Zhengyu Zhang

Long non-coding RNA ATB promotes growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and predicts poor prognosis in human prostate carcinoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to be critical mediators in various tumors associated with cancer progression. Long non-coding RNA activated by TGF-β (lncRNA-ATB) is a stimulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and serves as a novel prognostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the biological role and clinical significance of lncRNA-ATB in human prostate cancer have yet to be fully elucidated. The present study was designed to explore the expression of lncRNA-ATB in human prostate cancer patients and the role of lncRNA-ATB in prostate cancer cells. We showed that lncRNA-ATB expression was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues in patients with prostate cancer in comparison with adjacent non-tumor tissues. Further analysis indicted that high lncRNA-ATB expression may be an independent prognostic factor for biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival in prostate cancer patients. Overexpression of lncRNA-ATB promoted, and knockdown of lncRNA-ATB inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cells via regulations of cell cycle regulatory protein expression levels. In addition, lncRNA-ATB stimulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated with ZEB1 and ZNF217 expression levels via ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. These results indicated that lncRNA-ATB may be considered as a new predictor in the clinical prognosis of patients with prostate cancer. Overexpression of lncRNA-ATB exerts mitogenic and EMT effects of prostate cancer via activation of ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

MicroRNA Expression Profiling in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: Identification and Functional Validation of Key miRNAs.

Objective This study aims to profile dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and to identify key regulatory miRNAs in ccRCC. Methods and Results miRNA expression profiles in nine pairs of ccRCC tumor samples at three different stages and the adjacent, non-tumorous tissues were investigated using miRNA arrays. Eleven miRNAs were identified to be commonly dysregulated, including three up-regulated (miR-487a, miR-491-3p and miR-452) and eight down-regulated (miR-125b, miR-142-3p, miR-199a-5p, miR-22, miR-299-3p, miR-29a, miR-429, and miR-532-5p) in tumor tissues as compared with adjacent normal tissues. The 11 miRNAs and their predicted target genes were analyzed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, and three key miRNAs (miR-199a-5p, miR-22 and miR-429) were identified by microRNA-gene network analysis. Dysregulation of the three key miRNAs were further validated in another cohort of 15 ccRCC samples, and the human kidney carcinoma cell line 786-O, as compared with five normal kidney samples. Further investigation showed that over-expression of miR-199a-5p significantly inhibited the invasion ability of 786-O cells. Luciferase reporter assays indicated that miR-199a-5p regulated expression of TGFBR1 and JunB by directly interacting with their 3’ untranslated regions. Transfection of miR-199a-5p successfully suppressed expression of TGFBR1 and JunB in the human embryonic kidney 293T cells, further confirming the direct regulation of miR-199a-5p on these two genes. Conclusions This study identified 11 commonly dysregulated miRNAs in ccRCC, three of which (miR-199a-5p, miR-22 and miR-429) may represent key miRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of ccRCC. Further studies suggested that miR-199a-5p plays an important role in inhibition of cell invasion of ccRCC cells by suppressing expression of TGFBR1 and JunB.

Genome-wide screening and identification of long noncoding RNAs and their interaction with protein coding RNAs in bladder urothelial cell carcinoma.

To understand lncRNAs expression profiling and their potential functions in bladder cancer, we investigated the lncRNA and coding RNA expression on human bladder cancer and normal bladder tissues. Bioinformatic analysis revealed thousands of significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs and coding mRNA in bladder cancer relative to normal bladder tissue. Co-expression analysis revealed that 50% of lncRNAs and coding RNAs expressed in the same direction. A subset of lncRNAs might be involved in mTOR signaling, p53 signaling, cancer pathways. Our study provides a large scale of co-expression between lncRNA and coding RNAs in bladder cancer cells and lays biological basis for further investigation.

Infiltration related miRNAs in bladder urothelial carcinoma

SummaryThis study aimed to investigate infiltration related microRNAs (miRNAs) in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC). Twenty patients with BUC were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to infiltration or not: infiltrating BUC group (n=12) and non-infiltrating BUC group (n=8). Gene chip was used to detect infiltration related miRNAs in the BUC samples. In other recruited 17 patients with BUC who were divided into infiltrating BUC samples (n=14) and non-infiltrating BUC samples (n=3), and in 4 BUC cell lines (EJ, 5637, T24 and BIU-87), the expression of miRNAs was assayed by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In infiltrating BUC group, as compared with non-infiltrating BUC group, there were 7 differentially expressed miRNAs: hsa-miR-29c, hsa-miR-200a, hsa-miR-378, hsa-miR-429, hsa-miR-200c and hsa-miR-141 were up-regulated, while hsa-miR-451 was down-regulated. In the BUC samples, the results of RT-PCR were consistent with those by the miRNA array. In the cancer cell lines, RT-PCR in T24 only revealed the similar expression pattern of miRNAs to that by the miRNA array. It is suggested that infiltration of BUC is related with different expression of miRNAs, which may provide a novel platform for further study on function and action mechanism of miRNAs.This study aimed to investigate infiltration related microRNAs (miRNAs) in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC). Twenty patients with BUC were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to infiltration or not: infiltrating BUC group (n=12) and non-infiltrating BUC group (n=8). Gene chip was used to detect infiltration related miRNAs in the BUC samples. In other recruited 17 patients with BUC who were divided into infiltrating BUC samples (n=14) and non-infiltrating BUC samples (n=3), and in 4 BUC cell lines (EJ, 5637, T24 and BIU-87), the expression of miRNAs was assayed by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In infiltrating BUC group, as compared with non-infiltrating BUC group, there were 7 differentially expressed miRNAs: hsa-miR-29c, hsa-miR-200a, hsa-miR-378, hsa-miR-429, hsa-miR-200c and hsa-miR-141 were up-regulated, while hsa-miR-451 was down-regulated. In the BUC samples, the results of RT-PCR were consistent with those by the miRNA array. In the cancer cell lines, RT-PCR in T24 only revealed the similar expression pattern of miRNAs to that by the miRNA array. It is suggested that infiltration of BUC is related with different expression of miRNAs, which may provide a novel platform for further study on function and action mechanism of miRNAs.

Effect of miR-29b-1* and miR-29c knockdown on cell growth of the bladder cancer cell line T24

Objective To investigate the role of the microRNAs miR-29b-1-5p (miR-29b-1*) and miR-29c in bladder urothelial cancer (BUC). Methods Levels of miR-29b-1* and miR-29c in normal urothelial cells (HU609) and BUC cells (T24) were determined via quantitative real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. T24 cells were transfected with small interfering RNA targeting miR-29b-1* or miR-29c, and cell growth was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimehylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The predicted targets and oncogenic pathways of these microRNAs were determined using bioinformatics analysis. Results MiR29b-1* and miR-29c levels were higher in T24 cells than normal urothelial cells. Knockdown of miR-29b-1* or miR-29c suppressed T24 cell growth. Bioinformatic analysis showed that miR-29b-1* and miR-29c co-regulated a subset of putative target genes, about 10% of which have been experimentally validated. Conclusion Both miR-29b-1* and miR-29c regulate cell growth in BUC. The targets of miR-29b-1* and miR-29c may be functionally associated with proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis.

NRP-1 expression in bladder cancer and its implications for tumor progression

Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) overexpression has been reported in a variety of human cancers. However, the role of NRP-1 in bladder cancer (BC) remains unclear. The aim of present study was to analyze NRP-1 protein expression in BC tissues and to assess its prognostic significance for BC. NRP-1 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression were determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry in specimens of primary cancer and their adjacent noncancerous tissues in BC patients. Additionally, NRP-1 protein expression in 139 archived paraffin-embedded BC samples was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological characteristics and survival. Student’s t test, Spearman’s rank correlation, Kaplan-Meier plots, and Cox’s proportional hazards regression model were used to analyze the data. By qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, the levels of NRP-1 mRNA and protein were significantly higher in BC, compared to that in adjacent noncancerous tissues (P < 0.001). High expression of NRP-1 was significantly associated with histologic grade (P = 0.016) and tumor stage (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that high expression of NRP-1 was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. Our study suggests that overexpression of NRP-1 may play an important role in the progression of BC, and NRP-1 expression may serve as a biomarker for poor prognosis for BC.

Nanogold-functionalized g-C3N4 nanohybrids for sensitive impedimetric immunoassay of prostate-specific antigen using enzymatic biocatalytic precipitation.

This work reports on a new impedimetric immunosensing strategy for sensitive detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in biological fluids. The assay was carried out on monoclonal anti-PSA capture antibody-modified glassy carbon electrode with a sandwich-type detection format. Gold nanoparticles-decorated g-C3N4 nanosheets (AuNP/g-C3N4), synthesized by the wet-chemistry method, were utilized for the labeling of polyclonal anti-PSA detection antibody and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Upon target PSA introduction, the sandwiched immunocomplex could be formed between capture antibody and detection antibody. Followed by the AuNP/g-C3N4, the labeled HRP could catalyze 4-choloro-1-naphthol into benzo-4-chlorohexadienone. The as-generated insoluble product was coated on the electrode surface, thus increasing the Faradaic impedance of Fe(CN)6(4-/3)(-) indicator between the solution and the base electrode. Under the optimal conditions, the impedance increased with the increasing target PSA in the sample, and exhibited a wide linear range from 10pgmL(-1) and 30ngmL(-1) with a detection limit of 5.2pgmL(-1). A repeatability and intermediate precision of <14% was accomplished. The specificity and method accuracy in comparison with commercial PSA ELISA kit for analysis of human serum specimens were relatively satisfactory.

A feed-forward loop between lncARSR and YAP activity promotes expansion of renal tumour-initiating cells.

Renal tumour-initiating cells (T-ICs) contribute to tumorigenesis, progression and drug resistance of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the underlying mechanism for the propagation of renal T-ICs remains unclear. Here we show that long non-coding RNA lncARSR is upregulated in primary renal T-ICs and associated with a poor prognosis of clear cell RCCs (ccRCC). Knockdown of lncARSR attenuates the self-renewal, tumorigenicity and metastasis of renal T-ICs. Conversely, forced lncARSR expression enhances T-IC properties of RCC cells. Mechanistically, the binding of lncARSR to YAP impedes LATS1-induced YAP phosphorylation and facilitates YAP nuclear translocation. Reciprocally, YAP/TEAD promotes lncARSR transcription, thus forming a feed-forward circuit. The correlation between lncARSR and YAP is validated in a ccRCC cohort, where the combination of these two parameters exhibits improved prognostic accuracy. Our findings indicate that lncARSR plays a critical role in renal T-ICs propagation and may serve as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target.

Expression of CHD1L in bladder cancer and its influence on prognosis and survival

Chromodomain helicase/ATPase DNA-binding protein 1-like (CHD1L) is overexpressed and highly associated with poor prognosis in many malignancies. However, the role of CHD1L in bladder cancer (BC) has not been thoroughly elucidated. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of CHD1L expression with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in BC. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to investigate the protein expression of CHD1L in 153 BC tissues and 87 adjacent noncancerous tissues. Our data found that CHD1L protein expression was significantly higher in BC tissues than in adjacent noncancerous tissues (P < 0.001). CHD1L overexpression was significantly correlated with histologic grade (P = 0.005) and tumor stage (P = 0.009). The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed that survival time of patients with high CHD1L expression was significantly shorter than that with low CHD1L expression. Multivariate analysis further demonstrated that CHD1L was an independent prognostic factor for patients with BC. In conclusion, CHD1L is likely to be a valuable marker for carcinogenesis and progression of BC. It might be used as an important diagnostic and prognostic marker for BC patients.

Downregulation of SKA1 Gene Expression Inhibits Cell Growth in Human Bladder Cancer

Spindle and kinetochore-associated protein 1 (SKA1), a component of microtubule-binding complex of kinetochore, is essential for proper chromosome segregation. Recently, SKA1 has been shown to be involved in malignant progression of several human cancers. However, its role in bladder cancer is still unknown. To evaluate the function of SKA1 in bladder cancer cells, the authors employed an RNA interference lentivirus system to deplete its expression in both BT5637 and T-24 bladder cancer cells. The cell proliferation was significantly decreased in both cell lines after SKA1 knockdown. Moreover, the colony formation capacity was impaired by SKA1 silencing. Flow cytometry analysis showed that depletion of SKA1 led to cell cycle arrest at S phase. Furthermore, knockdown of SKA1 in T-24 cells obviously downregulated the expressions of CDK4 and Cyclin D1, and alleviated the activations of ERK2 and AKT, conducive to cell growth inhibition. These findings suggested that knockdown of SKA1 could potently suppress bladder cancer cell proliferation in vitro and lentivirus-mediated silencing of SKA1 might serve as a novel strategy for gene therapy of bladder cancer.