments in vitro showed FAM83A could promote the expression of PD-L1 through the ERK pathway.

CONCLUSION

FAM83A and PD-L1 may be potential therapeutic targets for LUAD. Co-expression of FAM83A and PD-L1 in tumor cells was a credible biomarker predictor for worse survival in resected cases. FAM83A may promote the expression of PD-L1 through ERK signaling pathway, thus causing immune escape of tumor.

FAM83A Is a Prognosis Signature and Potential Oncogene of Lung Adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of nonsmall cell lung cancer, and 5-year survival rate is only 15% in recent years. This study aimed to explore the FAM83A expression and its potential functions in LUAD. Data of LUAD were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Expression level of FAM83A was compared between LUAD samples and adjacent normal samples. The association between FAM83A expression and clinic-pathological parameters was analyzed, as well as copy number variation and methylation status. Kaplan-Meier curve was used to visualize the relationship of FAM83A expression with survival outcomes. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis was used to identify potential signaling pathways in LUAD specimens. FAM83A expression was significantly correlated with four clinical factors in LUAD specimens, age, gender, smoking, and overall survival status (all p < 0.05). High expression level of FAM83A was negatively correlated with methylation level. Moreover, patients in low expression groups exhibited a better prognosis than those in high expressed groups, which was independent of gender (p < 0.001). Histidine metabolism pathway was significantly upregulated in FAM83A-high expressed samples than FAM83A-low expressed samples according to functional enrichment analysis. High expression of FAM83A predicted a poor prognosis in LUAD patients. Our study demonstrated that FAM83A might be a potential biomarker and meaningful therapeutic target in LUAD.

FAM83A Promotes Lung Cancer Progression by Regulating the Wnt and Hippo Signaling Pathways and Indicates Poor Prognosis

FAM83A (family with sequence similarity 83, member A) has been found to be highly expressed in cancers. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role and mechanism of FAM83A in lung cancers. The expression of FAM83A in lung cancer cells was enhanced by gene transfection or knocked down by small interfering RNA interference. The key proteins of the Wnt signaling pathway, the Hippo signaling pathway, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) were examined using Western blot. The proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells were examined using cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion assays. The expression of FAM83A in lung cancer tissues was significantly increased and was correlated with advanced tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stage and poor prognosis. Overexpression of FAM83A enhanced the proliferation, colony formation, and invasion of lung cancer cells. Meanwhile, FAM83A overexpression increased the expression of active β-catenin and Wnt target genes and the activity of EMT. Furthermore, in FAM83A-overexpressed cells, the activity of Hippo pathway was downregulated, whereas the expression of yes-associated protein (YAP) and its downstream targets cyclin E and CTGF were upregulated. The inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway, XAV-939, reversed the promoting effect of FAM83A on YAP, cyclin E, and CTGF. On knocking down the expression of FAM83A, we obtained the opposite results. However, the inhibitor of GSK3β, CHIR-99021, restored the expression of YAP, cyclin E, and CTGF after FAM83A was knocked down. FAM83A is highly expressed in lung cancers and correlated with advanced TNM stage and poor prognosis. FAM83A promotes the proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells by regulating the Wnt and Hippo signaling pathways and EMT process.

FAM83A is amplified and promotes tumorigenicity in non-small cell lung cancer via ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways

Family with sequence similarity 83A (FAM83A) is a newly-found over-expressed oncogene in several types of cancers and associates with poor prognosis. However, the role that FAM83A may play in the carcinogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) still needs to be defined. The present study aimed to investigate the function of FAM83A in NSCLC progression and to investigate the possible mechanism. Analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and rt-PCR showed up-regulated expression of FAM83A in NSCLC. GEO and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis revealed that high expression level of FAM83A in NSCLC was associated with poor prognosis. In vitro experiments showed that depleting FAM83A by siRNA/shRNA significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis. Cell motility was also retarded after silencing FAM83A, as demonstrated by Transwell assay. FAM83A depletion in A549 cells also inhibited subcutaneous tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Western blotting showed that silencing FAM83A decreased the phosphorylation of ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR. On the other hand, overexpressing FAM83A in vitro enhanced cell proliferation and invasiveness, which was repressed by PI3K inhibitor and ERK inhibitor separately. Taken together, our study suggests that FAM83A promotes tumorigenesis of NSCLC at least partly via ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways, making it a promising therapeutic target.

Positive feedback loop of FAM83A/PI3K/AKT/c-Jun induces migration, invasion and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma

FAM83A is part of an 8-member protein family of unknown function and is reported to be a cancer-promoting and treatment-resistance factor in several cancers. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) showed that FAM83A mRNA expression is upregulated in HCC, as are the protein expression levels in both HCC cell lines and tissues. Clinical data have demonstrated that high FAM83A expression is positively correlated with poor progression-free survival time, thus suggesting its cancer-promoting potential. Functional analyses showed that FAM83A overexpression promoted HCC cell migration and invasion in vitro and suppressed sorafenib sensitivity. Inhibiting FAM83A reversed these results. A pulmonary metastasis model further confirmed that FAM83A promoted HCC cell metastasis in vivo. Mechanistic analyses indicated that FAM83A activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, its downstream c-JUN protein, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related protein levels, including downregulation of E-cadherin and upregulation of Vimentin and N-cadherin. Interestingly, c-JUN induced FAM83A expression by directly binding to its promoter region and thus forming a positive-feedback loop for FAM83A/PI3K/AKT/c-JUN. In conclusion, we demonstrated that FAM83A, as a cancer-metastasis promoter, accelerates migration, invasion and metastasis by activating the PI3K/AKT/c-JUN pathway and inducing its self-expression via feedback, thus forming a FAM83A/PI3K/AKT/c-JUN positive-feedback loop to activate EMT signaling and finally promote HCC migration, invasion and metastasis.

Circ-ZKSCAN1 regulates FAM83A expression and inactivates MAPK signaling by targeting miR-330-5p to promote non-small cell lung cancer progression

Background

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) belong to a new type of endogenous non-coding RNA and plays a key role in carcinogenesis. Circ-ZKSCAN1 (hsa_circ_0001727) has been proven to be a tumor-dependent circRNA. However, its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been underreported.

Methods

The expression patterns of circ-ZKSCAN1 were determined using qRT-PCR in NSCLC samples and cell lines. Cell proliferation was examined utilizing the CCK-8 assay. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated using the Transwell assay. The combination of circ-ZKSCAN1 and miR-330-5p in NSCLC cells was analyzed by RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assay. We used the bioinformatics software circbank, CircInteractome, TargetScan and Miranda to predict circRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA interactions.

Results

Our results showed that circ-ZKSCAN1 was significantly up-regulated in NSCLC, closely related to malignant characteristics and poor prognosis, and clinically related to tumor size and clinical stage. Subsequent experiments showed that circ-ZKSCAN1 could inhibit the growth of NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, circ-ZKSCAN1 can act as a sponge of carcinogenic miR-330-5p to increase the expression of FAM83A, resulting in the inhibition of MAPK signal transduction pathway, thus promoting the progress of NSCLC. Interestingly, the increase in FAM83A expression caused by circ-ZKSCAN1 overexpression could in turn promote the expression of circ-ZKSCAN1.

Conclusions

Circ-ZKSCAN1 is a key positive regulator of NSCLC, and clarifies the potential molecular mechanism of the new circ-ZKSCAN1/miR-330-5p/FAM83A feedback loop in promoting the progress of NSCLC.

FAM83A signaling induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition by the PI3K/AKT/Snail pathway in NSCLC

Family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A), as a potential tumor promoter, was reported to contribute to the progression of several malignant tumors. However, the significance of FAM83A in invasion and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that FAM83A expression was significantly increased in NSCLC tissues. High expression of FAM83A was positively associated with tumor metastasis and poor survival of NSCLC patients. Functional experiments revealed that FAM83A knockdown could suppress NSCLC cell migration and invasion both in vivo and in vitro. While opposite results were observed in FAM83A-transfected cells. Mechanically, we found that FAM83A promoted NSCLC cell migration and invasion by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via PI3K/ATK/Snail signaling. Rescue experiment demonstrated that inhibition of either AKT or Snail could partially counteract the promoting effect of FAM83A overexpression in NSCLC metastasis. Taken together, our findings are the first time to demonstrate that increased expression of FAM83A in NSCLC was correlated with EMT and tumor metastasis, which may provide a novel therapeutic target in NSCLC treatment.

FAM83A and FAM83B as Prognostic Biomarkers and Potential New Therapeutic Targets in NSCLC

Although targeted therapy has improved the survival rates in the last decade, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still the most common cause of cancer-related death. The challenge of identifying new targets for further effective therapies still remains. The FAMily with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83) members have recently been described as novel oncogenes in numerous human cancer specimens and shown to be involved in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling. Here, gene expression of FAM83A and B was analyzed in a cohort of 362 NSCLC patients using qPCR. We further investigated relations in expression and their prognostic value. Functional assays in NSCLC cell lines were performed to evaluate FAM83A and B involvement in proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration, and the EGFR pathway. We observed a highly increased gene expression level of FAM83A (ø = 68-fold) and FAM83B (ø = 20-fold) which resulted in poor survival prognosis (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.002). Their expression was influenced by EGFR levels, pathway signaling, and mutation status. Both genes affected cell proliferation, and FAM83A depletion resulted in reduced migration and anchorage-independent growth. The results support the hypothesis that FAM83A and B have different functions in different histological subtypes of NSCLC and might be new therapeutic targets.

Long noncoding antisense RNA FAM83A-AS1 promotes lung cancer cell progression by increasing FAM83A

The abnormal expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is closely associated with human cancers. As one special group of lncRNAs, natural antisense transcripts (NATs) can be transcribed from both DNA strands at the same locus but in the opposite direction from the gene transcript. Their expression levels are altered in many cancers, but their roles are poorly understood. We strove to find NATs involved in human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to reveal their mechanism of action in cancer. We analysed the NATs in NSCLC from the TCGA database by circlncRNAnet. One NAT, family with sequence similarity 83 member A antisense RNA 1 (FAM83A-AS1), was found to be markedly upregulated and positively correlated with its cognate sense counterpart, FAM83A, in NSCLC. Moreover, overexpression of FAM83A-AS1 increased FAM38A protein levels and induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation downstream of FAM83A in cells. Finally, overexpression of FAM83A-AS1 promoted LUAD cell proliferation and invasion. In summary, lncRNA FAM83A-AS1 promotes LUAD by increasing FAM83A expression.